IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thorneycroft, of Chesterton, in the County of
Stafford, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
aled the 24th January 1879, and dated the 19th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thorneycroft at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th August 1878.
EDWARD THORNEYCROFT, of Chesterton, in the County of Stafford, Brick and
Tile Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES,
AND OTHER ARTICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for making bricks,
tiles, and other articles. For this purpose I employ a table, to which a to-and-fro
motion is imparted. The table is coupled by a connecting rod with a crank receiving
motion by suitable gear from a steam engine or other motor.
In the face of the reciprocating table moulding cavities are formed, and these by
the movement of the table are carried beneath the delivering orifice of an horizontal
pug mill. The bottom of each mould is moveable, and a stem passing down from
it is brought into contact during the working of the machine with stationary inclines
for the purpose, first, of pressing the brick or tile; and, secondly, of expelling it
from the mould.
The operation of the machine is thus as follows:-Each mould as it passes
beneath the delivery orifice or mouth of the pug mill becomes filled with clay or
brick earth, and immediately afterwards the contents of the mould is compressed
by the rising of the mould bottom caused by its stem coming against one of the
fixed inclines, the mould being at this time closed at the top by a fixed plate or
cover; there is one such plate or cover on each side of the delivery orifice. The
further travel of the table brings the stem on the mould bottom against another
incline, which lifts the bottom higher, and delivers the pressed brick or tile, the
Price 621

page_text: mould being at this time uncovered at the top. The bricks or tiles are carried
away, and at the next motion of the table the operations are repeated.
For a roof and floor tile machine a pair of rolls is fixed to the end of the pug
mill, one being plain, the other with four knives; both rolls press the tiles; the
knives cut the tiles off. There are cavities in the rolls, which form the bit for
fastening the tiles on the roof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Thorneycroft in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
February 1879.
EDWARD THORNEYCROFT, of Chesterton, in the County of Stafford, Brick and
Tile Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES,
AND OTHER ARTICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for making bricks,
tiles, and other articles. For this purpose I employ a table, to which a to-and-fro
motion is imparted. The table is coupled by a connecting rod with a crank, receiving
motion by suitable gear from a steam engine or other motor.
In the face of the reciprocating table moulding cavities are formed, and these by
the movement of the table are carried beneath the delivering orifice of an horizontal
pug mill. The bottom of each mould is moveable, and a stem passing down from it
is brought into contact during the working of the machine with stationary inclines
for the purpose, first, of pressing the brick or tile; and, secondly, of expelling it
from the mould.
The operation of the machine is thus as follows:-Each mould as it passes
beneath the delivery orifice or mouth of the pug mill becomes filled with clay or
brick earth, and immediately afterwards the contents of the mould is compressed
by the rising of the mould bottom, caused by its stem coming against one of the
fixed inclines, the mould being at this time closed at the top by a fixed plate or cover;
there is one such plate or cover on each side of the delivering orifice. The further
travel of the table brings the stem on the mould bottom against another incline,
which lifts the bottom higher, and delivers the pressed brick or tile, the mould
being at this time uncovered at the top. The bricks or tiles are carried away, as
herein-after described, and at the next motion of the table the operations are
repeated.
For a roof and floor tile machine a pair of rolls is fixed to the end of the pug
mill, one being plain, the other carries knives; both rolls press the tiles; the knives
cut the tiles off; there are cavities in the rolls, which form the bit for fastening the
tiles on the roof.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn various views of a machine
constructed as above described.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, an end view of the
machine.

