CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, CHIMNEY TOPS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CARTER STAFFORD PERCY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Upholder, send greeting
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent undoi the Great Seal of Great Britam, beauing date at
Westminster, the Second day of June, in the ninth year of Her reign, and
in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Carter Stafford Percy, ler especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Carter Stafford Percy, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Carter
Stafford Percy, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, fiom time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfullymightmake,use,exercise, andvend,
within England and Wales, and the Townof Berwick-upon-Tweed.my Invention
of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS, TILES, CHIMNEY TOPS,
AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I,the said William Carter Stafford Percy,shall cause a particular de-
sciiption of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
1x calendar monthis next and immediately after the date of the said in part
[Price 8d.]

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being the cunto had,
will more fully and at large appear
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Wilham Carter Stafford Percy, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Diawings hereto annexed, and the
following explanation thereof (that is to say).
My improvements in the manufacture of bricks, tiles, chimney tops, and
other similar articles consists,-
Firstly, in a certain new and improved method of tempering or preparing
the clay or other plastic material for use, whereby the clay or other material
is perfectly cleared of all stones or other hard subst.ince
Secondly, in a peculiar form of brick, to be used for the prevention of damp
walls and for heating and ventilating purposes,applicable also to bell-hauging,
gas fitting, and communicating pipes, flues, &c
Thirdly, in a new form of brick,used for building bridges, viaducts, tunnels,
chimneys, and towers, or in any other situation where strength,mutual-support,
and solidity are particularly required
Fourthly, in a form of brick designed to be used for coping or covering the
tops of walls and parapets or the gable ends of buildings, and in other
situations
Fifthly, in a grooved brick for receiving or retaining all kinds of plain or
ornamental plaster or cemont
Sixthly, in a peculiar formation of tile for draining land
Seventhly, in a machine for pressing and making bricks or tiles or other
similar articles, and
.
Eighthly, in a peculiar construction of chimney top for the prevention of
downward draught in chimneys.
My improved method of tempering or preparing the clay or other plastic
substance for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, chimney tops, and other
similar articles, is as follows -The clay or other plastic material having
been procured in the usual manner, is to be mixed with water to a thick
creamy consistency and agitated in a "pug-mill"or other wise, and afterwards
stamed or sieved, to separate all stones or other hard substanices from
il The so-prepared mass is then to remain stagnant in a suitable vessel,
when the water will separate from the clay and rise to the surface, the
clay on earthy matter remaining at the bottom. The water is then drawn
off, and the clay died until ready for use The drying of the clay may be
accelerated in the following manner -The clamps or kilus in which the

page_text: bricks alo burnt are to be enclosed and flues from thence to pass under the
reservoir or vessel in which the clay is thereby evaporating the moisture and
accelerating the dising of the same I also propose to make use of the heat
evolved from the buining clamps or kilns and passing through flues above
described, for the purpose of drying bricks pievious to their being burned.
The other features of my Invention will be better understood by referring
to the sheet of Diawings attached to these presents and marked with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following description
thereof, Figs 5, 17, 18, 21, 28, 29, and 30, being drawn to a scale of about
one inch to a foot, and the remaining Figures to a scale of about three inches
Figures 1 and 2 represent a plan and end view of my improved brick for
heating and ventilating purposes. This is a "stretcher," a buck, which
in building is laid lengthwise.
Figure 3 and 4 represent a plan and side view of a 'binder," e. a buck,
which in building is laid crosswise These bucks have grooves or cavities a, a,
forinod in them, which in building must be left open or fice from mortai, thus
allowing a free circulation of air around every brick throughout the whole of
any building formed of such bricks The air for ventilation will have to be
admitted by apertures opening into the passages a, a, at the bottom of the
building, and emitted by aflue communicating with the passages at the top of
the same
Figure 5 shews the method of building the walls of houses with the said
bricks, and
Figure 6 shews some modifications of the above bricks, in which the course
of the air passages is changed for communicating with partition or outside
walls, either single or double or otherwise, and tunning at right angles. For
heating purposes heated air will have to be introduced into any of the said
passages, and will thus cuculate throughout the whole of the building.
Figures 7 and 8 are plan aud eud views of a "stretcher "brick for forming
horizontal tubes for gas fitting, bell hanging, and other purposes.
Figures 9 and 10 are plau and side views of a "binder" to be used with
the same.
Figures 11 and 12 shew plan and side view of a brick for forming vertical
tubes, which may be used as "stretcher "and" binder" alternately
Figure 13 18 a side view, and Figure 14 a face view, of my improved form
of brick to be used for building bridges, and in other situations where great

