IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Cowdery, of Cranley, in the County of
Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR MAKING BRICKS."
Sealed the 24th August 1866, and dated the 28th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Cowdery at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th February 1866.
I, GEORGE COWDERY, of Cranley, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR, MAKING BRICKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for making
bricks, whereby they may be made with greater rapidity and in a more
efficient manner than by the methods ordinarily in use. I propose to form a
ring or rings of brick moulds in a solid cylinder or drum, and by preference
I form twenty moulds round, and place two abreast .or.side by side, making
two rings of twenty brick moulds, each formed into a solid cylinder.or drum,
which cylinder or drum revolves horizontally with a shaft through its centre.
On the top part of this cylinder or drum I place a hopper for receiving the
brick earth, and within this hopper a triangular cam and round feeding

page_text: rollers for filling the brick moulds as they revolve. On the inner side of the
cylinder or drum I place, on each side of the arms thereof, a ring of cogs to
work a pressing roller and also a pressing out roller. At the back of these
rings of cogs I form a sinking opposite each brick mould for the purpose of
raising or lowering the loose bottoms working within the brick moulds, thereby
regulating the thickness of brick before being pressed. The brick moulds as
they are filled pass without the hopper (the clay being cut off as much as
may be found necessary above them), and then come in contact with a
pressing barrel or roller on which are moveable parts for obtaining a flat
pressure, and at the same time in contact with the pressing roller worked by
the inner ring of cogs before named, so that both beds of brick are pressed
at one and the same time, and the amount of pressure is at will; the kick or
indent is also given at the same time on one bed. As the moulds come under
the shaft on which they revolve the bricks are pressed out of the moulds on
to a carrying-off strap or band (by a triangular cam worked by the inner ring
of cogs before named), from which they are taken to be dried and burnt. The
machine may be worked by horse, steam, or water power, and be made
portable or not, as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Cowdery in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
'COWDERY, of Cranley, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Cowdery, Her special licence that I, the said George
Cowdery, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the
said George Cowdery, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS," upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said George Cowdery, 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 George Cowdery, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what. manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following:
statement:-
:
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for making
bricks, whereby they may be made with greater rapidity and in a more:
efficient manner than by the methods ordinarily in use. I propose to form a
ring or rings of brick moulds in a solid cylinder or drum, and by preference I
form twenty moulds round, and place two abreast or side by side, making two:
rings of twenty brick moulds, éach formed into a solid cylinder or drum,
which cylinder or drum revolves horizontally with a shaft through its centre..
On the top part of this cylinder or drum: I place a hopper for receiving the
brick earth, and within this hopper a triangular cam' and round feeding rollers
for fitting the brick moulds as they revolve. On the inner side of the cylinder
or drum I place, on ench side of the arms thereof, a ring of cogs to work a
pressing roller and also a pressing out roller. At the back of these rings of
cogs I form a sinking opposite cach brick mould; for the purpose of raising
or lowering the loose bottoms working within the brick moulds, thereby
regulating the thickness of brick before being pressed. The brick moulds as
they are fitted pass without the hopper (the clay being cut off as much as may
be found necessary above them), and then come in contact with a pressing
barrel or roller on which are moveable parts for obtaining a flat pressure, and
at the same time in contact with the pressing roller worked by the inner ring.
of cogs before named, so that both beds of bricks are pressed at one and the.
same time, and the amount of pressure is at will; the kick or indent is also
given at the same time on one bed. As the moulds come under the shaft on
which they revolve the bricks are pressed out of the moulds on to a carrying-off
strap or band (by a triangular cam worked by the inner ring of cogs before
named), from which they are taken to be dried and burnt. The machine may
be worked by horse, steam, or water power, and to be made portable or not..
In order to explain my said Invention more completely I annex the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 representing a side elevation of the
machine, and Fig. 2 a vertical section of part thereof.

page_text: à is a roller or drum formed by twenty brick moulds round a shaft and two.
abreast, making forty moulds; b, a pressure barrel round which are ten
moveable parts for obtaining a flat pressure, each moveable part being two
bricks in length; d, d, d, three triangular cam (feeding) rollers working. on the
top of drum a and within a hopper; e, one round roller on which are projections.
working within the moulds and hopper. A regulator knife must be placed:
immediately outside the hopper, and also a cleaning knife or scraper below
the small barrel b; these are not shewn in the Drawing; f is an. eccentric.
inside the drum a; f¹ is a second eccentric in the drum; g is the incline for
the loose bottoms of brick moulds outside the drum a; his the sand barrel
sieve above the pressure barrel 6; i is the sand box; k, the whalebone brush
at the end of the drum a; and is the carrying-off strap. The earth being
shovelled into the hopper passes under the rollers and cams d, d, d, and e;' by
these means the moulds are well filled, and as they pass without the hopper a
knife regulates the quantity of earth required to stand outside the moulds for
pressure, and as they pass the line of contact with small pressure barrel b they
also. come in contact with the eccentric f, obtaining at the same time the.
pressure on each bed of the brick; the amount of pressure is at will up to
two inches. A cleaning knife or scraper below the small pressure barrel b
cleans off any superfluous earth from the drum. As the bricks come beneath
the drum shaft each pair are pressed out of the moulds by eccentric f¹ on to
the carrying-off strap that conveys them clear of the machine. As the
bricks are pressed out the loose bottoms (working within the moulds, and
being coupled to an iron that projects outside the drum) fall on to an
incline g, and as the drum revolves are brought back to the required depth
ready for refilling. The sand sieve h is to prevent adhesion of earth to
the pressure barrel b. The sand brush k is to prevent adhesion of earth to the
bottom of the moulds. The machine therefore works by a rolling process;
every part working horizontally and in perfect unison; great pressure is
obtained with little expenditure of power. The action being continuous the
machine performs nearly double the work of other machines, and less power
is required to effect the same amount of pressure given by other machines.
The bricks are made nearly dry. The presence of small stone or shale
is of no importance, and a perfect brick with one indent on its bed is
produced.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I
do not limit myself to the precise details or configuration of parts I have
expressed and shewn, as the same may be slightly varied or modified without

page_text: in any way departing from the principles on which my Invention is based, but
what I claim as my Invention and desire to be secured to me by the herein
in part recited Letters Patent are, the general arrangement and construction
of parts constituting a machine for making bricks by a continuous rolling
process, and producing them nearly in a dry state, and with one indent in
their beds, by great pressure, but with less power than is required by other
machines, nearly double the quantity of work being produced than by other
machines, substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Cowdery, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. VINE,
Clerk to H. C. Adams, Solr.,
Exmouth.
GEORGE COWDERY. (L.B.)