Improvements in Machines for Sanding Brick Moulds.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Sanding Brick Moulds.
We, ELSON TIDD BENNETT, Brickmaker, and JOHN BRENNAN, Mason and Con-
tractor, both of Towanda, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for sanding brick moulds; the object of the
invention being to provide certain new and useful improvements by which the
machines are rendered more efficient and capable of sanding moulds at a greater
speed than has been hitherto attainable.
A mould sanding machine comprising our improvements consists of a suitable
support in which is a revoluble frame, consisting of a disc having a series of bars
secured to its periphery. These bars are arranged at angles to each other and
are adjustable longitudinally and laterally to adapt them for adjustment to
retain moulds of various sizes upon the frame.
Belts or chains, running over pulleys or sprocket-wheels, are caused to move,
at proper intervals of time, to engage the moulds and hold them in contact with
the frame during its revolution and whilst it carries them through the sand.
Idler-wheels are mounted upon the same shafts as the pulleys or sprocket-wheels
and are of larger diameter so that they engage the moulds as they are fed into the
machine, and carry them between the belts or chains and the frame.
Suitably curved guides, having rollers over which run belts, engage the moulds
at the proper time and move them onto a roller by which they are sharply
reversed into an upright position onto a receiving table to rid the moulds of
superfluous sand.
A reciprocating rod or finger removes the moulds from the table onto a con-
veyor arranged along one side thereof. The rod or finger projects from a lever,
caused to oscillate in time with the revoluble frame, and is notched at its ex-
tremity so as to more efficiently engage the moulds. The lever is operated by
any suitable reciprocating mechanism, such as a pitman, to which it is connected
by a yielding or spring attachment. The conveyor carries the bricks towards the
mould machine.
Dated this 21st day of December 1899.
Improvements in Machines for sanding Brick Moulds.
We, ELSON TIDD BENNETT, Brickmaker, and JOHN BRENNAN, Mason and Con-
tractor, both of Towanda, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., do hereby declare the nature of
Price 8d.1

page_text: this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement; —
Our invention relates to an improvement in machines for sanding brick moulds
before moulding the bricks therein, and the invention consists of novel features
of construction by which the mould, after sanding is automatically inverted and
rapped, so that the surplus sand is removed; and also of a mechanism by which
the mould is fed direct to the moulding machine.
Our invention further comprises the novel features which will be hereinafter
described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
1.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device. Fig. 2 an end elevation taken at
the right hand end of Fig. 1, the end where the moulds are delivered. Fig. 3
is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken just within one side of
the frame. Fig. 5 is a detail view shewing the means for supporting the moulds
as they are fed into the machine. Fig. 6 is a detail view shewing the means for
feeding the moulds from the sander to the brick-moulder. Fig. 7 is a detail
view shewing the construction of the polygonal disc upon which the moulds are
supported and the manner of adjusting the disc to moulds of different sizes.
Fig. 8 is a detail view shewing the same features with parts in different posi-
tion; and Fig. 9 is a view of one of the sprocket wheels by which the chain is
driven.
In the ordinary brick-mould sander it is necessary to feed the moulds into the
machine one at a time and to time the feeding so that the mould will be intro-
duced at the proper time and that there shall be no interruption of the feeding.
It is also necessary with the ordinary sander to rap the boxes by hand in order
to remove the surplus sand and also to feed the moulds into the moulding machine
by hand. The object of our invention is to make this work, as far as possible,
automatic, so that all that is necessary to do by hand is to supply the moulds
to the machine as fast as may be needed.
The means for sanding the moulds is similar to that ordinarily employed, con-
sisting of two rotatable discs and an endless belt, which passes about a portion
of the discs so as to hold the moulds against the peripheries of the discs, the
sand for use being placed upon the moulds, which are held against the lower
portions of these discs and between said discs.
