IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Liddell, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, and Alexander Mac Phail, of Upper Thames Street, in the
City of London, Mechanical Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BRICK-MAKING MACHINES."
Sealed the 13th October 1877, and dated the 21st April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Liddell and Alexander
Mac Phail at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st April
1877.
JOHN LIDDELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
and ALEXANDER MAC PHAIL, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
Mechanical Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK-MAKING MACHINES."
This Invention has reference to certain improvements in several of the mechanical
movements of the machines for the manufacture of bricks from plastic clay known
as the vertical pug mill brick-making machine, of the double class for making two
bricks at a time.
The pug mill cylinder and its vertical central shaft, with its clay pugging or
mixing and pressing out angled or curved blades, are carried in a footstep bearing
below and bush journal bearing in cross beam on the side frames above the
open mouth at the top of the mill, the shaft of which is actuated by bevel wheels
below from the main first motion horizontal shaft, carried in pillow blocks on the
foundation or sole plate in the centre below the mill and between the guide frames
of the slide block and moulds.
To form the two sets of bricks, a clay expressing mouth-piece is formed at each
lower opposite side of the pug mill, each orifice being fitted with the usual double
mould slide in front and a little below it, with its reciprocating connecting rod and
actuating revolving crank shaft or axis, and having the usual pressing block for
compressing the clay into the mould to form the bricks with its actuating mechanism,

page_text: and the double set of brick discharging or expressing blocks, and their guide
spindles and actuating mechanism mounted at some distance on each side of the
central compressing block for delivering the bricks out of the mould quite formed,
finished, and compressed on to a movable receiving table or boards, or on to an
endless traversing removing band or web or other equivalent, convenient for the
boys or girls removing them to be dried, and then fired or baked in the kiln, the
whole being improvements upon and connected with the Invention in this class of
brick-making machines for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to the
petitioner, John Liddell, dated the 12th October, 1874, and Numbered 3492, par-
ticularly the general combination of these improvements in this class of machines
for the purpose of simplifying their movements and reducing the number of their
working parts and gearing, thus rendering these machines more perfect and durable
in their construction and action than they have been as heretofore constructed,
without adding to their first cost.
The nature and novelty of the Invention consist all as follows:-By the improve-
ments of the said former Patent referred to, the compressing blocks for pressing the
clay into the moulds, while these make their pause below them (one of which is
mounted in the centre at each side of the pug mill over the expressing mouth and
mould) are actuated from a cam on the upper end of the pug shaft.
Guides are carried on the side frames, and in the guides slots or slide beds are
formed, slides being fitted therein carrying two anti-friction rollers, embracing and
worked by the cam, which, when revolving, causes the slides to rise and fall in the
guides, and the pressing blocks being connected to the slides by rods are thereby
pressed down by the power of the cam to compress the clay into the moulds by the
pressing blocks, after which the slide mould is removed so as to bring another mould
opposite to and below the pressing blocks, which are again lowered upon the clay,
at the same time the bricks last compressed are being forced out of the mould by
one of the expressers, which are actuated from a cam fixed upon the pug shaft
below the mill.
Weights are attached to the pressers, and to the weights rods are fixed, their
lower ends sliding vertically in guides situated at right angles to the rods, the
inner extremities of the rods being provided with antifriction rollers, which bear
upon the cam, so that by adjusting the cam on the shaft the expressers may be
made to fall at the proper intervals for removing the bricks froin the moulds.
By one of the improvements of this Invention each horizontal reciprocating slide
mould is fitted with a mould bottom, which works or oscillates by hinges up from
below into each mould of the slides, and each mould bottom is fitted with a die block
to form indentations or hollow recesses in the bricks, with or without names or
marks in them, with the view of producing good bed or binding joints, and econo-
mising material in the manufacture of bricks, and providing key ways.
These new or improved bottoms may be made of malleable iron lined with hard
wood, and faced with brass or other suitable substance, and they have air grooves
or spaces on their face to admit of their speedy separation from the clay at the
time of or in the act of discharging the bricks from the moulds.
These improvements would give increased solidity and exact form or shape to the
bricks, being thus separately and simultaneously moulded and compressed, thereby
obviating the necessity for the usual secondary or subsequent operation of com-
pressing or providing a separate machine therefor.
