A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF. MAKING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MANUFACTURED WITH BRICK EARTH
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
LEES, Publican, of Little Thurrock, in the County of Essex, and GEORGE
HARRISON, Brickmaker, of the same place, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the First day of February, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edward Lees and George Harrison, His especial licence that we, the said
Edward Lees and George Harrison, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Edward Lees and George Harrison, our exors, admors,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in His said Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, our Invention of "A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF.
MAKING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MANUFACTURED WITH BRICK
EARTH;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging us,
the said Edward Lees and George Harrison, by an instrument in writing
under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, parti-
cularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next

page_text: and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Lees, do hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and 5
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
Our said Invention of "A New and Improved Method of Making Bricks,
Tiles, and other Articles Manufactured with Brick Earth," consists in the use 1
and employment of a machine or machines for moulding the bricks, tiles, &c.
in a better and more expeditious manner than we believe has hitherto been
effected. In order, however, that our Invention may be better understood,
we shall proceed to describe the Drawing, which, as aforesaid, is annexed to
this Specification, and in which Drawing the same letters of reference indicate 1
the similar parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine, as adapted for moulding
bricks; Fig. 2, an end view of it; and Fig. 3, a plan of it. Fig. 4
is a cross section through the middle of the vessel C; and Fig. 5 is a
horizontal section taken at the dotted line A, A, in Fig. 4. B, B, &c.
is the frame of the machine. C, a conical wooden vessel to receive the clay or
brick earth, which is to be moulded by the machine; this is strongly hooped,
and is affixed to the frame B, B, by the four iron clamps D, D, D, D. E is
a strong wrought-iron bridge, which is affixed by the straps F, F, to the
vessel C. This bridge E has in the centre of its upper part a bearing G, in
which the neck or pivot H of the upright shaft I, I, works, and which shaft
has also another neck J acting in a bearing made to fit it in the bottom of the
vessel C; the lower end K of this shaft has a pivot, which turns in a brass step
lodged in the cast-iron box or chair L affixed to the machine frame; the upright
shaft I, I, carries four or more horizontal arms, blades, or knives M, M, M, M,
fixed obliquely in it, and each of which have four or more teeth N, N, N, N,
in them. These arms M, M, &c. are placed at right angles to each other
around the shaft I, I, and their office is to stir and mix up the clay or brick
earth uniformily at the same time that they serve to depress it by reason of the
obliquity of the arms. Near the bottom of the vessel C, a set of eight or more
other arms, blades, or knives O, O, &c. are affixed upon the shaft I, I, they
being let into holes made in the circular block P, which is secured upon the
shaft and held therein by screws and nuts. These arms 0, 0, &c. are also
placed obliquely, and are turned back at their ends; their use is to depress the

page_text: clay or brick earth still more, and to compel it to pass out through the
openings QQ, made in the opposite sides of the lower part of the vessel C,
as they are made to revolve into the two rectangular cast-iron boxes R, R,
which are affixed to the vessel C. The boxes R, R, are furnished with doors
in front turning upon strong hinges, and are kept closed by means of screws
and nuts, or in any other proper manner when in use; they are also furnished
with regulating sliders S, S, to adjust the quantity of clay or brick earth let
into them. Within each of the boxes R, R, a piston T, T, moves up and down,
having a stem U, U, affixed to it, which passes through a hole made in the
top of the box, and is guided above by passing through a hole made in a
block V, V, with a friction roller in it, which is is affixed to the side of the
vessel C. These pistons T, T, are raised in the manner to be described here-
after in speaking of the wheelwork, &c. W, W, are two endless chains passing
around the hexagonal wheels X, X, and Y, Y, and which said wheels X, X,
are affixed upon the axes Z, Z, the necks or pivots of which axes turn in
The other
adjustable carriages or brasses affixed to the machine frame.
wheels Y, Y, turn and play loose upon cylindrical parts made on the axes Z, Z,
to receive them. The endless chains W, W, also rest upon or are supported
by two pairs of friction rollers a, a, underneath the lower apertures of the
boxes R, R. These endless chains are moved in opposite and contrary
directions, in a manner which will also be described hereafter; their office is
either to carry wooden stocks or board, forming the bottoms of brick moulds;
if stocks, these will be attached to the endless chains, but if boards they may
be removable. The endless chains consist each of two sides, formed of flat
pieces jointed together at equal distances, and held at a proper distance apart
by cross bars passing through the holes in the joints, and secured therein by
rivetting or otherwise; in the middle of the upper side of each piece forming
the sides of the chains is a fixed pin or stud b, b, &c., which enters into a
notch or gap made in each end of the board and mould, and retains them in
their places upon the chains.
In Figs. 1, 2, & 3, c, c, &c., are the boards, and d, d, &c. are the
frames of the brick moulds lying in their places upon the endless chains;
during the action of the machine the revolutions of the upright shaft I, I,
and its arms are continual, but the movements of the endless chains and
other parts, about to be described, are only occasional and interrupted.
The moving power may be communicated to the upright shaft I, I, either
by means of a horse, horses, or other animals yoked to the arm e, or in
any other manner. Upon the lower end of the shaft I, I, the toothed spur
wheel is affixed, which works into the two pinions 9, 9, affixed upon the

