An Improved Brick and Tile Making Machine.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Brick and Tile Making Machine.
I STEPHEN WITT, Junior, of 71 Avenue Road, Southampton, in the County of
Hampshire, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a machine for making bricks, and tiles, and consists in the
construction and parts of a machine as hereinafter described.
I take and provide a wheel or drum made of iron, or other suitable material, and
of a convenient diameter the rim of which is of hollow construction.
In the rim I shape and make recesses that correspond in size and shape to an
ordinary brick or tile, or in other words these recesses form brick, or tile "moulds"
these moulds can be in number in proportion to the diameter of the wheel or drum
the bottom part of these moulds in the rim of wheel, is moveable and the bottom part
of each mould is connected by a rod crossing the centre of the wheel, or drum, to
the corresponding bottom part of mould on opposite side of wheel, or drum.
It is noted that these rods are each in length about equal to the outside diameter
of the wheel, or drum, less the depth of one mould, thus when the moveable bottom
part of a mould is at the bottom of the recess, or mould, the moveable bottom part
of the corresponding opposite mould (the two being connected by means of the
intervening rod as before explained) is at the top of the recess or mould.
My invention principally consists in moulding bricks, or tiles, in these moulds
during the revolution of the wheel or drum by the method hereinafter described.
Over the wheel a "pug mill " is placed which prepares the clay for filling the
moulds in the rim of wheel while it is revolving.
"
At the bottom part of the " pug mill a recess or chamber is provided corre-
sponding in length and breadth to the outside size of a brick, or tile, and of suitable
depth the ".
pug mill" supplies this chamber with clay and as the wheel or drum
revolves and the moulds in the rim of same are brought under the chamber in the
pug mill by reason of the revolutions of the wheel, or drum, the moulds are filled
each in their turn, as they pass under the chamber, by means of the downward
pressure of a plunger" working within the chamber in the "pug mill " before
mentioned.
While the mould on the top of the wheel is being filled with clay, the bottom
mould, that is the one exactly opposite, is emptied of the moulded brick, for when
the top mould is being filled the moveable bottom is pushed down and consequently
the bottom part of the opposite mould is pushed outwards, as the two are connected
by means of the rod before mentioned, attached to the bottom part of each
mould.
As the moulded bricks are thus delivered from the wheel they are deposited upon
boards and carried away clear of wheel by means of these boards being placed upon
and connected to an endless revolving chain, rope, or other similar arrangement,
and from thence are removed to the hack or drying place.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1890.
HERBERT P. BLAKE,
20, Laura Place, Southampton, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Brick and Tile Making Machine.
I STEPHEN WITT, Junior, of 71 Avenue Road, Southampton, in the County of
Hampshire, Builder, 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 machines for making bricks and tiles.
The main object of my said invention is to provide a machine in which bricks,
tiles, and the like can be moulded in a revolving drum, or wheel, in manner herein-
after described.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to one form of my
invention, the same being adapted for driving by manual power, but with slight
modification the machine may be driven by steam or other motive power.
Fig. 2, is a plan on top of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3, is an end elevation,
Fig. 4, is a vertical section on line a, b,
Fig. 5, is a sectional side elevation shewing more especially the drum or wheel A,
in which bricks and the like are moulded.
The drum or wheel A, hereinafter called the moulding wheel, is the essential
part of my invention, it is of hollow construction and made of iron, wood, or other
suitable material.
In the rim I provide recesses c, corresponding in size, and shape, to the particular
kind of brick, or tile, I desire to mould in same, that is, these recesses form brick,
and, or, tile moulds, these moulds may all be of one shape, as shewn, or vary in
form as required, and they will be in number in proportion to the desired diameter
of the moulding wheel, to which there is no reasonable limit.
The width of the moulding wheel may be sufficient to allow of one set of moulds
being provided in the rim, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, or two, or more,
sets of moulds adjacent to each other, and lying in a direction across the moulding
wheel, may be provided if preferred.
The bottom part d, of the moulds are movable and they are connected to each
other in pairs as shewn in Figs. 4, and 5, by rods e, the length of these rods is such,
that when the movable bottom part d, of a mould, is at the bottom of its recess, or
mould c, the bottom part of the corresponding opposite mould, will be at the top
of its recess, or mould, and vice versa.