The shaft B is the shaft upon which the aforesaid discs B are mounted, and
the discs, as usual in such sanders, are polygonal, the sides of the polygon being
made of such length as to accomodate a single mould. The sides of the polygon
are made at one end to overlap the preceeding side of the polygon, so as to form
a tooth or ledge B2, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8. This ledge or tooth engages
the edge of the mould C, as clearly shewn in Fig. 4, so as to furnish a positive
engagement to carry the moulds about with the discs. The moulds are held in
engagement with the discs by means of endless belts D), which pass over a series
of rollers, so as to encircle the lower portions of the discs. The moulds are fed
between the discs and the belts where the belts D pass about the pulleys D¹ upon
the shaft E, which is located at a little higher position than usual in brick mould
sanders, the object being to facilitate the automatic feeding of the moulds to
the machine, as will be hereinafter described. Beneath the shaft E is a shaft D6,
carrying guide pulleys D2, which act as idlers to control the lower run of the
belts D, and between the two runs of the belts is secured a curved plate A¹ so
as to prevent any sand from dropping down into the lower part of the machine.
A shaft D5 extends across the machine upon the opposite sides of the discs
and is located considerably above the shaft B¹, which carries the discs. The
shaft D5 is provided with pulleys D, (shewn in detail in Fig. 9) said pulleys
being provided with sprocket teeth adapted to engage the links of the belt Ď.

page_text: The curved arrow in Fig. 9 shews the direction of rotation of the pulleys. It
will be observed that the forward edges or flanks of the teeth of the pulleys D
are bevelled, the object of this being that the wheel may slip upon the belts
when the belts become caught or when the rate of feeding is less than the rate of
rotation of the wheel. This permits the rotation of the pulleys D' at a rate to
correspond with the fast rate of speed necessary and by slipping of the teeth
to accomodate the pulleys to a lower rate of speed.
A second set of idler-pulleys D³ is provided said pulleys being located beneath
the pulleys D and mounted up on swinging arms d¹, said arms being pivoted on
a cross shaft d, to one end of which is connected a counter-weighted lever d³.
The counter-weight upon this lever acts to maintain the tension upon the belt
and yet yields when necessary.
The discs B, which carry the moulds, are provided with adjustable bars B³,
by means of which the length of the sides may be changed, so as to accomodato
the same machine for use with moulds of different sizes. The discs are pro-
vided just within the sides thereof with two sets of slots and b₁ the slots b
being located at one end of the sides and substantially parallel therewith, while
the slots are located near the other end of the sides and are substantially,
parallel with the sides of the ledges or teeth B².
The adjustable bars 13 are secured to the disc by means of bolts 62, which pass
through said slots and . These bars may be adjusted inward, so that their
outer edges correspond substantially with the outer edges of the discs, or may
be adjusted outward, so as to project the pointed or forward edge thereof beyond
the surface of the dises, thus lengthening the sides of the discs and accomo
dating moulds of greater width.
Upon the shaft E and alongside of the pulleys D¹, over which the belts D pass,
are located the idler-pulleys El. These idler pulleys are of sufficiently larger
diameter than the pulleys D' so as to support the moulds C and prevent them
from being engaged by the belts D. This feature is shewn clearly in
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5.
The moulds C are fed to the machine by means of a chute or guide consisting
of two bars I, which are angular in cross section and placed at such a distance
apart as to hold the moulds between them. The guides are supported upon the
cross bar I, provided with longitudinal slots L³, (clearly shewn in Fig. 3) and
the guides I are held thereto by means of bolts I2, passing through said slots and
the guides. By this means the guides may be adjusted to accomodate moulds
of different lengths. The guides I are located at such an elevation that each
mould as it slides down the same will engage the rear-side of the preceeding
mould and force its upper edge over towards the discs B, as clearly shewn in
Fig. 4. thus forcing the moulds in position so that they will be engaged by the
hooks B2 upon the discs. The mould which is in position to be next engaged by
the discs rests upon the peripheries of the idler-pulleys E¹ and is engaged by
the next following mould, so as to be forced towards the discs. By means of
this construction it is possible to fill the guide-bars I with moulds and it is not
necessary to insert each mould separately and at exactly the right time. It is
therefore an easier matter to feed properly this machine than the ordinary sanders,
where the insertion of each mould must be exactly timed.
