IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPA- RATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL STONE. PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY AND APPARATUS, ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PREPARING AND FOR MOULDING AND COMPRESSING CLAY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Rudolph Bodmer, of Newport, in the County of
Monmouth, and Louis Rudolph Bodmer, of 2, Thavies Inn, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPA-
RATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL STONE. PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS, ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PREPARING AND FOR MOULDING AND
COMPRESSING CLAY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
Sealed the 2nd December 1:64, and dated the 16th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION-left by the said Rudolph Bodmer and
Louis Rudolph Bodmer at the Office of the Commissiouers of Patents,
with their petition, on the 16th June 1864.
We, R DOLPH BODмER, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, and
LOUIS RUDOLPH BODMER, of 2, Thavies Inn, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL STONE, PARTS OF WHICH
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PREPARING AND FOR MOULDING
AND COMPRESSING CLAY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of artificial stone, to which our improvements chiefly
apply,and which is composed principally of sandand lime, it is of importance
that the lime should be carefully prepared, slaked, and screened, that the
Price Rd 1

page_text: sand be likewise carefully screened and prepared, and that the materials be
measured out in exactly the required proportions, and afterwards intimately
mixed and thoroughly incorporated with each other before being transmitted
to the press in which the material is formed into bricks or other objects. The
whole of these operations must, as far as possible, be performed without
manual labor, in order to reduce the cost of manufacture to a minimum, and
to ensure that uniformity and regularity which are indispensable for the
production of a trustworthy artificial stone.
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the mode of and apparatus and com-
binations for slaking,sifting, conveying, and measuring the lime. The burnt
lime as it comes from the kiln is first passed through crushing apparatus,
whereby the larger lumps are reduced to fragments, which fall through a
hopper or trough upon an endless strap or feed belt, by which the lime is
conveyed to and discharged into the slaking pit or box. On its passage to
this pit, or after it has fallen into the pit, the lime receives the requisite
quantity of hot or cold water, uniformly distributed over it from a rose or
from perforated pipes. We prefer to discharge the lime first into a shoot
leading into the pit. This shoot is provided with a flap or damper, which
alternately opens and closes the shoot, and whilst so closed a certain quantity
of the lime accumulates, upon which the water is made to flow.
We prefer
to make the pits of wood and lined with sheet iron. If the pits are stationary
the feed belt is made to discharge itself upon distributing straps, by means of
which and suitably disposed scrapers the lime is distributed over the pit. We
also make the pits circular, and place an apparatas similar to a crane in or
over its centre; the jib of the crane is fitted with a travelling belt, upon
which the feed belt discharges itself. A slow rotary motion is given to this
apparatus either by hand or by power, and the lime falling in a circle from
the periphery towards the centre of the pit, and vice versa, may if necessary
be further distributed by scrapers.
In preference to the above described pits,and the improved mode of filling
the same, we propose to make moveable pits, namely, firstly, circular pits,
supported on hydraulic rams, or on wheels or rollers similar to railway turn-
tables, and which are caused to turn round their axis whilst the lime is being
discharged into them from the feed belt. These circular pits may be divided
into compartments, which may be filled and afterwards again discharged in
succession. Secondly, we make the moveable pits in the shape of trucks or
waggons on wheels, and arranged for tipping; these waggon pits are placed
one behind another on a line of rails, or on two or more lines of rails con-
nected by cross rails and traversing trucks. At a convenient spot the lime

