Improvements in and connected with Machinery for Making Bricks and similar articles from Plastic Clay.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Machinery for Making Bricks
and similar articles from Plastic Clay.
I SAMUEL JEFFERIES of the Standard and Lightpill Brick Works, Stroud in
the County of Gloucester, Engineer and Brick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of machinery in which bricks are made by
severing them with wires from a stream of plastic clay issuing from a die.
The bricks, as they are formed, are, in such machines, delivered to the side of
the machine, whence they are removed by hand, two persons being constantly
employed to lift the board whereon the recently cut bricks rest, bodily off the
machine onto a barrow, to be wheeled away.
According to my invention, I attach to the framing of the cutting table or carriage,
a frame composed of hinged parallel links, which, when operated upon a hand lever
or by suitable mechanism set in motion by the attendant, comes forward beneath
the board which carries the bricks, and lifts or slides it with its load onto a truck,
barrow, or travelling band, so arranged as to receive it.
To assist the lifting frame in clearing the board on its return, the front links are
jointed so as to give way and lower the front edge of the supporting bars or table,
the joints being afterwards straightened to prepare the frame for lifting or sliding
another load. The barrow or truck which I prefer to employ to receive the boards
with the bricks upon them, I propose to make on the incline, with rollers set therein,
so that the boards, when placed upon the barrow, will travel down the incline by
force of gravity, assisted by the delivery of a fresh lot of bricks, until the barrow
is full and ready for removal.
It is customary to keep the bottom of the advancing stream of clay well oiled, in
order that it may not adhere to the cutting table. This is effected automatically
by arranging a roller (or rollers) which rotates in an oil trough in the line of travel
of the advancing stream. The back or rest which bears against the side of the
stream of clay to resist the action of the cutting wires, and which also has to
be oiled, has hitherto been lubricated by hand. As, however, it is the object
of the present invention to economise labor as far as possible, I propose to arrange
a small roller rotating on a vertical axis in contact with the side of the stream of
clay, against which it is constantly pressed by a spring of suitable strength. In
connection with this roller, is an oil tank, which delivers a supply onto the roller;
thus, the attendant is relieved from the operation of oiling, so that, with the aid of
the mechanism above explained, he is able to superintend the machine generally,
and to load the bricks onto a barrow single handed, which before he could not do.
An economy in labor is thus effected, which is likely to have an appreciable effect
in the cost of production of bricks and analogous manufactures.
Dated this 31st day of March 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
. Improvements in and connected with Machinery for. Making Bricks
and similar articles from Plastic Clay.
I SAMUEL JEFFERIES of the Standard and Lightpill Brick Works, Stroud in
the County of Gloucester, Engineer and Brick Manufacturer, 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 statement:-
This invention relates to that class of machinery in which bricks are made by
. severing them with wires from a stream of plastic clay issuing from a die.
The bricks, as they are formed, are, in such machines, delivered to the side of
the machine, whence they are removed by hand, two persons being constantly
employed to lift the board' whereon the recently cut bricks rest, bodily off the
machine onto a barrow to be wheeled away.
According to my 'invention, I attach to the framing of the cutting table or
carriage, a frame composed of hinged parallel links, which, when operated upon by
a hand lever or by suitable mechanism set in motion by the attendant, comes
forward beneath the board which carries the bricks, and lifts it or slides it with its
load onto a truck, barrow, or travelling band, so arranged as to receive it.
To assist the lifting frame in clearing the board on its return, the front links are
jointed so as to give way and lower the front edge of the supporting bars or table,
the joints being afterwards straightened to prepare the frame for lifting or sliding
another load.
It is customary to keep the bottom of the advancing stream of clay oiled, in
order that it may not adhere to the cutting table. This is effected automatically
by arranging a roller (or rollers) which rotates in an oil trough in the line of travel
of the advancing stream. The back, or rest, which bears against the side of the
stream of clay, to resist the action of the cutting wires, and which also has to be oiled,
has hitherto been lubricated by hand. As, however, it is the object of the present
invention to economise labour as far as possible, I propose to arrange a small roller,
rotating on a vertical axis, in contact with the side of the stream of clay, against
which it is constantly pressed by a spring of suitable strength. In connection: with
this roller, is an oil tank, which delivers a supply onto the roller; thus, the attendant
is relieved from the operation of oiling, so that, with the aid of the mechanism
above explained, he is able to superintend the machine generally, and to load the
bricks onto a barrow single-handed, which before he could not do. An economy in
labour is thus effected, which is likely to have an appreciable effect on the cost of
production of bricks and analogous manufactures.
1
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my present improvements as
applied to a brick cutting machine which was shewn and described in the Specifica-
tion filed in connection with the Letters Patent granted to me No. 9216, dated
June 1st 1891.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine, shewing the toiling arrangements
for the stream of clay.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same, which shews the mechanism for removing;
the finished bricks from the machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Figs. 4 and 5 are side and plan views of detached portions of the brick-removing
mechanism.
