Improvements in Machinery for Pressing Bricks and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Pressing Bricks and the like.
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I, RALPH TOWNSEND HUGHES, of 3, Roslyn Villas, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Brick
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;
The mould in which bricks are to be pressed I form as described in the Speci-
fication of a former Patent granted to me No. 6239 of 1895 of a tube
rectangular and oblong in cross section corresponding with the cross section of
the bricks to be pressed and with plungers working through openings in the two
opposite wider sides of the tube to form the indents. or panels in these sides of
the brick.
The mould is fixed in a vertical position, a discharging plunger which can be
raised and lowered closes its lower end, a block which can be slidden to and fro
horizontally can be moved into position to close its upper end-the ends of the
block which are inclined on their upper face then come below corresponding fixed
inclines which hold the block down against the upper face of the mould.
The two plungers are connected by links to the lower ends of two vertical
levers which turn on pivots at points intermediate of their length. The upper
ends of the levers are coupled by links to a slide situated midway between them
and which can be moved up and down in vertical guides to simultaneously rock
both levers and move the plungers towards or away from one another. The slide
is moved up and down by a link which couples it to the pin of a crank arm on
one end of a shaft to which a continuous revolving motion is imparted.
When the slide is raised the links which couple it to the upper ends of the
levers act as toggle links and force the upper ends of the levers away froni one
another so forcing the two plungers inwards to compress the brick and form the
panels in its sides: The plungers are withdrawn when the slide is moved
downwards.
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The sliding block used to close the upper end of the mould and the discharging
plunger which works up and down within the mould have their movements con-
trolled preferably by the action of cams on the crank shaft.
The crank shaft serves to operate two presses one operated from one end of
the shaft and the other from the other-the crank arms on the two ends of the
shaft are set opposite to one another so that when one brick is being pressed in
one press a compressed brick is being discharged from the other-and thus two
bricks are pressed at each revolution. Other means than those above described
might be adopted for giving motion to the plungers.
The action of each press is as follows:-
A brick to be pressed is placed in front of the sliding block used for closing the
upper end of the mould at the time when this block has been drawn back so as
to leave the upper end of the mould open. The block then advances and pushes
the brick on to the top of the discharging plunger which is then level with the
top of the mould. The further advance of the block is then for a time arrested
and the plunger descends and the brick passes down along with it into the
mould. When it has completed its descent the block completes its forward move

page_text: ment and thereby closes the top of the mould. The plungers then advance and
compress the brick and form the indents or panels in its sides. The block closing
the top of the mould is afterwards drawn back and when the plungers have been
drawn back sufficiently to be clear of the brick the discharging plunger is raised
and the compressed brick discharged from the mould.
Springs may be provided which if the pressure put upon the brick by the
plungers becomes too great will yield and stop the plungers from being moved
inwards any further the mould also may be set in a horizontal in place of a
vertical position.
Dated this 19th day of April 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Pressing Bricks and the like.
I, RALPH TOWNSEND HUGHES, of 3, Roslyn Villas, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Brick
Manufacturer, 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:-
The mould in which bricks are to be pressed I form as described in the Speci-
fication of a former British Patent granted to me No. 6239 of 1895 of a tube
rectangular and oblong in cross section corresponding with the cross section of
the bricks to be pressed and with plungers working through openings in the two
opposite wider sides of the tube to form the indents or panels in these sides of
the brick.
Such a mould I now fix in a vertical position and employ a discharging plunger
which can be raised and lowered to close its lower end, and a block which can
be slidden to and fro horizontally to close its upper end-the ends of the block
which are inclined on their upper face being then caused to come below corre-
sponding fixed inclines which hold the block down against the upper face of the
mould.
The movements of the two plungers which are to form the indents or panels
I control by the action of cams on a continuously-revolving cam shaft-othe,
cams on this cam shaft control the movement of the discharging plunger and
of the slide used for closing the top of the mould.
The shaft I also arrange to operate two presses one operated from one end of
the shaft and the other from the other and so that when one brick is being pressed
in one press a compressed brick is being discharged from the other-and thus
two bricks are pressed at each revolution.
The action of each press is as follows;-
A brick to be pressed placed on to the top of the discharging plunger which
is then in its raised position level with the top of the mould. Then the plunger
descends and the brick passes down along with it into the mould. When it has
completed its descent the block used for closing the upper end of the mould
moves forward and thereby closes the top of the mould. The plungers for form-
ing the indents or panels then advance and compress the brick and form the
indents or panels in its sides. The block closing the top of the mould is after-
wards drawn back and when the plungers have been drawn back sufficiently to be
clear of the brick the discharging plunger is raised and the compressed brick dis-
charged from the mould.
The drawings annexed shew a machine constructed according to my invention.
Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation.

