A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT ON CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES FROM CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATTER
Year: 1845

page_text: AINSLIE, Farmer, Redheugh, near Dalkeith, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, represent unto Her most Excellent Majesty
Queen Victoria, that I had, after much study and expence, invented "A CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENT ON CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES FROM CLAY OR OTHER
PLASTIC MATTER," and Her said Majesty being willing to encourage all useful
Inventions, did issue Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date on or about the Eighteenth day of January, Eighteen hundred and
forty-five, in the eighth year of Her reign, whereby Her said Majesty did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Ainslie, Her special licence, that I, the said John Ainslic, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within
that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
all the Colonies and Plantations abroad; in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Ainslie, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within the space of six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
John Ainslie, 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 (that is to say):-
This, my Invention, is an improvement on certain machines for the same or
similar purposes for which I obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent, bearing
date on or about the month of January, Eighteen hundred and forty. My
improved machine is shewn in the Drawings hereto annexed, and consists
of the following different parts (viz), one pair of rollers A 1, A 2, turning in
an iron frame, and placed within about half an inch of each other, and driven
by a pinion C fixed on the shaft R, working in gear with a wheel B fixed on
one end of the shaft of the roller A 2. On the other end of the shaft of the
roller A 2 is fixed a wheel D 2, working in gear with another wheel D 1, of
the same size, fixed on the end of the shaft of the roller A 1, which makes
both rollers, A 1 and A 2, take the same number of turns in the same time.
The space in front of the rollers A 1 and A 2, between the iron frames, forms
a chamber E for receiving the clay after it has passed between the rollers A 1
and A 2. In front of this chamber E I fix the mould G for the tile or brick
required to be made. Between the rollers A 1 and A 2 and the mould G,
I place two scrapers F, F, made to move like a hinge, so that the clay may be
more or less or altogether cleaned from the rollers A 1 and A 2, and guided
by them into the chamber E, and forced out of it through the mould or die G,
by fresh clay being drawn into the chamber E by the rollers A 1 and A 2.
Immediately in front of the chamber E, and in a line with the lowest opening
of the mould G through which the clay passes, is placed an endless web J,
supported by and running on six or more wooden rollers, with metal spindles
turning in suitable bearings in the frame I. Close to the end of the endless
web J there are four pullies K, K, K, K, fixed upon two shafts, one above the
other, with grooves in the centre of their peripheries that receive two catgut
bands L, L; on the spindles of the first roller N, next the mould G, over which
the endless web J passes, is fixed a pulley O, which is turned by the endless
web J, which is moved by and with the clay as it passes out of the mould G.
On the end of one of the two shafts of the pullies K, K, K, K, is fixed a
pulley P, which is turned by a gut band passing over it and the pulley O.
One of the two shafts of the pullies K, K, K, K, being turned by the pulley P
the motion is communicated to the other by the gut bands L, L, passing
over the pullies K, K, K. K. On the gut bands L, L, is tied a wire M from the
one to the other, which moves up and down, and round the pullies K, K, K, K,
with the bands L, L. The mould clay is cut into the required length by

page_text: the wire M, as it passes between the gut bands L, L. Between the two
cutting gut bands L, L, are three wooden rollers covered with cloth, to
carry the tiles as they are cut forward to another endless web Q, which moves
at a faster rate in order that the clay made into tiles may not be recut in the
downward movement of the wire M. This web Q is driven by the pulley U
on the under shaft of the cutting pullics K, K, K, K, turning a pulley V, on
the spindle of the last roller. I take from the driving shaft R an assisting
power sufficient to overcome the friction of the cutting frame. This I do by
passing the same gut band that goes round the pullies O and P over a pulley
S on the driving shaft R. The diameter of the pulley S must be of such a
size that its circumference is always moving faster than the circumference of the
pulley O, by which means it is constantly slipping away from the gut band.
The amount of resistance required from the pulley S to move the cutting
wheels K, K, K, K, is regulated by a weight suspended (T) on the gut band
which passes over the pullies S, O, and P, causing more or less friction on the
pulley S. If the clay contains stones and roots, which it is desired to prevent
forming part of the tiles and bricks, a screen may be placed between the
mould G and the rollers A 1 and A 2, in the middle of the chamber E, with a
sluice or cleaner to work downwards, and clear the screen from any obstacles;
the lever working such sluice can be moved by the foot, or by the machine
itself, and the stones or roots stopped by the screen are pushed out through an
opening in the under side of the chamber. When sandy clay, or peat which is
not so adhesive as clay, is required to be moulded into tiles or bricks, the plain
the plain rollers above described are not sufficiently adhesive to force the plastic
matter into the chamber E and through the mould G. In such cases I place
the rollers further apart, with reefing slides, as shewn in Fig. 4. The reefing
slides D, Fig. 4, enter the length of the rollers, and are connected together in
pairs in the inside of the rollers, at each end by the connecting rods E, E, E,
Fig. 4, and are made to move in and out by moving with the rollers round a cam
C, Fig. 4, fixed on the inside of the frame in which the rollers are, and projecting
into the end of the rollers. When the peat moss is wished to be compressed
and moulded at the same time, I use a longer chamber than for clay.
I have already described the mode generally adopted by me for cutting off
the tile or brick after it has passed through the mould, but in the manufacture
of bricks the following method may be adopted with advantage:- After pushing
the peat moss or clay through the chamber F, Fig. 4, into the side of a hollow
trunk or chamber of the required shape, attached to the front of the chamber F,
Fig. 4, I then press it in a downward direction with the piston G, Fig. 4. In
order to prevent the peat moss or clay from touching the piston G, Fig. 4, air
is to be admitted into the space H, between the piston G and the substance to

page_text: be moulded, through a valve I (2) in the piston G, opening downwards, so
that the air is only admitted while the. piston G ascends, and in tlie:descent the
air is compressed so as to force the clay down. the chamber without touching
the piston. When it is required. to make an indent or hollow in one side of
'the substance moulded, I press..it to the mouth of the chamber K, Fig. 4,
where it remains while the piston is ascending, which gives; tiine, to make the
indent with any suitable instrument through an opening in the side, of the
'chamber, and is then pressed out by the elasticity of the air contained in the
'space M, Fig. 4, between the clay and the finished.article, which is compressed
and rendered elastic by the piston G, Fig. 4, pressing fresh clay into the
space M; Fig. 4, above the finished article.
Having now.described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I.declare that I do not claim as of my.Invention, or the
exclusive use of the sévéral component parts of my machine as above described
when taken separately, but I do claim as of my Invention the combination of
the different parts and their application as herein-before described for the
construction of an improved machine, to be employed in the manufacture of
tiles and similar articles from clay and other plastic matter; the improvement
consisting in causing the clay or plastic substance to be forced by rollers, either
plain or with reefing slides, into and through the chamber and moulds, as above
described. And I also claim as of my Invention the improvement hercin-before
described on brick machines previously in use; such improvement consisting
in the application of a piston for cutting off or dividing the brick by means of
the pressure of compressed air, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ainslie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of July, in the ninth
year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said John Ainslie came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Instru-
ment aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Instrument aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late
Majesty King Connce the Thind
Inrolled the Sixteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-five.