page_text: feed belt passes across the lines of rails, and the trucks passing under it are
filled in a similar manner as already described. We prefer to fit one pair of
wheels of each truck with a toothed wheel gearing into a pinion for the
purpose of moving forward the truck by hand whilst it is being filled. When
thelime is slaked the trucks are tipped into hoppers or receivers, from whence
the lime is conveyed again by travelling belts to the lime sifter. Whatever
the construction of pits use'l they are provided with covers to prevent the
escape of the steam and gases generated by the process of slaking. The lime
sifter may be a revolving cylindrical sifter, to which a slight inclination is
given, or it maybe an upright flat surface sifter,ora flat surface siftersupported
in a nearly horizontal position on springs or otherwise, and to which a
vibrating motion is given. Instead of wire we use perforated sheet zinc for
lime sifters, and in order to protect the sheet zinc from the concussionscaused
by lumps, we place a coarse wire sifter over it. The riddlings are carried
away by a travelling belt, and the sifted lime is conveyed by similar means to
the measuring apparatus.
One of our improved measuring apparatus consists in a a box or hopper
placed over a travelling belt, by which latter we prefer to convey the lime
direct to the mixing apparatus. In the aperture at the front of the hopper
we place a roller, which by means of set screws or other similar contrivance
and by
can be brought nearer to and further from the surface of the strap,
meaus of which the discharge of the lime can be regulated. This roller is
caused to revolve at about the same superficial velocity as the belt itself, or
more or less, and from experiments we find such roller will regulate the
discharge more evenly and uniformly than the "slide" used hitherto for
similar purposes.
Another description of our improved measuring apparatus consists in a
drum or cylinder placed horizontally, and through the body of which, at right
angles with the axis, a hole or box is formed. This box may be closed at one
end, but we prefer to make it open at both ends, and provided with a
moveable or sliding bottom. When the box is in a vertical position with the
open end towards the hopperit will fill itself with lime, and when the same
The moveable bottom,
end is turned downwards it will discharge itself.
which will fall through the whole depth of the box every time it is filled and
discharged, will at the same time act as a scraper, and prevent accumulation
of material against the sides. We also make drums with boxes only
reaching to near the centre of the drum, whereby the boxes become wedge-
shaped.
Another mode of measuring lime consists in the use of apparatus similar to

page_text: what is called the "feed box," as in the presses known as Platt's brick presses.
The feed box may be made to slide backwards and forwards, or revolving
round a vertical axis.
The same means as have been described for sifting, measuring, and
conveying lime are applicable for the sand and other material. The sand
sifter we prefer to place direct over the hopper of the measuring apparatus
with roller, and immediately when the sand issues from the hopper it receives,
through a perforated pipe placed across the strap, the quantity of water
necessary for mixing the sand and lime; this damping or wetting of the
sand near the hopper has at the same time the object of making the sand hold
together, and preventing its falling off the strap or belt in case the inclination
of the latter be rapid. The tank holding the water is fitted with a supply tap
or cock and a discharge cock, and in order to insure a uniform supply of
water to the sand the taps are connected with a regulator to compensate for
any irregularity in the speed of the sand trap. If chemicals are employed
for the purpose of accelerating the hardening process in the stones it is
essential that the chemical solution be added to the water in a uniform
manner and in proportion as fresh water is added to the tank; for this
purpose we place a second tank holding a strong solution of the chemicals
over the water tank, and the discharge cock of this tank is connected withthe
supply cock of the water tank in such a manner that the supply of the
chemical solution is at all times in proportion to the supply of water. When
chemicals are so employed we prefer to place an agitator in the water tank to
ensure a more uniform mixture. The lime and the moistened sand coming
from their respective measuring apparatus are now by the travelling belts is
delivered to the mixing apparatus. This apparatus consists simply of a drum,
in preference made of sheet iron, and fitted internally with a number of
blades, straight or spiral, which reach from one end to the other, or nearly so.
A slight inclination is given to this drum, and as it revolves the material
delivered into it at the upperend will be lifted up and again dropped by each
blade in succession, till, owing to the inclination of the drum, it will at last be
discharged from the lower end, intimately mixed, through a hopper, or direct
upon a travelling belt, which conveys the material to the press. The mixing
drum, as described, is or may be open at both ends, but one of our improve-
ments consists in closing up both ends with stationary covers, and injecting
steam or steam charged with gaseous compounds into it; the said covers are
provided with openings for charging and discharging the material.
Our Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in presses for making,
artificial stone, bricks, and other articles. These improvements consist in