Another improvement consists in dispensing with the second or upper longitudinal
shaft and spur wheels (connecting it to the first longitudinal shaft below it) for
actuating the short revolving crank shaft for reciprocating the said horizontal slide
moulds, and substituting a short vertical shaft and mitre wheels between the lower
horizontal shaft and the crank shaft, which would be a more direct, simple, and
expeditious mode of driving the slide moulds as compared with the modes hereto-
fore employed.
Another improvement consists in the arrangement of mechanism for sanding the

page_text: sides and bottoms of the moulds, one modification of which consists in the use of
hoppers or sand boxs, one placed on each side of and between the centre compresser
and the discharging presser, so as to be above each mould while it is passing back
empty to be re-filled with clay.
Each sand box is made in two separate shells or cases, the one being inside the
other, the inner case having a sufficient angle widening towards the bottom at three
sides of the case, to enable or cause the sand to be carried to the top line of the
edges of the sides of the mould, and so impinge on and effectively coat the entire
sides of each mould while it is traversing past its respective sand box. The inner
shell of the sand box has a small opening at top gradually tapering out at bottom to
nearly the side of the interior of the brick moulds, and fitted with a perforated
bottom, and a sufficient number and size of holes to allow a small spray of sand to
fall directly on the whole bottom surface of the moulds.
The quantity or stream of sand supplied to cach sand box and mould is regulated
by slide or other valves, actuated by a mechanical arrangement of reciprocating
spindle in a filler tube supplied with sand to a cup above the valve from a supply
hopper or other equivalent, also fitted with a suitable slide or other valve, so as
only to allow the sand to pass through the sand box while the moulds are traversing
below it, and close when the moulds have passed it to approach the centre moulder
or compresser, and while returning to the discharging table. The sand is therefore
only applied when the moulds are returning from the discharging table under theo
sand box to the centre compresser. By this arrangement the four sides and bottoms
of the moulds are sufficiently sprinkled with sand to enable the bricks to be dis-
charged freely from them.
The two valves are so fitted on their regulating spindle within the sand supply
chamber, above the sand box, that the opening of the top valve takes place when the
moulds are being traversed for the bricks to be discharged, to allow of sufficient
sand being collected during this operation in the upper part of the chamber abovo
the lower outlet valve, which is shut while this is taking place.
The valve rods are so connected to the discharging stampers or dies of the moulds
by a sliding arm over the rod and regulating jamb nuts, or other equivalent, as to
move and leave the valves in the said lower position during the said operation, but
as soon as the bricks leave the moulds, the stamps or dies cause the arm to lift the
valve rod and open the lower outer valve to the sand box, and shut off tho upper
valve, opening from the upper cup into the supply valve vessel, so that the sand
flows into the receiving cup while running out of the vessel into the sand box
during the time the mould box is returning to be re-filled with clay to be com-
pressed. The sand contained in the chamber between the valves flows into and
through the sand box perforated bottom only at the extreme edges of the two
sides and one end.
In connection with the foregoing new or improved arrangements of sanding
mechanism, sweepers made of india-rubber or other equivalent suitable elastic sub-
stance are fitted at each end of the sand boxes or valve supplying chamber, so as to
dip down and softly brush the top sides or edges of the mould box slides, and clean
and remove the sand off these, thereby giving free passage to the slides as they return
to the centre compresser.
Another modification or arrangement for sanding the four vertical sides of the
moulds, consists in mounting a hollow conical hopper-shaped sand box round each
expressing block or plunger, which guides and fills it at the lower outlet end, so
that when the plunger passes this part at the moment of or after having pressed the
brick out of the mould a thin stream of sand would be directed against the upper
part of the whole of the interior sides of the mould box, and so sand them, assisted
by making the top of the plunger of a pyramidal shape, and the lower edge of the
sand box bevelled outwards nearly parallel thereto to deflect or project the sand in
a very thin stream more directly on the vertical sides of the box; and when so con-
structed conically below, the sand box might be parallel and placed within the

page_text: guides above the conical head of the expressing block, so that when it passed below
its guide the stream of sand would be ejected against the sides of the mould as
before stated.
In either of these arrangements the sand may be regularly fed into the sand
box at the open top, or intermittently by a feeding valve chamber, as described in
reference to the former sand boxes placed between the compressers and expressers.
And to clean the sand off the upper working sides of the expressing block, a washer
or strip of india-rubber or other soft material may be fitted all round the lower
edges of the guide, and so brush the sand off the block and allow it to enter the
guide clean and prevent friction, or the wearing away of the working metal
surfaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Liddell and Alexander Mac Phail in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th October 1877.
