IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR PIPES OF CLAY
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Allen Smith, Engineer, of Belper, in the
County of Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR PIPES OF CLAY."
Sealed the 7th January 1859, and dated the 7th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Allen Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th July 1858.
I, WILLIAM ALLEN SMITH, Engineer, of Belper, in the County of Derby,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR PIPES OF CLAY," to be as follows:-
Under a pair of ordinary or other clay-grinding rollers, screws, or other
appliances for grinding and forcing clay, either with or without pugging, or
by any other means by which clay can be forced into and through a small
cylinder or other channel with sufficient force to completely fill solid with clay
a brick mould or a set of brick moulds, passing under or otherwise near to the
exit of the clay from the aforesaid channel. I cause a frame with two sets of
brick moulds (containing any convenient shape and number of moulds in each
set at proper distances asunder) to vibrate, slide, or run horizontally to and
fro under the exit afore-mentioned, through which the clay is forced into
such moulds by the clay-grinding rollers, screws, pugging or other apparatus.
A stationary bottom or moulding table is nicely fitted under the exit at such

page_text: a distance as just to allow the frame of moulds (which are open at top and
bottom) to pass to & fro between the bottom of the said channel or exit and
the said stationary bottom or moulding table. Each set of moulds alternately
stops under the exit until filled with clay, and is then drawn back and replaced
by the other set of moulds from the other side or other end of the said frame,
and while filling this other set of moulds, the first set of moulds being drawn
back full of bricks under pistons, each brick is pushed out of its mould on to
a pallet board, which is alternately forced out on rollers, and another pallet
board replaced at the same time by the machine, so that at each vibration of
the said frame and moulds there are two sets of bricks made and delivered on
pallet boards ready to be carried away to be put up "in hack," or for laying
on floors, &c. The bottom of the said channel, and the frame of moulds, and
the said stationary bottom being all made true, and faced to fit each other
clay-tight, and the bottom of the said channel and the said stationary bottom
are both continued endways of said frame for the length of the moulds on
both sides of the exit to retain, keep, or hold the clay in the moulds during
the pressure from the channel, and thereby giving a true and smooth face to
the bricks at top and bottom. The motion is given to the frame of moulds
by two bell-shaped or double-acting levers, one on each side of the frame of
moulds, this frame of moulds being provided with two studs, one on each side
in its centre, for the bell-shaped lever to catch on receiving motion from a
revolving crank or cranks; whose centres are a shorter distance than the said
centres of the bell-shaped levers, thereby causing the said levers to reciprocate
with a pendulous motion. These levers have each two catches or notches
(one at each end or side); one catch takes the studs and frame of moulds one
way, and the other catch takes them the other way. The distance between
the two catches allows of the time when the empty moulds are standing under
the exit to be filled with clay, and the full moulds to be emptied of the bricks
by the pistons being brought down by the descending catches of the levers
before they reach the frame of moulds. The pistons after pushing out
the bricks return by a spring, the catches, having then reached the studs,
carry or slide the frame of moulds back with the empty moulds under the
exit to be refilled, and the then full moulds under the other pistons to be
emptied as before. Or the motion may be given by pulleys and bands, by
means of two pulleys on the grinding roller shafts driving in opposite
directions two fast-and-loose pulleys, nicely fitted on a shaft running cross-
ways under the centre of the vibrating frame and moulds afore-mentioned
and so constructed as to turn the said shafts so far one way by one pulley,
which is then put out of gear, and the other pulley put in gear, which then

