Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 24th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 24th Mar., 1888
We WILLIAM BARKER of Talbot Terrace Birtley County of Durham Manager of
Brick Works and ROBERT FENWICK BOYD of Houghton-le-Spring Fence Houses
in the County of Durham, Mining Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The peculiarity of our Improved Die for Brick-making Machines consists in its
shape, it being so constructed as to fit on the front of the Brick-making Machine tho
ends of the Die being curved out to any diameter the Rollers of the Machine revolving
in the curved ends propel the stream of clay straight through the Die the passage of.
the clay being greatly facilitated by the method of lubricating either with water or
oil from the back to the front. Equal density is thus given to all parts of the brick
which prevents the ends dropping off during the process of Burning and after-
handling a result not obtainable by any other Die. It may be made of Wood Brass
Iron or other Metal or suitable material and of any required size.
Dated this 21st day of March 1887
WILLIAM BARKER.

page_text: Improved Die for Brick Making Machines.
We WILLIAM BARKER, of Talbot Terrace, Birtley, in the County of Durham,
Manager of Brick Works and ROBERT FENWICK BOYD of Houghton-le-Spring, Fence
Houses, in the County of Durham Mining Engineer 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 :-
This invention relates to an Improved die for brick making machines and has for
its object the production of a brick or other clay article of greater homogeneity and
more uniform density than has hitherto been found to be practicable.
According to the usual practice in Brick-making machines, the clay is delivered
from the hopper into a pugging mill of suitable design whence it issues in a continuous
stream. The pugged clay is then caused to pass between a pair of parallel horizontal
rollers which squeeze the clay into a thin sheet and pass it on to a pair of vertical
rollers so placed that by reducing the width of the sheet of clay, they increase its
thickness preparatory to passing it into the mouthpiece of the machine. Between the
mouthpiece as at present constructed & the transporting rollers which convey the clay
to the cutting table, is the tapered moulding die, then the lubricating Die & finally
the nip-piece or finisher which has rather more taper than the first die. The lubricating
die as at present constructed is designed to lubricate the four corners of the stream
of clay issuing through the die. The tapered die being tapered both in plan and in
longitudinal section, the double taper causes excessive friction of the clay against the
sides of the die and by having this retarding effect on the clay nearest the sides, the
clay in the centre travels quicker than the clay at the sides, whereby an unequal
density of the clay is produced during the last stages of its manufacture.
But by our invention we discontinue the use of the aforesaid vertical rollers by
substituting therefor a pair of curved wings or guide pieces which serve to collect the
clay substantially in the manner hitherto performed by the vertical rollers with their
driving gear. Further, we construct two of the sides of our improved die parallel to
one another, the top and bottom only being tapered, whereby the ill-effects of the
retardation of the clay by friction against the sides of the dic is to a great extent
avoided, the lateral & medial portions of the clay substance thus being delivered
ready for the cutting table of a consistency more homogeneous & uniform than has
hitherto been obtained.
Further we discontinue the use of the separate lubricating die as hitherto
employed, substituting therefor a greatly improved system of lubrication arranged
within the sides of the improved die, & in combination with the above described
improvements effectually producing the most important economical results.
We will now describe particularly the details of our invention having reference to
the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the improved die.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front end & Fig. a back end elevation of the same.

page_text: Fig. 6 is a section on the line Y Z in fig. 2.
Throughout this description similar letters of reference designate corresponding
parts.
A A are the sido supports of the die constructed of wood, iron or other suitable
material, & suitably distanced preferably about 10 inches apart for the purposes of
brick-manufacture. The ends A'A' of the sides A are curved horizontally & vertically
as shown in the drawings. The horizontal curves of these wings may be of any
suitable radius but the vertical curves must approximate the radii of the parallel
horizontal rollers R for the purpose of effectually passing the clay issuing from the
rollers through the die. B B B are plates of white metal, zinc or other suitable
material which are secured to & protect the sides of the die, the curved guide pieces
being protected preferably by sheet iron plates CC. The plates B B B are jointed
diagonally as shown at bb & if so desired a liner of moleskin or other suitable material
for holding the lubricant by saturation may be inserted in or in connection with these
joints though we find the die works successfully without any such saturating
material.
Attached by bolts to the side pieces A A of the die are the top and bottom plates E E
preferably of wrought iron & upon these plates are fixed the adjustable scrapers FF
with angled edges which should be kept in such a position as to nearly touch the
circumference of the rollers R for the purpose of scraping off any clay adhering to
them. The adjustment is effected by bolts with slotted holes, the two centre poles
having studs instead of bolts as shown in the drawings annexed hereto. The ends H H
of the top & bottom plates E E are flanged up to afford a connecting surface with
the nip-piece or moulder, not shown in the drawings.
KK are adjustable blocks of wood, or other suitable material, of a design to be
made in accordance with the machine to which the die is to be fitted & are held in position
by bolts K K having their inner heads countersunk & are for the purpose of con-
necting our improved die to existing brick-making machines. JJ is a preferably
horizontal hole bored in the side pieces of the die: Jis a short vertical hole,
connecting the pipe P with the hole J J is a vertical hole passing through J &
extending the height of the die. J³ J³ are small channels connecting the holes J' J³
with the diagonal channels J J and the vertical channels J J and J is an inde-
pendent channel extending from the hole J to the side of the service-bolt K'. In
practice the ends J of the holes J are securely plugged & the ends J of the holes J
are closed by the plates E E. It will be seen that the sides of our improved die are
parallel & that the top & bottom are inclined to one another.
The operation of our invention is as follows: The stream of clay issuing from the
parallel horizontal rollers R is guided by the conducting action of the wings A¹ into
the die D. The pipe P may supply either water, oil or steam as a lubricant. Their
actions being alike, let us assume that water is the lubricant. Then the water entering
hole J thro J at once fills hole J2. It then issues from the top & bottom of J² and
the top of J' by the short channels J3 J3 into the diagonal channels J J & vertical
channels J J. The diagonal channels intersecting at K' meet the water supply
from Jo.
Opposite J J are the joints in the white metal or zinc lining of the die & from
these joints the lubricant issues, thus greatly diminishing the friction of the clay on
the sides of the die and allowing the constituent particles of the magna to flow
through the die at a uniform velocity not hitherto practicable, whereby an equal
consistency is given to all parts of the brick, which prevents the ends dropping off
during the process of burning and after-handling, a result not obtainable by any
other die.
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 :
M
DLL ALLine Mashinge of the arrangements hereinbefore described

page_text: and illustrated in the annexed drawings for guiding or conducting the clay from the
rollers R into the die substantially as set forth.
(2). The use in Brick Making Machines of the arrangements hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the annexed drawings for lubricating the material passing through
the die substantially as set forth.
(3). The combination in Brick Making Machines in one die of the means of effecting
the operation of moulding with that of lubrication substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
(4). The combination in Brick Making Machines with a die having its sides parallel
to one another and its top and bottom inclined to one another substantially as herein-
before set forth of the means employed for conducting the clay from the horizontal
parallel rollers R to the die, viz. by the curved guide pieces or wings A¹ A¹ arranged
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
(5). The combination in Brick Making Machines with the means of lubricating the
material passing through the die substantially as hereinbefore set forth, viz. by a
system of one or more diagonal slits or joints in the lining and extending the height
of the die, of the arrangement for supplying the lubricant to such diagonal slits or
joints by means of the main channels J, J J2 and subsidiary channels J³ J J Je
all arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Date : 00 11c
1007
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
2, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne,
Agent for Applicants.