AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, 'PERPENDERS,' AND OTHER MOULDED FORMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edgar Edmonds, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS,
'PERPENDERS,' AND OTHER MOULDED FORMS." A communication from abroad
by Alexandre Allemand and Jules Fleury, Mechanicians, both of 91, Rue de
Crimée. Paris. France.
Sealed the 13th May 1879, and dated the 16th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edgar Edmonds at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November 1878.
EDGAR EDMONDS, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of 166,
Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents. AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, PERPENDERS, AND OTHER MOULDED FORMS." (A
communication from abroad by Alexandre Allemand and Jules Fleury, Mechanicians,
both of 91, Rue de Crimée, Paris, France.)
The object of this Invention is an improved machine for the manufacture of bricks,
perpenders, and other moulded products.
It consists of a wheel having rectangular openings pierced around its periphery.
serving, as moulds for the materials, which fall from a hopper arranged above the
wheel at any desired spot in such a manner that the empty compartments or moulds
coming successively under the hopper are filled with the materials.
At a certain distance from the hopper the material in the moulds is compressed
by means of a rotating cone, whose trunnions support a certain pressure by means
of springs or other pressure. The bricks or forms thus compressed are afterwards
lifted out of the moulds by the raising of the movable bottoms of the moulds, which
raising takes place whilst the wheel continues to turn.
Therefore during one turn of the wheel the following operations successively take
place: The moulds are filled, the material is compressed in the moulds, and the
LD.
11

page_text: forms are lifted out of the moulds, these operations taking place successively on all
the moulds around the periphery of the wheel.
I will now describe the arrangement of this improved machine for manufacturing
bricks and other forms.
The cone presser is inclined or canted over from its single bearing, or it is sup-
ported at its two extremities so as to present a greater resistance and have greater
pressure according to the sizes of the products to be moulded.
The machine is composed of a frame on which a wheel turns or revolves on a
pivot. This wheel contains an indefinite number of brick moulds, and is surrounded
by a beveled crown put in motion by a pinion.
The compressing is made by means of a cylindrical compressor fixed to the arm
of the cast iron frame by a shaft or axle and a bearing or bushing, on which are
placed steel springs giving the required pressure.
The pressure is exercised on the bottom of the mould or piston, which reposes
when passing under the axis of the presser on an interior ledge at its two ends, and
on a wedge adhering to the piston, which causes it to slide, as also the wheel itself,
on three rollers, facilitating its rotation on its axis.
Independently of the wedge adhering under the piston are also two small rollers,
which at the moment of the passage of the presser remain suspended, so as not to
undergo the pressure; without this precaution the rollers would break, or at least if
they were strong enough would slide instead of revolving, thereby considerably
increasing the friction.
The brick having been pressed is leveled by means of a knife, which levels the
mould. The piston rollers roll on two small iron rails of inclined plane, which
gradually cause the pistons to rise until they arrive at the straight plane, where
the bricks are lifted out. The pistons also redescend by the same means in the
opposite way.
The material is introduced into a hopper, in the interior of which is a regulator
which only allows the quantity to pass which is indispensable to obtain, according
to the materials employed, the strictly necessary pressure.
This first precaution against getting out of order is completed by the arrangement
of the compressor cylinder, which is canted or false on its axis, obtaining its com-
pressing force from the movable bearing supported by the springs, which should
always correspond to the force required, action, and resistance.
The principal improvements of this system are, the circular movement defi-
nitely adopted in preference to the rectilinear movement, which is only employed
for the manufacture of forms of large size; the simplicity of the driving gear; the
regulator in the hopper; the interior ledge of the moulds, which maintains the piston,
as also the adherent wedge; and the new arrangement of the bearing supported by
the springs.
The rotation of the wheel on a pivot instead of on iron rails has the effect of
diminishing friction, which is again considerably reduced by the three rollers under
the axis of the presser, of which rollers the two placed outside facilitate the rota-
tion of the wheel at the time of pressure. The third roller, placed in the middle,
receives all the force of the wedge adhering to the piston.
