IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Clayton, of the Atlas Works, Upper:
Park Place, Dorset Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the:
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS."
Sealed the 29th January 1858, and dated the 13th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clayton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th December 1852.
I, HENRY CLAYTON, of the Atlas Works, Upper Park Place, Dorset.
Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in brick-making machinery,
where the moulding is by forcing the materials through moulding
orifices. The first improvement is in respect to the cylinder or pug
mill, the axis of which is arranged with several inclined blades in the
same plane, and so as to deliver the material through lateral orifices.
Second, the moulding orifices are made larger than is desired for the
size of brick, and the material is forced against and cut by wires, set to

page_text: the desired width, and the wires are kept clean by instruments moved
along them. Third, the moulded or expressed material then passes
between four endless cloths or felts, which are kept constantly
moistened, and these endless cloths or felts are carried by eight rollers.
Fourth, in order to separate the bricks one from the other. after the
moulded mass has been cut by the wires, the outermost brick, when it
comes to the end of the carrying endless cloth, is received by a roller.
the surface of which is caused to move faster than the carrying endless
cloth, by which means that brick is separated and turned over on to a
pallet, which is placed on to an angular platform on axes. Fifth,
in order to form the indent after the bricks have been removed,
a frame fitting over the brick is used, which has on an axis a cutter
formed of a metal blade, with openings through it, the lower edge
of the cutter blade being of the form of the desired indent, and the
blade is capable of adjustment according to the desired depth of the
indent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Clayton in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 13th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY CLAYTON, of the Atlas Works, Upper Park Place, Dorset
Square, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Clayton, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Clayton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Clayton, 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,

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Clayton. by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and eanse 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 Henry Clayton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of improvements in brick-making machinery,
where the moulding is by forcing the materials through moulding ori-
fices. The first improvement is in respect to the cylinder or pug mill,
the axis of which is arranged with several inclined blades in the same
plane, and so as to deliver the material through lateral orifices. Second,
the moulding orifices are made larger than is desired for the size of
brick, and the material is forced against and is cut by wires set to the
desired width, and the wires are kept clean by instruments moved along
them. Third, the moulded or expressed matorial then passes between
four endless cloths or felts, which are kept constantly moistened, and
these endless cloths or felts are carried by eight rollers. Fourth, in
order to separate the bricks one from the other, after the moulded mass
has been cut by the wires, the outermost brick, when it comes to the
end of the carrying endless cloth, is received by a roller, the surface of
which is caused to move faster than the carrying endless cloth, by which
means that brick is separated and turned over on to a palette, which is
placed on to an angular platform on axis. Fifth, in order to form the
indent after the bricks have been removed, a frame titting over the
brick is used, which has on au axis a cutter formed of a metal blade,
with openings through it, the lower edge of the cutter blade being of
the form of the desired indent, and the blade is capable of adjustment
according to the desired depth of the indent.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood,
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means.
pursued by me.
.
One part of my Invention consists in arranging a series of, knives or
screw-like blades on the shaft or axis of a pug mill.
Another part of my Invention consists in the improved arrangement
and construction of dies or moulds, and apparatus connected therewith..
for the forming and making of bricks by the employment of a double
die, the opening or moulding orifice of the outer die being of larger
dimensions than the intended finished-size of the brick; and in the
front of this outer die or mould are arranged wires at such a distance
apart as to cut the clay or other material to the required size as it is
forced outwards from the machine, to produce the requisite sharp arrases
or angles to the bricks.
"
To cleanse these wires from roots or other fibrous substances; which
more or less may gather and accumulate upon them, are arranged
"cleansing forks" or hooks, which fit upon and are made to traverse.
up and down on these wires, and so remove any accumulation of roots
or other extraneous matters therefrom.
Another part of my Invention consists in improved means and
arrangements for smoothing, facing, or washing off the face of the clay
in its course of delivery from the machine, and previous to being cut
into the required size of bricks or other articles; the first means for
this purpose consists of what I term a "self-acting wiper," being a
framework containing eight rollers, which in combination form a dimi-
nishing opening or mouth piece, and may be affixed in front of the die
or mould at a convenient working distance therefrom; each pair; of
rollers are covered with an endless web of moleskin cloth or other
absorbent material, so as to form conductors from the larger. or inner
side to the outer, smaller, and wiping orifice; these webs are to be
kept continually wet by having water supplied thereto, and the outer
four rollers are so adjusted and arranged as to form an opening a little
smuller than the stream of clay to be forced through it, which has been.
previously formed by the die or mould, and cut by the wires, and
that the surfaces of the clay in being forced through this wiper may

