Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Blocks or Briquettes of Fuel or Materials for Smelting or Analogous Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 29th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 1st Nov., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Blocks or
Briquettes of Fuel or Materials for Smelting or Analogous
Purposes.
We, JOHN ARTHUR YEADON, of 4 Albion Place, Leeds, in the County of York, and
ROBERT MIDDLETON, of Sheepscar Foundry, Meanwood Road, Leeds, in the County
of York, both Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BLOCKS OR BRIQUETTES OF FUEL ÖR
MATERIALS FOR SMELTING OR ANALOGOUS PURPOSES, to be as follows:-
This improvement relates and is applicable to a machine fitted with a revolving
mould plate which receives the necessary intermittent motions from centre to centre
of the inoulds.
It is well known that whenever such a plate is not correctly moved and afterwards
held firmly in its exact place serious consequences may occur.
The object of our invention is to produce better and more accurate results in the
mode of rotating and afterwards holding such a plate, and also in automatically
cleaning such parts as tend, when dirty or clogged, to spoil the accuracy of the
movements.
We accomplish our object as follows:-We fix a ratchet wheel on the axis of the
mould plate, and mount the ratchet-pawl on any suitable vibrating piece, giving
motion thereto by an eccentric, crank, or cam, as may be found most convenient.
On the edge of such a revolving mould plate we arrange a series of indentations
whose relative positions so correspond with those of the moulds in the plate that
whenever a mould is in position the indentation is opposite the detent.
The detent is firmly fitted and arranged to slide in a guide, and a spring is so
arranged that the detent-in the absence of any counteracting force is always
pressing against the side of the revolving plate, ready to enter the next indentation.
This pressure which acts as a brake is regulated by a spring, which we prefer for this
reason to make spiral. The counteracting force before-mentioned may be exerted by
a cam fitted on a suitable shaft which actuates a tappet lever so connected with the

page_text: detent and its spring, that, whenever a forward movement of the revolving mould
plate is to take place, the detent is withdrawn and held out of gear until the indenta-
tion has travelled forward. The cam then releases the spring; the brake action
commences, and the detent is ready to enter the next indentation when such arrives in
position. The connection between the tappet lever and the spring-gear is arranged so
that certain nuts on a screwed rod permit an exact adjustment of the tappet lever to
be made, and thus, without any alteration of the cam, the withdrawal of the detent
may be arranged and adjusted to take place exactly at the time required. Adjustments
for wear and tear are made in the same way.
In order to automatically clear away any foreign matter which may accumulate in
the indentations we mount a brush, preferably on the mechanism which expels
the briquette so that each indentation gets brushed and cleared out as it passes
such brush.
The latent itcalf way he arrowed and this nuatuatul from list

page_text: We, JOHN ARTHUR 1 EADON, OI 4 AIDIon lace, Leeds, in the County of Iork, and
ROBERT MIDDLETON, of Sheepscar Foundry, Meanwood Road, Leeds, in the County
of York, both Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statenient :—
This improvement relates and is applicable to a machine fitted with a revolving
mould-plate which receives the necessary intermittent motions from centre to centre
of the moulds.
It is well known that whenever such a plate is not correctly moved and afterwards
held firmly in its exact place serious consequences may occur.
The object of our invention is to produce better and more accurate results in the
mode of rotating and afterwards holding such a plate, and also in automatically
cleaning such parts as tend, when dirty or clogged, to spoil the accuracy of the
movements.
We accomplish our object as follows; and in order to fully explain ourselves we
have annexed three sheets of drawings. Fig. 1. is a front elevation-partly in section-
showing the Brush, the Detent, the Revolving Mould-plate and the mechanism
actuating it. Fig. 2. is a side sectional elevation of the revolving Mould-plate and its
mechanism. Fig. 3. is a side elevation of the Cam and gear for actuating the Detent-
and Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the Brush, which is here shown mounted on the gear
that we use for expelling the briquette from the mould-plate. The same letters refer
to the same parts in all the Figures and the arrows denote the direction of revolutions.
We fix and key a ratchet wheel B, on the boss A¹ of the Mould-plate A, which in its
turn is mounted on the shaft A, and mount the ratchet-pawl (), on any suitable
vibrating piece D. On examination of Fig. 2, it will be seen that there are two plates D.,
these are mounted one on each side of the ratchet wheel and are free to turn on the
boss A. The Pawl-which is mounted between the plates D. as shown-acts mainly by
gravity, but a spring C₁ is arranged to quicken its action. Diametrically opposite
the pawl hinge-pin (or thereabouts) is connected the first of a series of links E, E,
and E which couple up-forming a universal joint-to a bell-crank lever F, overhead-
Turning to Fig. 2, it will be seen that this bell-crank lever F. is caused to vibrate by
an eccentric on the shaft G. correctly timed as to its revolutions, thus conveying the
necessary rocking motion to the pawl C. We make the shaft F¹ on which the

