IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING CLAY OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIALS TO FORM BRICKS, TILES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Constantine Fawcett and Walter
Mathers Shackleton, of Saint Andrew's Foundry, Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineers' Tool and Machine Makers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING
CLAY OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIALS TO FORM BRICKS, TILES, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES."
Sealed the 28th July 1871, and dated the 1st February 1871.-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Constantine
Fawcett and Walter Mathers Shackleton at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st February
1871.
We, THOMAS CONSTANTINE FAWCETT and WALTER MATHERS SHACK-
LETON, of Saint Andrew's Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineers Tool and Machine Makers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING AND

page_text: PRESSING CLAY OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIALS TO FORM BRICKS, TILES, AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:--
This Invention relates more especially to machinery constructed and
adapted so as to be employed for pressing or condensing the forms of
clay or other materials of which bricks, tiles, or other similar articles
are made after they have been moulded or formed by other ordinary
machinery, but the same may also be employed for moulding or forming
such articles.
The improved machinery consists of a circular table or disc mounted
horizontally on a vertical shaft supported in suitable framing. Also a
series of moulds are provided in this table or disc of suitable size and
form concentric with the shaft. Intermittent rotary motion is given to
the said table from a main driving shaft by ratchet wheel and catch
operated by cam or eccentric and other suitable gearing, so as to move
the distance from one mould to another at each movement. Also a
lever is hinged to the frame carrying a presser at one end formed to
fit the moulds, and the other end is operated by a cam or eccentric on
the main shaft, so as to force the presser into the moulds.
In some
cases we have the moulds made through the table and have a presser on
each side or one above and the other under the table, and operated
simultaneously, so as to press on both sides of the brick, tile, or other
forms together. We also employ another lever with fork operated by a
cam or eccentric on the main shaft to force the forms out of the moulds.
The brick, tile, or other forms are supplied in succession by an attendant
to the moulds when they are respectively opposite to or not under the
presser, and when the said moulds are turned under the presser or
between the two pressers the forms become pressed or condensed
thereby, and when the table is again turned forward with the said
moulds away from the presser or pressers the forms are lifted or forced
out of the moulds and may be placed upon a travelling apron either by
an attendent or by a lever or other equivalent operated so as to push
them from the table upon the said apron.
When this machine is to be used for moulding a hopper is attached to
the table to receive the clay or other materials, and it is provided with a
screw or pair of winged rollers or other suitable instrument to force the
said materials out of the hopper into the moulds in succession.

page_text: filed by the said Thomas Constantine Fawcett and Walter Mathers
Shackleton in the Great Scal Patent. Office on the 1st August
1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Thomas
CONSTANTINE FAWCETT and WALTER MATHERS, SHACKLETON, of Saint
Andrew's Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers' Tool and
Machine Makers, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Constantine Fawcett and Walter
Mathers Shackleton, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas
Constantine Fawcett and Walter Mathers Shackleton, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Constantine Fawcett and Walter Mathers Shackleton, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING CLAY OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIALS
TO FORM BRICKS, TILES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Constantine Fawcett and Walter
Mathers Shackleton, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and. cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Constantine Fawcett
and Walter Mathers Shackleton, do, hereby declare the nature of our
said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
f

page_text: be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, and two accompanying Sheets of Drawings (that is to say):-
This Invention relates more especially to machinery constructed and
adapted so as to be employed for pressing or condensing the forms of
clay or other materials of which bricks, tiles, or other similar articles are
made after they have been moulded or formed by other ordinary
machinery, but the samé may also be employed for moulding or forming
such articles.
'
The improved machinery' consists of a circular table or disc mounted
horizontally on a vertical shaft supported in suitable framing. Also a
series of moulds are provided in this table or disc of suitable size and
form concentric with the shaft. Intermittent rotary motion is given to
the said table from a main driving shaft by ratchet wheel and catch
operated by cam or eccentric and rod or other suitable gearing, so as to
move the table the distance from one mould to another at each move-
ment. Also a lever is hinged to the frame carrying a presser at one
end formed to fit the moulds, and the other end is operated by a cam or
eccentric on the main shaft, so as to force the presser into the moulds.
In some cases we have the moulds made through the table and have a
presser on each side, or one above and the other under the table, and
operated simultaneously so as to press on both sides of the brick, tile, or
other forms together. We also employ another lever with fork operated
by a cam or eccentric on the main shaft to force the forms out of the
moulds. The brick, tile, or other forms are supplied in succession by an
attendant to the moulds when they are respectively opposite to or not
under the presser, and when the said moulds are turned under the
presser or between the two pressers the forms become pressed or
condensed thereby, and when the table is again turned forward with the
said moulds away from the presser or pressers the forms are lifted or
forced out of the moulds, and may be placed upon a travelling apron
either by an attendant, or by a lever, or other equivalent operated so as
to push them from the table upon the said apron.
When this machine is to be used for moulding a hopper is attached to
the table to receive the clay or other materials, and it is provided with a
screw or pair of winged rollers or other suitable instrument to force the
said materials out of the hopper into the moulds in succession.

