CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONS, CANDLES, ELECTRODES AND LIKE ARTICLES FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND ALSO, FOR OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS RELATING THERETO, A DEARATION OF THE D TYT PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION FOR MAKING SAME BY COMPRESSION, AND REGULATION OF THE SAME, WHETHER MADE BY HYDRAULIC OR OTHER POWER
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cunliffe of 1, Harringey Grove, Hornsey, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARBONS, CANDLES, ELECTRODES AND LIKE ARTICLES FOR
ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND ALSO, FOR OTHER ARTICLES,
AND IN THE MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS RELATING THERETO,
A DEARATION OF THE
D
TYT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cunliffe at the
Office of the Commissioners. of Patents on the 23rd November 1882.
WILLIAM CUNLIFFE, of 1, Harringey Grove, Hornsey, in the County of Middlesex,
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONS CANDLES, ELECTRODES,
AND LIKE ARTICLES FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND, ALSO,
FOR OTHER ARTICLES AND IN THE MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS
IN THE
RELATING THERETO, FOR MAKING
SAME BY COMPRESSION, AND
REGULATION OF THE SAME, WHETHER MADE BY HYDRAULIC OR OTHER POWER,
THE
The Invention is designed for the better, quicker, and more uniform manufacture
of the articles described, &c., by the new and special arrangement of certain
mechanical devices, and automatic machinery, whereby a regular and uniform
pressure, and compression of the plastic, or other material is obtained, and main-
tained in a sealed and air-tight chamber, before the same is passed through the
dies, or to the formers, until the articles are discharged from the same, whereby &
more uniform, and consolidated, and improved, quality is obtained. And for the
arrangement of such machinery and mechanical devices, after the compression and
expulsion of the material from the chamber, for the automatic cut off and sealing
of the orifices or channels leading to or of the dies &c., air-tight, so that on the
withdrawal of the plunger, or other device for such compression, the atmospheric
pressure upon the supply of plastic material, in the hopper, or other holder, forces

page_text: a fresh supply, or charge, forwards into the hopper, &c's, exit, and vacuum, formed in
the chamber, and so on, after each stroke, intermittently. And, also, for the
arrangement of certain devices and machinery for the variation and regulation of
the quantity of materials so subjected to compression and passed through the dies
or formers, by the operation of the plunger, or other device. And, further, for the
combination of one, or more, plungers and cylinders, or chambers, pistons, connecting
rods, hoppers, guide-peices, clamps, dies, and other mechanism, with the valve chest,
reciprocating valve, and automatic pressure valve action, substantially as hereinafter
described, and operated either by hydraulic, or other power.
The machine consists of two Cylinders placed longitudinally in line, and in
reversed position in relation to each other. In each cylinder is placed a plunger,
or piston with connecting rods passing through the adjoining ends and connected
together by a sleevo
This sleeve has right and left handed screw threads cut in it, and corresponding
screw-threads are cut on the ends of the connecting rods entering into the sleeve.
