IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS."
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Effertz, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Effertz at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
January 1860.
I, PETER EFFERTZ, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS," to be as follows:-
I connect two cylinders by suitable metal plates and work the pistons
of the same by a crank and piston rods in the usual manner; the length of the
I
stroke to be regulated according to the required thickness of the bricks.
make two moulds which are supplied with clay by buckets, each mould con-
taining nine bricks, the said moulds being passed over the pistons by means of
a moveable table, so that the nine bricks in the mould are pressed at each
stroke of the piston. The said table revolves on its centre, so that when the
necessary pressure has been given to the clay the moulds are moved from the
piston and the bricks ejected therefrom by means of a plate and springs, the
necessary motion being communicated by wheel gearing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Effertz in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
EFFERTZ, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Peter Effertz, Her special licence that I, the said Peter
Effertz, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Peter Effertz, 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
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Peter Effertz, 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 performed, and cause the same, to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Effertz; do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
I employ two square boxes or cylinders and work the pistons of the same
by cranks and piston rods in the usual manner, the length of the stroke being
regulated according to the required thickness of the bricks. I use two moulds
which are supplied with clay by buckets or by a hopper and Archimedian
screws. The moulds are divided into nine or other suitable number of com-
partments, so that as many bricks can be formed at once by, passing the
moulds over the pistons by means of a moveable table, the bricks being pressed
at each stroke of the piston. The said table revolves on its centre, so that
when the necessary pressure has been given to the clay the moulds are moved
from the piston, and the bricks ejected therefrom by means of a plate and

page_text: springs, the necessary motion being communicated by wheel gearing. Or the
pistons press the clay upon them into the moulds, which then move outwards
and pass under types or pushers employed for pushing the bricks out of the
moulds upon an endless travelling apron, by which they are delivered as
required.
.
The manner in which my Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by referring to the Figures and letters on the accompanying three
Sheets of Drawings.
The freshly dug clay is passed into the hopper b, Figs. 3 and 5, after which
it is caught by the spiral knives c and proceeds upwards through the elevator
a to the grate or grid i, which allows stones, roots, and other refuse matter to
remain fixed before it, and be afterwards removed from time to time through
the opening k, Fig. 2, which is supplied with a door and valve. The clay after
being thus purified is conveyed by the horizontal screws c', Figs. 3 and 5, into
the receiver q, and from thence by means of the conducting vessel e, Figs. 1,
2, 3, and 5, it passes continuously over the main boxes or vessels A, A,
Figs. 1 and 3, where the clay is acted upon by the pistons 1, Figs. 1 and 3,
and forced out of the said boxes on to the beaters W, Fig. 1, which cut the
same by the effect of their rotation; and divide it on the surfaces of the pistons
B, Fig. 1. As soon as the pistons B are in this manner supplied with the
necessary clay the drawers E, Figs. 1 and 5, which contain the moulds for the
bricks, and which up to this time were outside the boxes A, A, move back-
wards into them, and are then closed from above by means of the simulta-
neously moving slide G, Figs. 1 and 5. The pistons B press the clay lying
upon them from below into the moulds of the drawer E above them; when
the pistons have completed the pressure the drawers E, together with the
bricks which are in them, are moved out and under the types S, Figs. 1, 2,
and 3. At the same time the slide G moves backwards and so opens the
boxes A, A. When the drawers E have arrived with the moulds under the
types S they then become stationary and the types S push the bricks out, which
fall upon the rolling tables or endless aprons Q, Figs. 1 and 5. At the same
time that the types S are pushing the bricks out of the moulds the boxes A, A,
are re-filled with clay by means of the conducting vessel e, described above,
and so the production commences afresh. The brick press consists of two
square boxes or vessels A, A, Figs. 1 and 3, composed of cast-iron plates
screwed together, in which the closely fitting pistons B move up and down,
which movement is imparted to them by means of the piston rods C, Fig. 1;
jointed to the cranks on the shaft X, which cranks are placed opposite each
other at 180°, so that both vessels are worked alternately, by which means a

