Improvements in Brick-making Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick-making Machines.
I, GEORGE LYMAN ROLFE, residing at No. 710, Greenwood Avenue, Brooklyn,
in the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America,
Brick and Pipe Maker, 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:-
My invention relates to novel combinations of operative devices for automa-
tically effecting the progressive movements of the various parts of a machine
for making sand bricks, and my invention relates more particularly to means
for raising and lowering and means for swinging the platen, means for raising
and lowering the presser head to discharge the bricks from the machine, means
for supporting the presser head in a state of rest and for adjusting its position,
means for actuating the longitudinally movable hopper, and means for dis-
charging the material to the hopper.
In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation representing my improved brick-making
machine; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section and partial elevation of the same;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of
the parts shown in Fig. 2 at the line, ; Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section at
the line y, y, of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a partial elevation at one side of the mould box
frame and platen, and Fig. 7 is a partial cross section and elevation showing the
devices for operating the slide controlling the feed of the material to the hopper.
The various parts of the machine are connected to side bearing frames a, b, c,
and d, e, f, are the principal shafts extending across the side frames and mounted
in suitable bearings. g, h, are fly wheels upon the shaft d, and upon said shaft,
outside of said fly-wheels, are the pinions i, k, and upon one end of said shaft d
is the band or power wheel 7.
Upon the shaft e, outside of the frames and bearings, are the pinions m, n, and
upon the same shaft, outside of said pinions, are the gear wheels o, p, which are
in mesh with the pinions i, k, of the shaft d. The shaft f has gear wheels q, r, on
its respective ends, which mesh with the pinions m, n, of the shaft e. It will
thus be seen that through a gearing-down process power is communicated from
the band-wheel of the shaft d through the respective pinions and gear wheels
to the shaft f. The shaft f is provided with a crank u between the bearings
and outside the bearings wih drums s, t. These drums each carry pairs of pro-
jections 4, 5, and 6, 7, on approximately opposite sides, and each of the gear
wheels q, r, carry studs 2, 3, upon their inner faces, the stud 2 being preferably
made upon the inner face of the wheel and the stud 3 projecting from a web
connected to two of the spokes of the wheel. A connecting rod is at one end
secured to the crank and at the other end to the toggles 25 26. The upper
end of the toggle 25 is pivoted to the plunger 8 and the lower end of the toggle 26
is connected to a sleeve 52 surrounding the shaft 27, the sleeve being connected
to the main frames of the machine. and its ends passing through mortises 54
therein, that is, openings that agree with the diameter of the reduced ends of the

page_text: sleeve, but which in height are in excess of said diameter. This is plainly shown
in Figs. 2 and 5, and its object will be hereinafter described.
Levers 28, 29 are pivoted at 11 to the main frames of the machine. The
long ends of the levers are in the direction of the gear wheels q, r, and they are
operated by the studs 2 coming in contact therewith. The short ends of the
levers.come beneath rings fastened upon the respective ends of the shaft 27,
and when the levers are operated, this shaft 27 and its sleeve 52 are raised in
the mortises in the frame.
The rocker-arms 30, 31 are pivoted at 12 upon the respective frames of the
machine. One end of each lever projects towards the gear-wheels q, r, to be
engaged in the rotation of said wheels by the studs 3. The other, ends of said
levers have links 32, 33 pivoted to them and the upper ends of said links are
connected to the shaft 9 of the presser head 10 so that when these rocker arms
and their links are actuated in the rotation of the gears by the hubs 3, the
presser head 10 is raised.
The presser head at its ends is guided by the slide-ways in the frame and
the links 32, 33 are connected at their upper ends centrally of the presser head
so as to act with uniformity in raising or lowering the same.
I provide cross bars 13 in the main frames with threaded holes therein through
which pass the threaded standards 15 of the yokes 14. The ends of the shaft 9
rest in the yokes 14 and the presser head is in this manner supported and the links
and the rocker arms just mentioned are maintained inactive. The shaft 9 is
vertically adjusted to regulate the presser head and bring it to the position
desired by the threaded standards 15 and the yokes 14, and I prefer to use lock
nuts on the threaded standards beneath the cross bars so as to clamp them when
the desired position has been ascertained.
The mould-box 34 is within a mould-box frame 35 which is integral with
the platform 56, the same being supported upon the main frames a, b, of the
machine, the mould-box 34 being made separable from the frame because it is
made of stronger and harder metal and its upper surface is on the same level with
the surface of the platform 56.
A movable hopper 36 rests upon the platform 56.
is preferably flaring longitudinally and recessed at one end so that the hand of
The upper end of this
the operator may be passed in under the flaring portion. The hopper is provided
with side plates 20 and the cross bars 21, and a guide-rod 22 passes through
the cross bars with the ends thereof secured in the frame of the machine and in
the mould-box frame so that the regular longitudinal movement of the hopper
is thus ensured.
A chute 37 is located directly over the mould-box 34. This is shown as extend-
ing through and supported by the floor of an upper story 53, depending from
which floor is a shaft-hanger 16, in which is a rocker arm 17.
connected to the upper end of the rocker arm and extends across the chute 37
A slide 18 is
and the rocker arm 17 is operated to move the slide in opening and closing the
chute by pins 19 upon one side of the movable hopper 36.
The platen 38 is connected to and supported and operated by pairs of 4
rods 39, 40. These rods extend down to the hubs 41 on the shaft 27. Upon the
respective sides of the machine are push rods 42, 43. that slide through bearings 24
and at one end are connected pivotally to the said pairs of rods.
to said pairs of rods near the platen are the rods 44, 45, and the other ends of said
Also connected
rods 44, 45 are connected to levers 46, 47 pivoted to the frames of the machine.
Upon the sides of the movable hopper 36 are horizontal arms 57.
to these arms, adjacent to the hopper, are the levers 48, 49 and also connected to
Connected
said arms are double levers 50, 51, the said levers being pivoted to the main
frame of the machine upon opposite sides, the parts at the two sides of the
machine being substantially alike.
In the operation of the machine, the various gears turn in the direction of the
arrows, and presuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
55

