An Improved Mould for Brick-making and such like Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1900 -Accepted, 5th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mould for Brick-making and such like Purposes.
We, HERBERT ALEXANDER, of Queen's Works, Water Lane, Leeds, Engineer,
and JoHN HOLDING, of Union Forge, Savile Street, Sheffield, Forging Manu-
facturer & Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of the moulds or dies used in con-
nection with brick-making machinery, in which the bricks or other goods are
consolidated and pressed into shape.
It is found in practice that the pressing of the brick in the mould causes con-
siderable wear on the faces of the mould. This wear frequently takes place
unevenly, causing the sides of the mould to become hollow towards its centre
where the wear is greatest. In consequence of this the pressure in a worn mould
forms a brick which is slightly larger at its inner face than its outer face, and
in forcing such a brick out of the mould it is frequently cracked or broken
owing to the large face having to pass the outer edge or mouth of the mould
where the area is less.
Now the object of our invention is so to construct a mould that the wear shall
take place evenly throughout the whole length of the mould and thus ensure
that its opposite sides shall always remain parallel to each other and present
no variations in area as the brick passes out of the mould.
Our invention consists in the use of a harder material to form the face of the
centre of the mould than is used for the general body of the mould, the hard
face being preferably composed of steel, welded or otherwise attached to a mould
constructed of wrought iron or a softer quality of steel; the steel to form the
hard face may then be welded to the iron in a more or less soft condition and
afterwards if necessary hardened in the ordinary way by heating the complete
mould and dipping it in water, or otherwise hardening it, without the hardening
process having any hardening effect on the iron or soft part or the mould.
It must be understood that bricks may be pressed in the moulds either from
above or from below, but it is found that in either case it is the interior part
of the mould which wears most and we therefore insert the hard faces over this
interior zone and make the section towards the mouth of the mould, of the softer
material. By this means we obtain a mould in which the soft parts wear away
in the same ratio as the hard face, and so the mould is kept parallel.
This construction also leaves the outside of the mould in such a condition
that it can be machined or worked with tools in case any fitting or adjustment
is necessary when fitting it into its place. The mould may be constructed in
ne piece in the form of a rectangular box, open at one or both ends, or it may
be built up of separate side plates suitably held in an outer casing.
TJ 41 90+h day of May 1899
SYDNEY E. PAGE, A.M.I.C.E.,
18, New Bridge Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: An Improved Mould for Brick-making and such like Purposes.
We, HERBERT ALEXANDER, of Queen's Works, Water Lane, Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, and JOHN HOLDING, of Union Forge, Saville Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer and Forging 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 follow-
ing statement:—
This invention relates to the construction of moulds or dies used in connection
with brick-making machinery, in which the bricks are consolidated and pressed
into shape.
It is found in practice that the pressing of the bricks in the mould causes
considerable wear on the faces of the mould. This wear frequently takes place
unevenly, causing the sides of the mould to become hollow towards its centre
where the wear is greatest on account of the compression to which the material
is there subjected. In consequence of this the pressure in a worn mould when
exeried from below forms a brick which is slightly larger at its bottom face that
its top face, and in forcing such a brick out of the mould it is frequently cracked
or broken owing to the large face having to pass the outer edge or mouth of
the mould where the area is less. The same difficulty occurs when the pressure
is exerted from above and the brick forced downwards out of the mould.
The object of our invention is so to construct a mould that the wear shall
take place evenly throughout the whole length of the mould and thus ensure
that its opposite sides shall always remain parallel to each other and present no
variations in area as the brick passes out of the mould.
Our invention consists in the use of a harder material to form the face of the
centre of the mould than is used for the general body of the mould, the hard face
being preferably composed of steel, welded or otherwise attached to a mould
constructed of wrought iron, or a softer quality steel, in such a manner that thie
change from the hard part of the mould to the softer part shall be more or less
gradual; the steel to form the hard face may be attached to the iron in a more
or less soft condition, and afterwards hardened by any of the ordinary methods
of hardening steel, without the hardening process having any appreciable
hardening effect on the iron or soft part of the mould. By care in the hardening
process we arrange that the hardening of the steel face shall be greatest at its
centre and decrease somewhat towards either edge, where it may be but little
harder than the adjoining iron.
It must be understood that bricks may be pressed in the moulds either from
above or from below, but it is found that in either case it is the interior part
of the mould which wears most and we therefore form the hard faces over the
interior zone and make the section towards the mouth of the mould of the softer
material. By this means we obtain a mould in which the soft parts wear away
in the same ratio as the hard face, and so the mould is kept parallel.
Our invention may also be adapted to a mould in which the brick is pressed
both from the top and from the bottom at the same time.
