IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES TO BE USED IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF BRICKS, AND FOR SQUEEZING OR MOULDING CLAY, FIRE-CLAY, PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Otto Simon Henry Harcourt, of 18, Randolph
Road, Maida Hill, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES TO BE USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BRICKS, AND FOR SQUEEZING OR MOULDING CLAY, FIRE-CLAY,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Otto Simon Henry
Harcourt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th June 1874.
I, OTTO SIMON HENRY HARCOURT, of 18, Randolph. Road, Maida
Hill, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES TO BE USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, AND FOR SQUEEZING OR MOULDING CLAY, FIRE-
CLAY, SMALL COAL, PEAT, AND OTHER COMPRESSIBLE MATERIALS," to be as
follows:
:-
The improvements embrace, the combination of the three following
principal members or parts or sets of members or parts :—

page_text: : One of these is a moulding wheel or moulder capable of turning on a
horizontal axis, and constructed with a series of moulds or chambers
recessed inwards from the cylindrical surface or periphery in which
(recesses) certain plungers work outwards and inwards and carry friction
rollers at their inner ends for the purpose herein-after stated.
The second is a frame supporting the moulding wheel or moulder,
and carrying or having thereon fixed cam surfaces for the friction rollers
of the plungers to bear against, so that as the moulder is turned the
plungers may be forced outwards. (The retiring or inwards motion is
herein-after explained).
And the third is a strap or lever arm or sling capable of being moved
to-and-fro on a centre or fulcrum situate at or near one end, and carrying
at or near the other end a cover or closer to bear in succession over
against or in the outer ends of the several chambers of the moulder.
The pressure is effected between the plungers and the said cover or
closer.
'
In carrying out the Invention it is contemplated to employ a hopper,
through which the materials to be moulded are passed or fed into the
press, and a travelling endless web or band for receiving and carrying
away the bricks or moulded materials after being pressed or moulded,
and as they drop or are expelled from the chambers. The retiring action
of the plungers is conveniently to be effected by roller paths, cams, or
bearing surfaces. It is also contemplated that the movement of the strap
or lever arm in one direction should cause the moulder to turn on its
axis, but that while moving back again it should be inoperative upon
the moulder. For this purpose it will be convenient to cause the cover
or closer at certain intervals to tooth into or lie somewhat within the
chambers of the moulder, so as to obtain an effectual grip or hold
thereof; and between such intervals to move back and lie away from
its cylindrical surface or periphery. A strong spring controlling an
eccentric is suitable for this purpose, but any convenient substitutė may
be employed. A friction break may also be advantageously applied, or
employed at the hopper or elsewhere.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Otto Simon Henry Harcourt in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 3rd December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OTTO SIMON
HENRY HARCOURT, of 18, Randolph Road, Maida Hill, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Otto Simon Henry Harcourt, Her
special licence that I, the said Otto Simon Henry Harcourt, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said. Otto
Simon Henry Harcourt, 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 and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES TO BE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, AND FOR SQUEEZING OR MOULDING CLAY, FIRE-CLAY,
SMALL COAL, PEAT, AND OTHER COMPRESSIBLE MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Otto Simon Henry Harcourt, 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 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 I, the said Otto Simon Henry Harcourt, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The improvements embrace the combination of the three following
principal members or parts or sets of members or parts :-
One of these is a moulding wheel or moulder capable of turning on a
horizontal axis, and constructed with a series of moulds or chambers

page_text: recessed inwards from the cylindrical surface or periphery in which
(recesses) certain plungers work outwards and inwards and carry friction
rollers at their inner ends for the purpose herein-after stated.
The second is a frame supporting the moulding wheel or moulder,
and carrying or having thereon fixed cam surfaces for the friction rollers
of the plungers to bear against, so that as the moulder is turned the
plungers may be forced outwards. (The retiring or inwards motion is
herein-after explained).
And the third is a strap or lever arm or sling capable of being moved
to-and-fro on a centre or fulcrum situate at or near, one end, and carrying
at or near the other end a cover or closer to bear in succession over
against or in the outer ends of the several chambers of the moulder.
The pressure is effected between the plungers and the said cover or
closer.
In carrying out the Invention it is contemplated to employ a hopper,
through which the materials to be moulded are passed or fed into the
press, and a travelling endless web or band for receiving and carrying
away the bricks or moulded materials after being pressed or moulded,
and as they drop or are expelled from the chambers. The retiring
action of the plungers is conveniently to be effected by roller paths,
cams, or bearing surfaces. It is also contemplated that the movement of
the strap or lever arm in one direction should cause the moulder to turn
on its axis, but that while moving back again it should be inoperativo
upon the moulder. For this purpose it will be convenient to cause the
cover or closer at certain intervals to tooth into or lie somewhat within
the chambers of the moulder, so as to obtain an effectual grip or hold
thereof, and between such intervals to move back and lie away from its
cylindrical, surface or periphery. A strong spring controlling an
eccentric is suitable for this purpose, but any convenient substitute may
be employed. A friction break. may also be advantageously applied, or
employed at the hopper or elsewhere.
In the accompanying Drawings, which are furnished as an illustrative
example of a press or machine constructed in accordance with the
Invention,----
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Figure 2 an end elevation.
. a is a cast-iron disc constituting the moulding wheel or moulder; b, b,
the supporting frame, or the two side or principal parts thereof, also of

