Improvements in Machines for use in the Manufacture of Bricks, Tiles, and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH MORHARD, of No. 218, Stockton Street, San
Francisco, California, United States of America, Chemist.]
Improvements in Machines for use in the Manufacture of Bricks,
Tiles, and the like.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for making bricks, tiles and blocks for building
purposes and it consists in certain novel construction and combination of parts and
mechanism as hereinafter fully described, for pressing and cutting bricks and similar
articles from a mass of clay or other suitable material and the production of a machine
in which the several operations are produced automatically and with a considerable
degree of rapidity.
The following description explains the nature of the said improvements. In this
improved machine the material is first subjected to suitable pressure in a two-part
separable case, form or mould, and by means of a revolving cutting tool which is caused
to pass transversely through the pressed mass of material, at the line of separation, of
the form or mould. At the time of such separation after the pressing operation a
portion of the pressed material, of suitable size fo form a brick or block is smoothly
cut from the end portion of the material. After this cutting operation an elevating
and discharging device receives and raises the cut-off portion clear of the form and
brings it into position to be readily taken out of the machine, and at such time the
two part form is moved in such manner as to uncover and leave the finished block
entirely clear of the form.
The nature of the said improvements consist, therefore in the construction and
combination of pressing cutting and discharging mechanism, and in connection and
combination therewith, certain means of operating them in the required order and for
opening and closing the form or mould.
Dated this 19th day of February 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for use in the Manufacture of Bricks,
Tiles, and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in machines for making bricks, tiles and
blocks for building purposes; and it consists in certain novel construction and
combination of parts and mechanism as hereinafter fully described, for pressing
and cutting bricks and similar articles from a mass of clay or other suitable material
and the production of a machine in which the several operations are produced
automatically and with a considerable degree of rapidity.

page_text: The following description explains the nature of my said improvements and
the manner in which I proceed to construct, combine and operate the same the
accompanying drawings being referred to therein by figures and letters.
In this improved machine the material is first subjected to suitable pressure in a
two-part separable case, form or mold and by means of a revolving cutting tool which
is caused to pass transversely through the pressed mass of the material at the line of
separation of the form or mold; at the time of such separation, after the pressing
operation a portion of the pressed material, of suitable size to form a brick or block,
is smoothly cut from the end portion of the material After this cutting operation an
elevating and discharging device receives and raises the cut-off portion clear of the
form and brings it into position to be readily taken out of the machine and at such
time the two-part form is moved in such manner as to uncover and leave the finished
block entirely clear of the form.
The nature of my said improvements consists, therefore, in the construction and
combination of pressing, cutting, and discharging mechanism, and, in connection and
combination therewith, certain means of operating them in the required order and for
opening and closing the form or mold.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
°
Figure 1-represents my improved machine in side clevation, with the lower portion
of the supporting frame broken away.
Figure 2-represents a side elevation in longitudinal section.
Figure 3-is a plan or top view of figure 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse section taken across the machine at the line of separation
of the form or mold. This section would be in figure 2, at the line x, with the movable
portion of the mold removed.
Figure 5-is a longitudinal section taken at the front end of the form or mold to
show, in detail the presser-actuating rod and its connections. These two last mentioned
figures are shown on a larger scale than the other figures.
Similar letters of reference are used in the various figures to denote the same parts.
The parts of the machine are mounted on. a suitable frame of timbers A A which
may be set on wheels for convenience of moving the machine; but otherwise the
machine may be set directly on the ground. The parts B B×, constitute the com-
partment in which the bricks are formed.
