Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Artificial or Patent Fuel.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1887
Complete Left, 1st Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Artificial or
Patent Fuel.
I JOHN HALL of 1 New London Street in the City of London Ship Owner, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that type of machinery for moulding
bricks, blocks, or briquettes of artificial or agglomerated fuel, in which a plate or
table, having a series of through apertures or moulds, revolves between a stationary
abutment forming a temporary closure for the open bottoms or ends of the moulds,
and a filling and compressing ram between which and the abutment the material in
the moulds is compressed as they successively come in line therewith.
Heretofore, the moulds have been of oblong form and arranged in a circle with
their direction of greatest length extending radially in the plate or table which has
been made of cast iron.
Now, in this improved machine the plate or table is made of steel and is provided
with a double series of mould apertures arranged in pairs, the two of each pair being
side by side with their direction of greatest length, perpendicular to a radius of the
plate, whereby the capacity of the machine is much increased, double the number of
bricks, blocks, or briquettes being produced in the same time as by the old form of
machine.
The filling and compressing ram is correspondingly doubled to fit the double mould
and the spring on its connecting rod through which said ram is operated is confined
by a safety pin in lieu of a nut as heretofore, the pin being so proportioned as to
shear or break off in the event of any foreign substance in the material to be moulded,
obstructing the working of the ram, the yielding of the pin avoiding any material
injury to the connecting rod, quadrant, or crank, as is liable to occur when an
unyielding nut is used.
The abutment forming a temporary closure for the bottom or end of the mould]
aperture opposite to the filling and compressing ram, instead of being rigid and
unyielding as heretofore, is formed by a pair of plates corresponding respectively
to the apertures of the pair of moulds, and supported against the pressure of the

page_text: filling and compressing ram by springs and an equalizing or compensating lever,
whereby should one of the moulds of a pair receive more material than the other,
the compensating spring on that side will be compressed and so allow the other mould
to be filled, and thereby ensure the production of two perfect briquettes. These plates
are fitted in apertures in a fixed frame, and are prevented from projecting therefrom
by stops. The springs which are confined between the backs of these plates and the
ends of the lever, are so adjusted in compression as to be together equal to the pressure
of the filling ram, and do not move unless one mould receives more of the material
to be compressed than the other.
J. HALL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Artificial or
Patent Fuel.
I, JOHN HALL of 1 New London Street in the City of London, Ship Owner, 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 improvements in that type of machinery for moulding
bricks, blocks, or briquettes, of artificial or agglomerated fuel, in which a plate or
table having a series of through cavities or moulds, revolves between a stationary
abutment and a filling and compressing ram between which and the abutment the
material in the moulds is compressed as they successively come in line therewith.
The Invention has for its object to enable the quantity of briquettes produced by
the machine in a given time, to be greatly increased, and to provide means whereby
equality of pressure of the ram and consequently uniform density of the briquettes,
is ensured notwithstanding that the dual moulds hereafter described may be unequally
filled. It has also for its object to provide against injury to the machine in the event
of any foreign substance obstructing the working of the ram.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate as much of a
machine of this kind as is necessary to explain the present improvements. Figure 1
is a plan of part of the machine partly in section, and figure is an end
elevation.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.
A is the cooling pan. B the mould plate or disc mounted to revolve on a horizontal
axis as usual. Cis the feeding ram working in a trough-like cavity C¹ in the bottom
of the cooling pan, and by each stroke of which the material is forced into the
cavities of the mould plate which are for the time being opposite the ram.
Heretofore the mould cavities which are of oblong form, have been arranged in a
circle in the plate, with the direction of their length radial to the centre of the plate.
Now, in this improved machine, the plate or table B is made of steel instead of cast
iron as hitherto, and is provided with a double series of mould apertures b arranged
in pairs, the two of each pair being placed as close as possible together side by side
upon the same radius, and with their direction of length perpendicular to that radius.
By this construction, twice the number of mould apertures of nearly the same
dimensions as have been heretofore used, may be comprised in a disc of the same
dimensions, whereby the capacity of the machine is increased to such an extent that
double the number of bricks, blocks, or briquettes, can be produced in the same time
as by the old form of machine.
The abutment forming a temporary closure for the bottom or end of the mould
apertures opposite to the filling ram, instead of being rigid and unyielding as hereto-
fore, is formed by a pair of plates d d corresponding respectively to the pair of mould

page_text: apertures which are in position to be filled by the ram and fitted in apertures in a
bracket D. These plates d d are supported against the pressure of the filling ram C
by springs e and a balance lever f whereby should one of the two moulds of a pair
receive more material than the other, the compensating spring on that side will be
compressed and so allow the other mould to be filled and thereby ensure the production
of two perfect briquettes. These plates are normally flush with the frame D and are
prevented from projecting therefrom by stops d¹. The spiral springs e which are
placed around stems on the backs of the plates d are confined between the backs of
these plates d, and heads g pivoted to the ends of the lever f and the springs are so
adjusted in compression as to be together equal to the pressure of the filling ram, and
they do not yield unless one mould receives more of the material to be compressed,
than the other.
The fulcrum of the compensating lever fis at h and is carried by a screw rod h¹,
passing between the springs, and fixed to the frame D.
The filling ram C is operated through a connecting rod I and spring J from a crank
shaft. The connecting rod slides freely in the ram and transmits pressure thereto
through the spring J which is confined between the ram and a cotter ; in the connecting
rod, the cotter being so proportioned in its dimensions, that although strong enough
to actuate the filling ram under ordinary circumstances, it will act as a safety pin-
that it is to say it will shear or break off in the event of any foreign substance in the
material to be moulded obstructing the working of the ram, the yielding of the pin
avoiding any material injury to the connecting rod, quadrant, or crank, as is liable to
occur when an unyielding nut is used.
Kare a pair of compressing rams mounted to slide in guides at opposite sides of
the mould plate B. They are made double, as at kk, to correspond to the double
moulds bb, and receive reciprocating motion through a rock lever and spring-connecting
rods from a crank on the main shaft. The compressed blocks are discharged from the
moulds on the latter reaching the highest point in the revolution of the plate B, by a
reciprocating plunger, as usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;
1. The construction of the revolving mould. plate, or table, with a dual series of
mould apertures arranged as herein described, in combination with corresponding dual
spring-yielding abutments for closing the ends of the mould-apertures opposite to the
filling ram, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of movable abutment plates, springs, stops, and balance lever,
mounted in a fixed bracket frame and arranged in relation to a revolving mould disc
having dual mould cavities, substantially as specified.
3. The combination with the filling ram, connecting rod, and spring, of a cotter
acting as an abutment for the spring, and as a safety-pin, as specified.
Dated this 1st day of February 1888.
J. HALL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.