page_text: cast iron; and c, c, the vibrating or moving arm or sling constructed
of wrought iron or steel for resisting the pressure or tension brought
against it, as herein-after more particularly explained. The moulder turns
upon the horizontal shaft or axis d and is cast with a series of six (more
or less) radially disposed moulding chambers, holes or recesses a*
extending from the periphery inwards towards such axis; e, e, are the
rams or plungers; and f, f, their friction rollers, one pair to each
plunger. The checks b, b, of the frame which support the axis d rest
upon and arc bolted to a bed plate g, and at top are connected by a
capping or cross plate or casting / bolted to them ; * and b² are the cam
surfaces on the inner sides of the cheeks b, those marked 6* being
formed of or by the thickenings or projections cast thereon, and those
marked b being pieces bolted on or applied one on cach check. The cams
are for forcing the plungers outwards and retiring them, as herein-after
explained.
The vibrating resistance arm c, c, consists of two strong bars, one on
each side of the machine centred or working on the axis d, and at their
outer extremitics connected by a strong cross pin C*. These support
and carry with them as they vibrate an iron block or closer or cover i
for the moulding chambers capable of a small extent of sliding motion
lengthways of the arm c, and made to fit into and severally to close the
ends of the said chambers, as brought to bear successively against
them. An up and down radial movement of the arm c corresponding
to the angle or distance between the several moulding chambers is to be
given by power from a steam engine or otherwise applied at the
extremities c*. During the upstroke the block i does not enter or lic
within the moulding chambers a*, and consequently is inoperative upon
the moulder a, but when the full extent of the up stroke is attained, the
block i engages and during the down stroke causes the moulder to turn
upon the axis d.
The sliding movement of the block i to engage or disengage with the
moulder may be effected in any convenient manner, the manner
represented being as follows:-The block slides in proper guides in the
arm c, and through the block or at each side works an eccentric pin,
which when turned round throws forward or draws back the block.
On one side is a coiled spring, within a spring box k, tending to move
the eccentric so as to throw the block forward; and on the other is a
small pinion 7 in gear with a sector wheel or rack m centred on and

page_text: carried by the arm c, and fitted with a striking pin m* thereon. And
when in consequence of the movement of the arm this pin strikes
against a stop or fixed part of the framing the wheels and eccentric are
caused to turn and the block is drawn back. The forward movement
will take place at the termination of the up stroke by the block then
coming opposite to and dropping partly within, and thus engaging with
one of the moulding chambers, and the backward movement at the
termination of the down stroke by means of the wheels then caused to
act as above explained.
screws.
The machine is fed with the clay or materials dropped or to be pressed
from within a hopper n, at the base of which is a frame enclosing a hard
wood block or break (not shown in the Drawing) intended to bear on
the circumference of the moulder to prevent its moving backwards, and
to keep the clay or other material from dropping into the working parts
of the apparatus. The pressure of this block may be regulated by set
Each moulding chamber while under the hopper receives its
charge, the cams keeping the ram e forced outward to the intended
extent to properly gauge the material, but almost immediately, after
passing the hopper the ram (by its own weight) slightly drops in con-
sequence of the step * in the cam. This allows for the entry of the
cover or closer i at the mouth of the chamber, after which the cams, in
consequence of the further turning of the moulder, force.
the ram
outward and the material becomes powerfully pressed or moulded
between the ram and the cover. This effected, the cover is withdrawn
and the cams in consequence of the continued turning of the moulder
still further force the ram outward and cause it to expel the brick or
moulded material on to a travelling endless web or band o passing over
rollers driven from a pulley p. And the ram before again crossing
under the hopper is by means of the cams 62 retired to the proper
extent, as above explained.
The friction rollers f of the several rams are in certain positions of
the moulder during its revolution guided, and the rams prevented from
dropping out not only by the cams but by the inner surface of the
external rim or flange of the moulder.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be and may be performed, I declare
that I claim as of my said Invention,―

page_text: Firstly. The combination of the three principal members or parts or
sets of members or parts of a press, as herein-above set forth and
explained.
· And, Secondly. The general arrangement of parts, herein described
and represented in the Drawings, for effecting (and also as additional or
accessory to) such combination.
In witness whereof, I, the said Otto Simon Henry Harcourt,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.