AN IMPROVED MODE OF PRESSING AND MOULDING CLAY, SAND, OR CEMENT FOR MAKING BRICKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office, No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF PRESSING AND MOULDING CLAY, SAND, OR CEMENT FOR MAKING
BRICKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."- A communication from abroad
by John Steele, of the City of Buffalo, New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 13th October 1865, and dated the 1st July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1865.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF PRESSING AND MOULDING CLAY, SAND, OR CEMENT FOR
MAKING BRICKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," a communication, to be as
follows:-
In moulding clay or other material into bricks, tiles, or other like articles,
a certain degree of moisture is necessary to the perfect adhesion of the par-
ticles thereof. In an uncondensed state this moisture is freely absorbed by
capillary attraction, and when the mass is compacted by pressure,
if the
excess is retained, it is with obviously a detrimental effect. It is the object of

page_text: my Invention to provide for the expulsion of any excess of moisture over the
amount required to make the particles adherent, thus rendering brick or other
ware formed from plastic material more compact and indurated, and prepared
to retain its form more perfectly and require less time for drying or burning;
and said Invention consists chiefly in forming cells or perforations in the wet
clay when placed in the mould by means of suitable instruments retained
until sufficient pressure has been employed to render the clay self-sustaining in
form but withdrawn before the final pressure is applied to leave apertures into
which the air and moisture escape from the substance of the clay. Said
Invention also consists partly in the method of applying the pressure to the
clay equally upon both sides at once by means of platens which simultaneously
approach each other; the clay is thereby rendered equally dense or compact
on either surface of the brick, and much of the friction of the clay against the
sides of the mould is overcome, the results of this friction being exhibited from
the centre to each face of the brick or equally in both directions from the
centre. By this method a brick is produced with the angles equally perfect
on both sides, which is not the case with bricks pressed from one side only,
the clay can be worked in a stiffer condition, while the power of the machine
is economized, as there is less resistance from friction to be overcome.
I do not confine myself to any particular apparatus for producing these
results, but shall describe a machine of suitable form and adaptation for
making bricks by my method.
I employ a frame similar to that of a horizontal brick press, having two
platens or pistons working horizontally within the mould, which is a trunk
open at both ends for the convenience of operating the platens, said platens
being worked preferably by eccentrics on the shaft to which the power is:
applied. The mould is also connected by means of rods or their equivalents
with similar eccentrics or cams fixed on the shaft for the purpose of sliding
the mould away so as to remove the mouth or feed opening from the brick or
other article that it may be pressed in a wholly confined space. The platens
are provided each with a concealed head having spurs or pins, which heads,
are connected by rods with rock levers (also operated by suitable cams or other,
mechanism) so arranged as to withdraw the heads at the required time.
These spurs protrude from the face of the platens when they are drawn apart.
to form a space to receive the damp clay or other substance which is passed-in
through the mouth of the mould and forms around the spurs. The motion of
the machine then cuts off the clay by withdrawing the mould until its,
mouth is sufficiently removed, when the platens begin to approach each other,
compressing the clay between them from both sides. The spurs when with
"
.3

page_text: drawn from the clay will leave perforations therein, their withdrawal being
effected by a movement of the rock lever at the instant when the pressure has
become intense, but before the final pressure is imparted. The clay having
become so dense as to retain its form the perforations thus produced con-
stitute chambers into which the air and moisture before contained in the pores
of the clay escape, leaving the brick nearly dry and of a solid and uniform
texture throughout. A degree of compactness and solidity is attained by this
method, which enables the bricks or other articles to be immediately subjected
to the kiln and retain their shape without warping or cracking. To admit of
the free expulsion of air in filling the mould, perforations are made in the
lower side for the purpose of ventilation, which prevents any portion of the air
from being compressed into the mass of clay, which would otherwise occur
if the joints around the pistons were made air-tight. By the movement of
the mould, after filling, these perforations do not interfere with the act of
pressing.
It will be obvious that by this mode of pressing damp clay the great
power applied condenses the particles of moisture and air together into much
less space than they before occupied, and the air (being the more elastic of
the two) immediately expands on the withdrawal of the spurs, being thereby
permitted to resume its ordinary bulk), and in escaping takes up or absorbs
the minute atoms of moisture, removing them from the clay. Thus the
bricks after pressure remain the same as before the pistons are withdrawn,
but if the air and moisture had not been renioved they would by their expan-
sion when relieved from pressure also expand the clay to some extent,
producing striae and imperfections that become apparent as fractures on
burning the bricks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the International Patent Office, No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of

