CERTAIN IMPROVE MENTS IN BRICK AND TILE-MAKING MACHINERY
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Snell, of No. 16, Clement's Inn, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE
MENTS IN BRICK AND TILE-MAKING MACHINERY,"-A communication from
abroad by Cyrus Chambers, junior, of the City of Philadelphia, in the
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Snell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 18th November 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SNELL, of No. 16, Clement's Inn, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "CERTAIN, IMPROVE
MENTS IN BRICK AND TILE-MAKING MACHINERY," and have petitioned Her
Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
the same is a communication to me from abroad by Cyrus Chambers, junior,
of the City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Snell, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully describes
1

page_text: and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical central longitudinal
section of the machine; Fig. 2 is a top view of the same; Figs. 3, 4, and 5,
detail views of the dies; Fig. 6 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the
knife guide; Fig. 7 is an end view of the fly wheel, knife, and knife guide;
Fig. 8 is a side view of the knife with its holder and spring, the knife being
shewn in two positions; Fig. 9 is a side view of the conical screw, shewing
its extra thread; Fig. 10 is a view of the inclined plane or guide; Fig. 11 is
a central longitudinal section of the screw, its shell or case, and the com.
pressing and forming dies; Fig. 12 is a top view of the stationary plate;
Fig. 13 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved dies in their
connection with the tempering chamber of the brick machine; Fig. 14 is an
interior end view of a portion of the dies, the section being on the line X, X,
Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is an external end view of the forming die; Fig. 16 is an
interior view of the compressing die, shewing the peculiar configuration of its
internal surface; Figs. 17 and 18 are views similar to Fig. 14, of dies
intended for the production of tiles of different patterns, illustrating the
application of my improved construction of dies for bricks to dies for the
manufacture of tiles. The same part is indicated by the same letter of
reference wherever it occurs.
The nature of my Invention consists in certain improvements herein-after
particularly described and shewn in that class of brick machines in which the
clay is forced through a die in a continuous stream, and afterwards cut into
the proper lengths to form bricks
Machines of this general character are in common use in England and
France, and are more especially used in the production of hollow or perforated
bricks. The bricks made by these machines in Europe are not remarkable
for density or tine finish, the corners and edges being apt to present a rugged
appearance. Moreover, the mode of cutting the bar of clay into bricks by a
.knife or wire passing rigidly in a plane at right angles to the course of the
clay, but not moving with it, or affected by its motion, has the effect of
interfering with the shape of the brick, and prevents its being exactly
rectangular.
In these machines the means used to propel the clay are the plunger or
reciprocating piston, or the double or single spiral flange or screw working in
a chamber of equal diameter throughout. In most, if not all of them, the
clay used has been already carefully pugged in another machine, usually an
ordinary pug mill, and all foreigu substances carefully removed to avoid

page_text: danger to the dies, and to secure as much as possible that exclusion of air and
uniformity of texture which are essential to the perfection of brick-making
by this mode. But even with this precaution, which adds the expense of a
double handle to the manufacturer, the bricks are not solid or smooth on the
corners or angles.
The object of my Invention is to remedy as far as possible the defects of
this mode of manufacture, while securing the great and obvious advantages of
rapidity and consequent cheapness.
•
The first step in this direction is the connection of the pugging mill or
chamber with the machine in such a way that the pugging or comminution of
the clay is performed in the same chamber from which the clay passes without
change of direction to the dies, and by the operation of the same machinery.
The next step was so to modify the shape of the pugging chamber that the
clay in its passage towards the dies should be very gradually compressed and
freed from air, thus being rendered by the same process more dense and
more plastic.
My next step consisted in so constructing the propelling spiral flange or
screw as to preserve the homogeneity of the structure of the clay, or arrange-
nent of the particles, by preventing its arranging itself in those concentric
or others layers which impart to it a striated appearance when burnt, and
give it a tendency to break in the lines of thelamiuæ, whatever they may be,
instead of having an even fracture in any desired direction under the operation
of the trowel. To prevent the machine from being overstrained should a
stone or other obstruction get into the die or threads of the screw, and thus
prevent the passage of the clay, or should the pugging knives feed the clay to
the screw faster than it will receive it, I have attached a safety valve V³ at
the end of the tempering case, so weighted as to prevent the clay from
exuding during the ordinary operation of the machine, but capable of being
raised by the force of the clay when the pressure from any cause becomes
greater than is desired. There is also a hand or "man-hole" V4 in the screw
case, for the purpose of taking out the stones that may lodge in the threads of
the screw. The die is hinged so as to be readily opened to remove any
foreign substance that may lodge in it.
My next improvement had for its object to secure by a new arrangement of
the matter, smooth and unbroken edges and corners to the bricks. Reflection
will show that the ordinary operation of a plunger or other propelling device
in a machine with an ordinary die is to produce the greatest amount of
velocity in the centre of the mass, giving the outer edges and surfaces less,
and hence more liable to be rendered ragged and broken by partial adhesion