page_text: upright intermediate shafts h, h, whose upper and lower necks or pivots turn in
bearings affixed to the machine frame; upon the shafts h, h, the toothed spur
wheels i, i, are also affixed; these act in other toothed spur wheels j, j, affixed
upon the upright shafts k, k, with necks or pivots turning in bearings below,
affixed to the machine frame, and above in the brackets 1, 2, affixed to the
vessel C. Immediately above the wheels j, j, upon the shafts k, k, are the
cranks m, m, and near their upper ends the toothed bevel wheels n, n, are
affixed, which act in other toothed bevel wheels o, o, mounted upon the hori-
zontal axes, with necks or pivots turning in bearings supported by the
brackets I, I, below the spur wheels j.j; upon the upright shaft k, k, are also
affixed the bevel pinions p, p, which act in the bevel wheels q, q, upon
two other horizontal crank axes r, r, whose necks or pivots turn in bearings
affixed to the machine frame.
Having thus described the toothed wheels and pinions which actuate the
several shafts or axes, I shall proceed to mention their different uses, and
first, that upon each of the upper horizontal axes o, o, there is affixed a
cam 8, 8, which acts against an horizontal arm t, t, affixed in the upper part of
the stems U, U, of the pistons T, T, in the boxes R, R., and elevates the
pistons, and which are continued elevated by the arms t, t, resting upon the
concentric parts u, v, of each cam, and during the filling of the boxes with
clay or brick earth, when the gaps w, w, in each cam coming underneath the
arms t, t, the pistons T, T, suddenly fall, and by their momentum and weight
drive out the clay or brick earth into the brick moulds c, c, and d, d, which
are lying upon the endless chains W, W, ready to receive it, immediately after
which the excess of clay or brick earth is cut or separated from that which
remains in the boxes R, R, by the following contrivances:-The necks of the
cranks x, x, upon the two horizontal axles r, r, are lodged within a kind of oval
rings y, y, which are affixed near the middles of the flat sliding bars =,=,
moving in guide holes in two standards affixed to the frame of the machine.
The broad sides 1 and 2 of these oval rings are arcs or portions of
circles, and at each end of them is a recess or gap 3 and 4 to receive
the neck of the crank when it passes the centres, and by which the ring
is carried along with it till the arc on the side 1 becomes concentric to
the neck of the crank, when the ring y remains at rest till the neck
enters the other gap 4, and carries the ring in the opposite direction,
until the other arc 2 becomes concentric with the neck, and it again
remains at est, and continues so till the neck again enters the gap 3,
and so on during the action of the machine. Near one end of the
sliding bar is a mortise 5, into which the shorter end of a lever 6 is

page_text: received; this lever turns upon a stud 7.as a fulcrum, and which stud is
affixed to the machine frame. The longer end of the lever 6 has a gap or
fork 8 in it, which receives the end of a horizontal knife 9 within it; this
knife 9 turns upon a stud 10 at the other end of it, which is affixed upon the
machine frame. It is to be observed that although one only of these last-
described parts is mentioned, yet there are two of them in the machine.
Figs. 6 & 7 are a front and edge view of one of these slides shewn separately.
By this movement of the sliders the knives 9, 9, are caused to cut or separate
the clay or brick earth exactly at the required times, the moulds are then
immediately carried from underneath the boxes R, R, by the following con-
trivance:-The necks 11, 11, of the horizontal cranks on the upright
axes k, k, act within two other horizontal oval rings 12, 12, with flat sliding
bars 13, 18, (one of which is shewn in Figs. 8 and 9); in the longer ends of
these sliding bars are made the mortises 14, 14, which receive into them
successively one each of the six loose pallets or triggers 15, 15, &c., which
turn upon as many pins passing through double circular plates affixed upon
axes Z, Z, of the endless chains W, W. These pallets will yield or give way
when pushed in one direction; thus they yield when pushed against outwardly,
but remain firm when pulled towards the centre of the machine by the action
of the slides 18, 18, and this pull takes place immediately after the separation
of the clay or brick earth in the moulds by the action of the knives 9, 9, as
already mentioned. The moulds may then be lifted off the endless chains, the
bricks remaining upon the boards ready to be taken away; the moulds may
then be either wetted or sanded according to the kind of clay or brick earth
worked, and be laid on the opposite endless chain between the pins b, b, ready
to be carried in their turn underneath the boxes R, R, to be again filled.
Although I have described this machine as being applied to the making of
bricks, yet is evident that it is equally applicable to the making of tiles, oven
bricks, quarries, draining bricks, and other articles made of brick earth,
provided that the necessary alteration be made in the different movements to
accommodate them to the description of articles to be manufactured thereby.
We do not mean or intend hereby to claim as our Inventions any of the parts
of this machine which are already known or in use, but only the new combi-
nations and manners of effecting the different movements in it whereby our
said improvements are effected.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lees, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
EDWARD (L.B.) LEES.
1

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the First day of August, in the
year of our Lord 1825, the aforesaid Edward Lees came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the 5
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the First day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-five.