IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES."—A communication from abroad by Albert Henry
Payne, of Leipsic, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th August 1878.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING
BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES," a communication to me from abroad by
Albert Henry Payne, of Leipsic, in the Empire of Germany, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for making a pressed brick or
similar article from semi-dry clay at each revolution of the mould, the

page_text: pressure being obtained from a fixed eccentric acting on a mould or
moulds fixed between two discs so as to form a drum, and revolving
against a pressure from a plate or plates on the outside of such mould or
moulds.
In carrying out this Invention the clay enters a mould contained in
the upper one of two drums, which drum with its mould having moved
forward or round a short distance meets a stirrup plate or pressing
surface, which hanging freely and kept in its position by a counterweight
is carried forward by two pins fixed in two springs on either side of the
said upper drum. After this drum containing the mould with the
stirrup plate over it has made somewhat less than half a revolution,
during which the clay in the mould has been compressed by a stationary
eccentric in the centre of the drum, the two springs on which are fixed
the two pins holding the stirrup plate are forced back by two revolving
arms, thus releasing the stirrup plate, which, by means of the counter-
weight returns to its original position again. The clay having now been
pressed to the extent of say one inch passes into another mould
contained in a lower drum rotated by toothed gearing, which drives also
the upper drum, which in revolving meets a carriage mounted on wheels
or rollers, and provided with four pins which are caught by two!
revolving arms. This carriage travels over a concave block in the
shape of a half circle, and resists the pressure given by an eccentric in
the centre of the lower drum, and acting on a plunger fitted with anti-
friction rollers. On arriving at the opposite end of the semicircular
block the carriage recedes from the mould by the action of receding :
plains in the said block. The carrriage is then moved back to the other
side of the block into its original position again by a counterweight, and
allows the brick to be ejected by the eccentric, to be taken away either
by hand or by falling on an endless band.
The oiling of the mould in the upper drum may be effected by the
eccentric movement of a brush, whilst the lower or second mould may
be oiled by means of a roller.
The above description applies to a machine for making a single
pressed brick on its flat or broad side at each revolution, but it is
obvious that by admitting a double quantity of clay and using a suitable
mould two bricks may be made at once, so as to be pressed on their

page_text: In some cases the pressure in the upper mould may be increased, or
the upper part and mould may even be dispensed with, the brick being
completed in one mould by suitably increasing the pressure in that
mould.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES,” a
communication to me from abroad by Albert Henry Payne, of Leipsic,
in the Empire of Germany, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-

page_text: panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates to a machine for making a pressed brick or
similar article from semi-dry clay at each revolution of the mould.
In carrying out this Invention the clay enters a mould contained in
the upper one of the two drums, which drum with its mould having
moved forward or round a short distance meets a stirrup plate or
pressing surface, which hanging freely and kept in its position by a
counterweight is carried forward by two pins fixed in two springs on
either side of the said upper drum. After this drum containing the
mould with the stirrup plate over it has made somewhat less than half a
revolution, during which the clay in the mould has been compressed by
a stationary eccentric in the centre of the drum, the two springs on
which are fixed the two pins holding the stirrup plate are forced back
by two revolving arms, thus releasing the stirrup plate, which, by means
of the counterweight returns to its original position again. The clay
having now been pressed to the extent of say one inch passes into
another mould contained in a lower drum rotated by toothed gearing,
which drives also the upper drum, which in revolving meets a carriago
mounted on wheels or rollers, and provided with four pins which are
caught by two revolving arms. This carriage travels over a concave
block in the shape of a half circle, and resists the pressure given by an
eccentric in the centre of the lower drum, and acting on a plunger fitted
with antifriction rollers. On arriving at the opposite end of the semi-
circular block the carriage recedes from the mould by the action of
receding planes in the said block. The carriage is then moved back to
the other side of the block into its original position again by a counter-
weight, and allows the brick to be ejected by the eccentric, to be taken
away either by hand, or by falling on an endless band.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall ;
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, of my Drawings represents a side elevation of one
form of machine embodying my Invention, and Figure 2 an end view
A represents a mould, into which clay enters from a funnel or
of same.

