Improvements in Apparatus for Excavating Clay and Moulding it into Bricks, Tiles, and such like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Excavating Clay and Moulding it
into Bricks, Tiles, and such like.
I, JOHANN GEORG HARSTER, of 12, Wormserlandstrasse, Speyer a/ Rhine,
Germany, Gardener, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention has for its object the construction, as one apparatus, of a clay
or clay-loam excavating machine and a device for moulding bricks, tiles, and
such like and the characteristic feature of the invention is that the clay is caused,
through its adhesiveness, to automatically transport itself from the earth on to
the table of the moulding device.
Referring to the drawings of the new machine annexed hereto :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the combined excavating and tile or brick
moulding machine.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of an excavating apparatus only.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an arrangement of the machine with two mould-
ing presses.
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a stationary excavator provided with
a pipe moulding press.
Fig. 6 shows another stationary arrangement of the machine.
Fig. 7 is a sectional detail.
On the drawings the same reference letters wherever repeated indicate like
parts.
A cylinder A, the breadth of which is equal to the length or a multiple of
the length of a brick, rests with its axle P in the uprights E which are carried
by the platform B. A knife C is movably secured, by means of the armis c, c,
upon the axle P and its position is regulated by means of the double-screw D.
Arranged at the rear end of the platform B is a steering wheel H which can
be turned by means of the hand lever i. Jointed, at e, to the upper ends of the
uprights E is a lever-table or frame F provided with rollers ground which
travels the endless carrying band G. This band is actuated by means of the
friction roller s which latter, as shown, bears upon the surface of the cylinder A.
The table F also carries the cross roller K which is provided with end flanges
and which revolves over the carrying band G. This roller K, in conjunction
with its end flanges, performs the operation of smoothing and shaping the three
sides of each brick not in direct contact with the band G. It is evident that by
suitably disposing the roller K and by either leaving it plain or suitably engrav-
ing it any kind of plain or ornamental brick can be made in the machine.
Stretched between the flanges of the roller K are wires k which cut the clay X
into pieces of equal size as the roller revolves.
The modus operandi is as follows:--
When the heavy cylinder or roller A travels over the level clay surface r a
portion of the clay separates itself from the main body and adheres to the
cylinder. The separation is facilitated by the action of the knife C which is
adjusted to the proper position for cutting into the clay by means of the screw ]).

page_text: The clay thus separated is carried round by the cylinder A until it reaches the
top when it is removed from the cylinder and directed on to the table F by the
action of the knife or scraper f at the inner end of the table. The clay, owing
to the fact that it is being continuously delivered by the cylinder A, is forced
along on to the band G and by it is carried below the roller K by which it is
shaped and cut, as hereinbefore described. The bricks now properly shaped
and cut can be carried away by means of any well known and suitable device.
In Fig. 2 an excavating apparatus is shown which is not capable of cutting
or shaping the clay but which is merely arranged to deliver it at a certain place
to be moulded. In this case the cylinder A is surrounded by a carrying band L
of a suitable length and which is guided by means of rollers carried by the
jointed arms F. Instead of the knife f of Fig. 1, which wears away very
quickly, a wire f is, in this case, stretched between the arms and which
cleanly scrapes off the clay at the turning point of the band L as it passes round
the left hand roller, so that, as a consequence, the clay falls down perpen-
dicularly from it and is broken into pieces which can be collected and removed
in any well known and suitable form of transporting apparatus. A roller K,
carried by the uprights E, serves to press the clay against the surface of the
band L at the point where it changes its motion from a rotary to a rectilinear one.
In Fig. 3 a modification is shown in which the cylinder A, as in Fig. 2, is
surrounded by a band L and is also provided with a series of rounded projec-
tions on its surface which pass through openings in the band and make impres-
sions in the clay so that, as a result, solid bricks are not made but merely bricks
with hollows at one side. This method of making the bricks is found to be
advantageous when the ground does not consist of pure clay but has foreign
matter, such as pieces of lime or quartz, embedded in it, which would, without
fail, break a solid brick but which would merely break one of the partitions
between the indentations of the indented brick so that such brick would not be
rendered entirely useless. In this arrangement, instead of using a knife Ca
wire M (or more than one) or a strip of steel, is stretched between the perpen-
dicular knives (see Fig. 4). These knives can be raised and lowered and
clamped in the adjusted position by means of bolts passed through the arms N
which latter can be turned round the axle P.