page_text: Her reign did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said.
William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such
others as I,. the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time.
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,' an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PRESSING AND MOULDING CLAY, SAND, OB
CEMENT FOR MAKING BRICKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," a communication to mé
from abroad by John Steele, of the City of Buffalo, New York, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent..
.. NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Etatement:-
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a
machine designed for my improved mode of pressing and moulding clay, sand,
or cement; Fig. 2 is a horizontal or plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a
horizontal section through the platens B, B, and sliding mould C, showing the
clay in the act of receiving the final pressure to form a brick. Like letters of
reference designate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
In moulding clay or other material into bricks, tiles, &c., a certain degree
of moisture is necessary to the perfect adhesion of the particles. In an uncon-
densed state it is freely absorbed by capillary attraction, and when the mass is
compacted by pressure if the excess is retained it is with obviously a detri-
mental effect. It is the object of my Invention to provide for the expulsion
of any excess of moisture over the amount required to make the particles
adherent, thus rendering brick or other ware formed from plastic material
more compact and indurated, and prepared to retain its form more perfectly
and require less time for drying or burning; and my Invention consists in
forming cells or perforations in the wet clay when placed in the mould by
means of suitable instruments to be retained until sufficient pressure has been

page_text: employed to render the clay self-sustaining in form, but withdrawn before the
final pressure is applied, to leave apertures into which the air and moisture
escape from the substance of the clay. It also consists in the method.of
applying the pressure to the clay equally upon both sides at once by means of
platens which simultaneously approach each other, by which the clay. is
rendered equally dense or compact on either surface of the brick, and much.of
the friction of the clay against the sides of the mould is overcome, the results of
this friction being exhibited from the center to each face of the brick, or
equally in both directions from the center. This produces a brick with the
angles equally perfect on both sides, which is not the case with bricks pressed
from one side only, and enables the clay to be worked in a stiffer condition,
while it economizes the power of the machine, as there is less resistance of
friction on the mould to be overcome.
.
I do not confine myself to any particular apparatus for producing these
results, but shall describe a machine of suitable form and adaptation for
making bricks by my method.
:
I employ a frame A similar to that of a horizontal brick press, having two
platens or pistons B, B, working horizontally within the mould C, which is a
trunk open at both ends for the convenience of operating the platens, which
are worked preferably by excentrics on the shaft D, to which the power is
applied. The mould is also connected by means of rods E, E, or their
equivalents with similar eccentrics or cams on the shaft D, for the purpose. of
sliding it away so that the mouth or feed opening F will be removed from the
brick, so that it is pressed in a wholly confined space. The plateus are pro-
vided with concealed heads having spurs or pins i, i, which heads are connected
by rods h, h, with rock levers 9, 9, (also operated by suitable cams or other
mechanism) so arranged as to withdraw them at a proper time. These spurs
protrude from the face of the platens, when they are drawn apart to form a
space to receive the damp clay, which is passed in through the mouth F of the
mould and forms around the spurs. The motion of the machine then cuts off
the clay by withdrawing the mould until its mouth is sufficiently removed,
when the platens B, B, begin to approach each other, compressing the clay
between them from both sides. The spurs remaining in the clay will it is
obvious leave perforations when withdrawn, which is effected by a movement
of the rock lever at the instant the pressure has become intense, but before the
final pressure is imparted. The clay having become so dense as to retain its
forni, the perforations thus produced constitute chambers into which the air
and moisture before contained in the pores, of the clay escape, leaving the
brick nearly dry and of a solid and uniform texture throughout.. A degree of

page_text: compactness and solidity is attained by this method which enables the bricks
to be immediately subjected to the kiln and retain their shape without
warping or cracking. To admit of the free expulsion of the air in filling the
mould, perforations m, m,.are made in the lower side for the purpose of venti-
lating, which prevents any portion of the air from being compressed into the
mass of clay which would otherwise occur if the joints around the pistons were
so tight as to retain it. By the movement of the mould after filling these
perforations do not interfere with the act of pressing.
It will be obvious that by this mode of pressing damp clay the great power
applied condenses the particles of moisture and air together into much less
space than they before occupied, and the air (being the more elastic of the two):
immediately expands on the withdrawal of the spurs i, i, (which act permits
it to resume its ordinary bulk) and in escaping takes up or absorbs the minute
atoms of moisture, removing them from the clay. Thus the bricks after
pressure remain the same as before the pistons are removed; but if the air
and moisture had not been removed, as by this operation,, they would by their:
expansion, when relieved from pressure, also expand the clay to some extent,
producing striae and imperfections that become apparent as fractures on.
burning the bricks.
What I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by. Letters Patent is,―
The mode herein described of pressing damp clay or other plastic material,
to admit of the escape of the air and moisture therefrom before the final
pressure is imparted, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
I also claim the method of pressing the clay for bricks, tiles, and other pur-
poses, by applying the power simultaneously from two opposite directions, by
means substantially as set forth and for the purposes described.
I also claim. ventilating the mould by means of perforations m in one of
the parts thereof, which is exposed while being filled but removed before
the
pressure is applied, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS HANNIS.