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turns or carries the said shaft back, and vice versa. This shaft is provided
with two cog wheels, which are loose one-third and fast two-thirds of the
distance which the shaft is turned by the respective pulleys when in gear as
aforesaid. These cog wheels work in two racks, one on either side of the
frame of moulds. In commencing operations, the then fast pulley having
moved the shaft and the cog wheels, and by the racks carried the frame with
one set of moulds under the exit to be filled with clay, and the other set of
moulds under the piston to be pushed out as aforesaid becomes out of gear,
and the other pulley in gear. The shaft is then reversed, leaving the frame
and moulds, and by a suitable contrivance (such as a crosshead moved from
the shaft) pushing the bricks out of the moulds by the pistons, which pistons
return by a spring. The then fast pulley and shaft, having got about one-
third of their distance, move the cog wheels and racks, and then carry or slide
the frame or moulds to their reversed position, and vice versa. Or any other
convenient means may be employed by which the moulds may or can be
moved horizontally under a perpendicular or other channel where clay can be
forced into them. A modification of this machine may be constructed as
follows:-Instead of the reciprocating frame of moulds mentioned before, I
employ two or more common brick moulds, connected together side by side.
Each mould is provided with a piston or inside sliding bottom, having the
piston rods underneath the moulds, connected together by a rod running in a
slide crossways of the moulds. I make a number as above, (say 20,) which
I connect together so as to form an endless train or chain of moulds; the
fulcrum of each hinge joint being an axle, is situated underneath each end of
the moulds, and connects them together, the first moulds being connected to
the last. Each axle is provided with two wheels to run on rails, also two
spaces to act as cogs. I then place two double octagonal or polygonal wheels
at distances equal to the spaces, the distances of the angles being equal to
the distances of the axles, and the angles having recesses formed to receive
the axles at the spaces before mentioned. The two double octagonal wheels
are mounted on axles at a horizontal distance of six moulds length. The
twenty moulds are then connected round the polygonal wheels, the axles
falling into the recesses at the angles. The moulds when in motion are con-
ducted from one wheel to the other and back on two separate railways, the
top railway conducting the moulds closely fitting to the exit of the aforesaid
channel, and keeping a continuous movement thereunder, the clay filling each
mould as it passes under the exit. The moulds then pass over a weighted
wheel, which forces the pistons, and presses the bricks in the moulds against.
the bottom of the channel to any required pressure. The moulds are then

page_text: carried over the polygonal wheels to the bottom railway, being then turned
upside downwards, the wheels running on the lower railway, and the moulds
and the rods connecting the pistons passing under a descending incline, which
pushes the bricks out of the moulds on to pallet boards placed on an oblong
turntable, which travels under at a similar speed with the moulds, supplying
itself with pallet boards for each set of moulds from a box placed over the
turntable. The pallet boards with the bricks are taken off as they pass
along, and the bricks put up in "backs," or placed on the drying floors, as
required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Allen Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ALLEN SMITH, Engineer, of Belper, in the County of Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Allen Smith, Her special licence that I, the said William
Allen Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Allen Smith, 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 MACHINES FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR PIPES OF CLAY,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Allen Smith,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Allen Smith, 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

page_text: following statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
I employ a pair of ordinary or other clay-grinding rollers, screws, or other
appliances for grinding and forcing clay either with or without pugging, or by
any other means by which clay can be forced into and through a small
cylinder or other channel, with sufficient force to completely fill solid with
clay a brick mould or a set of brick moulds passing under or otherwise near
to the exit of the clay from the aforesaid channel; and I cause a frame with
two sets of brick moulds containing any convenient shape and number of
moulds in each set, at proper distances asunder, to vibrate, slide, or run
horizontally to and fro under the exit afore-mentioned, through which the
clay is forced into such moulds by the clay-grinding rollers, screws, pugging,
or other apparatus. A stationary plate bottom or moulding table is nicely
fitted under the exit, at such a distance as just to allow the frame of moulds
(which are open at top and bottom) to pass to and fro between the bottom of
the said channel or exit, and the said stationary bottom or moulding table.
Each set of moulds alternately stops under the exit until filled with clay, and
is then drawn back and replaced by the other set of moulds from the other
side or other end of the said frame, and while filling this other set of moulds,
the first set of moulds being drawn back (full of bricks) under pistons covered
with flannel, each brick is pushed out of its mould on to a pallet board which
is alternately forced out on rollers, and another pallet board replaced at the
same time by the machine, so that at each re-vibration of the said frame and
moulds, there are two sets of bricks made and delivered on pallet boards
ready to be carried away to be put up "in hack," or for laying on floors,
&c. The bottom of the said channel and the frame of moulds, and the
said stationary bottom, being all made true and faced to fit cach other clay-
tight; and the bottom of the said channel and the said stationary bottom are
both continued end ways of the said frame for the length of the moulds on.
both sides of the exit to retain, keep, or hold the clay in the moulds during
the pressure from the channel, and thereby giving true and smooth face to,
the bricks at top and bottom. The motion is given to the frame of moulds by
two bell-shaped or double-acting levers, one on each side of the frame of
moulds, this frame of moulds being provided with two studs, one on each side
in its centre, for the bell-shaped lever to catch on, receiving motion from
a revolving crank or cranks, whose centres are a shorter distance than
the centres of the bell-shaped levers, thereby causing the said levers to
reciprocate with a pendulous motion. These levers have each two catches or
notches, one at each end or side; one catch takes the studs and frame of

