Improvements in and relating to Brick and Tile Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Brick and Tile Machines.
I, LEWIS BENSON KENNEDY of 55 Montague Mansions, London, W.C. 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of brick making
machines whereby bricks of smoother surfaces and having sharper edges than
heretofore can be produced more expeditiously than with the machines hitherto
constructed.
My improved machine is automatic, self feeding and discharging and the bricks
manufactured thereby are superior in every respect to those hitherto manufactured
and as they are taken direct to the kiln from the press, expensive additional
handling is thus avoided.
These bricks are further capable of withstanding a greater crushing weight than
those made by the old process and are much more rapidly laid in the wall from the
fact of being of uniform size and thickness so that the mason does not lose time in
reversing the bricks in order to discover which is the thick and which is the thin
side of the same as is usual with bricks made by the ordinary wet process.
4
My improved machine will mould any clay having brick making qualities as well
as the refuse of slate quarries and it can be regulated so as to increase or decrease
the pressure and the quantity of clay used.
My improved machine consists chiefly of a framework of iron, or other metal of
four plungers sliding vertically in the frame of a series of mould boxes, of two
pairs of bell crank levers, actuating each a set of toggles connected to the said
plungers and forming an important feature of my invention, the whole of the
mechanism being arranged in such a manner that the entire strain of pressure is
supported by two heavy wrought iron bars, entirely independent of the framework;
this pressure is applied by the four levers of the first order or bell crank levers
above mentioned. The moulds arranged upon a mould table which is a fixture and
are made of polished case hardened steel in order to give the brick a superior
finish which is the chief aim of my invention. The four bell crank levers are
operated by a main set of toggle levers the knuckle joint of which is connected
to the end of a pitman actuated by two cams fixed to the driving shaft of the
machine; the bricks are pushed forward from the mould or charged on to the
mould table by means of a sliding pusher operated by two cams mounted on
the said driving shaft, these bricks being first raised by two lifting levers
actuated by cams formed with or connected to the driving wheels of the machine.
To increase or decrease the pressure on the bricks two sliding blocks are
provided and move upon brackets fixed to or cast with the frame; these blocks
bear against the underside of the two lifting levers aforesaid for the purpose of
raising the lower plungers.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the machine showing the position of
the parts when the bell crank and toggle levers are in a depressed and broken
position and the plungers are out of contact with the clay.
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1. showing the position of the parts when the
plungers are exerting their fullest pressure on the clay in the moulds.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine and Fig. 4 is a rear view of
the same.
Figs. 5.and 6 show a modification of the machine.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: A is the frame of the machine made of cast iron or other suitable material
and B is the bedplate. In front of this frame is mounted the mould table C in
which are formed four recesses containing the mould boxes D made of case-
hardened steel. E is the upper pair of bell crank levers pivoted at e to the
upper part of the frame. A and F are the lower part of the bell crank levers
pivoted at f to the lower part of the frame, these levers E and F being
connected by rods G. The toggle levers J are connected to the upper and
lower cross heads H and I, the cross head H forming part of the upper plunger h.
These cross heads slide within guides arranged on each side of the frame so as
to move in a true vertical direction and to keep in a line with the mould boxes.
The lower plunger i likewise slides in vertical guides. The outer ends of the
bell crank levers E are connected by rods K to the blocks k sliding in vertical
guides a formed in each side of the frame and jointed to the ends of two arms
or levers L constituting the main or operating toggle, the knuckle or joint / of
which is connected to the end of a slotted pitman M. The latter slides on the
main shaft N and is provided at its other end with rollers o 0. P. Pare two
cams fixed to the shaft N and operating the pitman M; the cam P' bears at
its inner surface upon one of the rollers o whereas the other roller o bears upon
the outer surface of the cam P. Q. Q are the driving wheels gearing with the
pinions driven in any suitable manner by the driving pulley of an engine. R is
the pusher sliding on the table C. and connected by a rod r to the bell crank
levers S which are operated by a. cam T mounted on the shaft N. U, U, are
the lifting levers pivoted at u to each side of the frame and provided with forked
ends engaging with pins or projections c fixed to the lower plungers i.
d represent sliding blocks (one only is shown on the drawings) moving on
brackets g and operated by means of a screw carrying a hand wheel m.
the heavy wrought iron rods for taking up the strain from the toggles U.