"
The bricks having been severed from the stream, as described in the Specification
of the earlier Patent referred to, rest with their supporting board upon the arms c
at the side of the machine, whence they are removed by the parallel mechanism set

page_text: in action by the attendant, onto a travelling band, barrow, or equivalent conveyance,
not indicated in the drawing.
This parallel mechanism consists of a pair of horizontal rods M M', mounted in
bearings carried by brackets extending downward from the travelling table or
carriage B. To these rods M M are rigidly secured two pairs of upstanding
arms m m¹. Each pair m m' are connected by bars m³. The whole structure m m¹ m²
forms a parallel rocking frame. N is an arm keyed upon the rod M', and N¹ is an
arm mounted parallel to the arm N upon the shaft O, which is carried in any
suitable way in the machine. n is a link connecting the arms N N¹. n' is a
continuation link connecting with the cross head p, loosely mounted upon the
continuously rotating shaft P. p' is a ratchet wheel fast on the shaft P, and capable
of becoming locked with the crosshead p, by means of a spring pawl p² thereon,
when the latter is suffered to engage with the ratchet wheel. The engagement is
effected when the bell crank foot lever R, fulcrummed on the shaft O, is rocked by
the attendant, so as to clear the end r from the tail of the pawl p². The shaft P,
which is situated at right angles to the shaft F in suitable bearings, receives its
continuous rotation by means of a bevil wheel p³, which engages with a bevil wheel
formed on the boss of the continuously rotating spur-wheel E, which constitutes the
source of movement for the whole machine. Thus, when the cross head is locked
to the shaft P by means of the pawl and ratchet p³ p¹, the said cross-head is carried
round with the shaft, and causes, by means of the link rods n n', the parallel
mechanism on the rods M M' to move to and from the dotted position of Fig. 2.
This movement is complete in one revolution of the cross-head, which is disengaged
from the ratchet wheel p', and stopped by the bell crank lever R, released from the
attendant's foot, catching against the tail of the pawl p³, when one revolution is
completed.
The spring stops S, which normally engage with the edge of the brick supporting
board to prevent the latter from accidentally slipping off the machine, are depressed
at the moment of the brick removing apparatus coming into action, by means of a
lever c', the tail of which is tripped by a bowl m* on the side of the lever m.
The normal position of the brick-removing mechanism, is the drawn position of
When it is
Fig. 2, with the bars m³ underlying the board whereon the bricks rest.
desired to remove a load of newly severed bricks from the machine, the attendant
depresses the lever R, and sets the crosshead p rotating, as before explained. The
parallel lifting mechanism actuated by the links n n¹ is pushed over to the dotted
position, raising the bricks off the arms c, and depositing them on any suitable
conveyance placed for them. To facilitate the returning of the mechanism without
the bricks, the arms m¹ are made with elbows, which give way under the weight of
the bricks, in completing the forward movement, to clear the bars m' from the
board, and straighten again, under the influence of springs, during the backward
movement.
To prevent adhesion between the stream of clay and the table, the rollers b
rotating in the oil trough B', are used to deliver oil to the underside of the said
stream. The bridge D and the stop d I propose to supply with lubricant by means
of an oiling arrangement, such as I have shewn at Fig. 1 of the drawings.
T is a small oil tank bolted to the back of the bridge D. t t are branch pipes,
delivering, one (t) over the roller U, which is mounted on a vertical spindle standing
above a tray projecting from the oil trough B', the other (t¹) delivering onto the
door or stop d, the top of which is grooved to guide the oil in a proper direction.
The roller U is held elastically against the side of the stream of clay, with which it
is always lightly in contact, and to which it conveys sufficient lubricant to prevent
adhesion to the bridge D. The elastic mounting of the roller U is conveniently
managed as shewn in the drawing, where the spindle or axis of the roller U stands
upon a radial arm w, which turns loosely upon the vertical shaft W, save for the
coiled spring surrounding the latter, and attached to it at one end, while at the other
it is attached to the arm w, the tendency of the spring being to keep the roller U in
contact with the stream of clay.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In combination with a machine for producing bricks, by, severing them from a
stream of plastic clay, the employment of a brick-removing apparatus consisting of
a parallel rocking frame constructed, arranged, and operating, substantially as
explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The mechanism herein shewn and described, whereby sliding or lifting
apparatus for removing the severed bricks from the machine, is set in operation,
substantially as set forth.
3. The means for lubricating the stream of clay & the parts of the machine in
contact therewith, consisting of an oil tank and branches, and a spring roller
rotating in contact with the stream of clay, all arranged and operating substantially.
as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of January 1893
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.