IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR MOULDING BRICKS AND OTHER AGGLOMERATED ARTICLES OF LIKE KIND.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Whieldon, of No. 190, Westminster Bridge Road,
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR MOULDING BRICKS AND OTHER AGGLOMERATED
ARTICLES OF LIKE KIND.' Partly a communication from abroad by François
Durand and Earnest Louis Marais, of Paris.
Sealed the 11th August 1876, and dated the 17th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Whieldon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1876.
WILLIAM WHIELDON, of No. 190, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR MOULDING
BRICKS AND OTHER AGGLOMERATED ARTICLES OF LIKE KIND.”
This Invention relates to pressing and moulding apparatus of the kind described
in the Specification of a Patent granted to F. Durand and E. L. Marais on the
27th April 1875, No. 1534, and consists in certain improvements in the construction
of such apparatus whereby its operation is rendered more easy and precise, and
means are afforded of impressing the moulded articles with letters or other marks
or cavities as may be desired.
One of the present improvements relates to the mode of feeding the clay or other
material that is to be moulded in such a manner that the quantity fed at each
stroke can be accurately adjusted to suit the stroke of the compressing piston and
the particular nature or condition of the material operated on. This is effected by
interposing between the fixed hopper a horizontally sliding feed box, open above
and below, and effecting its reciprocating movement by cranks, cams, or eccentrics
in such a manner that it is at one part of its stroke under the hopper and over the
piston, receiving a charge from the hopper, and that at another part of the stroke
it is away from the hopper and over the mould cavity in front of the piston, into
which cavity its charge is delivered to be moulded by the advance of the piston.
One side of this feed box is made moveable, and can be adjusted by a setting screw
so as to increase or to diminish the capacity of the box according as a greater or
a less quantity of material is required to charge the mouid.
Another improvement relates to the mode of operating the vertically sliding face
of the mould, which, having to sustain the whole pressure resulting from the
[Price Gd.]

page_text: forward stroke of the piston, is apt. to jam in its down position, and which, as
described in the Specification above referred to, has to be raised from that position
by losing levers worked by cams, so that at every revolution of the cam shaft there
To avoid this strain and
is a great strain and shock in effecting this movement.
shock I arrange a rocking shaft with pushers which come directly under the mould
face, and I work this shaft by a cam so timed that the pushers start the movement
of the face upwards just as the losing levers are about to act upon it.
Another improvement relates to the mode of impressing letters or other marks
upon the face of the moulded brick or block. For this purpose I make the pressing
piston hollow, and fit within it an interior piston or slide capable of moving a little
distance to and fro within the pressing piston. I fix on the face of this inner
piston types of the desired letters or marks, projecting from it through holes which
they fit in the face of the pressing piston. The inner piston being slid forward,
these types are protruded beyond the face of the pressing piston and make the
impression on the moulded article; they are then retracted so as to leave the article
free to be raised for the purpose of detaching it from the pressing face of the piston.
When the apparatus is applied to moulding bricks, I prefer to keep a small quan-
tity of steam flowing into the interior of the piston, so as to warm and damp the
pressing face and types, this having the effect of permitting them to be more
easily detached from the pressed material, of lubricating the mould, and of giving
a sharper and cleaner impression. For producing the rounded cavity usually
formed on one face of a brick I make the interior slide with a corresponding
convex face, and fit it so as not only to slide to and fro within the pressing piston,
but also to rock on the axis of this convex face, whereby it relieves itself better,
and I effect this rocking movement by providing it with a tail piece, which, by the
movement of the piston is brought against fixed studs.
According to another improvement I fit the face of the mould to slide upwards
and downwards behind the stop adjustable in position, and give it a motion such
that at one part of the stroke it stands facing the piston, while the latter presses
the material against it; it then descends, and the piston advancing pushes the
moulded article on to it, and when the piston retreats it rises, raising the moulded
article to the level of the feed box, which advancing pushes it off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Whieldon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th August
1876.
WILLIAM WHIELDON, of No. 190, Westminster Bridge Road, Laubeth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING OR MOULDING
BRICKS AND OTHER AGGLOMERATED ARTICLES OF LIKE KIND." Partly a com-
munication from abroad by François Durand and Ernest Louis Marais, of Paris.