JOHN LIDDELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer,
and ALEXANDER MAC PHAIL, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
Mechanical Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK-MAKING MACHINES."
Figures 1 and 2 on the Sheet of Drawings are side and end elevations respec-
tively of a brick-making machine, with duplex reciprocating mould boxes A and
pressing plungers over each for making two bricks at a time, as constructed in
accordance with the improvements for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to
the said John Liddell, dated the 12th October, 1874, and numbered 3492, and upon
which our present Invention is built, showing our improvements connected with
the mould box A, a, a, and sanding mechanism F, G, H, as applied thereto.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the improved arrangement of driving gear for
actuating the two mould boxes A, a, a', instead of by the rocking shaft and levers
8, 81, by the cross head and rods 12, 12', and cam frame 12¹¹ from a crank cam on
the lower part of the pug mill shaft 2, as heretofore, and shown in Figures 1
and 2.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a longitudinal section and a plan of the im-
proved construction of mould box A, a, a¹, to a large scale, to illustrate the naturo
and mode of carrying out our improvements connected therewith.
Figures 6 and 7 are a general side elevation and a plan corresponding to
Figures 4 and 5 of the construction and arrangement of the improved automatic
mechanism F, G, H, for sanding the moulds a, a¹.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the present Invention has reference to certain
improvements upon some of the mechanical movements of this vertical pug
mill
brick-making machine, constructed in accordance with the said former improve.
ments of John Liddell, for making two bricks at a time.
The usual pug mill cylinder 1, and its vertical central shaft 2, with its clay
pugging or mixing and pressing-out angled or curved blades 2¹ are carried in a
footstep bearing below at 21, and bush journal bearing in the cross beam 2111, of
the side frames 3, above the open mouth and hopper 1¹ at the top of the mill 1, the
shaft 2 of which is actuated by bevel wheels 41, 411, below, from the main horizontal
first-motion shaft 4, carried in bush-bearing pillow blocks 4, secured to the foun-
dation or sole plate z of the whole machine, in the centre line below the mill 1, and
between the guide frames 5 of the improved mould slide blocks A, each of which
with its two moulds a, a', formed in it is reciprocated to and fro in its slide guides
5, carried on the pillars 5¹ below the central clay compressing and expressing box or
mouth-piece 6, fitted and secured on each opposite side and at the lower part of the pug

page_text: mill 1; to compress and form the two sets of bricks in the moulds a, a', as their slide
blocks A are reciprocated by the connecting rods 7, jointed or linked at their outer
free ends to the rocking levers 8 on the shaft 81, Figures 1 and 2, or to the transverse
revolving crank shaft D, Figure 3, as will be herein-after described; each time one
of the moulds A, a, a, is brought under its compressing box 6, fitted with the usual
pressing block 6¹ for compressing the clay into the mould a, a¹, to form the brick.
The pressing blocks 6' are actuated by the rods 6", with antifriction rollers 6111 and
disc or rim cam 9 secured on the top of the pug mill shaft 2, and fitted at some
distance on each side of the central compressing block, with the double set of brick
discharging or expressing blocks 10 on their vertical reciprocating guide spindles 10¹,
actuated by their weighted cross head 10" and cam mechanism 11, 11', for.
delivering the bricks out of their moulds, quite formed, finished, and compressed, on
to a movable receiving table or boards, or on to an endless traversing removing
band, or web, or other equivalent at 13, below each pressing-out plunger 10, con-
venient for the boys or girls removing the bricks, as so delivered to be dried and
then fired or baked in the kiln.
The action of the machine is as follows:-While the two mould boxes or slides A
are reciprocated in the one direction, so as to bring their moulds a', a', at one end
under the central compressing chambers and boxes 6, 6¹, to have the clay forced
into them, and the brick compressed or formed simultaneously by their compressing
rods 6 and cam 9, the moulds a, a, at the other end are brought under the
discharging blocks or pistons 10 (actuated as before described at the one side of the
pug mill by their weighted cross head 10111 and cam mechanism 11, 111), so as to
have the two previously compressed bricks discharged from the moulds on to their
tables or endless removing bands, all as herein-before described, and vice versa;
when the mould slide A is moved in the other direction, the bricks formed or com-
pressed in the moulds a¹, a¹, would be brought under the discharging pistons 10 nt
the other side of the pug mill, so as to remove them while the clay is being forced
into and the brick formed in the other moulds a, a; a pause being given to the
slide A at the extreme end of its stroke in either direction for enabling two bricks
to be compressed while other two bricks are being simultaneously discharged on
opposite sides of the machine; this pause being given to the slides A, either
by their cams and cam boxes 12 and 12", or by a long slot 71 in the free end
of their connecting rod 7, when actuated by the cranks B of a revolving shaft D,
as seen in Figure 3, the arrangement and mechanism as so far described being
generally similar to that specified in reference to the said former Patent of John
Liddell.
