other Articles from Pulverulent Materials.
Year: 1886

page_text: other Articles from Pulverulent Materials.
I, JAMES COLWELL ANDERSON, Brick Manufacturer, residing at Highland Park,.
in the County of Lake, and State of Illinois, one of the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 improvements in the method and apparatus for manu-
facturing Bricks, Tiles, and other articles, where dry-clay, or other dry powdered
substances are to be pressed into form. The object of my invention is to
produce articles of uniform density or compactness whether such articles are of
uniform or of unequal thickness, and to this end my invention consists in the
method hereinafter described, of filling the molds with the material to be pressed,
by means of a vacuum, as will more fully appear, whereby the requisite amount of
clay or other material is forced into the molds and the inequalities in the face of
the plungers or dies, if there be such, are filled with the material before the
compression takes place.
My invention consists further of a brick or tile machine, in which the com-
pression plungers work in a horizontal direction one set on each side of the machine,
said plungers being so timed that their periods of compression occur alternately.
My invention consists further in making the mold box somewhat longer than the
width or thickness of the brick or tile, and in forming in a portion of said mold
box an opening, which communicates with the feed spout, said opening, being
opened and closed by the movement of one of the plungers, whereby the clay is fed
into the mold by suction alone or by the combined forces of suction and gravity,
thus excluding in a great measure the external air.
My invention consists further in the method hereinafter described of feeding clay
of different colors into the molds, so that bricks having different colors and various
styles of decoration can be produced.
"My invention consists further in an automatic device for operating the air valve
or plug, whereby the mold is relieved of the compressed air before the plungers are
withdrawn from the brick, thereby preventing the articles from being checked or

page_text: wise from between the plungers, so that they can be readily removed by the
operator, other novel and important features will be fully described hereinafter,
and pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings.-
Figure, 1, is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Figure, 2, is a top or plan view of the same.
Figure, 3, is a side view of both plungers with the cams for operating the same.
Figure, 4, is a longitudinal sectional view of one set of plungers with the cams
for operating the same taken on the line x-x, of figure, 3.
Figure, 5, is a sectional view of the other set of plungers with the mechanism for
operating the air plugs or pins.
Figure, 6, is a side view of one of the air plugs or pins and levers for operating
the same.
Figure, 7, is a front, view of the levers for operating the air plugs or pins and a
section view showing the connection of the levers with said pin.
Figure, 8, is a front view of the devices for pushing the brick or tile away from
the mouth of the mold, and the cam groove for operating the same.
Figure, 9, is a top or plan view of a portion of figure, 8.
.
Figure, 10, is an end view of one of the housings for the operating cams.
Figure, 11, is an end view of the molds with the mold filling spouts.
Figure, 12, is a sectional view of one of the molds, with the plungers therein,
and the clay feeding spouts adapted to deposit clays of different kinds or colors in.
the molds, taken on the line, x-x, of figure, 11.
Figure, 13, is a front view of the molds, showing a modification of the devices for
feeding clay of different kinds or colors into the mold, so as to produce rings or
spots of different colors.
Figure, 14, is a sectional plan view of the feed spout taken on the line, x³--¹³, of
figure, 12.
Figure, 15, is a view in perspective of a brick having three layers of clay of
different colors, such being formed by the feed spouts shown in figure, 12.
Figure, 16, is a similar view of a brick having rings or spots of different colors,
such being formed by the feed spouts shown in figure, 12.
Figure, 17, is a sectional view of the molds, with vertically moving plungers
therein, showing the lower plunger in its lowest position and the mold cavities
filled with the material to be pressed.
A, indicates the sides of the machine which are cast in one piece and connected
together at the ends by suitable cross ties or bars; B, so as to form a rigid and
substantial structure. The sides of the machine are each cast with suitable lugs,
projections, or brackets which support the plungers and molds, as will more fully
hereinafter appear. C, is a shaft imounted in suitable bearings in the sides of the
machine, said shaft being provided with a band wheel, D, by which power is
communicated to the machine and also with a pinion wheel, E, which meshes with
the pinion or spur wheel, F. The spur wheel, F, is mounted on the shaft, G,
which is also mounted in suitable bearings in the sides, A, of the machine, said
shaft being provided with a pinion wheel, H, which meshes with the larger spur
wheel, I, mounted on the shaft, K. The shafts, K, and, M, project through the
sides of the frame and carry the cams which operate the plungers as will more
fully appear. N, are blocks or cross heads adapted to slide back and forth on the
ways, O, secured to the sides of the machine. P, and, R, are the compression
plungers secured to one side of the cross heads, while to the other side of the cross
heads are bolted the steel yokes or castings, S, the rear side of said yokes being
.