The sleeve has, also, a disc wheel fixed upon its centre, in such a manner, that, by
turning around the wheel, and sleeve, the stroke of the plungers, and size of the
chambers, are regulated, and the quantity of plastic carbon to be passed through
the dies, or formers, determined. The mouths of the chambers, at their outer ends,
extend into a long and strait, slot shaped, orifice; and in front are fixed the dies, or
formers, perforated with a series of holes of the size and shape of the carbons,
candles, electrodes, or other articles to be moulded. The dies are held in position
by clamp-peices, screwed-to-the-ends-of-the-chamber, by the screws. On each side,
also, of the clamp-peices are guides with grooves, in which moves a bar, with
suitable cross-head, called the guillotine bar, which moves across the openings of
the dies, or formers, opening and closing the same, alternately, by means, hereafter
described; and, by this operation cutting off the carbons, &c, when-moulded, and
sealing the openings of the dies, air-tight, on the point of withdrawal of the
plungers; and, by this means, causing a vacuum to be created in the chambers, into
which a fresh supply of plastic material is forced, alternately, by the external
pressure of the atmosphere upon the contents of the hopper in which the materials
are placed. The plungers are operated by hydraulic, or any other pressure upon
their inner ends-The inlet and outlet of such pressure being controlled by a
suitable slide valve in a valve chest. Small tappit levers are hinged to the valve
chest, and, also, attached to spindles operating the slide valves, and struck,
alternately, at the end of each stroke, by the wheel upon the sleeve; thus operating
the valves. The whole of the machinery is fixed to a suitable frame, and all the
necessary parts provided with suitable packing. Near the front end of each
cylinder, or chamber, is placed a small piston valve, with proper glands and
packing, kept down in its position by the weighted levers, and, by means of the
connecting rods and rock levers, attached to the guillotine bar, in such a manner,
that, when the pressure in the chamber exceeds that of the weighted levers upon the
piston valve, the latter is lifted, and with it the guillotine bar moved across the
openings of the dies, to clear the same, and allow the carbon, or other material, to
be pressed through tho dies, or formers. At the end of the stroke, (the arms of the
rock levers, being connected by a tension rod, with the tappit levers, when these
are struck by the disc wheel) the guillotine bar is moved back and replaced over the
openings of the dies, ready for the next charge. By means of small screwed
spindles upon the levers, passing through the suspension bars of the weights, the
weights upon the levers, and piston valves, can be adjusted with the greatest
nicety The cylinders may be made in two parts, divided under the hoppers; or in
one whole chamber, with lid at the end; or in any other convenient form. The
front ends of the same, with clamp-peices, guides, dies, &c., may be made, also, to
incline on their face and the orifices, at any angle, for the more convenient delivery
of the articles when moulded. Instead of the weights upon the automatic pressure
valves, springs may be used. I claim, as my invention, the adjusting of the size of

page_text: the pressure chamber;-Also, the automatic feeding of the materials to the chamber
by atmospheric pressure; Also, the sealing of the orifices of the dies, during the.
compression of the plastic carbon, or other materials;-Also, the regulation of the
compression by means of the automatic pressure valves, levers, and adjustable
weights, or springs, or other device, substantially as described;-Also, the machinery
for any of these purposes, by preference as before described; and, also, by any other
arrangement substantially the same;-And, I further claim each and all of these
devices, either separately or combined, for the said purposes, or any other similar
devices of mechanism for the said improved method of compression, and manu-
facture; but, by preference, the machinery for each and all of these purposes
substantially as set forth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Cunliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
May 1883.
WILLIAM CUNLIFFE of 1 Harringay Grove, Hornsey in the County of Middlesex
" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONS, CANDLES ELECTRODES
AND LIKE ARTICLES FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND OTHER PURPOSES AND ALSO FOR
OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN THE MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL ARRANGEMENTS
RELATING THERETO; FOR MAKING THE SAME BY COMPRESSION, AND IN
REGULATION OF THE SAME, WHETHER MADE BY HYDRAULIC OR OTHER POWER.”
THE
This Invention bas for its object improvements in machinery or apparatus for
the better and quicker manufacture of carbons, candles, or electrodes for electric
lighting or for the manufacture of rods or blocks of carbon or other compressible
substance or material for other purposes, and consists in mechanical contrivances
and automatic machinery whereby a regular and uniform pressure, and compression
of the carbon, or other material (whether in a plastic or other state) is obtained,
and the rods or blocks of carbon, or other material, delivered through the formers,
in a state of greater density, and better quality, and more rapidly than has
heretofore been accomplished.
The machine consists of say two cylinders A A¹, placed longitudinally, as
shown at Figure 1, and in reversed position in relation to each other. In each
cylinder works a piston or plunger a with a connecting rod-or rods-b; -in-the-
latter case the ends of the rods have right and left handed threads upon which
a sleeve c with corresponding threads, works.
This sleeve cis provided with a hand wheel, so that by the turning thereof the
stroke of the plungers a a and the size of the chambers A 4 is regulated so that
the quantity of material to be passed through the dies or formers is thereby
determined and may be indicated by suitable means.