page_text: to the die while passing through it. The remedy for this is to be sought in a
reversal of the ordihary disposition of the material forcing the greatest
amount of clay into the edges and corners of the brick, and compressing it
there, so that the last action of the die upon it will be to give it smoothness,
instead of tearing it and rendering it rough and ragged. The peculiar form
of my die completely effects this object. The continuous moving bar of
clay as it passes from the die should present a smooth dense rectangular
parallelopiped, with sharp well defined angles or corners. It has then only
to be cut into proper lengths to form perfectly shaped bricks. To cut this
bar while moving at right angles to its length, so that the end superfices of
the bricks shall be planes exactly at right angles to the planes of the sides is
a practical problem of some nicety. The mode of solving it which. I have
devised is to let the cutter move laterally, exactly at the same rate as the
clay, which is accomplished by an adjustable inclined plane, secured in such a
position as to move the knife and its guide forward with the bar during the
severarce of the clay. The division of the bar of clay into bricks of exactly
even lengths is effected by making the bar itself control the knife which
divides it. The bricks thus severed would be inconvenient to handle if they
were not separated from each other by a greater interval than the width of
.the severing knife. To secure this separation, I gear the off-bearing apron
which receives the severed bricks so as to move faster than the aprou which
supports the uncut bar.
The foregoing observations will fully explain the principles by which I have
been guided in the construction of my improved machine, and will best
illustrate the nature of the Invention, and in what manner it is to be
distinguished from others of the same general class.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improved machine.
I will proceed to a more particular description of its construction and
operation.
In the Drawings A marks a stout frame of iron, tied by braces B; C is a
short shaft, to which are attached the fast and loose pulleys and E, to
which the band from any suitable prime mover is applied. On the end of
shaft C is cogged pinion F, gearing into cog wheel G on long shaft H. A
pinion on the end of shaft H engages with and drives main cog wheel J on
the main shaft K. Into this shaft are spirallyinserted the tempering blades c,c,
&c., and to its inner end is attached the conical screw L; M marks the
tempering or pugging chamber, which is cylindrical in form at the feed end,
and conical at the delivery end, as shewn. It has an opening Q in the top
for the introduction of the clay. Attached by bolts to the conical end of