page_text: regular division is attained. Each of these square boxes A is provided with a.
drawer E mounted with toothed bars or racks F, F, Figs. 1 and 5, which
drawers contain the moulds for forming new bricks; above them and close to
the same is the slide G, also provided with racks H, Figs. 1 and 5, which slide
closes the drawer E from above in order that the pistons B may press the clay
from below into the moulds of the drawers. Both the drawer and slide have
a periodically alternating movement, so that while the drawer E moves for-
ward in order to dispose of the bricks the slide G moves back and opens one
of the square boxes A, then both drawer and slide stand still, thereupon simul-
taneously the drawer moves backwards and the slide forwards. The above
described movements are imparted to them the shaft X by means of the
mechanism represented in Fig. 4, and which will be described more minutely
hereafter. Between both of the square boxes there are two eccentrics I on the
shaft X, which transfer their vertical movement by means of the eccentric
rods J to the beam or double lever J' on the rocking shaft K, and which on
their part, by means of the bevil wheel P on the same rocking shaft K, are
joined with the toothed segments M by means of the links L. The teeth of
the above mentioned segments M gear into the toothed wheels O on the shaft
N, Fig. 1, upon which shaft are also the toothed wheels P', which by means
of their working in the racks F and H transfer the periodical alternating
rotary movement of the segments M in the manner of a periodical alternative
horizontal movement upon the drawers E and the slide G. At the front side
of the square boxes A, A, and supported by cast-iron arms, and distant from
the same the height of the drawer downwards are the tables Q or endless aprons
formed upon rollers, which are intended to deliver the bricks from the machine.
The existing movement is therefore transferred by means of the racks F upon
the apron placed on the extreme rollers of the tables Q, and'as all the rollers
are connected over them the revolution of it, as also the transporting of the
linen and the bricks which are upon it, is effected.
↓
Above the before mentioned table or apron, and separated from the same
twice the height of the drawer, are the types S, Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the object
of which is to push out the bricks which are in the moulds upon the table Q
after having been conveyed by the drawer E under the types. The types
receive their periodical alternating vertical movement by means of the lever-
work T from the cams U on the shaft X, which are provided with eccentric
incisions. The mutilation of the clay upon the types is obviated by their being
surrounded with felt, which is continually supplied with flowing oil. Both
square boxes A, A, are closed by an arched beater box V, and in the same are
the two rotary beaters W, having motion imparted to them by the conical

page_text: bevil wheels a², which work into the conical bevil wheels 62 on the shaft y,
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5. The shaft y receives its rotary movement by. means of
the mitre wheels and the conical bevil wheels on the shaft Z. The object
of the above-named beaters W is to break the clay, and to divide it upon the
surface of the piston B before it arrives in the main square vessel.
On the above described beater boxes V, and firmly connected with them;
are the slide frames c, together with the cast-iron plate d, extending to the
beater box V, upon which both conducting vessels e rest. These conducting
vessels e are firmly connected above by means of a cast-iron platef (which
closes the receiver q and the racks 9), and have a periodical alternating
horizontal movement, which they receive by means of the working of the
racks g in the pinion wheels h of the shafts x and z. The shaft acquires its
rotation by means of the bevil wheel i, into which the bevil wheels K' of the
shaft y, Fig. 2, periodically work. This periodical working is effected by. the
clutch box n, which by means of the bevil joint m on the shaft y are loosened
through the leverwork '. The freeing is effected by the conducting vessel e
pushing back the lever o. The above-named shaft z receives its periodical
rotation through the bevil wheel i from the shaft x by means of the bevil.
wheel P. The periodical alternating horizontal movement of the conducting
vessel e is for the purpose of conducting the same at certain periods under the
receiver which is screwed on the slide frame c. The clay which is in the
same is pressed into the conducting vessel e by the apparatus which is described
in the purifying process and carried from there over the main square boxes
A, A, under the piston r. The pistons rare worked up and down by the
eccentrics s; and in this manner push the clay which is in the conducting
vessel e upon the beaters W. The shaft Y receives its rotation through the
bevil wheels t, which work into the bevil wheels u of the shaft Z. Behind the
main square boxes, but attached to them by the frame, is the purifying
apparatus; it consists of the elliptical rectangular elevater a, the longest leg
of which is fastened. on the frame, and the other shorter one on the receiver q.
Turned towards the outside, is the receiver, which opens into the elevator box a,
and is screwed fast on the same. In the above-mentioned elevator box a,
Fig. 3, are two vertical screws, close together, which consist of the screwed
knives c, affixed to the shaft . These screws have right and left-handed
knives, and receive their rotation by means of the spur wheels d' at the bottom
of the shafts g', gearing into other spur wheels d², on the vertical shafts e².
The shafts g' are put in motion by the bevil wheels and ³, from the shaft y.
In the elevator box a, near the top, is a grate i, above it, in the leg of the
elevator box, reacl ing to the receiver q, are the horizontal screws, the object