page_text: •
other suitable contrivance placed above the same, and which is
contained between and forms part of the upper one B of two drums B
and C, mounted freely on shafts D and E, running in bearings 1—2, in
the frames F, F, and furnished with teeth at their circumferences, the
said drums being driven by two toothed pinions G and H gearing into
them, and into each other, mounted on shafts I, J, running in bearings
3 and 4 in the frames F, F, and the whole driven by suitable power
from without by means of a belt acting on the fast pulley 11, fixed to
the shaft J. K is a stirrup plate carried freely on the shaft D, and kept
in its normal position thereon by means of arms on both sides of the
upper drum B connected with the stirrup plate K, and with counter-
balance weights L, L, as shewn; M, M, are bent springs fixed at one
end to the arms of the upper drum B, and provided at their other ends
with projecting catch pins N, N; O, O, are arms or wipers fixed on
the shaft D, for striking against the springs M, M, (as hercin-after
described); P is an eccentric fixed on the shaft D, which acting on the
roller 5 carried by the plate or piston Q (during the revolution of the
drum B) forces the latter into the mould A (for the purpose herein-after*
described).
In the lower drum C A¹ represents a mould similar to the mould A
in the upper drum B, having a projecting catch pin R on each side,
and containing a plate or piston Q' provided with rollers 6 and 7;
P is an eccentric fixed on the shaft E for actuating the piston Q¹,
as in the case of that described for the piston Q of the upper drum B;
S is a fixed concave or semicircular block having formed thereon at
its two ends receding planes x and y; T is a carriage furnished with
four arms U, V, and travelling by means of rollers 8, 9, and 10 over
the concave block S, the said carriage being either moved from or
kept at its normal position on the receding plane of the concave
block S by means of hinged arms W, W, in connection with counter-
balance weights X, X, springs Z, Z, and inclined catches y¹, y¹, on the
concave block S (in the manner herein-after described).
A single brick is pressed or made during one revolution of the
machine above described, as follows:-Semi-dry clay in a granulated
form is supplied to the mould A, which with the drum B revolves
on the shaft D in the direction of the arrow; on arriving immediately
underneath or opposite to the stirrup plate K (which has hitherto
remained stationary on the shaft D) the projecting catch pins N, N,

page_text: of the springs M, M, having moved with the drum B will come in
contact with the arms carrying the stirrup plate K. The mould A
and stirrup plate K will now proceed together and the roller 5
beginning to ascend the inclined surface of the fixed eccentric P,
the plate or piston Q is pushed into and compresses the clay in the
mould A, the stirrup plate K acting as a cover or pressure plate to
the same. After the clay has been compressed by this means to
the extent, say, of one inch, the arms or wipers O, O, strike against
the springs M, M, and pressing upon them release the catch pins
N, N, from the arms of the stirrup plate K, which by means of the
counterweights L, L, then leaves the mould A. and returns to its
original position. By the continued revolution of the drums B and C
the mouths of the moulds A and A¹..at length arrive opposite one
another, and the clay is ejected from the mould A into the mould A¹,
the latter continuing to revolve with the drum C in the direction:
of the lower arrow arrives at the receding plane x on the concave
block S when it meets with the carriage T, and by means of the
catch pins R, R, striking against the hinged arms W, W, carries
the carriage along with it over the concave surface of the block S,
at the same time the rollers 6 and 7 on the plate or piston'Q' ascend
the inclined surface of the fixed eccentric P¹, thereby forcing forward
the piston Q, and compressing the clay in the mould A¹ to the shape
and thickness of the brick required, the carriage T meanwhile acting as
a cover or pressure plate to the mould A³, as in the case of the stirrup
plate K before described. Having now arrived at the receding plane y
on the concave block S the carriage T recedes from the mould A³, and at
the same time the hinged arms W, W, are separated by the inclined
catches y¹, y¹, on the block S sufficiently far to allow the catch pins R, R,
to pass them, which having done they are again closed by the springs Z, Z,
and the carriage T returns to its normal position on the receding plane x.
The finished brick with the mould A¹ having then travelled a short
distance further is ejected by the eccentric P¹ to be taken away either
by hand or by falling on an endless band.
The oiling of the mould in the upper drum B may be effected by the
eccentric movement of a brush, and of that in the lower drum O by
means of a roller.
The above description applies to a machine for making a single
pressed brick on its flat or broad side at each revolution of the machine,