page_text: chamber M is a conical screw case N, in which the screw L works. The
internal surface of this case is roughened or checkered, as shewn in Fig. 1,
for the purpose of preventing the clay from revolving in the case as the screw
or flange revolves. The screw L, Fig. 9, is constructed so that the end at
which the clay enters it is large in diameter to receive the clay from the small
end of the tempering case,and gradually tapers towards the point,so as todeliver
the clay at the centre, or on a line with the centre of the shaft. The shaft
or body of the screw L is reduced to a point at the outer end, and gradually
increases in size, so that the area of the space between it and the large end
of the screw case is equal to the area of the small end of the case, therefore
the screw is capable of delivering at the point and on a line with itscentre
all the clay it receives at the base. In order to insure the threads filling
with clay, I put on an additional thread 1', commencing half way round from
the place of beginning of the main thread I, and extending half way round
the base of the cone, so that it will deliver to the far side of the main thread
all the clay it may receive (see Figs. 9 and 11). These Figures give
representations of the form of screw which from experience I prefer, to the
simple spiral flange represented in Fig. 4, and lettered L. The compressing
die O is hinged to the smaller end of case N; its cross section at its outer
end is rectangular, as shewn in Fig. 4, its inner end is round, as shown in
Fig. 3, and a cross section of its centre is represented by Fig. 5. The corners
are here seen rounded out or grooved, and chese grooves gradually taper till
they disappear at the angles of the outer rectangular opening of the die. The
object of these grooves is to crowd a greater quantity of clay into the corners
of the bar, so as to give them greater solidity and firmness in accordance with
the views herein-before stated. To this die O is attached a plain rectangular
die P. The dies are lined with steel to diminish wear, and thus prevent
irregularity in the size of the bricks. The outer end of the main shaft K
works in a head block R, which is adjusted by bolts band nuts n, and
receives the backward thrust of the shaft. On long shaft H is placed hollow
shaft Z, on one end of which is bevel pinion S, meshing into bevel wheel 'T'
on cross shaft U. On the other end of this shaft U is pulley V, which, with
pulley W carries endless apron a. This apron which sustains the weight of
the bar of clay H₁ is supported throughout its entire length by the small
rollers r, r, &c. It is tightened when required by pulley X (Fig. 1), which
is applied to its surface with any required degree of force by means of the
lever r, operated by the foot, and held in any desired position by the pins p.
The apron a receives the bar of clay H'as it comes from the die P. To the
outer end of hollow shaft Z is attached fly wheel Y, which runs on the

page_text: shaft H loose, and carries the spring knife stock K¹ (see Figs. 2 and 8), to
the end of which the knife k is attached by a hinge h. Fig. 8. The shaft H
is so geared that it makes more thau one revolution while the bar of clay is
moving the length of a brick. On the shaft H close to the fly wheel Y is
made fast a friction wheel Oi,upon which bears a spring st,which is attached
to the hub of the fly wheel Y,and its pressure regulated by the screw passing
through it. The tendency of the shaft H with its friction wheel O' (when
in motion) is to turn the fly wheel Y more than one revolution while the bar
of clay is moving the length of a brick, but as the fly wheel is connected to
the bar of clay by means of the hollow shaft Z, pinion S, wheel T, shaft U,
band wheel V, and endless apron a (which is long enough to prevent the bar
of clay from slipping upon it), the fly wheel is thus prevented by the clay
from making more than one revolution, thereby keeping the fly wheel with its
knife under the control of the clay, the friction spring s' on the friction
wheel O' being so regulated as to communicate sufficient power to the wheel
to do the cutting off, but not so much as to overcome the resisting power of
the bar of clay. Thus the knife k always cuts the bar into lengths exactly
equal to each other without reference to the speed of the machine. The clay
bar is supported at the line of section by a rectangular guide L' (Figs. 6
and 7), which the bar passes through a distance equal to the length of one
brick previous to severance. Guide bars G, G', project up from L' to receive
and guide the knife k in its passage to and through the bar of clay. The
guide L' is attached to arm M, which is hinged at e to the lower framing I¹
of the machine, as shewn in Figs. 6 and 7. It is allowed a short vibration,
controlled by a spring (Fig. 6). It can thus move a short distance with
the bar of clay H¹ while this is being severed by the knife k, and then is
retracted to its standing poiut by the spring / until the knife again enters the
clay at another revolution of fly wheel Y, to relieve the knife from any
pressure the moving barof clay would exert against it while passing through,
there is secured to the side of the frame an adjustable inclined plane G2, Bee
Figs. 1, 2, 6, 7, and 10, against which the knife frame slides, thereby
receiving on its descent a lateral motion, the inclination being just equal to
the distance the clay moves along during the passage of the knife through it.
This lateral motion is communicated to the knife guides or clay support L,
Figs. 6 and 7, by means of the clamps, between which the knife is secured,
passing between two horns or projections G', G, Figs. 1, 6, and 7. Thus a
simultaneous lateral motion of the knife with its guide and clay supporter
and the bar of clay is obtained. The knife k is a thin piece of tempered
steel, Fig. 8, secured to the swinging cam (h) by bolts and clamp. This

