IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING, FORMING, AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM PEAT, CLAY, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 17, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING, FORMING,
AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM PEAT, CLAY, AND OTHER MATERIALS."-
A communication from abroad by Thomas Ellis and William
Alonzo Ellis, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
Sealed the 30th August 1870, and dated the 26th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th March 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING, FORMING,
AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE PROM PEAT, CLAY, AND OTHER MATERIALS," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Thomas Ellis and William Alonzo

page_text: Ellis, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in the construction of
moulds for forming ordinary bricks and for compressing and extracting
moisture from peat, clay, and other like materials.
According to this Invention the casing of the mould may be composed
of cast iron, steel, or other metal of sufficient strength to resist the
pressure ordinarily exerted in the formation of bricks by machinery. The
interior of this casing on all four sides is lined with blocks of wood, cut
of
diagonally or directly across the grain, so that the end grain or pores
the wood may be presented to the interior of the mould. These wooden
blocks are secured within the casing by a cement of sulphur or other
suitable material, and in order to permit the said blocks to expand
freely they may be so fitted together as to leave a vacant space at cach
corner of the casing. In this casing, which may have a solid bottom
upon which rests a block of wood cut across the grain, works a plunger
consisting of a metal box or case faced with or enclosing a block of
porous wood, which is likewise so arranged that its pores or end grain
may be presented to the interior of the mould, or instead of the solid
bottom a second plunger moving upwards from beneath may be employed.
The metal casing above mentioned may in some cases be dispensed with,
and the wood blocks increased in thickness and so secured together as to
form of themselves a mould capable of resisting any ordinary pressure.
The object in thus forming a mould of blocks of wood presenting their
end grain to the brick space is to prevent the clay from adhering to the
mould or plungers, which occurs when metal is employed.
Although it is preferred that the sides of the mould as well as the
plunger or plungers or bottom of the mould should be lined or faced
with wood as before described, yet good results can be obtained with
moulds formed wholly of iron or other material, providing that the
plunger and bottom of the mould or lower plunger are faced with wood
cut transversely to prevent the clay from sticking to the same.
In compressing some materials containing a large amount of moisture,
I also use linings of wood presenting its end grain to the interior of
the mould, the backing however being metal containing a number of
perforations, and the wood blocks may be fastened to the casing by screws
or otherwise.
In some cases the plunger, arranged to slide within the

page_text: casing, is made hollow and perforated, its front end being faced with
a wooden block presenting its end grain to the interior of the mould. A
hopper may be fixed to the top of the mould for the introduction of the
moist substances to be compressed. The front side or end of the mould
may be made capable of being moved out of the way to allow the
compressed material to be removed from the mould.
The second part of this Invention relates to a machine to which the
above improvements are applicable, and consists mainly of a revolving
hopper, to the bottom of which a number of moulds are so attached that
the clay can be thrown into the same from the hopper, and the bricks
pressed and discharged continuously so long as the said revolving hopper
is supplied with the material to be moulded. The frame of the machine
is secured to a suitable bed plate, and in bearings in this frame turns a
horizontal driving shaft which has keyed at its inner end a bevel wheel
or pinion which gears into a large bevel wheel bolted to or forming part
of the revolving hopper. This hopper is supported by and arranged to
turn upon a stationary shaft, and is guided at the top and bottom by this
shaft. This hopper is also guided at the top by a stem or short spindle
which turns in a suitable bearing in the frame of the machine, and
through this stem passes a set screw which bears upon the top of the
shaft, and by which the height of the hopper can be regulated. A
number of stationary knives are secured to this shaft within the hopper,
and close to the bottom of the hopper there is also secured to this shaft a
long curved blade or scraper which extends into an enlarged portion of
the hopper.
In some cases the shaft together with its knives and scraping blade
may be rotated in a direction contrary to the movement of the hopper,
but it is preferred to have the shaft stationary as above described.
The moulds employed in this machine may be similar to those
described in the first part of this Invention, and may be cast with or
securely fastened to the under side of the hopper, so that they may be
carried around with the same. Each mould has an upper vertical plunger
which slides through openings in the enlarged portion of the hopper, and
a lower plunger which has also a vertical movement in guides forming
part of or secured to the moulds. Each of the plungers has at one end a
wheel or wheels which travel between stationary cams or inclined planes
secured to the frame of the machine. These cams impart the necessary