page_text: certain modifications of the hydraulic press, and in combinations of the same
with apparatus or contrivances by means of which power and time are econo-
mised in theperformance of itsvarious functions, and the press rendered rapid
acting. The said presses may be single-acting, applying pressure in only one
direction, or they may be double-acting,and exert pressure from two opposite
directions. Our double-acting press is compos: d of three principal parts,
namely, the bottom cylinder, with its ram for giving the upward pressure;
the top cylinder, with its ram for giving the downward pressure; and the
platform or table, which contains the forms or moulds. The moveable bottom
plates of the moulds are attached to a cross head, which is called the follower,
and which is supported by the ram of the bottom cylinder, and these moveable
bottom plates give the upward pressure, and finally raise the finished brick to
the surface of the mould. One mode of raising the compressed brick to the
surface of the mould is as follows:-Instead of causing the ram to perform
the full stroke, upwards, and again downwards, we cause it to perform only
that small portion of it necessary for giving the finishing pressure, and the
larger portion of the stroke is performed by the following only. This follower
we raise and lower either by connecting rods and levers actuated by cams or
similar meaus, or by means of separate hydraulic rams of smaller diameter,
one of which, for instance, may be disposed on either side of the large ram, or
we make the large ram act as the cylinder of one small ram, by which the
follower is raised and lowered.
Another mode of raising the bricks out of the moulds consists in connecting
the follower with the ram, and raising both together eitherbycams and levers
or by separate hydraulic rams. In this case water is allowed to enter the
large cylinder by suction or from a low pressure accumulator.
Another mode consists in dispensing with cams and levers and with separate
hydraulic cylinders, and forcing the ram through the long stroke by admitting
water from a low-pressure accumulator. In the same manner we can also
give the first portion of the pressure through a low-pressure accumulator, and
when the resistance becomes equal to the power applied the connection with
the low-pressure accumulator is shut off, and connection established with
the high-pressure accumulator for giving the finishing pressure. The ram of
the top cylinder, with its cross piece, called the faller, and the plungers and
plates for giving the downward pressure, all united or connected together, may
be raised by cams and levers, or by separate hydraulic cylinders placed on the
top or at the sides of the large cylinder, and the rams of such separate
cylinders may by means of tie rods be connected with the faller.
Another mode consists in attaching or securing a round bar, in preference

page_text: of steel, to the top of the ram, and passing it through the end or top of the
cylinder, which is for this purpose fitted with a stuffing box. The upper end
of this bar enters into a separate small cylinder, and having an enlargement or
collar formed upon it acts in the same like the piston of a steam or water
engine. By means of this piston and bar the large ram, with its connections,
is raised, and if desired also lowered. The water is admitted to this small
cylinder from the accumulator through a three-way cock or suitable valve.
Another mode consists in using a tube, in preference a cold drawn steel
tube, in place of the round bar named. The bore of this tube communicates
at its lower end with the interior of the large cylinder through a slot, whilst
its upper end reaches through a valve box, and communicates with the
water space in the valve box likewise through a slot. This valve box
we fix in preference on the top of the small cylinder above mentioned.
The valve box is connected through a suitable valve or cock with the
accumulator or accumulators. When thelarge ram fulls, water is admitted
by suction or from a low-pressure accumulator into the large cylinder, and
when its further fallis arrested bythe resistance of the material in the mould,
the high-pressure water is admitted through the hollow bar or tube. The
water or other fluid is admitted from thehigh-pressure accumulatorto the top
and bottom cylinders simultaneously. The top ram with faller and plungers,
may fall by their own weight, and thereby give the first compression or their
weight may be counterbalanced partiallyor entirely and the lowering effected
by hydraulic pressure. The double-acting press may at any time be used as a
single-acting one by disengaging the follower from the bottom ram, and
cutting off the connection of the bottom cylinder with the accumulator If
the press is intended for a single-acting one, the bottom cylinder is dispensed
with, and only the small cylinder or cylinders applied, which are intended for
raising the bricks from the mould. The feed box is a sliding box similar to
that used in Platt's brick presses, and it is therefore not necessary to describe
its action and connection with the other parts, but we prefer to work it by
means of a water cylinder and hydraulic pressure in the same manner as
the small cylinder described for raising the top ram instead of by cams and
levers. The whole of the valves, taps, or cocks for the admission of the water
or other fluid from the accumulators to the press, and its discharge therefrom,
we propose to work by cams placed on a revolving shaft, whereby the
several valves, taps, or cocks are opened and closed in the necessary succes-
sion and at the necessary intervals.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Rudolph Bodmer and Louis Rudolph Bodmer in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RUDOLPH
BODMER, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, and LOUIS RUDOLPH
BODMER of 2, Thavies Inn, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Rudolph Bodmer and Louis Rudolph Bodmer, Her special licence that
we, the said Rudolph Bodiner and Louis Rudolph Bodmer, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Rudolph Bodmer
and Louis Rudolph Bodmer, our 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL
STONE, PARTS OF WHICH MACHINERY AND APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
PREPARING AND FOR MOULDING AND COMPRESSING CLAY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said udolph Bodmer
and Louis Rudolph Bodmer, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals,
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 we, the said Rudolph Bodmer & Louis Rudolph
Bodmer, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
In the manufacture of artificial stone, to which our improvements chiefly
apply, and which is composed principally of sand and lime, it is of great
importance that the lime should be carefully prepared, slaked, and screened,
that the sand be likewise carefully screened and prepared, and that the
materials be measured out in exactly the required proportion, and after-
wards intimately mixed and thoroughly incorporated with each other, before