page_text: In order that this Invention may be fully understood we herein give
reference to two Sheets of Drawings accompanying the same, wherein
Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 an end elevation of a
machine constructed in accordance therewith, and especially adapted
for pressing or condensing forms previously moulded by ordinary
Fig. is a plan, fig.
'
machine constructed in accordance therewith, and especially adapted
for pressing or condensing forms previously moulded by ordinary
machinery.
A is the circular table or disc mounted upon a vertical shaft B
supported on framing C, and capable of rotating thereon. The table is
provided with a series of four moulds or receptacles for the moulded
forms D arranged concentric with the shaft and at equal distances apart,
so that when the said table is turned by intermittent stages each of the
said receptacles will be placed in the precise position for the presser E to
enter correctly when put into action. Intermittent motion is given to the
table or disc by means as follows:-A rod F is connected at one end to
a lever G which is hinged to the frame at G¹, and carries on a stud a
runner or friction roller G³ which enters into and is capable of running
in a cam groove G³ formed in or fixed to the side of the spur wheel H,
which gives oscillatory motion to the said lever G. The wheel H
is keyed on the shaft I and in gear with a pinion J on the driving
shaft K. The rod F is connected at the other end to a lever F' which
fits loosely on the shaft B; and on the said shaft B is fixed a ratchet
wheel notch or catch plate B', the notches or catches being four, corrc-
sponding to the number of moulds in the table, arranged equidistant
from each other and concentric to the shaft B, and having one side
inclined or sloping, so that the lever F¹ may slide up the incline in the
back stroke of the rod F, and take on one of the notches or catches, and
at the forward stroke of the said rod F will pull the ratchet or catcli
plate, and thereby, turn the table one-fourth of its revolution. The table
is then held in position by a bar L which is hinged to the frame at L',
and its top end caused to take into a notch on the edge of the table by
the action of a cam M affixed to the rod F, which comes into contact with
a friction roller on the bottom end of the said bar Lon the forward stroke
of the said rod F. This bar is removed from the notch by the action of
another cam N fixed on the said rod F, which comes into contact with
the other side of the friction roller which is on the bottom end of the
said bar L on the back stroke of the said rod F. The presser E is
hinged to one end of a lever P which is mounted on pivots or shaft P
1

page_text: supported upon the frame, and to the other end of this lever is applied a
friction roller P2, which is acted upon by a cam Q fixed on the shaft I,
thereby operating the presser or forcing it into the moulds. A similar
lever R is mounted on pivots R' under the frame, which carries a
series of perforators or pins S for perforating the bricks, tiles, or other
forms when in the moulds, which lever is operated by a similar cam T
fixed on the shaft I for forcing the perforators upward, and a bell-
crank lever or two levers U and U' mounted on a shaft U2 are caused
to operate on the said lever R to assist in withdrawing the said per-
forators, the lever U being actuated by a cám V fixed on the shaft I.
Another lever W hinged to the frame at W¹ carries a fork or two pins
W at one end, and a friction roller X at the other end enters a cam
groove in the wheel Y, which operates or gives motion to the said lever
W, and thereby causes it to lift the bricks, tiles, or other forms out of
the moulds at the proper time and place after they have been pressed, as
shewn in the Drawings. The cams are all set in suitable positions so as
to operate the levers at proper times in order that all the parts may act
in concert with each other. This lever R may be used for pressing
instead of perforating, as will be easily seen, in which case the forms
will be pressed on both sides. The forms may be supplied by an
attendant, and may be removed by another and placed upon an endless
apron or creeper to be carried away, or a lever or rake may be applied
and operated from some part of the machine at suitable times to push
or pull the forms off the table upon the creeper as may be most
desirable.
When this machine is to be used for moulding bricks, tiles, or other
forms, we apply to the table in suitable position any ordinary hopper to
receive the supply of clay or other materials, such hopper being provided
with screw rollers or other suitable instruments for forcing the materials
therefrom into the moulds at the proper time, as will be readily
understood by all practical machine brick makers and others.
In conclusion we would observe that although we have shewn and
described four moulds or receptacles formed in the table, yet any other
convenient number may be formed therein, and suitable levers applied
and operated accordingley; also that the moveable table instead of being
circular and caused to rotate intermittently may be rectangular, and
caused to reciprocate intermittently by suitable means.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and shewn
in what manner the same is or may be performed, we would have it
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details; but
what we claim as of our Invention is, the combination and
arrangement
of mechanism, substantially as shewn and described for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Constantine Fawcett, for
and on behalf of myself and the said Walter Mathers Shackleton,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
o