My Invention relates to pressing and moulding apparatus of the kind described
in the Specification of a Patent granted to F. Durand and E. L. Marais, on the
27th April 1875, No. 153+, and consists in certain improvements in the construction
of such apparatus whereby its operation is rendered more easy and precise, and
means are afforded of impressing the moulded articles with letters or other marks
or cavities as may be desired.
One of the present improvements relates to the mode of feeding the clay or other
material that is to be moulded in such a manner that the quantity fed at each
stroke can be accurately adjusted to suit the stroke of the compressing piston and
This is effected by
the particular nature or condition of the material operated on.
interposing between the fixed hopper a horizontally sliding feed box open above
and below, and effecting its reciprocating movement by cranks, cams, or eccentrics
in such a manner that it is at one part of its stroke under the hopper and over the
piston, receiving a charge from the hopper, and that at another part of the stroke

page_text: '
it is away from the hopper and over the mould cavity in front of the piston, into
which cavity its charge is delivered to be moulded by the advance of the piston.
One side of this feed box is made moveable, and can be adjusted by a setting screw
so as to increase or diminish the capacity of the box according as a greater or
a less quantity of material is required to charge the mould.
Another improvement relates to the mode of operating the vertically sliding face
of the mould, which, having to sustain the whole pressure resulting from the
forward stroke of the piston, is apt to jam in its down position, and which, as
described in the Specification above referred to, has to be raised from that position
by losing levers worked by cams, so that at every revolution of the cam shaft there
is a great strain and shock in effecting this movement. To avoid this strain and
shock I arrange a rocking shaft with pushers which come directly under the mould
face, and I work this shaft by a cam so timed that the pushers start the movement
of the face upwards just as the losing levers are about to act upon it.
Another improvement relates to the mode of impressing letters or other marks
upon the face of the moulded brick or block. For this purpose I make the pressing
piston hollow, and fit within it an interior piston or slide capable of moving a little
distance to and fro within the pressing piston. I fix on the face of this inner
piston types of the desired letters or marks, projecting from it through holes which
they fit in the face of the pressing piston. The inner piston being slid forward,
these types are protruded beyond the face of the pressing piston and make tho
impression on the moulded article, they are then retracted, so as to leave the article
free to be raised for the purpose of detaching it from the pressing face of the pistor.
When the apparatus is applied to moulding bricks, I prefer to keep a small quan-
tity of steam flowing into the interior of the piston, so as to warm and damp the
pressing face and types, this having the effect of permitting them to be more easily
detached from the pressed material, of lubricating the mould, and of giving a
sharper and cleaner impression. For producing the rounded cavity usually formed
on one face of a brick, I make the interior slide with a corresponding convex face,
and fit it so as not only to slide to and fro within the pressing piston, but also to
reck on the axis of this convex face, whereby it relieves itself better, and I eflect
this rocking movement by providing it with a tail piece, which by the movement
of the piston is brought against fixed studs.
According to another improvement I fit the face of the mould to slide upwards
and downwards behind a stop adjustable in position, and give it a motion such that
at one part of the stroke it stands facing the piston while the latter presses the
material against it, it then descends, and the piston advancing pushes the moulded
article on to it, and when the piston retreats it rises, raising the moulded article
to the level of the feed box, which advancing pushes it off.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a brick machine of the kind described in the Specification
above referred to, having applied to it several of the present improvements which
I will describe, limiting my description to those parts of the machine which I
consider novel. Beneath the clay hopper A I provide a sliding feed box B, caused
to reciprocate horizontally by rods B₁ and levers B2 from a crank C (which might
be an eccentric or cam), on the main shaft of the machine. One side b of the feed
box B is made moveable, and can be adjusted in position by a screw b', so as to
increase or decrease as may be required the capacity of the box according to the
nature of the material operated on and the volume of the brick to be produced.
The movement of the box B is so timed to that of the piston D that its open mouth
comes under the hopper A, and receives a charge; it then advances till it comes
over the passage by which its charge descends to the mould in front of the piston,
which advancing compresses the charge against the front plate F of the mould.