These connecting rods e, all embrace the shaft upon which it, the moulding wheel,
revolves, a slot, in each rod being provided for that purpose, thus enabling them
to move backwards and forwards over the shaft in the desired direction at the
right time.
The moulding wheel being provided, it is mounted upon the framework B, in
bearings in which it revolves when actuated by the driving wheel C, and cog wheel D,
and pinions E, and F..
In passing however, I remark that I do not confine myself to the particular
arrangement of driving gear as shewn, it is sufficiently obvious that I may adopt
other gearing and methods of driving my machine and yet secure the like result as
herein before and hereinafter described.
The following describes the operation of moulding bricks, tiles,-and-the-like, by
means of my invention; according to one form of my machine I provide a pug
mill G, which is placed as shewn above the moulding wheel; connected to the pug
mill is a chamber or hopper H, the pug mill supplies this hopper with clay, and as
the moulding wheel revolves, and the moulds in rim of same are brought under the
hopper, they, (the moulds) are filled with clay, each in their turn, the downward
pressure of
a plunger g. working within the hopper assisting in filling the
moulds.
I do not however confine myself to this particular method of filling the moulds,

page_text: as it is possible and convenient to make bricks, tiles, and the like in my machine
without fitting a pug mill, hopper, and plunger, to same, as described.
The moulds may be filled with clay by hand with perhaps equal facility.
Should the pug mill and corresponding parts be fitted, the same may be actuated
by suitable gearing connected to the working parts of the machine, so that the
working of the whole will be suitably timed.
While the mould on the top of the moulding wheel is being filled with clay the
one exactly opposite is emptied of the moulded brick, for when the top mould is
being filled the movable bottom of the opposite corresponding mould is pushed
down, partly by the clay being forced into the top mould, and partly by the
operation of the "tilt" hammer arrangement J, acting upon the rods L, the latter
being connected to the rods e, as shewn in Fig. 5.
The tilt hammer is actuated, and timed in its action upon the rods by being
connected by a crank rod h, to a crank i, of the required throw, which is provided
on the driving shaft j, the "tilt" hammer hinges at M, on the spindle N.
The true gauge, that is the thickness of the bricks, is secured by the following
arrangement. Studs k, are provided on the underside of the movable mould
bottoms, when the latter are pushed down these studs come in contact with two iron
frames m, n, fitted within the moulding wheel in such a position that they regulate
the up
and down distance through which the mould bottoms can travel; further, any
clay that may remain on the top of the brick after the mould is filled, is cut off as
the moulding wheel is revolving, by means of a wire p, which is stretched across the
top of the main framework B, from side to side, this cutting off wire is connected
to a sliding frame q, which can be worked backwards and forwards for the purpose,
at the will of the operator, or the cutting off and cleaning of the top of the brick
can be effected by other suitable means.
As the moulded bricks r, are delivered from the moulding wheel as hereinbefore
described they are deposited upon boards s, which are placed upon an endless revolving
band or chain t, or similar arrangement, and thereby carried away clear of moulding
wheel, the bricks are removed thence to the "hack" or drying place.
The band or chain t, revolves upon pulleys u, and u', actuated by belting v, con-
necting the pulley w, with another pulley w', keyed to the shaft &; or other suitable
means.
23
By placing sand within the moulding wheel the insides of the moulds are
"sanded
in their turn as the moulding wheel revolves, and suitable arrangements
can be made, for instance by supplying sand from a box placed above the drum―
for "sanding" from the outside, in the latter case the vibration of the machine will
cause the sand to be regularly supplied from the box.
The framework, moulding wheel, and other parts of the machine may be made
of iron, wood, or other suitable materials, or a combination of materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is:
1st. In a brick and tile making machine the mode, or method, of moulding bricks,
and tiles, in a revolving drum, or wheel, as hereinbefore substantially described.
2nd. A brick and tile making machine essentially composed of the parts, or
similar thereto, as hereinbefore substantially described.
Dated this 29th day of December 1890.
HERBERT P. BLAKE, M.I.N.A.,
20, Laura Place, Southampton, Agent for the Applicant.