page_text: movement to the plungers as the latter revolve. An endless band
receiving motion from the driving shaft of the machine in any suitable
way receives the bricks from the moulds as they are discharged there-
from.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 17, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
licence that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 COMPRESSING, FORMING, AND
EXTRACTING MOISTURE PROM PEAT, CLAY, AND OTHER MATERIALS," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Thomas Ellis and William Alonzo Ellis,
both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in the con-
struction of moulds for forming ordinary bricks and for compressing and
extracting moisture from peat, clay, and other like materials.
Figure 1 on the accompany Sheet of explanatory Drawings represents
a sectional plan of the improved mould for forming ordinary bricks.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same with its plunger;
Figure 3 is an elevation of the plunger detached; and Figures 4 and 5
are sectional views of modified moulds for compressing and extracting
moisture from peat, clay, and other like materials.
A represents the casing of the mould composed of cast iron, steel, or
other metal of sufficient strength to resist the pressure ordinarily exerted
in the formation of bricks by machinery. The interior of this casing
on all four sides is lined with blocks of wood a, a, cut diagonally or
directly across the grain, so that the end grain or pores of the wood may
be presented to the interior of the mould or brick space b,. as shewn..
These wooden blocks are secured within the casing by a cement c of
sulphur or other suitable material, and in order to permit the said blocks,
to expand freely they may be so fitted together as to leave a vacant
space dat cach corner of the casing, as shewn in Figure 1. In this
easing, which may have a solid bottom, e upon which rests a block of
wood f, cut across the grain in the same manner as the blocks a, works
a plunger B consisting of a metal box or case faced with or inclosing a
block of porous wood, which is likewise so arranged that its pores or
end grain may be presented to the interior of the mould, or instead of the
solid bottom e a second plunger similar to the plunger B and moving
upwards from beneath may be employed. The metal casing A above
mentioned may in some cases be dispensed with and the wood blocks
increased in thickness and so secured together as to form of themselves.
a mould capable of resisting any ordinary pressure. The object in thus
forming a mould of blocks of wood presenting their end grain to the
brick space is to prevent the clay from adhering to the mould or,
plungers, which occurs when metal is employed.
It has been found in practice that on compressing the clay into the
mould air is compressed into the interstices of the wood by the water

page_text: forced from the clay, and on the removal of the pressure the expansion.
of this air acting on the surface of the clay forces the latter to some
extent from the surface of the wood which is thus relieved from the
clay; hence, the adhesion of the clay to the mould which occurs in
metal moulds, and even in wooden moulds where the grain runs longi-
tudinally instead of transversely, is prevented.
Although it is preferred that the sides of the mould as well as the
plunger or plungers or bottom of the mould should be lined or faced
with wood as before described, yet good results can be obtained with
moulds formed wholly of iron or other material, providing that the said
plunger and bottom of the mould or lower plunger are faced with wood
cut transversely to prevent the clay from sticking to the same.
In compressing some materials containing a large amount of moisture
it is also proposed to use linings of wood presenting its end grain to the
interior of the mould, the backing, however, being metal containing a
number of perforations, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5, in which A' repre-
sents the metallic casing of the mould which is perforated, as shewn, and
faced with wood a¹ cut across the grain as before described, and fastened
to the casing by screws or otherwise. In some cases the plunger B¹
arranged to slide within this casing is made hollow and perforated at its
front end, which is faced with a wooden block g¹ presenting its end grain
to the interior of the mould and properly secured to the plunger. A
hopper h may be fixed to the top of the mould for the introduction of
the moist substances to be compressed. The front side or end A³ of the
mould should be capable of being moved out of the way to allow the
compressed material to be removed from the mould or pushed out of
the same by the plunger. This end A³ is therefore attached to the
body of the mould by a hinge i, and when closed is fastened with catches
1, but other fastening devices may be substituted for this hinge and
catches. The water expressed through the wooden linings of the mould
escapes through the perforations in the outer casing, and that which
escapes through the wooden facing of the plunger passes off through
the perforations in the front end of the same, and thence from its rear
open end.
In testing the above improvements it has been found that pinc or
other soft wood may be used for the plungers, but that it is preferable

page_text: will be evident that the form of the mould and plunger may be varied
so as to impart the desired shape of a brick or other regular form to
the material to be compressed.
The second part of this Invention relates to a machine to which the
above improvements are applicable, and consists mainly of a revolving
hopper to the bottom of which a number of moulds are so attached that
the clay can be thrown into the same from the hopper and the bricks
pressed and discharged continuously, so long as the said revolving
hopper is supplied with the material to be moulded.
Figure 6 of the Drawings is a side elevation of the improved machine;
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of the same viewed from a side opposite
that shewn in Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a plan view of the machine.
D represents the frame of the machine which is secured to a suitablo
bed plate E, and in bearings j of this frame turns a horizontal driving
shaft F, which has keyed at its inner end a bevel wheel or pinion F"
gearing into a largo bevel wheel F, bolted to or forming part of tho
revolving hopper G. This hopper is supported by and arranged to turn
upon a stationary shaft II, it having a socket which fits over the top
of the said shaft, and being also guided at the top and bottom by this
shaft. This hopper is also guided at the top by a stem or short
spindle which turns in a suitable bearing in the frame D of the
machine, and through this stem passes a set screw which bears upon
the top of the shaft and by which the height of the hopper can be
regulated. A number of stationary knives I are secured to collars
keyed to the shaft II within the hopper, and to the same shaft beneath
these knives and close to the bottom of the hopper there is also secured
a long curved blade or scraper J which extends into the enlarged lower
portion G of the hopper.
In some cases the shaft II together with its knives and scraping blade
may be rotated in a direction contrary to the movement of the hopper,
but it is preferred to have the shaft stationary as before described. The
object of the scraping blade J is to direct the clay or other material
into the enlarged lower portion G' of the hopper which is directly over
the moulds K.
The moulds employed in this machine may be similar to those
described under the first part of this Invention and may be cast with
or securely fastened to the under side of the hopper so that they
may be carried around with the same. Each mould has an upper