The moulds after being engaged by the discs are carried about the lower peri-
At this point
pheries thereof until they reach about the level of the shaft 13¹.
the sand has been mainly discharged from the moulds and the upper edge of the
mould tends to fall away from the discs. This is due to the fact that the sup-
port for the moulds is upon their inner edges. The position of the moulds at
this point is clearly shewn in Fig. 4, where one of the moulds is shewn as
having its under surface or bottom in engagement with the pulleys D. At this
point the mould strikes the guide-bars G, which force the upper edge of the
mould over towards the discs, so that it eventually drops down upon the discs.
as shewn by the preceeding mould, thus jarring the mould while in an inverted

page_text: position sufficiently to remove the surplus sand. In this manner the necessity
for hand rapping is avoided. The mould is still in engagement with the teeth
upon the discs, and its forward end is then brought into engagement with curved
guides by which the moulds are removed from the sander. These guides con-
sist of curved bars F, located so that their lower ends project inwardly beyond
the peripheries of the discs, and these bars are provided with a series of friction-
rollers which project slightly from the inner edge of the bars. To prevent
the corners of the moulds from catching between these rollers, an endless
belt is provided, which extends about the guides F and is interposed between
the moulds and the rollers. As the forward edges of the moulds engage said
belt the mould is forced upwards until it reaches the vertical position shewn by
the uppermost of the moulds in Fig. 4, and when it passes this vertical position
it is tipped backward over a roller F2, which extends across the machine, and
the mould is thus automatically deposited upon the receiving table, said table
being ordinarily composed of bars G¹, which slant downward towards the con-
veyer. One of the ends of these bars G¹, as well as the corresponding end of
the guides G, is supported upon a cross-bar G². The opposite end of the guides G
is supported upon the upper portion of the partition A or in any other suitable
manner.
At one end and at opposite sides of the frame A are two arms H, pivoted to
the shaft H', provided with pivoted bars or fingers H2. The bars H are con-
nected by links H³ with crank dises which are revolved by the operating mech-
anism. The bar upon one side is connected with a pin carried by the crank-
disc e on the shaft e, and the bar H upon the opposite side is connected with
a corresponding pin carried by a gear on the said shaft e, and by this means
the arms H are given an oscillating movement. In one extreme of their move-
ment the arms are in a position to engage by their free end the edge of the
mould as it is discharged over the roller F2. The ends of the fingers H2 are
each provided with a notch h, so as to conveniently engage the mould and pre-
vent its slipping. As the arms H are then oscillated or swung upon their pivots
the mould is engaged by the ends of the fingers H2 and forced downward upon
the receiving table until finally deposited upon the conveyer The fingers then
swing backward ready for engagement with the next mould.
The conveyer which extends parallel with the axis of the discs B, consists of
a framework J, provided with inner guide-bars J2, said guide-bars being provided
with grooves adapted to receive a sliding block K, and the conveyer is provided
with a series of rollers J, which support the moulds C and enable them to be
moved easily. The block K is provided with a spring operated arm k, which has
its end notched, so as to securely engage an end of the moulds, said arm being
held upwards by means of a spring k¹, as clearly shewn in Fig. 6. This spring
is of such strength as to be compressed by the depression of the bar as it is with-
drawn beneath the moulds C, but is sufficiently strong to throw it up into engage-
ment with the moulds.
The block K is reciprocated within its guides by means of a link K¹, which
connects it with an oscillating lever said lever being near the floor. This lever
is constructed in two parts, which are connected with each other by means of
a spring L in such manner that when the strain exceeds a certain amount the
spring will yield and permit the disconnection of the two parts, so that the feed-
ing of the moulds will be stopped automatically if they become blocked in any
manner. The construction of this lever, as shewn, consists in making the lower
part of the arm L forked, so as to accomodate the second member L¹ between the
parts thereof. The upper end of the member L₁ is bevelled, as clearly shewn in
Fig. 6, and when lying between the two parts of the arm L will engage a similar
bevelled portion upon said arm and positively prevent the member L¹ being
thrown farther back. The member L is held in this position by means of the
spring L³, which is secured to the arm L and projects slightly over the end of
the member L'.

