Improvements in Brick Moulding Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick Moulding Machines.
We, ZACHARIAH PACK and JAMES PACK, Brickmakers, of 50 Chiselhurst Road,
Wedmore, in the parish of Bromley, in the county of Kent, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK MOULDING MACHINES to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved machine for moulding, plain, ornamental, or
paving bricks or tiles, for building or other purposes, of any suitable plastic material,
by such means as to obviate the heaviest manual labor now usually required, and to
facilitate the production of bricks of better quality than heretofore.
The machine consists of a feed hopper, preferably placed vertical, to receive the
material to be moulded, and which may be delivered into the hopper by hand or
mechanical means, though we prefer to so deliver it by hand. This hopper is formed
at the bottom, mouth or outlet, into a shape corresponding to the general outline of
the brick, and the material to be moulded is forced down through this outlet by means
of a suitably ventilated and guided plunger, having, preferably, a perfectly vertical
and straight line motion, and operated by rods, levers, cranks or other suitable means.
If cranks be used, it is not necessary that they should have a complete rotary motion,
as in ordinary working a partial revolution only is actually required, and for working
by manual labor, is more satisfactory and efficient. If however a complete rotary
motion be required, as we prefer when driving the machine mechanically, a suitable
spring or springs, or hydraulic cylinder, is fitted above the plunger so as to allow the
extra stroke unobtainable when the hopper is not completely empty.
The plunger aforesaid, lifts, preferably, to the top of the hopper, so that the material
to be moulded may be introduced at the side of the hopper, and below the plunger,
ready to be pressed by the downward stroke of the said plunger. The hopper is
suitably mounted from a stand or frame, 50 that it can be adjusted in height to suit the
brick to be produced, the connections to the plunger also being capable of similar
adjustment.
The material forced from the mouth of the hopper, passes into a loose, and preferably
portable, mould; in making ordinary building bricks, we prefer to use the usual

page_text: wooden mould or stock, suitably bound with metal to stand the pressure. The mould
is carried on a, preferably, horizontal circular and intermittently revolving table
having a suitable number of slots formed in it, preferably four, to receive the frog-
piece on which the mould actually rests, and is held in position.
The said frogpiece, is for forming the "frog," depression or other mark on the lower
side of the brick, when required, and is capable of motion vertically in the slot of
aforesaid table, but is provided with a suitable flange so as to prevent it falling through
the slot. This flange on the said frogpiece is provided with adjusting screws resting
on the top of said revolving table, so as to regulate the position of the mould with
regard to the hopper mouth or outlet.
The revolving table we preferably mount on a "live"roller ring or rings, to allow
of it being revolved easily by hand, but we do not restrict ourselves to this method of
mounting, and may use balls in place of rollers, or a vertical pin or stud.
The said live ring, balls, pin or stud are carried on the stand or frame upon which
the machine is built, and which may be of any suitable design or material. The said
revolving table may be actuated by any of the well known mechanical means usually
adopted for this purpose, such as cams, lever, eliptical wheels, partial wheels, partial
worms, verges or their modifications or equivalents. When revolved by hand we
preferably use a spring catch engaging with a projection or recess on the said table, to
maintain it in a fixed position during the time the material is being pressed into the
mould &c.
Before the pressing actually takes place, the mould must be held tightly and firmly
up against the underside of the hopper mouth, which we preferably do by causing a
suitable wedge piece to be driven in under the frog piece, upon which the mould rests
as hereinbefore described. The said wedge piece we preferably make plain on the
lowerside so as to slide easily on a corresponding incline formed in the stand or frame.
The upper surface of the wedgepiece is preferably provided with rollers which work
against the lower surface of the frogpiece, the said frog-piece projecting sufficiently
below the underside of the revolving table for this purpose.
The lever actuating the wedge piece is preferably worked in connection with the
lever forming the catch of the revolving table, in such manner that the catch and
wedge piece are each operated by a separate motion previously to the material
being pressed, but when the wedge is withdrawn after the pressing is completed,
the catch is thrown out of gear with the table at the same time, and by the same
motion.