Under the first part or improvement of the present Invention each horizontal
reciprocating slide A has its two vertical moulds a, a', open above and below, and
fitted with a new or improved closing door b, hinged below at one end b' to the
mould box or slide A, so as to open downwards when reciprocated to the one side
or the other, under the discharging blocks 10, and off the pressure plate 5" of the
slide or guide frame 5.
Each mould bottom b may be fitted with a die block c on its upper surface,
to form an indentation or hollow pannelled recess in the bricks, with or
without names or marks on them, with the view of producing good bed or binding
joints, and economising material in the manufacture of bricks, or for providing
keyways for securing the bricks together, all as particularly indicated in Figures 4
and 5.
These new or improved bottoms b may be made wholly or partly of cast or malle-
able iron lined with hard wood, and faced with brass or other suitable material;
and they may have small air admission grooves or spaces on their face leading from
the outside to facilitate their speedy separation from the clay at the time of or in
the act of discharging the bricks froin the moulds as the discharging pistons 10
come down, or the opening of the mould bottoms may be effected or assisted by a
pin d passed in through the lower edge of the stationary guide frame 5, so that its

page_text: inner projecting point working in a groove d¹ in the mould box A acting on the
rounded or inclined edge d" of the closing lid b would open it as brought to the dis-
charging position, as seen in Figures 4 and 5; but an angled chain e might be used
for the like purpose of opening the bottom plate 6 before it reached the end of its
outward stroke, attached to it and to the centre column or other equivalent part of
the machine, as dotted in, in Figures 1 and 2. These improvements connected with
the mould box A, a, a¹, of these brick-making machines would give increased
solidity and exact form or shape to the bricks being thus separately and simulta-
neously moulded and compressed, thereby obviating the necessity for the usual
secondary or subsequent operation of compressing or providing a separate machine
therefor.
Referring to Figure 3, another improvement consists in dispensing with the usual
second or upper longitudinal shaft and spur wheels connecting it to the first longi-
tudinal shaft 4 below it, for actuating the short revolving crank shaft D for recipro-
cating the said longitudinal slide moulds, and substituting in lieu thereof a short
vertical shaft C and mitre bevel wheels C¹, C", between the lower horizontal first-
motion shaft 4 and the crank shaft D, connected to the vertical shaft C above by
the bevel wheel and pinion D₁, D", which improved arrangement would be a
more direct, simple, and efficient mode and means of driving the slide moulds
A, a, a¹, than the modes heretofore employed.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7, another improvement consists in the arrangement
of mechanism for sanding the sides and bottoms of the moulds a, a¹, automatically,
as shown in these Figures, by the use of a sand supplying hopper F, with con-
ducting spouts f and controlling slides or other valves f¹, leading to a regulating
valve chamber G over a distributing sand box H, placed on each side of and between
the centre compressing chamber 6 and the discharging presser 10, with a dusting or
distributing sand box H, secured to the side of the compressing chamber 6, close
over each mould a, a¹, so as to sand it while passing back empty to be refilled with
clay under the presser 6¹.
Each sand box H, as shown in the detached section, Figure 6 H, is made of an
outer rectangular case h open above, with wirecloth bottom, in length corresponding
to the width of the moulds a, a', fitted with an internal angled case h¹ secured on
the perforated bottom of the outer case h, this inner case having a sufficient
angle, widening towards the bottom ¹¹ on three sides, to cause the sand to be
carried to the narrow wire gauze or perforated space h¹¹, at the bottom, between this
inner and outer case in a line with the top edges of the sides of the mould a, a¹.
This sand box H is open at top over the internal case h, with its sides h¹ tapering
out at the bottom to near the side of the interior of the brick mould a, a¹, where it
is fitted with the wire gauze or perforated bottom, all so as to cause the sand fed
into this box to be distributed in a fine spray directly on the surface of the sides
and bottoms of the moulds, while passing in under it empty to be refilled with clay.
