IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND MOULDING, SPECIALLY USEFUL FOR MAKING BRICKS AND ROOFING AND FLOORING TILES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Duncan, of Madeley, in the County of Salop, Gas
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND
MOULDING, SPECIALLY USEFUL FOR MAKING BRICKS AND ROOFING AND
FLOORING TILES."
Sealed the 20th January 1880, and dated the 23rd July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Duncan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd July 1879.
ROBERT DUNCAN, of Madeley, in the County of Salop, Gas Engineer. " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND MOULDING, SPECIALLY USEFUL FOR MAKING BRICKS
AND ROOFING AND FLOORING TILES."
This Invention consists of improvements on the Invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to me dated January 24th, A.D. 1877, for improved apparatus
for pressing and moulding, tinting, enamelling, glazing, and printing in colours,
especially useful for making bricks and building blocks, roofing and flooring tiles
and drain pipes.
The bricks and tiles are made by machines portions of which are described in
my former Specification. I now make these machines with the improvements
described in this Specification. The pressers are worked by two single throw
cranks driven by gearing. The mould or moulds to have a to and fro motion given
to them at the right moment by a cam and weight to travel at right angles to the
pressers. The tiles are prevented falling out of the moulds by a catch worked by
presser, also any excess of oil supplied to the pressers (by the arrangement described
and secured by my former Patent), same being removed from the bottom edge of
pressers by a stationary brush fixed in a suitable position to remove the surplus
oil at the right moment before the pressers enter the moulds. The bricks and tiles
are delivered out of the moulds by a delivery presser, worked by a cam keyed on
one of the crank shafts, which cam works also a receiving table on which are
placed pallets for receiving the tiles, etc.
When tiles are being made by these machines they occasionally stick to the
delivery presser, and require to be separated therefrom by a rotating fustian roller
acting on the top edge by a lever worked by a cam on the crank shaft.

page_text: The mould or moulds is or are supplied with clay in the following manner :-
A mouth piece, consisting of three pieces of metal, two of which are preferred to be
of brass and one of steel, is fixed vertically at the bottom end of a pug-mill and
close to the moulds when the latter are in the proper position for being filled. The
two pieces of brass form the front and a portion of the back of the mouth piece.
The piece of steel forms the remaining portion of the back and also forms a shear
blade, and this assisted by a cutting edge formed on the front of the presser cuts
off the piece of clay when the crank brings the presser under the mouth piece.
This is done while the clay is hanging vertically before the presser and between it
and the mould, and this piece of clay is longer than the depth of the presser so
that the latter cuts off and presses into the mould that clay which is immediately
before it, and cuts off also a little clay at the bottom of the hanging piece by
forcing it against the bottom of the mould, which small piece falls down into the
bed of the machine and is removed by a push plate worked by the mould. By
this means the right quantity of clay is pressed into the mould irrespective of any
variation in the speed of the stream, and this clay is met by the presser entering
the mould at the same time from the opposite side and is pressed to the form.
required. The clay in the pug mill is forced through the mouth piece by the
combined action of a set of knives and a double threaded screw on a shaft set
vertically in the pug mill. When this arrangement of machine is used for making
bricks, etc., suitable pieces of clay to form them are made to hang down vertically
before the mould. The clay is cut off by the pressers and forced into the moulds,
and pressed to the form required, and delivered, as before described.
The tiles are received onto pallets, consisting of a frame containing rollers pivotted
at the ends. These pallets are used for the purpose of transferring the tiles from
the machine to the drying shelves.
I would here remark that I now consider the following as important points in
this Invention :-
First. The working of the pressers by two single throw-cranks.
Second. The mould, baving a to and fro motion by a cam and weight worked at
right angles to the pressers.
Third. The cam-delivery and receiving arrangements.
Fourth. The arrangement of the shear blade at the exit end of the mouth-
piece.
Fifth. The arrangement of the three pieces of metal forming the mouth piece,
by which means it is capable of ready adjustment for wear by thinning that portion
which forms the square edge of the sheet.
Sixth. The arrangement of the double threaded screw which causes the stream
of clay to have a steady motion through the mouth piece.
Seventh. The making of roofing tiles on their edges or ends in a vertical
position in the manner described, and delivering them by the machine onto
pallets.
Eighth. The arrangement of pallet, consisting of a frame containing rollers
pivotted at the ends.

page_text: ut pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Duncan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd January
1880.
