Improvements in Brick Making Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick Making Machines.
ER
I, JOSEPH JOHN KULAGE of 1435 College Avenue St. Louis State of Missouri,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in brick making machines and refer to
that class of machines in which an upper and lower plunger are used, these
plungers moving vertically and operating at a distance one from the other in
order to allow sufficient room between them for the charger conveying the clay to
the moulds after the withdrawal of which charger the plungers close towards one
another to form the bricks in the moulds.
My improvements have for their object to provide a durable brick making
machine simple in its design and operation and adapted for workmen of ordinary
skill the improvements relate. 1. to means whereby a large portion of the weight
of the pressing-mechanism is utilized in applying the initial pressure upon the
clay and expelling the air therefrom: 2. in the means whereby the movement of
the charger is facilitated, 3 in the improved meaus for removing the bricks from
the moulds. 4. in the means for operating the pressing-mechanism, the mould
charging mechanism, and the brick removing mechanism. 5 in the means for
altering the capacity of the moulds: 6 in the means for regulating the thickness
of the bricks.
In the accompanying drawings Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are side clevations
partly in section showing the respective positions of the operating mechanism of
the machine. Figure 1 shows the machine in position with the charger forward,
the moulds being ready for filling. Fig. 2 shows the charger drawn back and the
moulds filled ready to receive the upper plunger and the die-plates. Fig. 3 shows
the upper plunger and the die-plates which have now entered the moulds wherein
they impart the preliminary pressure to the clay in the said moulds. Fig. 4 shows
the upper and lower plungers as they exert a final pressure upon the clay the
resistance of which is communicated by connecting rods to the lower plungers and
to the dic-plates so as to push them upwards. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the
machine.
Referring to the above figures 1 represents the driving pulley fixed upon the
shaft to 2. which carries also a gear wheel 3 engaging with another gear wheel 4
the latter wheel is keyed upon a shaft 5 carrying likewise two small gear wheels
or pinions 6. which engage with two large double gear wheels 7 fixed upon the
shaft 8.
These double gear wheels 7 are connected by means of a pin 9. A pitman 10
leads from the said pin 9 to the pin 11 which connects the two toggles 14 and 15.
The toggle 14 is connected by a pin 13 to the upper plungers 16 and. to the die-
This
plates 18. The toggle 15 is connected by a pin 12 to the crosshead 39.
crosshead 39 rests on two ledges or shoulders 54 which are secured to the inner
side of the frame 35 and is connected by the connecting rods 38 to the lower
plungers 17 and to the die-plates 19. The said connecting rods 38 are furnished
on their upper ends with the nuts 49 and at their lower ends with the nuts 48,
these nuts 48 and 49 serving to increase or decrease the distance between the
upper and lower plungers and the die-plates 18 and 19 respectively and hence to
determine the thickness of the bricks.
The amount of material desired to be pressed is regulated by the fall of the
lower plunger 17 and of the die-plate 19 and the consequent depth of the moulds 53
of which the die-plate 19 forms the bottom.
The means for regulating this are the wedges 47 sliding on the bed-plate or

page_text: base 34 beneath the lower plungers 17. These wedges 47 are adjusted in or out
by screws 45 which engage with the mitre-wheels 46 mounted upon the shaft 44
provided with a hand-wheel 43. The parts numbered 43, 44, 45 and 46, are held
in position by arms or brackets 47. The shafts numbered 2, 5, and 8 are journaled
and held in position by the frame 35 and the shaft 8 in addition by the brackets 36.
Motion is imparted to the machine in any desirable manner, say by a belt leading
to the driving pulley 1.
The motion of the double gear wheels 7 is transmitted to three different
mechanisms of the machine; namely to the pressing mechanism, to the mould-
filling or charging mechanism, and to the mechanism by which the bricks are
removed from the moulds. For this purpose the wheels 7 are provided with two
cams, each of which is preferably made of two parts. 26 represents one such
cam whose parts are attached respectively to the outer side of the wheels 7.
29 represents a lever, journalled at 28 and carrying at one end the rollers 27 which
engage respectively in the cam parts 26 and transmit motion to the charger rods 30
and to the charger 32 and its rollers 31 (Fig. 1). The cam parts 25 are attached
respectively to the wheels 7 and upon the inner side of said wheels by which
arrangements these parts are caused to face each other. 21 represents the
extracting or removing lever which is journalled at 22 to adjustable boxes resting
on the bed-plate or base 34 and carries at one end the rollers 24 which come in
contact with the aforementioned cam parts 25 so that this lever 21 engages in its
downward motion with the roller 20 of the lower plunger 17 and with its die-
plate 19 thus extracting and pushing the bricks out of the moulds 53 while it keeps
the die-plate 19 flush with the mould table 37 until the charger 32 with its contents
has straddled the moulds 53. As soon as the charger 32 has reached its most
forward movement the cam 25 has passed the roller 24 and allows the lower
plunger 17 and the die-plate 19 to fall upon the wedges 47 thus filling the moulds
with the clay of the charger 32. The charger 32 now recedes taking back with
it any surplus clay and leaving the moulds evenly filled. The pitman 10 being
connected to the double gear wheel 7 by means of the connecting pin 9 causes the
toggles 14 and 15 to be drawn by means of the connecting pin 11 towards
their axis the upper plunger 16 and the die-plate 18 entering into the moulds 53.
The downward movement of the upper plunger 16 and of the die-plate 18 into the
moulds 53 continues as the toggles are being drawn towards their axis until the
entire weight of the pressing mechanism i.e., of the parts 18, 16, 13, 14, 11, 15, 12, 39,
and 38 is counteracted by the resistance of the clay under this preliminary pressure
which expells nearly all the air from the clay thus avoiding the "splitting"
scaling of the bricks after the latter have been finally pressed and removed
from the moulds. As owing to the motion of the double gear wheel 7 the pitman
still continues to draw the toggles 14 and 15 towards their axis the resistance of
the clay under pressure is communicated to the upper crosshead 39 which had
been held in position by the ledges or shoulders 54 and causes this crosshead to
rise from the said ledges or shoulders 54 thus causing the rods 38, the lower
plungers 17 and the die-plates 19 to rise with it so that the final pressure is
thereby applied to both the upper and the under sides of the brick. The operation
is then repeated.
66
or
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 :-
1. The improved brick making machine arranged, constructed and operating
substantially as herein described and shown and for the purpose set forth.
2. In brick making machines such as above claimed the combination of the
gear wheels 7 of the cams 25 and 26 and of the toggles 14 and 15 with the
pitman 10 the charger 32, the plungers 16 and 17, the die plates 18 and 19,
the crosshead 39 and the removing lever 21 substantially as herein described and
for the purpose set forth :-

page_text: 3. In brick making machines such as above claimed, the driving mechanism
consisting of the pulley 1, the gear wheels 3, 4, 6 and 7 the shafts 2, 5 and 8, the
cams 25 and 26, the toggles 14 and 15 and suitable connecting pins and rods for
the purpose of successively imparting a motion to the filling pressing and removing
mechanism substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 28th day of March 1891.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.