Im- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS,
TILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by
François Durand, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer.
Sealed the 15th March 1867, and dated the 17th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th September 1866.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS,
TILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," a communication to me from abroad by
François Durand, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement and combination of
mechanism for moulding and compressing bricks, tiles, and similar articles
composed of clay or brick earth. According to this Invention a moulding and

page_text: compressing box is employed securely fixed to a main framing, and having an
opening in the top which communicates directly with a feeding hopper. The
clay or brick earth is thrown into this hopper in the state in which it is dug,
and is sufficiently compressed in a vertical direction in the mould box by the
weight of the clay or brick earth contained in the hopper above. A horizontal
compression is imparted to the material by means of a sliding piston which
fills the box and is actuated by a crank and connecting rod. The end of the
box opposite this piston is caused to open and close, that is, to recede from
and advance up to the mouth of the box by means of sliding rods which are
actuated by cams on the crank shaft and by the joint pin of the connecting
rod and piston, which works in slots or oblong openings made for that
purpose in the sliding rods. The cams are so shaped as to keep the end of
the box closed whilst the piston is advancing and compressing the material,
and to release or open the same just before the piston completes its stroke,
the latter portion of the stroke of the piston serving to open the end of the
box by the contact of the joint pin above referred to with the end of the
oblong slots or openings in the sliding rods, and tends also to force out
the moulded brick or other article on to two pallets placed to receive it;
these pallets are connected to weighted levers acted upon by cams, which so
soon as the brick is deposited upon the pallets depress the said levers and
pallets and cause the brick to be deposited upon an endless travelling apron
situate beneath the moulding box and between the said pallets, and serving
to carry away the moulded articles as fast as they are produced. So soon as
the brick leaves the pallets they rise again (by the action of counterweights
on the levers) to their former position opposite the mouth of the mould box
in readiness for a fresh brick. Motion is imparted to the cams which actuate
the pallet levers and to the endless travelling apron by means of an endless
cbain and chain pulley on the main crank shaft of the machine. A large
spur wheel, also keyed on this shaft, gears into a spur pinion on a first motion
shaft, which is provided with the usual fast and loose driving pulleys and with
à fly wheel, thus enabling the machine to be driven by steam or other motive
power. If perforated bricks or articles are to be moulded in this machine one
or more perforating spindles are caused to work through the moveable end of
the mould box and to enter the clay in the said box before it is expelled;
these perforators may, be carried by a horizontal bar' to which a to-and-fro
motion may be imparted either by hand or by any obvious arrangement of
half-acting mechanism.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," a communication to me from abroad by Francois
Durand, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my band and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement and combination of
mechanism for moulding and compressing bricks, tiles, and similar articles
composed of clay or brick earth. According to this Invention a moulding and
compressing box is employed securely fixed to a main framing, and having an
opening in the top which communicates directly with a feeding hopper. The
clay or brick earth is thrown into this hopper in the state in which it is dug, and
is sufficiently compressed in a vertical direct on in the mould box by the weight

page_text: of the clay or brick earth contained in the hopper above.
A horizontal com-
pression is imparted to the material by means of a sliding piston which fills the
box, and is actuated by a crank and connecting rod. The end of the box opposite
this piston is caused to open and close, viz., to recede from and advance up to
the mouth of the box by means of sliding rods, which are actuated by cams
on the crank shaft and by the joint pin of the connecting rod and piston,
which works in slots or oblong openings made for that purpose in the sliding
rods. The cams are so shaped as to keep the end of the box closed whilst the
piston is advancing and compressing the material, and to release or open the
same just before the piston completes its stroke, the later portion of the stroke
of the piston serving to open the end of the box by the contact of the joint
pin above referred to with the end of the oblong slots or openings in the
sliding rods, and tends also to force out the moulded brick or other article on
to a pallet or pallets suitably placed to receive it; these pallets may be con-
nected to weighted levers or to vertical sliding spindles acted upon by a cam
or cams, which so soon as the brick is deposited upon the pallets depress the
said levers and pallets and cause the brick to be deposited upon an endless
travelling apron situate beneath the moulding box and between the said
pallets, and serving to carry away the moulded articles as fast as they are
produced. So soon as the brick leaves the pallets they rise again (by the
action of counterweights on the levers) to their former position opposite the
mouth of the mould box in readiness for a fresh brick. Motion is imparted
to the cams which actuate the pallet levers and to the endless travelling apron
by means of an endless chain and chain pulley on the main crank shaft of the
machine. A large spur wheel, also keyed on this shaft, gears into a spur
pinion on a first motion shaft, which is provided with the usual fast and loose
driving pulleys and with a fly wheel, thus enabling the machine to be driven
by steam or other motive power. If perforated bricks or articles are to be
moulded in this machine one or more perforating spindles are caused to work
through the moveable end of the mould box and to enter the clay in the said
box before it is expelled; these perforators may be carried by a horizontal
bar to which a to-and-fro motion may be imparted either by hand or by any
obvious arrangement of self-acting mechanism.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose 1 shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of the
improved brick machine; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; and