page_text: moulds one way, and the other catch takes them the other way. The distance
between the two catches allows of the time when the empty moulds are
standing under the exit to be filled with clay, and the full moulds to be
emptied of the bricks by the pistons being brought down by the descending
eatches of the levers before they reach the frame of moulds. The pistons
after pushing out the bricks return by a spring or weight, the catches having
then reached the studs, carry or slide the frame of moulds back with the
empty moulds under the exit to be refilled, and the then full moulds under
the other pistons to be emptied as before. Or the motion may be given by
pullies and bands by means of two pullies on the grinding or forcing roller
shafts driving in opposite directions, two fast and loose pulleys nicely fitted on
a shaft running crossways under the centre of the vibrating or reciprocating
frame and moulds afore-mentioned, and so constructed as to turn the said
shafts so far one way by one pulley, which is then put out of gear, and the
other pulley put in gear, which then turns or carries the said shaft back,
and vice versa. The pullies are made with raised edges, in which are circular
recesses on each side at equal distances apart; the bands are made of short
pieces of iron or metal jointed together; the pins uniting the joints are extended
a little on either side to fall into the recesses of the pulleys, thereby causing
uniformity of motion and position of the pulleys under the fast and loose
pulleys which run side by side. On a raised portion of the shaft there is a
latch which turns on a central pin in a slot in the shaft. This latch is
alternately raised at one end and depressed at the other; the raised ends
fasten the pulley immediately over it, and the depressed end disengages the
pulley immediately over it. The fast pulley carries the shaft with it until the
latch is reversed, when the other pulley becomes fast and carries the shaft
back. This shaft is provided with two cog wheels which are loose one-third,
and fast two-thirds of the distance; the shaft is turned by the respective
pulleys when in gear, as aforesaid. These cog wheels work in two racks, one
on either side, under the frame of moulds.
In commencing operations, the then fast pulley having moved the shaft and
the cog wheels, and by the rack carried the frame with one set of moulds
under the exit to be filled with clay, and the other set of moulds under the
pistons to be pushed out as aforesaid, becomes out of gear, and the other
pulley in gear; the shaft is then reversed, leaving the frame and moulds, and
by a suitable contrivance (such as a cross head moved by a projection from
the shaft) pushing the bricks out of the moulds by the pistons, which pistons
return by a spring or weight, the then fast pulley and shaft having got about
one-third of their distance, move the cog wheels and racks, and then carry or

page_text: slide the frame and moulds to their reversed position, and vice versâ; or, any
other convenient means may be employed by which the moulds may or can be
moved horizontally under a perpendicular or other channel where clay can be
forced into them. A modification of this machine may be constructed as
follows Instead of the reciprocating frame of moulds mentioned before, I
employ two or more common brick moulds connected together side by side.
Each mould is provided with a piston or inside sliding bottom, having the
piston rods underneath the moulds, connected together by a rod running in a
slide cross ways of the moulds. I make a number as above, (say twenty)
which I connect together hingeways, so as to form an endless train or chain of
moulds, the fulcrum of each hinge joint, being an axle, is situated underneath
each end of the moulds and connects them together; the first moulds being
connected to the last. Each axle is provided with two wheels to run on rails,
also two spaces to act as cogs, I then make two double octagonal or polygonal
wheels. The distances of the octagonal angles being equal to the distances of
the axles or length of the moulds, the angles having recesses formed to receive
the axles. At the spaces before-mentioned, the two double octagon wheels
are then mounted on axles at a horizontal distance of six moulds length, the
twenty moulds are then connected round the two polygonal wheels, the axles
falling into the recesses at the angles. The moulds, when in motion by the
rotation of the octagon wheels, are conducted from one octagonal wheel to the
other and back, on two separate railways, the top rail conducting the moulds
closely fitting to the exit of the aforesaid channel, and keeping a continuous
movement there under; the clay filling each mould as it passes under the exit.
The moulds then pass over a wheel which is pressed upwards by springs or
otherwise, and which forces the pistons and presses the bricks in the moulds
against the continued bottom of the channel to any required pressure. The
moulds are then carried over one polygonal wheel to the bottom railway, being
then turned upside downwards, the wheels running on the lower railway, and
the moulds and rods connecting the pistons passing under a descending incline,
which pushes the bricks out of the moulds on to pallet boards placed on an
oblong turntable or platform, which travels under at a similar speed with the
moulds, supplying itself with pallet boards for each set of moulds from a box
placed over the turntable. The pallet boards, with the bricks, are taken off as
they pass along, and the bricks put up in "hacks," or placed on the drying
floors, as required.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more in detail the manner of carrying the same into practical effect;
and in order that my Invention may be thoroughly understood, I have annexed

