IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY for Moulding AND PRESSING BRICKS AND TILES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY for Moulding AND PRESSING BRICKS AND TILES." A commu-
nication from abroad by Jean Larmanjat, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 28th May 1878, and dated the 11th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th December 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING AND
PRESSING BRICKS AND TILES." [A communication from abroad by Jean Larmanjat,
of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for moulding and com-
pressing bricks, paving tiles, and other similar articles. Bricks as made in the
ordinary moulds are generally inore or less defective in shape and of unequal
density throughout in consequence of the material being insufficiently pressed into
the angles of the mould so that the edges of the brick do not come out square and
sharp, and subjected to greater pressure at the middle than near the sides owing to
the presence of the core at the bottom of the mould, by which the hollow or sunk
panel is made in the brick. From these causes common bricks are very liable to
crack and break off at the edges and corners.
The object of the present Invention is to produce bricks or tiles of perfect form
and of uniform density, or even of greater density at the sides than at the centro.
I am enabled to attain these results with the machinery of this Invention herein-after
described, and make bricks and tiles from dry or but slightly inoist materials with
recesses on both top and bottoin faces or opposite sides, whereby the bricks will be
more firmly keyed together by the mortar, and the strength of the structure will be
inuch greater.
The Invention consists chiefly in a mould frame supported on springs so as to
yield under the action of the press, and combined with a movable core or
kick" to

page_text: forin the hollow panel of the brick, also supported on springs, so as to yield un ier
the compression of the material in the mould, and independently of the mould
itself, as hereafter described. It also consists in the means of removing the moulded
brick from the mould.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows, by way of example, a sectional
elevation of the improved pressing and moulding machinery, Figure 2 is a plan of
the mould; and Figure 3, a plan of a brick
The letters of reference apply to the several Figures.
a, cylinder of hydraulic press, and b its ram; c, revolving table mounted on
rain b, and carrying a number of the moulds shewn in Figure 2, d, cross head con-
nected to the press by two columns, upon one of which the table c revolves as a
centre; e, mould supported on spiral springs f, and guided in its up-and-down uiove-
ment on rods rising from table c; h, keys limiting the upward movement of
mould e; i, vertical partition dividing each mould into two parts for inoulding two
bricks at one time, 7, frame or follower of steel surrounding the core k, and capable
of sliding up and down between the core and the mould; k, cores for forming the
hollow in the lower face of the brick, each supported upon two springs and sliding
within the follower 2; m, die or core on cross head d for formning the hollow on the
upper face of the brick m.
In Figure 1 the brick is shown in position to be removed froin the mould; o, small
hydraulic cylinder; and p, its rain surmounted by a cross head r carrying push
rods s which, at the desired moment, push the follower j upwards, and so raise the
brick out of the mould, t, pipe connecting the hydraulic cylinder a with the suall
one 0.
The whole being arranged as described, it will be understood that when the
moulds are filled with materials suitable for the manufacture of bricks or tiles,
such as clay, cement, and hydraulic line, the core k occupying during the filing
oporation a much higher position in the mould than is necessary to forin the hollow
in the brick; a deep channel is formed in the mould around the core which receives
a relatively large quantity of the material, and when that portion of the mass which
is above the core is compressed to a certain extent the core descends together with
moulde at the same or a different speed until it comes down on table c, while the
pressure being continued the inaterial around the core is still further coinpressed,
and thus forcibly driven into the angles of the mould
The moulds are brought successively under the action of the press by rotating
the table c, and the pressure is applied by the rain 6 rising with the table c and
coin pressing the mould between the table c and the cross head d.
As the cylinders a and o communicate by pipe t their rams will be acted on
simultaneously, and by arranging an even number of moulds, four, for example,
upon table c, the one pair will be pressed while the moulded bricks are being
removed from the other pair.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING AND
PRESSING BRICKS AND TILES." A communication from abroad by Jean Larmanjar,
of Paris, France.
in
This Invention relates to improvements in inachinery for moulding and com-
pressing bricks, paving tiles, and other similar articles. Pressed bricks as ordinarily
made are generally more or less defective in shape and or unequal density throughout,
consequence of the material being subjected to greater pressure at the middle
than at the sides. This is owing to the presence of the "kick" at the bottom of
the mould by which the "frog 1s made in the brick, and to the fact that the
material being thrown haphazard into the inould and not evenly spread is piled
higher at the centre than at the sides, and does not How freely enough under
pressure to properly fill the angles and deeper part of the mould around the "kick,"
this evil being increased in proportion to the dryness of the material. The result is
that the material above the "kick" receives more pressure than at the deeper parts
of the mould near the sides, and it is consequently insufficiently pressed into the
angles of the mould so that the edges and corners of the brick do not come out square
and sharp.
The object of the present Invention is to produce bricks or tiles of perfect form
and of uniform density, or even of greater density, at the sides than at the centre. I
am enabled to attain these results with the machinery of this Invention, herein-
after described, and make bricks and tiles from dry or but very slightly damped
materials, the bricks being formed with "frogs" on both top and bottom faces or
opposite sides, whereby the bricks will be more firmly keyed together by the mortar,
and the strength of the structure will be much greater.
The Invention consists chiefly in a mould frane supported on springs, so as to
yield under the action of the press, and in a movable "kick" to forin the "frog" of
the brick, also supported on springs, so as to yield under the compression of the
material in the mould independently of the mould itself, as hereafter described, the
arrangement being such that before the pressure is applied this "kick" stands much
higher in the mould than the actual depth of the "frog" to be inade in the brick, so
as to proportion the quantity of material to the thickness of the brick at this part
and prevent it being compressed as much as that at the sides. The Invention also
consists in the means of removing the moulded brick from the mould.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have illustrated it
in the accompanying Drawings, and will proceed to describe it with reference
thereto.
Figure 1 shows, by way of example, a sectional elevation of the improved pressing
and moulding machinery; Figure 2 is a plan of the mould; and Figure 3, a plan of
a brick.
The letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
a, cylinder of hydraulic press, and 6 its rain; c, revolving circular table above
ram b, and carrying a number of the moulds shown in Figure 2; d, cross head con-
nected to the press by two columns, upon one of which the table c revolves as a
centre in order to bring the moulds beneath said cross head d, the brick being com-
pressed by ram b raising table c and so pressing the mould up against cross head &;
e, mould supported on spiral springs fand guided in its up-and-down movement by
pins g which rise from table c; h, keys limiting the upward movement of mould e;
i, vertical partition dividing each mould into two parts for moulding two bricks at
one time, j, frame or follower of steel surrounding the "kick "k, and capable of
sliding up and down between the "kick" and the sides of the mould; k "kicks"