page_text: It should be understood that there is no pivotal connection between the parts
of the lever.
The power for swinging the arm L is attached to the member L', consisting
of a link M, which is connected at one end to the member L' and at its other
end is connected with a crank N¹, mounted upon a shaft N, said shaft being pro-
vided with a bevel pinion N, which engages a bevel-gear e upon the shaft e.
The latter is a short shaft lying wholly on one side of the machine and is pro-
vided with a pulley P, which receives the driving belt. Upon the shaft e is
also mounted a sprocket pinion e, which carries a sprocket chain e³, said chain
passing over a pulley B' upon the shaft B1, which carries the discs B.
shaft e also carries a spur gear e¹, which engages with the spur gear e upon
the shaft D³. The sand which is placed within the moulds is indicated by S
in Fig. 4.
The
Two of these
The operation of my device is as follows:-The moulds C are placed within the
guides I, down which they slide until they engage the discs B.
moulds are usually held in vertical position, as shewn in Fig. 4, between the ends
of the guides I and the discs. One of these moulds is engaged by the teeth upon
the discs and forced downwards between the belts D and carried about the under
portion of the discs 'B. When sufficient of these moulds have been placed in
position to cover the lower portion of the discs, the sand S is placed within them, .
and the sand constantly falls from the moulds on the delivery side of the discs
into the moulds which have been recently added. The moulds thus form a tem-
porary bottom for the discs. The moulds, as carried about with the belts D.
are permitted to fall away from the dises as they pass above the centre thereof
until the moulds engage the rapping bars or guides G, which force the upper
edge of the moulds back towards the discs, the lower edge of each mould having
maintained its connection with the discs, and, as the moulds fall back upon the
discs they are jarred sufficiently to remove the surplus sand. The moulds are
then engaged by the curved reversing guides F and turned over the pulley F2
and deposited upon the receiving table, and after being deposited upon the receiv-
ing table they are engaged by the fingers H² and forced downward along the table
until they lie upon the conveyer, where they are engaged by the upper end of
the member L of the oscillating lever and carried along the conveyer.
As the
member L returns the moulds are engaged by the finger or bar k, and upon the
next return of the member L the moulds are forced forward into the brick-
moulder.
It is thus seen that the operation of the machine is entirely automatic. the
only attention required being the supply of the moulds in sufficient quantities.
By reason of the construction of the feed device the moulds are supplied as may
be convenient, so long as one mould is held in reserve in the feeding mechanism.
The number of moulds in reserve in excess of this is determined only by the
capacity of the feeding chutes or guides I.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
(1) A. brick-mould sander, comprising a revoluble frame adapted to engage
the moulds, belts or chains extending beneath the lower part of the frame and
engaging the moulds to hold them in contact with the frame, and a guide
engaging the moulds to throw them back upon the frame as they emerge between
the frame and belts, substantially as described.
(2) A brick-mould sander, comprising a, revoluble frame, and means for retain-
ing the moulds in contact with the lower half thereof during its revolution, and
a guide extending over the frame and engaging the moulds to throw them back
upon the frame, substantially as described.
(3) A brick-mould sander comprising a revoluble frame provided with means
for carrying the moulds about with it, a mould receiving table, curved revers-

page_text: ing guides having rollers thereon, and belts carried by the rollers of the revers-
ing guides, and engaging the moulds to remove them from the revoluble frame
and reverse them upon the receiving table, substantially as described.
(4) A brick-mould sander, comprising a revoluble frame provided with means
for carrying the moulds about with it, a mould receiving table, curved reversing
guides having rollers thereon, and a belt passing about the guide outside the
rollers, said guide engaging the moulds to remove them from the reversible frame,
and reverse them upon the receiving table, substantially as described.