page_text: bell-crank lever F. rides of such a strength as to yield very slightly when the eccentric is
passing its far centre, thus guaranteeing that the mould-plate is held tightly against
its detent at this important time. In order the better to accomplish this we arrange
that a screwed end of the eccentric rod H, which passes through a rocking pin, is
fitted on each side with washers and adjusting nuts H' and H. This simple arrange-
ment renders no other adjusting parts necessary, being sufficient for ordinary work,
& also taking up wear and tear. Bolts at B and B³-in addition to the other pins,-
assist in holding the two plates D, together.
On the edge of the revolving mould-plate A, we arrange a series of indentations A
whose relative positions so correspond with those of the moulds A' in the plate that
whenever a mould is in position an indentation is opposite the detent K. The
detent K. is firmly mounted and arranged to slide in a guide K' on which is fixed the
fulcrum of the bell-crank lever I. This latter lever engages with a joint on the end of
the screwed rod M. which is drawn down by a spring and is actuated by another
lever N. see Fig. 3. This lever N. has its fulcrum at N¹ and its further end is
depressed by a suitable cam O, which is arranged to revolve at the time and speed
required to withdraw the detent at the proper intervals. The cam 0, and the toe end
of the lever N, are so formed that the detent is not only drawn back but is also
positively held out of gear during the proper intervals. The other end of the lever N,
embraces the screwed rod M. and bears against the nuts and washer provided at M²
for the purpose of exact adjustment between the cam and the detent. The rod M. has
also another washer and set of nuts M³ near its foot for adjusting the intensity with
which the spring is to act. The spring M bears against the top of the box encasing
it, which is bolted to any convenient portion of the frame of the machine.
Following out the effect produced by these various parts it will be seen that when a
forward movement of the mould-plate is to take place the detent is drawn back by the
action of the cam and released as soon as the indentation has passed-When released
the toe end of the detent-previous to entering the next indentation-presses against
the periphery of the mould-plate and acts as a brake. The intensity of this brake
action is governable by the nuts M³ as previously described. These nuts M³ and
those at M² form an important double adjustment for regulating the ordinary work
and also for taking up wear and tear. Sufficient clearance must be left between
the end of the rod N. and the top of the spring box. This is shown too close on the
drawing.
The Brush Qis mounted on a sliding ram which expels the finished briquette from
our mould-plate as shown in Fig. 4. The sliding ram is coupled up by an arm to a
bell-crank lever R which receives the necessary motion from cams on the shaft G.
We prefer to mount the brush so that adjustments may be made as wear and tear takes
place here shown fitted with nuts Q and Q².
It will be understood that as each briquette gets expelled the indentation above it
gets brushed clean.
In order to protect the indentations when thus cleaned out a covering plate
may extend down from the brush to the Detent K, but in practice a small
plate fitted at S-see Fig. 1., which stands over and shields the detent, is found
sufficient.
In describing some of the details of our inventions we have explained how we have
fitted them to the parts of our existing machinery, but of course other modifications
could easily be made to suit other machines.
The spring M. may be combined with and assisted by a weight where such
additional constant power is thought desirable.
Although we attach a distinct value to each of the combination of parts that form
first the Brush and its gear and adjustments-second-the Shielded Spring Detent
gear with its double adjustment and-third-the Mould-plate traversing gear with its
adjustment and Spring-assisted gravity pawl-yet the fact remains that the improved
results obtainable by the accurate movements and lockings of our mould plate
depend upon the joint action of all these parts working in combination in the
one machine.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is —
1. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel or materials for
smelting or analogous purposes-the introduction of a Brush or other such scraper for
clearing out indentations used for accurately stopping a revolving mould-plate by an
advancing detent, substantially as described herein and shown on the drawings, with
the object and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel or materials for
smelting or analogous purposes-the combination of the brush mounted on the briquette
expelling gear, substantially as described herein and shown on the drawings, with the
object and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel or materials for
smelting or analogous purposes-the combination of parts forming the mould-plate
traversing gear with the spring-and-gravity pawl and the one adjustment only on the
screwed end of the eccentric rod H, substantially as described herein and shown on
the drawings, with the object and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel or materials for
smelting or analogous purposes-the combination of parts forming the Shielded Spring
Detent gear with double adjustments for the purpose of regulating the toe end of the
lever N, against the cam, and for adjusting the strength of the spring so as to vary
the intensity of its brake action-substantially as described herein and shown on the
drawings, with the object and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel or materials for
smelting or analogous purposes the combination of the adjustable Mould-plate
traversing gear, and the Brush and its gear, substantially as described herein, and
shown on the drawings, with the object and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks or briquettes of fuel or materials for
smelting or analogous purposes-the combination of parts forming-first—the
adjustable Mould-plate traversing gear with spring-and-gravity pawl; second-
the Shielded Double Adjustable Spring Detent Gear; and--third-the Brush and
its gear, arranged, constructed and operated, substantially as described herein
and shown on the drawings, with the object and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Twenty eighth day of September 1887.
ROBT. MIDDLETON.
JNO. A. YEADON.