IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Slater, of Derby Villas, Park Row, Plaistow,
in the County of Essex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Slater at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
July 1868.
I, JAMES SLATER, of Derby Villas, Park Row, Plaistow, in the County of
Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC
MATERIALS," to be as follows :—
This Invention, consists of an arrangement of levers in combination with
pressing surfaces for the purpose of compressing and consolidating plastic
materials employed in the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and other articles in a
more simple, rapid, and efficient manner, and at less cost than heretofore; and
further, in dispensing with the use of cams, excentrics, wheels, and pinions in
the construction of machines to be employed for compressing bricks, tiles, and
other plastic materials, and also in rendering said machines double-acting by
the following mechanical arrangement, for example:-In an oblong-shaped
framing, and across the lower part theref, there is a shaft extending beyond.
the outside of the framing; upon each end of this shaft a short lever is
fixed, formed with arms of equal length, to each end whereof a rod is con-
nected by its lower end, the upper ends of said rods (there being two at
opposite sides of the machine) being fixed to two separate horizontal pressing

page_text: plates, which are alternately brought over a hollow mould fixed to and across
the upper part of the framing of the machine, and there is a pin fixed in each
of the aforesaid rods, said pin working in a curved slot formed in the side
framings, so that as the aforesaid pressers are raised from their respective
moulds they are thus caused to move backward, and leave the mould free to
receive the plastic material, and the lowering of the aforesaid pressers brings
them directly over the moulds, and guides them in that position whilst they
are descending upon the plastic material and compressing same.
A long
upright weighted lever is fixed on the cross shaft before mentioned, so that by
moving said lever from right to left, and vice versa, one of the aforesaid
pressers is raised, and the other and opposite-presser is lowered alternately,
thus rendering the machine double-acting, one of the aforesaid moulds being
kept uncovered to receive the plastic material, whilst the other and opposite
presser is compressing the plastic material in its respective mould. There is
a false bottom or piston in each mould, said bottoms or pistons being supported
by the framing of the machine. The material when compressed is discharged
by two rods connected to a vibrating lever fixed on the before-mentioned cross
shaft. The machine may either be mounted on wheels or fixed, and worked
by manual or other power; the principal feature of novelty in this Invention
being the use of a combination of levers, as above stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Slater in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SLATER, of Derby Villas, Park Row, Plaistow, in the County of Essex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Slater, Her special licence that I, the said
James Slater, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Slater, 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

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVED MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Slater, 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
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was. to be per-
formed, 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 James Slater, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention consists of an arrangement of levers in combination with
pressing surfaces for the purpose of compressing and consolidating plastic
materials employed in the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and other articles in. a
more simple, rapid, and efficient manner, and at less cost than heretofore; and
further, in dispensing with the use of cams, excentrics, wheels, and pinions in
the construction of machines to be employed for compressing bricks, tiles, and
other plastic materials, and also in rendering said machines double-acting by.
the following mechanical arrangement, for example:-In an oblong-shaped
framing, and across the lower part thereof, there is a. shaft extending beyond
the outside of the framing; upon each end of this shaft a short lever is fixed,.
formed with arms of equal length, to each end whereof a rod is connected by:
its lower end, the upper ends of said rods (there being two at opposite. sides
of the machine) being fixed to two separate horizontal pressing plates, which
are alternately brought over a hollow mould fixed to and across the upper part
of the framing of the machine, and there is a pin fixed in each of the aforesaid
rods, said pin working in a curved slot formed in the side framings, so that as.
the aforesaid pressers are raised from their respective moulds they are. thus
caused to move backward, and leave the mould free to receive the plastic
material, and the lowering of the aforesaid pressers brings them directly over
the moulds, and guides them in that position whilst they are descending. upon
the plastic material and compressing same. A long upright lever is fixed on
the cross shaft before mentioned, and a short lever is also fixed on the opposite
end of said shaft, and is furnished with a. weight, which tends to increase the
concussive force of the pistons and pressers by moving the long lever from
right to left, and vicê versâ; one of. the aforesaid pressers is raised, and the
other and opposite presser is lowered alternately, thus rendering the machine

page_text: double-acting, one of the aforesaid moulds being kept uncovered to receive
the plastic material, whilst the other and opposite presser is compressing the
plastic material in its respective mould. There is an oblong piston in each
mould, which is moved alternately up and down by rods connected to a
double-acting vibrating double lever; whilst one piston is moving upwards it
forces out the brick or tile, whilst the other piston moves downwards with the
moulded brick or tile. The under side of each of said pistons rests upon the top
of the frame of the machine while the bricks or tiles are being compressed.
The machine may either be mounted on wheels or fixed, and worked by
manual or other power; the principal feature of novelty in this Invention
being the use of a combination of levers, as above stated.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved machinery; Figure 2,
a side elevation thereof; Figure 3, a sectional plan on the line A, B, at
Figure 1; Figure 4, a sectional plan; and Figure 5 a sectional elevation of
dies or moulding boxes, herein-after particularly described and referred to;
Figure 6, one of the pistons, drawn enlarged. At each of the foregoing
Figures similar letters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts
in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures
respectively.
At Figures 1 and 2, A is an oblong framing of cast iron; B, a cross shaft
mounted in suitable bearings C, D, E, E; G are levers fixed on B; H, H,
side rods, connected by their lower ends to the levers E, E, and by their upper
ends to plates of metal I by the nuts a, a; K is a double mould or die box of
cast iron (shewn in section at Figures 4 and 5); this box fits on the top of
the framing A, and is composed of five pieces of metal, marked 1, 1, 2, 2,
and 3, at Figure 4, which are planed so as to fit accurately when connected
together; b, b, are curved grooves formed at the sides of the box K (as at
Figure 1), into which said grooves pins c take and move; said pins being
fixed on the rods H, serve to bring the plates I directly over their respective
moulds when said plates are descending, so as to cause the under side thereof
to fit into the upper part of said moulds during the compressing of the material
therein; L, L, are rods connected by their lower ends to the lever G, and by

page_text: their upper ends to the pistons M, the construction of which is shewn at
Figure 6, where d, e, mark pieces of metal, connected together by screws
at ff; the piston there shewn is intended to mould bricks, the plate g,
screwed thereto, being intended to form the ordinary recess made in bricks.
It will be obvious that the shape of the pistons and mould boxes must be in
accordance with the shape of the articles which it is desired to make. And I
would here remark that in order to render the compression of the material in
the moulds more effective, I form a slot hole in each of the pistons, as at hi
Figure 6, the effect of which is, that when one or other of the pistons has
descended to its full extent, which is effected by moving the lever C sideways,
the piston as it descends is arrested by and rests on the top of the frame A;
the levers still continuing to move, the sloth passes over the pin x in the
rod L, and thus the concussive force of the weight ✗ on the lever D com-
presses the material in the mould very effectively. I would here observe that
I form the lever G somewhat shorter than the levers E, E, that said lever
may move through less space, and thus assist the compressing action of the
plates I, I. A reverse movement of the lever C discharges the moulded
material, and simultaneously the plastic material is being moulded and com-
pressed in the other mould box, and so on in succession.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improved Machinery for Compressing Bricks, Tiles, and other
Plastic Materials," together with the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I
do not intend to limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction
herein described and represented by the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, as
the same may be varied without departing from the principle of construction
of my said Invention, which I hereby declare to consist in, and I claim, an
arrangement of levers in combination with pressing surfaces in the construction
of machinery used for compressing and consolidating plastic materials in the
manufacture of bricks, tiles, and such like articles, as above described with
reference to the Sheet of Drawings accompanying these Presents.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Slater, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES SLATER. (LS.)