page_text: but by using a different mould and admitting a double quantity of
clay two bricks may be made at once, so as to be pressed on their
narrow side.
In some cases the pressure in the upper mould may be increased,
or the upper drum and mould may even be dispensed with, the brick
being completed in one mould by suitably increasing the pressure
therein. To accomplish this I employ another form or modification
of my Invention, whereby one or any number of bricks or similar
articles may be pressed during each revolution of the machine, and
which I will now proceed to describe.
Figure 1 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings represents a side elevation
of a machine for pressing one or more bricks during each revolution,
and without the use of the upper drum or mould, and Figure 2 is
an end sectional elevation of same. A represents a stationary shaft
fixed in bearings B, B, bolted to a bed plate O; D is a toothed
spur wheel mounted on the shaft A midway between the bearings
B, B; E, E, are circular discs also mounted on the shaft A, one at
each side and at a suitable distance from the spur wheel D;
F, F, are the moulds for shaping the bricks, arranged at the periphery
and on each side of the spur wheel D, their inner ends being formed
by the said spur wheel D, their outer ends by the discs E, E, and
their two sides by tapering wedge pieces or blocks G, G, &c., secured
at the proper distances apart between the spur wheel D and the discs
E, E, by means of bolts H, H, &c., passing right through, and secured
by nuts on the outsides of the discs E, E, as shewn. The whole
revolving on the shaft A (in the direction shewn by the arrow) by
means of the spur pinion 1 and pulley 2 fixed on shaft 3, and driven
by suitable power from without. I, I, I, &c., are lids or covers to
and form (when shut down) the faces of the moulds F, F, they are
provided with hooks Q, Q, Q, &c., which slide over bars K, K, rigidly
fixed to each of the bearings B, B, and bent, as shewn in Figure 2, for
the purpose of opening and closing the lids or covers I, I, &c., at the
proper times, as herein-after described. L, L, &c., are rollers mounted
on the lids or covers I, I, for the purpose of keeping the same tightly
closed when travelling over the resisting channels or rails M, as herein-
after described.

page_text: thickness; they are provided with rollers x, x, running in contact with
the edges of two eccentrics O, O, keyed or otherwise fixed to the
shaft A (one on each side of the spur wheel D); P, P, aro funnels
suitably arranged at the top of the machine for feeding the mouths
F, F, F, &c., with semi-dry clay in a granulated form.
The manner in which the bricks are made by the apparatus above
described is as follows:- The lids I, I, of the two topmost moulds F, F,
(one on each side of the spur wheel D) being open, owing to the.
position of their hooks Q, Q, on the bars K, K, semi-dry clay in a
granulated, form is supplied to the said moulds F, F, through the
funnels P, P. By the revolution of the machine the moulds F, F, now
move towards the point a of the resisting channels or rails M, M, until
their lids or covers I, I, arrivo at the points y on the fixed bars K, K,
when (their hooks Q, Q, being forced to follow the bends in the latter)
they are gradually closed until they reach the points a of the resisting
rails M, M, when they are closely shut down upon the discs E, E, and
slightly press upon the clay in the moulds F, F. The rollers L, L,
mounted on the lids I, I, now enter upon and revolve hard against the
resisting channels or rails M, M, thus keeping the lids tightly closed.
Simultaneously the rollers x, x, on the plates or pistons N, N, begin |
to ascend the inclined surface of the eccentrics O, O, and by the
continued revolution of the machine the plates or pistons N, N, aro
forced into the moulds F, F, and press the clay therein into the shape
and thickness of the bricks required. By the time this operation is
effected the moulds F, F, with their lids or covers I, I, and rollers L, L,
will have reached the points b, b, of the resisting rails M, M, and will
be leaving the same at this point also, the hooks Q, Q, will be
compelled to follow the bends in the fixed bars K, K, the lids or
covers I, I, being thereby opened until they reach the points c on the
bars K, K, when they will be fully open. Simultaneously the
rollers x, x, will have arrived at the points Z on the eccentrics O, O,
and will begin to ascend the steeper surface of same, thereby forcing
the plates or pistons N, N, to the mouths of the moulds F, F, and
pushing out the finished bricks into the position shewn by red lines
in Figure 1, ready for removal from the machine. The plates or pistons
N, N, now remain during a short period of the revolution of the
machine on the elevated portion of the eccentrics O, O, for the purpose
of being oiled, and then descend to their original position for a fresh
charge of clay and a repetition of the operation.

page_text: a pressure from a plate plates on the outside of such mould or
moulds.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth
day of February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.