IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS AND TILES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Roberts, of Falmouth, Builder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS AND TILES."
Sealed the 14th November 1856, and dated the 26th May 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
May 1856.
I, JOHN ROBERTS, of Falmouth, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of
the Invention for IMPROVELIENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS AND
TILES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a peculiar combination of mechanical parts
into a machine for moulding bricks and tiles. For this purpose, there are at.
intervals in a circular track separate sets or series of moulds formed or fixed.
Each mould consists of a rectangular or other form of box, according to the
shape of bricks or tilos to be made therein. Each mould bas within it a piston
or moveable bottom, which, when the clay or brick earth is introduced into the
mould, is in the lowest position. A heavy roller or rollers is made to revolve
around tho circular track, and to press on the clay or brick earth, when such
roller or rollers pass over a series of the moulds, set or fixed in the circular
track, and when such roller or rollers have passed over and pressed the clay
into a set or series of moulds, one or both of them in passing over the end of a

page_text: lever (to which all the pistons of the series of moulds are connected) will cause
the lever to raise the whole of the pistons of sucli series, and thus lift the
bricks or tiles above the upper edges of the moulds into a convenient position
to be removed by hand. The clay or brick earth it is preferred should only
be slightly moist, and in such condition as to admit of its being shovelled into
the moulds by hand. The roller or rollers, having passed away from the lever
of the previous set er series of moulds, will then come to and press on the clay
or brick earth, which has been filled into another set or series of moulds, and
so on all round the circular track.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said John Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN ROBERTS,
of Falmouth, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the fear of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant into me, the
said John Roberts, 1er special licence that. I, the said John Roberts, my,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Roberts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreo
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 IOR
MOULDING BRICKS AND TILES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Roberts, John Roberts, 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 John Roberts, 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
thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention has for its object a peculiar combination of mechanical parts
into a machine for moulding bricks and tiles. For this purpose, there are at
intervals in a circular track separate sets or series of moulds formed or fixed.
Each mould consists of a rectangular or other form of box, according to the
shape of bricks or tiles to be made therein. Each mould has within it a piston
or moveable bottom, which, when the clay or brick earth is introduced into
the mould is in the lowest position. A heavy roller or rollers is made to revolve
around the circular track, and to press on the clay or brick earth, when such
roller or rollers pass over a series of the moulds set or fixed in the circular
track; and when such roller or rollers have passed over and pressed the clay
into a set or series of moulds, one or both of them in passing over the end of a
lever (to which all the pistons of the series of moulds are connected) will cause
the lever to raise the whole of the pistons of such series, and thus lift the brick's
or tiles above the upper edges of the moulds into a convenient position to be
removed by band. The clay or brick earth it is preferred should only be
slightly moist, and in such condition as to admit of its being shovelled into the
moulds by hand. The roller or rollers having passed away from the lever of
the previous set or series of moulds will then come to and press on the clay or
brick carth, which has been filled into another set or series of moulds, and so
on all round the circular track.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a plan of machinery combined according to my Invention ;
and Figure 2 shews a side elevation partly in section. a is a circular track
on which are fixed series of moulds bat intervals, the form of moulds being
according to the shape of bricks or tiles to be made. Each set of moulds is
provided with moveable bottoms (one for each mould) which are connected to
the bar c, so that they may be all simultaneously lifted by the lever d.
In Figure 2 one set of the moulds and apparatus used therewith are shown,
and the several sets of moulds (the positions of which are in the Drawing,
Figure 1) are similarly provided. e is a roller, which is moved round on the
track a by means of the frame f, which receives motion from a steam engine
or other power by means of the shaft g, the cog wheel h, and circular toothed
rack fixed on the frame f. The clay or brick earth is filled into the moulds,
and the roller e presses the same into the moulds as it rolls over them.
scraper, which, following the roller e, removes any excess of clay or brick earth
from the moulds; and j is a smaller roller, which acts as a balance to prevent
is a

page_text: the cutter from rising; is a pressing plate attached to the bar c, and is raised
at the same time by the lever d. The roller in its further progress passes
over and presses down the plate k, which completes the pressure; e then passes
on and presses down the lever d, by which all the moveable bottoms of the
moulds will be raised with the bricks or tiles thereon; the whole of the pistons
and bar c are kept up by the stop 1, which works by a spring, and is removed
by the treadle m as soon as the bricks or tiles are taken away. n are small
rollers fixed to the frame o, to which the cutter or scraper is attached.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details shewn and
described; but what I claim is the combination of machinery herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN VIGURS, Surgeon,
Falmouth.
JOHN ROBERTS. (L.S.)