CERTAIN IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS AND TILES FROM CLAY ALONE OR MIXED WITH OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Burstall, of Southall, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS AND TILES FROM CLAY ALONE OR
MIXED WITH OTHER MATERIALS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Thomas Burstall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 1st May 1857, pursuant to the 9th Section of tho Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BURSTALL, of Southall, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Thomas Burstall, am the true and first Inventor of
"CERTAIN IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS AND TILES FROM
CLAY ALONE OR MIXED WITH OTHER MATERIALS," for which I now solicit the grant.
of Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Burstall, 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 or Completo Specification thereof (reference being had to. the
Drawings accompanying this Specification), that is to say :-
I take clay alone or mixed with other materials, as chalk, ashes, sand, or
such material as is required for the different clays, the whole being nearly in

page_text: a dry state, so that it will pulverize; and having pulverized and sifted it, it is
ready for the action of the machine, which is shown by the accompanying
Drawing; Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section; Fig. 2, an end view; Fig. 3,
a back elevation, shewing the cams and driving gear; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8, cross sections taken through one of the moulds, and shewing various
positions of the machine. The same letters of reference are common to all
the views.
This machine consists of two strong framos A, A', to which are fixed two
dies B, B', of the shape of the length and breadth of the brick (C) or tilo
required to be made. In the dies are plungers D, D', fitting easily therein,
which plungers are acted upon by the steam pressure through the medium of
the piston E, the piston rod F, the connecting link G, the lever II, and the
anti-friction rollers I, I'. On the frames A, A, are fixed two cross frames
J, J, J, held firmly down by strong wrought-iron bolts K, K, K, K, securing
the whole together. These frames J, J, J, carry a shaft L, with two eccentrics
M, M', thereon, for giving motion to two plungers N, N¹, by means of tho
connecting rods O, O', and giving pressure to the top of the brick C. On
the shaft L is fixed a spur wheel P, which is geared into and worked by a
spur pinion Qfixed on a shaft R, R, working in bearings in the frames J, J,
the other end of the shaft, which is shewn broken off, being carried to any
required length to work in a bearing fixed to a wall or other suitable place.
On the shaft L is also fixed a pulley S and a fly wheel S", which is driven by
the belt T, T, from any motive power. In the frames J, J, are two bearings
in which run a shaft v, v, v, on which are fixed two cams W, W¹. These
cams are for working the rocking standards a, a, and x, x³, by means of the
rollers y, y', which rocking standards by the connecting rods Z, Z, give
inotion to the feed boxes a, a, working under the hoppers b, b, the bottom of
the feed boxes being over the top of the dies B, B, B, B. On the shaft v, v, v,
are also fixed two cams c, c, for lifting the brick out of the mould by acting
on the plungers D, D', through the medium of the rollers d, d, the levers e, e',
and connecting pins f, f.
Steam is admitted into the cylinder by a cam or tappet 9 on the shaft L
working a weigh shaft and valve gear of the ordinary construction for high-
pressure steam engines through the medium of the rollers h, h. The shaft
v, v, v, has also fixed on it a spur wheel geared into and driven by a spur
pinion m fixed on the shaft R, R. It is to be particularly observed that the
shafts L and v make the same number of revolutions, or the machine will be
out of adjustment.
The manner of working the machine is as follows:-The pulverized clay,

page_text: properly sifted, is placed into the hoppers b, b, and the shaft R being set in
motion, the shafts L and v are set simultaneously to work by the pinions Q
and m, and the wheels P and I, with the various cams thereon, starting with
the machine in the position shewn in Fig. 7. The plunger D is down, having
to receive a charge of pulverized clay from the feed box a, a, which has been
filled by having been brought under the hopper b, b, the clay falling into the
mould by its own gravity.
The machine being in motion, the feed box a, a, is withdrawn by the cam
W working on the roller y', forcing back the rocking. standard x, x, and the
connecting rod attached to the feed box a, a, the shaft L moving simul-
taneously brings the eccentric M into action, and commences pressing the
loose clay C by the plunger N¹ through the medium of the connecting rod O.
As soon as the plunger N' is fairly in the mould the steam is admitted into
the cylinder by the cam or tappet g; the steam moving the piston com-
municates the pressure to the loose clay through the medium of the piston
rod f, the link G, the lever H, the anti-friction roller I, and the plunger D,
and meeting the other plunger N is pressed into a solid brick C, as shown in
the right-hand mould, Fig. 1, and in the section, Fig. 8. The motion being
continued, the machine is brought into the position shewn in Figs. 4 and 6,
Fig. 4 shewing the feed box a, a, brought back by the action of the cam W,
and in Fig. 6 the brick is shewn lifted out by the cam c through the medium
of the roller d; the lever e, e, the lifting pin f, and the plunger D, which
plunger being lifted up flush with the die B, B, B, B, the brick thereon is
ready to be pushed off, which is done by the feed box a, a, being forced
forward by the cam W acting on the roller y, the rocking standard x, x, and
the connecting rod attached to it bringing it to the position shewn in Fig. 5,
the brick being then finished and ready for removal to the kiln, the same
action bringing the feed hox a, a, (with the chargo of clay it has received
when under the hopper 6, 6, (seen in Fig. 6) over the plunger D, which is
kept up flush with the top of the die B, B, B, B, by the concentric part of the
cam c till the brick is finished off, as seen in Fig. 7. The cam having
travelled forward, the concentric part of the cam leaves the roller, and the
plunger being no longer held up drops by its own gravity, the mould fills with
clay, and the operations are repeated as before described. This is for one
mould, the other mould and gearing is exactly similar, the same processes
being alternate, that is, a brick is produced at cach half revolution of the
shafts Land v. In order to give the necessary time for the operations of
the various movements of feeding, prossing, lifting the top plunger, returning
the feed box, lifting out the brick, pushing it forward, and stopping the

page_text: plunger, it is necessary that the eccentrics M, M', should throw more than
necessary to give the pressure to the brick, and the clearance of tho feed box,
and the proportion must not be less than one-third of a revolution, lifting the
plunger above the top of the feed box to give time for the feed box to ho
forced forward and withdrawn before the plunger N comes down. As great
difficulty exists in getting the clay exactly the same as to moisture, and the
consequence being that the bulk will vary in the mould, to remedy this I
attach a check strap n to the end of the lever e, e, which, holding up tho
plunger D, allows it to be dropped down to a varying depth, this check strap
being connected at the other end to a screwed joint and thumbscrew nut p
working in the front of the machine, and between the two I placo somo
elastic substance (I find a helical spring n the best), so that when the
pressure of the top plunger N comes on, the elastic medium stretches and
prevents the check strap from being broken, which would be the case if it
were rigid, and thus enables me to alter tho thickness of the brick while the
machine is moving. To prevent the clay from sticking to the plungers and
dies, I heat them with steam, tho plungers having clastic pipes to allow them
to work freely. This Invention is an addition to that for which Letters Patent,
dated 1st Dec 1851, were granted to me, and that the subject of application
for Letters Patent No. 2071, A.D. 1856.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby further
declare that I do not claim the use of the before-described mechanical details,
except as constituent parts of my said Invention; what I do claim being the
before-described "Improved machinery for manufacturing bricks and tiles
from clay alono or mixed with other materials," and particularly as regards
the mode of actuating tho plungers, the filling of the moulds, and the use of
an elastic check strap.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Burstall, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Fourth day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven.
-THOMAS BURSTALL. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed in my presence,
F. W. CAMPIN, Patent Agent,
Patent Office, 156, Strand.