AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING TILES FOR DRAINING, SOLES, HOUSE TILES, FLAT-ROOFING TILES, AND BRICKS
Year: 1836

page_text: MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
Marquis of TWEEDDALE, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Ninth day of December, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Marquis of Tweeddale, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said George Marquis of Tweeddale, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Marquis of Tweeddale, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of fourteen years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His said Majesty's United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF MAKING TILES FOR DRAINING, SOLES, HOUSE TILES, FLAT-ROOFING TILES, AND
BRICKS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said George Marquis of Tweeddale, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Marquis of Tweeddale, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following description
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say:-.
Premising that, before applying my Invention, the clay must be prepared
(an improved method of doing which will be described in the sequel), I shall
first proceed to describe that part of my Invention applicable to making drain-
ing tiles. It consists of a frame A of cast iron or other suitable material, as
seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3, of the annexed Drawing, and runs on wheels, the pur-
pose of which will be afterwards described. B, C, Figs. 2, 3, are two cast-
iron cylinders of eighteen inches diameter and of the same length, for
compressing the clay to the proper breadth and thickness by aid of the
hopper to be afterwards described. These cylinders are driven in contrary
directions by means of toothed wheels a, a, Fig. 1, keyed to the outer ends of
their axes, and are driven at the same speed, having each forty-eight teeth.
The lowest of these cylinders C is driven by the pinion b. This pinion is
provided with a bush which revolves loosely on its axis, and is engaged and
disengaged by means of an ungearing clutch wrought by a lever, by which
the machine can be stopped in an instant, and vice versa. The periphery of
this pinion is set off to eighteen teeth, but has only fifteen cast on it, the other
three being left blank so as to cause a temporary stop of the machine to
afford time for the tile being cut by a wire or cutter, afterwards described. It
must perform only one revolution during the time that the length of one drain
tile is formed. This size of pinion and number of teeth being intended to
form a tile of fifteen inches in length, it is quite clear that, were greater length
of tile required, the pinion must have an increase of teeth, and vice versa if
the tile is required to be of a shorter length. The lower cylinder C turns in
stationary bushes, and the upper cylinder B turns in moveable bushes, that is,
the bushes are cast with slits in them for that purpose, in order to their being
set nearer to or further from each other to suit the various thicknesses of the
tiles which are to be made. I may here remark, that the degrees of thickness
in the different descriptions of tiles never vary so much as to remove the teeth
of the wheels of the cylinder so far out of their ordinary contact as to injure
them in the working. A hopper or feeding apparatus D, Fig. 1, 2, 3, which
has four or more rollers placed in an inclined position turning in bushes
screwed to the lower edges of the sides of the hopper, around which rollers
travels an endless web consisting of moleskin, leather, or any other flexible

page_text: material of the like nature, leads the clay forward to the cylinders B, C, the.
lowermost of which, so soon as it has hold of the clay, continues to keep it
advancing. It will be observed, by referring to the Drawing, that the clay.
leaves the feeding web a little way below the line of contact of the cylinders.
The object of this is to afford the lower cylinder a greater degree of surface
contact with the clay than it would have if the latter entered immediately at
the line of contact, and it is therefore better adapted to draw it along the
feeding web. I may also here remark, that clay, from its naturo (with few
exceptions), has a tendency to adhere to the cylinders. To obviate this I cover
each of them with an endless web of the like materials as used on the feeding
apparatus, and these webs are distended over rollers E, E, Fig. 1, 3, which
are adjustable by screws for the purpose of keeping the distension perfect.
This provision of webs is the more necessary, as clay in different districts of
the country may vary so much in its properties as to render canvas, india
rubber, or caoutchouc, and many other natural and artificial substances and
fabrics, preferable to the materials I have mentioned. These cylinders (as
well as almost every other cylinder and corresponding distending roller used
in my machine) may have on their ends a recess turned out to receive a belt,
or rope, which may be attached either to or below the edges of their respec-
tive endless webs, the use of which belts or ropes is to prevent the webs from
travelling to either side of the machine, as sometimes happens when such
additions are not used. After the clay has been thus formed to the requisite
breadth by its passage between the cylinders B, C, which is done by narrowing
the hopper at that part next the lower cylinder C, by the aid of pieces of wood
covered with brass suitably fixed, but free of the web, as shewn by red dotted
lines, Fig. 2, the edges of the clay on coming through between the cylinders
have generally some thin films remaining on them; these are cut off by two.
vertical cutting wires which act on each edge. The clay is next conveyed by
the endless web of the lower cylinder, and is received upon another endless.
web applied round another cylinder F, Fig. 2, 3. This cylinder admits of
some modifications for effecting some of the other objects of my Invention,
and will be again referred to in another part of this Specification. This
cylinder (for the purpose of making draining tiles) is turned out in the middle
to the form of a draining tile with its round side uppermost, as seen in Fig. 2,
and the clay, immediately on reaching it, takes its form or shape from the
web on the cylinder, and passes along the endless web now to be described.
This endless web C, which readily accommodates itself to the convex form of
the turned part of the cylinder F, is distended over a pulley or cylinder G,
Fig. 1, 2, 3, of a similar figure or shape to that turned on the cylinder F. This

