IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICKS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO PIPES AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SKERTCHLY, of Anstey, in the County of Leicester, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in the twelfth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Skertchly, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph Skertchly, my exors
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Skertchly, my exors,
adiiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Golonies and Plantations
abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICKS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF TOBACCO PIPES AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Joseph Skertchly, should cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
às in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance. with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Skertchly, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention has,, firstly, for its object so to construct and fashion the
bricks used for building purposes that when the same are required to be covered
on either or both of their faces with plaster, cement, stucco, or other like
coating, such coating shall be so dovetailed into the adjacent bricks, as to be
afterwards detachable therefrom only with great difficulty (if at all). With
this view I mould cach brick on the face or faces which are to be plastered or
otherwise covered over, with an undercut groove, such as represented in plan
and section in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings annexed. The form of the
groove may be varied at pleasure, so long as it is made broader at the base or
internally than at the top.
Secondly, my. Invention has for its object the manufacture of tobacco
pipes and other like articles from clay, or other suitable substance, in a much
more expeditious and economical manner than the same has been hitherto
accomplished, and my improvements in this branch of my Invention have
relation to each of the processes called preparing the clay, forming the roll,
boring the roll, wiring the roll, and firing the pipes, and are respectively as
next herein-after described.
PREPARING THE CLAY.
I soak the clay in the usual manner, and then, instead of breaking up the
lumps by beating, in order to reduce the mass to one uniform degree of con-
sistency, I pass it through a machine of the description represented in Figure 1³.
A and B are two metallic rollers revolving on their shafts or axes C, C. Dand
E are toothed wheels which take into cach other, and are keyed firmly to the
shafts C, C. F is a pinion fixed on the shaft of the fly wheel G.
H is a
supply hopper. I is a set screw for regulating the distance between the rollers.
K the handle. The roller B is flanched on the rim to prevent the clay working
out at the sides. L, L, is the frame of the machine. The action of this
machine is as follows:-On the clay (or other suitable material) being placed
in the hopper H motion is, by the turning of the handle K, communicated to
the rollers A and B through the wheels D and E, which are of such relative
numbers that the roller A will revolve three times while the roller B completes
one revolution. The clay is by this operation drawn from the hopper, and in
passing between the rollers becomes thoroughly beaten up and amalgamated.
From the rollers it passes out at M in a state fit for use. N, N, are scrapers

page_text: length.
FORMING THE ROLL.
For this purpose I force the clay into a vessel B', a sectional view of which
forms part of Figure 2, herein-after described. To the end C of this vessel I
aflix one or more plates, C, D, E, perforated according to the thicknesses of the
stem required for the pipe. The manner in which these perforations are made
is particularly shewn at Figure 6, which represents a section of the vessel B',
on the line c, d, of Figure 2, with the plates affixed. These plates are divided
through the centre of the perforations, in order that they may open successively
to admit various thicknesses of clay for the stem, and a sufficient substance
at the end of the stem for formning the bowl of the pipe. Figure 3 is a
front view of the plate C having flanched rollers attached, e, e, f,f. Figure
4 shows parts of the fronts of each plate with the perforations and guides.
Cis the first plate; D the second plate; and E the third plate. F, F, are
guides which are screwed firmly into the vessel B', Figure 2ª, and pass through
slots in the plate. The heads of these guides project beyond the slots, and keep
the plates from being forced away from the vessel B', while at the same time
they allow the plates to move freely up and down. The plastic clay in the vessel
B, being forced onwards towards the plates, must necessarily pass out through
the apertures therein in the order in which they are placed. Thus, suppose all
the plates were closed, and that the clay were propelled forward, it would escape
of thicknesses and shapes throughout corresponding with those of the smallest
aperture (as at a, Figure 14). Then suppose the plate C were to open suddenly
(still leaving the others closed), the clay would be encreased in thickness, and
appear as at 6, in Figure 14. And on opening the plate D the clay would
escape through the plate E of a size sufficient for forming the bowl of the
pipe. When the greatest thickness of clay has passed through the required
length for forming the bowl, the plates simultaneously close by means of springs
acting on them, and are ready for a repetition of the operation. In order,
however, to make the stem taper, the plates are made to open gradually instead
of suddenly, and the roll is produced of the gradually increasing character
represented in Figure 15. The method of opening the plates gradually, as well
as of regulating the length of the roll, will be herein-after described. A plan
and elevation of the machine which I employ for forcing the clay through the
apertures is given in Figure 2, and Figure 9. A, A, is the frame. B', the
vessel already described. F is the piston or plunger which fits the cavity of
the vessel B', and is attached by the rod G to the crank shaft H. The paral-
lelism of the piston is maintained by means of guide pins passing through and

