IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS FROM WET CLAY AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: We, CHARLES COOPER and WILLIAM COOPER, of Alexandra House, Alexandra
Road, Great Crosby, in the county of Lancaster, Brick Manufacturers and
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS FROM WET CLAY AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR
to be as follows:-
"
This invention has reference to the manufacture of bricks or blocks of clay
from the column of clay issuing from the mouth or die of a wet clay brick machine
and consists:
1st. In causing the wires to descend through the clay at the same time that the
latter is being forced horizontally through the range of wires. By this means the
clay instead of being cut or torn apart by the wires is in a measure sawn apart.
The upper edge of the cut is sharp and even and the cut itself smooth, pebbles and
the like that with the ordinary arrangement coming in contact with the wire would
have left a jagged trace are drawn down by the wire and pressed into the clay on
one side or the other, leaving an even surface.
2nd. In apparatus for accomplishing this.
Our apparatus consists of a frame of wires strung vertically the length of a wet
brick apart as in ordinary brick machines, but in place of having the wires not
much longer than the depth of the brick or stream of clay and thickness of the
tube combined, they are very much longer.
The frame works in slides at each end and on the frame is a rack for raising it
up and down. The pusher board can be worked in the usual manner by means of
the lever and rack and pinion (preferably sectional). Keyed on the same shaft as
the pinion that works the rack of the pusher board is a second sectional pinion or
pair of pinions that work the vertical racks of the wire frame. The result of this
arrangement is that in exact ratio as the pusher board is brought forward so are
the wires caused to descend cutting through the clay by a sawing motion as the
clay is forced through the wide interstices between them. As the pusher board is
brought back horizontally so do the wires rise vertically till by the time the pusher
board has got back to the beginning of its stroke the wires are at their highest
point and ready for a second cutting. As the frame with its rack or racks is heavy
and would have a strong tendency to stand in no position but that at the end of
Das G71

page_text: the cutting stroke we counterbalance it with two levers on the pinion axis united
by a heavy bar or other counterbalance. In our experiments hitherto we have found
that if the pusher board travel and the wires rise and fall at about equal speeds,
good results follow with the clay we have employed in our experiments, but it is
obvious with other clay a different ratio of speed may be desired, and this can
be obtained by varying the position of the pinion shaft and working one rack with
the pinion of greater radius than that working the other. In place of racks and
pinions other motion might be employed such as links and bell-crank levers, and in
such case by varying the links of the pinions the relative speed of the wire frame
and push board could be altered without shifting any axis and this one machine
could be used for widely varying kinds of clay so as to produce in each case the
best result.
The L
2007