page_text: be
endless web conveys the tile to another part of the machine, where it is more
correctly formed on arriving at the rollers H, H. These rollers are of a form
adapted to the shape of the tile, and on the entrance of the tile between them
it receives its true shape. They move round by their contact with the tile
when it has arrived between them by its progress along the endless web last
described. If thought necessary, they may be also provided with endless webs
and distending rollers to prevent adhesion with the tile, and which may
fitted up in any convenient way; but, as they are found in practice not to
require such aids, I deem it unnecessary to describe how they may be applied.
These rollers move around pivots which are adjustable, as to height, by screws
and nuts, and move laterally at top and bottom in slits, in order to fix them
at any required distance from each other, or to raise or depress them, as the
thickness and size of the tile may require, the pulley or cylinder G, already
described, giving the form to the under side of the tile, which is next received
on two narrow endless leather belts, which move round the rollers I, I, K,
Fig. 23, and which belts advance the title forward to the cutting wire. The
rollers must be adjustable, as to height, by making suitable provision for their
bushes sliding up and down in slits to admit different sizes of tiles; and the
bushes placed on the roller K must be adjustable in the direction of the length
of the machine for the purpose of tightening the belts by means of keys. The
slits may be segments of circles, of which the axis of the cylinder F forms the
centre, in order that the pinions may be shifted up or down without varying
their contact with each other. The tile passing through the frame of the
cutting wire is cut to its length during the temporary stoppage of the machine
by the cutting wire to be next described. This cutting wire L, Fig. 1, 4, con-
sists of a frame formed on the lower end of the connecting rod attached to a
lever M, Fig. 1. The wire is stretched across this frame, and is fixed at each
end to cords led through the lower end of the frame, and fixed to springs, the
object of the cords and springs being to prevent the wire breaking in conse-
quence of vibration and any hard substance being in the clay. The lower end
of the connecting rod moves in a slit, in order to work the cutting wire per-
pendicularly, and is attached to the lever which moves on its fulcrum at d,
attached to the roof of the manufactory, or in any other way. This lever
receives motion from a wheel e fixed on the main shaft, which gives motion to
the machine, this wheel being provided with a cog, the use of which is at each
revolution to depress the other end of the lever, and along with it the cutting
wire, which last then cuts the tile to its length. To raise the cutting wire
instantly after the tile is cut, the end of the lever is loaded with the weight 0.
On the main shaft is also fixed a chain wheel adapted to receive an endless

