IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN BRICK- MAKING
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wright and Thomas Wright, of Fir Tree House
Foundry, Hindley, near Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN BRICK-
MAKING"
Sealed the 10th January 1879, and dated the 20th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wright and Thomas
Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1878.
JAMES WRIGHT and THOMAS WRIGHT, of Fir Tree House Foundry, Hindley, near
Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS USED IN BRICKMAKING."
This improved pressing brick machine is adapted not only for making the ordinary
plain pressed brick now commonly used in buildings, but also any other beaded or
moulded ones, with which the doors, windows, or ornamental cornices of our houses
are now beautified.
One of the chief features of our Invention is the adaptability of the pressing
piston to receive any kind of die. (The pressing piston is a round or square bar
made hollow to lubricate the die at each action in and out of the receiving box.)
Whatever mould or bead is required to be stamped upon the bricks, the die can
readily be taken off to allow a fresh one to be neatly bolted to the pressing arm to
make the sort required.
This Invention enables the machine to stamp different kinds of moulds on the
bricks without causing the usual necessity, as in hand presses, to insert so many
liners.
The action of the pressing arm is vertical, and derives its motion by a friction
bowl made to move in half circular direction, and attached by a pin to a revolving
disc crank worked by a stong arm by means of a wheel or pinion, the latter being
secured to the fly wheel shaft, driven by fast and loose pullies and a strap.

page_text: At the opposite end of the disc shaft is attached a revolving cam, assisted by a
weighted lever underneath the box to give the required speed wanted in the down-
ward and upward motion of the push plate at the bottom of the pressing box at the
pressure of each brick by the powerful die presser. Fitted also to this shaft and
near to the same region is a tappit lever acting on to a small shaft, and secured
thereto is a feeding arm working upon the receiving table to receive each brick
successively from the person in charge; it also carries it safely to the pressing box,
and is ready again for the next brick as quickly as possible, and according to the
driven speed.
In the downward and upward motion of moving bottom at the press box, sufficient
time is allowed for the die presser to act upon each brick by the construction of the
cam, the feeding arm carrying the brick upon the push plate, and relieving itself of
its load after every action of the presser. Immediately this pressure is exhausted,
the pressing piston moves upwards, so also does the receiving box or rising push
plate, thereby allowing the feeder to push off the moulded brick by every succeeding
one; this important action dispenses with the danger to the person in charge, there
being no necessity whatever for him to place his hands underneath the presser as
it is closing on the box.
T
From ten thousand to twelve thousand moulded bricks per day can be readily
made in ten hours if constantly fed with almost dry clay brick. It is also adapted
for pressing bricks made from marl, clod, shale, slag, or fire-clay.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said James Wright and Thomas
Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th February 1879.
JAMES WRIGHT and THOMAS WRIGHT, of Fir Tree House Foundry, Hindley, near
Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS USED IN BRICKMAKING."
This Invention is applicable to that class of brick machines commonly called
brick presses, by means of which blocks of clay, either made by hand or machine,
are again placed into the pressing box, and repressed so as to form ornamental
shapes, as well as give a smoother face to the ordinary plain pressed brick, or to the
beaded or moulded ones with which buildings or house cornices are now adorned.
And in order that this our Invention may be readily understood, reference is
made to the accompanying Drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, the
same letters referring to like parts of the machine throughout.
Fig. 1 is an end view, and Fig. 2 a side view showing the chief parts of our
machine, with a ground plan, as shewn on Fig. 3.
A is a large hollow cast-iron supporting arm, so made as to sit on the brick press
table B. The pressing arm C is a square or round bar made hollow in direction of
dotted line to receive the oil for lubricating each brick to prevent its clogging or
sticking to the box.
The pressing arm.C.slides-up-and-down the centre of arm A by the action of
a friction bowl D, supported on a dise or crank pin E, allowing it to move in a
semicircular way F worked through arm A, as shown by shaft G; wheel H is attached
to shaft G, and wheel I to shaft K; these two convey motion to the pressing
arm C by the aid of a pair of pullies L, fast and loose, secured to shaft K, and by
fly wheel M.
At the other end of the disc shaft G we secure a revolving cam N to work a pair
of levers O, which are required to lift the brick out of the pressing box by means of
piston and piston rod O' after each descent of the pressing arm C. On the disc
shaft G there is also attached a tappet P to work the feeding arm Q¹, which carries
every succeeding brick to the pressing box S by levers and shafts, and brackets R,
these latter being assisted with chain and weight R¹ fitted to table B.
As each brick is pressed and lifted out of the box by levers O and piston O¹, the
next brick that is placed on the table is carried into the box by the feeding arm Q²,
Fig. 3, but before arriving in its place it pushes the pressed brick from off the box
to make room for itself at every motion.
The part T, between S, S, is a brick in the box, and the die T¹ when forced upon
it form the mould or bead required, and the die plate is readily secured to the
pressing arm C by means of 2 bolts or small set screws.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of this our said Invention,
what we claim specially is, the use of the pressing arm C for making beaded or
moulded bricks, and being thus driven by friction and tappet motions in manner
described in the foregoing Specification, and as shewn on the accompanying Drawings,
or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Wright and Thomas Wright, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
JAMES WRIGHT.
(L.S.)
THOMAS WRIGHT. (L.S.)