Improvements in Brick Making and Pressing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick Making and Pressing Machines.
I, HERBERT ALEXANDER, of Queen's Works, Water Lane, Leeds, in the County
of York, Engineer, 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:――
This invention relates to the construction of machinery for making and pressing
bricks, briquettes, tiles, paving blocks, and the like, and consists in certain im-
provements which are a modification of the invention for which Letters Patent
were granted to me numbered 16416 and dated the 28th day of July 1898.
The present invention resides in the arrangement, mounting, and carrying of
the table of the machine upon a single tension column supported at its upper
end on a flexible bearing and carrying at its lower end the fulcrum of the
pressing lever in such a manner that the number of parts is reduced and the
machine is thereby rendered less costly and more compact.
This machine consists first of a table, preferably of a circular form, through
the centre of which but fitting more or less loosely, passes a spindle or column
which I call the tension column carried at its upper end by a nut and washer
resting on an indiarubber or other flexible packing placed on the framework
of the machine, and provided at its lower end with a pin connection forming
the fulcrum of the press lever. The table can revolve freely around this central
column but is controlled by a toothed segment and a segment of a circular
disc placed one above another and operated by the second motion shaft. The
toothed segment gears into corresponding teeth on the edge of the table and when
not in gear the circular part of the disc fits into like recesses on the edge of
the table and holds it stationary.
Through the table I form a number of holes or passages of a size and shape
to correspond to the brick or other goods required to be made and which when
fitted with a plunger form the moulds in which the bricks are pressed.
Fixed on another part of the machine I provide a mixing pan usually of a
circular form and so arranged that a portion of it overlaps a portion of the
surface of the table comprising within its area one or more of the moulds as
they travel round owing to the revolution of the table upon its axis; or instead
of a pan I may provide simply a hopper carried in the same way and covering
one or more of the moulds in the table. In the pan or hopper is placed the
material to be made into bricks or other goods, which falls therefrom into the
moulds in the table when they reach a certain position.
The mould or moulds in the table being full of material are brought by the
revolution of the table beneath a part of the framework of the machine which
I call the press-head.
Working in each mould in the table is a loose piece or plunger free to move
up and down and forming the bottom of the mould.
Bearing on the other end of the plunger is the pressure block which is
attached by means of a link to the press lever above mentioned which has its
fulcrum at the extremity of the tension column. The other end of the lever is
017

page_text: attached to a connecting rod driven by a crank shaft or other suitable gearing.
By means of this lever at the moment that the mould in the table comes under
the press-head the plunger is caused to rise and press the material in, the mould
between itself and the press-head thus forming a mass of great density and
sharpness of outline.
As the table again proceeds to revolve it carries the plunger away from the
pressing lever and allows it to pass on to the end of another auxiliary plunger
connected to a side lever whose opposite end' is controlled by a cam; the
revolution of the cam gradually raises the plunger in the mould and pushes
the brick or other goods up above the surface of the table: ready to be removed.
The plunger then falls on to a race or track fixed in its path underneath the
table and as the table again revolves it is brought on to an adjusting plate which
can be raised or lowered by means of a handwheel which is connected to the
plate through a worm and wheel gearing into a vertical screw. By raising or
lowering the plunger I can adjust the mould to suit the material without 1
stopping the machine.
To guard against breakage of the parts through too much material having got
into a mould I arrange that the fulcrum of the press lever may be suspended
from a bearing provided with a packing composed of indiarubber or other
flexible material which shall compress to some extent if the strain upon it
increases beyond a certain point.
The nature of my improvements will be readily understood on reference to
the accompanying drawings in which the same letters refer to like parts in all
the views.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a hopper arrangement instead of a
mixing pan.
Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, B is a circular table which is carried by the
upright tension column K around which it is free to revolve. At intervals
in the face of this table are passages o of the same size as the brick or other
goods required to be made. Each of these passages is fitted with a plunger c
which rises and falls in it as the table revolves, thus forming the mould in
which the bricks are made.
Fixed to the standards p and q is a mixing mill or pan A in which the material
is thoroughly intermixed by the revolving arms D.
This pan is arranged to overlap the table as shown at t where it is provided
with an outlet through which the material passes to the moulds in the table,
it being constantly brought over the moulds by the action of the revolving
arms D.
.
The mould having been filled in passing under the pan is brought next
under the press-head at u and at the same time the bottom extremity of the
plunger passes on to the pressure block G connected to the lever I by the link H.
The table is stationary for a while. while the lever is raised by the action of
the crank s and the connecting rod R attached to the end Q causing an upward
movement of the plunger which presses the material in the mould between
itself and the press-head u. The table is now further revolved carrying the
plunger on to the auxiliary plunger shown at e. This plunger is worked by
the side lever f pivotted at g and actuated by the cam ; so that as soon as the
mould with the pressed brick or other goods covers e, the bricks or other goods
in the mould is pushed up clear of the table by means of this auxiliary plunger,
from whence it can be removed.
As the revolution of the table continues the plungers pass on to the track w
from whence they pass on to the adjusting plate .. This plate may be raised or
lowered by means of the hand wheel d which is connected to the screw y by
means of a worm on the spindle z and a worm wheel on the screw. By this
means I regulate the quantity of material in the mould.
.

page_text: In case however too much material gets into the mould I provide the tension
column K to which the press-lever is attached at J with a nut M and plate O
which rests upon a flexible disc P composed of indiarubber or on a series of
suitable springs, the weight being carried by the projecting arm L attached to
the framework W of the machine; this forms a cushion and admits in case the
brick is of too great a density of the column K and the pin J lowering and so
relieving the pressure and preventing breakage of the working parts of the
machine.
I revolve the mould table by means of the toothed segment F and a circular
disc b as described in my previous Specification No. 16416 of 1898 or by the
ratchet action therein described.
Fig. 3 shows the machine arranged with a hopper h, partially covering the
table. In case the mixing is done independently of the pressing machine,
the material is fed to the moulds through this hopper either by hand or otherwise.
The whole machine is driven by the fast and loose pulleys on the shaft V
which latter is connected to the crank shaft S through the pinion U and spur
wheel T and to the vertical shaft E by means of the bevil wheels shown at X
and Y.
I am aware that some of the parts enumerated in this specification are not
new and I desire to disclaim such portion of it not included in the claims at
the end hereof. They have been described in order to explain more clearly
the action of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In machines of the character described for making and pressing bricks,
tiles, paving blocks, and the like, the combination with a table containing a
series of moulds fitted with plungers and revolving on a tension column through
its centre. of a lever pivotted on the bottom end of the said column, a link and
pressure block connecting it with the plungers, driving mechanism therefor,
and a flexible support for the upper end of the tension column attached to the
framework of the machine, substantially as described herein.
2. In machines of the character described for making and pressing bricks,
tiles, paving blocks, and the like the combination with the parts mentioned in
Claim 1 of a mill or pan partially covering the table for the supply of material
to the moulds. substantially as described herein.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
apparatus for making and pressing bricks, tiles, paving blocks, and the like,
substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
4. In machines of the character described for making and pressing bricks,
tiles, paving blocks, and the like, the combination with a revolving table con-
taining a series of moulds fitted with plungers, of a lever and driving mechanism
connected therewith for subjecting materials placed in the mould to a heavy
pressure between the plunger and the press-head of the machine, and a hopper
partially covering the table for the supply of material to the moulds, substantially
as described herein.
100
1
1
1000
SYDNEY E. PAGE.
28, New Bridge Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.