page_text: strength is required, and Figures 15 and 16aiesimilar views of a modification
of the same. It will be seen that these bricks are so formed that each buck
shall abut or bear upon the one next to it, thus giving a poculiar firmness and
solidity to the structure.
Figures 17 and 18 represent an obtuse angled bridge,and an horizontalonc,
built of the same bucks. The piers may be either built in the ordinary way,
01 formed of my improved bricks, as shown at a, a, in Figure 18
A modification of these bricks, suitable for culverts or arches, walls, &c, is
shown inside and face views at Figures 19 and 20 It will be evident that
these bricks may be modified in their bearings from the perfect square to any
bevil or angle.
Figure 21 represents an ordinary doorway arch built of the said bricks,
Figures 23 and 23 are end and side views of my improved form of coping
buck, which has an overlapping bevil Joint a, for the purpose of preventing any
water from lodging in the said joint, and the top b, b, is hollowed or left
straight and 1ounded, to diam off the water These bricks or tiles may be
used glazed when required to be impervious to water
Figures 24 and 25 are erd and plan views of a good brick for building
walls to receive plamor ornamental plaster work The plaster, in the operation
of spreading, is forced into the dovetailed grooves a, a, a, and when diy is
inseperable from the surface of the said brick
Figures 26 and 27 are a plan and longitudinal section of my improved form
of tile for diamming land. When these tiles are placed below the surface of
the soil, the water which drains through the soil in wet weather will pass into
the chambers on reservoirs a, a, a, of the tile, and there remain; but when the
woather is dry and warm the water in the reservoirs a, a, a, of the tile will
evaporate and moisten the soil above the tile, thus imparting, in a great
measure, an uniformity of moisture to the soil in all weathers
1 would remark, in conclusion of this part of my Specification, that I claim
any and all of the above described forms or constructions of bricks or tiles,
whether made of clay or other plastic material or composition, or applied to
wood, stone, or any other material.
My improved machine for pressing bricks of tiles is shown at Figures 28
and 29, which are front elevations of the same in two different positions,
Figure 28 representing the buck in the act of being pressed, and Figure 29
shewing the brick finished and ready to be removed from the press Motion
is to be communicated to the flame a, a, in such a manner as to cause it alter-
nately to use into the position shewn in Figure 29, and fall into the position
shown in Figure 28, with sufficient power to compress the brick or tile, &c.

page_text: with the requisite foice. This fiame a, a, slides in the side frames b, b, and
carries the upper piston c, c, by which the brick is compressed This piston,
as well as the lower piston d, d, has a groove cut in its edge or otherwise, and
filled or packed with tow or other suitable material well saturated with oil for
lubricating the interior of the mould e, e, in which the brick or tilo is pressed,
a buckfbeing pressed upon the lower piston d, d, the frame a, carrying the
upper piston c, begins to descend, the tension of the spiral spring g keeping
the piston d stationary until the lower part of the frame a, a, comes into
contact with the slide h, fixed to the lower end of the piston rod d. The two
pistons will then travel downwards together until the lower end of the piston
1od & strikes against the spring, which stops its further progress, but the
piston c, still descending,will compress the brick to the required solidity, the
machine will then be in the position shewn at Figure 28 The two pistons c
and d,together with the brick, will thon ascend until the slide h, reaches the
top of the grooves k, h, when the spring g will give away, and the piston c
ascend alone. The sides of the mould e, e, being smooth and well lubricated
by the pistons, will impart a polished appearance to the sides of the brick.
The spring is to be of sufficient strength to resist the force requisite to press
the brick, but to give way should too much clay be put into the mould, thus pre-
vonting the breaking of the machinery, in such cases, if preferred,a weighted
level may bo substituted. The thickness of the brick may be regulated by the
screw on the upper ond of the piston c
My improvement in,the construction of chimney tops is shewn in section at
Figure 30. a, a, are lips or projectious to arrest the current of air, and being
curved upwards inside the chimney, the air upon passing through the apertures
b,b,will have an upward direction given to it,and mingling with the smoke, will
prevent any downward current in the chimney, the lower apertures b, b, are
furnished with tubes c, c, inside the chimney in order to direct the current of
an upwards with more certainty c, d, are flanges near the bottom to carry
off the water from the chimney.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Carter Stafford Percy,have here-
WILLIAM CARTER (L.s) STAFFORD PERCY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirtiethday of November,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Canter Stafford Percy
came before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in the fortn
above written And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statuto in that case made and provided
Imolled the Second day of December, in the year above written.