ROBERT DUNCAN, of Madeley, in the County of Salop, Gas Engineer.
"IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PRESSING AND MOULDING, SPECIALLY USEFUL FOR MAKING BRICKS
AND ROOFING AND FLOORING TILES."
This Invention consists of improvements on the Invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to me, dated January 24th 1877, for improved apparatus for
pressing and moulding, tinting, enamelling, glazing, and printing in colours,
especially useful for making bricks and building blocks, roofing and flooring tiles
and drain pipes.
The bricks and tiles are made by machines portions of which are described in.
my former Specification. I now make these machines with the improvements
described in this Specification and shown by the accompanying Drawings, and
these improvements are the new parts claimed by this Patent.
In the said Drawings, Fig. 1 is side elevation, partly in section; Fig. 2, plan,
with pug mill removed, partly in section; Fig. 3, end elevation, partly in section ;
Figs. 4 to 13 are detail views. The letters of reference placed on the Figures, and
which are referred to in describing the action of the machine, are the same for the
same parts in all these Figures. The machine consists of a frame fitted with a set
of wheels, shafts, and cranks, a pug mill, one or more moulds, two sets of moulding
pressers or dies, one set of delivering pressers, a receiving table, a delivering roller
and delivering belt, and a set of cleaning and oiling brushes. The moulds are
supplied with clay by the pug mill, which latter is fixed on the frame of the
machine in a vertical or a slanting position. This pug mill has a set of knives and
a double threaded screw driven by bevel gearing, and is fitted with an adjustable
bottom with a mouth piece arranged to hinge bolted to it. The mouth piece
consists of a number of pieces of metal; one is of iron, two of brass, and one of steel;
it is tapered from the top and from the bottom side, is capable of ready adjustment
for wear, and working in combination with the pug mill produces a stream of clay
with square edges, and the steel portion at the bottom of the mouth piece working
in combination with the presser cuts off the clay to the size required for the mould
when the clay is hanging before it. The moulds are the same in form as the edges
of the goods required, are adjustable for wear, and are carried in a frame worked
to and fro by a cam and weight, which slides the mould frame along in V shaped
guides fixed transversely on the frame of the machine. The pressers or dies work
in combination with the mould, and are each guided by one V shaped-guide cast
longitudinally on the machine bed and at right angles to the mould guides. These
pressers or dies are the same as described in my former Specification, but are guided
as now described. They work in opposite directions to each other and are driven
by cranks or by cams. The pressers approach nearest to each other when they
have entered the mould, at which time the clay is between them and is being
pressed to the shape required. The newly made bricks or tiles are delivered out of
the moulds by a delivery presser, before which the moulds are slided by a cam.
This presser is driven by another can fixed on the crank shaft, and is guided by
one V shaped guide cast on the bed in parallel line with the dies. The delivery
presser enters the moulds and pushes out the tiles or other productions onto a
receiving table. The receiving table is arranged to receive the tiles or other pro-
ductions on their edge or end in a vertical position; it is supplied with pallets
against which the goods produced are placed by the delivering roller, working in
combination with the delivering presser. The action of the delivering cam then
turns the table from the vertical to the horizontal position, which action places the
goods flat on the pallets ready. to be carried off to dry. The delivering roller is

page_text: arranged to rotate near the top edge of the delivery presser; it is lowered at the
proper moment on to the edge of the tile or brick, and rotating at the same time
it takes off the goods from the delivery presser and places them against the pallets,
or if no pallets are used against the delivery table; when this is done the table turns
from the vertical to the horizontal position with the goods upon it ready to be
taken away. In some cases I prefer to use a belt to take off the goods instead of
the table just described. This belt is arranged to receive the goods in a vertical
position, that is, on their edge or end, and to gradually place them horizontally by
a twist in the belt. The dies are kept oiled and cleaned by brushes worked by
the machine, as described in my former Specification, except that I now work the
brushes by levers and guides on the top of each die and both brushes are worked
transversely in the same direction, and to prevent them from fouling each other
they are driven at different speeds. The delivering presser and the receiving table
are kept oiled and cleaned by brushes bolted to the sides of the moulds, the to and
fro motion of the mould 'brushing them at each stroke. A brush is also fixed in
the four sides of the delivery presser, which brushes out the mould after each tile.
The brushes are supplied with oil from small tanks fixed to moving and to stationary
portions of the machine.
