IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING UP CLAY AND SIMILAR PLASTIC MATERIALS INTO THE FORM OF BRICKS, TILES, OR BLOCKS."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Clayton and Henry Clayton, junior, both
i of the Atlas Works, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING UP CLAY
AND SIMILAR PLASTIC MATERIALS INTO THE FORM OF BRICKS, TILES, OR
BLOCKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clayton and
Henry Clayton, junior, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st June 1872.
We, HENRY CLAYTON and HENRY CLAYTON, junior, both of the
Atlas Works, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING UP CLAY AND SIMILAR PLASTIC MATERIALS INTO THE FORM OF BRICKS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clayton and
Henry Clayton, junior, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st June 1872.
We, HENRY CLAYTON and HENRY CLAYTON, junior, both of the
Atlas Works, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING UP CLAY AND SIMILAR PLASTIC MATERIALS INTO THE FORM OF BRICKS,
TILES, OR BLOCKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
cutting up clay and similar plastic materials into the form of bricks,
tiles, or blocks.

page_text: We employ for this purpose a table or surface which can be caused to
travel from side to side, and through a slot or opening which is formed
along the centre of the table a number of strained wires pass. These
wires, which are the cutters by which the clay or material is divided into
bricks, tiles, or blocks, are fixed to parts in connection with the table
and move with it. The clay or material is delivered continuously from a
die on to a series of rollers on which it travels forward. At this part of
the machine there is a single wire, which can be passed from side to side
between the rollers and through the clay or material, so as to cut off a
length sufficient to make several bricks, tiles, or blocks. This piece is
then moved forward by hand, and it is brought to the place where it is
to be cut upon the surface of the table. This surface or table top is
moveable, as already mentioned, and as soon as the piece of clay or
material has been brought forward upon it it is caused to move in a
transverse direction. The table is prevented from carrying a piece of
clay or material sideways with it by a resisting bar attached to the frame
of the machine, against which the piece rests. The cutting wires now
come into operation to divide the piece into a number of bricks, blocks,
or tiles. When the piece of clay or material is stopped in the manner
already described the wires, as they move with the table, come against
it and divide it. When the wires reach the resisting bar the movement
of the table ceases. The cut bricks, tiles, or blocks are now moved
forward off the table at the end on to a moveable board; this is done
partly in bringing forward the next piece to be cut, and partly by the
hand of the boy, who then takes away the board with the bricks, tiles, or
blocks upon it; thus the delivery is at the end of the table. The
receiving boards are arranged to slide in guides across the delivery end
of the machine; thus whilst the delivery of one lot of cut bricks, tiles,
or blocks is going on another piece of clay or material is detached and
moved forward into position on the table. This piece in turn is divided
up into bricks, tiles, or blocks in a similar way by the return or reverse
motion of the table top and wires as they are brought back to their
original position, the table being furnished with two supporting bars,
which operate alternately. The table top with the series of cutting
wires and the single wire may be moved together by one handle, or they
may be worked independently if they be moved simultaneously. The
distance of the single wire from the commencement of the series of wires
should exceed the length of the series.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Henry
Clayton and Henry Clayton, junior, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
CLAYTON and HENRY CLAYTON, junior, both of the Atlas Works, Harrow
Road, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Henry Clayton and Henry Clayton, junior, Her
special license, that we, the said Henry Clayton and Henry Clayton,
junior, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Henry Clayton and Henry Clayton, junior, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
POR CUTTING UP CLAY AND SIMILAR PLASTIC MATERIALS INTO THE FORM OF BRICKS,
TILES, OR BLOCKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Henry Clayton and Henry Clayton, junior, our executors or adminis
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 on or before the Twenty-third day of
December 1872.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Clayton, on behalf of myself
and the said Henry Clayton, junior, 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:—
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
cutting up clay and similar plastic materials into the form of bricks,
tiles or blocke

page_text: We employ for this purpose a table or surface which can be caused to
travel from side to side, and through a slot or opening which is formed
along the centre of the table a number of strained wires pass. These
wires, which are the cutters by which the clay or material is divided
into bricks, tiles, or blocks, are fixed to parts in connection with the
table and move with it. The clay or material is delivered continuously
with a die on to a series of rollers on which it travels forward. At this
part of the machine there is a single wire, which can be passed from side
to side between the rollers and through the clay or material, so as to cut
off a length sufficient to make several bricks, tiles, or blocks. This
piece is then moved forward by hand, and it is brought to the place
where it is to be cut upon the surface of the table. This surface or
table top is movable, as already mentioned, and after the piece of clay
or material has been brought forward upon it it is caused to move in a
transverse direction. The table is prevented from carrying the piece of
clay or material sideways with it by a resisting bar attached to the
frame of the machine, against which the piece rests. The cutting wires
now come into operation to divide the piece into a number of bricks,
blocks, or tiles. When the piece of clay or material is stopped in the
manner already described, the wires as they move with the table come
against it and divide it. When the wires reach the resisting bar the
movement of the table ceases. The cut bricks, tiles, or blocks are now
moved forward off the table at the end on to a movable board; this is
done by the hand of the boy, who takes away the boards with the bricks,
tiles, or blocks upon them. Thus the delivery is at the end of the table.
The receiving boards may be arranged to slide in guides across the
delivery end of the machine, or other similar arrangement may be made.
Thus whilst the delivery of one lot of cut bricks, tiles, or blocks is going
on another piece of clay or material is detached, and moved forward into
position on the table. This piece in turn is divided up into bricks, tiles,
or blocks, in a similar way by the return or reverse motion of the table
top and wires as they are brought back to their original position, the
table being furnished with two supporting bars which operate alternately.
The table top with the series of cutting wires and the single wire may be
moved together by one handle, or they may be worked independently if
they be moved simultaneously, and this arrangement is preferable. The
distance of the single wire from the commencement of the series of wires
should exceed the length of the series.