page_text: We, CHARLES COOPER and WILLIAM COOPER, of Alexandra House, Alexandra
Road, Great Crosby in the County of Lancaster, Brick Manufacturers and
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS FROM WET CLAY, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
)
This invention has reference to the manufacture of bricks or blocks of clay from
the column of clay issuing from the mouth or die of a wet or plastic clay brick
machine, and consists:-
1st. In causing the wires to descend through the clay at the same time that the
latter is being forced horizontally through the range of wires. By this means the
clay instead of being cut or torn apart by the wires is in a measure sawn apart.
The upper edge of the cut is sharp and even, and the cut itself smooth; pebbles,
and the like that with the ordinary arrangement coming in contact with the wire
would have left a jagged arris are drawn down by the wire and pressed into the
clay on one side or the other leaving an even surface.
2nd. In apparatus for accomplishing this.
'
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings: in which: Figure 1 is
an end elevation. Figure 2 side elevation, Figure 3 plan. Figure 4 transverse
section.
A is a frame of any stout strong material, having stretched thereon a series of
wires B fixed to the same by tightening screw clamping mechanism of ordinary
type B¹ so that as the wires elongate under strains they can be screwed up tightly
from time to time. These wires are placed parallel and vertical, the length, thickness
or width of a wet brick apart, but instead of as ordinarily being only little longer
than the depth of the block or stream of clay and thickness of the table combined;
as in ordinary cut off frames, they are very much longer.
The frame A works vertically in guides C C at each end. These guides are
firmly secured to the main framework plate C2 C of the machine, and are well
braced together by bars C¹. Cast on or firmly bolted on frame A are racks D for
raising it up and down in its guides. E is the pusher-board for pushing the blocks
or pieces of the stream or streams of clay through the wire frame on to a table or
board of which the skeleton or frame is shown at F, from whence they are removed
by barrow, truck, travelling band, or other conveyance. The push board E is fixed
to a bracket G overhanging the table, and working in guides, and to this bracket
the racks H are fixed, and these are worked by quadrants or sectional pinions I on
shaft J. On this same shaft and like I firmly keyed thereto is a second pair of
sectional pinions K working racks D of slide A. The shaft J is worked by handle j
when required. The result of this arrangement is that in exact ratio as the pusher
board is brought forward, so are the wires caused to descend, cutting through the
clay by a sawing motion as the clay is forced through the wide interstices between
them. As the pusher-board is brought back horizontally, so do the wires rise
vertically, till by the time the pusher board has got back to the beginning of its
stroke, the wires are at their highest point and ready for a second cutting. As the
frame A with its rack or racks is heavy, and would have a strong tendency to stand
in no position but that at the end of the cutting stroke, we counterbalance it in any
convenient manner, preferably as shown in the drawing by rope or chain L passing
over pulley M and carrying a heavy weight N.
In our experiments hitherto, we have found that if the pusher board travel and
the wires rise and fall at about equal speeds, good results follow with the clay we

page_text: have employed in our experiments; but it is obvious that with other clay a different
ratio of speed may be desired, and this can be obtained by varying the position of
the pinion shaft and working one rack with a pinion of greater radius than that
working the other. In place of racks and pinions other motion might be employed,
such as links and bell-crank levers, but we prefer the racks and pinions.
Continuing the explanation of the drawings, though these are parts common to
other machines, 00 are a series of rollers conveying the stream or blocks of clay to
the cutting machine. O' handle to work the roller when the block of clay is cut off.
P is a wire used to cut off a long length of clay block the size to fit the wire
frame A. Wire P is held in its frame Q which when the wire is used, is pressed
forward in its guides by hand, till its wire cuts through the block of wet or plastic
clay.
The mode of action is as follows:-
A long block of clay (as it comes out of the pugging mill dies) is cut off by wire P
and run forward on to the table of the machine; handle j is then pressed once
forwards, and then backwards the full length of its tether. This causes the shaft J
to partially rotate with its pinions. These operate on the racks and while the one
pair of racks pushes the pusher plate with the block of clay against the wires in
frame A, the latter is also caused to descend through the operation of pinions Kand
racks D. By the time that the pusher board has completely pressed the clay
through the wires, the latter have also reached their lowest point, and have not
merely forced their way through the clay, but have by their longitudinal travel
exerted a sawing action, likewise, causing their cuts to be sharp and even instead
of rough and jagged as is usual with wire cutting.
The return journey of the handle puts the pusher board and frame back simul-
taneously into the original position, ready for a fresh block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1st. The manufacture of bricks from the lengths of clay, as they come from the
pugging mill dies, by cutting the same to size by means of one or more wires (or
metal bands) stretched in a frame, which while they are cutting through the clay
are also travelling in the direction of their own length, whereby a sawing instead
of a tearing action is produced, and a much smoother brick is the result.
2nd. The manufacture and use of the machinery for cutting blocks of clay into
blocks for burning into bricks substantially as herein described, in which the cutting
wires are stretched in a frame which is caused to move in the direction of the axes
of the wires, while a pushing device forces the block of clay through the range of
wires, substantially as described.
3rd. The special arrangement and combination of mechanism by which the frame
of wires is caused to descend vertically, and the pusher board is simultaneously
caused to press the clay through the wires, and by which both wire frame and
pusher board are caused to return together to their original position, substantially
as described.