page_text: being transmitted to the press in which the material is formed into bricks or
other objects. The whole of these operations must, as far as possible, be
performed without manual labour, in order to reduce the cost of manufacture
to a minimum, and to ensure that uniformity and regularity which are indis-
pensable for the production of a sound artificial stone.
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the mode of and apparatus and combinations
for slaking, sifting, conveying, and measuring the lime. The burnt lime as
it comes from the kiln is first passed through crushing apparatus, whereby the
larger lumps are reduced to fragments, which fall through a hopper or trough
upon an endless strap or feed belt, by which the lime is conveyed to and dis-
charged into the slaking pit or box. On its passage to this pit, or after it
has fallen into the pit, the lime receives the requisite quantity of hot or
cold water, uniformly distributed over it from a rose or from perforated
pipes. We prefer to discharge the lime first into a shoot leading into the
pit. This shoot is provided with a flap or damper, which alternately opens
and closes the shoot, and whilst so closed a certain quantity of the lime
accumulates, upon which the water is caused to flow. We prefer to make
the pits of wood and lined with sheet iron. If the pits are stationary the
feed beld is made to discharge itself upon distributing straps, by means of
which the lime is uniformly distributed over the pit. We also make the
pit circular, and place an apparatus similar to a crane in or over its centre ;
the jib of the crane is fitted with a travelling belt, upon which the feed belt.
discharges itself. A slow rotary motion is given to this apparatus, either
by hand or by power, and the lime falls in a circle from the periphery
toward the centre of the pit, or vice versa.
In preference to the above-described pits, and the mode of filling the
same, we propose to make moveable pits, namely, firstly, circular pits
supported on wheels or rollers similar to railway turntables, and which are
caused to turn round their axis while the lime is being discharged into
them from the feed belt. These circular pits may be divided into com-
partments, which may be filled and afterwards again discharged in succession.
Secondly, we make the moveable pits in the shape of trucks or waggons ou
wheels, and arranged for tipping; these waggon pits are placed one behind
another on a line of rails, or on two or more lines of rails connected by cross
rails and traversing trucks. At a convenient spot the lime feed belt passes
across the lines of rails, and the trucks passing under it one by one are
filled in a similar manner as already described. When the lime is slaked
the trucks are tipped into hoppers or receivers, from whence it is conveyed
again by travelling belts to the lime sifter.

page_text: Another mode of constructing our waggon pits consists in making them in
the shape of a hopper contracted towards the bottom, and to make the bottom
in two flaps, each hinged to the frame. When these pits are to be dis-
charged they are brought over a pair of rollers fixed in a frame on the line
of rails, and the flaps are allowed to drop, whereupon they will act as sides or
hopper to the rollers. The rollers are placed a slight distance apart from each
other, and by turning one or both by hand or power the lime will be drawn
through at a uniform rate and drop upon a feed belt. Whatever the con-
struction of pits used they are provided with covers to prevent the escape of
the steam and gases generated by the process of slaking. The lime sifter may
be a revolving cylindrical sifter, to which a slight inclination is given, or it
may be an upright flat surface sifter, or a flat surface sifter supported in a
nearly horizontal position on springs or otherwise, and to which a vibrating
motion is given. The sifter is made of wire or of perforated sheet zinc, and
in order to protect it from the concussions caused by lumps, we place a coarse
wire sifter over it. The riddlings are carried away by a travelling belt, and
the sifted lime is conveyed by similar means to the measuring apparatus.
One of our improved measuring apparatus consists in a box or hopper
placed over a travelling belt, by which latter we prefer to convey the lime
direct to the mixing apparatus. In the aperture at the front of the hopper
we place a roller, which by means of set screws or other similar contrivance
can be brought nearer to and further from the surface of the strap, and
by means of which the discharge of the lime can be regulated. This roller is
caused to revolve at about the same superficial velocity as the belt itself, or
more or less, and from experiments we find such roller will regulate the
discharge more evenly and uniformly than the "slide" used hitherto for similar
purposes.
Another description of our improved measuring apparatus consists in a
drum or cylinder placed horizontally, and through the body of which, at right
angles with its axis, a hole or box is formed. This box may be closed at one
end, but we prefer to make it open at both ends, and provided with a
moveable or sliding bottom. When the box is in a vertical position with the
open end towards the hopper it will fill itself with line, and when the same
end is turned downwards it will discharge itself. The moveable bottom falling
through the whole depth of the box every time it is filled and discharged will
at the same time act as a scraper, and prevent accumulation of material
against the sides. We also make measuring drums with measures or boxes,
two sides of which reach from the circumference towards the axis, whereby
the boxes become wedge-shaped and discharge more freely.

