Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM HELLIER, of Wick Hill Bracknell, in the County of Berks, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:—
This Invention relates to an improved machine for moulding sanded bricks, and
the Invention has for its object to provide a machine whereby the more laborious
operations of moulding hand made sanded bricks may be mechanically performed in
a more efficient manner than by manual labor, the operations. of sanding the mould,
striking the excess of clay from the filled mould, and removing the moulded brick
from the mould on to the pallet boards, being performed by hand in the usual
way.
The machine comprises presses for forcing the clay into the moulds, means for
bringing the moulds into position beneath the press dies, and removing them
therefrom, and means for severing the clay in the mould from the excess remaining
in the press, prior to removing the mould therefrom.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein Figures 1 and 2 represent elevations of the press in vertical
section on lines 1-1, and 2-2. Figure 3 respectively and Figure 3 represents a plan
of the press. Figures 4 and 5 are detail views. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
The machine comprises preferably a pair of pressing chambers A. fitted with
pressing pistons B attached to rack rods Č. held by guide rollers c at back, in gear
with a spur wheel D worked by lever handles E whereby the pistons are alternately
raised and lowered in their chambers. At the bottom of each chamber is fitted a.
die F. having an aperture corresponding to, but each way smaller at the under side
than the interior of the mould, the aperture being coned or bevelled as shown to
facilitate the passage of the clay. The chambers A are supported by suitable
columns at a proper distance above the bed of the machine to admit beneath them
the moulds supported in the manner hereafter described. The moulds G are each
formed by an ordinary open rectangular or other shaped frame, fitting on a stock
forming the bottom of the mould in the usual way but the stocks are carried by
carriages H mounted on rollers which run on rails formed by the sides of trough-
like castings I. forming part of the bed plate of the machine. The said troughs
extend beneath the moulds as shown in Figure 2 and outwards beyond the front
of the machine as shown in Figure 3 a sufficient distance to enable the moulds to

page_text: be moved quite clear of the presses. Between the sides of each trough I. is placed
a movable wedge J. of which the upper surface is horizontal, and the lower surface
inclined as shown in Figures 2 and 4 and slides upon the correspondingly inclined
surface of a packing piece K. lying in the trough.
Each wedge is provided with a tail-piece rack (see Figure 4) toothed at one side
and gearing with toothed segments L upon an axis mounted in front of the press
(perpendicular to the plane of the inclined under surface of the wedges) and
worked by a lever handle M by which means the wedges J are alternately pushed
inwards and drawn out from beneath the press-chambers. The arrangement of
the wedges is such that when they are drawn out, their upper surface is below the
level of the rails I and above it when pushed in beneath the press-chambers,
whereby the moulds are raised from the rails I. and brought up almost, but not
quite, into contact with the press-chambers A. a sufficient space being left between
the top of the mould and the bottom of the chamber for the passage of the cutter
for severing the clay.
This consists of a wire or blade N, one for each press, stretched transversely
across a frame O. fitted to slide upon horizontal guides on the frame work, the
wire or knife being supported at such a height as to pass between the press-
chamber and mould when the frame M is slid along its guides.
The pistons B have grooves b in their under face, which communicate with an
orifice 6 through the piston and the lower faces are faced first with a sheet of
perforated metal or wire, gauze which covers, the, grooves, and, secondly, with a
layer of flannel, felt, or cloth which covers, the metal, the metal and felt being
received in a recess in the underface of the piston, the object being to permit a free
passage for air, and prevent the adherence of the clay to the piston.
A machine comprising a pair of presses worked alternately as herein described
may be attended by two hands a man and boy, the former attending to the moulds,
and the latter putting the clay in and working the press pistons, the method of
working being as follows;-The one piston being raised above the opening in the
side of the press chamber as shewn at the left hand side of Figure 1, rather more
than enough clay for a brick is placed in said chamber Meanwhile the mould G
and stock are being sanded and the mould placed on the stock, and the carriage H
carrying the same run under the press chamber. The handle M and quadrant L
are then turned whereby the wedge J is driven in thereby raising the mould G
almost close up to the bottom of the press chamber. The piston is then brought
down and forces the clay placed in the chamber through the die plate F from
which it issues in a stream of smaller sectional area than the mould so that it
descends therein without touching the sides of the mould and therefore does not
remove the sand therefrom and cause streaks and other defects in the bricks.
