Apparatus for Manufacturing Bricks from Plastic Clay.
Year: 1885

page_text: Apparatus for Manufacturing Bricks from Plastic Clay.
I, HENRY ROBERT VAUGHAN of 88 New Chester Road New Ferry in the County
of Chester Brick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUTHPIECES AND DIES FOR MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR
MANUFACTURING BRICKS FROM PLASTIC CLAY to be as follows:
In machines in which bricks are made from plastic clay after the clay has
passed through the pug-mill or other similar apparatus, it, is customary to pass
the clay out through a die with mouthpiece tapering or contracting for a short.
distance, say three quarter's of an inch for the purpose of compressing the. clay.
The clay before reaching the mouthpiece passes through a die or chamber with:
perforated top and ends through which water is admitted to moisten the clay.
In some instances a jet of steam is also allowed to play upon the clay. The effect
of the short contracted mouthpiece on the clay whilst compressing it in its passage
is to tear or roughen the surface.
The object of my invention is to provide a mouth piece and die which will
compress the clay more uniformly and leave it with a smoother surface.
It consists in making the mouth piece" sufficiently long to allow of a more
gradual taper or contraction, providing the same with a steam jacket or heating
chamber and placing the supply of water for moistening the clay at the opposite'
side or corners of the die.
In carrying out the invention I make the mouthpiece and die in two parts bolted
or otherwise joined together the die of that part which the clay first enters with
tapered sides and ends and the mouthpiece contracted towards its orifice. Round
the mouthpiece is placed a steam jacket or heating chamber for the purpose of
heating the surface of the inside lining of the mouthpiece as I find that the soft
plastic clay passes with less resistance over a heated surface than over a cold "one"
giving a finer surface or finish to the clay. The steam chamber has a phospho
bronze lining cast in one piece and thrust into the inside of the chamber, thus
preventing the corners from being rough' and worn away as is the case where the
lining is composed of plates fitted and soldered together! The mouthpiece is say!

page_text: six to twelve inches in length which allows of a more gradual and equal com-
pression of the clay than when of but three quarters of an inch in length. The die
has openings at the sides or corners in connection with a water supply and through
these water is brought to the clay and evenly distributed over it as it passes
through for the purpose of lubricating it.
Improvements in Mouthpieces and Dies for Machines or
Apparatus for Manufacturing Bricks from Plastic Clay.
I, HENRY ROBERT VAUGHAN of 88 New Chester Road, New Ferry, in the County
of Chester, Brick Manufacturer, 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:-
In machines in which bricks are made from plastic clay after the clay has
passed through the pug mill, or other similar apparatus, it is customary to pass
the clay out through a die with mouthpiece tapering or contracting for a short
distance, say three quarters of an inch for the purpose of compressing the clay.
The clay before reaching the mouthpiece passes through a die or chamber made of
metal, wood or other material. The clay is moistened by water either before or
during its passage through the die for the purpose of lubricating it. This has been
done by perforating the top of the die or by lining it with moleskin which is kept
moistened with water, and through which water is brought to the surface of the
clay, other dies have moleskin only at the ends to moisten the clay. In. some
instances a jet of steam is also allowed to play upon the clay. The effect of the
short contracted mouthpiece on the clay whilst compressing it in its passage, is to
tear or roughen the surface.
The object of my invention is to provide a mouthpiece and die which will
compress the clay more uniformly, and leave it with a smoother surface, and at the
same time obviate the use of moleskin and the consequent cost of it and of labour
for fixing and renewing it.
It consists in making the mouth piece sufficiently long to allow of a more
gradual taper or contraction, providing the same with a steam jacket or heating

page_text: Figure 5 Section on line x-x.
Figure 6 Section on line y--y.
ز:
In these A is the die through which the clay first passes in its passage from the
machine, or pug mill in which it has been prepared and compressed. The die A.
is securely fixed to the machine over the opening through which the clay passes
by means of a number of screws a, though bolts or their mechanical equivalents
may be employed for the purpose. The die A is constructed with tapering sides
and ends, the opening next the machine being greater than that next to the
mouth-piece. The die is preferably formed of two castings, an internal one B, and
an external one C with a passage or recess b between them through which a
lubricant, such as water, steam or oil may pass. care holes leading from the
passage b into the interior of the die.. These holes preferably open into the
corners of the die and through them the lubricant is evenly distributed over
the clay as it passes. D is an inlet to the chamber or recess b. The internal
contour of the die is a true rectangle, but is of the shape shown in Figure 3.
I have found that the greatest friction on the clay in its passage through the die is
at the ends, and corners, and that the centre of the clay is liable to be forced
through more quickly than the ends and corners. I therefore form the sides of
the die of the shape shown, so as to compress the centre of the clay more in its
passage, thereby causing greater friction at the centre and a more uniform flow of
the clay. For the same reason, I prefer to lubricate the clay at the corners rather
than at the sides as it is at the corners it is most likely to stick. The rounded
corners of the die also allow of the more easy passage of the clay while at the
same time the clay is more evenly compressed throughout its entire bulk. E is
the mouthpiece made separately from the die A. and bolted or attached thereto,
preferably by screws e, el passing through or into the flange d of the die. This
mouthpiece is an elongated chamber of sufficient length, say 6 to 12 inches to
allow of very gradual taper or contraction in its length, and consequent thereon a
gradual compression of the clay as it passes through it, so that no tearing or
roughening of the surface may occur, but a perfectly smooth and even skin be
produced. Round the mouthpiece is fitted a steam jacket F with inlet G and
outlet H. Steam is passed through this jacket for the purpose of heating the
mouthpiece, as I find that the soft and plastic clay passes more. easily and with
less friction over a heated surface which gives it a more even surface and forms
upon it a better skin. The mouthpiece is provided with a lining I, preferably of
gun metal, phosphor-bronze, or other similar material cast in one piece. The
internal contour of this lining in cross section at any point should be a true
rectangle, and at the orifice is of the size necessary to produce the brick required,
which should also be perfectly rectangular. Although the contour of the die as
shown does not correspond exactly with that of the mouthpiece the clay assumes a
rectangular shape before leaving the latter as the filling in or rounding of the
corners and sides of the die does not reduce the die in any dimension less than the
corresponding dimension of the mouthpiece. The clay entering the mouth piece
of a somewhat irregular shape during its passage through the latter, is gradually
compressed, until it issues in the required form. It will be understood that the
invention is not limited to apparatus for producing rectangular bricks, as the
contour of the die and mouthpiece may be altered to correspond with the form of
brick required.
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page_text: •
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Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim broadly, the lubricating of the clay with water to
enable it to pass smoothly through the die, nor the use of a contracted or tapering
mouthpiece, but I declare that what I claim is:-
1st. A mouthpiece for machines for manufacturing bricks from plastic clay,
consisting of a chamber slightly tapering from end to end; and of such length that
the clay will in its passage through it be gradually and uniformly compressed
without roughening the surface, substantially as described.
2nd. A mouthpiece for machines for manufacturing bricks from plastic clay having
an internal lining of gun-metal, bronze or other suitable metal, cast (or otherwise
formed) in one piece without joints at the corners, substantially as described and
shown.
3rd. A mouthpiece for brickmaking machines, consisting of an elongated tapering
chamber fitted with a steam jacket, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. A die for brickmaking machines having à chamber or reservoir for lubricant,
and holes or passages communicating therefrom with the interior preferably placed
in the corners or ends, substantially as and for the purposes described.