US207343A - X improvement i in brick-machines - Google Patents

Description

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@y MW', k! l 1y l l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. CHAMBERS, Jr.

ABriok-lVlaLchine.A No. 207,343. Patented Aug.Y 27, 187s.

3 'Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. GHAIVLBBRSQJrl Brick-Machine. No. 207,343. Patentedv Aug. 27,1878.

Um'rnn i 'reune iieraiirr i.

oYRUs CHAMBERS, Jn., or rinmnstrnm, rnnnsrmfnsm l naPaoveree-nr nl eelcasmoeises.

` Speciiicnton forming part cl' Letters luicnt No. mf., dated August 2T, 115'53; application filed Muy il, 15378.

To all whom -z't may commu-e'. dering the machine icontained and better Be it known that l', CYRUS UHAMBERS, Jr., able to sustain the longitudinal strain or thrust of Philadelphia, in the county or lihiladelphia of the pnggiog-sheit; tcreduc'e the power and State of Pennsylvania, have invented cerrequired to drive it; to lessen the density and tain .new and useful Improvements in Brickimprove the. molecular' arrangement of the clay Making Machines, and l'. do hereby declare in the hriclr; tosecure smoothness -of 'surface that the following is a full, clear, and exact de on the sides and ends of the brick; to insure scrption ofi the invention, which will enable perfect uniformity ci' length', and to protect` o others skilled in the art to 1Sfhiehit opper the .innehine far possible againstthe tains to make and use thesanie, reference be known causes ,of injnry and breakage 5 and, ing had to thc accompanying dre-Winge, and finally, te improve itsiorm' and proportions, f to letters of reference marked thereon, which and the details oi its operative parts.:

form apart of this specification. The improvements consist Figure 1 is a top View or plan of 1the nia First, in re Jing the thrust of puggingchine. Fie.v 2 is a vert-ical transverse section sli fi: upon a te .placed upon the end of of the' tempering-case andhopper on line e; 'w saxusha't' ""engedte run true with it,.tnditsel of 1. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal n `rig-in contes" with aleose plano-convex sect-1015011anenlargedscale,oithethrnstpiate nl e place-din rcsifonding eavityin the and cross-head, taken ou line fr x of Fig i erosshead at el i' the machine. Fig, 4ns a face View of the three-opiate, shown Second, in' riet-ing vthe clogging ci' the ing the luhricatiuggrooves. Fig'. 5 is a face hopper through which the clay is fed to the viewof the former and sand-box. Fig. 6 is a hy ma the lower end 'of the hopper .vertical section, on line y] y of Fig .3, of the larger than ce opper end, to insure the free sand hon and scraper. Fie. 7 is a sidericrr discharge the clay. L of the automatic feeding mechanism. Fig. 3 Third, in making the inlet through which isa front View of the safety mechanism on the the clay passes to the case circular, and inrear of the chain-frame' in front of the former. serting it tangentially to lthe `cylindrical por- Fig. 9 isa diagram showing the relation he- `tion ci the case, end on that side on which the tween the diameter of the feeding-screw and entering clay will meet the tempering-knives the transverse section of the brick the machine as they are rising, so vthat the clay shall he is intcndcdto make. Fig. 10 is a plan, on an kept loose and continually agitated which mai el'llarged scale, of part of endless chain` N. terially lessons the clogging of the hopper.