For the manufacture of perpenders and the larger moulded forms, necessitating a
great pressure, amounting to, according to the surface to be compressed, sometimes
a hundred thousand kilogrammes and more, the same principle of wheel, hopper,
springs, and lifting from the moulds is employed, but instead of only one frame,
which in the machine described supports the inclined or canted presser sufficient for
the lesser pressures, the presser is mounted between two frames.
In this manner the axle supporting it rests at each end of the frames on two
bearings, also supported by springs producing the required pressure. The wheel
with fixed moulds may however be modified into a wheel with movable moulds.
For the manufacture of forms or blocks of large size (although retaining the
before described arrangements of the hopper, the springs, and the lifting from the
mould), the rectilinear plane with small detached waggons running on iron rails

page_text: may be employed in such a way as to enable these detached waggons loaded with
their forms or blocks to be conducted to the drying place by means of movable
rails.
In this manufacture there is introduced into the bottom of the moulds resting on
the piston a movable plate of sheet iron able to support the weight of the form or
block. At each end of this plate are two rings or ledges, in which are introduced
two iron rods longer than the plate, and by means of a small portable crane they
serve (when the lifting out has been effected) to lift and discharge the block without
damaging it, and afterwards remove it.
The operation of ramming by hand for the purpose of ensuring the material
reaching the angles or corners of the moulds may be dispensed with by arranging a
small automatic ram in the hopper, or by other means.
The hard materials for the manufacture of bricks, perpenders, blocks, and other
moulded bodies are worked up and triturated in a pug-mill with two outlets, each
of which has a horizontal shaft arranged in front of it, with small diggers or spades
attached, dividing the material, and causing the latter to fall on to an endless apron,
which conducts it into the hopper of the moulding apparatus.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edgar Edmonds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th May
1879
EDGAR EDMONDS, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of 166,
Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, PERPENDERS,' AND OTHER MOULDED FORMS." (A
communication from abroad by Alexandre Allemand and Jules Fleury, Mechanicians,
both of 91, Rue de Crimée, Paris, France.)
The object of this Invention is an improved machine for the manufacture of bricks,
perpenders, and other moulded products. It consists of a wheel having rectangular
openings pierced around its periphery serving as moulds for the materials, which fall
from a hopper arranged above the wheel at any desired spot in such a manner that
the empty compartments or moulds coming successively under the hopper are filled
with the materials.
.
At a certain distance from the hopper the material in the moulds is compressed
by means of a rotating cone, on whose trunnions a certain pressure is effected by
springs or other means. The bricks or forms thus compressed are afterwards lifted
out of the moulds by the raising of the movable bottoms of the moulds, which raising
takes place whilst the wheel continues to turn.
Therefore during one turn of the wheel the following operations successively take
place The moulds are filled, the material is compressed in the moulds, and the
forms are lifted out of the moulds, these operations taking place successively on all
the moulds around the periphery of the wheel.
I will now describe, with reference to the annexed Drawings, the arrangement of
this improved machine for manufacturing bricks and other forms.
The cone presser is inclined or canted over from its single bearing, or it is sup-
ported at its two extremities so as to present a greater resistance and have greater
pressure, according to the sizes of the products to be moulded.
Figures 1 and 2 show the machine for bricks and small forms in section and in
plan respectively.
The machine is composed of a frame A, on which a wheel B turns or revolves on a
pivot. This wheel contains an indefinite number of brick moulds, and is surrounded
by a beveled crown C, put in motion by a pinion D.
The compressing is effected by means of a cylindrical compressor E fixed to the
arm of the cast iron frame A by a shaft or axle and a bearing or bushing F, in which
are placed steel C-springs G, giving the required pressure.
The pressure is exercised on the bottom of the mould or piston H, which reposes
when passing under the action of the presser on an interior ledge n at its two ends,
and on a wedge c adhering to the piston, which causes it to.slide, as also the wheel
itself, on three rollers I, facilitating its rotation on its axis.
Independently of the wedge adhering under the piston are also two small rollers g,
which at the moment of the passage of the presser remain suspended, so as not to
undergo the pressure; without this precaution the rollers would break, or at least if
they were strong enough would slide instead of revolving, thereby considerably
increasing the friction.
