Improvements in the Construction of Brick Making Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Brick Making Machines.
I, SAMUEL EDWARD HASKIN, of Avoca, State of New York, United States
of America, 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 :-
This invention has reference to the construction of brick-machines, and relates
more particularly to machines of the rotary type such as described in United
States Letters Patent No. 75,542 dated March 17th 1868 and No. 171,118 dated
December 14th 1875, both Patents granted to W. A. Graham.
In machines of this character the molds are arranged around the entire
periphery of a wheel, and are filled from a hopper as the wheel rotates. A
pressure wheel is arranged to bear against the mold-wheel and to rotate in the
opposite direction, thereby compressing the clay into the molds. Each of the
molds is provided with a reciprocating plunger, which by the action of a cam,
discharges the brick from the mold, when the latter arrives at the bottom of the
wheel. Thus all the molds are filled and emptied once at each revolution of the
mold wheel.
In the use of these machines it has been found that at the point where the
surface of the two wheels are in contact, there is formed from time to time a small
roll or cylinder of clay, which increases in size until when about the. thickness of
the thumb, it is gripped between the two wheels and embedded in the clay of the
mold which happens at the moment to be against the pressure wheel. As soon as
one roll or pencil of clay is disposed of in this manner, another begins to form.
This roll or pencil is extremely hard and compact and its presence (though
it may not be seen) makes a defective brick, as it does not unite perfectly with
the surrounding clay.
Attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty, but so far as I am aware
such attempts have not been successful. The formation of these rolls or cylinders
of clay is due to the action of the hard and smooth pressing surface of the
compression wheel, upon the yielding mass of clay; and the object of the present
invention is to obviate this action by removing its cause.
To this end I convert the compression wheel into another wheel-mold, and so
rotate these that, at the, point of contact of the wheels, two bricks are formed
simultaneously. At this point of contact therefore, there is a pressure of clay
against clay, and there is no rigid surface upon which a roll or cylinder can form.
The invention has another advantage in that it doubles the product of the machine
without using any more power than is required to operate another travelling band
to carry off the products of the second mold-wheel.
I am aware that prior to my invention, it has been proposed to use two mold-
wheels in contact: but these have been constructed with a rigid compression
surface between each two adjacent molds, this surface being of greater width than
the face of the mold, and the wheels have been so geared together that, each
mold registered with a rigid compression surface on the opposite wheel. Thus the
action is practically the same as if all the molds were on one wheel since but one
brick is formed at a time first in one mold, then in the other. Moreover there is
little gain in output by this arrangement, since the molds must be set so
far apart that, they might as well be all in one wheel, and the other be a plain
compression wheel, much easier or less costly to construct.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1. is a ton or plan view and

page_text: The machine shown, is, in its general organization and in many details of
construction, similar to the Graham machine heretofore referred to, but it is to be
understood that I have selected this form of machine simply as an illustration of
one manner of applying the principle of my invention, which is not limited to any
specific type of machine.
In the drawings A. A' represent the two mold-wheels each provided with a
series of molds a. arranged as close together as possible. The shafts B. B' of the
wheels are journalled in bearings in a suitable frame D, the journal box C of the
wheel A being adapted to slide in its housing, so that it can be adjusted towards
and away from the wheel A¹ and the pressure regulated to the desired point. For
the purpose of this adjustment, a set screw d is provided, between the point of
which and the journal box C. is a block c of elastic packing, such as heretofore
used and for the same purpose; namely to cause the two wheels to bear at their
point of contact with yielding pressure.
In the drawing, I have shown two large wheels, each provided with a large
toothed gear F, F', whose teeth are in mesh; but it is not necessary that both
wheels should be driven positively. Motion is communicated to the shaft B. of
wheel Ffrom a worm-shaft G. provided with a worm g which drives a worm-
gear H on shaft B. Shaft B has on one end a small pulley i which drives, through
belt and pulley k a travelling band K beneath wheel A¹. A similar pulley i¹ on
shaft B drives belt pulley k' and band K' beneath wheel A. These endless
bands or carriers move in opposite directions.
The plungers for discharging molds a. the cams M by which the plungers are
moved successively outwards, and the cams N by which they are retracted, are
substantially the same in construction and function as the corresponding elements
of the Graham machine. A hopper O is arranged to supply the clay, which is
drawn down partly by the action of the wheels, and partly by gravity.
In Fig. 2. the operation of forming two bricks simultaneously is illustrated, and
by examination thereof, it will be seen that as one pair of molds comes into
position after another, there is no opportunity for detached films of clay
sheared off by the edges of the molds to roll themselves up into a pencil or
cylinder.
Immediately beneath the line of impact of the two cylinders is an upright
knife P. whose function is to separate the two bricks which have been compressed
with their faces in contact. Inasmuch as the edge of this knife is subject to
considerable wear, it is held detachably in place by a set screw p through frame R
to which are also attached scrapers Q for cleaning the edges of the mold-
wheels A and A¹.
From what has been stated above, it will be obvious that details of construction
and arrangements of the various parts of the machine may be modified without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
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. In a brick machine the combination of two mold-wheels each provided with a
series of complete molds the size and shape of the brick to be formed and having
their peripheries in contact, means of rotating the wheels in opposite directions,
whereby two bricks are simultaneously formed at the point of contact, and
means for separating the two bricks and delivering them separately, substantially
as described.
2. In a brick-machine, the combination of two mold-wheels, each provided with
a series of complete molds, the size and shape of a brick, discharging devices for
the several molds, means for rotating the wheels in opposite directions with their
peripheries in contact whereby two bricks are simultaneously formed at the
point of contact and means for separating the two bricks, substantially as
described.

page_text: 3. The combination of two wheels rotating in opposite directions with their
rims in contact, and provided each with molds in such relation that, the faces of
the molds come together at the point of contact thereby forming two bricks
simultaneously and a separating knife or blade having its edge just beneath the
line of contact substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of August 1893.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.