page_text: cam (h) is held in position by the spring 8, with just sufficient force to
prevent the knite from turning with the resistance of the clay during its
passage through it, but not with sufficient force to break the knife or stop
the fly wheel in case any foreign substance interfered with its passage, but
will allow the knife to turn back, as shown in the dotted line in Fig. 8, to
clear the obstruction when it is brought to its original position by the
eccentricity of the cam, which is so shaped that the spring will overcome
the greatest resistance at the commencement of the backward motion. The
arm K, in the end of which the kuife cam (h) turns, is secured to the fly
wheel Y in such manner as to admit of a slight lateral motion, either by the
spring of the arm, as represented, or it may work on centres, and be held in
position by a separate spring. The end of the bar of clay protruding through
the knife guide and clay supporter is supported by a stationary platform H'
the length of the protruding portion, to provent the off-bearing apron from
parting the brick from the bar before it is severed entirely by the knife. The
shaft H at its outer end carries pulley A¹, connected by a band B¹ to pulley C¹
on short shaft D¹. On this shaft is bevel pinion E', gearing with bevel
wheel F¹, which has on its other end pulley V₁, which, with pullies W¹
and W2 (see Fig. 1), carries the off-bearing apron a', which is supported like
apron a on small rollers r, &c. throughout its length. This apron is tightened
when desired by pulley X applied to it by means of lever l, in a precisely
similar manner to that in which apron a has been already described as being
tightened. The driving pulley V₁ of this apron is so geared that the apron is
run considerably faster than apron a, the effect of which is to separate the
bricks H2 from each other by any desired interval as they pass on to this
apron after being severed from the bar H¹.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The machine being set in
motion the clay is fed into the tempering chamber M through the opening Q,
and is there thoroughly tempered by the operation of the blades c', which
gradually force it towards the conical end of the chainber until it is brought
under the action of the spiral and conical flange or screw L, which presses it
through the compressing die into and through the forming die, whence it
emerges in the form of a continuous bar. By this power it is first thoroughly
divided by the knives, compressed by being continually forced through the
lessening size of the chamber, its contained air expelled, and the now com-
pacted and solid yet plastic mass forced out ina perfectly homogeneous bar,
whose sides and edges are smooth and firm. The bar is received upon the
endless apron a, which by its weight and adhesion it thus governing the
rotation of the pulley V and wheel T, shaft X, and fly wheel Y, with its