page_text: chain, which is, again connected with the wheel upon the opposite end of the
axle of the pinion b, to give motion to the machine. Having thus described
the cutting wire I have next to observe, that the tile being complete is con-
veyed by another endless web placed over a cylinder N, Fig. 3, and distended
over a roller at the opposite end of the drying shed, for the purpose of con-
veying the tile through the alleys, where it is to be deposited for drying.
When the tile is conveyed to a great distance on the endless web, and has in
consequence got out of shape, I employ a travelling frame, Fig. 5, 6, for the
purpose of restoring it to its shape. This frame stands across the endless web.
and consists of two horizontal sides, on the ends of which are affixed uprights
inclining inwards. Between these uprights are four rollers moving in bushes
and laid lengthways, two at top and two at bottom, for leading endless webs
over them. The tile is lifted from the endless web, and raised upwards upon
a block of wood of the shape of the tile, and generally known by the name of
horse; and on its reaching the top of the frame, it comes gently in contact
with the web, and is thus corrected in its shape. This frame is made to travel
along and be stopped at any part of the distance between the one end of the
alley and the other, where there may be occasion to use it when taking the
tiles from off the web. That the machine may be stationed immediately oppo-
site the alley in the drying shed in which the tiles are to be deposited, it
moves on a railroad in length equal to the breadth of the shed, and for this
purpose the frame is provided with wheels. The main shaft which drives the
machine is also in length equal to the breadth of the drying shed, and oppo-
site to each alley a chain wheel and two cog wheels with levers are fixed on
the main shaft.
I shall now proceed to describe the making of flats or soles. The clay is
introduced into the machine by the feeding apparatus in the same manner as
for the draining tiles. It then passes between the cylinders B, C, next along
the endless web until it arrives at the cylinder F, which, as has been already
stated, admits of modification in its construction to suit both purposes. In
the present instance the cylinder G and its endless web C is removed, and
another endless web f, Fig. 7, of the full breadth, is applied on the cylinder F,.
and also over the roller K, which must be raised to the same level as the top
of the cylinder F. The clay proceeds along this endless web towards the wire
cutter in the frame P, Fig. 8, and is supported by and moves on the two
friction rollers g, g. The frame P, with its cutting wire, is fixed by a joint to
the lever Q, which again is fixed to the roof of the manufactory by a bolt or
pivot on which it moves. The lever is caused to move to the right or left,

page_text: and along with it the cutting frame, by the wheels e, e, which have on the
innermost side of each of them a cog for the purpose, and which act alter-
nately on the lever as the wheels revolve (as will be obvious on referring to
the Drawing), being guided, as well as restricted from going too far either way,
by a suitable fixture on the frame, not shewn. There is also another fixed
frame, Fig. 9, of about eighteen inches in length, in which are fixed two or
more vertical cutting wires, for the purpose of dividing the clay into the proper
breadths for soles, and it must have either slits or holes in it, or both, to
permit of the shifting of the cutting wires to suit different breadths of soles;
and it may be fixed at each end to the two moveable bushes already men-
tioned, or to the frame. It is immaterial whether this frame be fixed before
or behind the sliding cutting frame in the machine. The soles being now
completed, may be conveyed to the drying sheds, as in the case of the
draining tiles.
As
I shall next proceed to describe the formation of flat roofing tiles. If
it is required to make flat roofing tiles of an equal thickness through-
out the upper cylinder B will answer the purpose, but if it is preferred to
make them thin at their upper or nail ends the upper cylinder B is to be
converted into the form of Fig. 10, which is done by applying an iron hoop
to one end of it, which will give the tile the form or diminish wanted.
the tile requires to have a hole formed in it for the reception of the roofing
nail, I effect this by means of a punch, which is applied thus:-At the time
the stoppage takes place in the machine, and the tile is cut by the lever Q
moving to either side, the lever at the same instant depresses the small
lever R, Fig. 8, to which the punch is attached, and the punch in consequence
forms the hole required. This punch is made on the same principle as that
used for piercing leather, that is, hollow inside, whereby it discharges the
pieces of clay cut by it at top; the diameter may be three eighths of an inch.
In making flat roofing tiles adapted to be laid upon lath instead of sarking,
a flat knob or prominence must be formed on its end similar to that on a
common house tile. I effect this by using a cylinder of the form shewn
in Fig. 11, that is, having hollows of the form adapted to the tile cut out
around one end of it, into which hollows the clay is pressed in its progress
through the cylinders. I would here remark, that the endless webs used on a
cylinder of this kind, or on such a cylinder as shewn in Fig. 10, receive little
injury in amount of tear and wear in consequence of the irregularity of the
form of the cylinders. As flat roofing tiles are shorter than those used for
draining, I employ another driving pinion of larger diameter than that used