Fig. 11 is a'transverse vertical section of 'the Fourth, in arranging the temperinghnives same,.sho\\ing the cap, iangcs,.and guiding around the pugging-shaft in a spiral windspring s. 4 in a direction opposite to that of the exi The same letter indicates the same part in pressingscrew, or the reverse of that which all the figures where it occurs. would tend to force the clay toward the-delivery This invent-ion relates tothat class of brickv end of the case, for purposes hereinafter en making machines lrwhich the clay is telnplained. pcrcd inacase, driven outin a continuous bar Fifth, in supporting cach tempering-blade through -a forming-dic, and cut into proper bya projection upon the pugging-shaft placed lengths by a severing mechanism. behind the knife, said projections being set in A machine ofthat class is described or rea spiral upon the shaft, and having their faces ferred to in the Patents No'. 39,884, September so arranged that in passing through the clay 15, 18GB, No. 40,221', Qctober- 6,`1863, and No. Ythey tend 4to force it towardthe expressingl' 198,880, November-119, 1870;.and the present screw. invention consists' in various modifications Sixth, in giving a peculiar4 ,location to l the and improvements of the machines and demouth of the expressingscrewg'to facilitate the `vices described in those patents, the same b edelivery of. lthe clay from the knives' to the ing intended `to remedy the derects disclosed screw and to preventclo'gging.

`by experiencein the machine `of 1363,'by renf Seventh, ingso reducing the diameter-of the expressing-screw that the clay delivered by it through the die will undergo much less com'- l pression than inthe former machine, and hence the lamination arising from torsion and'compression will be much lessened and the brick rendered less dense, more homogeneous, and more tractable under the trowel. The practical limit I have found, by many experiments, to be a diameter of screw slightly greater than the longest diameter of the brick to be made.

on a wooden pin, m, for purposes hereinafter explained. y Tenth, in ardcvice for cutting the bar of clay into the desired lengths for bricks by means of a spiral blade and endless chain, which' divide the bar into perfectly uniform lengths, and give smoothness to the surfaces of theends of the bricks.

Eleventh; iu the mechanism for regulating automatically the relation between the speed of the bar of clay and that of the cut-oft de! viee, so that it shall be uniform'under all conditions.

Twelfth, in, a peculiar arrangement of the 'sand-Scrapers, by which they do not come in 4contact with each other and form corners in which the clay can lodge; and, finally, in the improved minor detalls of construction hereinatter fully specified.

To enable others to make and use my improvements, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the improved machine, referring to the'drawin gs by the letters of reference marked thereon.

A marks the frame'of the machine, on and in which the operative parts are supported and attached. The' machine, when lixed in this frame, becomesa sin glo system, self-contained, and requiring only a proper foundation to support it for operation. rlhis was not the ease with my machine of 1863,y Patent No. 39,Q84.

This improvement in the system of framing enables me to erect the machine at the factory, and transport it, as a' whole, to the place where it is to beused.

At the rear of the frame is .L cross-head, B, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) attached to the frame by the bolts z 2 and forming a box for the reception-of the rear end of pugging-shaft P and' the. plates which receive its thrust. is provided with a cover, c, and its lower por- -tion forms an oil-chamber, r, for the reception ot' the lubricant for the shaft and thrust-plate.

The rear side` of thefbox is concave to receive the convex rearward'projection 'of a.

loose plate, Unt-he front face of `vhich is flat, es shown. Tins plate is prevented 'from turning by the lug` I, entering a groove in the rear of the box.

In front'of plate U is the thrust-plate T,

against which the rear end of the pug-ging.

shaft 'abuts. The thrust-plate is shown in seetion in "Fig,` 3, and in face view in Fig. 4. Its

ceived, isenabledto line up withthe truerunning plate T, and thus always present a good working and wearin g surface.

C C* is the tempering-case, formed in two parts, hinged-together at cl, bolted on the opposite side, and capable of being thrown open when required. It is nearly cylindrical in form, its sides approaching each other gradually as they approach the screw-case or idelivery end of the machine. Into the rear end `of this case the clay is introduced through a conoidal hopper, H, projecting downward from a platform, D, Fig. 2, and having its larger opening at its lower end, to facilitate the delivery of the clay `and prevent the clogging of 4the hopper.

The upper end of the hopper is provided `with a flange, a., covering the opening inthe platform, which opening is made large enough for the passage of the larger cud of the hopper. On the lower face ofthe flange is an annular rib, Z1, which enters the opening of the platform and holds the hopper in'place. The lower endv of the hopper hangs loose in the upper shell of the tempering-ease C, so that if the platform should sag the hopper may dewith the floor of the platform.

