IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, AND LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS WHITTAKER, of Accrington, in the county of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES
FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, AND LIKE ARTICLES to be as follows:-
My invention relates to presses for forming semi-dry pulverulent or dry clay or
other suitable materials such as mixtures of cement and ashes and clay with other
substances into bricks, tiles and like articles.
The object is to provide a press which shall do its work efficiently, be capable of
well withstanding wear and tear, be easily renewable in its working parts and
produce accurately shaped articles with rapidity and precision.
A press constructed in accordance with my invention has a framework, moulds,
plungers, feed box, and driving gear, the special features of novelty being the
construction of the moulds, and feed box, the heating of the plungers and the
arrangement of the regulating mechanism. The moulds are constructed with
sliding tables provided with linings, end and dividing pieces, to allow of various
sizes and shapes of bricks or blocks being made. The feed box is fitted with doors
to allow of its passing over projections on the faces of the lower plungers for special
shaped bricks; the upper and lower plungers are made hollow and connected to
steam supply and exhaust pipes to prevent the compressed material from sticking
to the said plungers Also lever appliances regulated by a hand wheel with screw
and buffer are used to determine the extent of downward motion of the lower
plungers and so regulate the amount of clay or material admitted to the moulds.
Clay or suitable material in a pulverulent or powdery condition but of such a
nature as to adhere under pressure is supplied to the moulds by the feed box and
the plungers compress the said material and eject it from the moulds.
2004
J. T. KING,
Per J. Johnson,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I THOMAS WHITTAKER of Accrington in the County of Lancaster Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES
FOR MAKING BRICKS TILES AND LIKE ARTICLES” and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention relates to presses for forming semi dry pulverulent or dry clay or
other suitable materials such as mixtures of cement and ashes and clay with other
substances into bricks tiles and like articles.
The object is to provide a press which shall do its work efficiently be capable of
well withstanding wear and tear, be easily renewable in its working parts and
produce accurately shaped articles with rapidity and precision.
A press constructed in accordance with my invention has a framework, moulds,
plungers, feed box and driving gear, the special foatures of novelty being the
construction of the moulds and feed box, the heating of the plungers and the
arrangement of the regulating mechanism. The moulds are constructed with
sliding tables provided with linings, ond and dividing pieces to allow of various
sizes and shapes of bricks or blocks being made. The feed box is fitted with doors
to allow of its passing over projections on the faces of the lower plungers for
special shaped bricks the upper and lower plungers are made hollow and connected
to steam supply and exhaust pipes to prevent the compressed material from sticking
to the said plungers. Also lever appliances regulated by a hand wheel with screw
and buffer are used to determine the extent of downward motion of the lower
plungers and so regulate the amount of clay or material admitted to the moulds.
Clay or suitable material in a pulverulent or powdery condition but of such a
naturo as to adhere under pressure is supplied to the moulds by the feed box and
the plungers compress the said material and eject it from the moulds.
Fig 1 is a side elevation, Fig 2 a front elevation and Fig 3 a vertical section of
the press.
Fig 4 is a plan, and Fig 5 a back view of the press showing mainly the disposition
of the steam pipes.
Fig 6 is a plan, and Fig 7 a transverse vertical section of the moulds.
Fig 8 is a plan, and Fig 9 a front view of the feed box and table.
Fig 10 is a longitudinal section through the mould and feed box.
Fig 11 is an elevation of a driving wheel thrust blocks and resistance piece.
Fig 12 is a diagram showing the positions of the top and bottom pistons and the 8
feed box at various points of the revolution of the cam.
1 are the side frames of the press securely bolted and held at the requisite
distance apart by the struts and cross bolts 2 and the mould tables. Each frame 1
is formed or made with a groove 3 into which the mould tables 4. 4ª and end
pieces 5 fit. 6 central dividing piece held in grooves in the mould tables 4. 4º. 7 liners. 4
fitting against the mould tables 4. 4. and pieces 5 and dividing piece 6. The liners
are of hard metal to withstand wear and tear and are held in position by grooves
and projections &. 9. 91 are heads fitting freely within the moulds and secured to
the lower compressing pistons, 10. 10%. The heads are plain or shaped so as to give
ornamental forms to the face of the bricks or like articles. The parts composing 4
the moulds are held together by through bolts 11.
When it is desired to vary the lengths and breadths of the bricks or like articles
to be made the bolts 11 are loosened and the tables 4. 4' aro slid apart, the end and
dividing pieces and liners are removed and suitable ones substituted. When it is

page_text: desired to give the sides or ends of the bricks any particular shape the liners are
constructed accordingly and the piston face is made to match.
The lower compressing pistons 10. 10° are hollow and are bolted to a bearer or
drop box 12. The said bearer or drop box works in guides 13 on the side frames 1
and are provided with shafts 14 which carry antifriction rollers 15. 16 are guard
plates cast with the drop box 12 for the purpose of preventing clay or other
material from falling from the moulds or table on the moving parts beneath.