The quantity or stream of sand supplied to each sand box H and mould a, a¹, by one
arrangement is regulated from the hopper F by hand slides or other valves f¹ in
the spout to flow into the upper funnel G¹ of an automatical mechanical arrange-
ment of duplex valve regulating case G constructed in two parts jointed at G¹¹ in
the centre of the case or tube G, with a throat G leading from the filler
G¹ to it above, and a spout G³ leading from it below to the distributing sand box
H under it; and having fitted within the case Q an internal duplex valve spindle
g, g¹, g¹¹, so as to close or open the throat G2 or outlet spout Gs alternately,
as it is reciprocated, or lifted, or pressed down by its stem g, carried up outside
and fitted with lifting and pressing-down nuts or weight g² on each side of a
reciprocating arm secured to the top of the reciprocating spindle 10¹ of the
brick-discharging block 10, all so that when this block is raised out of the mould
a it opens the lower valve gl and closes the upper one g¹¹, and allows the sand
collected in the case G to flow down the spout G³, and sand the internal sides and
bottom of the mould, while it is traversing inwards below this spout G³ and sand

page_text: box H, all as before described, and then close the valve g¹ by its own weight g³ when
the mould a has passed in under the centre compresser 6, 6', and while returning
to the discharging block 10 and receiving table. The sand is therefore preferably
only applied when the moulds are returning from the discharging table under
the sand box to the centre compresser 6, 61. By this arrangement the sides
and bottoms of the moulds are sufficiently sprinkled with sand to enable the bricks
to be freely discharged therefrom by the slide blocks 10.
The two valves gl and g¹¹ are so formed or fitted on their regulating spindle g
within the sand supply chamber G above the sand box H, that the opening of the
top valve g takes place when the moulds a are standing for the bricks to be
discharged, or while being traversed outwards for this purpose to allow sufficient
sand to be collected in the upper part of the chamber G above the lower outlet valve
g, which is shut while this is taking place.
The valve rods 9 are so connected to the discharging pressers 10 by their moving
arms g* sliding over them, and fitted with regulating and jam nuts g³ (or other
equivalent) to set the valves, so that as the bricks leave the moulds the spindle 10¹
of the pressing-out blocks 10 cause the arm 93 to lift the valve rod and open the
lower outer valve g¹ leading to the sand box H, and shut off the upper valve g¹¹,
opening from the cup or filler G¹ at the top into the supply valve chamber G, so
that the sand flows into the receiving cup G while running out of the vessel G
into the sand box H during the time the mould box a is being sanded, or re-
turning to be refilled with clay and compressed, thus regulating the amount of
sand used at each traverse of the mould and brick formed, and so preventing
the waste of sand.
In connection with the foregoing new or improved arrangements of sanding
mechanism, sweepers made of india-rubber or other equivalent suitable elastic or
flexible material may be fitted at each end of the sand boxes or valve supply
chamber, so as to dip down and softly brush the top sides or edges of the mould
box slides A, and clean or sweep off any sand that may fall on these, thereby giving
free passage to the slides as they return to the centre compressing chamber 6.
In these arrangements the sand may be regularly fed into the sand box at the
open top, or intermittently by a feeding valve chamber G, as described in reference
to the former sand boxes placed between the compressers 6 and expressers 10.
To clean the sand off the upper working sides or edge surface of the
expressing block 10, a washer or strip of india-rubber or other soft material may
be fitted all round its lower edges or guide, and so brush the sand off the working
surface of the block, and allow it to enter the guide or mould clean, and prevent
friction or the wearing away of the working metal surfaces.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what we consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement or combination of the parts of brick making
machines, of the pug mill double slide mould box class, with improved actuating
gearing, moulds, or sanding machines, substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The new or improved arrangement or combination of gearing for
actuating the crank shaft from the first motion shaft, which reciprocates the two
mould slides of brick-making machines, all substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The construction and use of jointed or hinged bottom blocks, plates, or
doors to the slide mould boxes of brick-making machines, all substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The construction or arrangement and use of regulating and distributing
or sprinkling apparatus or mechanism for the sanding of the moulds of brick-making

page_text: machines, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Liddell, on behalf of the said Alexander
Mac Phail and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
96, Buchanan St.,
Glasgow.
JOHN LIDDELL. (L.S.)