Improvements in Dies for Making Solid or Perforated Bricks, either Square or Ornamental.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 14th May 1892.
FIOVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dies for Making Solid or Perforated Bricks, either
Square or Ornamental.
We, Frank RoPER and CHARLES ROPER, of Highbridge in the County of
Somerset, Founders, Machinists and Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in dies or moulds for making bricks and
has for its object to provide an improved passage for the clay from the box into or
around the die; and also a self acting contrivance for moistening or lubricating the
clay and die near the outlet.
With machines for making bricks at present in use, the die is inserted at the
month of the clay box, and as the inlet of the die is considerably smaller than the
box, there is a large margin round the corners of the box where the clay sticks or
settles, and causes the mass of clay as it passes on towards the die to break away
and become uneven; but by our invention, this marginal or angular recess is
occupied by a bevelled guide, which is so arranged that the clay is conducted with
regularity to the die, and no breaking away or unevenness is caused by the mass
of clay adhering to old clay left in the corners of the box, and at or near the
outlet of the die, the frame is so constructed that a very small quantity of water
oozes out round the internal face of the die, and the clay is continuously moistened
from a reservoir, instead of being irregularly watered by the attendant.
To carry our invention into effect, we first make a rectangular frame, preferably
of iron, the outer sides of which fit closely in the clay box; the interior of the frame
is channelled, so that the end towards the clay box presents a thin edge to the clay,
and the end towards the die is of such a thickness as to cover the space between
the edge of the die and the corners of the box, and if the die has the knives at the
back to which perforating rods are attached, the channelled frame has additional
tapering projections or cavities so that the clay may easily pass into the die, without
any corners in which clay may lodge; and at or near the outlet of the die, is a
frame made with two-fitted faces, and a thin groove running round, the joint of the
frame is made by placing white-lead or similar material between the faces, and
bolting them tightly together, and a sufficient space will be left in the groove for
the water to flow round and moisten the clay just before it receives the final
pressure from the contracted orifice of the die; a reservoir is placed over the die to
hold water, and a tube regulated by a tap conveys the water to the groove in the
frame, and a similar tube and tap is provided at the bottom of the frame to lei off'
any surplus water.
Where perforating rods are used to make holes in the bricks, the present method
is to put the rods squarely on or into the thick edges or backs of the knives, and to
make them converge towards each other, corresponding with the converging sides
of the die, the rods are bent slightly, causing the holes to be ragged and uneven ;
to remedy this, the outer knives have their backs slightly chamfered, and the rods
are screwed squarely into the inclined backs, by which the rods will acquire the
desired angle of convergence to allow the clay to pass smoothly around them, and
make the holes in the mass of a regular shape as it passes from the mouth of
the die.
This was 1
:۱۰ 1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dies for Making Solid or Perforated Bricks, either
Square or Ornamental.
We, FRANK ROPER and CHARLES ROPER, of Highbridge, in the County of
Somerset, also of Street, in the said County, Founders, Machinists, and Engineers,
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 improved dies or moulds for making bricks, and consists
essentially of a channelled or funnel shaped guide or frame which forms an improved
and casier passage for the clay through the die, and also a self acting contrivance
for moistening or lubricating the clay before it passes through the mouth of
the die.
With machines at present in use for making bricks, the die is bolted on a
rectangular plate, and this plate is fastened to the mouth of the clay box or mill, the
opening in the plate being usually considerably smaller than the chamber in the
mill, consequently there is a margin round the inside face of the plate where
the clay sticks, and causes the mass of clay as it passes on towards the die to break
away by our invention, this marginal angular recess is occupied by a channelled
guide, by the use of which the clay passes smoothly to the dic, and no breaking
away or unevenness caused by the mass adhering to old clay in the corners of the
chamber, we also form a grooved channel in the mouth of the die, by which a
small quantity of water is distributed over the whole face of the clay in a
continuous flow, instead of its having to be watered in an irregular way by an
attendant.
To carry our invention into effect, we make a rectangular frame or box of such a
size that it will fit easily in the clay box of the machine, the sides and ends of this
rectangular frame having the front face of a thickness that will cover the space
between the opening in the plate and the sides of the clay box, the back face of the
frame is made with a thin edge, and the internal sides of the frame are channelled,
so that a funnel shaped surface is provided, through which the clay passes to the
die-plate when the die is used for making perforated bricks, the perforator bars
will be placed in this channelled frame, and additional channels will be made in the
frame to allow the clay to pass around the backs and over the perforator bars: at
or near the outlet, one of the sectional parts of the die is fitted with a grooved space
round the four sides, and the parts are put together with a thin layer of white lead
or similar material on the outer edges of the grooved face, which keeps the inside
edges sufficiently open to permit a small quantity of water to pass through and
moisten the clay just before it receives the final pressure from the contracted outlet
of the die a reservoir is placed near the die, containing a supply of water, and a
tube regulated by a tap conveys the water to the groove in the die, and a tap is
placed at the bottom of the die to let off any surplus water.