This construction leaves the outside of the mould in such a condition that it
can be machined or worked with tools in case any fitting or adjustment is neces-
sary when fitting it into its place. The mould may be constructed in one piece
in the form of a rectangular box, open at one or both ends, or it may be built
up of separate side plates suitably held in an outer casing.
The accompanying drawings illustrate one method of constructing a mould, in

page_text: which the pressure is exerted from below, the bricks being afterwards pushed
out at the top of the mould.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a part of the mould table of a brick-making machine show-
ing one of the moulds.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the mould on the line 2-2, of Fig. 1.
The table 3 revolves about the centre 14 carrying the moulds 1 to and fro
between the feeding apparatus and the pressing apparatus of the machine.
A passage 1 is formed in the table, and is fitted with a plunger 6, which is
actuated by any suitable means, causing it to rise and compress the material
placed in the mould against the press-head 5. The top section of the passage
is fitted with a liner 7, resting at its bottom end on the lugs 12, 12, and securely
held in place at its upper end by the flat ring 4, which also prevents it from
rising by means of the shoulder shown at 11. The ring is itself secured to
the table by means of the countersunk screws 15.
The liner 7 is constructed first of wrought iron or very mild steel, and is then
subjected to a process which converts the middle part 8, 9, of the sides of the
mould into a form of steel, which can be suitably hardened. The conversion is
effected by the well known means of covering the surface 8, 9, of the wrought
iron, where required to be hardened, with bone dust, leather, or any suitable
hardening composition, and subjecting it to the heat of a furnace. The liner is
placed in a suitable receptacle and surrounded on the outside with sand, the
bottom part 10, 9, of the liner is then filled with sand, or with a fire brick
packed with sand, up to the level 9, 9, where the hardening is to commence: a
layer of the hardening composition is then introduced sufficient to cover the
zone 9, 8, which is required to be hard, and on the top of this is inserted another
fire brick packed with sand to cover the remaining part 8, 7, of the liner. The
receptacle containing the liner is then covered up and exposed to the heat of a
furnace, by the action of which the soft wrought iron is converted into steel at
the part 9, 8, covered by the composition. The length of time necessary for
this action depends upon the material of the liner and the hardening composi-
tion used; the hardness of the zone 9, 8, may also be varied by having a vary-
ing thickness of hardening composition, the interior space being then filled up
with sand.
The conversion of the steel face having been effected the whole liner is slaked
in water, at a good heat, and the steel face becomes hardened, while the other
parts which have not acquired the properties of steel remain soft.
If the liner is made up of separate side plates these may be hardened in the
same way by placing them on end in a covered receiver, about one and a half
inches apart, care being taken that the hardening composition is placed against
the parts 8, 9, where the plates require to be hard.
By careful arrangement of the hardening material we are able to ensure that
the hardening effect is graduated, being greatest at the point such as 16, where
the side friction is greatest and decreasing gradually each way towards the ends
of the liner, which being of wrought iron have remained soft. This is a con-
siderable advantage in working as when the change from hard to soft is abrupt
a ridge is formed, and this is apt to make the surface of the brick rough.
The action of the material is as follows: The top of the plunger being in
about the position 13, the mould is filled with material to be made into a brick,
and is brought round to the press-head 5, when the mechanism for giving the
pressure causes the plunger to rise, this movement begins to compress the
material which soon causes considerable friction on the sides 9, 9, of the liner,
where the movement is greatest. As the compression increases the side friction
increases, though the movement is less, until in the end the maximum com-
pression and side friction, and consequently of wear, is reached about the
point 16, 16, which is therefore formed of the hardest part of the steel. By
This means the mould is kept parallel throughout.
The brick after compression is pushed up clear of the edge 7, 7, of the mould

page_text: by another movement of the plunger G. In ordinary moulds the wear may be
so great at the points 16, 16. that the brick is formed larger on this face in a
worn mould than it is on the top face, with the result that it is frequently spoilt
when being pushed out of the mould.
By our invention we attain the result than any wear that takes place does so
evenly throughout the whole length of the mould which therefore remains
practically parallel, and thus the number of spoilt bricks is considerable
diminished.
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 :-
-
1. In apparatus for pressing bricks and such like goods, the use of a mould or
liner, composed of wrought iron and hard steel, or other material capable of
being hardened, so arranged that a hard face is formed by the steel, or other
material, on that part of the sides of the mould where the wear is greatest, and
in such a manner that the hardness of the sides of the mould is approximately
proportionate to the wear upon them, substantially as herein described.
2. The construction of apparatus for pressing bricks and such like goods
arranged and operating substantially as herein described with reference to
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of February 1900
SYDNEY E. PAGE, A.M.I.C.E.,
28, New Bridge Street, London, EC,
Agent for the Applicants.