page_text: Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a side elevation of the cutting table
or machine, shewing it arranged with a cross slide frame for carrying
loose boards for receiving the bricks after they are cut; Figure 5 is an
end elevation without the cross slide frame; Figure 6 is an elevation of
the opposite end of the machine.
A, A, A, are the standards forming a part of the framework of the
cutting table, they are held together by the stays or stretchers B, B, B, B ;
C, C, are toothed rack frames sliding on guides C¹ cast upon the
standards A, A; D, D, are arched supports fixed to the rack frames C, C,
and serving to support the strain bars I; E, E, are segmental pinions
working into the toothed racks C, C; F is a shaft carrying the pinions
E, E, and the bow frame N; G is a metal plate table, it has a smooth
surface, and is fixed upon the side racks C, C. The table has a slot
centrally through part of its length, through which the series of wires J
pass. H, H, are the stationary resistance bars forming another portion
of the framework, they are carried by the standards A, A, and serve
alternately to hold the clay in position whilst being cut up into the size
of bricks; I is the lower pin bar screwed on or otherwise attached to a
stretcher bar (see Figure 8) which connects the two rack frames C, C;
Jare the series of cutting wires stretched between the strain bar I and the
pin bar I; K shew wire pins, thumb nuts, and india-rubber washers for
holding the top ends of and tightening the wires J; L is the front portion
of the machine forming another part of the framework and carrying the
receiving rollers M, M; N is the bow frame carrying the single wire N', this
frame is also the lever for actuating the central shaft F and the whole
of the movable parts and cutting wires simultaneously; O is a lubricating
roller working in an oil trough O', for oiling the under surface of the
clay as it passes over it; P is the oil vessel or reservoir, and P' an oil
catcher in connection with O and O'; Q, Q, are brackets for carrying
the bars forming a support for the loose boards at the end of the
machine; R shew the loose boards for receiving the bricks after they
are cut. A stream of clay of the required sectional area comes from

page_text: the die of the brick making machine on to the receiving rollers M, and
a sufficient quantity to make the number of bricks for which the table
is arranged is cut off by passing the bow frame N carrying the single
wire N' from one side to the other. This severed portion of clay is
then pushed forward by hand on to the portion of the plate table G
between the two resistance bars H, H. This piece of severed clay is
allowed to remain thus until another piece of the same length has been
expressed and delivered on to the rollers M, M, at which time the bow
frame is again operated to sever this newly exuded length of clay, and
at the same time it simultaneously transmits motion to the pinions E, E,
the racks C, C, the plate table G, and the wire bars I and I¹, as also to
the series of wires J, which in their motion across bring the piece of
clay upon the table to abutt against one of the resistance bars H, H,
and there hold it until the motion of the table is complete, and the
wires J have passed through the clay, cutting it into the size of bricks.
These bricks are then slidden by hand off the table and on to a board R
opposite the end of the table. The surfaces of the table and of the
board are on the same level, and with only a small space or interval
between them, and they are both kept well oiled. The piece of clay
detached from the stream issuing from the die is moved forward as
before by hand on to the table, and the return or reverse motion of
the bow frame and parts of the table accomplish a result identical with
that already described, so that both the backward and forward motions
are similar, and effect the desired results of cutting the pieces of clay,
and leaving the same in readiness to be discharged by hand. Each
board when filled with the cut bricks is lifted off and removed with the
cut bricks upon it, and is placed upon a barrow to be conveyed to the
drying ground, and an empty board is placed in position to receive the
next delivery of bricks.
The operation of lifting the boards loaded with bricks from the
machine and placing them upon barrows is however laborious, and one

page_text: table or machine arranged with a barrow or truck having a plane
boarded top for receiving the bricks after they are cut; in this side
elevation one of the resistance bars is not shewn in order that the cut
bricks and the method of applying the hand to move them forward
may be more clearly seen. The surface of the barrow is oiled, and the
bricks are slidden on to it in the same way as when loose boards are
used. When the barrow has received one length of clay cut into the
size of bricks, it is moved forward so as to present a clear space for
the reception of the next batch, and so on until the top of the barrow
or truck is fully charged, and when full it is conveyed to the drying
ground, and a clear barrow or truck is put into position, thus the
labour of lifting the bricks from the cutting table is avoided;
rails are
laid to guide into and keep the barrow in its proper position at the end
of the cutting table while being charged with bricks.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a suitable barrow.
Figures 8 shew separately the form of the stretcher bar connecting the
two rack frames C, C, represented in the general Drawings, and Figures
9 shew the construction of the top or strain bar in elevation and section.
Figures 10 shew a distancing plate to be placed upon the top of the
bar, Figure 9, and also the lower pin bar to be used in connection with
Figure 8. The series of wires J are capable of being set at any desired
distances apart, so as to cut bricks, blocks, or tiles, suitable distancing
plates being employed.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that we
claim, the construction and arrangement of machinery in such manner
that pieces of clay having been detached from a stream issuing from a
die can be slidden along a surface until they are brought between two
straight fixed bars (which we call resistance bars), and then divided
whilst they are supported by one or other of the said bars by a series
of wires which move across, first in one way and then in the other, and
operate to divide the clay at each traverse.
We also claim the connecting and combining the series of moving
wires with the single wire in such manner that they traverse simul-
taneously, and at one operation divide one piece of clay into bricks,
blocks, or tiles, and detach another piece suitable to be next operated on
from the stream of clay issuing from the die.

page_text: We also claim the construction and arrangement of machinery for
cutting up clay and similar plastic materials into the form of bricks,
tiles, or blocks, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Clayton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year t
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.