page_text: to this Specification two Sheets of Drawings, representing one modification of
the same, and have marked thereon figures and letters of reference corre-
sponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
Sheet 1 represents a side elevation of the machine arranged as first above
described (which is the arrangement I prefer), and Sheet 2 is an end elevation.
of the same.
In Sheets 1 and 2, 1 is the hopper into which the clay is thrown, and from
which it passes between the two pressing or forcing rollers 2, 2, which force
it through the channel 3, 3, into the moulds 4, 4, in the reciprocating or
sliding frame 5, 5. This frame 5 is caused to reciprocate by means of two
bell-shaped catch levers 6, 6, (one at each side of the machine) which are
caused to vibrate by means of the connecting rods 7, %, and cranks 8, 8.
These levers 6, 6, vibrate upon a central stud 9, the distance from which to
the point of attachment 10 to the connecting rod, and also the length of the
connecting rod, are capable of being adjusted to the extreme distance which
the frame of moulds is required to traverse. The revolution of the crank 8,
by means of the connecting rod 7, causes the lever 6 to vibrate, and by one
of its catches a acting on the stud 11 will force the sliding frame 5 to one
extreme of its course, bringing one set of the moulds 4 under the channel 3,
and the other set of moulds 4 under the pistons 12, at the same time that the
other catch of the lever 6 passes above the stud 12* on the end of
the frame which carries the pistons 12, 12. The continued revolution of the
crank 8 then reverses the motion of the lever 6, and causes the catch
bring down the pistons 12, 12, and force the bricks out of the moulds, the
pistons being raised by the springs 18, 18, as soon as the point of the catch b
releases the stud 12*. As soon as the bricks are discharged from the moulds,
the catch then comes in contact with the stud 11, and carries the sliding
frame 5 and moulds 4, 4, back to the other extreme of its course, when the
catch a acts upon the stud 13*, and brings down the pistons 13, 13, and so
on alternately.
to
The cranks are driven by the spur wheel 14 and pinion 15, keyed upon the
axis of one of the rollers 2, 2, the said rollers being coupled together by a
pair of wheels, and driven by the pinion 16 keyed on the driving shaft. The
feed is regulated by means of a set screw 17, by which the rollers 2, 2, are
adjusted to their required distance apart. 18, 18, are springs to cause the
pistons 12, 13, to return to their original position as soon as the studs
12, 13, are released by the catches a or b. When the pistons are brought
down and force out the bricks, they fall on to the pallet boards 19, 20, as
shewn at 21, 21. 22, 22, are rollers upon which the pallet boards run;

page_text: 23, 23, are the carriages which traverse backwards and forwards to fetch the
pallet boards from the box 27, and bring the bricks out of the machine; 24
is the chain that draws the carriage to and fro, being put in motion by the
grooved pulley 25, which is moved by the wheel 26, working in a rack fixed
to the under side of the sliding or reciprocating frame 5, 5; 28, 28, are
friction rollers for the frame 5, 5, to run upon; and 29 is a plate, the
removal of which will allow of the moulds being changed, when required.
I would here remark, that although I have represented and described my
Invention only as arranged for manufacturing bricks, it will be evident that
a very slight modification of the apparatus would render the same applicable
to manufacturing tiles, quarries, pipes, and other similar articles.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Machines for Making Bricks, Tiles, and Pipes of Clay,"
together with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it
to be distinctly understood that I claim as my Invention the general con-
struction and arrangement of the apparatus, as shewn in the Drawings and
above described, or any modification thereof, but more especially I claim the
using of flannel or other analogous material to cover the pistons used in brick
machines, and the employment of moulds running horizontally under channels
through which clay is forced into them, the said moulds being open at top
and bottom or otherwise, and moving either in a continuous train or in a
reciprocating manner, together with the apparatus for discharging and carrying
away the bricks or other articles and supplying the pallet boards.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Allen Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WILLIAM ALLEN SMITH. (L.S.)