page_text: or draining tiles; it is shewn in Fig. 12, set off for eighteen teeth, six of
which are left blank, three on each of the two opposite sides. The reason
f having two blanks and two toothed parts on this wheel is, that were a
pinion having only one blank in it used it would necessarily be so small
hat it would not work efficiently in the machine. The bushes in which this
axis revolves being cast with slits in them, must be shifted to enable the pinion
to take contact with the wheels on the end of the cylinder C. It will be
observed by this description, and from the figures on the ends of the cylinders,
Fig. 10, 11, that the tiles are passed through the machine sideways instead
(as is the case with the draining tiles and soles) of lengthways. The three
varieties of flat roofing tiles, having been submitted to the different operations
detailed in the foregoing description, are finished and ready to be conveyed
to the drying sheds. For removing flat tiles of any description to the drying
shelves I use (in place of the common peal) an improved instrument, as seen
in Fig. 13, 14. It consists of a light iron frame provided with a number of
rollers, over which is stretched an endless web. Upon the tile being put into
the shelf the frame is withdrawn, in course of which the web revolves in
consequence of the adherence of the tile, which is thus cleared of the frame.
I shall next proceed to describe the formation of bricks. The principal
alteration in the machinery required for this operation is, to raise the upper
cylinder B, by means of the slits in its bushes, to the requisite distance apart
from the under one to admit clay suited to the thickness of the brick. By
this change it is evident that the toothed wheels used on the ends of the
cylinder B, which serve all the other purposes of my Invention, loose contact
entirely. I do not, however, remove these wheels, but merely place other
tooth wheels on the opposite ends of their axes of such increased diameter
as the thickness of the brick to be made requires. The hopper or feeding
apparatus must be limited at the end nearest the cylinders (as in the case of
the various tiles and soles already described) to give the clay the exact breadth
required, whether for two or three bricks, as the case may be. The bricks
next pass forward to the dividing frame or cutting wires, the wires in the
frame being previously shifted to cut the brick to the proper breadth. In
cutting them to their length another driving pinion, Fig. 15, must instead of
that last described (for draining tiles and soles), and set off for twenty-two
5 teeth, of which three are left blank on each of the opposite sides, that is,
having sixteen acting teeth and two blank spaces at equal intervals. The
bricks being now complete may be conveyed to the field in the same way as
In the formation of bricks having hollows o
described for drain tiles.

page_text: cavities of any kind or form on one or both of their broad surfaces, I pla
projecting pieces (fixed with countersunk screws) corresponding to the for
required on the peripheries of both cylinders B, C, which pieces produce t
required hollows or forms on the bricks, care being taken to use cylinders of
size calculated to be divided into the number of lengths of bricks wanted to l
made in any one revolution of the cylinders, and that both upper and lowe
cylinders present their pieces in unison with each other so as to receive the fla
surface left on the edges of the bricks alike perfect on both sides of it. Th
best form of cavities on the flat surface of bricks I consider to be longitudina
lines the whole length of the bricks, and to form any particular number o
these, and of any particular size, I attach to the surface of the endless web
next the cylinders, cords, in number and thickness regulated to the numbe
and size of the intended lines. On the clay entering the cylinders the endles
webs yield to the pressure, while the cords form the lines required. Though
I have described the machine as applied to the making of bricks, together
with the tiles of various sorts, yet when it is wanted for making bricks only
I vary its construction considerably. I place the upper cylinder directly above
the lower, and the feeding apparatus in a horizontal direction à little below the
top of the under cylinder, and give motion to the endless web of the feeding
apparatus by passing a belt over a sheeve on the axis of the under cylinder
and over a sheeve on the axis of the outer roller of the endless web. To
compress the sides of the clay before it enters the cylinders I apply two small
upright cylinders, placed close to and immediately before the other cylinders, the
lower ends of which upright cylinders run close to the endless web, and are
put in motion by the advancing of the clay. These upright cylinders run in
moveable bushes adjustable to the breadth of clay required. To keep the clay
at the breadth given it by the upright cylinders, as well as to keep them clean,
two plates of iron or other metal are suitably fixed between the upper and
under cylinder, but free of the webs, and their ends are so formed as to act
on the faces of the upright cylinders as cleaners. With the machine thus
constructed the clay is cut into bricks of the required length and breadth
immediately on its leaving the endless web of the lower. cylinder.
I now proceed to describe my machine for making house tiles, with
reference to the Drawings. It consists of a frame marked A, A, Figs.
16, 17, 18. The lower part of the machine B, seen in Fig. 19, consists of
a moveable mould, in the form of the under surface of a house tile, which
moves out from and into the frame on a circular iron rod C through bushes
formed on the under sides of the mould. The higher part of the machine

