GB2106825A

GB2106825A - Making bricks

Info

Publication number: GB2106825A
Application number: GB08226801A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Carballo; Geoffrey William Knight
Original assignee: Ibstock Building Products Ltd
Current assignee: Ibstock Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 1981-09-19
Filing date: 1982-09-20
Publication date: 1983-04-20

Abstract

A method of brickmaking is described in which sand is used as a mould release agent wherein sand adhering to the interior faces of the mould cavities is dampened by applying water in a finely divided form to the sides and bottom of each cavity. A plurality of oscillatable spray nozzles (22) is provided above a continuous line of mould members ahead of the moulding locality, and means are provided to control the amount and direction of the water so than an excess of water is avoided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of bricks The invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to the manufacture of bricks.

In the manufacture of bricks from individual moulds it is desirable to achieve as efficient a de-moulding step as possible in order to return the mould to a brick-making machine arranged to fill the mould cavities with brick clay mix. Conventionally the mould release agent is sand which forms a coating layer on the cavity walls of the mould. Thus each empty mould cavity must be re-sanded between moulding operations.

Even where bricks are hand thrown, it is customary to use water to cause the sand to adhere to the cavity walls and where, as in the present invention, the moulding operation is carried out by machine, it is desirable that apparatus should be devised to ensure that the mould cavity is rendered suitably damp for this purpose. It has hitherto been customary to supply water to the mould cavities when they are inverted in order to rinse them in an operation during at least part of which the moulds remain inverted to allow excess water to drain away.

The water has been applied either in a mould washing step in which the mould cavity is partially filled, inverted and drained by inversion, or a spraying operation into the cavities of already inverted moulds.

The invention provides a method of manufacturing bricks in which brick clay or the like is shaped in a plurality of upwardly facing sanded cavities in a moulding arrangement, in which prior to the moulding operation an initial step is carried out of applying water in a finely divided form to the upwardly facing cavities to dampen lower and side walls thereof, the quantity and direction of the water applied being controlled to avoid the formation of excess water which would otherwise accumulate in the cavity.

In an example of the invention the water may be supplied from at least one spray nozzle device arranged above the open mould cavities. Advantageously, the spray nozzles are capable of an oscillating movement during the spraying step to improve the evenness of application of a water layer adhering to the wall surfaces of the cavity. Conveniently, the duration and timing of operation of the water sprays is adjustable, according to operating requirements.

It will be found that bricks of improved appearance are obtained from mould cavities subjected to the method of the present invention. The appearance of these bricks has much of the attraction normally associated with hand-made bricks. The reason for this would seem to be connected with the fact that hitherto mechanisation of this kind of brick-making has been believed necessarily to involve a washing step in which much of the sand still adhering to the cavity walls after de-moulding is removed and replaced by fresh sand. It is surprising that bricks of improved appearance are obtained if the sand still adhering to the cavity walls after de-moulding is allowed to remain, being supplemented by further sand rather than replaced.

The invention further provides apparatus for car rying out the method described above, comprising means to support and carry a plurality of mould members, an overhead arrangement water spray nozzle devices adapted to apply water in finely divided form to wall surfaces of upwardly-facing cavities of said mould members, wherein means are provided for controlling the amount and direction of the water into the mould members as they pass beneath the spray arrangement.

There will now be described an example of the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is to be read with reference to the drawings is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a brick making machine including a water spray arrangement; and Figure 2 is a front view of the same.

Figure 1 shows a brick making machine compris ing a main body housing 2 for feed means (not shown) for supplying brick clay from a supply hopper 4 to a plurality of mould members 6 having upwardly facing cavities and arranged in rows four abreast upon a conveyor 8. Moulds containing brick clay are de-moulded at a turntable device 10 and the empty moulds are placed upon a feed surface 12 of a water spray arrangement, indicated at 14, prior to entry into a sanding device 16. The arrangement and operation of the brick making machine and of the sanding device are conventional and form no part of the present invention.

After the de-moulding step, the empty mould members are placed four abreast upon the feed surface 12. As each group of four members is placed, a push arm 18 operates to move the group stepwise towards a spray bar 20 upon which are mounted four nozzles 22, each directing a fine spray of water into one of four moulds positioned therebeneath.

In order to ensure even coverage of the wooden wall surfaces of the mould cavities, the spray nozzles 22 are arranged to oscillate in an arc extending 20 each side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of oscillation of the four nozzles, a cam-regulated control device (not shown) being provided to regulate the quantity of water applied to the mould cavities and the duration of the spraying operation so as to avoid excess water collection in the bottom of the cavities.

The evenly dampened mould members are then progressed in a stepwise manner to the sanding device by the push arm 18.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the following

claims.

