IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alexander Matthews, of Runcorn, in the
County of Chester, Sanitary Pipe Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 2nd September 1870, and dated the 4th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alexander
Matthews at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 4th March 1870.
I, JAMES ALEXANDER MATTHEWS, of Runcorn, in the County of
Chester, Sanitary Pipe Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS, TILES,
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to machinery for subjecting so called dry clay,
or clay, or other substance in a pulverulent or powdery state to pressure
in moulds, whereby to form bricks, tiles, and other articles, and consists
essentially in causing two presser picces or plungers to travel towards

page_text: each other for the purpose of giving pressure to the said clay or other
substance in the moulds, when such presser pieces are operated from one
rotating shaft the one presser piece being actuated through a cam and
tappet, and the other through cranks and connecting rods. A sliding
feeder is employed to supply the said clay or other substance to the 5
moulds, or only one mould can be used.
The whole mechanism is supported on suitable frame work and
provided with the required gearing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Alexander Matthews in the Great Seal 1
Patent Office on the 3rd September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ALEXANDER MATTHEWS, of Runcorn, in the County of Chester, Sanitary
Pipe Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 1
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James-Alexander Matthews, Her special license
that I, the said James Alexander Matthews, my executors, adminis- 2
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Alexander
Matthews, 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 2
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Alexander Matthews, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Alexander Matthews, 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 following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to machinery for subjecting so called dry clay,
or clay, or other substance in a pulverulent or powdery state to pressure
in moulds, whereby to form bricks, tiles, and other articles, and consists
essentially in causing two presser pieces or plungers to travel towards
cach other for the purpose of giving pressure to the said clay or other
substance in the moulds, when such presser pieces are operated from onc
rotating shaft, the one presser piece being actuated through a cam and
tappet, and the other through cranks and connecting rods. A sliding
feeder is employed to supply the said clay or other substance to the
moulds, or only one mould can be used.
The whole mechanism is supported on suitable framework and pro-
vided with the required gearing.
A machine constructed in accordance with my Invention and pro-
vided with one mould suitable for forming bricks is delineated on the
Sheet of Drawings appended hereto in such manner that others will be
enabled to carry my Invention into effect.
Fig. 1 is a side clovation; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at 1, 2;
Fig. 3, is a back elevation; Fig. 4 a bird's-cye or plan view; and Fig. 5.
a vertical section through the line A, B. In all these views like letters
denote the same parts.
a is the supporting frame; b, hopper, this receives, contains, and
supplies so called dry clay, sand, and lime, or other material to the
machine; c, driving pulleys affixed on the first motion shaft d; e, pinions
secured on d, and geared with the intermediate wheels fattached to the
shaft g. The said shaft 9 gears with the pinions ; these pinions gear
with the wheels i on the shaft j, from which latter both the upper and
lower pressers or plungers are operated. The top presser or plunger 1,
which slides in a prepared way in the frame a, is actuated in this machine
through the excentric studs or crank pins m and connecting rods n, and
the bottom presser or plunger o through the irregular heart like cam p
and tappet roller q; ", mould block wherein the brick is formed; in

page_text: practice this would be lined. When it is desired to form a thinner or
thickor brick or article, or to subject clay or other material to greater or
less pressure, the wedge a is by the lever t, nut u, screw », and handle w
moved inwards or outwards between the cam o and tappet roller p, so as
to cause the upper surface of o to rise more or less in the mould block 7. 5
The dry clay or other material is fed to the mould by the reciprocating
filler trough a¹; the said filler trough is actuated from the grooved
cams k by the bowls b¹, levers c³ and c³, and is so timed as to move
forward over the mould and return to the position shewn during the
time the presser or plunger is removed from mould r. During the 1
time the clay or other material is being subjected to what I call duplex
pressure between 7 and o the camp travels in the direction of the arrow
from the position shewn to 1, the top presser then rises and the part of
the camp between 1 and 2 raises q and o and lifts the formed brick
until it is flush with the top of the mould. The forward motion of the 1
filler trough a¹ pushes forward the brick on the table, from which position
it can be removed by hand or carried away automatically. For the
purpose of ejecting air from the clay during the moulding of a brick and
also for preventing straining of the machine should too much clay be
fed to the mould, I have formed the top presser n with an internal 2
movable piece and provided means for operating the same; & is the
moveable piece; e¹, spiral spring; f¹, tumbler pieces vibrating on the
pin g¹ connected to the top presser or plunger 1; h³, guides for the pins &²
of the tumbler pieces f³. The action of these parts is as follows:-
During the downward stroke the pins when they enter the bent or 2
angular part of the closed slot in h¹ cause the tumbler pieces f¹ to
vibrate, this brings the under surface of the edge flange of f¹ (see
Fig. 2) in contact with the sliding block over the spiral spring e³, and
allows the spring to act on the collar d³ of d³, and force d³ downwards
at a speed greater than n travels, and hence & is made to project in the 3
manner shewn. During the return stroke the converse action takes
place, that is to say, when the pins & enter the angular or bent part
of the movable piece d' is drawn upwards and does not project beyond
the face surface of l.
-
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and parti- 3
cularized the same by details which answer well in practice, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details sct
forth; what I do claim is, the combination and arrangement of parts

page_text: operating substantially in the manner described and for purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Alexander Matthews, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of September,
in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
JAMES ALEXANDER MATTHEWS. (L.S.)
In the presence of
R. A. Moss,
Clerk to J. T. King,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.