The present method of using the perforating rods for making holes in the bricks
is to put the rods squarely into the back edges of the perforator bars, and carry the
rods in a horizontal position towards the outlet of the die, and then to bend the ends
of the rods, making them suddenly converge towards the centre of the die, this
causes the holes to be very ragged and uneven, and the sudden disturbance of the
line of the rod, interferes with the solidity of the mass of clay to remedy this we
form the back edges of the outer perforator bars with a slight inclination, so that
when the rods are screwed squarely into the bars, they will uniformly converge
towards the centre of the outlet, and correspond with the diminished size of the
mass of clay.
The description given of our channelled frame, refers to the the appliances used
in the manufacture of rectangular bricks, but when bricks are required to be made

page_text: of any other shape, our channelled frame will be altered accordingly, and form a
graduated passage for the clay from the square chamber of the mill to the
ornamental shaped dies that are attached to the die plate, the moistening appliance
at the outlet and the perforating bars and rods being arranged to meet the altered
conditions.
The accompanying drawings will more fully illustrate the construction and
working of our invention:
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the outlet of the mill, the die-plate which is
attached thereto being shown in dotted lines, a rectangular converging frame for
use n making solid bricks, is shown placed in the outlet:
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same in section;
Fig. 3 is a back view of the die plate, against which a similar converging frame
with the perforator bars is placed; additional channels are made in the ends of the
frame to receive the bars and to permit the clay to pass around them;
Fig. 4 is a front view of the die with its various parts fitted to the die-plate and
clamped to, the outlet of the mill;
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the various parts of the die which are used for
shaping and lubricating the clay, with the converging frame, the perforator bars
aud rods, all attached to the die-plate, which is fixed against and clamped to the
outlet of the mill;
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same, showing more particularly the arrange-
ment of the rods on the bars to make them converge uniformly towards the
outlet; and
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation, showing a converging frame ready for the insertion
of the perforating apparatus, from which the additional channels for the passage of
the clay around the bars will be more clearly seen.
A is the die plate, clamped to the clay box or mill, on which the various parts of
the die are fastened, B is a rectangular converging frame placed in the outlet of
the mill when solid bricks are made, shown only in Figs. 1 and 2; C is a section
of part of the chamber or outlet through which the clay is passed from the mill to
the dies, and to which the die plate A is fastened; D is a converging frame with
additional channels at the ends for the insertion of the perforator bars E, the bars
are connected at the ends by vertical plates E', which fit in recesses at the front of
the converging frame and are kept firmly in position when the frame is attached to
the die-plate; ce are projections, or parts of the ends of the frame which slope from
its thin edge to the edge of the aperture in the die-plate, and the spaces between
have their converging faces at a more acute angle, terminating at the lines f,
(Fig. 7), the spaces g between the line and the edge of the plate being openings
in the frame for the insertion of the ends of the perforating bars; F are the
perforating rods, over and around which the clay passes on its way to the outlet,
the converging direction given to the outer rows of rods is shown in Fig. 6; the
various ordinary parts of the die are marked G, but will require no description;
H is a groove supplied with water from a reservoir, and a small opening between
two faces of the fitted parts, allows the water to flow round the inside of the die,
and lubricate the whole surface of the clay, I is the outlet through which the clay
passes in a solid and continuous mass ready for cutting into bricks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The construction of tapering or channelled guide frames for use in connection
with brick mills and the like, whereby the clay will pass with greater case and
regularity into the die, without being broken by contact with clay left in angular
recesses, substantially as and for the purposes herein described, and set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of metal frames for brick dies, with a groove running round

page_text: for the purpose of moistening the clay by a small supply of water on its passage to
the outlet, substantially as herein set forth and described.
3. Setting perforating rods for making holes in bricks in perforator bars placed at
an angle, so that the rods will maintain a uniformly converging direction towards
the centre of the outlet, and the clay pass smoothly over them, substantially as
herein described, and set forth in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of February 1892.
J
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.