(5) A brick-mould sander comprising a revoluble frame, means for holding the
moulds thereto during a portion of its revolution, a mould receiving table, a
reversing guide for delivering the moulds in an upright position on said table,
a convever for removing the moulds towards the mould-machine, and a recipro-
cating finger for engaging the moulds and moving them from the table to the
conveyer, substantially as described.
(6) A brick-mould sander comprising a revoluble frame, means for holding
the moulds thereto during a portion of its revolution, a mould receiving table,
a reversing guide for delivering the mould in an upright position upon said
table, a conveyer for the moulds, a pivoted swinging lever, means for swinging
said lever, and a bar pivoted to said lever and notched at its free end to engage
the moulds and remove them from the table to the conveyer, substantially as
described.
(7) A brick-mould sander, comprising a revoluble frame, means for holding
the moulds thereto during a portion of its revolution, a mould receiving table, a
reversing guide for delivering the moulds in upright position upon said table, a
conveyer chute or guide extending along one side of the receiving table, a feed-
ing bar for transferring the moulds from the table to the chute, and an oscillat-
ing feed-bar for engaging the moulds upon and moving them along the chute or
conveyer, substantially as described.
(8) A brick-mould sander, comprising a revoluble frame, means for holding
the moulds thereto during a portion of its revolution, a mould receiving table,
a reversing guide for delivering the moulds in upright position upon said table,
a conveyer chute or guide extending along one side of the receiving table, a feed-
ing bar for transferring the moulds from the table to the conveyer chute,
oscillating feed bar for engaging the moulds upon and moving them along the
chute or conveyer, and a yielding or spring held power connection to said oscil-
lating feed bar, substantially as described.
an
(9) A brick-mould sander, comprising a revoluble frame a chain or belt extend-
ing about the lower portion of the frame and holding the moulds to the frame,
supporting wheels therefor, and idler wheels mounted upon the shafts of the
belt supporting wheels at the feeding point, said wheels being larger than the
belt wheels and carrying the moulds before their introduction between belt and
frame, substantially as described.
(10) In a mould sander the combination with a support of a frame mounted
to turn therein and serving to carry the mould, a belt moving in time with the
frame to press the moulds against the frame, the belt extending around a portion
of the frame, and means at one end of the belt for throwing the moulds sharply
back upon the frame as the moulds leave the belt.
(11) In a mould-sander the combination with a support, of a frame adapted
to turn and to carry the moulds to be sanded, and means adjacent the frame for
throwing the moulds back sharply upon the frame after the moulds have been
sanded, whereby to rid the moulds of superfluous sand, substantially as described.
(12) A mould-sander having a mould carrying frame adapted to carry the
moulds through the sand, and means for throwing the moulds sharply back upon
the carrying frame after they have been sanded, whereby to rid the moulds of
superfluous sand.
(13) In a mould sander, the combination of a mould-carrying frame, a curved
guide juxtaposed to the frame and serving to receive the moulds from the frame,

page_text: a roller mounted adjacent to the guide and having the moulds turned over the
roller to reverse the moulds and means for receiving the moulds from the roller.
(14) In a mould-sander, the combination of a turning frame adapted to carry
the moulds through the sand, a reversing guide juxtaposed to the frame and
receiving the moulds from the frame, means for receiving the moulds from the
reversing guide, a swinging lever driven in time with the frame, and a bar
carried by the lever and adapted to engage the moulds as they move on the revers-
ing guide, whereby to throw the moulds from the reversing guide.
(15) In a mould-sander, the combination of means for carrying the moulds
through the sand, a reversing guide receiving the moulds from said means, and
a bar mounted to move in time with the mould carrying means and adjacent to
the reversing guide, the bar serving to engage the moulds to throw the same.
from the guide.
(16) A mould-sander, having a mould-carrier comprising a disc mounted to
turn, and a series of bars secured to the periphery of the disc, the bars being dis-
posed at angles to each other and being engaged by the moulds to support the
same, the bars being adjustable longitudinally, and laterally to accomodate
moulds of different sizes.
,
1
1000
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicants.