Improvements in Brick Presses.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick Presses.
LEWIS BENSON KENNEDY, of Victoria House, West-Gate, Peterborough, in the
County of Northampton, England, Engineer, 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 the brick press described in the
Specification of my Letters Patent No. 1257 of 1895 and has for its object to
subject the clay to two different but successive pressures in the same moulds,
it having been found necessary to raise the rams from the clay after the first
compression for the purpose of allowing the gases contained therein to escape
and to subsequently lower the said rams and repress the clay in order to form
the brick ready for transport to the kiln; these two compressions taking place
at one revolution of the crank wheel. Another improvement is made in the
construction of the charger with a view to more uniformly feed the moulds with
clay than hitherto and to avoid the dropping of dirt on the various parts of the
machine.
A third improvement consists in the use of a dash pot connected to the lower
rams for the purpose of taking up the shock hitherto occurring when the lower
rams were released and dropped upon the pressure blocks.
Lastly the various parts of the brick press exhibit an improved form and are
more accurately adjusted than heretofore so that the press not being subjected
to so many vibrations and shocks works accordingly more smoothly and gives
better results. In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side and Fig. 2 a
front elevation of my improved brick press.
Figs. 1" and 1b, are respectively a plan and a vertical central cross section of
my improved charger, while Figs. 2, 2, 20, and 2d are four diagrams illustrating
the relative positions of the crank wheel, the pitman, the upper toggle arm, the
upper toggles and the upper and lower rams at starting, during the first com-
pression when raising the rams to allow the escape of gases, and during the
second compression, that is to say showing the two different ways of breaking
the toggles in order to obtain two compressions at one revolution of the crank
wheel.
My improved brick press consists of an upright frame I carried by a bed plate B
and comprising two sides or uprights connected together by the mould table T bolted
thereto and bolted at the bottom to the said bed plate B. Between planed.
guides y formed or fixed along the inner faces of these uprights can slide in
superposed order the lower pressure block V, the lower rams m' and the upper
rams m, while the lower toggles D', the upper toggles 1), and the toggle arm A
complete the number of superposed parts arranged between the two sides of the
frame F, the toggles D¹ being jointed to the upper end of the rams m by the
axis a and by the axis a to the upper toggles D forming part of the toggle arm A
pivoted on the shafts carried by the frame F at the top. To the toggle arm A
are pivoted at the top the two connecting rods I the lower ends of which are.
pivoted on the trunnions of the pressure block V, the outer end of the toggle
arm A slides in the pitman R at its upper end, its lower end being pivoted to

page_text: the crank pin of the large toothed wheel W mounted on the shaft K carried by
the two standards S the lower ends of which are bolted to the bed plate while
their upper ends are bolted to a part of the frame F. This shaft K carries more-
over a cam actuating by means of the roller d the upright lever C³ oscillating
ate and pivoted to the tail end of the charger C3 capable of sliding to and fro
on the mould table T between the guides g fixed to the inside of the frame F.
This charger is shown in Figs. 1", and 1º, and has the shape of a spherical
segment divided in two by a partition f which moreover may be dispensed
with if found preferable. The charger is shown in position on the clay c in
the moulds of the table T. The crank wheel shaft K carries moreover the arm L¹
as shown in Fig. 1. Behind the machine and above the charger is arranged the
hopper H bolted to the frame F. and supplied with clay wherewith to fill the
charger C from the shoot O overhead.
L is a lever pivoted at and one end of which is curved and passes under the
pin fixed to the lower rim m¹ while its other end is depressed after each com-
pression by the said arm L¹ in order to raise the lower rams through the moulds
and bring the compressed bricks onto the mould table whence the charger pushes
them towards the front end of the mould table away from the moulds in order
to feed anew the latter with clay.
Motion is transmitted by the pulley P to the shaft 2 carrying the pinion w
gearing with the toothed wheel W mounted on the shaft g. On the latter is
mounted a pinion w gearing with the crank wheel W.
With reference to the diagrams shown in the drawings, Fig. 2 shows the
relative positions of the crank wheel, pitman, toggle arm, and toggles as well
as of the upper and lower rams at starting that is to say the toggles breaking
inwardly; Fig. 2b shows the same parts when the first compression takes place;
Fig. 2 illustrates the subsequent release when the rams are merely moved up
a short distance off the clay in the moulds, the toggles breaking outwardly;
Fig. 2 shows the subsequent and second compression or repress, the whole cycle
of operations i.e., releases and compresses taking place at one single revolution
of the crank wheel W. After the charger has pushed the bricks towards the
front of the mould table the front arm of the lever L released by its arm L¹
drops down and is followed by the fall of the lower ram such fall being attenuated
by the dash pot Y. The travel is regulated by a screw or worm t carried by two
brackets r on the lower rams and provided at each end with a handle k whereby
it may be turned and which gears with a horizontal toothed wheel behind secured
by its screw threaded axis to a part ¹ fixed to the lower rams, so that the fall of
the latter can be readily adjusted. o is the piston and va guide.
The rams m, m³ are hollow and are provided with perforated nipples n to which
are connected branches from a steam pipe leading to the boiler in order to convey
steam into these rams and keep them hot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A new or improved brick press consisting of a bed plate, an upright frame,
upper and lower rams working in moulds formed in a mould table bolted to the
frame by means of upper toggles, of an upper toggle arm pivoted to a pitman
actuated by a crank gear wheel driven by suitable gearing and a lower pressure
block operated by a vertical connecting rod connected to the top of the said toggle
arm, the whole being so constructed and arranged that at one revolution of the
crank wheel the clay is subjected to two successive compressions in the moulds
substantially as herein described and shown and for the purpose set forth.
2. In brick presses of the kind above claimed, the peculiar construction of the
charger feeding the clay into the moulds; and pushing the compressed bricks
forward under the action of a cam mounted upon the crank wheel shaft, sub-
stantially as herein described and shown.

page_text: 3. In brick presses of the kind above claimed the adaptation to the ram block
lifted for the purpose of raising the bricks on to the top of the mould table by
a lever actuated by an arm mounted on the crank wheel shaft, of a dash pot
and suitable adjusting means to take up the shock occasioned by the fall of such
ram block when released by the said lever substantially as herein described and
shown.
4. The improved brick press arranged, constructed and operating substantially
as herein described and shown and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 92nd day of Tonnary 189g
DE KATOW & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.