page_text: attached knife k, and these are so geared that the wheel Y will make
one revolution while the bar moves the exact length of a brick, when the
bar Hrenches and enters the guide L', the knife k descends through the
guide G, G, and enters and severs the bars. The lever K which carries
the knife cam coming in contact with the inclined plane G³ receives a lateral
motion just equa! to the motion of the clay, which it communicates to the
guides G,G¹, and thus to the knife guide and clay supporter while the knife
is passing through the clay, so that the relative positions of the knife and
clay are not altered during the cutting or severing process, and the ends of
the bricks are perfectly at right angles with the sides. The guide L and
knife are immediately drawn back to their original positions by the springf
and the spring of the arm K as soon as the knife has passed through the
bar. The severed brick is received on the stationary plate H3 from which it
is pushed by the advancing bar of clay until the friction of the off-bearing
apron is sufficient to draw it off when it is received on to off-bearing
apron a', which being geared to move faster than apron a, and being driven
independently of the bar of clay by connection with shaft F, separates the
brick by a considerable interval, and facilitates their removal by the off-
bearers.
I will now proceed to describe the construction and operation of my
improved dies, referring to the accompanying Drawings, wherein N marks
the smaller end of the tempering or pugging chamber, whence the clay is
driven into and through the compressing and forming dies by any suitable
mechanism. There is a flange fon the outer end of this chamber, to which
the compressing die O is bolted by means of the bolts c and nuts n. The
cross section of this die is at its inner end circular, and at its outer end
rectangular, as seen in Fig. 16. A cross section on the line X, X, of Fig. 18
is shown in Fig. 14. In this Figure we see the angles or corners rounded
out or grooved, and these grooves gradually tapering till they disappear
altogether at the angles a, a, of the rectangular opening of the die. These
grooves constitute the main peculiarity of the Invention, their object and
effect being to crowd a greater quantity of clay into the angles of the bar of
clay as it passes through the die, so as to give them greater solidity and
firmness, in accordance with the views herein-before stated. To the outer
end of the compressing die is attached a plain rectangular die P, Figs. 13
and 15, through which the bar of clay passes on its way to the receiving and
off-bearing aprons, where it is cut into bricks. The die P has a lining sof
steel, designed to diminish wear, and thus prevent irregularity in the size of
the bricks.

page_text: It is obvious that the same principle of construction herein-before described
in its application to dies for making bricks is applicable to the analogous
manufacture of tiles, in which the same practical difficulties as to the solidity
of the angles equally present themselves, and are to be overcome in the
same manner.
Figs. 17 and 18 illustrate clearly the adaptation of the principle to dies for
the manufacture of drain tiles of different forms, the grooves of the dies
tapering towards the angles of the delivering orifice, and thus crowding the
clay into the corners of the tiles, rendering them firm and solid. No more
detailed description of this modification is required.
First, arranging in the same horizontal line with each other the tempering
chamber, impelling screw, 'and forming die, so as to secure directness of
action and simplicity of gearing, as described.
Second,imparting to the tempering chamber and screw case the tapering
form described and shown, so as to gradually compress the clay and exclude
the air in its passage to the forming die, as specified.
Third, so constructing a screw that the clay may enter it at an annular
space,and be delivered in a solid mass opposite its end and at the centre of
the screw, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
Fourth, preventing the clay from revolving with the screw in the scrow
casebyroughening or checkering the interiorsurface of that case,substantially
as described.
Fifth, the combination of a knife with a fly wheel, for the purpose of
severing a bar of clay into proper lengths for bricks, the velocity of said fly
wheel being regulated or controlled by that of the bar of clay.
Sixth, the combination of the apron a with the fly wheel Y and knife k,all
arranged for conjoint operation, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose specified.
Seventh, propelling the cut-off device by means of a friction clutch, and
regulating the power of said clutch by means of a yielding pressure.
Eighth,the yieldingseveringknifek,constructed andoperating substantially
as set forth.
Ninth,supporting the clay at the line of severance by a moveable frame or
supporting stirrup guide L', through which the knife K is guided, as and for
the purpose stated.
Tenth, moving the knife and the supporting guide 1 together during the

page_text: severance of the bar at the same speed with which the bar of clay advances,
for the purpose of cutting off the brick at right augles to the course of the
bar, as directed.
Eleventh, driving the off-bearing apron a' at greater speed than that of the
bar of clay, for the purpose of separating the bricks by a sufficient interval, as
described.
Twelfth,giving to the conical impelling screw a gradual increasing depth
or thread, to secure uniformity between the amount of clay received by the
base of the screw and that delivered at its point, as set forth.
Thirteenth,imparting to the angles of bricks and tiles greater firmness and
solidity by forcing a larger quantity of clay into them by means of a die with
tapering grooves, constructed and operating substantially in the manner
described and shewu.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Snell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.