IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
1
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by William W. Potts, of
Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." [A communication from
abroad by William W. Potts, of Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for the manufacture of
bricks and similar articles.
The said Invention comprises the following features, that is to say:-A press
having two cams, one for pressing the brick or block, and the other for ejecting
the same from the mould, both being on the same shaft and directly beneath the
plunger, whereby the two operations of pressing and ejecting are quickly
accomplished, and the construction of the press is simplified.
Also means for removing any superabundance of clay or material from the
mould without affecting the operation of compressing the material in the mould.
Also means for limiting the descent of the plunger, whereby the extent of
charging the mould is regulated.
Also a cam shaft mounted on yielding bearings for relieving the press of strain
occasioned by overloading or clogging of the mould.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, I provide a frame and a driving
shaft which is mounted thereon, and receives motion from any suitable source.
Two cams are keyed or otherwise secured to this shaft, and there is an upright
plunger which is titted in guides rising from the bed of the press, and enters a
mould which (open at top and bottom) is formed in or fitted to a bed which is
supported on the frame above the driving shaft, said plunger being adapted to rest
on the aforesaid cams and be elevated thereby, the lower end of the plunger
carrying a friction roller with which said cans are in contact.
On the said bed is supported and guided a horizontally arranged sliding head,
having a vertical opening which forms a charging chamber, and above said head is
sustained a stationary hopper having a table projecting from one side of its top,
Price £27

page_text: the throat of said hopper being adapted to communicate with the charging chamber
when the latter is brought under the hopper by the movement of the head.
Reciprocating motions are imparted to the lead by means of elbow levers which
are pivoted to said head mounted on the frame and engaged by cams on wheels
which are connected to the driving shaft, and operate by means of said cams the
elbow levers, and consequently the head.
I provide a lifter for the plunger, consisting of sliding pieces which are placed
on the first named bed, and have their upper faces inclined, said faces occupying
positions beneath the plunger or its bottom guiding pieces.
Pivoted, hinged, or otherwise suitably attached to the pieces is a rock shaft
which is mounted on the bed, and provided with cranks or heads engaging with
said pieces, and also provided with a lever or handle, whereby the inclined faces
may be moved under the plunger, so as to limit the descent of the same, and thus
decrease the amount of clay or the like admitted to the mould.
When the inclined faces are shifted from the plunger the latter drops to its full
extent, thus leaving the mould free to receive a greater charge of clay or other
material, the operation of the cams however not differing from that stated.
In the second bed are formned ducts which lead from the side of the mould to the
top of said bed, so as to form a communication between the mould and charger, or
said ducts may be formed in the head, and lead from the side of the charger to the
bottom of the head, to provide a similar communication, the object being that when
the mould is overcharged with clay or other material, the action of the plunger
forces the surplus material from the mould, and returns it to the charger.
It will be seen that when the charger is in communication with the hopper, the
plunger is at its lowest point, closing the bottom of the mould. The clay, concrete,
or other material employed for making the bricks, blocks, or the like enters the
charger and fills the mould. The head then moves partly from the mould' and
dwells, and the solid portion of its lower face forins the closed top of the mould.
The plunger is now lifted to a partial extent by one of the cams, and presses and
shapes the material in the mould, after which the head moves to full extent from
the hopper, thus uncovering the top of the mould and shearing or cutting off the
supply of material to the charger, the table moving with the head and closing the
throat of the hopper. The plunger, after dwelling during the final movement of
the head, is next elevated to full extent by the other cam, thus raising the shaped
brick or block to the level of the bed. The head now returns under the hopper
and forces in front of it the shaped brick or block, which may be removed or
directed olsewhere, and the charging chamber is replenished, the plunger lowered,
and the mould refilled, after which the other operations herein before stated are
repeated.
Pedestals or bearings for the driving or cam shaft aro supported on the bed of
the press, and formed of a body and base located one above the other with an
intervening space.
The body rests on coiled springs which are sustained on the base, said springs
encircling guiding and connecting bolts which are screwed or otherwise secured to
the base, and passed freely through the body, the heads of the bolts resting freely
against the upper side of said body.
The springs are of such power that ordinarily they hold the driving or cam
shaft during tho pressing action of the plunger, without in any-wise yielding or
improperly easing the plunger; but should there be an extraordinary downward
pressure on the plunger, either from failure of the ducts to work, the overloading
or clogging of the mould or other cause, the strain or increased pressure is com-
municated by means of the driving shaft to the pedestals, and the power of the
springs is thereby overcome, so that they yield until the mould is relieved, the
driving shaft, plunger, and mould and other parts of the press being in no wise
injured by the strain.