17 main driving shaft turning in bearings secured to the frames I and fitted with
two cams 18 one to act on each of the anti friction rollers 15. The cams 18 are
constructed with four distinct lifts see fig 12 namely 18 which gives the first
upward motion or first pressure to the pistons, 18ª which gives a following and
slower upward motion to the pistons until the bricks or finished articles are pushed
out of the moulds, 18b which allows the pistons to remain at rest whilst the
bricks or finished articles are pushed forward by the feed box, and 18° which lets
the pistons fall until the drop box 12 rest on the adjusting lever 19. The adjusting
lever 19 passes between the cams 18 is pivotted at 20 on a shaft carried by the
frames 1, and receives the drop box between the fulcrum 20 and the adjusting
screw 22. The rear end of the lever carries a weight 21 more than sufficiently
heavy to balance the weight of the pistons drop box and rollers on the front, and to
keep the lever pressed against the wood buffers 26. The front end of the lever is
forked so as to pass at each side of the adjusting screw 22. 23 nut on the screw 22
connected to the block 24 by arins 25. 26 buffers of wood or resilient material
carried by the block 24 and against which the lever 20 rests. 27 bearings for the
screw 22 28 hand wheel for giving motion to the screw 22. 29 are driving
wheels secured to the shaft 17 and receiving motion through the train of wheels
and pinions 30 on shafts 31, 32. rotating in-bearings on the frames 1. The shaft 32
is provided with fast and loose pulleys 33. 34. 34 are the top pressure pistons
carried by a crosshead 35 moving in guides 36 secured to the frame 1.
37 aro
connecting rods coupled to the crosshead 35 and to the crank pins 38. The ends
of the rods 37 coupled to the crank pins 38 are formed with slots 39. 40 are cams
fitted to the crank pins 38. 41 rollers bearing on the cams 40 and carried by
pins 42 secured to the connecting rods 37. 43 are resistance picces forined with or
firmly attached to the wheels 29. 44 thrust blocks carried in slides 45 on the
frames 1 and adjusted in position by bolts and nuts 46. 47 are wearing pieces
fitting in grooves in the blocks 44 and are capable of being renewed as they
become worn. 48 steam pipes connected to the upper piston 34 and lower
piston 10. 49 exhaust pipes connected to the upper piston 34° and lower piston 10",
50 brackets secured to the frames 1 and carrying the pipes 48 49. 51 pipe con-
necting the upper pistons. 52 pipe connecting the lower pistons. 53 inlet valve.
54 exhaust valve. 55 is a trunk leading from a hopper or floor through which tho
pulverized or powdered material is fed to a feed box 56 free to be moved to and
fro, on the table 4ª beneath the said trunk. 57 the blank portion forming part of
the feed box 50. 58 connecting rods. 59 levers oscillating in bearings 60 on the
brackets 61 secured to the frames 1. 62 connecting rods jointed to the lower ends
of the levers and provided with rollers 63 fitting within the grooved cams 6+
secured to the wheels 29. 65 links pivotted to the frames 1 and to the rods 62 to
retain the former in position. When projecting heads 9 are used the feed box 56 is
fitted in front with doors 66 made and situated so as to allow the feed box to be
pushed forward past the projecting head.
The method of operating the press is as follows:-Steam is turned on and
allowed to enter the pistons, any water of condensation in the upper piston 34 is
forced by the pressure of the steam up the dipping end of the connecting pipe 51
into the piston 34" and thence up the dipping end of the exhaust pipe 49 and
away. Any water condensing in the lower pistons flows from the piston 10 through
the pipe 52 into the piston 10" and thence into the exhaust pipe. The object of
passing steam through the pistons and heating them is to prevent the adhesion of
the pulverulent material to their surfaces thereby obviating the use of oil or other

page_text: lubricant. The moulds are adjusted to the required width and length and are
fitted with suitably shaped liners and piston heads. The proper thickness of brick
is provided for by varying the thickness of the face of the upper pistons or the
distance of the faces from the crosshead. The quantity of pulverulent material
that should enter the moulds is adjusted by raising or lowering the front end of
the lever 19 by means of the hand wheel 28. so as to allow the lower pistons to fall
more or less after the finished brick or article has been removed; A weighted lever
is used instead of a rigidly moved lever in order that it may be free to move in
case of any undue strain being brought to bear on it. The machine is started and
the upper and lower pistons and feed box are caused to move as shown by diagram
Fig 12. At a the top pistons have entered the moulds and compressed the material
on top, at b the lower pistons have entered the moulds and compressed the material
at bottom, at cd and e both the top and bottom pistons slowly approach each other
and finish the compression of the material; at f both the upper and lower pistons
begin to travel.upwards and the motion continues at g and h until the position i is
reached when the bottom pistons remain stationary at the tops of the moulds; at
this point the feed box 50 begins to move from beneath the trunk 55 towards the
moulds the upper pistons still continuing to ascend as shown at j; at k the lower
pistons have begun to fall, the feed box 56 is part over the mould, the upper piston
still continues to ascend; at the above, motions are continued until at m the
bottoni pistons are in their lowest positions, the upper pistons in their highest
positions and the feed box at the end of its stroke with the finished brick or article
pushed before it onto the table 4: at n. o. and p the lower pistons remain stationary
the feed box gradually retires beneath the trunk after having filled the moulds, the
table 57 having whilst the feed box was advancing and receding been beneath the
trunk so as to. retain the pulverulent material therein, and the upper pistons have
been descending until they begin to enter the moulds at a and the cycle is repeated
as before: at the position e when the strains on the upper and lower pistons are
at the greatest and for some little time before and after that point the resistance
pieces and thrust blocks are in line and the strains are borno directly by the
framework and thrust and resistance pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I doclare that what
I claim is
First. Brick presses with adjustable mould tables 4 4ª end pieces 5, dividing
pieces 6 and liners 7.
Second. Brick presses with feed boxes 56 having doors 66 substantially as set-
forth.
Third. Brick presses with steam and exhaust pipes connected to the upper and
lower pistons substantially as set forth.
Fourth. Brick presses with adjustable moulds and feed boxes with doors so that
a great variety of bricks may be made on one machine substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination in brick presses of adjustable moulds, feed boxes with
doors and steam heated pistons substantially as set forth.
Sixth. Bricks presses constructed as herein set forth.