page_text: consists also of a moveable mould D, in the form of the upper surface of a
house tile. This mould moves perpendicularly by means of slides on its four
corners, which work in grooves in the frame. To one side of the lower
mould B a piece of cloth is fixed so as to admit of its being spread over its
apper surface to prevent the clay adhering to the mould. A cloth a, a, is also
interposed between the under surface of the higher mould and the clay, which
cloth is wound up and kept tight when the higher mould rises by the rollers
on each side E, E, and the weight F. When a tile is to be made, the under
mould is drawn out by its handle, and a sufficient quantity of clay for one tile
is put on its surface, and it is then pushed into its place in the frame. The
higher mould, which is wrought by a lever or crank, as may be most con-
venient, is then alternately brought down with sufficient force to form the tile,
and raised again. The lower mould is then drawn out by its handle, and by a
half revolution on the iron rod throws off the tile, which is received on an
inverted mould, and conveyed it to the drying shelves. The operation is
repeated in making every tile. The machines above described may be driven
I have found the following the
by steam, water, or any other moving power.
best method of preparing the clay :-To crush small stones and other hard
substances mixed with the clay, I pass it through two large cylinders placed
horizontally, and distant from each other half an inch; the clay is then milled
in the usual manner. It is conveyed from the cylinders to the pug mill, and
from it to the brick and tile machine by elevators.
In conclusion, I have to state, that I have described the means I employ for
an improved method of making the various descriptions of tiles and bricks
above mentioned, for which I have obtained His Majesty's sd Letters Patent,
as consisting of cylinders, rollers, endless webs, belts, &c., for conveying the
clay through the different stages of the formation of the tiles and bricks.
Although the individual parts of the machinery which I employ to attain my
object are perfectly known and in use, I nevertheless claim by a combination
0 of those parts as a whole, as described in my Specifications, to be the Inventor
of the above-described improved method of making the various descriptions
of tiles and bricks above mentioned, for which I have obtained His Majesty's
said Letters Patent. And such my Invention being, to the best of my know-
ledge and belief, new, and never before used within that part of His said
5 Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I hereby declare
this to be my Specification of the same, and that the same doth comply, in all
respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said

page_text: in-before in part recited Letters Patent contained; wherefore I claim to
ntain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Marquis of Tweeddale, have
affixed my seal to and subscribed these Presents (written upon this
and the nine preceding pages of stamped paper, by William Beattie,
Clerk to Gibson, Craigs, Wardlow, and Dalzeil, Writers, in Edinburgh)
at Yester House, in the County of Haddington, in Scotland, upon the
Fourth day of February, in the year One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-seven, before these witnesses, Robert Bridges, Millwright
and Engineer, at North Berwick, in the said County of Haddington,
and George Page, my Butler.
DRIDGES, Witness.
GEORGE PAGE, Witness.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of February, in the
year above mentioned, the aforesaid George Marquis of Tweeddale came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.