IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Monson, of No. 2, Birkbeck Crescent, The Vale,
Acton, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS."
Sealed the 24th January 1879, and dated the 6th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Monson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1878.
EDWARD MONSON, of No. 2, Birkbeck Crescent, The Vale, Acton, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BRICKS."
The object of this Invention is to manufacture bricks in an economical manner
by utilizing the sludge of sewage.
To obtain the said sludge the sewage as a rule is mixed with lime, or lime and other
precipitants, and is received into tanks. The precipitants clarify the sewage and
throw down the sludge, which sinks to the bottom of the tanks.
In carrying out my Invention I take the sludge and use it in the manufacture of
various kinds of clamp burnt and kiln burnt bricks.
For clamp burnt bricks of the various qualities and sorts made in the neighbour-
hood of London (when lime is the chief ingredient used for precipitation) I use the
said sludge of sewage as a substitute for what is called malm, and I dig the loam
or clay and prepare and soil it in the usual manner. I then spread the said sludge
upon it in any required quantity or thickness according to the effect which I desire
to produce, after which I thoroughly mix together the whole of the materials. If I
require more lime in the bricks I either use more lime for precipitating the sewage
sludge, or I add ground chalk to the mixed clay and sludge. I also use the said
sludge in the manufacture of bricks in combination with sand.
As the character of the clay and the quality of the sludge varies in every district,
each soil requires a special kind of treatment, and the best proportions can only be

page_text: For kiln burnt bricks I dig and prepare the clay in the usual manner, and then
add the sludge in such proportions as I find by experiment to be most suitable, but
as a rule I find that 25-per-cent. of air dried sludge added to clay, or to clay and
sand, will answer my purpose.
Sometimes I use the sludge to temper the clay, and then, bulk for bulk, the
sludge must be proportionately increased.
I use the sludge to form a flux to bind tegether the materials of which the brick
is composed, to give color to the brick, to make the texture of the brick more
suitable for cutting or rubbing, and I use it for tempering the clay or loam.
The effect produced depends upon the quality of the loam or clay, the character
of the sludge, and the quantity of lime or other ingredients used for precipitation.
I make and burn the bricks in the usual manner, and either in clamps or kilns,
according to the sort or quality of brick I wish to manufacture.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Mouson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd May
1879.
EDWARD MONSON, of No. 2, Birkbeck Crescent, The Vale, Acton, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BRICKS."
The primary object of this Invention is to dispose of the sludge of sewage and
town ashes, which are in some places comparatively waste products, and utilize
them in combination with brick earth in the manufacture of bricks in an economical
manner.
To obtain the said sludge the sewage as a rule is mixed with lime, or lime and
other precipitants, and is received into tanks. The precipitants clarify the sewage
and throw down the sludge, which sinks to the bottom of the tanks. I remove the
coarser parts of the sewage in any convenient way. For this purpose the sewage
on entering the works may be received into a screening tank properly fitted up for
screening and roughly cleansing the sewage previous to adding the precipitant.
Again, if the sewage sludge is not sufficiently fine it may be prepared by passing it
through a revolving screen, through a screen connected with a sludge shoot, or it
may be ground in a mortar mill with the brick earth, or it may be prepared in any
other convenient manner.
The ashes are sorted and screened so as to remove the hard and soft core and
breeze or cinders, and the fine ashes are mixed with the brick earth or clay for
making clamp burnt bricks.
The clay or brick earth is prepared by digging and turning over, or it is washed
in a clay washing mill, or it is prepared by grinding, according to the quality of
the clay, the sort of bricks to be manufactured, or according to the style of working
which obtains in various parts of the country.
In carrying out my Invention I take the said sludge of sewage and use it in
combination with brick earth and ashes in the manufacture of various kinds of
clamp and kiln burnt bricks.
For clamp burnt bricks of the various qualities and sorts made in the neighbour-
hood of London (when lime is the chief ingredient used for precipitating the sewage
sludge) I use the said sludge of sewage as a substitute for ground chalk, or what is
sometimes called malm. If the brickfield adjoins the sewage works, I pass the
sewage sludge upon the brick earth by means of a shoot or any other convenient
way, and I spread the said sludge upon it in any required quantity or thickness,
according to the effect which I desire to produce; and 1 also prepare the brick earth
and soil it with ashes and mix them in any convenient way. If no brick earth is
at hand I pass the sowage sludge from the subsiding tanks into a sludge bed to the
depth of about one foot; I then cover it with sifted ashes to the depth of about
three inches, and the said sludge becomes partly dry, and it thus remains until the
depositing tanks are again emptied, when another layer of sludge is spread upon
the last and covered with screened ashes as before. This process goes on for any
convenient time until the sludge is wanted, when the mixture of sludge and ashes
is removed to the brickfield and spread upon the brick earth, and the sludge and
ashes are thoroughly incorporated therewith. If the brick earth be washed, the
sewage sludge is passed into the clay washing mill and mixed and washed along
with the brick earth. If the brick earth be ground, the sludge is mixed with it
and the whole ground together; or the materials are mixed in a pug mill, or by any
other convenient method. If I require more lime or chalk in the brick, I either
use more lime for precipitating the sewage sludge, or I add ground chalk reduced
to a semifluid state to the mixture of brick earth and sewage sludge. I also use
the said sewage sludge in the manufacture of bricks in combination with malın or
washed clay and chalk.

page_text: As the character of the clay or other brick earth and the quality of the sludge
varies in every district, each sort requires a special kind of treatment, and the best
proportions can only be determined-by-actualexperiment; I therefore do not confine
myself to any proportions.
For kiln burnt bricks I dig and prepare the brick earth in any convenient
_manner. I add the sewage sludge in such proportions as I find by experiment to
be most suitable, and as a rule I find that 25 per cent. of air dried sludge added to
-clay-or-other brick earth will answer my purpose, but I do not confine myself
to any proportions. If the brick earth requires it I add any other suitable
materials.
Fuse the sludge-to form-a-flux to bind together the materials of which the brick
is composed, to give color to the brick, to vary the color or tint of the brick, and to
improve its texture. Sometimes I use thin sludge to temper the clay or other brick
earth, and so save the cost and trouble of drying the sludge.
I use the ashes to prevent the bricks from cracking whilst they are being dried,
and to assist in burning the bricks.
The effect produced depends upon the quality of the loam, clay, or other brick
carth, and the character of the sludge, which varies according to the quantity of
lime or other ingredients used for precipitation, and according to the manufactures or
trades carried on in the several towns.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the manufacture of
bricks, and the manner of performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
I. The use of the sludge of sewage in combination with malm, or as a substitute
for malm or washed clay and chalk in the manufacture of bricks.
II. The use of ashes in the said manufacture of bricks in combination with
sewage sludge and brick earth.
III. The use of chalk in the said manufacture of bricks in combination with the
sludge of sewage and brick earth.
IV. The use of the sludge of sewage for the purpose of tempering the clay or
other brick earth in the manufacture of bricks.
V. The use of the sludge of sewage for the purpose of forming a flux to bind
together the materials used in the manufacture of bricks.
VI. The use of the sludge of sewage in the manufacture of bricks for the purpose
of improving their texture and color.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Monson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
ARCHER DAMYON GREEN,
1, Walnut Tree Place,
Grove Road,
Brentford.
EDW. MONSON. (L.S.)