page_text: provided with extensions, T, which are seated in the bearings, U, and thus form a
rear support and guide for the plunger carrying frame or cross heads. As before
intimated the yokes or cross heads, S, are cast in two parts, and provided with
flanges to receive the screws for holding the parts together and a strengthening
rib, 2, to give the required strength within the proper limits of space.
V, are eccentric discs, or cams secured to each end of the shafts, K, and, M, outside
of the frame, A, said cams being adapted to work in the recesses, W, in the plunger.
carrying frames, yokes or cross heads, S, whereby the plungers are moved forward
to compress the clay within the molds, A¹. The yokes, S, are provided with
grooves, 3, in which the eccentric discs, V, work, said grooves being somewhat
larger than the recesses, W, so as to form an oil reservoir to hold the lubricating
compound, so that when the cams or eccentric discs sweep through the lubricant at
each revolution, they will be automatically lubricated. This is an important
feature of my invention for the reason that the great pressure and friction of the
eccentric cams on the inside of the yokes makes it necessary to oil the parts
frequently, whereas by the devices first described, it is only necessary to fill the
groove with oil, no further attention being necessary, until the oil has become
exhausted.
B¹, B, are eccentric discs or plates secured to the outer ends of the shafts, M, K,
respectively, said discs being provided on their inner faces with cam grooves, C¹,
which engage with studs or projections, D¹, on the plunger carrying frame, and
by which means the plungers are drawn back after they have moved toward each
other, and the clay has been pressed.
.
The molds, A', are made larger than the size required for the brick or tile to be
formed therein, and the rear portions of said molds are made with openings which
communicate with the clay or feed spouts, E¹, and through which the clay. is fed
into the molds. The operating cams, V, on the shaft, M, are of such configuration
that the plungers, P, are thrust forward to meet the thrust of the plungers, R,.to
form or compress the brick, and are then pushed forward to eject the brick from
the mold spouts, E, and through which the clay is fed into the molds.
The operating cams, V, on the shaft, M³, are of such configuration, that the
plungers, P, are thrust forward to meet the thrust of the plungers, R, to form or
compress the brick, and are then pushed forward to eject the brick from the mold.
The cam grooves, C¹, in the discs or cams, B¹, are so constructed that the plungers, P,
are drawn back past the opening in the mold boxes while the plunger, R, is in the
front end of the mold boxes, as shown in figure, 12 so that the clay in the
spouts, E¹, will be drawn into the molds by suction, or by suction and gravity.
combined. During this period of backward movent of the plungers, P, the
plungers, R, are moved forward into the mold box, A¹, by means of the cam
grooves, C, on the cam, B", as shown in figure, 12, so as to regulate the charge of
clay. After the charge of clay has been deposited in the mold, both plungers are
moved in the same direction as indicated by the arrow in figure 12, until the
plunger, R, is near the front end of the mold, when its rearward movement is
arrested and the cam, V, on the shaft, K, operates to move the plungers forward
to compress the clay, the plungers, P, at this time serves to cut off the supply of
clay from the spouts, E¹, until they have returned in their rearward movement
past the openings in the mold boxes, when said boxes are again filled with clay.
In this instance the clay spouts are above the molds, so that the proper amount
of clay is fed into the same by gravity and the vacuum produced by the rearward
movement of the plunger, P, as already indicated. In machines where the plungers
work in a vertical direction, the feed spouts enter the sides of the mold box below
the point where the compression takes place, as shown in figure, 17, and the
operation of feeding the clay into the molds by suction is as follows.