page_text: Another mode of measuring apparatus consists in apparatus similar to the
feed box as hereafter described with reference to the press shown in the
annexed Sheet of Drawings. The feed box may be made to slide backward
and forward, or revolving round a vertical axis.
The same means as have been described for sifting, measuring, and conveying
lime are applicable for the sand and other material. The sand sifter we
prefer to place direct over the hopper of the measuring apparatus with roller,
and immediately when the sand issues from the hopper it receives through a
perforated pipe placed across the strap the quantity of water, or a portion of
it, necessary for mixing the sand and lime; this damping or wetting of the
sand near the hopper has at the same time the advantage of making the sand
hold together, and preventing its falling off the strap or belt in case the incli-
nation of the latter is steep. The tank holding the water is fitted with a
supply tap or cock and a discharge cock, and in order to ensure a uniform
supply of water to the sand the taps are connected with a regulator to com-
pensate for any irregularity in the speed of the sand strap. If chemicals are
employed for the purpose of accelerating the hardening process in the stones,
it is essential that the chemical solution be added to the water in a uniform
manner, and in the proportion as fresh water is added to the tank. For this
purpose we place a second tank holding a strong solution of the chemicals
over the water tank, and the discharge cock of this tank is connected with the
supply cock of the water tank in such a manner that the supply of the
chemical solution is at all times in proportion to the supply of water. When
chemicals are so employed we prefer to place an agitator in the water
tank to ensure uniform mixture. The lime and the moistened sand coming
from their respective measuring apparatus are now by the travelling belts
delivered to the mixing apparatus. This apparatus consists simply of a
drum, in preference made of sheet iron, and fitted internally with a
number of blades, straight or spiral, which reach from one end to the other,
or nearly so. A slight inclination is given to this drum, and as it revolves
the material delivered into it at the upper end will be lifted up and
again dropped by each blade in succession, till, owing to the inclination of
the drum, it will at last be discharged from the lower end intimately
mixed through a hopper upon a travelling belt, which conveys the material
to the press. In place, however, of the drum discharging at once upon
the travelling belt leading to the press, we prefer to pass the material
first through a pair of rollers, one of which is driven at a greater speed than
the other; or the material may be passed through a pug mill placed between
the mixing drum and the feed belt. The mixing drum as described is or may

page_text: be open at both ends, but one of our improvements consists in closing up
both ends with stationary ends, and injecting steam or steam charged with
gaseous compounds into it; the said covers are provided with openings for
charging and discharging the material. In place of fitting stationary plates
to the ends of the mixing drum, the ends may be left open and the whole
drum boxed in; this cover or box will be so formed as to make it easy for
removal in case the drum requires cleaning or repair. We also inject steam
into the drum for the purpose of preventing dust from the falling lime before
the same has been mixed with the damp or wet sand; and we also purpose to
add hot or cold water, or water holding chemicals in solution, to thematerials
which are being mixed in the drum, in addition to or in place of the water or
solution given to the sand on its issuing from the said hopper as described.
The apparatus described for discharging the lime pits by means of a pair of
rollers, and the apparatus described for measuring by means of a roller or
cylinder placed over a belt in front of a hopper, are both generally applicable
for discharging sand, lime, flour, and other pulverulent substances from
hoppers or other boxes, stores, or receptacles.
Our Invention of improvements in presses for making artificial stone, bricks
and other articles consists in certain modifications of the hydraulic press and
in combinations with the same by means of which power and time are
economised in the performance of its various functions, and the
press rendered
rapid acting. The said presses may be made single-acting, applying pressure
in only one direction, or they may be made or compound or double acting for
giving pressure from two opposite directions. Our compound hydraulic press
is composed of three principal parts, namely, the top cylinder and ram for
giving the downward pressure, the bottom cylinder and ram for giving the
upward pressure, and the platform or table containing the moulds. The top
cylinder may be inverted, in which case it may at the same time form the
press head, the ram looking downwards, or the cylinder may be upright, and
the ram attached to or cast in one piece with the press head, the cylinder
being moveable. The fallers or plungers for giving the downward pressure
are fixed or cast to a cross head, which is guided by the press pillars, and this
cross head is attached to the bottom of the top cylinder, or to the ram if the
cylinder is inverted. The fallers with parts attached may fall by their own
gravity counterbalanced more or less if desired, or the fall broken by air
cushions or springs; during this operation the water or other liquid is allowed
to enter the cylinder from a reservoir by suction, or from a reservoir placed at
some height above the cylinder, or from a low-pressure accumulator. The
material will from this blow be compressed and considerably reduced in bulk