page_text: receive a slight compression and smoothing action. The other means
I employ for smoothing or washing off the surfaces of the clay (where
in such description of clay or material the self-acting wiper is not con-
sidered requisite) is the "hand wiper," which is formed of a piece of
hard wood of the requisite size and shape, covered with absorbent ma-
terial on the working side, and having a slight projecting bevelled edge
across one end, which acts as a scraper as well as smoother when
drawn by the hand along the face of the clay: this hand wiper is
intended to be used wet.
Another part of my Invention consists of arrangements for the
delivery and removal of the bricks from the cutting frame. To the
ordinary cutting or delivering frame, such as I employ in connection
with my patent tile machine, I apply an accelerating delivering
roller and a balanced receiving plate, which I call a "tumbler;"
this delivering roller is made larger in diameter than the thickness
of the brick being manufactured, and is fitted at one end of its axis
with a small hand wheel, having a series of projecting arms for giving
increased speed to its motion when delivering a brick. The tumbler
or receiver consists of an iron plate turned up on one edge to hold a
wooden palette when the plate is at an angle, and the plate is fixed
upon an axis working in bearings on each side of the frame, there
being stops on the side frames to determine its extent of action, and
the plate is weighted on the inner side to cause it to assume an
inclined position, a wood palette being placed on the inclined plate, so
that immediately the brick is thrown upon it it assumes a horizontal
position, its further movement being arrested by stops on the side
frames, and on the removal of the brick from the plato the weighted
side of the plate falls again on to a stop towards the cutting fraine, and
gives the plate of the receiver the desired inclined position to hold the
wood palette, and to receive the next brick.
When required to form an indentation or hollow on the side or
sides of the brick I employ my indent cutting tool, which is so
arranged and combined that it may be placed over a brick after it
has been made and removed from the machine; this indent tool is of
a rectangular form, somewhat larger than the size of the brick. The

page_text: ends of this frame at the upper side support a horizontal axis, having
a vertical projecting lever arm thereon to move the axis to and fro on
its bearings to the under side of this shaft or axis is affixed an open
cutter or knife capable of adjustment up and down in slots, and
fastened by thumb screws to the axis, so as to admit of the cutter
being raised or depressed to regulate the depth of the indent hollow or
recess intended to be made in the face of the brick; when a hollow
indent or recess is about to be made to a brick this tool is placed
over it so as to surround the brick, and by giving a partial revolution
to the axis and cutter by means of the lever arm on the axis the tool
is caused to move from side to side, and the cutter produces the
requisite size, depth, and shape of indent to the brick.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shews a side elevation; Figure 2, an end view; Figure 3, a
vertical section; and Figure 4, a plan of a machine for making bricks.
a, is a cylinder, having an upright axis b, turning in bearings, as shewn;
61, 62, 63, are blades fixed on the axis b, which have a screwed or twisted
form given to them; the blades ', b, in their revolution, work, temper,
and pugg the clay, and at the same time force it downward, to be pressed
through the moulding orifices c. c. by the series of curved and twisted
blades ; c', c', are the lies or moulds, shown separately at Figures 5,
and 6, through which the clay or other plastic material is forced; c², c²,
are wires stretched across the front of the dies c, c', as shown, which
divide and cut the materia! into the required form as it is pressed
through the dies; c,, are rods which slide through sockets fixed to
the front of the dies e', c'; and the rods c, c', have arms c', c', at their
lower ends, which embrace the wires cc, so that when the rods are
raised the arms c, c', scrape the wires, and remove any roots or other
accumulation therefrom: * c*, are the troughs to contain water,
placed over the mouth piece to each die, the bottom of each trough
being perforated with conical holes which are covered by layer
of wool or other fibrous material, and a plate is placed over this
layer capable of being pressed down and regulated by tightening
screws, so as to regulate the supply of fluid from the trough to
a