page_text: Figure 3 is an elevation of the hopper end of the machine corresponding to
Figure 1.
The box B, in which is effected the moulding and compression, is securely
fixed or cast on the frame O which carries the driving or actuating mechanism ;
this box B has an opening X made in its upper surface to admit of the
entrance therein of the clay or brick earth contained in the hopper T which
is fixed above the moulding box. The moulding is accomplished by the
rectilinear of a species of piston or plunger P actuated by the con-
necting rod B¹ jointed to the crank of the main shaft A. The coupling
pin b of the connecting rod is extended on each side of the rod so as to enter
and work in the slots g of the side rods G placed parallel to the main
framing. The moveable bottom or end P¹ of the mould box is fixed to these
side rods and follows their movements, as berein-after explained; these rods
are guided in their movements by the guides O¹ fixed to the main framing.
The actuating shaft A passes through the opening g¹ of the rods G, and the
pin 6 works between the guides 9; cams C are keyed on to each side of the
shaft A, and operate upon antifriction rollers c attached to the side rods G.
During the time the concentric portion of these cams is in contact with the
rollers c the movable end P¹ remains in its place, and the compression of the
clay is effected. The main shaft revolves in the direction of the arrow, and
the position of the plunger P, as shown in the Drawing, is that which it
assumes on the completion of the compression, that is to say, when the
circumference of the cams C leave the rollers c; the pin 6 then comes in
contact with the right-hand end of the slots 9. and the plunger P continuing
its movement towards the right effects the discharge of the moulded and
compressed brick, tile, or other article in the following manner :--The side
rods G being no longer retained by the cams C move with the plunger P,
and consequently cause the moveable bottom or end P¹ to recede until the
plunger has arrived at the end of its stroke. Now as this latter and the
moveable bottom or end P¹ preserve their parallel position, it follows that
the brick or other article will be removed without any alteration in its form.
This disengagement is entirely effected in a self-acting manner, and the brick
is carried off by a special arrangement of mechanism consisting of an endless
band or apron situated transversely at the end of the machine, and put in
motion by the rotation of the bevel wheel F, which gears with a corresponding
bevel wheel F keyed on the shaft E; this shaft is driven by the pall j
actuated by the rod J and disc D keyed on to the main driving shaft A, and
which gives motion to the ratchet wheel j¹. The shaft E carries also a spur
wheel which gears with a wheel of the same diameter keyel on to the shaft E¹,

page_text: and which is provided with a cam or wiper el. The object of this wiper
is to elevate at the proper time the pallet p intended to receive the mould
brick, and which is situated underneath the surface of the endless travelling
band f. The pallet p is provided with two spindles passing through the fixed
guides p¹ which serve to keep it always parallel, such spindles being con-
nected together at their lower ends by a cross bar which is in contact with
the wiper e. When the plunger has arrived at the end of its stroke the
brick issues from the machine and is received upon the endless band f, the
weight of the brick causing it to bear upon the pallet p, which at this
moment is elevated by the cam e¹. In order to prevent the bricks losing
their shape the endless band is provided with cross bars fat suitable
intervals, which carry along with them the tablets t one after the other;
these tablets are piled above one another in the receptacle or holder T situate
on one side, as shewn clearly in Figure 3, and adjust themselves separately
upon the surface of the endless band; each brick, therefore, rests upon a
separate tablet, upon which it is carried by hand to the drying shed, and
hence all danger of injury to the brick during its transport is avoided. The
cam C after discharging the brick again acts upon the rollers c, and returns
the moveable bottom or end P¹ to its original position again for effecting the
moulding of the next brick, and so on. The framing O carries a shaft K
upon which are mounted a fast and loose driving pulley L and L', a
fly wheel V, and a spur pinion M, which gear into and drives the large
spur wheel N keyed on the main shaft A. The pullies L and L' from
any prime mover by a belt or otherwise, and thus transmit motion to
the shaft A of the machine. The clay or brick earth is supplied to the
hopper T in the condition in which it is dug out of the pit, and its weight
is sufficient to give the requisite vertical pressure to the clay in the moulding
box without any special appliances for that purpose.
I have indicated in red lines in Figure 1 an additional arrangement which
may be employed when making perforated bricks; it consists of a series of
spindles or pins i, which traverse the moveable bottom or end P', and are
connected to a bar which is actuated at its extremities by two levers j¹¹
mounted on a rocking shaft J'; this shaft receives its movement from any
convenient arrangement of mechanism, which will be sufficiently understood
without a Drawing.
•
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the

page_text: herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination of machinery
or apparatus for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and similar articles arranged
and operating substantially as berein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)