The cla-y enters the case through a circular inlet-pipe, I, inserted tangentially in the -,upper shell of the case, and on that side where the entering clay will meet the temperingknives K on their upward course, andthe lumps be continually agitated andthe clay loosened, which materially lessens the clogging of the hopper. -fThe pugging-shaft P is provided with a spirally around it 0n a curve running'in the opposite direction to that of the spiral of the 4screw S, which is attached to the forward end of the shaft, and presses the tempered clay out through the die, as hereinafter explained.

This arrangement of the knives obviate's the rear side is fiat and runs in loose contact with and arrangement of the box, plate, and shaft, the plate U, when the thrust of the shaft is rescend, while the flange or cap a remains flush series of tempering-knives, K K, arranged v ceac-i 3 tendencynthey would have, it' placed on thev saine spiral as the screw, to drive the clay into the screw-case and compress it there, and produce clogging and an unnecessary density. Lesa power is consequently required to drive the tempering-lrnives, the function of each ignite being merely to plow the,clay over into, the space left vacant by its predecessor, thus giving each knife a verynarrow strip of clay 'to operate upon, and relieving it from sustaining the backward thrust of the entire mass of clay moving in front oi" it,

There is a projection, c?, upon the puggingshaft at the `back otI each temperingdrnife K, intended to support the knite and prevent yit from being forced backward by the clay as the .shaft revolves. These projections are set in a position oblique to the ehaft l), and form a spiral lupon it; but their faces are so arranged with reference to the direction ot rotation ol' the shaft that they shall, by their revolation, impel the clay'toward the expressingscrew S. Y l

S marlrs the conical expressing-screw on 'the forward end of shaft l), rotating in the :colloidal screw-case E, provided with a removi" byline, except that its diameter is less, and the arrangement of-its mouth or4 base relatively to the tempering-knives is dilierent. .In my original machine of 1863 the diameter of the screw was large in proportion to the size ot' the brick to be made; hence the large 'quantity of claywhich the screwwould contain hadto be i driven through the die at a great expenditure of power, and with the eli'cct of so'condensing, drawing, and laminating the materiales to renderl the brick extremely hard and heavy, and somewhat ditlicnlt to .cut with accuracy under thctrowel. liy reducing the diameter oi the Ascrew the axnountof drawn g to which the clay is subjected is great-ly lesseneihand the `lamination in the shorter kinds ot" clay almost entirely preventeih M y experiments have led ino to' adopt a diameter for the screw alittie greater than the longest transverse .diameter ot'` the brick -to.

be made.

It is important that `the month of the screw should be so arranged relatively to the tempering-lauree that the clay should be allowed to pacs freely without clogging between the knives and the base of the screw. The spiral' of the scrcwbeing opposite indircction to that ot" the line of iknivesfthe two form at `their point ofjunction the ends of 4a right and left handed thread, which wouldbring the second. tempering-knife `from the screw end of the shaft so close to thethread of the screw as ,to

canse the clayto lodge between them. ly placing the mout-h of the screw opposite to and a little back ot' the first knife, 'said knifewill feed the clay overinto the cavity and between the thread of the expressing-screw, and the second one into the path of the rst, and the third knite be sutiiciently far from the screw to allowI the clay to pass freely between them. 0n the forward 'end of the screw-case E is attached the former, with its die and lining both formed in one piece. The walls of the former are inclined, as shown, and guide the clay into the die, gradually imparting to it the rectangular form and reducing it to the size 'of the die, through which it emerges in the shape ot' acontinuous rectangular bar, whose cross` section is that of the briclcto be made. The former is hinged to` the screw-case by a large hinge, j, the extremities of which arc about I'onejthird of the circumference of the former apart. 0n the side of the screw-case opp/osito to the hinge j is an eye, x, to whichis hinged, by a wooden pin, m., a swinging bolt, le, whichei'igages with an eye on the former, and locks it to the screw-case. 'lhusJ the former is held to the case at three cquidist-ant points around its circumference, and yet can be opened or closed by the use ot' a single bolt. The wooden pin m is of such a diameter as to be amply strong to hold the foriner to its place when the machine is working under normal conditions; but should' the clay become `too stiff, 'or a large stone getin, so as to subject the machine to a dangerous strain, the wooden pin will be cnt oft' before any other part of 'the machinc'will'A give way, and thus prevent serious injury.

