IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND POTTERY
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Grimsley, of the City of Oxford,
Sculptor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND POTTERY."
Sealed the 17th February 1854, and dated the 17th August 1853.

page_text: Between the top and bottom surfaces, and equi-distant, I mount four
fluted conical rollers, which are only free to revolve round their axes.
Motion being communicated to either of the surfaces, or to one of the
conical rollers, will cause all the rollers to revolve round their axes, and
will impart rotary motion to the top and bottom surfaces in a contrary
direction. The top surface has apertures to admit the clay, which is
fed in through the top frame of the mill, while the under surface has
also apertures or perforations through which the clay is pressed or
forced by the conical rollers into a receiving box placed under the mill.
When the clay has been received into this box, it is pressed by
another part of my machinery into moulds, and as soon as the pressure
has been applied by a piston, a cam or excentric motion causes the
front of the mould first to recede and then rise up, when the piston
advances and presses the brick or other article out, to receive which a
travelling bed presents itself to the front of the mould, while a wire or
other cutter is brought between the brick or other moulded article
and back of the mould or piston, and thus clears the article from the
mould.
PAPER IN EXPLANATION of the PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION of Thomas
Grimsley, of the City of Oxford, Sculptor, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND
POTTERY."
Figure 1, of the Drawings is a vertical section of my mill for
grinding or pugging the clay, and machinery for pressing the clay into
bricks, tiles, &c.; and Figure 2, a sectional plan of the press. A, A',
are the fluted conical surfaces; B, the fluted conical rollers; C, the
central shaft round which A, and A', revolve; D, the mould or re-
ceiving box; E, a cam which acts on the piston G, and moves it
backwards and forwards; F, another cam for pushing out the bricks
when pressed; H, cutting off action, worked by a disc on the central
shaft; I, the action for carrying off the bricks from the ends of the
press, worked by a cam on the central shaft. There is another cam on
the upright shaft, which opens and closes the ends of the press J. The
clay is forced from the mill down the inclined plane X, into the

page_text: mould D; the cam E, presses it by means of the piston G, as far as
the dotted line x; and the cam F, presses it out of the mould. The
cutting off wire then separates it, and allows it to be carried away by
the carrying off action I.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Grimsley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS GRIMSLEY, of the City of Oxford, Sculptor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Grimsley, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Grimsley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Grimsley, my executors,
administrators, and 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 FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND
POTTERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Grimsley, 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 saine 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 Thomas Grimsley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reicrence being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:

page_text: The first part of my improved machinery for the manufacture of
bricks, tiles, pipes, and pottery, consists of a mill for grinding or
pugging the clay, and crushing any stones or foreign matter that may
be mixed therewith, whereby the clay is rendered more plastic. The
top and bottom of the mill are composed of two fluted conical surfaces,
the top cone being inverted. Both the upper and under surfaces are
free to revolve round a central shaft.
Between the top and bottom surfaces, and equi-distant, I mount one
or more fluted conical rollers which are free to revolve round their
axes only. Motion being communicated to either of the surfaces, or
to one of the conical rollers, will cause all the rollers to revolve round
their axes, and will impart rotary motion to the top and bottom surfaces
in a contrary direction when the top and bottom plates are used. The
top surface has apertures to admit the clay, which is fed in through the
top frame of the mill, while the under surface has also apertures or
perforations through which the clay is pressed by the conical rollers into
a receiving box under the mill, in which there is a revolving scraper
or coulter which presses the clay out of the bottom chamber into the
moulds, or through dies fixed at each end of the press, either horizon-
tally or vertically. Or I dispense with the upper surface, and make
the lower one a fixture, the conical fluted rollers turning upon shafts
projecting from a central main shaft and revolving with it, the clay
being pressed through perforations made between the flutes of the
under surface.
When the clay has been received into the receiving box it is pressed
by another part of my machinery into moulds (as before described), and
as soon as the pressure has been applied by a piston or pistons, a cam
or excentric motion causes the front of the mould first to recede and
then to rise up, when the piston further advances and presses the brick
or other article out, to receive which a travelling bed presents itself to
the front of the mould, while a wire or other cutter is brought between
the brick or other moulded article and back of the mould or piston, and
thus clears the article from the mould.
The Drawings hereunto annexed represent a machine constructed
according to my said Invention; Figure 1, being a longitudinal
section Figure 2. a cross section; Figure 3, a plan of the under

