IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES PROM PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hodson, of Kingston Square, Hull, Tile
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES PROM PLASTIC
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 23rd February 1855, and dated the 21st September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hodson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1854.
J, WILLIAM HODSON, of Kingston Square, Hull, Tile Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PLASTIC MATERIALS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in that class of machinery or
apparatus for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and similar articles made from
clay or brick earth, where the material is expressed through a moulding orifice.
For this purpose I construct a chamber at the bottom of the pug mill, into
which the clay or brick earth is received as it is pugged. Within this chamber
a screw is caused to rotate, fixed on a horizontal axis at the back of the moulding
orifice, so as to express or force out the clay or brick earth in a continuous
stream through the mould by a direct horizontal pressure. The sides and ends
of the mould are formed hollow, its inner surface having channels or gutters
formed on it, which are covered with cross-grained wood. Holes are made from
the hollow chamber of the mould to the gutters or channels. Water, being con-
stantly supplied to the hollow part of the mould, percolates through the cross-

page_text: grained wood to the inner surface of the mould, which is covered with fustian
or other suitable material, to give a smooth surface to the stream of clay or
brick earth as it passes through the mould. The clay or brick earth, as it
is expressed from the moulding orifice, is received upon a pallet, placed on
a rising and falling frame, which is balanced by a weighted lever or spring,
and the clay or brick earth is separated by a wire, which is guided by a frame,
so as to cut off the proper sized brick, tile, or other article.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hodson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Honson, of Kingston Square, Hull, Tile Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Hodson, Her special licence that I, the said William
Hodson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Hodson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM
PLASTIC MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Hodson, 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 William Hodson, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 (that is to say): --
This Invention has for its object improvements in that class of machinery
or apparatus for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and similar articles made

page_text: from clay or brick earth, where the material is expressed through a moulding
orifice. For this purpose I construct a chamber at the bottom of the pug
mill, into which the clay or brick earth is received as it is pugged. Within
this chamber a screw is caused to rotate, fixed on a horizontal axis at the
back of the moulding orifice, so as to express or force out the clay or brick
earth in a continuous stream through the mould by a direct horizontal
pressure. The sides and ends of the mould are formed hollow, its inner sur-
face having channels or gutters formed on it, which are covered with cross-
grained wood. Holes are made from the hollow chamber of the mould to the
gutters or channels. Water, being constantly supplied to the hollow part of
the mould, percolates through the cross-grained wood to the inner surface
of the mould, which is covered with fustian or other suitable material, to
give a smooth surface to the stream of clay or brick earth as it passes through
the mould. The clay or brick earth, as it is expressed from the moulding
orifice, is received upon a pallet, placed on a rising and falling frame, which is
balanced by a weighted lever or spring, and the clay or brick earth is
separated by a wire, which is guided by a frame, so as to cut off the
proper sized brick, tile, or other article.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of a pug mill, with machinery applied
thereto according to my Invention. a, a, is the pug mill with an opening
through it at 6 into a compartment c, in which the screw c' revolves, so as to
drive the clay or plastic material through moulding orifices fixed in front of
the compartment c. Motion is communicated from the shaft or axis d of the
pug mill to the axis or shaft of the screw in the following manner :-e is a cog
wheel on the axis or shaft d, which takes into and drives the cog wheel fon
the axis g.
On the axis g is also a bevilled toothed wheel h, which takes into
and drives the bevilled toothed wheel i on the shaft or axis of the screw c.
Figure 2 shows another section of a pug mill and machinery combined
according to my Invention, in which the shaft or axis d of the pug mill, by
means of a bevilled toothed wheel e thereon, gives motion directly to a bevilled
tooth wheelf, fixed on the shaft or axis of the screw c'. Figures 3 and 4
show a section and external elevation of another pug mill and machinery
arranged or combined according to my Invention, but differing in detail from
what are shown at Figures 1 and 2. In this arrangement the screw shaft
passes through the lower part of the pug mill, into which lower part the

page_text: pugged clay is received, and from it propelled out through a moulding orifice
or orifices in front of the compartment c, which in this caso is at one side o
the lower part of the pug mill. This pug mill is also arranged with two
crushing rollers j, j, to crush the clay or plastic material before it descends
into the pug mill below, and these crushing rollers, as well as the screw shaft
receive motion from the shaft or axis of the pug mill by means of the cog
wheel k, fixed on the upper part of the shaft or axis d, which takes into and
drives the cog wheel on the upright axis or shaft l. This shaft or axis 1, by the
bevilled toothed wheel m, gives motion to one of the crushing rollers, and by
the bevilled toothed wheel n, it gives motion to the screw shaft. Over the
chamber c of each of the pug mills is a vessel o, to supply water to the moulding
orifice, the sides of which are formed hollow. The inner surfaces of the
moulding orifice is formed with channels or gutters, as is shown by the
Drawings, which are covered with cross-grained wood. Holes are made for
the hollow chamber of the mould to the gutters or channels, and water is con-
stantly supplied to the hollow chamber of the mould from the vessel o; hence
it percolates through the cross-grain wood to the interior surface of the
mould, which is covered with fustian or other suitable material, to give
smoothness to the interior of the mould. The clay or brick earth is received
from the moulding orifice by a pallet, placed on a rising and falling frame,
as is shown in the Drawings, and the proper size of brick or tile is cut off by
the wire.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details so long as
the peculiar combination of parts herein shown and described be retained;
but what I claim is, the combination of machinery herein described for the
manufacture of bricks and tiles.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hodson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
WILLIAM HODSON. (L.s.)
Witness,
WM CHATHAM, Sol', IIull.