IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY and Apparatus FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Short Batley, of Rotherham, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
and Apparatus FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Short Batley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st January 1873.
I, WILLIAM SHORT BATLEY, of Rotherham, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in improvements in the pug
mill in which the clay or other material is mixed for the purpose of
making bricks, tiles, or other similar articles. Such pug mills, as
ordinarily constructed, consist of a cylinder (which may be arranged.
horizontally or vertically) in which a shaft revolves, carrying knives,
blades, or arms so arranged that they thoroughly mix the clay, and at

page_text: the same time force it towards one end of the cylinder which is closed.
The revolving shaft described, as ordinarily constructed in such machines
for the purpose of brick making, revolves in a bearing attached to or
formed upon the closed end of the cylinder, and the clay is forced out
through one or more suitable apertures formed in the end of the cylinder 5
and round the bearing.
The first part of my Invention consists in making the cylinder in
which the clay is mixed of greator length than usual, and arranging it
with an opening or hopper at or near cach cnd for feeding in the clay.
The clay is forced out through one or more openings at or near the centre 1
of the length of the cylinder, and for this purpose the knives, blades, or
arms are so arranged upon the driving shaft which revolves in the central
axis of the cylinder that their tendency is to force the clay from each
end of the cylinder towards the middle of its length, those blades at one
end of the cylinder being arranged so as to force the clay in one 1
direction, and those at the other end of the cylinder being arranged so as
to force it in the other direction. By this arrangement the great amount
of end thrust and of consequent wear of the bearings in which the
central shaft works is ncutralized and avoided, and less power is required
to drive the machino, and the clay is forced out of a better and moro 2
uniform quality.
Sometimes instead of the arrangement just described I take a
cylinder of the kind ordinarily used and closed at one end, and I make
the shaft revolve without any bearing at the closed end of the cylinder,
so that the clay may be forced out through a central aperture in the end 2
of the cylinder. For this purpose I shorten the cylinder and also make
it of less diameter, so that the part of the revolving shaft within it
carrying the knife blades is shorter than usual, and I support it in
bearings which are entirely outsido the cylinder at its opeu cnd and
sufficient distance from one another to render the shaft perfectly steady :
whilst revolving.
The advantage of this improved arrangement is that the wearing away
of the bearing (and of the shaft working in it) at the closed end of the
cylinder in such machines as ordinarily constructed is avoided, and the
consequent escape of clay through such bearing when so worn is
prevented, and less power is required to drive the machine, and by
forcing out the clay through the centre of the end of the cylinder the
clay escapes of a better and more uniform quality.

page_text: Another part of my Invention consists of improvements in the
apparatus used for cutting off the mass of clay (as it issues from the
cylinder already described) into pieces of the required size to be formed
into bricks, tiles, or other articles in a suitable press. In such machines
as ordinarily made a frame is used for this purpose, carrying one or more
wires or blades. This frame is carried upon suitable guides so arranged
that it can be made to move transversely across the column or columns
of clay issuing from the cylinder as already described, and pieces of clay
of the size desired are thus cut off by the wires or blades.
In order to make the frame and wires described travel backwards and
forwards upon the guides as and for the purpose described a shaft
carrying a rovolving cam is ordinarily used, the cam being so arranged
that it can be instantly thrown in or out of gear so as to drive the
frame either backwards or forwards by means of a handle. The shaft
and cam are kept constantly revolving by means of pullies and belts,
toothed gear, or by any other suitable means. This part of my Invention
consists of improved arrangements for throwing the frame and wires or
blades into gear or out of gear by means of apparatus driven by the
machine itself instead of by means of a handle worked by an attendant,
and thus preventing the great waste of clay which takes place in the
event of any inattention or ucglect of such attendant. For this purpose
I arrange a wheel revolving upon an axis in such a manner that its
periphery is in contact with the issuing column of clay, the friction of
which thus causes the wheel to revolve. The periphery of the wheel is
thus constantly revolving, but attached to or formed upon the wheel, or
arranged upon the same axis I arrange a circular cam divided into a
suitable number of divisions (which I prefer to be six, but which may
be more or less in number). And I arrange a pin or stud driven by the
circular cam just described, and connected with the cam formerly
described (by which the frame and wires are made to travel backwards
and forwards in such machines as ordinarily constructed). in such a
manner that when the pin or stud is thrown in one direction by the
revolving circular cam the frame and wires are caused to travel in ond
direction (by the other cam being thrown into gear with them upon one
side), thus cutting off a piece of clay, and when the pin or stud is
thrown in the other direction by the revolving cam the frame and wires
are caused to travel in the opposite direction (by the other cam being
thrown into gear with them upon the other side), thus again cutting off

