1458. Surmann, W. Jan. 19. Moulding briquettes, blocks, &c.-Relates to a reciprocating mould-box press for forming briquettes from coal &c. and blocks from sandlime &c. Material is fed by wipers 37, Fig. 3, from holders 30, 31 through openings 30<a>, 31<a> into reciprocating feed-boxes 33, 32 sliding between guides 40 into the path of the reciprocating mouldbox 4. As shown in Fig. 1, when the feed-box 33 is in position, the material in it, which is more than sufficient to fill the moulds, is carried down into the moulds 5<a> and given a preliminary pressure. The half-pressed forms in the moulds 5<b> are given a final pressure between the stamps 8, 6, of which the stamps 6 are arranged, by a slight asynchronism of the driving-eccentrics, to operate the longer and thus loosen the blocks in the moulds. The box 4 then moves on, till it is under the stamps 70, when the lower stamps rise and lift the blocks above the table, the feed-box 32 comes forward, pushing them away, and the stamps 70 descend, feeding and partially pressing the material ; the sequence of operations is then repeated but in the reverse direction. The stamps 8 are actuated from the shaft 11 by means of eccentrics 15 and arms 16, and the lower stamps 6 are operated from the eccentric 17, which is displaced at about 180 degrees from the eccentrics 15. This eccentric 17 is surrounded by a box 18 carrying cheeks 19, Fig. 6, through the ends of which pass bolts 20 connected by eccentric internal projections 20<a> and rods 21 to a beam 23 sliding on a bolt 22 and supporting the stamps 6. The bolts 20 are connected centrally by arms 24, 24<a>, Fig. 5, on studs 20<b> to a buffer pressure-relieving device 25. The compartment 25 is divided into two parts containing springs pressing outwards on the end faces 25<a>, 25<b>, which are connected across by arms 27, 29 to the lever arms 24<a>, 24 on the other sides of the device, which thus tend to be drawn together. The arms 24, 24<a> and the eccentricities of the projections 20<a> on the bolts 20 form two pairs of bell-crank levers, the arms of which maintain their relative positions till the maximum pressure allowable is passed, when the springs pressing on the longer arms give way. In a modified form of this device, Fig. 8, the arms 21 are mounted simply on the bolts 20, but on eccentric projections 78<a> of bolts 78 in the beam 23. These bolts have centrally mounted on them arms 79 pressing on arms 83 acted on by springs 80 in compartments 81. The action of this device is as before. The stamps 69, 70 are operated by cams 73, shown in Fig. 1 as cast solid with cams 76 on the shaft 11, which cams 76 have grooves in which engage rollers on adjustable arms 75<a>, which support the cross-head 74 carrying the projections 75, which engage the stamps to deliver the blocks. The cross-head at its ends carries projecting arms 77, which enter between the stamps 6 as these reciprocate and, besides clearing away superfluous material, engage the stamps and bring them down from their raised position. The mould-boxes 4 and feed-boxes 32, 33 are reciprocated from the spur-wheel 43, which is driven in the ratio 1: 2 from the shaft 11, by means of camgrooves 44, 45 on its opposite sides. The slide 47 engages the groove 44 by means of a roller 46, and is connected by an adjustable arm 48 to the shorter arm 50 of a bell-crank lever, the longer arm of which is connected by a rod 51 to the mould-box. The groove 45 is engaged by rollers carried by slides 60, 61, Fig. 3, on a rod 59, which also carries a third slide 64, connected to the slide 61 by a rod 64". The two rollers are displaced through about 180 degrees as regards one another, the slide 60 through arms 63, 62 rotating the hollow shaft 54, and the slide 64 through arms 66, 65 turning the solid shaft 53, which passes through the shaft 54. Levers 57, 58 and 55, 56 respectively reciprocate the feed-boxes. In all three cases, weights 52, 67, 68 are provided to ensure the boxes moving up to their limiting positions.