IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DEICKS AND DRICK LILED, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE.
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bunnett, of Deptford, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
DEICKS AND
DRICK
LILED, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE.."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bunnett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1861.
I, JOSEPH BUNNETT, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND TILES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be
as follows::
These improvements relate to the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and similar
articles of a superior description, and consist in a novel method of treating
and preparing the clay, and in the machinery employed for forming and
perfecting the manufactured article. The clay is, in the first instance, pugged
or ground in contact with steam, after which it passes into a second pug mill
of the ordinary description, in which it is sufficiently tempered for immediate
use. The clay is then fed into the pressing machine, which consists of a drum
revolving eccentrically within a cylindrical casing; around the periphery of
the drum there are a series of pistons which are successively projected and
withdrawn by means of eccentric guides. The tempered clay being fed in at

page_text: the back of the machine is taken hold of by the projecting pistons, and forcibly
pressed (through a portion of the circular path traversed by the pistons)
towards a front opening furnished with a plain or moulded die corresponding
to the form which is to be given to the brick or tile. On leaving the die the
clay is cut up into the proper lengths and taken away to be dried. After
passing the opening through which the clay is discharged, the pistons are with-
drawn and lay flush with the periphery of the drum, to be again projected
(each in its turn) as it approaches the feeding orifice. The bricks or tiles
having been partially dried are subjected to the action of a proving or per-
fecting machine consisting of an expanding mould, in which the brick, &c., is
placed and subjected to pressure by means of eccentrics or inclined planes, by
which means great accuracy of form is obtained; the article is then thoroughly
dried and burned in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Joseph Bunnett in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BUNNETT, of Deptford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year. of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Bunnett, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Bunnett,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Bunnett, my 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
THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND TILES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THAT PURPOSE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Bunnett, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on or
before the Third day of October; One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Bunnett, 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:-
These improvements relate to the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and similar
articles of a superior description, and consist in a novel method of treating
and preparing the clay, and in the machinery employed for forming and
perfecting the manufactured article. The clay is, in the first instance,
pugged or ground in contact with steam, after which it passes into a second
pug mill of the ordinary description, in which it is sufficiently tempered for
immediate use. The clay is then fed into the pressing machine, which consists
of a drum revolving within a cylindrical casing; around the periphery of the
drum there are a series of pistons which are successively projected and with-
drawn by means of eccentric guides. The tempered clay being fed in at the
back of the machine is taken hold of by the projecting pistons, and forcibly
pressed (through a portion of the circular path traversed by the pistons)
towards a front opening, furnished with a plain or moulded die corresponding.
to the form which is to be given to the brick or tile. On leaving the die the
clay is cut up into the proper lengths and taken away to be dried. After
passing the opening through which the clay is discharged, 'the pistons are
withdrawn and lay flush with the periphery of the drum, to be again projected
(each in its turn) as it approaches the feeding orifice. The bricks or tiles
having been partially dried are subjected to the action of a proving or per-
fecting machine, consisting of an expanding mould, in which the brick or other
article is placed, and subjected to pressure by means of eccentrics or inclined
planes, whereby great accuracy of form is obtained. The article is then
thoroughly dried and burned in the usual manner.
And in order that the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, may be more fully understood, reference is had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the following description thereof.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal side section, and Figure 2. a plan view, of a'
pressing or moulding machine constructed agreeably to my said Invention.
The same letters refer to similar parts in each of these Drawings.
A is a hollow drum revolving within a case B; a, a, a, a, a, a³, are
sliding pistons which are projected in succession beyond the periphery of the
drum A by studs on their inner ends, which work in circular guiding
grooves D placed eccentrically to the axis of the drum on each side of the
casing; E is a hopper or receptacle into which the previously prepared clay is
fed, and falling upon a feeding wheelf is carried to the revolving drum and

page_text: pistons a, which seize the clay and force it onward towards the outlet orifice
G, G¹, which is fitted with a mould or dieg, g', of the form or pattern that is
to be given to the brick or tile; His a frame of rollers along which the
moulded clay travels after leaving the moulding orifice; and a, i, are dividing
wires by which it is cut up into the required lengths. When the clay reaches
the orifice G it meets a stop e, which prevents it from travelling farther round
the drum, and compels it to pass through the moulding orifice. As the pistons:
reach this point the eccentric guides D cause them to be withdrawn into and.
lay flush with the periphery of the drum, to be again projected as they
approach the feeding hopper.
Motion is given to the machine by a strap from a steam engine' or other
prime mover led on to the fast pulley C, the axle of which carries a pinion c³
driving a toothed wheel d¹ and pinion e; the pinion e¹ takes into and drives a
toothed wheel on the axle of the drum A. A toothed wheel w on the drum'
shaft on the other side of the machine gears into a wheel w² on the shaft of
the feed wheel f; or motion may be given from the drum shaft to the feed
wheel by chain wheels, if preferred.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 4 a plan view, of a modifica-
tion of the foregoing pressing or moulding machine of a simpler character,
suitable for working either by hand or by steam power.
A2 is a cam, having three or more arms or wipers revolving within a
casing B; k is a sliding piston, actuated by excentrics 1, l, the rotation of
which moves the piston backward and forward, so as to keep it always in
contact with the surface of the cams. Prepared clay being fed into the
lopper E is carried by the feed wheelf under the cams A2, which seize and
force it through the orifice G, G¹, and mould or die g, g¹. The end of the
sliding piston k being kept in continual contact with the surface of the cams
prevents the escape of any clay otherwise than through the moulding orifice.
Figure 5 is a similar pressing or moulding machine differing from the fore-
going only that the piston k is kept in contact with the surface of the cams
by a spiral spring m, the backward movement of the piston being effected by
the curvilinear form of the cams. Figure 6 is an end section, and Figure 7
a side section, of a portable press or perfecting machine mounted on wheels
for the convenience of moving it from place to place in the brick field; M is a
bed plate, upon which there are moveable sides and ends o, p, q, r, attached to
levers s, the lower ends of which are drawn together by spiral springs t, (or by
the ends of the levers being cranked and weighted,) the effect of which is to
open and expand the mould; P is a hollow presser on the lower end of a
screw S, the internal surfaces of which are inclined. When the presser P.is.

page_text: raised the action of the springs t and levers s keep the mould in an expanded
state, into which the newly made brick is placed; motion being given to the
screw S the presser P descends, and embracing the moveable sides of the
mould presses them together, at the same time acting upon the upper and
under surfaces of the brick, by which means any defect in form is corrected,
and the brick consolidated and perfected. The screw is then turned in the
opposite direction, when the mould expands, and pressure being applied to a
treddle v, the brick is lifted ready for removal from the machine.
Although I. have described the clay as being pugged or ground in contact
with steam, and afterwards passed into a second pug mill to be finished, yet
the process of steaming and tempering the clay for use may be conveniently
performed in one operation by admitting a jet or jets of steam into the lower
part of an ordinary pug mill.
Having fully described the nature of my Invention, and the best manner of
performing the same, I desire it to be understood that what I claim as con-
stituting my said Invention of improvements in the manufacture of bricks and
tiles, and in machinery for that purpose, is,--
Firstly, the method of tempering or preparing plastic clay for the manu-
facture of bricks or tiles by pugging or grinding it in contact with steam, as
berein-before described.
Secondly, the construction and use of the pressing or moulding machines
herein-before described and shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the annexed
Drawings.
Thirdly, the construction and use of the portable press for perfecting the
newly made bricks or tiles, as herein-before described and shewn in Figures 6
and 7 of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Bunnett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
- thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JOSEPH DUNNETT. (L.B.)