The part B, is fixed on the frame; but the part B× moves longitudinally at suitable
times away from the end of the fixed part and then forward into place again, for which
purpose it is set on rollers d d. In cross section the two parts are rectangular being
internally of the required dimensions in height and width to give the form and size
of brick or block called for. The parts are open at both ends and within them are
fitted two heads 1, D*, of which the head D, in the fixed part of the mold is moved
back and forth by a crank and connecting rod; but the head D*, in the sliding part B
is stationary. So between the fixed head and the moving head the clay or waterial
introduced into the mold through the opening and hopper at C, is pressed and brought
to shape. The line of separation between the two parts of the mold is seen at W, and
the fixed head D*, is set at such point inside the movable part B*, back of this
point W, that the quantity of material contained in the mold between the head D, and
the joint W, when the head .D), is thrown forward to full stroke forms the brick or
block, this portion being cut off from the mass of material confined in the mold by a
revolving cutter E, that enters from below and is made to pass with a single stroke
across to the mold through the line of separation at W, as the part B draws back. At
this point also beneath the mold is a vertically-moving table G, on which the cut-off
portion is left by the part Bx, as it is drawn away from the fixed part B, and as this
part. G, has suitable extent of movement through the space left between the two parts
of the mold when the part Bx is drawn back the cut off brick is elevated above the top
of the mold and is brought into position to be taken out of the machine. Water is
supplied through flexible pipes U*, V*, from a tank T, on the frame to lubricate the

page_text: sides of the mold and the heads D D so that the clay or material shall not adhero to
the surfaces. The crank shaft H, operates the movable head D, and has suitable length
of stroke to give the necessary pressure. Spur gears hi, connect the crank shaft with
a power shaft, I, that may be worked by hand power through the medium of hand-
cranks on the ends or by an engine or animal power through belts and pulleys., A
third shaft K, geared into the crank-shaft gives the required movements in time to
the movable mold the cutter and the table G, the various movements being produced
by an arrangement of broken gearing on the disk L, on the shaft K. the two
shafts M N, carrying pinions p px, and the small crank shaft P below. The disk L'
carries on one side mutilated spur gear m² m² m³, that engages and operates the
gear 2, in suitable manner to move the sliding part of the mold first to separate the
joint W sufficiently to let the cutter pass through and cut off the formed, block and
then to throw the mold entirely open for the table to rise and finally to bring the
part B back into place against the fixed part B. The first of these movements
is produced by the single tooth m', and the others in order by set of broken
gears m² m³.
The crank P is connected by rod p³ to cross rod R that joins together the lower
ends of two levers S, S, to the upper ends of which the movable part of the mold is
connected by bars t t. The two levers S S are pivoted at sx on the outside of the
frame as seen in Figures 1 and 3. In these two views the mold is drawn back and
table is about to rise with the cut off block. The movement of this table is given by
shaft N, that carries a pinion p* on one end to engage crown teeth n¹, on the side of
disk Land on the other end à cam U, that by rotation of the shaft raises and lowers
the table. Another set of crown teeth n², operates the shaft M by means of pinion p,
to work the cutter E. This device is fixed on the end of the shaft directly under the
line of separation of the two parts of the mold and makes one complete turn or
revolution to pass across the mold and then remain at rest in horizontal position below
the bottom of the mold ready for the next stroke. In this construction the shaft N is
carried through the shaft M in order to bring the cutter directly in the center but it
will be evident that other positions can be given as for instance at one side of the
mold either above or under the mold, but such positions will require different and
probably more complicated connections between the cutter and the principal operating
shaft and therefore I have selected and applied the arrangements of shafts and gears
above described in order to simplify as far as possible the operating mechanism. The
table G, sets directly on the cam and is guided in its movements by two upright
rods Y, fixed in the position on the top of the frame on opposite sides of the mold.
Figures 23 and 4 of the drawing show this arrangement of the parts and mechanisin
very clearly. By referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings it
will be noticed that the movable head is not positively connected to rod H*, of the
crank shaft; but there is a certain backward movement of the rod at the beginning of
the stroke, that is independent of the head, or that does not act on it, and the head is:
held in position forward by coil springs for a short space of time while the crank H,
is drawing back. This stop motion acts to keep the head forward against. the material
in the mold while the outer end-portion or block is being cut and separated at the
opening between the two parts B B*, and at the same time. the crank-shaft and
connected gearing are not interrupted in their motions.