When the brick is formed, the wedge piece is sufficiently withdrawn to allow the
mould to fall clear of the mouth of the hopper, so that the said brick may be cut
away from the material left in the hopper, beyond what is required to form the
particular brick pressed. For cutting the said brick away we preferably use a
suitable wire, carried by a frame sliding in suitable guides on the hopper. The wire
is preferably knotted and passed through a fixed eye on one side of the frame, at one
end, and the other end of wire is passed through another eye on the opposite side of
fraue, which eye can be revolved so as to tighten the wire, this revolving eye having
formed on it a suitable ratchet, engaging with a pawl to prevent the wire from becoming
slack. We prefer this method of tightening the wire as being more simple and
expeditious, but we may use a screw, or wedges; or any of their modifications.
Dated this Sixteenth day of July 1888

page_text: Improvements in Brick Moulding Machines.
We ZACHARIAH PACK and JAMES PACK, Brickmakers, of 50 Chiselhurst Road,
Wedmore, in the Parish of Bromley in the county of Kent do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK MOULDING MACHINES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to an improved machine for moulding plain, ornamental or
paving bricks, or tiles for building or other purposes, of any suitable plastic material,
by such means as to obviate the heaviest manual labor now usually required, and to
facilitate the production of bricks of better quality than heretofore.
That our invention may be the better understood we have caused to be annexed
hereto drawings indicating generally the means by which it is carried into effect,
of which Fig. 1. is a Side Elevation and Fig. 2. an End Elevation of a machine for
this purpose. The same numerals in both figures refer to the same parts.
The feed hopper or hoppers is carried on the frame of the machine 19 by supports
10 and 17, passing through the ears 18 formed on the hopper or hoppers. These
supports 10 and 17 are provided with nuts above and below the ears 18, so that the
hopper or hoppers may be adjusted in height to suit the brick to be made. The
mouth of the hopper is fitted with a suitable die 2, having an opening formed in
it or carrying a die having such opening, approximating to the size and shape of
the brick to be produced, and shaped on the underside as shown so that the wire
or blade 35, used for cutting off the brick is not so readily interfered with by stones
or other hard substances at or near the line of cutting. The plunger 3 is shown
in the position at which the material to be moulderi is fed into the hopper 1, either by
hand or mechanical means. This plunger 3, may be ventilated on the underside in
any of the usual ways, but we prefer to use a cambered perforated plate 3* covered
with gauze, or a thin perforated metal plate and this gauze again covered with
flannel or felt &c. The plate, gauze and flannel are held in position against the
bottom of the plunger by the nut on the rod 5, and also a light frame round the
outside edge of 3* bolted to plunger 3. For taking off the air we attach tubes 4,
on the top of the plunger as being less likely to choke. The arrangement as
described herein for ventilating the plunger is such as to give a perfect and free
ventilation over the whole surface of the plunger. The plunger 3 is actuated by a
rod 5, adjustable on a crossbead 6. The crosshead 6 being fixed to the side rods 7,
working in the guides 8 and 9 fixed on the hopper 1 and frame 19. The side
rods 7 are driven by the links 11, working on the lever 13 and crank 14, on the
shaft 12. This shaft 12 is operated by a wheel 15 with suitable handles 16. This
method of connection and driving causes the plunger 3 to move up and down in a
perfectly vertical and straight line motion, and is such as we preferably employ in
machines driven by hand. The same mo:ion however can be obtained by other well
known means if required, though such a motion is not essential. The wheel 15 need

page_text: not necessarily make a complete revolution. but when driving by power this wheel 3
would preferably make a complete revolution, in which case we provide a suitable
spring or springs, or hydraulic cylinder on the rods 5 or 7, or both, so as to allow the
extra stroke unobtainable when the hopper is not completely empty. The shaft 12
revolves in suitable bearings on the frame 19 as shown:
The material to be pressed is forced down the hopper 1 by the plunger 3, and
passes through the die 2 into the portable mould 20. We prefer to use the ordinary
wooden mould 20, or stock 21 or both, as most convenient, but suitably bound with
metal, or wholly, or partly formed thereof to stand the pressure. The mould 20, and
stock 21, are carried on an elevating box 23 which moves in a suitable slot formed in
the circular revolving table 22. The said elevating box 23 has a flange or snugs
formed at the top to receive the adjusting screws 24, on the points of which the mould
actually rests, and the heads of which rest upon the top of the table 22. The said
adjusting screws serve to fix the height of the mould; and also the position of the
elevating box with respect to the wedge piece 30, hereafter described. These
screws 24, may be made in two parts screwed into the flange on said elevating box 23,
or one part may be screwed in the flange and the other part formed into a long
screwed ferrule on the aforesaid part so as to be capable of separate and independent
adjustment with respect to the mould 20 or the wedge piece 30. The said " stock,"
mouse " 01' "frogpiece" 21, for forming the. mouse 'frog," depression or
other mark on the lower side of the brick when required, is preferably separate from
the elevating hox 23, to which it is suitably fixed by a bolt or bolts with countersunk
heads on top of the stock and a fly nut on the underside of the top of the elevating
box, so as to be easily removed.