page_text: for forming the "frog" in the lower face of the brick, each supported upon two
spiral springs and sliding within the follower j; m, top "kick
for forming the "frog" on the upper face also of the brick n.
on cross head d
In Figure 1 the brick is shown in position to be removed from the mould; o, small
hydraulic cylinder, and p its ram surmounted by a T head r carrying push rods 8 5
which at the desired moment push the follower j upwards and so raise the
brick out of the mould; t, pipe connecting the hydraulic cylinder a with the
small one o.
The whole being arranged as described, it will be understood that when the
moulds are filled with materials in a powdered state suitable for the manufacture of 1
pressed bricks or tiles, such as hydraulic lime and cement, the "kick" k, occupying
during the filling operation a much higher position in the mould than is necessary
to form the "frog" in the brick; there is a deep channel in the mould around the
This is com-
"kick" which receives a relatively large quantity of the material
pressed throughout the whole stroke, whereas when that portion of the material
which is directly above the "kick" is compressed to a certain extent the "kick"
yields and descends together with moulds e at the same or a different speed until it
comes down on table c. so that it is not compressed to the same extent as the outer
portion, which is thus forcibly driven into the angles of the mould.
The moulds are brought successively under the action of the press by rotating the
table c, and the pressure is applied by the ram b, rising with the table c, and com-
pressing the mould between table c and the cross head d.
As the cylinders & and o communicate by pipet their raus will be acted on simul-
taneously, and by arranging an even number of moulds, four, for example, upon table c,
one will be pressed while the moulded brick is being removed from the next one.
Figures 4 and 5 show a plan and vertical section on line 1-2, Figure 4, of a
mould with movable bottoin, for use in connection with the above-de-cribed
machinery for making colored bricks by facing the bricks only with colored material
upon one or more sides or on portions thereof instead of throughout the whole body
of the brick, thus avoiding the necessity of coloring the whole of the material, which
would render them too expensive.
Figure 6 shows a top plan, and Figure 7, a side view of a brick made in this way,
the colored facing being applied on one of its ends and sides only.
Figure 8 is a side view of a brick having a portion or portions only of its side
colored, and Figure 9 shows a combination of three such particolored bricks
forming a chessboard pattern.
To make the brick shown in Figures 6 and 7, the interior of the mould is divided
into two parts, 1 and 2, by a division plate 7 parallel with and at a short distance
from two of the sides of the mould, which plate extends the whole depth of the
mould and rests upon its movable bottom or follower 4. The colored inaterial is
placed in the narrow space 1, and the ordinary material of its natural color in the
larger space or body part 2 of said mould, and is pressed therein by hand sufficiently
to enable the mould to be inverted over the press mould, above described, in order to
transfer the material thereto to be compressed, as herein before described.
The mould, Figures 4 and 5, is provided with register pins 3 which when the
mould is inverted over the press mould fit in holes in the latter to insure the
accurate coincidence of the two moulds.
The movable bottom of the mould 4 is connected by pillars to a plate 5 furnished
with handles 6 by which said bottom 4, when the mould is inverted over the press
mould as above mentioned, is pushed down so as to force the material together with
the division plate 7 into the press inould, from which the plate 7 18 afterwards
removed. Pressure being now applied, as before described, the colored and
uncolored materials are moulded into a single brick.
To make the particolored bricks shown in Figures 6 and 7, traverse partitions
dividing the space 1 across would be attached to plate 7.
The great advantage of the mould last described will be at once apparent, as by
its means bricks may be made merely faced with colored materials on the surface

page_text: or surfaces, which will be visible in the building, and the colors may be varied
ad libitum.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of per-
forining the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The mould with inoveable," kick," both supported on springs and constructed
and operating, substantially as shown, and described in Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawings, for the manufacture of pressed bricks, paving tiles, and other similar
articles with "frogs" in thein, as shown and described.
2nd. The combination with a hydraulic brick or similar press of a follower
operated by hydraulic power for discharging the bricks from the moulds, as shown
and described.
3rd The mould provided with division plate and movable bottom, as shown in
Figures 4 and 5. for forming bricks and tiles with a colored facing on one or
more sides, as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and soal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.