The brick having been pressed is leveled by means of a knife, which levels the
mould. The piston rollers roll on two small iron rails J, forming an inclined plane,
which gradually causes the pistons to rise until they arrive at the straight plane,
where the bricks are lifted out. The pistons also redescend by the same means in
the opposite way.
The material is introduced into a hopper R, in the interior of which is a regulator
which only allows the quantity to pass which is indispensible to obtain, according
to the materials employed, the strictly necessary pressure. This first precaution

page_text: against getting out of order is completed by the arrangement of the compressor
cylinder E, which is canted or false on its axis, obtaining its compressing force from
the movable bearing F supported by the springs G, which should always correspond
to the force.required (action and resistance).
The principal improvements of this system are:-The circular movement defi-
nitely adopted in preference to the rectilinear movement, which is only employed
for the manufacture of forms of large size; the simplicity of the driving gear; the
regulator in the hopper; the interior ledge of the moulds, which maintains the piston,
as also the adherent wedge; and the new arrangement of the bearing supported by
the springs.
The rotation of the wheel on a pivot instead of on iron rails has the effect of
diminishing friction, which is again considerably reduced by the three rollers I
under the axis of the presser, of which rollers the two placed outside facilitate the
rotation of the wheel at the time of pressure. The third roller, placed in the middle,
receives all the force of the wedge adhering to the piston H.
For the manufacture of perpenders and the larger moulded forms, necessitating a
great pressure, amounting to, according to the surface to be compressed, sometimes
a hundred thousand kilogrammes and more, the same principle of wheel, hopper,
springs, and lifting from the moulds is employed, but instead of only one frame,
which in the machine described supports the inclined or canted presser sufficient for
the lesser pressures, the presser is mounted between two frames, as in Figure 3. In
this manner the axle supporting it rests at each end of the frames on two bearings,
also supported by springs producing the required pressure. The wheel with fixed
moulds may be modified into a wheel with movable moulds.
For the manufacture of forms or blocks of large size (although retaining the
before described arrangements of the hopper, the springs, and the lifting from the
mould), the rectilinear plane with small detached waggons running on iron rails
may be employed in such a way as to enable these detached waggons loaded with
their forms or blocks to be conducted to the drying place by means of movable
rails.
In this manufacture there is introduced into the bottom of the moulds resting on
the piston a movable plate of sheet iron able to support the weight of the form or
block. At each end of this plate are two rings or ledges, in which are introduced
two iron rods longer than the plate, and by means of a small portable crane they
serve (when the lifting out has been effected) to lift, discharge, and afterwards to
remove the block without damaging it.
The operation of ramming by hand for the purpose of ensuring the material
reaching the angles or corners of the moulds may be dispensed with by arranging a
small automatic ram in the hopper, or by other means.
The hard materials for the manufacture of bricks, perpenders, blocks, and other
moulded bodies are worked up and triturated in a pug-mill with two outlets, each
of which has a horizontal shaft arranged in front of it, with small diggers or spades
attached, dividing the material, and causing the latter to fall on to an endless apron,
which conducts it into the hopper of the moulding apparatus.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The improvements in the machines for the manufacture of bricks, per-
penders, and other moulded forms, consisting essentially of the continuous rotatory
movement of the mould-wheel, having fixed or movable moulds; the simplified
means of imparting motion; the wheel revolving on a pivot; the hopper with the
regulator; the arrangement of the moulds with an interior ledge supporting the
bottom of the mould when passing under the compressor; the wedge adhering to
the bottom of the mould; and the various other detail parts, all hereinbefore
described, and substantially as shown in the Drawings.
Secondly. The employment in the manufacture of bricks, perpenders, and other
moulded forms, of machines with a compressing roller having either spring or fixed

page_text: bearings, the said roller being canted, or on a bent axis, or on an inclined axis sup-
ported in two bearings, as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edgar Edmonds, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine.
EDGAR EDMONDS. (L.S.)