Plungers move down into the mold, until the lower face of the upper plunger
5 reaches the upper edge of the feed spouts, when the upper.plunger is arrested or
stopped, and the lower plunger is rapidly moved downward past the feed spouts
until it reaches the lower portion of the mold or to the position shown in fig. 17,

page_text: thus producing a vacuum in the suddenly produced intervening space between the
plungers or dies and at the same time opening the ports to the feed spouts, when
the dry clay or other powdered material, will rush into the vacuum thus produced,
to fill the molds evenly, and all interstices that may be formed in the faces of the
plungers, thus filling the molds by suction, and excluding in a great measure the air
from the body of the material.
The plungers, R, are provided with longitudinal cavities, F¹, in which are located
the pins or plugs, G¹, the front ends of these pins or plugs being made tapering, as
shown at, a, and project through openings, a', formed in the face plates, b, of
the plungers.
The rear ends of the pins, G¹, project into the transverse cavity, H', formed in
the cross heads, H, and are connected to the shaft or bar, I¹, by. means of the
arm, K', the upper end of said arm being provided with a ball, c, which enters the
opening, d¹, formed in the rear end of the pin, G³. .
The bar, I, is mounted in bearings, in the walls of the cavity, H¹, one end of
which projects through the same and is connected to one end of the bell crank
lever, L¹, the free end of said lever being provided with a stud, e, and friction
roller, f, which projects inward and connects with the cam groove, g, formed in the
outer face of the cam plate or disc, B¹.
The function of the devices just described is to free the molds of air which has
been compressed with the clay and the operation of the same is as follows.
The cam groove, g, acts on the bell crank lever, L', to withdraw the plug, G',
from the brick, about one inch and a quarter to open the air ducts, a¹, about the
time the plunger, R, recedes, for expelling the atmospheric air which has been
compressed in forming the brick or at that point when the brick has been
compressed to within about three sixteenths of an inch of its ultimate thickness.
The plugs or pins are held by the action of the cam, g, on the bell crank lever, L'
until the plungers, R, are entirely withdrawn from the molds or die boxes and
until said plungers have again reached a point in their forward movement in close
proximity to the plungers, P, when said plugs are thrust forward about a quarter
of an inch, so as to close the openings or air ducts, a¹, at a point where the faces of
the two plungers meet, so that no air may be admitted into the cavity between the
plungers, as the plungers, P, are moved away from the plungers, R, so as to
produce a vacuum and open the port to the clay spouts to allow the clay to rush
in and fill the space between the plungers as shown in fig. 12.
When this operation is completed, and just before the pressing operation begins
the plugs or pins, G₁, are thrust out to their full throw and held in that position
until the clay is well compacted, or to that point stated, when they are withdrawn
from the nearly completed brick, the clay having been then well enough compacted
to maintain the solidity of the brick at the point from whence the cone points of
the plug have been withdrawn, and the clay which would have rushed out at such
an opening from the molds before the pressure will remain fixed as a part of
the brick.
By the devices, and method of operating the same as just described the air is
allowed to escape, and the plungers, R, can be readily withdrawn without checking.
or cracking the brick.
I will now proceed to describe the devices by which the brick are pushed over
from the face of the mold so that they can be readily removed by the hand of the
operator.
M³, is a lever pivoted to a bracket N¹ as shown in fig. 2, one end of said lever
being pivoted to the sliding bar, 0¹, which is adapted to slide back and forth in
the guide, P¹.
The other end of the lever, M³, is provided with a pin and friction wheel, h,
adapted to engage in the cam groove, R', formed in the shaft, K¹, and by which
means the head or enlarged portion S¹, is brought in contact with the newly
formed brick which have been ejected from the molds, on to the table or plat-
form, V', and push the same away from the path of the plungers, R.

page_text: After the bricks have been pushed away from the mouth of the molds the
bar, 01, is quickly drawn back out of the way of the plungers, R, by an abrupt
angle in the cam groove, R', which moves the end of the bar, M¹; back.
In order to produce brick, tiles or other articles in different colors, the feed
spouts, shown in figs. 12, and, 14, are used.
The spouts are divided into any desired number of compartments by plates or
partitions, i, said compartments being filled with clay powder, which will burn the
different colors desired.
In the example shown in fig. 15, three different colored clays are used, but it is
obvious that any desired number can be used; by increasing the number of
partitions in the feed spouts.
Another illustration of manufacturing ornamental brick is given in fig. 13, in
which the separate clay spouts extend down along the side of the mold box and
communicate with the same, by a series of circular tubes, W¹.
