CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN MANUFACTURING TILES, BRICKS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PULVERIZED CLAY
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Nasmyth, of Patricroft, near Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and Herbert Minton, of Stoke-upon-
Trent, in the County of Stafford, China Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
MANUFACTURING TILES, BRICKS, AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PULVERIZED
CLAY."
Sealed the 25th July 1856, and dated the 21st April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Nasmyth and
Herbert Minton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st April 1856.
We, JAMES NASMYTH, of Patricroft, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and HERBERT MINTON, of Stoke-upon-Trent, in the
County of Stafford, China Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
IN MANUFACTURING TILES, BRICKS, AND OTHER ARTICLES PROM PULVERIZED CLAY, to
be as follows:-
In the manufacture of tiles, bricks, and other articles from pulverized clay,
by compressing the same into the required form in moulds, by the employment
of stamps or other agents for effecting the required degree of compression, it.
is found that if the required degree of consolidation be sought to be attained
by one single compression, part of the air which is naturally interspersed.

page_text: among the particles of pulverized clay gets so shut up or confined among the
particles of clay that, on withdrawing the compressing force, the confined air,
in its attempt to expand and escape, splits up the tile or brick or other article
into certain lamina or flakes, which are destructive to the requisite solidity of
the article sought to be produced.
In machines hitherto employed for producing tiles, bricks, and other articles
from pulverized clay, which are worked by manual labour, the defects which
result from air confined among the particles of the compressed pulverized clay,
are avoided or got rid of by the attendant giving to each die full of pulverized
clay two successive compressions, the first of which forces out the greater part
of the confined air from between the particles of pulverized clay, and by
releasing or withdrawing the pressure for an instant, so as to allow the con-
fined air to escape; following up the first compression by a second one,
which expresses any residual air, and firmly and completely consolidates the
brick, tile, or other article. But this double action necessarily adds to the
expenditure of time and labour required for the process.
By our Invention we effect the important object of producing perfectly
sound tiles, bricks, and other articles from pulverized clay, by the employment
of a machine so contrived as that by one single revolution of a peculiarly formed
excentric shaft or roller, which actuates the compressing die or dies, we effect
the first or preliminary compression, then release or remove this first com-
pression for au instant, so as to allow the confined air to escape from among
the particles of the pulverized clay, and then follow up with the final con-
solidating compression as before said, by one continuous rotation of the
peculiarly formed excentric shaft which actuates the compressing die or dies.
It is the effecting of the above described successive functions for the purpose
in question, by one or each successive single rotation of the excentric or main
shaft of the machine, that we claim as the distinctive feature of our
Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed a
by the said James Nasinyth and Herbert Minton in the Great Seal:
· Patent Office on the 20th October 1856:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
NASMYTH, of Patricroft, near Manchester, in the. County of Lancaster,.
Engineer, and HERBERT MINTON, of Stoke-upon-Trent, in the County of 3
Stafford, China Manufacturer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Nasmyth and Herbert Minton, Her special license that we, the
said James Nasmyth and Herbert Minton, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Nasmyth and Herbert Minton,
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 CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN MANUFACTURING TILES, BRICKS, AND OTHER
ARTICLES FROM PULVERIZED CLAY, upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said James Nasmyth and Herbert Minton, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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 James Nasmyth and Herbert Minton,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):-
The nature of our said Invention consists in so constructing the excentric
shaft which actuates the compressing die or dies, that each rotation thereof
shall effect the first compression of the pulverized clay in the die box, then
release the compression to allow the confined air to escape from among the
particles of pulverized clay, and then effect the final consolidating compression,
whereby tiles, bricks, or other articles are produced of the requisite solidity..
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine for making tiles, to which our
improvements are applied; Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detached views of the
excentric shaft and die box.
In the manufacture of tiles, bricks, and other articles from pulverized clay,
by compressing the same into the required form in moulds (by the employment

page_text: of stamps or other agents for effecting the required degree of compression), it
is found that if the required degree of consolidation be sought to be attained
by one single compression, part of the air which is naturally interspersed
among the particles of pulverized clay gets so shut up or confined among the
particles of the clay that, on withdrawing the compressing force, the confined
air, in its attempt to expand and escape, splits up the tile or brick or other
article into certain lamina or flakes, which are destructive to the requisite
solidity of the article sought to be produced.
In machines hitherto employed for producing tiles, bricks, and other articles
from pulverised clay, which are worked by manual labour, the defects which
result from air confined among the particles of the compressed pulverised clay
are avoided or got rid of by the attendant giving to each die full of pulverised
"clay two successive compressions, the first of which forces out the greater part
of the confined air from between the particles of pulverised clay, and by
releasing or withdrawing the pressure for an instant, so as to allow the con-
¡fined air to escape; following up the first compression by a second one,
which expresses any residual air, and firmly and completely consolidates the
brick, tile, or other article. But this double action necessarily adds to the
expenditure of time and labour required for the process.
By our Invention we effect the important object of producing perfectly
'sound tiles, bricks, and other articles from pulverised clay by the employment
of the excentric shaft a, revolving in bearings attached to the side frames 6;
the excentric shaft a acts on the ram c, to the lower end of which is fixed the
stamp d; the die box e, and the other parts of the machine for supplying
the pulverised clay and for raising the tile out of the die box, are constructed
in the ordinary manner. In Fig. 1, the head of the ram c is in contact with
the shortest radius of the excentric a, and the stamp d is consequently raised
to admit of the pulverised clay being supplied to the die box c. When the
excentric shaft a has performed rather more than one-third of a revolution, it
assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, and the stamp having been depressed
into the die box, effects the first or preliminary compression of the pulverised
clay, by that portion of the excentric marked a' acting on the ram c; the
pressure on the pulverised clay is then released momentarily by the flattened
portion of the excentric shaft a coming directly above the end of the ram c,
as shewn in Fig. 3, to allow for the escape of the air that may be confined
among its particles, and which, but for this action and the succeeding or final
compression, would cause the tile to be defective, as before explained. The
stamp is raised off the compressed clay by the cross bar f passing through the
ram c, the side rods g, g, joined to the cross bar f, and the india-rubber or other

page_text: springs h, h, contained in the boxes of the cross head i, or by other equivalent
means for effecting the same object. The final consolidating compression is
given to the clay by the action of that portion of the excentric shaft a
marked a², when it assumes the position shewn in Fig. 4. The tile being by
these operations finished, so far as regards the compression thereof, is removed
from the die box e in the usual manner, and a fresh portion of pulverized clay
having been supplied to the die box, the operations proceed as before. That
portion of the excentric marked a¹ is represented in Fig. 2 as being thirteen
and a quarter inches from the axis of the excentric, and the portion marked a³,
is represented thirteen and a half inches from the axis, while the flattened
surface between the two is thirteen inches from the axis; but these dimen-
sions of course may be varied. From the foregoing description, it will be
seen that each single rotation of the excentric shaft a imparts the requisito
motions to the compressing die or dies, for partially consolidating the pulverised
clay in the die box, then releases it to allow the air to escape, and finally com-
pletes the consolidation of the clay by a second compression. By varying the
shape of the compressing die and of the die box, it is obvious that bricks and
other articles may in like manner be made of pulverised clay.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the details herein set forth, as the same may be modified without
departing from the peculiar character of our Invention, and we claim,―
First, the excentric shaft a, or any equivalent agent, for effecting by one
continuous rotation the objects described.
And, secondly, raising the compressing die off the partially compressed
pulverized clay, to allow the air to escape by means of the springs h, or other
equivalent means for effecting the same object.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Nasmyth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
II. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
JAMES NASMYTH. (L.S.)