IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Franklin Prestage, of Broseley, in the County of Salop,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
TILES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Franklin Prestage at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1876
FRANKLIN PRESTAGE, of Broseley, in the County of Salop, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE USED
THEREWITH"
This Invention relates to various improvements upon an Invention for which I
obtained Letters Patent, dated 11th September 1875, No. 3192.
In carrying out that Invention I have found that owing to the friction created
by the sides of the die on the exuding stream of clay the prism of clay was not of
uniform section, but was sometimes irregular in form. This defect was occasioned
by the central part of the prism of clay travelling faster than the side parts, mainly
owing to the increased friction to which these latter parts were subjected.
To remedy this defect I adapt to the central part of the throat of the die three,
four, or more vertical pins, which will project down into the central part of the
exuding mass of clay, and will thus retard its progress so that it will not travel
faster than the sides of the prism
The prism of clay as it is discharged from the die is divided by vertical and
horizontal wires into any convenient number of blocks of suitable thickness to form
tiles. Those blocks are placed on a travelling grid, which carries them slowly
through a hot chamber, whereby a certain portion of their moisture is carried off.
My next improvement consists in adapting to this grid slabs of burnt porous
clay, on which the wet clay blocks are placed, and are carried through the hot
chamber During their progress a portion of the moisture is absorbed from the
wet clay blocks by the porous slabs, and the blocks are therefore hardened or stiffened
much sooner than heretofore.
The blocks being now in a state to be pressed into form are placed on a table
of the press, which is provided with upper and lower dies. The lower die is raised
Emin G1

page_text: and lowered to the extent required by a reciprocating motion, and the upper one is
worked up and down by an excentric or crank. The faces of the dies are slightly
curved so as to give a camber to the tiles while they are being formed The
pressed tiles are removed automatically from the dies by means of a reciprocating
pusher or draw bar, which acts against the whole of the end of the tile and pushes
or draws it from the dies when the upper die has been raised up and the lower die
has lifted the tile out of its recess.
The faces of the dies require to be cleaned and oiled after every pressing or
moulding operation, as portions of clay are liable to adhere thereto, and if not
removed before the next block is placed between the dies the next tile would be
defective. The superfluous clay is therefore removed from the dies, and their faces
lubricated by means of a reciprocating brush, which when drawn between the dies
will properly clean and lubricate their surfaces. The reciprocating pusher for
removing the tiles from the dies and the reciprocating brush for cleaning and
lubricating the surfaces of the dies are actuated by means of rocking levers, to
which they are connected by links or in any other suitable manner
All these
motions are automatic, as the several parts are actuated either by the excentric or
crank which works the upper die, or by means of a tappet or other equivalent
device on a wheel which is mounted on or driven by the main shaft of the
machine.
When the pressed tiles have been removed from the machine they are placed on
porous surfaces of the proper shape or camber, where they are allowed to dry, after
which they may be burned in a kiln in the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Franklin Prestage in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st March
1877.
FRANKLIN PRESTAGE, of Broseley, in the County of Salop, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE
USED THEREWITH."
This Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Tiles, and in the
Apparatus to be used therewith," relates to various improvements upon an Invention
for which I obtained Letters Patent, dated Eleventh September, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five, No. 3192.
In carrying out that Invention I have found that owing to the friction created
by the sides of the die on the exuding stream of clay the prism of clay was not
of uniform section, but was sometimes irregular in form. This defect was
occasioned by the central part of the prism of clay travelling faster than the
side parts, mainly owing to the increased friction to which these latter parts were
subjected.
The first part of my Invention has for its object to remedy this defect, and to
effect this object I adapt to the contral part of the throat of the die three, four, or
more vertical pins, which will project down into the exuding mass of clay, and will
thus retard its progress, so that the central part will not travel faster than the sides
of the prism of clay.
The manner in which I carry out this part of my Invention will be best under-
stood by referring to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig 1 is a front view,
and Fig 2 a plan view of a die constructed according to my Invention.
The throat of the die box a, a, is formed with four inclined sides, and is per-
forated at top and bottom with a series of holes b, b, b, for the purpose of receiving
the pins c, c, c, which pass down across the throat of the die. The holes are by
preference arranged in a cuive, as shewn at Fig. 2, and the vertical pins are placed
in any of them according to the judgment of the attendant. The pins will of