These tubes may be single and used in connection with the upper or vertical
spouts, El, for making a plain spot on the face edge of the brick, as in case of
producing an immitation of blood stone, or numerous concentric rings may be
formed on the brick by placing a series of larger tubes over smaller ones, or instead
of round pipes or tubes, they may be contorted so as to represent any desired
figure, or any number of veins of different colors running along the face of the
brick, it being understood, that the different tubes communicate with different clay
spouts, or with spouts containing clay of different colors.
By this method of supplying the clay to the molds I am enabled, to produce
brick having any desired style of ornamentation, with clays of different colors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is -
.
1. In a machine for pressing substances into form, the method herein described,
of feeding the material into the molds which consists in forming a vacuum in the
mold box to draw the material to be compressed into the same through suitable
ducts or openings as set forth.
2. In a brick or tile machine, the method herein described of filling the molds
with the material to be compressed, which consists in bringing the upper and lower,
plungers together within the mold, and then separating then to produce a vacuum
within the mold, which action draws the material from the feed spouts, uniformly
into the mold cavity by the force of suction, as set forth.
3. The method herein described of making ornamental or tiles of clays of
different colors, the same consisting in reducing the clay to a finely divided
condition, and conducting it to the molds, through a plurality of spouts as set
forth.
4. The method herein described of ornamenting the face of bricks or tiles with
clays of different colors, the same consisting in feeding the dry clay powder
through a plurality of spouts in the face edge of the mold in connection with the
spouts for filling in the clay forming the main body of the brick or tile. .
5. In a machine for pressing substances into form, the molds of which are
provided with feed ducts or spouts in their sides as described, whereby the
material to be compressed is fed into the molds between the plungers, while said
plungers are within the molds.
6. In a machine for pressing substances into form, the double sets of plungers
and cams for operating then, located on the outside of the frame of the machine,
and the pinion wheels and mechanism for operating the cams and plungers located
within the sides of the frame of the machine as set forth.
7. In a brick and tile machine, the plungers, P, and, R, located on the outside of
the machine and adapted to work in a horizontal direction as described, whereby
the clay is fed into the side of the mold box, by the combined action of suction
and gravity..

page_text: 8. In a brick and tile machine of the character described, the plungers of which
are moved toward each other to compress the clay by means of eccentric cams, as
described and moved in an opposite direction by means of cams slots or grooves,
engaging with the studs or pins on the plunger frames as set forth.
.
9. In a brick or tile machine of the character described the cams, V, adapted to
work in the grooves, 3, formed in the walls of the open space, W, of the yoke or
cross head, S, in combination with the cam grooved discs located outside of the
plunger frames and connected thereto by means of a stud working in said cam
groove, as set forth.
10. In a brick and tile machine of the character described, the horizontal mold
boxes, A', connected to, and communicating with the feed spouts at one end thereof,
whereby the clay is fed into said molds by gravitation as set forth.
11. In a brick and tile machine of the character described, the horizontal mold
boxes, A¹, connected to and communicating with the feed spouts at one end,
thereof, in combination with the horizontal reciprocating plungers operated as
described, whereby the supply of clay is fed into the mold box and moved forward
to the solid portion of the mold before compression takes place, and an excess of
air prevented from entering the molds, as set forth.
12. In a brick machine of the character described the bar, 0¹, provided with the
head, S¹, in combination with the pivoted' lever, M¹, and cam groove, R¹, whereby
the newly formed brick are pushed out of the path of the plungers as set forth.
13. In a brick machine of the character described the pins or plugs, G¹, connected
to the shaft, I', as described said shaft being provided with a bell crank lever, L'
friction stud, e, f, in combination with the discs, B¹, provided with the cam slot g,
whereby the pins or plugs are moved back and forth at the proper time to allow
the compressed air in the molds to escape as set forth.
14. In a brick n achine of the character described, the cross heads, N, carrying
the plungers, P, and, R, adapted to travel in guides, O, in combination with the
portions, S, provided with the extensions, T, adapted to work in the guides, V, as
set forth.
15. In a brick machine of the character described the yokes, S, provided with
the oil receiving grooves, 3, as and for the purpose set forth.
16. As a new article of manufacture a brick made of different colored clay,
arranged in layers, spots or rings, as set forth.
.
D
01
2
1000