This front plate after the compression of the brick has to be lifted, so as to let the
farther travel of the piston extrude the moulded brick. In machines constructed

page_text: according to the Specification above referred to the lifting of the plate F was
effected by means of losing levers F¹, worked by a cam on the main shaft. In order
to facilitate the raising of the plate I provide besides the levers F¹ lifting rods F²;
worked by a lever F3 from a cam F on the main shaft, this cam being so timed as
to cause the upward movement of the plate F to be started just before the levers F¹
begin to act upon it. For imprinting letters or other marks on the brick I
construct the piston as shewn in the longitudinal section Fig. 3 and plan Fig. 4.
Within the piston 1), which is hollow, I fit a slide G, having on its face the types g
passing through corresponding holes in the face plate of the piston. The slide Ğ
has jointed to it two toggle pieces G, which at each revolution of the main cam D¹
are brought into a straight position by a bolt D entering their jaws, thus causing
the slide G with its types g to advance and make the impression on the brick.
As
the piston D with its slide G advances, extruding the 'brick, a horn G2 on the
slide G meets a fixed stop G³, which has the effect of retracting the slide and its
types from the brick just before the piston reaches the extreme of its forward
stroke. For lubricating the mould and facilitating the withdrawal of the types,
I provide a small steam pipe H, opening into a cavity in the slide G, from which
cavity there is a small passage, or there may be several small passages through the
type plate. The steam keeps the type plate warm, and when the types are
retracted a small quantity of steam issues into the mould having the effect of
lubricating it. A second pipe H¹ opens from the cavity of the slide G, so that
there is always a circulation of steam through the cavity. For impressing the
circular hollow or frog on the base of the brick I employ the arrangement shewn in
Fig. 1, and to an enlarged scale in Fig. 5, which is a longitudinal section, and
Fig. 6, which is a sectional plan of the piston as arranged for this purpose. Within
the hollow piston D is mounted a rocking piece K, the front of which is cylindrical
and partly protrudes through the face plate of the piston, in which it can rock.
The tail of this rocking piece is held down by a weight or spring hooked to it, but
being made with a slope at K', when the piston advances so as to bring the sloping
part K against the stationary shoulder K2, the piece K is caused to turn slightly
upon the axis of its front cylindrical part, which is thus relieved from adhesion to
the brick. When this rocking movement takes place two horns K³ on the rocking
piece being raised above stops K in the interior of the piston, permit the rocking
piece to recede; but when by the back stroke of the piston the incline K¹ retreats
from K, then the weight or spring acting on the rocking picce causes its tail to
descend, whereby the horns K³ being again brought downwards in front of the
stops K cause the front end of the rocking piece K to be again protruded and
firmly held for the impression of a succeeding brick. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section
of a brick machine with the delivery part modified according to the last-mentioned
improvement. In this case in front of the mould L I provide a vertically sliding
piece M, somewhat thicker than the width of a brick. This sliding piece is worked
by a cam on the main shaft, so that while the piston D is advancing to compress
the brick in the mould L it remains at rest, forming a stationary abutment or back
of the mould. After the compression is effected the slide M descends till the upper
face is slightly below the bottom of the mould; the piston D then advancing pushes
the brick forward so that it rests upon the upper face of M, whereupon M is made
to rise to the position shewn in Fig. 2, raising the brick N to the level on which
the sliding feed box B moves. The feed box at its next forward stroke moves the
brick onward and then retreats leaving the space clear for the ascent of the
succeeding brick. I prefer to provide in the slide M a cavity M² open in front and
at bottom, so that if there be an excess of material in the mould a portion of it can
escape.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the general
construction or mode of operating brick machines according to the system set forth
in the Specification above referred to, but I only claim as improvements in the
constructive details of such machines―

page_text: First. Adjusting the capacity of the feed box by making one side moveable,
substantially as herein described.
Second. Relieving the gear for lifting the front plate of the mould by means of
pushers operated by a rocking shaft and cam, substantially as herein described.
Third. Providing the piston with a type slide operated substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. Admitting steam from the type slide into the mould substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
Fifth. Impressing the frog or rounded hollow on the base of a brick by means of
a rocking piece, constructed and operated substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth. Effecting the discharge of the moulded bricks by means of a vertical slide
operating in combination with the piston and feed box, substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Whieldon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM WHIELDON. (L.S.)