The ends of the chambers A A¹ are suitably shaped and in front are fixed
the dies or formers d d which may have any suitable number of perforations
or apertures of the size or sizes shape or shapes of the carbon or other material
it is intended to mould.
The dies are held in position by clamp pieces e secured to the end of the
chambers A A¹ by screws or in any other convenient manner, and on each side
of these clamp pieces e e are guides, with grooves, in which moves a bar with
crosshead, which I term the guillotine, and which moves across the opening or
openings of the dies or formers and opening or closing the same in a manner
hereafter more particularly described.
Near the front end of the cylinders A A¹ are placed small pistons or valves ff
kept down in position by the weighted levers g g (Figure 2) which when the
pressure in the chamber exceeds that of the weighted levers connected to the said
piston or safety valve f the latter is raised and the guillotine bar h (Figure 2)
moved across the openings of the dies by the connecting rods h¹ h¹ and thereby
allowing the carbon or other material to be forced through the dies or formers.
In the backward movement of the piston a, a fresh supply of material is drawn
by atmospheric pressure through the hoppers B B' alternately, or it may be by
other means or in combination with other means. For example a valve may be
provided in the hopper so as to allow the supply to be drawn into the cylinder
and to be automatically closed in the return or pressure stroke of the plunger
at which time the dies or formers are uncovered but in the backward stroke,
when the supply of material is being drawn into the cylinder or chamber, the
perforations or apertures in the guillotine bar or slide h or both are closed,
the movement thereof shearing the carbous that had previously been compressed
and delivered.
At the end of the stroke the arms of the rocking levers (which are connected
by tension rod or rods with the tappet levers) are struck by the disc wheel or

page_text: regulator or other convenient part, the guillotine is moved back and replaced
over the opening or openings of the dies ready for the next charge as shown at
Figures 1, 2, and 3,
The plungers are operated by hydraulic, steam compressed air, or other pressure,
the inlet and outlet of such pressure being regulated or controlled by a suitable
valve or valves an example of which is shown at Figure 1 and provided with the
tappet levers i before referred to, hinged to the valve chest as shown, and in
part plan at Figure 4, and attached to spindles operating the slide valves and
struck alternately at the end of each stroke thus operating the valves and the
guillotine connections 2 and 3 Figures 1-2 and 3 as set forth.
The cylinders may advantageously be made in one or more parts, and the front
ends thereof, with connections, placed at an angle as shown at Figure 5 for the
more convenient delivery of the moulded articles.
It will be obvious that instead of weights upon the pressure levers g springs may
advantageously be applied and the machine itself may be single or double acting
and worked reciprocally from rotary motion through mechanical agency, manual,
or other power as before described.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same may be readily carried into effect I would have it understood
that I lay no claim to the form of valves for the admission of steam or other fluid
pressure as it will be obvious that they may be varied and modified but what
I do claim is;-
First. The employment of a sleeve with opposite screw threads or any mere
modification thereof for adjusting or regulating the area of the cylinders or com-
pression chambers and the consequent size of carbons or the like, and quantity
of material admitted thereto, in the manner, and for the purposes set forth, with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Second. The admission of the material, to the interior of the compression
chamber, by atmospheric pressure, created by the backward movement of the
plunger, as herein set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Third, The sealing or closing of the orifices of the dies or formers during the
compression of the plastic carbon or other material, whether in a plastic state or
otherwise, in the manner and by the means hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Fourth. The pressure valve together with its attachments for determining
the required density of the material undergoing compression, and for automatically
releasing or actuating the guillotine bar to allow of the delivery or shearing of
the moulded material as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Fifth The apparatus as shown either singly or double acting, whether worked
by hydraulic, steain, compressed air or other power for compressing carbons, or
other material, together with any mere modifications thereof as herein set forth
and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said William Cunliffe have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty Second day of May in the year of our Lord One
Witness
JAS FRED PHILLIPS of the firm of
Phillips & Leigh
22 Southampton Buildings
W.C.
WILLIAM CUNLIFFE, (LS.)