The connecting rod is attached at * to cross-head J, that slides in slotted guides ',
and the head D is attached to the cross head by rods d² d² that play through holes in
the cross-head and between that part and the head D coil springs k, k, are placed on
the rods.
Fixed to the back of the head D, are notched bars ³ ³ also playing loosely through
the cross-head and on the stationary part of the frame are two pivoted pawls F F, set
to engage with the notches on the top face of the bars d³, the two pawls being
connected together by bar f, that extends across the guide frame of the travelling
cross-head and over rod II*, of the crank. The office of the notched bars and the
pawls is to lock the head D in position forward while the crank begins to draw back
:

page_text: the cross-head, and it will be seen that in the continuous rotation of the crank the
cross-head first compresses the springs and comes to a full bearing and pressure
against the head D in a gradual manner at such time. At the end of the forward
movement also, the pawls drop into the notches of bars d³ and lock head D at the
point of farthest movement; but as the crank continues to draw the rod H*, in the
backward movement the cross-bar fis struck and the pawls are thrown up clear of
the notched bars. This releases the head D and the coil springs are left free to react,
by which means the head and the cross-head are restored to position ready for the
next stroke.
In the construction which I have followed for the heads D D× two boards or plates
are set parallel and secured together by spacing-bolts to leave an open space between
them and the sides and top and bottom are left open also excepting in the moving
head D, where the top is closed in order to prevent the clay from dropping into the
head when moving under the hopper. Connection of the space in each head with
the water tank T, is made by the tubes U* V*, as before described, so that the heads
are kept supplied with water when in operation to lubricate the surfaces inside
the mold.
The fixed head D is held by the standard X that is bolted to the cross-bar a of the
frame bebind the movable part of the mold, and the rod which holds the head is screw-
threaded and passes through the upper end of the standard X where it is fixed by
nuts a y. This allows the head to be set either forward or backward a greater or
less distance with respect to the line of separation between the two parts of the mold
and thus to regulate and vary the thickness of the brick to be made.
At the
In the operation of the machine the clay previously prepared for the purpose is
supplied through the hopper when the movable head is drawn back and the opposite
head being properly set for the thickness of brick to be made the machine is set in
motion. The material is then forced into that part of the mold beyond the line of
separation W and becomes pressed to suitable density and at the same time brought
to shape by the movement forward of the head worked by the crank shaft.
end of this operation the mold is separated at the joint sufficiently to admit the cutter
and that portion of the pressed material lying between the fixed head, and the line of
separation is cut off. The movable part of the mold then draws back and the table
rises with the cut-off block on it. The finished blocks are taken from the elevating
table by an attendant as fast as presented and placed on trays or carriers ready for
the drying or burning processes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :
A machine for molding bricks, building-blocks and like articles, having a two-part
separable mold, of which one part is fixed and has a moving head and the other part
is movable and has a fixed head, as described, a cutting device adapted to work.
between the said two parts when separated to cut off that portion of material lying
between the line of separation and the said fixed head, a movable table or elevating.
device adapted to receive and raise the cut-off portion clear of the mold, and mechanism
substantially as described in combination therewith to operate the movable part of the
mold, the cutter and the table with respect to one another, as set forth.
2nd-In a brick-molding machine, the combination of the two-part mold having:
one part fixed with a movable head in it and an opening for the introduction of the
material, and the other part movable and separable from the said fixed part with a.
fixed head set thereiu, a cutting device placed for operation at the line of separation
of the said parts and adapted to work between them when separated, an elevating
table also placed for operation at the same point to pass between the said parts when,
separated, and mechanism whereby the said plunger, movable part of the mold,.
cutter, and elevating table are operated with respect to one another and in time, as
set forth.

page_text: 3rd In combination with the plunger, or movable head, the stop-device consisting
essentially, of the cross head having connection with the crank-shaft, the rods, springs,
notched bars, pawls and connecting rod applied for operation substantially as
described.
4th In combination with the fixed part B, and the movable head D, working
therein the movable part Bx, and the fixed head D*, which is adjustable therein,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 19th day of November 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.