AN IMPROVED BRICK-MAKING MACHINE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles. Stevens, of the Firm Stevens & Henderson,
of 31, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED BRICK-MAKING MACHINE." -A communication
from abroad by Alois Milch, of Paris, in the Empire of France..
Sealed the 15th May 1863, and dated the 20th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stevens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th November 1862.
I, CHARLES STEVENS, of the Firm Stevens & Henderson, of 31, Charing
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BRICK-MAKING MACHINE," &
that it has been communicated to me from abroad by Alois Milch, of Paris,
in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
My improved brick-making machine is of simple construction, and is.
formed entirely of iron, the parts requiring strength being wrought and the
rest cast.
An endless band carries the clay to the top of the machine and casts it
between two cylinders which crush and mix it, then allow it to fall into the clay
receiver, the bottom part of which fits closely the moulds destined to form the
5 bricks. The clay is forced into the moulds by means of a revolving pressing
cylinder, fitting closely in an opening in the clay receiver, and the surplus

page_text: clay is cut off by a knife fixed for that purpose. The moulds are separate
and are attached to an endless chain moving from right to left by means of
two chain wheels. To diminish the friction each mould moves on rollers
working on an upper and lower rail. Each mould has a moveable bottom
with piston, which as it leaves the presser is pushed up slightly by a revolving
wheel, and the brick is finally expelled by an inclined plane which presses
down the pistons to their full extent, and the brick drops on planks which are
placed under the machine, and carried on by a second endless chain. The
machine receives its movement by means of a cog wheel, put in motion by
steam or other power. The brick can be subjected to a double pressure if
desired, by means of a turn-table, on which, as each mould passes, the brick
is pressed by aid of a small wheel acting on the pistons, and so on the move-
able bottom of the mould. The moulds before receiving the clay are sprinkled
with sand by means of a sifter fixed for that purpose on the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
STEVENS, of the Firm Stevens & Henderson, of 31, Charing Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said. Charles Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Stevens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Stevens, my executors, administrators, and 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
"AN IMPROVED BRICK-MAKING MACHINE," a communication to me from
abroad by Alois Milch, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that. I, the said Charles Stevens, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 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 Charles Stevens, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The action of my improved brick-making machine is extremely simple, and
its construction such that it is not liable to get out of order, as is often the
case with those at present employed. The clay requires little or no previous
preparation, it being dug, slightly broken up, and mixed with cinder or other
materials that may be thought advisable, then thrown on to an endless band,
herein-after mentioned, which conveys it to the top of the machine, where it
passes between two mixing and dividing cylinders into a receiver which supplies
the moulds as they pass underneath. The amount of pressure to which the
bricks are subjected in the moulds, combined with the dryer state of the earth
used, produce a brick which requires much less drying than those made in
the ordinary way, besides being of a much better shape and less liable to
crumble and break. The machine is entirely constructed of iron, the parts
requiring strength being wrought and the rest cast.
The construction will be readily understood by referring to the accom-
panying Drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 an end
elevation.
A is an endless chain, to which are attached at regular distances brick
moulds B, each separate, and having a movable bottom C, to which is fixed
the piston D. The endless chain moves from right to left on the chain
wheels E and E¹, in order to facilitate the rotation of the moulds. Each
mould is furnished with friction rollers F, F, which run on the upper and
lower rails G, G. The clay is carried to the top of the machine by means of
an endless band H, made of any strong material that may be considered
suitable and carried on two revolving drums, one placed at the top of the
machine, the other at a suitable distance from it. Motion is communicated
from the machine and the speed is regulated according to the quantity of clay
required. The clay is crushed and mixed by two cylinders I and I' held
together by ties, after which it falls into the receiver K, which is carefully
fitted to the brick moulds B, so that no earth is lost as it falls into them as
they are drawn on by the chain A. The moulds thus filled at once pass
under the pressing cylinder L, which compresses the clay in the moulds, and a

page_text: blade M, adjusted for the purpose, cuts off the surplus clay on the top of the
mould. The compressed bricks are forced from the moulds as they revolve
by an incline plane N, which gradually forces down the pistons of the moulds.
The bricks drop on planks which pass underneath the machine drawn by an
endless chain O. Fresh planks are placed on the endless chain as it gradually
revolves and the filled ones removed. The empty moulds can be either
spinkled with sand by means of a sifter P, or they can be greased by a boy to
prevent the clay adhering. Should it be thought necessary a double pressure
can be given to the bricks by means of a turn-table Q, on which each of the
moulds passes, the pistons being forced down by means of the small wheel R,
thus pressing the brick against the table. The cog wheel S is put in move-
ment by steam or horse power, and communicates motion to the various parts
of the machine. The cog wheel T communicates rotary motion to the
presser L, and the large chain wheel U.puts in motion the cylinders I and I',
by means of the small chain wheel V. W is the iron framework supporting
the several parts of the machine.
The size of the machine of course varies. In certain cases it may be
advisable to have four crushing and mixing cylinders in place of the two
above described, and other modification may be made without departing from
the princple of the Invention. What I now claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is, the general arrangement of machine for the manufacture of
bricks as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings, and of which the wrought-iron brick moulds, having movable
bottoms, to which are affixed pistons; the presser or compressing cylinder L
and the endless chain A bearing the brick moulds are the principal parts.
In witness whereof I, the said Charles Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CHARLES STEVENS. (L.s.)