IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND BLOCKS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johu Barsham, of Kingston-upon-Thames, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND BLOCKS."
Sealed the 11th March 1854, and dated the 28th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barsham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th September 1853.
I, JOHN BARSHAM, of Kingston-upon-Thames, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND BLOCKS
follows:-
This Invention consists of arranging an extensive trough or hollow
tray together with a series of boards, each board being of the size of
several bricks, tiles, or blocks. The boards are first placed at the
bottom of the tray or trough so as to form a false bottom thereto; the
clay or brick earth is then filled into the trough or tray, and pressed

page_text: therein by rollers or other means, which are either passed over the
trough or tray, or they remain stationary whilst the trough or tray
passes under them. The mass of clay or brick earth is then divided
by wires or cutters into the sizes of the boards, and then again by other
wires or cutters to the sizes of bricks, blocks, or tiles, and by the
aid of the boards they are conveyed into the drying room or building,
and there dried on the boards, or they are first removed and stacked
in any convenient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Barsham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN BARSHAM, of Kingston-upon-Thames, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Barsham, Her special
licence that I, the said John Barsham, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Barsham, 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 termi
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 THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, AND BLOCKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Barsham, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: .
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 John Barsham, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of arranging an extensive trough or hollow
tray together with a series of boards, each board being of the size of
several bricks, tiles, or blocks. The boards are first placed at the
bottom of the tray or trough so as to form a false bottom thereto;
the clay or brick earth is then filled into the trough or tray, and pressed.
therein by rollers or other means, which are efther passed over the
trough or tray, or they remain stationary whilst the trough or tray
passes under them. The mass of clay or brick earth is then divided
by wires or cutters into the sizes of the boards, and then again by other
wires or cutters to the sizes of bricks, blocks, or. tiles, and by the aid.
of the boards they are conveyed into the drying room or building, and
there dried on the boards, or they are first removed and stacked in.
any convenient manner.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention. I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
!
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, shows a side elevation,, Figure 2, a longitudinal section,
Figure 3, a plan, and Figure 4, a transverse section of apparatus
suitably arranged for carrying out niy Invention; and Figure 5, shows
a plan and edge view of one of the boards or plates a, separately,
which are suitable for having a series of ten bricks formed thereon, as
hereafter described; but this number may be varied. A series of the
boards or plates a; a, are placed on the tray or trough formed surface
b, b, so as to form a false bottom thereto, the ends being of the depth.
of the brick, block, or tile intended to be made, and the sides and ends.
are capable of turning down upon the hinged joints for the purpose of
readily removing the articles when made. Between the spaces formed
by the boards a, a, transverse and longitudinal wires are laid, there

page_text: being slits formed in the sides and ends b', ', for the wires to rest in.
∙C, is a carriage which rests, when out of use, on the stationary railway
d,.d; and e, is a pressing roller mounted on the carriage c, which is
capable of being moved to and fro over the surface of the trough or
tray b, b, the sides b', ', forming a continuous line of railway with the
rails d, d, for that purpose; and as the arrangement of the carriage
are the same as previously described in the Specification of a Patent
granted to me on the Fifteenth of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three, it will not be necessary to give a more minute
description thereof. Whilst the clay or brick earth is being spread
over the surface of the boards or plates a, a, so as to fill the tray
or trough, the carriage and pressing roller is to be moved over the
surface by any convenient means so as to roll or press the clay or
brick carth into a compact mass; and on the last return movement of
the carriage the inclined blade or scraper f, is moved or let down
on to the surface of the tray or trough so as to smooth and scrape
off the surface. The mass of clay or brick earth is then divided by
raising the frame of longitudinal wires, and then in succession the
transverse wires, which are caused to press or bear against a straight
edge in order to guide them correctly when being raised, or cutters
may be used so as to divide the mass into the forms desired. And I
would here remark that, in place of tho tray or trough being stationary,
it may be placed on wheels moving on a railway, and be moved to and
fro under a fixed roller or rollers. The mass of clay or brick earth
having been divided into the sizes of the boards, the boards may be
removed from the tray or trough b, and placed in succession on the
table g, supported on a frame h, to be divided by the descent of a series
of wires mounted in the frame i, as shewn in front view and section at
Figures 6, and 7. The bricks, blocks, or tiles thus made may then be
conveyed on the boards or plates a, a, into a suitable building or drying
room to be dried, or they may be removed from the boards and stacked
to dry in any convenient manner.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described, so

page_text: long as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what
I claim is, the combination or arrangement of parts herein described
for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and blocks.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barsham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM TONGUE.
JOHN BARSHAM. (L.S.)