page_text: surface of the pugging mill; Figure 4, a plan on the line a, b, of
Fig. 1; Figure 5, a similar plan on the line c, d; Figure 6, a plan
of the receiving box; and Figure 7, a plan of the machine on the line
e, f, and shewing the arrangement for working the travelling web for
receiving and carrying away the moulded bricks or other articles as
they are pressed from the machine. The same letters refer to similar
parts in all the Figures.
A, A, is a circular box or case; the lower surface B, of which is
couical and fluted in the manner shewn in Figure 2. C, is a central
vertical shaft, the lower end of which turns in the step f, on the base
plate D. g, g, are series of perforations made between the flutes of the
conical surface B. These perforations are made taper, so that the clay
will more easily pass through and clear the holes. E, E, are fluted
conical rollers, which are free to turn upon the shafts E', E', as their
axes. These shafts project from the vertical shaft C, and revolve with
it, whereby the conical fluted rollers are also caused to revolve and
travel round and upon the lower surface B, the teeth of the rollers
gearing into those on the surface B, whereby any stones or other
foreign matters are crushed, and the clay is well worked and rendered
plastic. As the rollers revolve the pugged clay is forced through the
perforations g, g, whence it falls upon the plate F, where it is col-
lected by a revolving scraper or coulter F', which is attached to the
vertical shaft and rotates with it. The clay, as it is collected, is forced
through the apertures G, G, in the plate F, into the rectangular boxes
H, H', one at each end of the brick machine. I, I, is the piston,
which is formed of a strong rectangular frame divided across at equal
distances from the end plates h, lt, by the bars I, 1. K, is a cam
keyed upon the shaft C, and of the shape shewn in Figure 4. This
cam as it revolves comes alternately in contact with the bars 1', 1',
and thereby serves to bring the end plates h, h, of the piston alternately
against the clay in the rectangular boxes II, H¹, with a degree of
pressure sufficient to form or mould the clay into the shape of the in-
tended brick, the clay being prevented from forcing out by the end
covers L, L. These end covers are attached to side frames L', L',
which have their fulcra at i, i, in the ends of two side-connecting
frames L, LA L, L, are slots of the peculiar shape represented

page_text: formed in the side frames L, L, through which short pins or spindles
projecting from the sides of the framework of the machine are passed,
having small friction rollers o, secured to them, which bear against
projecting pieces or ridges upon the side frames I, of a corresponding
shape to the slots L. M, is a plate, represented more clearly in
Figure 5, which is placed across the machine, and attached to the side-
connecting frames L², L². This plate is free to slide to and fro in
the guides k, k, when actuated by the quadrant N, attached to and
revolving with the vertical shaft C, a slot 1, 1, being formed in the
plate to allow of such traverse of the plate. m, m, are small friction
rollers mounted upon spindles projecting from the plate M, and against
which the quadrant N, strikes in its revolution, whereby the plate
is caused to traverse along the top of the piston box, carrying with it
the side frames I, L', and end cover L, when the straight portions of
the slots L³, traverse along the spindle of the friction rollers o, until
they come to the inclined part, when the onward progress of the
plate M, causes the inclined portions to traverse the spindle, whereby
the end cover L, is raised up clear from the brick and mouth of the
press so as to admit of the piston receiving a further impulse from the
cam P, mounted upon the vertical shaft which in its revolution comes
against the stop Q, on the inside of the framework of the piston. By
this means the brick receives a further acceleration so as to push it
beyond the mouth of the press on to a travelling carriage or web R,
which is supported upon wheels, and is caused to travel along a rail-
way S, in the manner presently to be described. T, is a frame, across
which is stretched a wire or cutter p. T', is a rod, the lower end of
which is connected to an eye q, on the top bar of the frame T, while
the other end is attached to the lever T2, having its fulcrum at R, and
supporting at the opposite end a friction roller s. T³, is a disc keyed
upon the shaft C, having upon its under edge and projecting from it a
cam T, which, as the disc revolves with the shaft, comes in contact
with the friction roller s, and thereby depresses that end of the lever T2,
and consequently raises the other end, and with it the rod T, and
frame T, whereby the cutter or wire p, is passed between the moulded
brick, or other article, and the end plate h, of the piston, and thereby
severed or cut off, and rendered free to be carried away by the travel-