page_text: .
of which is to conduct the clay which is pressed through the grate into the
receiver q. The above-named screws receive their rotation by means of the
skew gearing P, put in motion by the shafts g'. The movement of the whole
machine is effected from the steam engine A¹ by the spur gearing B' and bevil
wheel D', which conduct the power of the engine to the two main shafts X
and Z;
or driving straps may be employed instead of gearing, when required.
The press, purifying apparatus, and steam engine rest upon a framework.
provided with wheels, and are therefore firmly connected.
I
It is immaterial whether the above conducting vessels e are made of the
same dimensions as the square boxes A, A.
Thus my improved brick-making machine performs the operations of
purifying the freshly dug clay and pressing it into the form of bricks, and, if
suitable, transport waggons be employed, a daily product of from seventy-five
thousand to one hundred thousand bricks can be obtained.
The machinery before described, with the assistance of the waggons, would
produce about sixty-five thousand or seventy thousand bricks in ten hours,
which is an amount of produce never before obtained, for the machines hitherto
in use have not manufactured more than about eighteen thousand per day, and
associated with it has been the delay and disadvantage of having to prepare
the clay by mixing it with water.
In the Figures the brick-making machinery is shewn as driven by the steam
engine acting on the driving shaft, but smaller machines may be driven by
hand, which, with a proper system of transport, can produce fifteen thousand
bricks per day.
The construction of this machine may be altered for the production of a
smaller number, namely, twenty thousand or forty thousand bricks daily, in the
following manner :-The clay, which is passed through the screws into the
drawer, is conveyed by the latter over fixed moulds which are in the cylinder.
Having arrived, there, the piston forces the clay into the moulds, which are
closed at the bottom by the stamp plate. When the compression is effected,
and the clay is completely pressed into the moulds, the piston re-ascends out
of the drawer, and the latter winds itself back over the screws for refilling.
Whilst the filling is taking place, the piston descends again to the moulds;
having arrived at its lowest point, it re-ascends simultaneously with the stamp
plate, the latter forcing out the bricks, which are carried between the
stamp plate and the piston till they are above the moulds; at this point the
stamp plate stands still, and the piston ascends from the bricks; the drawer
now arrives refilled with clay for the fresh production, and pushes the prepared
bricks on to the table. As soon as the bricks are pushed off, the stamp plate

page_text: again descends and opens the moulds, which again become filled with clay
from the drawer, and so the above described process is repeated.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction
as herein set forth, nor do I claim the exclusive use of any of the parts of such
machinery when taken separately; but I claim the general arrangement and
construction of the machinery or apparatus for making bricks, as herein
described, and illustrated in the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Effertz, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Peter Effertz, in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
PETER EFFERTZ. (L.S.)