The proper vertical position is
given to the arms N by means of the screws carried by the cross bars T of
the uprights R. By having this arrangement the machine can be worked in
either direction .e. backwards or forwards. It is necessary that the moulding
device and the transporting device should also be double acting this is easily
attained in the case of the transporting device as all that is necessary is to
arrange a second transporting device at the other side of the cylinder: whilst,
with the moulding device K, it can be arranged so as to work either at one side
or other of the cylinder A as desired. In order to effect this it is carried by a
triangular shaped frame p which is pivotted at, to the upper ends of the
parallel arms which are pivotted upon the bolts Vand can turn from side
to side within the cross bars T. As will be seen, with this construction, the
moulding device can be shifted from side to side, as desired, without changing
its horizontal position. When the arms V are shifted over to the right hand side
then the band L bears against the corresponding roller at that side and in this
manner, by friction, revolves the right hand band G.
It requires to be specially mentioned here that I have not described in detail
the modus operandi of the moulding device K previously described because it
constitutes no essential part of the invention. Merely a general arrangement
of a moulding and cutting device is given by means of which, in any suitable
manner, bricks or tiles of any desired form can be made, and this has been done
for the reason that it falls to be considered in conjunction with the other parts
of the apparatus.
Finally, in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 stationary arrangements of the apparatus are
shown. The moulding press in Fig. is specially adapted for making drain

page_text: pipes and in this case the clay X previously excavated by excavating apparatus
is thrown into a channel, in which works an endless carrying band L' operated
by means of the roller and running over the rollers Z, Z. This band, which
carries the clay to the cylinder A, is scraped by means of a wire S. The clay
is carried by the band L upwards and between grooved rollers W by which the
band and the clay is bent into a tubular shape round the bent rod or mandrel to'.
The open seam left by the rod in the clay tube is closed by means of the
finger-closer w so that the finished pipe Y is delivered at the left hand side of
the rollers W.
In Fig. 6 the band L is replaced by two rollers R1, R2 revolved in opposite
directions and instead of a scraping wire S a knife S¹ is shown as being used.
The drum R delivers the clay on to the moulding table.
The whole machine may be traversed over the clay field by means of a suit-
able motor or by means of horses. It is steered by means of the wheel H and
hand lever i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is;-
.
1. A machine for dredging or digging up clay provided with a clay moulding
press, characterized by a cylinder (A) which rolls over or upon the surface of the
clay and which carries an adhering layer of the clay, separated by a knife (C),
upwards to a table where it is removed from the cylinder by means of a knife
or scraper (f) and delivered to a carrying band (G); the clay whilst passing over
the table being subjected to the action of a suitable clay moulding and cutting
device (K), substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
2. In a machine such as claimed in Claim 1, the application and use of a
carrying band (L) running round the cylinder (A) and over the guide rollers (7)
said band having a wire scraper (f) stretched across it for the purpose of separat-
ing the clay from the band, substantially as herein before described with reference
to Fig. 2 of the drawings annexed.
3. In a machine such as claimed in Claim 1, the arrangement of the moulding
and cutting device upon swinging arms (V); of a wire cutter (M) adjustably
secured upon the arms (N), and of the double arrangement of carrying bands (G),
all for the purpose of enabling the machine to operate, as desired, either in a
forward or backward direction, substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed.
4. In a machine such as claimed in Claim 3, the arrangement of projections (a)
upon the surface of the cylinder (A) and of a band (L) with corresponding holes
therein through which the projections can pass, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In a machine such as claimed in Claim 1, the arrangement of a conveying
band (I), a separating wire (S) and the pipe moulding device consisting of
two rollers (W, W), the mandrel (w) and the seam closer (w), all substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 5 and 7 of the drawings
annexed.
6. The modification of the apparatus claimed in Claim 5 wherein the conveying
band is replaced by rollers (R1, R2) and the separating wire by a knife (S¹),
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings
annexed.
Dated this 13th dov of January 1800
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.