Inlatcnt No. 109,034: the former and diclining are made in two parts, the fern-1er being of iron and thedie-'lining of steel; but it was found that the former were lawayas well as i the die, and when a new die was Ainserted VVan abrupt shoulder was formed atthelr line ot' junction, over which the clay had tombe forced at thecost ofpower and oi" the perfection ot the surface of Vthe` bar. 4

My improved arrangement ot' the sandscrapers is illustrated in ,igs 5i and'G. This is lan improvement on the invention of Wm.

Mendham, assigned to me, for which another j application for a patent will be made.

' In the device ot' Mendliam the Sandscrapein?=` which aremade of rubber or leather, are rangedfin rectangular forni `around the` ori in the sandbox through whichj thc clay emerges, and lie in close contact` withe other, forming at their intersect-ions corn which are apt to become clogged by weak or soft clay. i x

My improvement consists in arranging- Lthe top and `bottom ecrapersl in diftcrent planes from each other and from the side Scrapers, so that there is no contactbctwcen anyiot' them to form corners. 1 piace the upper scraper, c,

nearest tothe die, so that the sand scraped 1 by it from thetop of the bar` drops in front of the side Scrapers, e" c', andis applied toitlie from the forward or leading end of. the blade,

' t fore it, and leaves the ends of thel brick perof clay eanbc cut quite smooth.

. fore theblade completes the severing of it.

. to one side of the chain, its 'drawing cut has a G2, attached to the piigging-shaft P. 0n the sides of the bar, and thence, falling, is caught in the projecting bottom' scraper, f, which, by the obliquity of its sides, directs the sand toward the middle of the under side of the bai'. l provide the bottom of the sand-box with a slide for the convenience of removing the surplus sand.

The device for cutting the har of clayinto uniform lengths for bricks is radically different from that heretofore used. lt consists, in the main, of a spiral severing-blade, Q, in combination with an endless chain, N, each link oz-'of which equals i-n length that of the brick the machine is designed to make. In each link, at about two-tliirds the distance from the diefe'nd, are slits p, through which the spiral blade Qnruns. The chain is supported u-pon rollers, and passes around wheels at the end ofthe chain-stand. 'ilicdinks are held laterally inplace by a cap, t, which laps over their The spiral 'blade Q. is made of tempered sheet-steel, and has three full turns, the iirst two of which gradually increase in diameter so that the blade, as it revolves, shall gradually enter and sever the bar-of clay.

long drawing cut, which rubs out the clay luefectly smooth. ,Any small hard foreign sub-l stance that ma 'be in the clay `is either. pushed out or to o ue si( e, andthe rubbing action of the blade immediately lills the cavity thus made. By this process even a roughvariety The third round of blade Q, prevents the partiallysevered bar of clay from yieldin g under the strain of the cut andseparating[be- 'l`lie links n, being turned up at right angles at their sides,'support the clay at the bottom and edge. .The blade Q being placed a little tendency to draw the clay into` the angle of the chain, and this holds the bar in both di# reetions while being cut.

lhe blade Q is held between two spiral clamps, R, which are adjusted to the proper length of the brick, and to correspond with -the length of the links n by the screws u,as shown. 'When this adjustment has been completed the clamps lt are closed upon the blade .by the through-bolts e, which support tlierelamps, as clearly shown iii Figrl. i Y