page_text: the composition material for forming the sand bricks is delivered down the
chute 37 through the hopper 36 into the mould-box 34. The further operation
of the machine withdraws the hopper, causing the same to slide over the surface
of the platform 56 and at the same time to operate the rocker arm 17 and move
the slide 18 and close off the chute.
The hopper 36 is drawn backward in this movement by the action of the
levers 48, 49, which levers are operated by the projections upon the drums s, t.
Simultaneous with this movement, the studs 2 operate the levers 28, 29 to elevate
the shaft 27, and with it raise the platen 38 and the projections 5 on said drums
operate the levers 46, 47 and the rods 44, 45 to draw the platen over the mould-
box into the position shown in Fig. 6, and when the levers 28, 29 return to
their normal position, the platen and the shaft 27 descend by their own weight
so that the platen rests firmly on top of the mould-box.
With the next movement of the machine, the crank u in its rotation draws the
connecting rod vand straightens the toggles 25, 26, forcing the plunger 8 up-
ward against the presser head 10, holding the platen firmly down to place and
raising the presser head in the mould-box to compress the composition material
therein and to form the bricks. As the crank u turns further, the toggles are
flexed, the plunger and presser head descend, and the projections 7 upon the
drums coming against the ends of the pusher rods 42, 43, force the platen 38
off the top of the mould-box into the position shown in Fig. 2, the lower face
of the platen in this movement passing across the edge of a wiper 23, which
cleans any surplus material from said under-face.
With the next movement of the parts, the studs 3 operate the rocker arms 30,
31 and the links 32, 33 to raise the presser head 10 through the mould box to
elevate the bricks and deliver the same from the mould box so that the operator
can take said bricks by hand and remove them from the machine, after which
the presser head descends gradually to its normal position. The movable hopper
is then operated by the double levers 50, 51 actuated by the projections 6 upon
the drums as said hopper is returned to the original position shown in Fig. 2,
and during the last part of its movement, the projections 19 engage the. rocker-
arm 17 operating the slide 18 and delivering another charge of material through
the chute and hopper into the mould-box for the operations to be repeated as
hereinbefore described.
The plunger 8 and presser head 10 have a vertical movement in suitable
slide-ways secured to the inner faces of the main frame of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First: In a brick-making machine, the combination with the shaft 27,
hubs surrounding said shaft, the platen, arms connecting the hubs and platen
and means for swinging the platen, arms and hubs in opposite directions upon
said shaft, of the side frames mortised to receive said shaft, levers pivoted to the
side frames of the machine with their short ends beneath the ends of said shaft,
gear wheels and means for operating them from a source of power and studs
upon said gears periodically engaging the long ends of said levers for auto-
matically raising the shaft and platen before the swinging movement in either
direction, substantially as set forth.
Second: In a brick-making machine, the combination with a platen and
pivoted supporting arms carrying the same, of pusher rods connected to said arms
rods also connected to said arms adjacent to the platen, and levers pivoted to
said rods and upon the side frames of the machine, drums having projections for
engaging the pusher rods for moving the platen in one direction, and projections
for engaging the levers for moving the platen in the opposite direction and means
for operating the drum and projections, substantially as set forth.
Third: In a brick-making machine, the combination with a plunger and a

page_text: separate presser head over the plunger and slideways therefor, of links pivoted
centrally at the opposite ends of the presser head, rocker arms pivoted to the
other ends of the said links and also upon the side frames of the machine, and
wheels revolved by the power and having studs to engage the free ends of the
said rocker arm for elevating the presser head independently of the plunger to
deliver the finished brick, substantially as specified.
Fourth In a brick-making machine, the combination with a presser head
and a shaft passing through the same, of cross-bars in the frames of the machine,
yokes for receiving the respective ends of said shaft threaded standards passing
through such cross-bars and connected to and supporting the yokes whereby
the presser head is supported and its position adjustably determined, substantially
as set forth.
Fifth In a brick-making machine, the combination with the mould-box
and a platform extending therefrom, of a hopper movable longitudinally, levers
pivoted to the side frames of the machine, and in engagement with said hopper,
drums and projections thereon for actuating said levers to move the hopper in
one direction, double levers pivoted to the side frames of the machine and also
in engagement with the hopper and other projections on said drums for actuating
said double levers to move the hopper in the reverse direction and means for
operating the drums and projections, substantially as set forth.
:
Sixth In a brick-making machine, the combination with a longitudinally
movable hopper and means for actuating the same, and a delivery chute, of a
shaft-hanger a rocker-arm connected therewith, a slide in said chute, connected
to the upper end of the rocker arm, and a pin or projection upon the sides of the
movable hopper to engage the lower end of the rocker-arm and actuate the slide
to deliver the material into the hopper periodically, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 8th day of August 1800
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.