The action of the machine is as follows:-Clay, either pugged or not, is placed
in the pug mill P of the machine; it is then made into a vertical sheet S by the
combined working of the pug mill knives K, and the double threaded screw S¹
forcing it through the mouth piece M; this sheet being before the mould M¹, the
presser P¹ driven by the crank C cuts off the sheet and forces it into the mould M¹,
where it is met by the other presser P and pressed to the required shape, and as
soon as the return motion of the cranks has withdrawn the pressers out of the
mould the cam C2 slides the mould opposite to the delivery presser D, and that
presser at that moment being moved forward by the cam C³, operating on the
roller R and rod R', immediately enters the mould and pushes out the newly made
tile or tiles, or bricks, as the case may be, onto the delivering table T, the upper
edge of the tile then being under the roller R, driven by the pulley P³ and strap S³,
at which moment the small cam C raises one end of the lever L and lowers the
opposite end which is fitted with the rotating roller R; this causes the roller to
pull the tile E off the face of the delivery presser and places it against the pallet P
on the delivering table T or against the carrying belt B (see Figs. 11, 12, and 13),
when the return action of the delivery presser cam C³ presses on the roller R³ and
causes the delivering presser to commence its return stroke. This action causes the
lever L³ to turn the lever L and shaft L³ and lever Le partially round, which
movement causes the rod R' to partially turn the lever L, and with it the pivot of
the receiving table T, and the pallet P4 is then changed from the vertical to the
horizontal position with the tile E upon it ready for removal; W is a balance
weight for the table. On the edge of the delivery presser is fitted a brush B*,
which cleans the mould at the same time as the tile is forced out of it. At the
side of the mould a brush B' is fixed which cleans the face of the delivery presser
as the mould moves before the latter, also another brush B8 cleans the delivery
table after each tile is made. Ce and C7 are steel combs, which comb the bristles
of the brushes B and B and keep them open, so that the oil contained in the
tanks T2 and T3 may run through a channel formed in the brush guide to the face
of the brushes, and by the latter be painted onto the faces of the dies or pressers
to prevent the clay sticking to them when they are pressing it in the mould. The
brushes are worked by levers, as described in my former Specification, except that
both brushes work across the pressers in the same direction but at different speeds,
that they may not come into contact with each other, and the guides G and G¹ are
both placed at the top of the pressers. W¹ is a balance weight for returning the
mould after the tiles have been delivered out of it. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views
of the mould; Fig. 6, details of the delivering cam, showing how the same cam
pushes the delivering presser outwards by the roller Re and draws it back by the
roller R³. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the delivery table in elevation and plan,

page_text: showing its action; Figs. 9 and 10 are details of the delivering roller, showing its
action; Figs. 11, 12, and 13 show the action of the receiving belt turning the
goods from the vertical to the horizontal position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention;
but I claim the said Invention for improved apparatus for pressing and moulding,
especially useful for making bricks, roofing tiles, and flooring squares, as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which Invention
the following are important points or features:-
1st. The working of the presser-dies by two single throw cranks driven by spur
and mitre wheels.
.
2nd. The mould or moulds having a to and fro motion by a cam and weight or
other equivalent means, it being worked at right angles to the pressers.
3rd. The delivering arrangement and pivoted receiving table working in
combination with the roller, arranged to pull off the goods from the delivery presser
face.
4th. The twisted carrying belt arranged for receiving the goods vertically on a
projection formed on its bottom edge and to gradually turn them into the hori-
zontal position, as shown.
5th. The arrangement of the double threaded screw, which causes the stream of
clay to have a steady motion through the mouth piece when required, and dis-
penses with an intermittent gear by allowing the clay to thread back when the
stream is stopped from issuing by the presser.
6th. The brush arrangement for cleaning and oiling the delivery presser and
receiving table, and the combs arranged to clean and open the die oiling brushes
so as to effectually oil the faces of the dies or pressers; also the arrangement of the
brush carrying guides on the top of the pressers.
7th. The principle of making roofing tiles on their edge or end instead of on
their flat sides by the means described, and delivering them by the machine onto
pallets or onto a carrying belt; also the moulding of plastic clay into the required
shape for roofing tiles at one operation and without using dust to prevent the
clay sticking; also delivering this plastic clay, with a trade mark pressed on it,
onto pallets or a carrying belt without any secondary pressing process being
required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Duncan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
WILLIAM HENRY DUNCAN,
Coalbrookdale,
Salop.
ROBERT DUNCAN. (L.S.)