CLAIMS 1. A method of manufacturing bricks in which brick clayor the like is shaped in a plurality of upwardly facing sanded cavities in a moulding arrangement, in which prior to the moulding operation an initial step is carried out of applying water in

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of bricks The invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to the manufacture of bricks. In the manufacture of bricks from individual moulds it is desirable to achieve as efficient a de-moulding step as possible in order to return the mould to a brick-making machine arranged to fill the mould cavities with brick clay mix. Conventionally the mould release agent is sand which forms a coating layer on the cavity walls of the mould. Thus each empty mould cavity must be re-sanded between moulding operations. Even where bricks are hand thrown, it is customary to use water to cause the sand to adhere to the cavity walls and where, as in the present invention, the moulding operation is carried out by machine, it is desirable that apparatus should be devised to ensure that the mould cavity is rendered suitably damp for this purpose. It has hitherto been customary to supply water to the mould cavities when they are inverted in order to rinse them in an operation during at least part of which the moulds remain inverted to allow excess water to drain away. The water has been applied either in a mould washing step in which the mould cavity is partially filled, inverted and drained by inversion, or a spraying operation into the cavities of already inverted moulds. The invention provides a method of manufacturing bricks in which brick clay or the like is shaped in a plurality of upwardly facing sanded cavities in a moulding arrangement, in which prior to the moulding operation an initial step is carried out of applying water in a finely divided form to the upwardly facing cavities to dampen lower and side walls thereof, the quantity and direction of the water applied being controlled to avoid the formation of excess water which would otherwise accumulate in the cavity. In an example of the invention the water may be supplied from at least one spray nozzle device arranged above the open mould cavities. Advantageously, the spray nozzles are capable of an oscillating movement during the spraying step to improve the evenness of application of a water layer adhering to the wall surfaces of the cavity. Conveniently, the duration and timing of operation of the water sprays is adjustable, according to operating requirements. It will be found that bricks of improved appearance are obtained from mould cavities subjected to the method of the present invention. The appearance of these bricks has much of the attraction normally associated with hand-made bricks. The reason for this would seem to be connected with the fact that hitherto mechanisation of this kind of brick-making has been believed necessarily to involve a washing step in which much of the sand still adhering to the cavity walls after de-moulding is removed and replaced by fresh sand. It is surprising that bricks of improved appearance are obtained if the sand still adhering to the cavity walls after de-moulding is allowed to remain, being supplemented by further sand rather than replaced. The invention further provides apparatus for car rying out the method described above, comprising means to support and carry a plurality of mould members, an overhead arrangement water spray nozzle devices adapted to apply water in finely divided form to wall surfaces of upwardly-facing cavities of said mould members, wherein means are provided for controlling the amount and direction of the water into the mould members as they pass beneath the spray arrangement. There will now be described an example of the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is to be read with reference to the drawings is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a brick making machine including a water spray arrangement; and Figure 2 is a front view of the same. Figure 1 shows a brick making machine compris ing a main body housing 2 for feed means (not shown) for supplying brick clay from a supply hopper 4 to a plurality of mould members 6 having upwardly facing cavities and arranged in rows four abreast upon a conveyor 8. Moulds containing brick clay are de-moulded at a turntable device 10 and the empty moulds are placed upon a feed surface 12 of a water spray arrangement, indicated at 14, prior to entry into a sanding device 16. The arrangement and operation of the brick making machine and of the sanding device are conventional and form no part of the present invention. After the de-moulding step, the empty mould members are placed four abreast upon the feed surface 12. As each group of four members is placed, a push arm 18 operates to move the group stepwise towards a spray bar 20 upon which are mounted four nozzles 22, each directing a fine spray of water into one of four moulds positioned therebeneath. In order to ensure even coverage of the wooden wall surfaces of the mould cavities, the spray nozzles 22 are arranged to oscillate in an arc extending 20 each side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of oscillation of the four nozzles, a cam-regulated control device (not shown) being provided to regulate the quantity of water applied to the mould cavities and the duration of the spraying operation so as to avoid excess water collection in the bottom of the cavities. The evenly dampened mould members are then progressed in a stepwise manner to the sanding device by the push arm 18. Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. CLAIMS

1. A method of manufacturing bricks in which brick clayor the like is shaped in a plurality of upwardly facing sanded cavities in a moulding arrangement, in which prior to the moulding operation an initial step is carried out of applying water in a finely divided form to the upwardly facing cavities to dampen lower and side walls thereof, the quantity and direction of the water applied being controlled to avoid the formation of excess water which would otherwise accumulate in the cavity.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water is supplied from at least one spray nozzle device which is caused to partake of an oscillating movement during the spraying step.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein a cavity or group of cavities in the moulding arrangement is presented in sequence with a continuous or semi-continuous series of cavities or groups of cavities, to the spray nozzle device(s).

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the oscillation of the spray device(s) takes place about an axis lying transverse to the direction in which the cavity or group of cavities is presented thereto.

5. Apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 3, comprising means to support and carry a plurality of mould members, an overhead arrangement water spray nozzle devices adapted to apply water in finely divided form to wall surfaces of upwardly-facing cavities of said mould members, wherein means are provided for controlling the amount and direction of the water into the mould members as they pass beneath the spray arrangement.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spray nozzle devices are adapted to partake of an oscillating movement about an axis transverse to the direction of passage of the mould members.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spray devices are arranged to oscillate in an arc extending 20 each side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of oscillation.

8. A method of manufacturing bricks substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

9. Apparatus for manufacturing bricks constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.