page_text: and only the final or finishing squeeze will have to be given by hydraulic
pressure. Water from a high-pressure accumulator is now admitted to top
and botttom cylinder simultaneously or otherwise, and the bricks or blocks
receive the final pressure. The bottom plates with plungers or followers for
giving the upward pressure are fixed upon a cross head, likewise guided by the
pillars, which rests upon but is not attached to the ram of the bottom cylinder.
For raising the faller cross head with parts attached one or more small
hydraulic cylinders are employed. We prefer to use only one, and to place it
in the centre on the top of the press. The ram of this small cylinder is con-
nected by means of a cross bar and tie rods to the faller. By a similar small
cylinder and ram the follower cross head is raised for bringing the bricks to
the surface of the platform, and in compound presses we make the bottom
ram act as cylinder for the small lifting ram, the object being to employ the
power of the small ram for forcing down the large ram as well as for raising
the bricks. In place of using a small cylinder and ram for raising the bricks
to the surface they can also be raised by the large ram actuated from a low-
pressure accumulator.
Another of our improvements consists in working the bottom cylinder and
ram from a low-pressure accumulator for giving the first compression to the
material, the liquid from the high-pressure accumulator being turned on after
the low-pressure liquid has exerted its power. The top cylinder and ram
would in this case be modified.
Another of our improvements consists in constructing presses with a
bottom cylinder only for giving the final pressure and the small cylinder
for lifting the. bricks to the surface. The first pressure or blow from the
top is in this instance given by a ram, to which the faller cross head is
attached. The top of this ram when fully raised may rest against the
press head. After it has fallen, a sliding bolt or bar, or disc, or wedge, or other
suitably formed packing is inserted between the top of ram and press head,
and acts as abutment to the ram. When the pressure is taken off the bottom
cylinder the packing is withdrawn, and the ram with faller cross head raised
again by a small hydraulic cylinder, as before described, or by mechanical
For making bricks of the ordinary size now common, or tiles and
slabs, pressure in one direction only is in most cases sufficient, and we propose
for this purpose to construct a press with a top cylinder and ram, using the
weight of cylinder or of ram with parts attached for giving the first compres-
sion, and at the bottom to have simply one small hydraulic cylinder for raising
the brick to the surface of the moulds or platform when completed. It will be
seen from the foregoing description that, by the several improvements named,
means.

page_text: the use of high-pressure fluid is restricted to the giving of the finishing
pressure, whereby power is economised and the wear and tear of the large
cylinder packing rings consequent on long strokes under great pressure is
greatly reduced.
In order that our Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 represents part of apparatus for carrying the lime to the lime
pit and for giving it the requisite quantity of water for slaking, and Figure 2
is a cross section through line A, B, of the same.
The feed belt a has a hopper placed over it, not shown in Drawing, which
is supplied with lime which has been passed through a crushing apparatus,
and thereby reduced to small lumps. This crushing apparatus may where
convenient be situated direct over the said hopper and discharge into it. A
trough 6 held longitudinally over the belt a prevents the lime from falling off.
The belt a passes over pulleyc down to pulley d, and thus forms with trough 61
a shoot more or less steep, and of a length as may be most suitable for dis-
charging the lime, into the stationary or moveable pit placed under it. From
pulley d the belt passes over guide pulley e, and supported by one or more
supporting pulleys f back to the hopper. In the shoot are placed two flaps
or doors g&h hinged to the sides of the trough, and stops go and h. The
lime falling over the pulley c will be arrested by the door g until a certain
accumulation has taken place, which together with the motion of belt a will
lift the door g momentarily and allow a part of the accumulated lime to pass,
when it will again be arrested by door h and finally fall down the shoot and
into the pit. Between the doors g and h a perforated pipe i reaches across
the shoot and gives the lime the necessary quantity of pa for slaking it.
It will be seen that by these means all the lime can be uniformly watered.
If preferred the shoot may be made with but one flap or door, or the water
may be given to the lime before it reaches the pulley c, and the doors may
be dispensed with, and the shoot may also be dispensed with where the level of
the ground or other reasons make it desirable. As already mentioned, we
prefer to make the lime pits moveable, either cylindrical, turning round this
vertical axis and divided into compartments each of which can for the purpose
of discharging be brought over a pair of rollers as described, the sides of each
compartment being hopper shaped. Or the pits may be in the form of trucks
or similar to the moveable lime pits used in the repair and forming of the
pavement in the principal streets of London. These trucks may be made of
considerable size and subdivided into compartments, and will therefore not be