page_text: a piece of clay. If the cam is divided into six parts the frame and
wires thus make six strokes across the clay (being three strokes in onc
direction and three in the opposite direction) during one revolution of
the circular cam, and six pieces are thus cut off, and by properly
adjusting the size of the periphery of the wheel, which is driven by the t
clay as described, the picces cut off may be made of any desired length.
During the intermediate part of the motion of the cam wheel the frame
and wires remain at rest, and are only thrown rapidly across the column
of clay at the exact moment required, that is to say, when the pin or stud
is set in motion at the points where the cam is divided.
The press which is used for the purpose of pressing into the form of
bricks, tiles, or other articles of a similar kind the picces of clay cut off
as described I prefer to make of the kind ordinarily used, and consisting
of 'a descending ram which is worked up and down by cranks and rods,
and which presses the pieces of clay into suitable moulds arranged
underneath it. An endless band carrying suitable boards or carriers,
and driven by any convenient power, may be used for feeding the pieces
of clay into the press below the ram when the latter is at the top of its
stroke; and to remove the pressed bricks from the mould a bar or forked
bar or frame may be used worked by a crank and rod from below the
press, and raising the bottom or lower plate of the mould at cach of its
up strokes after the brick has been pressed. And in order to remove
the brick from such bottom or lower plate a bar, or lever, or frame may
be used (driven by any suitable means), so as to push the finished brick
from the plate on to an endless belt similar to that already described for
feeding the pieces of clay into the press, but working in an opposito
direction. The same bar, lever, or framo may also be used to move
cach piece of clay from the endless band first described into the press, as
well as to remove each finished brick from the press, and the press thus
becomes self-acting in overy part.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of that part of my
Invention which relates to improved arrangements for throwing into or
out of gear the frames and wires or blades by which the issuing clay is
cut into pieces.
Figure 1 is a transverse section, and Figure 2 is a plan (with the
table removed) of apparatus constructed according to my Invention
with two issuing columns of clay, and two sets of frames and wires and
solf-acting gear for cutting the columns of clay into pieces.

page_text: a, a', (Figure 1) are the columns of clay in section, which as they
travel forward cause the wheels b, b³, to revolve by their friction; c, c¹,
are friction rollers to keep the clay in contact with the wheels. Under-
neath the wheels are formed the circular cams d, d', divided into six
divisions, and at each division throwing the levers e, e¹, either in or out
by means of the pins or studs f.f¹, driven by the cams. The other ends
of the levers e, e¹, are connected with the cams g, g', which slide upon
and aro driven by the revolving driving shafts h, h. The frames i, i,
which carry the cutting wires k, k¹, travel transversely upon guides 2, 1,
and are driven by the cams g, g', acting upon the projections n, n', n, n¹.
The frames i, i, are thus driven either to the right or left accordingly as
the pins or studs f, f¹, are drawn towards or thrown from the centres of
the wheels b, b', by the circular cams d, d', and six picces of clay are
thus cut off at each revolution of each of the wheels b, b¹.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Short Batley, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WILLIAM
SHORT BATLEY, of Rotherham, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, tho said William Short Batley, Her special
licence that I, the said William Short Batley, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Short
Batley, 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
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Short Batley, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Short Batley, 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 and accompanying Drawing (that is to
say) :-
The first part of my Invention consists in improvements in the
pug mill in which the clay or other material is mixed for the purpose of
making bricks, tiles, or other similar articles. Such pug mills, as
ordinarily constructed, usually consist of a cylinder (arranged either
horizontally or vertically) in which a shaft revolves carrying knives,
blades, or arms so arranged that they throughly mix the clay and at the
same time force it towards one end of the cylinder which is closed. The
revolving shaft in such machines as ordinarily constructed revolves in a
bearing attached to or formed upon the closed end of the cylinder, and
the clay is forced out through one or more suitable apertures formed in 1
the end of the cylinder and round the bearing.
The first part of my Invention consists in making the cylinder in
which the clay or other material is mixed, as described, of groater length
than usual, and having a hopper or opening for feeding the clay into the
machine at or near each end of the cylinder. The clay is mixed by the
action by the action of knives, blades, or arms, upon a shaft revolving in
the cylinder and is forced out through one or more suitable openings at
or near the centre of the length of the latter, for which purpose I arrango
the knives, blades, or arms upon the shaft which revolves in the central
axis of the cylinder, so that their tendency is to force the clay from
cach end of the cylinder towards the middle of its length, the blades
towards one end of the cylinder being helically arranged so as to force
the clay in one direction and the blades towards the other end of the
cylinder being arranged so as to force it in the opposite direction.
Sometimes (instead of the arrangement just described) I make one or a
more hoppers or openings at or near the centre of the cylinder, and I
arrange the knives, blades, or arms, so that part of the clay is forced