W is the cam path formed with or fixed to each of the wheels Q and on which
runs the roller w carried on the ends of the levers U. U. My improved machine
operates as follows:
V are
The moulds D having been filled with clay in a practically dry state and the
machine being in the position shown in Fig. 1, motion is imparted to the driving
wheels in the direction of the arrow and the plungers hi are moved towards
one another by means of the toggle levers J operated in the manner hereinafter
set forth. The cams P. P¹ are similar in conformation and in their positions on
the shaft N, the surfaces of the cam P diverging or radiating from a point near
the shaft to a point p where the cam surface terminates, whilst the surface t of the
cam P which commences near the point where the cam surface terminates,
converges towards the shaft and ends at the point x, spaces being left between
the beginning and the end of one cam surface and the beginning and the end
of the other cam surface to allow two periods of rest to the pitman at each
revolution of the shaft N. As the cam P revolves in the direction of the arrow,
the point of the surfaces which is nearest to the shaft impinges against the
roller o thus pushing the pitman M back into the position shown in Fig. 2 until
the point p is reached, whereby the toggle levers L are brought into a straight
line and the outer end of the bell crank levers E. F. are raised so as to straighten
the toggles J. J. and force the plungers h and i towards each other, thus
compressing the clay in the moulds. The clay being compressed the plungers hi
are withdrawn from the moulds by the reverse or forward movement of the
pitman; this is accomplished by means of the cam P, the point from the shaft
of the surface of which impinges against the roller o until the point is reached
when the parts return in the position shewn in Fig. 1. Immediately after the top
plungers have been raised the cam paths to on the wheels Q impinge against
the roller won the ends of the levers U and depress these ends so as to raise the
other or forked ends 6 and with them the lower plungers i thus raising the bricks
out of the moulds level with the table C. Meanwhile the_cams T. T. operate
the crank levers so as to force forward the sliding pusher R which propels the

page_text: bricks on to the table C from underneath the plungers h, these bricks are
afterwards removed to any convenient storage place. The cams T and W bring
back the pusher R and allow the forward ends of the levers U and with them
the lower plungers i to drop, thus bringing the parts into position ready for
forming a fresh set of bricks.
In the modification shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 instead of the toggle lever L of the
main toggle being pivoted to the bed plate of the machine it is connected directly
to the outer ends of the bell crank levers F, the other toggle levers L being
likewise connected to the outer ends of the bell crank levers E while the pitman
which is connected to the knuckle or joint as in the machine above described
slides horizontally across the shaft, its forward end being supported by blocks k
sliding in horizontal recesses or guides a formed in each side of the frame. The
top plungers are operated by toggles J. in a similar manner as in the machine
above described but the lower plungers i are operated by toggles J. which break
forward instead of backward as before. The other parts of the machine are
similar to those of the first machine with the exception that the cams P. P' are of
larger size to increase the stroke of the pitman. Figs. 5 and 6 are views
corresponding to those of Figures 1 and 2.
Although I have described my improvements as applicable to the production of
bricks it will be readily understood that by employing moulds of the required
size and shape, my improved machine may also be adapted to the production
of tiles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The improved brick making machine such as herein described and shown and
for the purpose set forth.
2. In a brick making machine such as above claimed the toggle levers J
connected to and operating the compressing plungers hi in combination with the
bell crank levers E. F connected to the main toggle L operated from the driving
shaft of the machine substantially as described and shown and for the purpose
set forth.
3. The modified construction of brick making machine arranged and operating
substantially as herein described and shewn and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 28th day of November 1891.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, W.C., Agent for Applicant.