IMPROVEMENTS, IN APPARATUS USED IN MOULDING CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO BRICKS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to Thomas Dixcee, of the Atlas Works, Woodfield
Road, Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS, IN APPARATUS USED IN MOULDING CLAY OR
OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO BRICKS AND OTHER ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said 'Thomas Dixcee at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
April 1866.
I, THOMAS DIXCEE, of the Atlas Works, Woodfield Road, Harrow Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN MOULDING CLAY OR
OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO BRICKS.AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used in mould-
ing clay or other plastic material into bricks and other articles, and is applicable
when dividing the stream of clay or material from an expressing machine.
It consists in applying moveable lateral supports to the bricks, pipes, blocks,
or other articles at the moment of the passage of the cutting wires from side
to:side of the clay or material, each support is nearly of the width of the brick

page_text: or article, and the supports are arranged in two sets or series, one set on each
side of the stream of clay or material. In each set or series there should be
as many supports as there are bricks or articles cut off at each operation of the
cutting wires, and between each support and the one next to it there is just
sufficient space left for the passage of a cutting wire. It is preferred that each
set or series of supports should be fixed to a bar having guides which enable it
to slide to and from the stream of clay or material. The cutting wires are
fixed in a frame turning at its lower end on centres below the stream of clay
or material, and when the frame is moved from one side to the other on these
centres the wires pass through the clay or material; this frame as it moves in
either direction acts on weighted levers with inclines on them and lifts them,
and the levers being linked with the sliding bars carrying the supports these
bars are drawn inwards until the supports pass laterally against the bricks or
articles; this takes place immediately before the wires commence to cut, and
immediately the wires have passed through the clay or material the weighted
levers fall back and the supports move back.away from the bricks or articles.
By the use of lateral supports in this manner the cutting wires are prevented
from breaking the bricks or articles or pressing them out of shape."
'
7
I
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Dixcee in the 'Great Seal Patent Office' on the
27th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DIXCEE, of the Atlas Works,, Woodfield Road, Harrow. Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me, tlie
said Thomas Dixcee, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Dixcée; my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Dixcee, 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 Mau, an Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN MOULDING CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO

page_text: BRICKS AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Dixcee, my 'exécutors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing. under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.
i
NOW. KNOW YE; that I, the said Thomas Dixcee; do hereby declare the
nature of the said, Invention, and in what manner, the same is to he performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following statement
thereof, that is.to say :-
This Invention has for its .object improvements in apparatus used in.
moulding clay.or!other: plastic: material into bricks and other articles, and is
applicable when dividing. the. stream of clay or material from an expressing
machine... It. consists in applying moveable lateral supports to the bricks,
pipes, blocks, or other articles at the moment of the passage of the cutting.
wires from side to side of the clay .or material., Each support is nearly of the
width of the brick or article, and the supports are; arranged in two sets or
series, one set on each side of the stream of clay or material. In each set or
series there should be as many supports as there are bricks or articles cut off
at each operation of the. cutting wires, and between each support and the one
next to it there is just sufficient space left for the passage of a cutting wire.
It is preferred that each set.or. series of supports should be fixed to a bar
having: guides which enable it to slide to and from the stream of clay or
material. The cutting wires are fixed in a frame turning at its lower end on
centres below. the stream of clay or material, and when the frame is moved
from one side to the, other on these centres the wires pass through the clay
or material; this frame as it moves in either direction acts on weighted levers
with inclines on them, and, lifts them, and the levers being linked with the.
sliding bars carrying the supports, these bars are drawn inwards until the
supports press laterally. against the bricks or articles; this takes place imme-
diately before the wires commence to cut, and immediately the wires have
passed, through, the clay or material the weighted levers fall down and the,
supports move back away from the bricks or articles. By the use of lateral;
supports in this manner the cutting wires, are prevented from breaking the
bricks.or articles or pressing them out of shape..
And in order that, my said, Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into, effect I will proceed, to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 is a plan; and Figure 3 is s
transverse section of apparatus arranged according to my Invention.
arms.
:
a, a, is the frame of the apparatust; by means of the hooks a" it is connected
when in use with the frame of the expressing machine, and b, b, represents &
the stream of clay or material coming from such a machine; c, c; is. a. rocking:
frame carrying the outting wires c, c, strained between its. upper and lower
The frame c is connected with the main frame a by centres or pivots
at, c. d is a bridge. bolted to the frame a to support the free end of the
upper arm of frame c.; there is a small friction pulley on the end; of the
arm which runs upon the supporting bridge. e, e, are wooden rollers: to
support the stream of clay' or material; their axes turn. in holes formed for
them in the sides of the frame a. So far the arrangement is of the ordinary
description, and each time that a sufficient length of clay or material has been
forced through the die of the expressing machine the workman- passes, the
rocking frame c from one side to the other, thus. forcing the cutting. wires:
through the clay or material. f, f, are the moveable lateral supports which
I apply according to my Invention in order to hold the stream of clay during
the time it is being cut, and to prevent the brick or moulded article being
pressed out of shape by the action of the cutting wires; these supports press
upon the moulded clay or material at the time of the passage of the cutting
wires, and at other times they are moved back so as to allow the stream of
clay or material to travel freely forward. The supports are clamped to the
side bars g, g; as is shown at Figures 4; these bars have studs g', g³, upon
thein, and these again are fixed to the slides h, 'h, which are shown separately
in-plan at Figure 5. The slides' h work through holes in brackets fixed to.
the side frames, so that they are able to slide freely outwards and inwards,
carrying the supports f, f, with them; they are connected, with the heavy"
levers i;, which at turn on pivots or axes carried by, brackets & bolted'
to the frame. One of the levers with its bracket k is shown separately at
Figures 6; the bracket, as will be seen, has a hole through it for the passage:
of the slides h; the brackets to carry the slides on the other side are similar,
but without the arm to carry the lever: Each lever has: a connecting rod;
jointed to it, and on the end of the rod a screw thread is cut; it passes
through the head of the opposite. slide h, and is secured thereto by two nuts
so that as will be seen the slide, is drawn. inwards when the lever is raised.
The levers i are acted on by the lower arm of the frame c; which as will be
scen when the frame is rocked comes against the under sides of the levers.
ז

page_text: and raises them and maintains them in the position to which they are lifted
until the cutting wires have passed through the clay or material when the
levers are allowed to fall. So long as the levers are up the supports f, f,
are pressed firmly against the sides of the stream of clay or material, but when
the levers descend the supports are drawn back and the stream is free to flow
on. The distance between the supports on the two sides may be adjusted as
required by the nuts on the connecting rods l. I would remark that the cutting
wires may be mounted on a frame sliding in guides in place of on a rocking
frame if preferred.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described; but what I claim is, the arranging apparatus
in such manner that the stream of clay or material from an expressing machine
may whilst it is being divided into lengths be supported and held tight laterally
by supports, which afterwards retire to allow of the forward flow of the clay or
material, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dixcee, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THOS DIXCEE (1.8)