GB1301722A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1301722 Cleaning bricks W L W DRAY 19 Get 1971 [20 July 1970] 35004/70 Heading B5E A machine for cleaning used bricks comprises conveyer means to move a brick past a cleaning station, at least one scraper element disposed at the cleaning station, and means to resiliently urge the element or elements into pressure engagement with a face of the brick. As described, the machine may be in the form of a trailer having a base frame 10 mounted on wheels 1]. The frame supports a housing 17 having bearings 12 for a pair of shafts 13 each of which has a pair of sprockets 14 carrying chains 16 and having cross-bars 18 provided with fingers 18a extending through slots 20 in the upper surface 20a of the housing 17 for conveying the bricks past two cleaning stations arranged side-by-side. The stations are carried on an extension 25 of the frame and each station has an upper scraping assembly 29 and opposed side scraper assemblies 30<SP>1</SP>, 31 for removing mortar, cement and the like from the bricks. Each side scraper assembly consists of a frame 40 having cross-bars 41 and each cross-bar has a plurality of scraper elements 43 those on one bar being staggered in relation to those on adjacent bars, the elements projecting progressively from one bar to the next. The inner assemblies 30 are fixed while the outer assemblies 31 are urged inwardly by adjustable springs 35a. The upper scraper assemblies 29 are of similar construction and acted upon by adjustable springs 35. In operation, the chains are driven by a reduction gearing 19 from a motor 15 so that the fingers 18a carry the bricks from a shoot 59 along a guide 52 past the scraper assemblies so that the opposed faces and top surface are cleaned, the bricks then passing along exit guides 53. In other embodiments, one or more than two cleaning stations may be provided, and each scraper assembly may consist of a combination of fixed scraper bars 43 and freely rotatable toothed cylindrical scraper members 57, and 34, so only the latter which comprise a number of bicycle chain sprocket wheels 55, Fig. 6, and spacers 56 freely rotatable on a shaft 54, the axis of which may be inclined.