2
The table 22, is preferably circular and revolves intermittently, and has formed in
it a suitable number of slots, preferably four, to receive the elevating box 23.
We do not however in any way restrict ourselves to the number or position of these
slots, or to the number of moulds carried on each elevating box, or to the number of
bricks or pieces produced by the die and in cach mould.
The said table 22 runs on a "live" roller ring 27, carrying vertical rollers 2 upon
which the table rests, and horizontal rollers 26 which maintain the table in its
position sideways. In large tables two or more such rings can be used; but we do
not restrict ourselves to this method of mounting and may use balls in place of rollers,
or a vertical pin or stud, or a combination thereof. The live ring 27 is fixed to the
frame 19, the said frame 19 being of any suitable design or material.
The said revolving table 22 is preferably mounted as hereinbefore described so as to
be more easily revolved when worked by hand, the operator simply catching hold of
the periphery of the table and moving it as required. The table 22 when operated
by power may be revolved at suitable intervals by any of the well known mechanical
means usually adopted for this purpose such as cains, levers, eliptical wheels, partial
wheels, partial worms, verges or their modifications or equivalents.
When revolved by hand we preferably maintain the table 22 in a fixed position
during the time the material is being pressed into the mould, by means of a catch 28,
held up by the spring 29, and entering a recess on the table as shown. The catch 28
is pivotted at the inner end, and at the outer end is curved to suit the radius of the
movement of the lever 32, which operates the catch 28, by means of the trigger 34
carried on the underside of said lever 32. The outer end of catch 28 being also
turned down to form a stop bearing against the top of the frame 19.
Before the material is pressed into the mould the wedge piece 30 is forced inwards
by the lever 32, the rollers 31 on top of said wedge piece 30 engaging with the
underside of the elevating box 23, and so forcing the mould 20 bard up against the
mouth of the hopper 1. The said wedge piece 30 we preferably make plain on
the underside to slide on a suitable incline formed in the frame 19, but the wedge
piece 30 may be arranged with rollers or plain surfaces top and bottom or running on
rollers carried in the frame 19.
The lever 32 actuates the wedge piece 30 by means of the pin 33 which is fixed in
said wedge piece and works in a slot in the lever. The lever is pivotted on the

page_text: support 17, and is provided with a trigger 34 as before described, so that the operator
in grasping the handle of the lever 32 catches hold and raises the long arm of the
trigger 34 at the same time, the short arm of the trigger being consequently
depressed and thus forcing the catch 28 out of gear with the table 22. After the
material is pressed the operator is therefore able to pull the catch 28 and wedge
piece 30 out at the same time and by the same motion, but before pressing the
catch 28 automatically engages with the table 22, as soon as the revolving of said
table brings the corresponding recess in it to the correct position, the wedge piece 30
being forced in by the lever 32 when necessary.
The catch 28 may be provided with a roller engaging with a suitable segmental
recesses so as to allow the table to be revolved easier and the motions of the said
catch 28, and lever 32 or either of them may be operated by suitable foot gear.