page_text: A is the bed or frame of the machine; B, B, are parallel guide rails secured to
this bed, and which can be set to the required height; C, C, are slide blocks which
slide on these rails, and are secured to the two ends of a table D, which carries
moulds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The moulds may either be all of the same form and size,
or of different forms and sizes, as shewn, according to the work required to be done.
The table might also be formed to carry a different number of moulds. E is the
cylinder of a pug mill mounted upon the frame; F is the outlet orifice of the pug
mill coming down to the surface of the table D; G is an orifice at the opposite end
of the cylinder of the pug mill, through which clay or brick earth is supplied to the
cylinder; H is the pug mill shaft having upon it a large toothed wheel I, driven by
a pinion K on the driving shaft; L, L, are plates fixed on two opposite sides of the
mouth; these plates are flat on their under side, and fit over the surface of the
table D.
One end of the table D is coupled by a connecting rod M with a crank on a
shaft N; this shaft has upon it a toothed wheel, which gears with and is driven by
the toothed wheel on the pug mill shaft. The table has thus an endway to-and-fro
motion given to it, and the moulds carried by the table are thereby passed alter-
nately under the delivery orifice of the pug mill, and drawn away from beneath it.
As before stated, the bottom of each mould is moveable, and has a stem O descending
from it. As each mould comes under the delivery orifice of the pug mill it is filled
with clay or brick earth; afterwards, when it has moved away from under the
delivery orifice, it comes beneath one or other of the fixed plates L; the bottom of
the mould is then caused to rise by reason of a collar on the stem O coming against
one or other of the fixed curves or inclines P. The clay or brick earth in the mould
is thereby compressed; the collars are adjustable on the stems O so that by adjusting
the position of the collars the clay or brick carth in the moulds may be compressed
to any desired extent. On the further movement of the table the lower end of the
stein comes against one or other of the fixed inclines Q, and is thereby raised, and
the moulded brick or tile lifted out from the mould.
At the end of the movement of the table in one or other direction the bricks or
tiles which have thus been lifted out from the moulds are swept off from the table
by pusher boards R on to an endless travelling band, by which they are conveyed
away. The two pusher boards R are carried by slides coupled to the opposite ends
of a lever S, which is free to rock on an axis at its centre, and on passing over
lubricate the dies by a brush attached behind them along their whole length, and
supply themselves with oil from a trough fastened to the edge of the table.
On the axis is a shorter arm connected by a connecting rod with an arm carried
by an axis T, to which a rocking to-and-fro motion is given in the following
manner: On the axis are two arms U, V, with inclined ends. A wheel on the
shaft N enters between these arms. On opposite sides of the wheel are two
pins W, X. When the table has nearly completed its movement in one direction
the pin W comes against the arm U, and moves it into the position shewn by dotted
lines in Figure 4, and so rocks the lever S, and causes one of the boards to sweep
the moulded bricks or blocks from off one end of the table. After the shaft N has
completed another half revolution the pin X comes against the arm V, and rocks
the levers in the opposite direction, and causes the other board R to sweep the
moulded bricks or blocks from the other end of the table. The wheel which carries
the pins W,X, serves also as a toothed wheel to drive a pinion on an axis Z, from
which motion is given to the endless band that conveys away the moulded bricks
or tiles.
I will proceed to describe more fully my improved means for forming roof and
floor tiles.
a, a, are two rolls mounted at the end of the pug mill cylinder; the lower roll is
plain; the upper roll bas around its centre a cutting knife a', and also carries trans-
verse cutters a², which cut up the stream of clay into separate tiles as it issues
between the rolls. Four tiles are thus made at each revolution of the rolls. When
the tiles are for roofing tiles cavities a³ are formed in the rolls close up to the

page_text: cutters a², as shown at Figure 1, to form the bits on the tiles for fastening the tiles
on to a roof in the ordinary manner.
The rolls are hollow, and can be heated by steam introduced into them by the
pipes b; the rolls are geared together by toothed wheels, and receive motion from a
toothed wheel on a shaft c, which is driven in any convenient manner.
Means are provided for shutting off the supply of clay to the rolls a whenever
these rolls are not required to be in use for making tiles.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of machinery for making bricks, tiles, and other articles,
substantially as herein-before described, and shown in the Drawings annexed.
Second. The combination of the pug mill and reciprocating table, carrying moulds
with moveable bottoms, all working together substantially in the manner herein-
before described.
Third. The combination of the pug mill and reciprocating table, carrying moulds
with moveable bottoms, and delivery mechanism for sweeping the moulded bricks
or tiles from off the reciprocating table, all working together substantially in the
manner herein-before described.
Fourth. The combination of one plain roll and one roll carrying knives a¹ and a³
for moulding tiles, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thorneycroft, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.