page_text: vertical plunger L which slides through openings in the enlarged
portion G' of the hopper and in suitable bearings above the same, and
a lower plunger I', which has also a vertical movement in guides m
suspended from and forming part of or secured to the moulds. Each of
the plungers L has at its upper end a wheel or wheels which travel
between stationary cams or inclined planes M and M' secured to the
frame of the machine. These cams impart the necessary vertical
movement to the plungers as the latter revolve in order to force them
to the bottoms of the moulds or to raise them out of the portion G' of
the hopper so as to permit the passage of the scraping blade J. (sec
Figure 6. The plungers L' or false bottoms of the moulds are also
provided with wheels which run upon a circular track P secured to
the frame or bed plate. This track is depressed or inclined downwards
on the discharging side of the machine so that the plunger L' may fall as
shewn on the right hand side of Figure 7, and pass beneath an endless.
band S on to which the bricks from the moulds are discharged. Motion
is communicated to this endless band by an arrangement of gearing T
connected with a cog wheel T on the driving shaft F, but this arrange-
ment may be changed and trays or other receptacles substituted for
the endless band S.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Each mould after having
been brought to the position shewn at the right hand side of Figure 7,
and discharged of its load, is carried around with the hopper. At the
same time its lower plunger or false bottom L' is elevated into place
by the rise of the track P and its upper plunger L is also raised by the
passage of the rollers p over the lower cam M. The parts are now in the
position shewn in Figure 6, and the mould ready to receive the clay or
other material which is directed into the space G' above the moulds by
the action of the scraping blade J. A sufficient quantity of clay to fill
the mould is forced down into the same from the space G' by the action
of the upper plunger, which as the hopper revolves is caused to descend
by the passage of the roller p over the downwardly inclined portion
of the cam M. The upper plunger also enters the mould and com-
presses the brick in the same, and this pressure is maintained upon the
brick until the lower plunger L'falls on arriving at the descent in its
track. The brick does not fall out, however, with the descent of the
Jower plunger, but is pushed out at the proper moment when it arrives.
at a point directly over the endless band, by the upper plunger which

page_text: is depressed to a still greater extent in passing under the portion of
the cam M. In order to counteract the effects of wear this latter cam
is attached to the frame D by set screws r, so that it may be adjusted
as required.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The construction and use of a mould lined with or composed
of wood having its end grain presented to the interior of the mould,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The construction and use of a plunger lined or fitted with
wood, the end grain of which is presented to the material to be com-
pressed by the plunger, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described.
Third. The construction and use of a mould consisting of a lining of
wood in combination with a perforated backing of metal, as and for the
purpose herein-before described.
Fourth. The construction and use of a plunger consisting of a per-
forated metal box or plate fitted with a facing of wood having its end
grain presented to the surface of the material to be acted upon, substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Fifth. The construction and use of a machine for compressing and
moulding clay and other material in which the moulds and their
plungers are secured to and carried around with the revolving hopper
which contains the supply of material to be moulded, substantially as
herein-before described.
Sixth. The enlarging of the said revolving hopper at the bottom or
at a point directly over the moulds, as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Seventh. The combination of the said revolving hopper with a
stationary or moveable shaft, armed with knives or cutters for breaking
up and preparing the clay, or other material for the moulds, substantially
as herein-before described.

page_text: Eighth. The application and use of a curved arm or blade so secured
to the said shaft as to direct the clay or other material into the enlarged
portion of the hopper above the moulds, substantially as hercin-before
described.
Ninth. The application and use of the upper plungers of the moulds 5
arranged to slide vertically through the enlarged portion of the hopper
so as to force the material from the same directly into the moulds,
substantially as herein-before described.
Tenth. The application and use of upper and lower plungers arranged
to revolve with the moulds and hopper, and operated by stationary cams 1
in such a manner as to force the material into the moulds, to compress
the same, and to finally discharge the moulded article on to an endless
band, or into any suitable receptacle, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to 1
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)