CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR MANUFACTURING BRICKS AND TILES FROM CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1849

page_text: WHALEY AND LIGHTOLLER'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WHALEY, of Chorley, in the County of Lancaster, Coal Proprietor, and
RICHARD ASHTON LIGHTOLLER, of the same place, Cotton Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of May, in the twelfth year of Her reign, and in
the year of our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Thomas Whaley and Richard Ashton Lightoller, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Thomas Whaley and
Richard Ashton Lightoller, our exors, adiñiors, and assigns, and such others as we,
the said Thomas Whaley and Richard Ashton Lightoller, our exors, adñiors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, and also within all Her Majesty's Colonics and Plantations
abroad, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
POR MANUFACTURING BRICKS AND TILES FROM CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the said Thomas
Whaley and Richard Ashton Lightoller, or one of us, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chan-
cery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Ashton Lightoller, do hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the
following explanation thereof (that is to say):-
Our improvements in machinery or apparatus for manufacturing bricks
and tiles from clay or other plastic materials apply to the manufacture of
all kinds of bricks, tiles, quarries, pipes, and other similar articles, and consist
principally in combining the "pug" mill, pressing cylinder, screens, and die
plate in one machine, thereby effecting a great economy in time and labor,
and also in the cost of the machinery itself.
In order that the practical application of our improvements may be more fully
explained and readily understood, we have attached to these Presents two Sheets of
Drawings, representing, by way of illustration, our improved machinery as applied
to the manufacture of bricks. The Drawings are made to a scale of about one
inch and a half to a foot, and are marked with figures and letters of reference cor-
responding with those in the following explanation thereof. In Sheet 1 of the
Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved machinery for manufac-
turing bricks; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with the "pugging"
cylinder removed; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation, shewing more distinctly the
die plate, and the method of working the screens. In Sheet 2 of the Drawings,
Fig. 1 is a section of our improved apparatus complete, shewing also the
carriages for removing the bricks, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the said
carriages. a, a, is the cylinder of the pug mill, and b, b, (see Sheet 2,) are the
knives, which are constructed and wrought in the ordinary manner. c, c, is an
opening in the bottom of the pug mill, through which the clay falls into the
pressing cylinder d, d. The pressing cylinder d, d, is furnished with a piston e, e,
which is suitably packed by means of segments f, f, acted upon by set screws g, g.
A sliding door h, h, is attached to the piston e, e, for the purpose of opening and
closing the aperture c, c, as occasion may require. The sliding door h, h, is
kept clean by means of a scraper 1, which is pressed against it by the weighted
levers 2, 2, one at each side of the machine. i, i, is a toothed rack attached to
the piston e, e, and wrought by means of a spur pinion k, k. This pinion k is
keyed upon the shaft l, l, to which alternate rotary motion is communicated by
means of a mangle wheel, or other similar suitable contrivance. m, m, is a
double screen, the bars of which are placed vertically, & which has a division
in the centre the same depth as the outside frame. This screen m is fixed in a

page_text: sliding frame, and capable of being slidden backwards and forwards by means of
the screw n, n, working in a bush o, o, being wrought by means of the winch
handle p, p. q, q, is a fixed screen, the bars of which are placed horizontally.
We would here remark, that this second screen q, q, is only required for very
fine work, and that when it is not employed a blank frame must be inserted in
its stead. r, r, is an inclinded trough or mouth piece, and s, s, is the die plate.
t, t, are two parallel rails, which, if preferred, may be slightly inclined from the
mouth piece, and upon which the flanched wheels u, u, of the carriages u, v,
run. The carriages v, v, are connected by links w, w, and are each furnished
with a loose board x, x, upon which the bricks are removed. The operation of
the machine is as follows:-Supposing the piston e, e, to be in its furthest posi-
tion from the screens, and the apertures c, c, consequently open, the action of
the knives b, b, will force the clay from the pugging cylinder a, a, through the
opening c, c, into the pressing cylinder d, d. As the piston e, e, advances, the
sliding door h, h, attached thereto, gradually closes the opening c, c. As soon
as the aperture c, c, is closed, the pressure of the piston e, e, will force the clay
through the screens m, m, and q, q, through the openings y, y, in the die plates, s,
in three parallel bars, the depth and thickness of the intended brick. These bars
of clay will be deposited upon the carriages v, v, and as they advance the car-
riages will advance with them, the carriages keeping at the same relative distance
to each other as shewn in the Drawing, that is, as near as the collars upon the
links w, w, will allow, the carriages being all held together by means of the rod
2,2, being attached to the last and first carriages. As soon as the piston has com-
pleted its stroke, it commences to recede; the bars of clay may then be severed
between each carriage by wires, and each carriage will then contain three or more
bricks of the length, breadth, and depth required. The rods z,, must then be
pushed in the direction of the arrow, which will have the effect of separating each
carriage as far as the cotters of the links w, w, will allow, when the loose boards
or slates a, a, containing the bricks, may be removed therefrom, and placed in
racks to dry. Fresh boards being placed upon the carriages, they must be
pushed back into their original position, ready for the next discharge of bricks.
As the clay passes through the screens m, m, and q, q, any stones or lumps, &c.
which may have entered the pressing cylinder will be deposited at the back of
the screens; and as soon as the piston has completed one or two strokes,
according to the nature of the clay and the quality of the work, the winch
handle p, p, must be turned, thus sliding the double screen m, m, into the
reverse position, bringing that half of the screen outside the cylinder which
was before exposed to the action of the clay, and substituting the other part of
the said screen in its stead. The screen m, m, being recessed upon both sides,

page_text: will clean the surface of the screen 9, q, and bring with it a stratum of clay
upon each side, containing the stones, lumps, or other extraneous matter which
may have been there deposited. This half of the screen being cleared by hand,
is then ready to be slidden back into its original position, when it is thought
requisite to clean the other half of the screen. Of course it will be evident
that, if preferred, the screen may be very readily moved by self-acting means,
instead of by hand. We would here remark, that when it is desired to make
tiles, pipes, or other similar articles by this machine, it is only necessary to
remove the die plate s, s, and to substitute one of suitable form in its stead.
Having thus described the nature and object of our said improvements,
together with the method of carrying the same into practical effect, we would
remark, in conclusion, that we claim as our Invention :-
First, the combination of the pug mill and pressing cylinder, or of the pug
mill, pressing cylinder, screens, and die plate, in one machine:
Secondly, we claim the construction and application of the double sliding
screen m, m, together with the method of cleaning the same without removing
it from the machine:
Thirdly, we claim the application and use of the second screen q, q, having
the bars placed at right angles to the former one:
And, fourthly, we claim the general construction and arrangement of the
carriages for removing the bricks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Ashton Lightoller, have hereunto
set ur hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, One thousand eight