Improvements in Brick Pressing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick Pressing Machines.
I, THOMAS CONSTANTINE FAWCETT, of the Whitehouse Engineering Works,
Hunslet Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to machines for pressing bricks, the primary object of my
invention being to convert a hand pressing machine into one to be worked by steam
power or by pulley and strap. My improvements also consist in new means for
starting and stopping the press.
In carrying out my invention I employ any ordinary form of moulding box with
bottom and top pressers, the latter being operated by toggle jointed levers receiving
their motion from crank shaft.
On each end of the crank shaft I fix a pulley or fly wheel caused to revolve by
means of friction discs, such discs being mounted upon separate shafts connected
together by spur wheels, in such a way as to cause the discs to revolve in opposite
directions, such shafts being driven by pulley and strap from the main gearing.
The friction discs are mounted in a bracket made secure by a central pin upon
which the bracket is capable of having a slight rocking motion for the purpose of
permitting the discs to be placed alternately into contact with the fly wheels for
driving them. When commencing to press a brick the workman operates a lever
and rod which puts one disc into gear with its fly wheel bringing the plunger or
presser down upon the brick, a weight on the said lever then draws the said disc
down from contact with its fly wheel and simultaneously with such movement the
other disc is placed into contact with its fly wheel whereby the rotary motion of
the crank shaft is reversed lifting the plunger or presser from the brick, immediately
after which a cam surface on the latter fly wheel removes the reversing disc from
its fly wheel and keeps the two driving discs clear of both fly wheels whereby the
machine is temporary idle or stationary to permit the workman to remove the
newly pressed brick and to replace it by an unpressed one.
A suitable form of brake is employed to ensure the quick stopping of the
machine.
Dated this 31st day of August 1894.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
Improvements in Brick Pressing Machines.
I, THOMAS CONSTANTINE FAWCETT, of the Whitehouse Engineering Works,
Hunslet Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker, 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:-
This invention refers to machines for pressing bricks, the primary object of my

page_text: invention being to convert a hand pressing machine into one to be worked by steam
power or by pulley and strap. My improvements also consist in new means for
starting and stopping the press.
In carrying out my invention I employ any ordinary form of moulding box
with bottom and top pressers, the latter being operated by toggle jointed levers
receiving their motion from crank shaft. On each end of the crank shaft I fix a
pulley or fly wheel caused to revolve by means of friction discs, such discs being
mounted upon separate shafts connected together by spur wheels, in such a way
as to cause the discs to revolve in opposite directions, such shafts being driven by
pulley and strap from the main gearing. The friction discs are mounted in a
bracket made secure by a central pin upon which the bracket is capable of having
a slight rocking motion for the purpose of permitting the discs to be placed
alternately into contact with the fly wheels for driving them.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved mechanism, wherein Fig. 1
is front elevation, Fig. 2 part sectional plan through line a, b, of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3
is a side elevation of a brick pressing machine.
A is the framework of the machine, B the moulding box, C the top pressing
plate raised up and down by toggle jointed levers D operated by crank from the
shaft E.
Upon each end of the crank shaft I fix an internally flanged pulley F, G, which
I cause to be driven by friction discs H, I, mounted upon two separate shafts J, K,
geared together by spur wheels L driven by strap from pulley M. The two
shafts J, K, are mounted in a double armed bracket or pedestal N held to the
framework by a stud or pin O upon which pin however the pedestal is free to have
a slight oscillatory or rocking movement in two directions. When commencing to
press a brick the workman operates the lever P having a fulcrum Q. This lever P
is connected by an adjustable rod R to the bracket N. When this lever is moved
downwards so as to place the stud c under a catch d connected to the spring
arm e the driving disc I is forced upwards into contact with the flanged pulley G
whereby the crank shaft will be driven in such a way as to bring the upper pressing
plate C down upon the brick, but immediately this is done a cam S on the driving
wheel G will have arrived at the spring e forcing it in the direction of the
arrow marked on the drawing, the effect of this will be to remove the catch d away
from the stud c, consequently the said lever P is released and it is at once moved
in the opposite direction by weight T drawing the driving disc I from contact with
its wheel G and simultaneously with this operation the pedestal N rocks upon the
pin O causing the opposite driving disc H to be placed into gear with its wheel F
whereby the crank shaft is operated in the reverse direction for the purpose of
lifting the plunger or top pressing plate from the brick, immediately after which
the cam surface U on wheel F comes into contact with a finger or plate V on the
pedestal N and removes the reversing disc H from its fly wheel and thus keeps the
two driving discs clear of both fly wheels in a state of equilibrium, whereby
the machine is temporarily idle or stationary to permit the workman to remove the
newly pressed brick and to replace it by an unpressed one.
It will therefore be seen that the crank shaft is rotated to operate the pressing
plate up and down by means of the two fly wheels F and G and these are driven
in opposite directions by the friction discs H and I as already described.
By this means the machine attains all the advantages and characteristic features
of a hand pressing machine and yet it is operated by steam power.
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 :-
Firstly. In a brick pressing machine the use of flanged pulleys F and G
driven by reversible friction discs H and I operating substantially as shewn and
described.

page_text: Secondly. In a brick pressing machine the use of flanged pulleys F and G
driven by reversible friction discs H and I in combination with the rocking
bracket N all as shewn and described.
Thirdly. In a brick pressing machine the employment of mechanism substan-
tially as herein shewn and described for setting on and for reversing the machine,
and also for placing the machine in a neutral or equilibrium position.
Dated this 28th day of May 1895.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Patent Agents.