page_text: the dies, the upper surface of the mouth piece to cach die being
also perforated; d, d, are frames hinged upon the cross bars on
the under side of the delivering frame, and d, d, are wires stretched
across the frames, which when moved from side to side cut the clay
transversely into bricks, as is well understood; e, e, are rollers carried
by bearings in the sides of the delivering frames, and e', e, are hand
wheels on one end of each of the rollers e, e, to give an accelerated
motion to each brick as it is received on to the roller e, from the
delivering frame; and by this means each brick is successively moved
on to a palette on the inclined plate f, (which then assumes a hori-
zontal position,) and the brick may then be removed by the workman
to a truck or wheel-barrow. Figures 5, and 6, shew separate views of
one of the dies c', c'; and Figures 7, 8, and 9, shew separate view of
the blades ',, . Figure 10, shew separate views of a frame of eight
rollers, which are not shown in connection with the machine by the
Drawings, but when used are to be applied to the front of the moulding
orifice; each pair of rollers carry an endless cloth, which forms an
opening for the passage of the stream of clay after it has passed
through the dies, so as to moisten and give a wiping action to the
surfaces of the clay. Figure 10%, shows the form of hand wiper I
prefer, as before described. Figure 11, shows separate views of the
tool or instrument for cutting or forming indents or recesses in the
surfaces of the bricks after they have been made and removed from
the machine. ", is the rectangular frame which supports the axis b,
to which is affixed the cutter b', which is capable of adjustment up
and down within the frame, and , is a lever arm to move the cutter
from side to side when in use.
I will now describe the working of the machine: the cylinder or
pug mill being continuously supplied with clay or other plastic material,
the blades b',, will work, temper, and pug the material and force
it down, and it will be pressed by the blades 63, in a continuous stream
from each moulding orifice, and through the dies and apparatus on
to the receiving tables or cutting frames; the wires c², c, should
be frequently cleansed by the workman, and the slides being drawn
upwards both at one time, the roots or other accumulation may be
removed from the forked end, and the slides are then to be pushed

page_text: down again. The clay having been forced to the end of the receiving
frame, or to the required distance, it is then ready to be cut or severed
into pieces of the desired size for bricks. In order to accomplish this
accurately the action of the machine should cease while the cutting
wires are drawn through the material, when the machine may again
be put into motion, and the bricks so formed should be well strewed
with dry sand before commencing to deliver them. At the end of each
cutting frame is fitted a "delivery roller' and a balanced receiver;
upon this receiver is placed a wooden palette for receiving and re-
moving the bricks from the machine to a wheel-barrow or truck; this
receiver should incline towards the brick when the palette is placed
upon it, and as the bricks are successively forced outwards by the
action of the machine to the centre of the delivery roller, the workman,
by giving a partial revolution to the wheel affixed at the end of the
roller, will give a quicker motion to the brick, which draws it forward
and relieves it from the following brick, and throws it upon the pallette
on the receiver; the workman then removes the brick and palette
together, and places them upon the truck or wheel-barrow; he then
places another palette board on the receiver, and continues to deliver
and remove the bricks as just described. By the time all the cut
bricks are removed from the cutting frame another stream of clay will
have arrived at the end of the delivering frame, and will be in readiness
for cutting, and so on, as before explained.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the details herein given, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of my Invention be retained. But what I claim
is, the mode herein described of arranging or combining blades on the
axis of a pug mill, with dies or moulding orifices.
I also claim the arranging or combining apparatus in the manner
herein described, whereby the clay or plastic material being moulded
or expressed larger than required is cut by wires, as explained.
I also claim the application of the combined apparatus herein
described, consisting of endless cloths or felts, with rollers and means
of moistening the surfaces, as explained.
I also claim the mode of combining apparatus as herein described

page_text: for causing the outermost brick to be moved away from the others and
received on to a palette, as explained.
And I also claim the combination of apparatus for cutting an indent
into a brick after it has been formed and removed from a machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Clayton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
4, Old Square,
Lincoln's Inn.
HENRY CLAYTON. (L.B.)