The clay, on meeting the stock begins to spread in all directions and fill the mould
and when this is done the frame. O is moved into the position shown in dotted
lines the wire or blade passing between the press box and mould, thereby dividing
the clay. The other mould having meanwhile been sanded and placed in position
on its stock and having been run under the right hand press the handle M and
segments L are turned whereby the full mould is lowered and the empty one
raised as before described. The full mould is now run back on the rails. I free of
the press for the purpose of having the excess of clay left by the wire struck off by
means of a strickle in the ordinary, manner, the moulded brick being delivered on
to pallet boards in the usual way of making bricks by hand.
By the motion whereby the mould is lowered away from the pressing box after
the clay has been severed by the wire or knife I am enabled to work the most
tenacious clays and to avoid dragging the moulded clay out of the mould in the act
of removing the mould from beneath the press chamber. In the foregoing description
I have indicated what I believe to be the most suitable means for accomplishing
this motion but I do not in any way limit myself to the special means described
as other mechanical equivalents such as cams or screws may be substituted for the
wedge herein described for effecting the lowering, motion of the mould. It will be

page_text: obvious that instead of moving the mould away from the press chamber the
operation may be reversed; that is to say the press chamber might be moved away
from the mould for the purpose of separating the moulded brick from the clay in
the press-chamber. Instead of the mould receiving two separate motions, vizt one
directly away from the press chamber and the other in a horizontal direction the
two motions may be combined in one and the use of wedges or other mechanical
appliances for moving the mould directly towards or away from the press chamber
may be dispensed with by adopting the arrangement shown in Figure 6 wherein
the ways I are inclined so that the carriage moves in a plane at an angle to the
plane of motion of the cutting wire or knife. By this means the separation of the
moulded brick from the remaining clay in the press chamber, and the moving of
the mould from beneath the press chamber are effected by a single motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is ;-
1st In a brick moulding machine the combination with a pressing chamber and
piston, and with a removable mould frame adapted to be brought into position to
receive the clay from an orifice in the pressing chamber, of a wire or blade carried
by a reciprocating frame and caused to pass between the pressing chamber and
mould to sever the clay remaining in the press-chamber from the clay which has
been forced into the mould substantially as described.
2nd A brick moulding machine in which a wire or blade movable between the
pressing chamber and the mould is used for the purpose of severing the clay in
the mould from that in the pressing chamber and in which the mould receives a
lowering or separating motion from the pressing chamber after the clay has been
severed, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.
3rd In a brick moulding machine in which the mould is supported on a carriage
running on ways beneath the orifice of the press chamber, the combination with
the mould and its carriage and ways of the wedge working on an inclined surface
for lowering the mould away from the press chamber after the mould has been
filled and the clay has been severed, substantially as described.
4th In a brick moulding machine in which the mould is movable on ways
opposite the orifice of the press chamber the arrangement of the ways on a plane
inclined relatively to the plane of motion of the cutting wire or knife by which
the clay in the mould is severed from that in the press chamber substantially as a
for the purpose specified.
5th In a brick moulding machine in which the clay is forced into the mould by
a piston working in a press chamber the construction of the piston with grooves
and through air passages in combination with a covering for the working face of
flannel, felt, or other cloth, backed by perforated sheet metal or gauze as described.
6th A brick moulding machine constructed of a pair of press chambers with
pistons a pair of removable moulds and supporting carriages adapted to be brought
up to and separated from the press chamber in the manner described, and a pair
of cutting wires or blades stretched upon a reciprocating frame, the two sets of
pressing and moulding apparatus being combined for alternate operation sub-
stantially as herein described and represented in the drawings.
Dated this 25th day of March 1886
WILLIAM HELLIER.
By A. M. & W Clark, Agents.