page_text: costly; each of these compartments will for the purpose of discharging be in
succession brought over the discharging rollers. Creepers could be substituted
for the rollers, but we have found in practice that the lime dust constantly
forms a hard crust in the creepers, which unless continually removed causes
great friction and breakage.
Figure 3 is a front elevation, and Figure 4 a side elevation of apparatus
for measuring lime, sand, and other substances. The apparatus consists of a
frame A, the upper part of which is formed into a hopper with the two sides B
and the ends B. The bottom of the hopper is formed by the feed belt C
running in the direction of the arrows, and this belt is supported by rollers D.
The front end B reaches to within about one inch, or less or more, of the
speed belt, and is rounded off at the edge. In front of the apparatus outside
the hopper is placed the adjustable regulating roller E, by means of which the
thickness of the layer of lime upon the belt is regulated, whilst the two
guides F confine it in width. Immediately under the regulating roller E we
place a supporting roller G to prevent the belt yielding to the pressure of
roller E. The roller E is raised or lowered by the set screw H, which takes
into a lug of the roller frame E. Along the bottom edge of the sides B, as
well as at the edge of the guides F, we place a strip of india-rubber, which is
allowed to touch the belt, whilst the sides are slightly raised from it. This
apparatus may also be employed for simply regulating a supply of material
without regard to a given measure in a given time. In our manufacture we
use one apparatus for lime and another for sand. With different qualities of
sand and lime, and other substances used instead of or in conjunction with
sand, the proportions are varied.
Figure 5 is a front elevation, and Figure 6 a side elevation in section of
that modification of our improved single-acting presses which we purpose to
use for the manufacture of bricks of the usual size of 9 inches in length, 4
inches in width, and from 2 to 3 inches in thickness. The press is shown as
constructed with separate bottom A, head B, and two pillars C. The ram D
is fixed to the head B, the cylinder E being the moving part, and having the
cross piece F with plungers G attached to it. The cross-piece F is guided on
the pillars by the brackets F. The platform H is formed with two moulds H',
and the following or plungers I, with bottom plates, reach partly up into the
bottom of the moulds. The cross piece K, to which the plungers I are
secured, rests upon the press bottom A, and is guided on the pillars in its rise
and fall by guide brackets K.
The press is worked, and the several operations performed in the following
manner, and order of succession:-Firstly, the oil (which we propose to use