page_text: ling carriage, which is effected by the following arrangement :-U, is a
lever centred at t; the upper end of which terminates in a fork u,
which takes into a socket beneath the carriage. V, is a rod, which is
attached to the lever U. V', is a rectangular frame, connected to the
rod V, and embracing the shaft C, which has a pair of cams W, W,
placed at right angles the one to the other, so that as the cams revolve
they alternately come against the ends of the frame, and so serve to
push out the rod V, and with it the lever U, carriage R, and brick or
other moulded article deposited upon it by the piston.
Although not shewn in the Drawings, a similar contrivance for cut-
ting off the brick, and also for carrying it away when so moulded, is
arranged at each end of the machine. The revolution of the cams acts
upon the opposite end of the frame V', so as to bring back the carriage
to receive a fresh brick. It will be necessary to so arrange and adjust
the positions of the several cams upon the shaft C, that the different
operations of pressing the brick, raising the end cover, ejecting the brick
from the press, the cutting apparatus, and the travelling arrangement
of the carriage, that they shall all follow in the proper and consecutive
order; and also that sufficient time must be allowed in the action of
the said several cams to prevent their interfering with each other. By
this arrangement of the machine, bricks or other articles are moulded
and pressed with great solidity at each end by the reciprocating action
of the piston.
Should it be desired, the bricks may be perforated wholly or partially
by facing the end plates h, h, of the piston with a series of projecting
prongs of the requisite length, which, as the pistons alternately move
towards the mould boxes H, H', enter the clay, and thereby perforate
the moulded brick, the reverse action of the piston withdrawing the
prongs, and at the same time perforating the moulded brick at the
opposite end of the machine. When great pressure is not required
I place the moulds or dies under the aperture leading from the lower
chamber of the mill, when by the pressure of the scraper or coulter
passing over the mould, the clay is forced into the mould or through
the dies.
Figure 8, represents an arrangement of the pugging mill for prevent-
ing any particles of clay from getting between the shaft and its bearings,

page_text: and also from falling between the cams.
A, is the circular box; B, is
the lower fluted surface; C, the shaft; E, E, the fluted rollers; all as
before. The upper portion of the shaft is formed with a square end,
upon which the neck, of the box A, is fitted, whereby the box A,
rollers E, and scraper F, revolve together with the shaft C. Z, is a
tube, which surrounds the shaft, but is prevented from frictional contact
by the collars. This tube prevents the clay touching the shaft, and
also affords greater facility for lubricating the bearings.
Although I have represented in the Drawings, and described, the best
mode of constructing a pugging mill and machine for moulding bricks,
yet I do not confine myself to this precise arrangement, as the pugging
mill can be used without the press, and can also be used for forming
bricks, &c., by placing the moulds or dies under the aperture leading
from the lower chamber of the mill, and forced into moulds, through
dies, &c., by means of the revolving coulter or scraper.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, -
First, the grinding or pugging clay by means of fluted conical sur-
faces in combination with fluted conical rollers, operating in the
manner herein-before described and represented in the Drawings
hereunto annexed:
Second, I claim the chamber between the pugging mill and the brick
machine, together with the revolving scraper, whereby the clay is col-
lected and forced into the mould boxes, as herein-before described and
represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed: And,
Third, I claim the arrangements of machinery for moulding bricks,
tiles, pipes, and pottery, constructed and operating in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Grimsley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
THOMAS GRIMSLEY. (L.S.)