page_text: from the centre towards one end of the cylinder, and part towards the
other end of the cylinder, and I make one or more openings at or near
each end of the cylinder through which the clay is forced.
In the accompanying Drawing Figuro 1 and Figure 2 are in illus-
tration of this part of my Invention. Figure 1 shews a side clevation,
and Figure 2 a plan of a pug mill. The same letters of reference refer
to the same parts in both Figures.
a is a hopper into which the clay is fed (and in which it may be par-
tially broken up and mixed by arms upon the revolving shaft 6). An
opening c, c', at each end of the hopper a admits the clay to the
cylinder d, in which it is thoroughly mixed by blades, knives, or arms
(not shewn in the Drawing) fixed upon the revolving shaft e which is
driven by means of gear f from any convenient source of power.
Openings g, g', and h, h¹³, are arranged at or near the centre of the
cylinder d, and the clay when mixed is forced through them by mains of
the revolving knives, blades, or arms, as already described.
In pug mills constructed according to my Invention the end thrust
and consequent wear and tear of the bearings in which the mixing
shaft revolves is neutralized and prevented, and much less power is
required to drive the machine, and the clay when forced out is of a
better and more uniform quality. By placing a transverse division in
the centre of the mixing cylinder described, two different qualities of
clay may be worked at the same time, one kind of clay being fed in to
one half of the cylinder, and the other kind of clay to the other half of
the cylinder.
Sometimes instead of the arrangements already; described I take a
cylinder of the kind ordinarily used, and closed at one end, and I make
a shaft revolve in its central axis without any bearing at the closed end
of the cylinder, so that the clay may be forced out (by means of knives,
blades, or arms upon the shaft) through a central aperture in the said
closed end of the cylinder. For this purpose I prefer to shorten the
cylinder so that the part of the revolving shaft within it which carries
the knives or blades is shorter than usual, and I support it in bearings
which are entirely outside the cylinder at its open end, and are at a
distance from one another to render the shaft sufficiently steady whilst
revolving. By this arrangement the wearing away of the bearing and
and of the shaft working in it, at the closed end of the cylinder (in such

page_text: machines as ordinarily constructed) is avoided, and the consequent
escape and waste of clay through such bearing when so worn is avoided,
less power is required to drive the machine, and by forcing the clay out
through the centre of the cylinder end it is discharged of a more
uniform quality.
Another part of my Invention consists of improvements in the appa-
ratus used for cutting off the mass of clay (as it issues from the
discharging apertures of the pug mill already described, or of other
forms of pug mills) into pieces of the required size to be formed into
bricks, tiles, or other articles, by means of a suitable press. In ono
form of such cutting off apparatus as ordinarily used for the purpose
described a suitablo frame is arranged carrying one or more wires or
blades. This frame is carried upon suitable guides so that it can bo
made to move transversely across the column or columns of clay issuing
from the pug mill, as already described, and pieces of clay are thus cut
off by the wires or blades. In order to make such frame with the wires
or blades travel backward and forward upon the guides, as and for the
purpose described, an ordinary method is to use a shaft kept constantly
revolving by means of pullics and bands, toothed gear, or other con-
venient means, and carrying a cam which can be shifted endways upon
the revolving shaft by means of a suitable clutch box and handle, and is
so arranged that when in one position it strikes a projection upon the frame
carrying the cutting wires which are thus driven in one direction, and
when shifted by the handle it strikes another projection by which the
frame and cutting wires are driven back to their first position.
This part of my Invention consists of improved arrangements for
throwing the cam in and out of gear with projections upon the frame
carrying the cutting wires by means of self-acting apparatus driven by
the machine itself, instead of by means of a handle worked by an
attendant, and thus proventing great waste of clay which occurs in the
event of any inattention or neglect by such attendant. In order to
carry into operation this part of my Invention I arrange a revolving
wheel or disc in such a position that its periphery is in contact with the
issuing column of clay the friction of which thus causes the wheel
to revolve so long as the clay is being discharged. Attached to or
formed upon the wheel or arranged upon the same axis I arrange a
circular cam divided into a suitable number of divisions (which I prefer
to be six, but which may be more or less in number) and I arrange a