page_text: fitting accurately a slot in the frame P (Figure 9). I, J, I', J', is the gearing.
K the handle. L is a bed on which the clay is laid to be operated upon.
M, M, are the bars for opening the plates (see Figure 9), which bars are
screwed to the guide, pins of the piston outside the frame. N is a loose frame
for receiving the rolls as hereafter more particularly described. The mode in
which this machine operates is as follows:-The exact quantity of clay required
for making any given number of rolls is laid on the bed L, and by turning the
handle motion is transmitted through the gearing to the crank rod H; which
propels the piston F, which carries the opening bars M, M, onward towards
the plates C, D, E, and at the same time forces the clay from the bed L into
the vessel B'. As soon as the clay begins to emerge from the apertures the
points.m, m, of the opening bars, M, M, come between the rollers c, f, e, f, on
either side of the machine, and as the bars continue to advance the plates are
gradually and equally opened, both upwards and downwards, until the stem has
acquired its full length, whereupon the shoulders of the opening bars n, n,
come suddenly into contact with the rollers and open the plates wide enough
to allow the substance for the bowl to escape; immediately thereafter the piston
begins to return, and the plates close in the reverse order to that in which they
were opened.
Instead of the plates (C, D, and E) being divided through the centres
of the apertures for the formation of the rolls, dies or bushes may be fitted
into the large opening for the bowl end of the roll, and arranged so as to
expand when required, exactly in the same way as before described.
Figure 11 is a plan of another machine suitable for forcing out the rolls.
A, A, is the frame. B is a cylinder or vessel for holding the clay. C is a
piston which travels on the screw D, and carries a wheel E. G is a shaft
carrying the worm wheel F and the wheel K. Underneath, and taking into
the worm wheel F, there is a worm attached to the shaft L. On the end I of
the cylinder B, plates are fixed similarly constructed to those already described
in respect to Figure 2, and which are opened and closed by the same or similar
means. The cylinder B is now filled with clay, and on motion being given to
the handle the piston C begins to advance and a continuous stream of rolls to
be given off from the end I of the machine until the cylinder is exhausted
of its clay. The motion of the handle is then reversed, and the cylinder refilled
to continue the operation. Instead of one cylinder two or mere cylinders may
be simultaneously in the same way. Or instead of forming the rolls by either
of the preceding methods, they may be formed by passing the clay between
rollers having suitable indentations or matrices on their surfaces. Figure 12 is
a front elevation of a pair of rollers of this description. A, A, is the frame.

page_text: B and C are the rollers revolving on their axes D, E. F, F, are the matrices
for forming the rolls. G, G, is the gearing. H, the handle. Figure 13 is a
side elevation of the same, shewing an endless cloth I, which passes over rollers
L, L, and on which the clay is laid. By turning the handle H the clay is drawn
from the cloth and passes between the rollers, and the matrices on their surfaces
give to the clay in its passage the required shape for the roll.
A third mode of forming the roll, which I sometimes adopt, consists in com-
pressing the clay between plates, dies, or moulds, suitably engraved or sunk for
the purpose, or by first compressing the moulds firmly together, and then
forcing the clay into them, and throughout their entire length. Figures 18,
19, and 20 show various descriptions of dies or moulds which may be employed
for this purpose. Figure 19 is a pipe mould divided into two parts at right
angles to the usual line of separation, by the employment of which mould the
roll need not be removed until it has received the perfect shape of the pipe.
Larger moulds may be made on this plan to form at once two, three, or any
larger number of pipes (consistent with practical conveniences).
BORING THE ROLL.
For this purpose I use a mandril, or series of wires or mandrils, arranged in
the manner in the internal view of the vessel B', given in Figure 5. b is a
rod which is fitted to and extends from side to side of the vessel B'; into this
rod the wires or mandrils c, c, are inserted. Each of these wires is exactly
opposite some one of the apertures of the plates before described, and extend
some little distance through the exact centre of the apertures, so that the clay
in being forced out through the apertures must pass over the wires, and leave
the rolls hollow.
WIRING THE ROLL.
N, N, Figure 2, is a frame (which is shewn separately, but on a smaller
scale, in Figure 10). In this frame there are a number of grooves, B, B,
which correspond to the number of rolls to be produced at once from the
machine. Into each of these grooves I lay an ordinary wire, such as used for
moulding pipes, but having in addition a slide or runner a, through which the
wire passes freely, and which is intended to keep the wire parallel and opposite
the mandrils of the machine. Figure 16 is a plan; and Figure 17 a section
of a wire with this slide or runner. When these wires are laid on the frame,
I take the frame and place it at the end of the machine, N, N, Figure 2*,
when the points of the wires come in contact, or nearly so, with the ends of
the wires or mandrils, so that when the rolls begin to pass over the mandrils
they are received upon the wires in the frame, and the runners a, a, recede as

