IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Burdett, of the Harrow Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS."
Sealed the 5th March 1869, and dated the 8th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Burdett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th September 1868.
I, JOSEPH BURDETT, of the Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain mechanical arrangements for dividing
or cutting the clay as it passes from the die or exit aperture of the
moulding machine into bricks of the required shape and dimensions.
It is unnecessary to describe the general nature of the machinery to

page_text: which these improvements are applicable, as the same is well known and
understood, and the present Invention refers only to the particulars
hereiu mentioned.
When a sufficient quantity of clay of the required sectional area has
been ejected from the die or exit aperture of the machine on to the
roller table herein-after mentioned, and with which the machine- is
provided, it is cut off by means of a horizontal wire or blade which is
passed up through the same close to the die or exit aperture, such wire
being arranged so as to slide up and down in guides attached to the
machine, and actuated by a suitable lever which is provided with a drop
latch for the purpose of dropping into a segment plate to hold the frame
carrying the wire ready for the next cut downwards. The required
length of clay having been cut off, it is moved from the horizontal wire
upon the rollers of the roller table on to a moveable rack plate table.
The last of such rollers preceding the rack plate table works in a chamber
or trough which is partly filled with oil or other lubricating material,
which greases or lubricates the under side of the clay as it passes on to the
moveable rack plate table in order to prevent any adhesion thereto. On
one side of and above the rack plate table, but not attached thereto, are
placed the standards of the machine, and a stationary side or resistance
plate to hold the lengths of clay fixed during the operation of cutting.
Series of cutting wires or blades are fixed to a moveable rack frame, the
same being distant from each other about the thickness of a brick, and
.are made to pass through the clay to the side or resistance plate by
means of a lever and segment of a wheel working in the rack frame
underneath. On the rack frame, and immediately before the cutting
wires or blades, is placed, the moveable plate table, which is capable of
being actuated by a suitable handle, and on which the lengths of clay
are laid ready to be cut, and behind the cutting wires is the receiving
board. At the same time that the wires or blades are cutting or passing
through the fixed clay, the rack plate table is moved from underneath
and passes the receiving board under the newly cut bricks, and on the
return stroke of the table takes the bricks to one side upon the receiving
.board ready to be lifted off, and leaves the rack plate table ready for the
next length of clay to be cut in like manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Burdett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BURDETT, of the Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
Bend greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Burdett, Her special:
licence that I, the said Joseph Burdett, my executors, administrators;;
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Burdett, my executors,.
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during, the ternu
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.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY FOR MAKING. BRICES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Burdett, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Joseph Burdett, do' liereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain mechanical arrangements for dividing;
or cutting the clay as it passes from the die or exit aperture of the
moulding machine into bricks of the required shape and dimensions..
It is unnecessary to describe the general nature of the machinery to-
which these improvements are applicable as the same is well known and
understood, and the present Invention refers only to the particulars
lierein mentioned,

page_text: When a sufficient quantity of clay of the required sectional area has
been ejected from the die or exit aperture of the machine on to the
roller table herein-after mentioned, and with which the machine is pro-
vided, it is cut off by means of a wire or blade which is passed through
the same close to the die or exit aperture. The required length of clay
having been cut off it is moved forward upon the rollers of the roller
table on to a moveable rack plate table. The last of such rollers
preceding the rack plate table works in a chamber or trough which is
partly filled with oil or other lubricating material, which greases or
lubricates the under side of the clay as it passes on to the moveable
rack plate table in order to prevent any adhesion thereto. One one side
of and above the rack plate table, but not attached thereto, are placed
the standards of the machine, and a stationary side or resistance plate to
hold the lengths of clay fixed during the operation of cutting. Series
of cutting wires or blades are fixed to a moveable rack frame, the same
being distant from each other about the thickness of a brick, and are
made to pass through the clay to the side or resistance plate by means
of a lever and segment of a wheel working in the rack frame underneath.
On the rack frame, and immediately before the cutting wires or blades,
is placed the moveable plate table on which the lengths of clay are laid
ready to be cut, and behind the cutting wires is the receiving board. At
the same time that the wires or blades are cutting or passing through
the fixed clay the rack plate table is moved from underneath and passes
the receiving board under the newly cut bricks; and on the return stroke
of the table takes the bricks to one side upon the receiving board ready
to be lifted off, and leaves the rack plate table ready for the next length
of clay to be cut in like manner.