page_text: pin or stud upon the end of a lever which I substitute for the handle
which shifts the position of the cam upon the revolving shaft as already
described (by which the frame and wires are made to travel backward
or forward in such apparatus as ordinarily constructed), and I cause this
pin or stud to be driven by the circular cam in such manner that at cach
of the divisions in the latter the pin is alternately thrown in opposito
directions, and one or other of the projections upon the frame carrying
the cutting wires is thus alternately acted upon by the cam upon the
revolving shaft. By this arrangement when the pin or stud is thrown in
one direction by a division in the circular cam, the frame and wires aro
caused to travel in one direction (by the other cam being thrown into
gear with one of the projections upon the said frame) and a piece of clay
is thus cut off, and when the pin or stud is thrown in the opposite
direction by the next division in the circular cam, the frame and wires
are caused to travel in the opposite direction (by the other cam being
thrown into gear with the opposite projection upon the said frame) and
another piece of clay is thus cut off. If the circular cam be divided
into six parts the frame and cutting wires thus make six strokes across
tho clay (being three strokes in one direction and three in the opposite
direction) for each complete revolution of the circular cam, and six
picces of clay are thus cut off, and by properly adjusting and proportion-
ing the size of the periphery of the wheel which is driven by the column
of clay as described and also actuates the circular cam, the pieces cut off
may be made of any desired length. During the intermediate part of
the rotation of the cams the frame and cutting wires remain at rest, and
they are only thrown rapidly across the column of clay at the exact
moment required, that is to say, when the pin or stud is set in motion
at the points of division of the circular cam.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 3 and 4 arc in illustration of
this part of my Invention; Figure 3 is a transverse section, and Figure 4
a plan (with the top removed) of the self-acting cutting table, in both
which Figures similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.
In Figure 2 self-acting cutting tables constructed according to my
Invention but arranged somewhat differently to those shewn in Figures
‹ 3 and 4. are shown in plan in connection with my improved pug mill

page_text: In Figures 3 and 4, a, a', (Figure 3) are two columns of clay supposed
to be issuing from the discharging apertures of a pug mill. As the
columns of clay a, a', travel forward they cause the wheels b, b', to
revolve by friction against the peripherics of the latter; c, c', are friction
rollers which serve to keep the clay in contact with the wheels b, b',
underneath which are formed the circular cams d, d', divided into six
divisions, as shewn in Figure 3, and at each division throwing the levers
e, e', cither forward or backward by means of the pins or studs ƒ, ƒ^,
which work against and are driven by the cams d, d'. The other end of
the levers e, e', are connected by clutches with the cams g, g', which
slide upon and are driven by the constantly revolving driving shafts
h, h. The frames i, i, which carry the cutting wires k, k', travel
transversely upon spindles 2, l', and are driven by the cams g, g', acting
cither upon the projections m, m², or upon the opposite ones n, n'. Tho
frames i, i, are thus driven either forward or backward accordingly as
the pins or studs ƒ,ƒ', are drawn towards or thrown from the centres of
the circular cams d, d', at the points of division of the latter, and six
picces of clay are thus cut off at cach revolution of cach of the
wheels b, b. For the purpose of moulding the pieces of clay thus cut
off into the form of bricks, tiles, or other articles, I prefer to use a press
of the kind ordinarily employed for the purpose and consisting of a
descending ram or plunger worked up and down by cranks and rods, and
pressing the pieces of clay into suitable moulds arranged beneath it. An
endless band carrying suitable boards or carriers and driven by any
convenient power may be used for feeding the pieces of clay into the
press below the ram or plunger when the latter is at the top of its
stroke, and in order to remove the pressed bricks from the mould a bar
or forked lever or frame may be used worked by a crank and rod below
the press, and raising the bottom or lower plate of the mould at each of
its upstrokes after the brick has been pressed. And in order to remove
the brick from such bottom or lower plate a bar or lever or frame may bo
used (driven by any suitable means) so as to remove the finished brick
from the plate on to an endless band by which the finished bricks arc
conveyed away from the press.
This endless band is constructed in a
similar manner to that already described for feeding the pieces of clay a
into the press, and the same bar, lever, or frame which removes tho
finished bricks from the press may also be used to move the unpressed
pieces of clay into the press, and the apparatus thus becomes self-acting
in every part.

page_text: Having now particularly described my Invention and the manner in
which it is to be performed, I claim the methods of constructing and
arranging the mixing shafts and bearings of pug mills, substantially as
and for the purposes described and shown in the Drawing. Also the
method of making the apparatus used for cutting off moving columns
of clay self-acting, substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Short Batley, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
threc.
WILLIAM SHORT BATLEY. (L.S.)