page_text: course sever the mass of clay as it travels forward, but it will join again and
become a solid mass before it is discharged from the exit aperture or mouth a*.
The prism of clay as it is discharged from the die is divided by means of vertical
and horizontal wires into any convenient number of alabs or blocks of suitable
thickness to form tiles or thin bricks. In order to produce fair and square edges
to the exuding mass vertical knives d, d, are fixed in front of the slit or mouth a*,
and a horizontal wire e may be placed in front so as to divide the exuding mass
into thin slabs. Of course if the wire e is removed the clay will be delivered in
the form of a thick slab or block. The slab or block of clay may also be divided
into any convenient lengths or sizes by means of knives or wires made to work
vertically, so as to cut it up or divide it into pieces of suitable dimensions for tiles.
The separate slabs or blocks are then placed on a travelling grid, which carries them
slowly through a hot chamber, whereby a certain portion of their moisture is
carried off, as described in my former Specification.
My next improvement consists in adapting to this grid slabs of burnt porous
clay, on which the wet clay, slabs, or blocks are placed, and are carried through
the hot chamber. During their progress a portion of the moisture will be absorbed
from the wet clay, slabs, or blocks by the porous slabs, and the slabs or blocks will
therefore be hardened or stiffened much sooner than heretofore.
The slabs or blocks being now in a state to be pressed into form are placed on
the table of the press, which forms the next head of my Invention, and is shewn in
Sheet II. of the Drawings, in which Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and Fig 4 a side
elevation of the press, which is provided with upper and lower dies f and g. The
upper die fis attached to the lower end of a plunger f¹, which is capable of moving
vertically in guides h, h, and is moved up and down (to the extent required) by
means of a crank pin i and connecting rod. The die box le is stationary, but it is
provided with a moveable bottom or die g fixed on the upper end of the vertical
weighted rod L, which is raised and lowered to the extent required by means of the
reciprocating, lever m, which is jointed by its opposite end to the connecting rod n.
The upper end of this rod n is caused by the weights at the bottom of the vertical
rod to bear against the edge of the cam o on the main shaft p, and as this latter
rotates it first brings down the upper die f on to the tile which is placed in the die
box, then it raises the die fout of the way, and also lifts the lower die g in the die
box so as to raise the pressed tile out of the box. The faces of the dies fand g are
slightly curved so as to give a camber to the tiles while they are being formed
or pressed The pressed tiles are removed automatically from the dies by means
of a reciprocating pusher p fixed on or attached to the draw bar p². The pusher p
acts against the whole of the end of the tile, and pushes or draws it from the dies
when the lower die g has lifted the tile out of its recess.
The pusher or draw bar p² is worked by means of two levers r and a mounted
in bearings fixed to the framework of the press. These levers rands are connected
to the draw bar p¹ by means of links 7 and 8, and are actuated by a pin or tappet t
on the side of the large toothed wheel u, into which gears a pinion (not shewn in
the Diawing), whereby the mechanism of the press is actuated. As the toothed
wheel u rotates (in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3) the tappet t comes against
the lever & and pushes it over into the position shewn by dots in Fig. 3, and by that
means draws over the bar p², so that the pusher p is made to push the tile off from
the lower die. The tappet t in its further advance then comes in contact with the
bent lever 1, which will have been brought (by the action of the tappet t on the
other lever s) into the dotted position shewn at Fig. 3. The lever will then be
pushed back by the tappet t into the position indicated by full lines in Fig. 3, and
will thus draw back the bar pl and the pusher p into their former position.
The faces of the dies ƒ and g require to be cleaned and oiled after every pressing
or moulding operation, as portions of clay are liable to adhere thereto, and if not
removed before the next slab or block of clay is placed between the dies the next
tile would be defective; the superfluous clay is therefore removed from the dies and
their faces are lubricated by means of the reciprocating brushes g, Figures 3 and 4

page_text: which are carried by brackets attached to the reciprocating pusher bar p¹. When
the brushes are drawn between the dies ƒ and g they will properly clean and
lubricate their surfaces. The reciprocating brushes q being attached to the pusher
bar pare of course actuated by means of the levers 7 and 8, and therefore move to
and fro with the pusher p The brushes q when at rest in the position shewn in
the Drawing are in contact with the perforated pipe v, whereby they are supplied
with paraffine or other lubricating oil
When the pressed tiles have been removed from the machine they are placed on
porous surfaces of the proper shape or camber, where they are allowed to dry, after
which they may be burned in a kiln in the ordinary manner.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of
Tiles, and in the Apparatus to be used therewith," and having explained the manner.
of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid,―
First. Adapting to the throat of the die (for moulding the clay into slabs or
blocks of suitable sectional area to form tiles) cross pins, which project into the
travelling mass of clay, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. The use of porous slabs in combination with the travelling grid to
receive the slabs of wet clay, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Third. I claim the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts shewn
and described in reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings, and constituting a
press for pressing tiles.
I claim particularly the arrangement shewn and described for delivering the
pressed tiles and for lubricating the dies.
In witness whereof, I, the said Franklin Prestage, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the First day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
FRANKLIN PRESTAGE. (L.s.)