page_text: wire cutter on a carriage Q pivotting on a centre as shewn, but it might
be carried by vertical slides or other form of support carriage at option.
A, A, are the end standards of the machine held together by two stays
or stretchers R, and by the resistance bar K, forming the framework of
the machine. B is a moveable rack frame constructed with an ordinary
top strain bar F for carrying the wire pins, or it may be fitted as I
prefer with a top strain bar F', such as is shown at Figures 5, 6, and 7.
Figure 5 is a plan view, Figure 6 a side elevation, and Figure 7 a section
and elevation of the bar, which is formed with a slot in its length so
that the wire pins may be moved nearer or further apart to suit any
desired length, width, or thickness of cut. When this form of strain
bar F is used it is intended to employ a cap plate or gauge F, such as is
shown at Figures 8. This cap plate or gauge is fitted upon the slotted
strain bar F", and the distances apart at which the wire pins are held is
governed by the number and distance apart of the holes in the cap plate.
The wire pins in the lower strain bar Fare also arranged accordingly.
The moveable rack frame B, in addition to carrying the top and bottom
strain bars for the wire cutters, also carries the table C and the portable
platten or board D. The series of cutting wires E. is stretched between
the top and bottom strain bars F of the rack frame B, with wire pins
hooked and thumb nuts for tightening, and india-rubber spring washers
as shewn. The whole rack frame B, carrying the table C, portable
platten or board D, and cutting wires with it, is moved backwards and
forwards across the framework of the macliine by means of the handle G,
the racks H, and the segment pinions H'; and moves upon rollers or
guides J running upon stud pins fixed in the end frames or standards A.
K forms the side portion of the main framework, and serves as a
stationary resistance bar, preventing the clay from moving whilst being
cut. L is another portion of the framework carrying a series of rollers M
for receiving the moulded clay previous to its being passed on to the
plate table C. N is a lubricating roller revolving in a trough N¹, to
contain oil or other fluid lubricating matter for. continually oiling the
under side of the stream of clay as it passes over it and previous to its
passing on to the plate table C. This trough Nis supplied by'a vessel O.
The aperture O' in the trough N' is to allow the surplus oil to overflow
into the can P, from whence it is poured back from time to time into
the feeding can O. When a stream of clay of sufficient length to
cut the desired number of bricks has been expressed from the die or

page_text: moulding orifice of the machine on to the receiving rollers M, the single
cutting wire Q is caused to pass through the stream of clay to sever or
divide it. The desired length of moulded clay being now cut off from
the mass it is drawn forward by hand over the receiving rollers on to the
cutting or plate table C in front of the cutting wires E, so that the
expression of the main stream of clay from the moulding machine may
continue without interruption, whilst the severed portion intended to be
cut up remains stationary. This portion of the moulded clay is now
ready to be cut up into bricks, which is done by causing the wires to
pass through it by means of operating the handle G, which simultaneously
transmits motion to the pinions H', the racks H, and the whole rack
frame B, carrying with them the series of wires E, and also the plate
table C and platten or board D, causing the plate table C to pass from
under the clay through which the wires are passing, and to be replaced
by. the portable platten or board D. The handle G is now to be moved
in the opposite direction, by which the whole moveable parts described
ȧre returned to their original position, taking with them the clay
now in form of cut bricks on the platten or board D; this platten or
board D is then removed with the bricks upon it. Another board being
substituted the machine is now in position to repeat the operation.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim,
is the combined arrangement or combination of mechanism herein
described, consisting of a stationary resistance bar K and moveable
frame B, carrying a table C, portable platten or board D, and cutting
wires E, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Burdett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our
T
scond night hundred and sixty nine