page_text: the roll advances up the wire. The rolls are then moulded in the usual
manner, and the wires withdrawn. It is proper, however, to observe that
these wires will act precisely the same if the roll be produced from the machine
solid, instead of being first bored by the mandril; and I prefer receiving the
roll upon these wires from rollers as at Figure 12, in the solid state. Another
mode of wiring the roll is represented in Figure 20, which shows one half of
an ordinary pipe mould with my improved method of inserting the wire. a, a,
are guides which are fixed into the mould, and fit the wire b so accurately as
to keep it in its proper course up the roll. On laying a roll upon this mould,
and putting the two parts together, the wire may by means of the guides be
forced with accuracy throughout the entire length of the roll. I prefer, in this
case, to use wires made of tempered steel, which are not liable to bend.
FIRING THE PIPES.
When the pipes are ready for firing, it is usual to transfer them directly to
the kiln, and to place them upon ledges provided for the purpose.
I prefer,
however, to place them upon earthenware frames previously to putting them
into the kiln, and to put the frame itself, with the pipes upon it, into the kiln.
By this means the kiln is more speedily filled and sooner emptied than by
the ordinary process. Figure 21 is a front elevation; and Figure 22 a section
of one of the earthenware frames which I employ, showing the manner in
which it is constructed, and in which the pipes are placed on it for burning.
These frames are each of the form of a segment of a circle, and of various
sizes, so as to fit the various circles or ledges in the kiln.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed. I declare that the improvements which I
claim as constituting my said Invention, are as follows:-
First, I claim the making of bricks with undercut grooves on either or both
of their faces, as before described.
Second, I claim the employment in the manufacture of tobacco pipes, and
in the process of preparing the clay, of rollers revolving at different rates of
speed, as before described.
Third, I claim the forming the roll in the said manufacture by the three
different modes or processes herein-before described, namely, either by forcing
the clay through apertures which are made by springs, or other equivalent
mechanical means, to expand according to the varying thicknesses required for
the different parts of the pipe, or by passing the clay between rollers having
indentations or matriccs on their surfaces, or by compressing the clay between
flat dies or moulds, and, whatever may be the sort of machinery or means

page_text: employed in each of these processes, to force or compress the clay between the
moulding or forming surfaces.
Fourth, I claim the employment in the said manufacture of pipe moulds
constructed as represented in Figure 19, and before described.
Fifth, I claim the employment in the said manufacture of wires or mandrils
to bore the roll in connection with the first of the modes of forming the roll
herein-before described.
Sixth, I claim the method of wiring the roll in the said manufacture, by
receiving the same as it passes from the machine by which it is formed, as
aforesaid, upon wires, and upon wires having slides or runners which recede by
the pressure of the clay, as before described.
Seventh, I claim the employment, in the ordinary method of wiring the rolls,
of guides to direct and regulate the insertion of the wire, as before described.
Eighth, I claim the employment, in the said manufacture, of moveable
earthenware frames for holding the pipes when ready for firing, introducing
them into the kiln, and withdrawing them from the same.
And,
Ninth, I claim the application of the said Improvements in the manu-
facture of tobacco pipes to the manufacture of all such other articles employed
in smoking made from plastic materials, to which the same may in whole or in
part be applicable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Skertchly, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, One thousand eight