page_text: instead of water) is admitted from the accumulator to the small hydraulic
cylinder I, when its ram E, with cross bar L2 and lifting rods 13, will raise
to and hold the cylinder E in the position shown; secondly, the feed slide M
under the hopper N is moved forward and passed over the moulds H, which
thereby become filled, and then back again under the kopper N; thirdly, the
off-cock or valve of cylinder L is opened, whereupon the cylinder E will
immediately fall, the plungers G entering into the moulds, and compressing
tbe material to a considerable extent. During the fall of the cylinder E, oil
will flow into it through the hollow ram D, by suction from a small reservoir
(or from a low-pressure accumulator); fourthly, the cock forming connection
with the reservoirs is turned off, and the cock connecting with accumulator
opened, by which the cylinder E will be forced downward still more and give
the bricks the final pressure; fifth, the pressure cock of cylinder E is closed,
and the reservoir cock opened, and at the same time the pressure again turned
on to the small cylinder L, which will lift the cylinder E from the moulds, and
force the oil from the cylinder back into the reservoir; sixthly, the cylinder E
and plungers G being now held in suspension, as shown, the pressure cock for
small bottom cylinder O is turned on; the ram 01, which is attached to the
cross piece K by the bolt O2 will lift cross piece R, an through the
plungers I raise the bricks to the surface of the moulds or platform H, from
whence they may now be removed by hand, or left till the again advancing
feed slide M will push them on the tray H2; seventhly, and lastly, the
pressure cock of cylinder O is closed, and the off-flow opened, whereupon the
cross piece K with plungers L will immediately fall to its seating in bottom A.
By means of the packing piece P, composed of several layers, the position of
the bottom plates in the moulds is adjusted, and thereby the feed regulated.
The bolts Q act as stops to the rise of cross piece K, and by screwing them in
or out the rise can be increased or reduced according to the thickness of the
packing P.
We propose to work the valves for the several hydraulic cylinders by
machinery, the valves being raised and depressed or turned through leversand
weights or springs, and actuated from cams, eccentrics or scrolls, fixed upon
a shaft which shall make as many revolutions per minute as the press shall
make strokes.
The feed slide we propose to work as follows:-The end of it is fitted with
a rack M¹ gearing into the pinion R, on the shaft of which is keyed the mitre
wheel S gearing into mitre S¹, both indicated by dotted liues. The mitre
wheel S¹ is keyed to the vertical shaft T, on lower ead of which is keyed the
bevil wheel U. This wheel U gears into the two bevil wheels V, both of

page_text: which turn loose on shaft W.
Between the two wheels V is placed a double
clutch box sliding in a key groove on the shaft W, and revolving with the
same. A lever turning on a fulcrum takes with one end into the groove on
the clutch box, and with the other into a scroll on the valve cam shaft above
described. By this lever the two bevil wheels V are alternately brought into
action, the one for moving the feed slide M into the press, and the other for
withdrawing it, and when the clutch box is in the middle between the two
wheels V, the shaft I with its wheels will stand still, and the feed slide will
likewise be at rest under the hopper N. The proper speed is communicated
to shaft W from the valve cam shaft by suitable gearing, and we consider six
revolutions per minute of the valve cam shaft or six strokes of the press as a
suitable speed.
In conclusion, we wish to add that chemicals for hardening may be applied
either before the material is formed into bricks or other objects, or to the
newly made or partly seasoned or set bricks or other objects; for the latter
we propose to place the finished bricks or other articles into a chamber, in
preference of cast iron, from which the air is exhausted by one of the well-
known processes, and when a partial vacuum is established to admit the
chemicals, which will thereupon be readily absorbed by the bricks or other
objects. In working our hydraulic presses we cover the several rams with bags
or hose of india-rubber or other flexible material, whereby they are effectually
protected from dust and grit.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into in effect, we wish it to be understood that
what we claim as the Invention to be secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly, the use of feed belts and the general apparatus and arrangement for
conveying the lime to the pits, for distributing the water for slaking, and for
filling the lime pits,substantially as described and as explained with reference
to Figs. 1 & 2 of Drawings.
Secondly, the construction and several arrangements of lime pits, and the
manner of working them, substantially as described.
Thirdly, the use of a pair or of pairs of rollers for discharging lime from lime
pits, and lime,sand,and other substances from pits, hoppers,and other holders.
Fourthly, the use of feed belts combined with a discharging roller for
discharging, or discharging and measuring lime, sand, and others substances,
from hoppers or other holders, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 2 & 3 of Drawings, and also the moistening or wetting of the sand or its
substitutes when issuing from measuring apparatus, as described.

page_text: Fifthly, the use of a measuring drum with a sliding bottom, in the manner
and for the purpose as described.
Sixthly, with reference to our improvements in hydraulic presses, the use of
extra hydraulic cylinders and rams for raising and dropping the top-pressure
ram, or cylinder, or faller weight, with parts attached, and for raising the
bricks from the moulds, and also in compound presses for forcing down the
bottom-pressure ram, in the manner substantially as described.
Seventhly, the construction of presses with a faller weight, and sliding,
packing, and one bottom-pressure cylinder, as described.
Eighthly, the general arrangement of our hydraulic presses, and the mode
of working and actuating the several valves and the feed slide from a cam
shaft,in the manner substantially as described and explained with reference
to Figs. &C of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Rudolph Bodmer, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
LOUIS RUDOLPH BODMER (L.s.)