IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, QUARRIES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES FORMED OF CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Bennett, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
Brick Manufacturer, and William Sayer, of Hopton, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING
BRICKS, TILES, QUARRIES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES FORMED OF CLAY OR
OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL."
ealed the 3rd August 1877, and dated the 14th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Bennett and William
Sayer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th March 1877.
RICHARD BENNETT, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Brick Manufacturer, and
WILLIAM SAYER, of Hopton, in the County of Stafford, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, QUARRIES, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES FORMED OF CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL.”
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for pressing bricks,
tiles, quarries, and other similar articles already roughly formed. For this purpose
the machinery is made self-acting and self-delivering, which process is performed
by sliding carriages moving in guides along the top of a table, having the article to
be pressed previously placed therein. The furthest ends of these carriages are
hinged to the upper parts of such carriages, so as to be self-acting; these carriages
are so constructed and arranged as to allow the article to be pressed to be placed
in each of them alternately when two are used.
The said carriages, whilst travelling forward, have their motions so regulated that
they move slowly whilst being charged, and more rapidly afterwards, until the
article to be pressed is placed upon the bottom of the die, which is raised to the
level of the table top and held there for the purpose. This die bottom immediately
on receiving such article is lowered or permitted to descend to its position at the
bottom of the die; at the same time the said carriages also push forward, and clear
of the said bottom the articles pressed by the last preceding operation of the
machinery. The carriages are then returned to their original positions to be re-
charged by the same crank shaft and gearing which carries them forward, the

page_text: hinged ends of the carriages rising if the last left article has not entirely sunk
below the level of the table top.
The pressure for pressing the said articles is obtained from a crank shaft, with
two cranks in this case, mounted at the upper part of the machinery, one such
crank for cach die; these cranks are connected with the upper part or loose side of
each die, one to each, by a connecting rod. Provision is made in the said upper
part of the die by small holes formed therein for the free escape of the surplus clay
or other plastic material when under pressure, and for preventing or modifying
undue pressure or strain in the die, and to the gearing. from having too much
material in such die. After the article is pressed the bottom of the die is carried
upwards to the level of the upper face of the table top, having the said pressed
article thereon, by a lever and a vertical sliding rod connected to both the said
lever and die bottom, which lever and rod. are operated by a tappet fixed on the
lower crank shaft; the pressed article is then ready to be pushed forward as pre-
viously described. Such articles are then removed from the table and conveyed
away to be dried or otherwise dealt with.
The article to be pressed is lubricated on its under side when passing over two
rollers, revolving in a trough charged with oil or other suitable liquid previous to
its deposit on the die bottom.
The upper and lower crank shafts can be connected either by coupling rods or
spur gearing.
Our improved machinery can be driven with a pulley and band, or with inter-
mediate spur gear by steain, horse, hand, or other power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Bennett and William Sayer in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th September 1877.
RICHARD BENNETT, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Brick Manufacturer, and
WILLIAM SAYER, of Hopton, in the County of Stafford, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, QUARRIES, AND OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES FORMED OF CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL."
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for pressing bricks,
tiles, quarries, and other similar articles of clay or other plastic material which have
been previously roughly formed. For this purpose the machinery is made self-
feeding and self-delivering
In order that our said Invention may be more clearly and more fully understood
and be more readily performed, we will explain the same as applied in pressing
bricks by a single press, with the aid of the accompanying Drawing which forms
part of this Specification, reference being made thereto by the numerals and letters
marked thereon, and which reference applies to each Figure of the said Drawing
where the same index numerals and letters appear.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved machinery, and Figure 2 is front
elevation thereof.
Our said machinery is mounted on two standards a, held or connected together
by the table band the cross stay c. In the upper part of this framing we mount
a crank shaft d, which receives its motion from or through the countershaft d',
the pinion d², and the toothed wheel d³. The action of the said crank shaft d gives,
through the connecting rod g², the requisite up-and-down motion to the die box top
or presser g, and, by means of coupling rods or gearing, operates the lower crank
shaft c, which works the sliding carriage or feeder fand the remainder of the
machinery, as shewn.
The bricks to be pressed are placed on the feederf by hand or by the brick-

page_text: making machine; the said feeder fis then moved with the brick insido it in guides
along the table top by the operation of the forked rocking lever k, which is coupled
to the said feeder by the two side rods, the said lever k being worked by the
crank on the shaft e through the short connecting rod ', the length of which and
that of the rocking lever is so arranged relatively as to cause the feeder f to
move slowly whilst being charged, and more rapidly afterwards until such brick is
placed upon the bottom g³ of the die box g, which bottom is raised, as herein-after
described, to the level to the level of the table top and held there for that purpose.
Immediately on receiving the brick the said bottom is lowered by the reverse motion
of the gearing which raises it to its normal position, as shown; at the same time as
the rough brick is being placed on the die bottom the hinged end f1 of the feeder f
pushes forwards and clear of such bottom the brick pressed by the last preceding
operation of the machinery; the said feeder is then returned to its original position
(as shown) by the reverse operation of the lever and its adenda to be recharged.
The said hinged end f', on its return over the die box g, rising freely if the brick
last left and lowered into the die box has not entirely sunk below the level of
the table top. When the brick is thus lowered into the die box g the die box
top ' is forced or pressed down with the requisite power by the connecting rod g²,
operated by the crank shaft d, see Figure 2. Undue pressure or strain on the
machinery during the process of pressing is avoided or eased by placing under the
lower collar or end e of the lifting spindle en plate & bearing on spiral (or other)
springs h, which springs rest on the cross stay c of the machine framing near its
base, or by escape holes in the die box top g¹ for the surplus clay to pass through.
The bricks after being thus pressed are carried upwards on the die bottom to the
level of the upper face of the table 6 by a tappet c¹ on the crank shaft e, raising the
said bottom of tho die box g through the levers e², es, working on the rocking
shaft e, and lifting the spindle e³ which is connected to the said bottom g³. The
length of the working face of the tappet e' is arranged to keep the die box bottom g³
in its said elevated position the requisite time for delivering the pressed brick,
which is effected by the hinged end of the carriage or feeder f, as herein-before
described. The pressed brick may then be pushed further forward on to moveable
boards by succeeding bricks intervening, to be removed from the table and be carried
away to be dried or otherwise dealt with.
By the continued repitition of these operations our improved machine will
press 1500 bricks per hour at a very moderate cost.
The bricks to be pressed are lubricated on their under sides when passing over
the rollers j, which revolve in a trough j¹, charged with oil or other suitable material,
prior to their deposit on the die bottom g³.
The press is capable of being adjusted to suit bricks and other articles of
different thicknesses, by varying the thickness of the collars on the lifting rod or
spindle e³.
The die box and presser may or may not be heated by steam or hot water
or air.
Other articles, such as tiles, quarries, and the like, are pressed in the same way,
requiring only suitable die boxes and some alterations in the carriage or feeder f.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention and
the method of performing the same, we desire it to be understood that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details now given as an illustration of our said
Invention, inasmuch as they are capable of considerable variation without departing
from the principles and leading characteristics of our Invention; but we claim
as our Invention and desire to secure by the before-mentioned in part recited
Letters Patent,―
Firstly. The sliding carriage or frame with a hinged end worked by a forked
lever below the level of the table.
Secondly. The arrangement for lifting the pressed article to the level of the upper
surface of the table.

page_text: Thirdly. The general arrangement of the said machinery, each and all substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Bennett and William Sayer, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of August, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
year