Improvements in Machinery for Making Bricks and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Loft 25th Sent 1000 Accented 27th Oct.
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Making Bricks and the like.
We, THOMAS C. FAWCETT, LIMITED, of Whitehouse Engineering Works,
Hunslet Road, in the City of Leeds, County of York, Engineers, and JAMES
DAWSON FAWCETT, of the same place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to brick making machines, and consists of improve-
ments in the mechanism for actuating the cutting table to automatically cut a
number of bricks, slabs, or the like, from a constantly advancing stream of
plastic clay or like substance issuing from a die, and deliver them to the side of
the machine clear of the cutting wires and advancing stream of clay from which
they have been severed.
The object of our invention is to apply to brick making machines simplified
mechanism for the aforesaid purpose, such mechanism being certain and effec-
tive in action, not liable to get out of order, easily adjustable to vary the extents
of motion of the cutting table, and adapted to be disconnected at will and a
hand motion, with which the machine is also fitted, brought into use for actuating
the cutting table by hand, so that if from any cause the motor mechanism is
not available, the machine can still be kept at work.
For the purpose of our invention, we point or hinge to the rear or forward
end of the table a stop plate or moveable end piece which is connected by rod
or link to a suitable lever attached to a weighted or spring restrained spindle
adapted to slide vertically or otherwise in bearings in lugs or brackets on an
extension of the table. Normally, the said spindle is held down in its lowest
position by the weight or spring and projected below a fixed projection or stop
piece, on the supporting framework of the machine, with which it is adapted
to engage whenever any abnormal movement of the cutting table is threatened
by reason of the moulded stream of clay sticking to the table or otherwise
jamming before it has reached the stop plate, thereby rigidly holding said table
and preventing any endwise movement thereof until the clay abuts against the
stop plate. Immediately this event takes place, the hinged stop plate, which
has up to this point occupied a slightly angular position, is forced outwardly
by the advancing stream of clay to a position at right angles to the table, this
position being determined by a cam groove or race, or the like, with which
engages a small bowl or runner on the vertical spindle. On the stop piece being
thus locked the table is initially forced endwise by the advancing clay acting
thereupon and causes a tumbling or weighted lever, connected to the table and
engaging a sliding clutch secured rotatively on a driven shaft, to pass clea
of a swell, or cam, or tappet, on a long boss fast on an auxiliary shaft on which
it has been supported, the descent of the said lever throwing the clutch into
gear with an opposing clutch on the face of a pinion loosely mounted on the
driven shaft and thereby driving said pinion. This pinion gears into a spur
wheel on the auxiliary shaft to which motion is now conveyed and transmitted
through mitre wheels to another short shaft, the auxiliary shaft and said short
017

page_text: shaft each having a suitable cam, preferably internal cams, fast thereon which
act on friction bowls carried by levers each connected by link or rod to the
table.
The cam on the auxiliary shaft first moves the table laterally or at right
angles in one direction to draw the cutting wires through the clay to cut off a
pre-determined number of bricks, the table being thereupon traversed endwise
by the cam on the short shaft at a speed in excess of the speed at which the
stream of clay is advancing from the die to convey the bricks a sufficient distance
in advance to admit of the cutting table being moved back transversely to its
original position to place the cutting wires clear of the path of the clay before
the table makes its return endwise traverse.
The cam, groove, or race which governs the locking of the stop plate in
position is so timed or arranged that, immediately the bricks are cut and carried
endwise by the table to the extent of its outward motion, the vertical spindle
is further actuated to draw the stop plate a short distance outwardly to place
it at an angle clear of the brick adjacent thereto so that when the bricks are
forced out to one side of the machine by the return transverse motion of the
table there will be no liability of the adjacent brick sticking to said stop plate
or being damaged thereby.
The return endwise traverse of the table reinstates the parts in their normal
positions in readiness for the next cutting action, the weighted tumbling or like
lever for actuating the sliding clutch riding back along the long boss until it
is lineable with the swell thereon which is timed to raise it to throw the clutch
out of gear and stop the automatic motion just after the table has reached the
extremity of its return endwise traverse and the nose of the cam controlling
such movement has passed clear of the friction bowl on the actuating lever.
As the table recedes from under the clay in cutting the bricks, a board carried
therewith takes its place and conveys the bricks to the outside of the machine
on the return of the table.
We apply to the machine, in combination with the automatic mechanism
before described, means whereby the transverse and endwise movements of the
cutting table may be given by hand whenever this may be necessary, the auto-
matic mechanism being meanwhile disconnected. The machine can thus be
worked by power automatically or by hand as required.
The connecting rods or links for actuating the table are provided with means
of adjustment for regulating the transverse and endwise strokes of the table.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1899.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax, Agents for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Making Bricks and the like.
We, Tos. C. FAWCETT, LIMITED, of Whitehouse Engineering Works,
Hunslet Road, in the City of Leeds, County of York, Engineers, and JAMES
DAWSON FAWCETT, of the same place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to brick making machines and consists of improve-
ments in the mechanism for actuating the cutting table to automatically cut a
number of bricks, slabs, or the like, from a constantly advancing stream of