page_text: with the said pieces, and also provided with a lever or handle P, whereby the
inclined faces may be moved under the plunger so as to limit the descent of the
same, and thus decrease the amount of clay or the liko admitted to the mould.
When the inclined faces are shifted from the plunger, the latter drops to its full
extent, thus leaving the mould free to receive a greater charge of clay or other
material, the operation of the cams however not differing from that stated.
In the bed F are formed ducts g, which lead from the side of the mould E to
the top of the said bed, so as to forin a communication between the mould and the
charger H, or the said ducts may be formed in the head G and lead from the side
of the charger to the bottom of the head to provide a similar communication, the
object being that when the mould is overcharged with clay or other material, the
action of the plunger forces the surplus material from the mould and returns it to
the charger H.
It will be seen that when the charger H is in communication with the hopper,
the plunger is at its lowest point, closing the bottom of the mould E. The clay,
concrete, or other material employed for making the bricks, blocks, or the like,
enter the charger H and fills the mould. The head G then moves partly from the
mould, so that the solid portion h of its lower face forms the closed top of the
mould..
The plunger is now lifted to a partial extent by the cam C, and presses and
shapes the material in the mould, after which the head moves to the full extent
from the hopper, thus uncovering the top of the mould and shenring or cutting off
the supply of material to the charger, the table J' moving with the head and
closing the throat of the hopper. The plunger after resting during the final move-
ment of the head is next elevated to its full extent by the cam C', thus raising the
shaped brick or block to the level of the bed F; the hend now returns under the
hopper, and forces in front of it the shaped brick or block which may be removed
or directed elsewhere, and the charging chamber is replenished, the plunger
lowered, and the mould refilled, after which the other operations herein before
described are repeated.
B' represents the pedestals or bearings for the driving or cam shaft B which are
supported on the bed A' of the press, and are formed of a body and base located.
one above the other with an intervening space, as at B".
The body rests on coiled springs S which are sustained on the base, some of the
said springs encircling the guiding and connecting bolts T which are screwed or
otherwise secured to the base and passed freely through the body, the heads of the
bolts resting freely against the upper side of the said body.
The springs are of such power that ordinarily they hold the driving or cam
shaft B during the pressing action of the plunger without in anywise yielding or
improperly easing the plunger, but should there be an extraordinary downward
pressure on the plunger, either from failure of the ducts g to fulfil their functions,
the overloading or clogging of the mould, or other cause, the strain or increased
pressure is communicated by means of the driving shaft to the pedestals, and the
power of the springs is thereby overcome so that they yield until the mould is
relieved, the driving shaft, plunger, and mould, and other parts of the press being
in no wise injured by the strain.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I am aware that it is not new to provide a brick-press with a plunger for
pressing purposes and another plunger for ejecting purposes, and I am also aware
that it is not new to employ a plunger with two distinct sets of jointed arms or
toggles, which operated by a cam serve to compress and eject the brick or block.
I am also aware that it is not new to relieve the plunger of an overcharge of
material or increased resistance thereof by yielding bearings for the arius which
advance the plunger for the purpose of compression, I therefore do not claim such
features, but as I avoid an extra plunger and arms intermediate of the plunger and
cam, and furthermore employ the yielding bearings for the cam shaft-itself, and as

page_text: I also relieve the mould by ducts which return the surplus material to the charging
chamber without affecting the compression of the material in the mould, and
furthermore make use of a lifter for adjusting the size of the charge in the mould,
I claim,―
First. The mould, the sliding head with a charging chamber and solid portion,
and the plunger in combination with two cams upon the same shaft directly below
the said plunger, whereby the plunger both presses and ejects without the employ-
ment of an additional plunger or arms between the cams and plunger, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The charger and plunger in combination with the mould provided with
the ducts, substantially as and for the purposo set forth.
Third. The plunger in combination with a lifter, whereby the charge in the
mould is regulated, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The mould and the plunger in combination with the operating cam-
shaft of the plunger, the said cam-shaft having pedestals or bearings which are
sustained so as to yield when the mould is overloaded or clogged, substantially as
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.