page_text: A is the tubular mould fixed in a vertical position and rectangular and oblong
in cross section corresponding with the cross section of the bricks to be pressed.
BB are two plungers working to and fro through openings in the two opposite
wider vertical sides of the mould for forming the indents or panels in the sides
of the bricks. An air passage is formed through each to allow air to escape out
of mould A. C is a discharging plunger which when lowered closes the bottom
of the mould and when raised comes level with its upper end. D is a block
which can be slidden to and fro horizontally.
In one position it comes above and closes the upper end of the mould and when
drawn back it leaves the upper end of the mould open. The upper face of the
block is inclined and when the block is closing the upper end of the mould its
ends come below fixed corresponding inclines E and are thereby held down firmly.
FF are weighted levers by which the plunger B B can be simultaneously forced
inwards towards one another. GG are connecting rods passing from the weighted
arms of these levers to other levers HH both of which can be rocked simultane-
ously by the action of a cam I on a continuously revolving shaft J and caused
to simultaneously lift both of the weighted lever arms F and thereby draw back
both of the plungers B or simultaneously release the levers H and allow the
weighted lever arms F to simultaneously thrust forward both plungers.
In place of the plungers being thrust forward by weighted levers and with-
drawn by cams on the cam shaft the action might be reversed and the plungers
be thrust forward by the action of the cams and drawn back by weighted levers.
In this case springs may be provided which if the pressure put upon the brick
by the plungers becomes too great will yield and stop the plungers from being
thrust inwards any further. Other means might also be adopted for imparting
movement to the plungers from the continuously revolving shaft.
The shaft J also carries another cam K to act upon one arm of a weighted
lever L-the axis L¹ of this lever has upon it another arm L² which is coupled
by a link to the sliding block D and gives to it its to and fro movement. In
place of the sliding block being moved to and fro in a plane parallel with the
end of the machine it might be arranged to be moved towards and away from the
centre of the machine. M is a third cam fixed upon the shaft J-it acts upon the
upper end of a vertically sliding rod N to depress it, a spring O tends always
to raise the rod. The lower end of the rod is coupled to one arm of a lever P
the other arm of which is connected by a short link to the lower end of a rod R
which projects downwards from the discharging plunger C and serves to raise
and lower this plunger.
The parts shewn on the right hand side of Figure 2 are repeated on the left
hand side and are so set that when a brick is being pressed in one press a com-
pressed brick is discharged from the other. The rocking axis L¹ serves to give
motion to the sliding blocks D) of both presses and the blocks are inclined in
opposite directions so that as one comes into acting position the other moves out.
S is a toothed wheel fixed upon the cam shaft J. T is a pinion gearing with
this wheel and fixed upon a driving shaft U.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. Machinery for pressing bricks and the like constructed substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2. The combination of the tubular mould A fixed vertically, the two plungers B
working to and fro through openings in two opposite vertical sides of the mould,
the inclined sliding block D, the fixed inclines E below which the ends of the
block pass when the block is closing the top of the mould and the rising and
falling discharging plunger C which serves to close the bottom and to discharge
the bricks after they have been compressed.
3. The combination of the tubular mould A, plungers B, sliding block D, dis-

page_text: charging. plunger C and cams upon a continuously revolving cam shaft to first
lower the plunger C to the bottom of the mould, then move the block 1) into
position to close the top of the mould, then cause the plungers B to be simultane-
ously thrust inwards and make indents in the sides of a brick enclosed in the
mould and finally withdraw the block D and plungers B and cause the dis-
charging plunger C to rise and discharge from the mould the now compressed
brick.
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4. The combination of a continuously revolving cam shaft J, a tubular mould A,
plungers B, sliding block D, discharging plunger C situated below each end of
this shaft and cams upon the cam shaft for controlling the movements of both
sets of plungers and sliding blocks.
1000
RALPH T. HUGHES.