page_text: plastic clay or like substance issuing from a die, and deliver them to the side of
the machine clear of the cutting wires and advancing stream of clay from which
they have been severed.
:-
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:-
Fig. 1, is front elevation of so much of the cutting table of a brick making
machine as is essential to shew the application of our improvements.
Fig. 2, is plan view of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3, is rear elevation of the opposite end of the cutting table to that shewn
at Figs. 1 and 2.
According to our invention, we pivot or hinge to the outer end of the cutting
table A, a stop plate or moveable end piece B which is connected by rod or
link C to one arm of a suitable lever D pivotted on a stud carried by the
table A, the other arm of said lever being attached to a weighted or spring
restrained spindle E adapted to slide vertically or otherwise in bearings in a
lug or lugs or brackets F secured to or cast on an extension of the table A.
Normally, the said spindle E is held down in its lowest position by the weight
or spring and projects below a fixed projection or stop piece G on the support-
ing framework G₁ of the machine, with which stop piece it is adapted to engage
whenever any abnormal movement of the cutting table is threatened by reason
of the moulded stream of clay sticking to the table or otherwise jamming
before it has reached the stop plate, thereby rigidly holding said table and
preventing any endwise movement thereof until the clay abuts against the
stop plate B. Immediately this event takes place, the said hinged stop plate B
which has up to this point occupied a slightly angular position, inclining
towards the advancing clay, is forced outwardly by the advancing stream of
clay to a position at right angles to the table, as indicated by the broken linea,
Fig. 2, this movement of the stop plate, through rod or link C and_lever D,
elevating the spindle E and bringing the friction bowl or runner H carried
thereby into abutment with the cam surface or race I on the frame of the
machine whereby the stop plate B is thus locked and consequently the advanc-
ing stream of clay initially forces the cutting table bodily forward in the
direction indicated by arrow in each figure. Hinged to the table A is a lever
or arm J (Fig. 3) which_normally rests upon the nose or longer radii of a
"swell
or cam surface K on a long boss K¹ fast on an auxiliary shaft L.
Upon the lever J is supported one end of a weighted tumbling lever M centred
at M¹ on a fixed stud and engaging at its opposite end with an annular groove
in a sliding clutch N secured rotatively to the driven shaft O.
"
As the cutting table A is forced forward by the advancing clay acting against
the locked stop plate B, it carries the lever J clear of the cam surface K and
allows it to drop on to the long boss K¹ whereupon the weighted lever M turns
upon its centre M and slides the clutch N into gear with an opposing clutch P
on the face of a pinion Q loosely mounted on the driven shaft O and thereby
drives said pinion.
This pinion gears into a spur wheel R on the auxiliary shaft L to which
motion is now conveyed and transmitted through mitre wheels to another short
shaft, the auxiliary shaft and said short shaft each having a suitable cam,
preferably internal cams, fast thereon which act on friction bowls carried by
levers each connected by link or rod to the table. The cam on the auxiliary
shaft first moves the table laterally or at right angles in one direction to draw
the cutting wires S through the clay to cut off a pre-determined number of
bricks, the table being thereupon traversed endwise by the cam on the short
shaft at a speed in excess of the speed at which the stream of clay is advancing
from the die to convey the bricks a sufficient distance in advance to admit of
the cutting table being moved back transversely to its original position to place
the cutting wires clear of the path of the clay before the table makes its return
endwise traverse. The said cams for moving the cutting table as described
are usual in this class of machine and therefore are not shewn.

page_text: The cam groove or race I which governs the locking of the stop plate in
position is so timed or arranged, as at I¹, that, immediately the bricks are cut
and carried endwise by the table to the extent of its outward motion, the veṛ-
tical spindle E is further actuated to draw the stop plate B a short distance
outwardly, as indicated by broken line y, to place it at an angle clear of the
brick adjacent thereto so that when the bricks are forced out to one side of the
machine by the return transverse motion of the table there will be no liability
of the adjacent brick sticking to said stop plate, or being damaged thereby.
The return endwise traverse of the table re-instates the parts in their normal
positions in readiness for the next cutting action, the lever J riding back along
the long boss K¹ until it is lineable with the swell K thereon which is timed
to raise it and the respective end of lever M to throw the clutch N out of gear
and stop the automatic motion, just after the table has reached the extremity
of its return endwise traverse and the nose of the cam controlling such move-
ment has passed clear of the friction bowl on the actuating lever. The single
clutch employed controls the whole of the automatic motion after the initial
movement given to the table by the advancing clay.
As the table recedes from under the clay in cutting the bricks, a board
carried therewith takes its place and conveys the bricks to the outside of the
machine on the return of the table.
A hand lever with connections to the cutting table can be applied to the
machine if the automatic mechanism described should have to be disconnected
for any reason and the movements of the cutting table thus be imparted by
hand power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: -
(1) In wire cut brick making machines, the combination of a hinged stop
plate or moveable end piece B, link C, lever D, weighted or spring restrained
spindle E and fixed projection shoulder or stop piece G, all arranged and acting
in the manner and for the purposes substantially as set forth.
(2) In wire cut brick making machines, the combination of a hinged stop
plate B, link C, and lever D, or equivalent devices, weighted or spring restrained
spindle E, fixed stop piece G, and cam groove or guide race 1¹, substantially
as herein set forth.
(3) The combination with a hinged stop plate B and spindle E operated
thereby as set forth, of a cam surface or swell K on a boss fast on the auxiliary
shaft L, lever J carried by the cutting table A, clutch lever M and sliding
clutch N, secured rotatively on the driven shaft O, and by which the automatic
motion of the machine is entirely controlled, all arranged and acting in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1900.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax, Agents for Applicants.