When the brick is formed in the mould 20, the wedge piece 30 is withdrawn so as
to allow the mould 20 to fall clear of the mouth of the hopper 1. Sufficient room is
thus obtained to allow of the passage of the wire 35 from right to left or visa verse, so
as to cut away the brick from the material left in the hopper 1. The said wire is
carried on a frame or slides 40, working in slotted guides 42 on the hopper 1. The
wire 35 is knotted at one end and passed through an eye 36 on one side of the
frame 40, the said wire is taken across the frame and around a grooved wheel 37
carried on a pin at the other side of the frame. it is then put into a slit in the pin 38
on the same side of the frame 40 as the grooved wheel 37. When the wire is placed
in the slit in the pin 38, this pin is revolved by means of a square at the top end
above the frame, until it is sufficiently tight, and so as to maintain the wire, in this
condition the pin 38 has a ratchet wheel 39 formed on it which engages with a suitable
spring pawl carried on the frame 40. We prefer this method of tightening the wire
as being more-simple and expeditious, but we may use a screw, or wedges or any of
their modifications.
A striker plate or board 41 may be provided as shown, with spring supports of
suitable design to automatically adjust the striker to the moulds 20 as they pass
under it.
When the bricks are struck by hand, a water dish 44 is placed on the shield 43, the
said shield being arranged to cover up the central opening in the table, and so protect
the live roller ring &c. from sand &c.
The live roller ring 27, with the rollers 25 and 26, may be arranged with rollers in
the position 25 only, the table being kept in a central position by a flange or flanges
projecting from the roller race on the table 22, or the said rollers 25 may work at an
angle or be grooved for the same purpose. If balls are used in place of the live
roller ring, we should preferably use V races for them to run in flanges on the top
race, preferably, projecting down over the bottom race to exclude sand &c.
The wedge piece 30 may be replaced by levers, cranks, toggle joints, screws,
eccentrics, or cains for the purpose of raising and lowering the elevating box 23.
The machine as described herein may also be adapted for forming cakes or
brickettes of gunpowder, coal or similar substances with or without an admixture of
other materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a brick moulding machine having a revolving table 22 a suitable loose and
portable mould 20 preferably open on two sides and separate from the "frog,"
mouse ог "stock" 21, as and for the purposes herein described.
"
33
""
2. In a brick moulding machine having a revolving table 22, an elevating box 23,
in one with, or having fixed thereto, the "frog," mouse or stock 21, operated by a
wedge piece 30, or equivalent mechanism, and provided with adjusting screws 24
on which the mould 20 rests, and which regulate the position of the mould 20 and
elevating box 23 by one and the same action as and for the purposes herein
described.

page_text: 3. In a brick moulding machine having a revolving table 22, a live roller ring 27,
or balls (with or without the shield 43) upon which the table 22 revolves, as and
for the purposes herein described.
4. In a brick moulding machine having a revolving table 22, a lever 32 operating
the wedge piece 30, or equivalent mechanism, and having a trigger 34 actuating the
catch 28, for the table 22, at the same time, or separately, as required, as and for the
purposes herein described.
5. In a brickmoulding machine a plunger 3 in combination with a cambered or
corrugated perforated plate 3*, with or without a fine covering of gauze, and faced
with felt, flannel or other material, and having the air vent tube, or tubes, 4, on the
top of said plunger as and for the purposes herein described.
6. In a brickmoulding machine the mouth of the hopper 1, or die 2, having a
curved face adjacent to the cutting wire or blade 35, as and for the purposes herein
described.
7. In a brickmoulding machine as herein described the use of a die or dies for
forming ornamental bricks.
8. In a brickmoulding machine the method of fixing and tightening the cutting
wire, or blade 35, as and for the purposes herein described.
9. In a brickmoulding machine having a revolving table a striker's water dish 44,
carried on the shield 43 or suitable bracket fixed to the standard 10, so as to remain
stationary as and for the purposes herein described.
10. A brickmoulding, machine substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
Dated in 15th 1... CA
1000
G. T. HARRAP,
Agent for Applicants.