'lhewinch, Fig. 1, sh'ows the point of appli- 'cation ot' the drivin g-power on the end of main shaft WV. A gear, D", on this shaft, through intermediate gears, E2 F2, drives thc large gear inner end. of shaft Y is the clutch provided with the gear K", which drives gear J2 on the Q By .thisA construction the blade is caused to make a blade Q. When the jaws o f the. friction-clutch are closely en gage-d the flywheel H2 is driven at increased speed andthe shaftX'at alcorresponding rate; but when the jaws are less closely in contact thespeed of the iiy-wheel is correspondingly decreased. The movements of the friction-clutch jaws to and from each other are controlled by the longitudinal oscil- I lation of the shaft X o f the spiral blade Q, and that oscillation is caused by the action of the bar of clay against the blade, as hereinafter set forth.

rlhe rotation of the spiiuil blade Q drives the chain N. The speed ot' the blade is controlledby the motion of the bar of clay as vitissues j from the die, and the longitudinal movement of the blade governs thcfriction-eliitchVupon the end of the driving-shaft NV through which vlevers Z D, supported by rock-shafts AI 15'.' (See Fig. 17 The rock-shaft B1 on themain y training of tlie machinel has upon it a very short lever, engaging with a washer bearing against the nut of the-female portion x' of the clutch-V, and by its movement increases or decreasesthe friction of the jaws of the clutch. The male portion E3 of the clutch is driven positively by the main driving-shaft XV through the adj ustiii g-key, as shown. This nialeeluteh lila-is covered with wood in sections, set upon its end, so as to be easily renewed and present a wearing-surface that will not cut; Leather may also be used, or the segments ot' wood may be faced with leather.

Upon the rock-shaft A1, carrying'tlie cut-oft" shaft X at the blade end, is a lever, F, against which hears a spring, G?, adjustable bythe hand-wheel Ill, so that the aniount'o't' pressure applied to the clutch may be varied bythis spring G3, and transmitted, through the rockshaft A1 and cut-'oil' shaft X and lever D1, to the female jaw of the clutch. i

The operation of this part of the machine is as follows: When .theela-y issues from the die faster than the spiral blade Q is ruiming, it presses against the blade, moving it forward.,

thus forcing the clutch-jaws more closely -together,'inereasiug the speed of the fly-wheel,

. and consequently that of the `cutting-spiral.

Should the spiral Q run too fast for the clay, it will, by its rcactionagainst the clay, screw itself back, and thus relieve the pressure on the clutch, and be retarded by the diminishing speed of the fly-wheel shaft, the blade thereby becoming an automatic regulating' device, wholly under the control of the issuing bar of clay, and much nioi'e sensitive thaii the old To the .saine lever, F', to which the-spring G is attached is eoupled,'by a link, Il, a handlever J l, whereby the friction of the clutch may e controlled'by hand when desired;

1 suchr obstructions.

The arm K1 upon the reclcshaft A1, carrying the spiral end of the eut-oftshaft, is made hollow, and through it extends the lever or column Z, carrying the box Y, the lower end' z of .which rests in a notch in the -end of a lever, `Lwhich is counterweightcdby Ml, so as to nearly` balance the weight of the spiral `blade Q and its shaft. i, By this means the power re- .quired to raise the spiral Q, isreduced to little l lmore thanthat required to cut oft' a brick, so .'tlhatwhen the4 blade Q strikes a hardr substance which it cannot displaceor cut through, the blade rides upA over it, lifting its yshaft X and box Y, and'; thus passes harmless over all lt, against which the, forward head ot' the stopping of those-parts-,whi'ch would be liable f to cause'damageitothe machine. The bar of 1 clay, as it'issucs from the die'and'sandbox, 4isl lreceifvcd on a table, T', hinged at the slde, as

shown, 'so` that itl can be turnedV up laterally out of the `waywhen desired. y

The bricks are 'dehve'redlby the chain to a -slidin g plate, R2, whicln'in turn, delivers them ,to an 01E-bearing belt, '(n'ot showm) but which ris substantially like, that shown and described inthe patents previously referred to, said Voff-bearing -beltu being always driven faster `than the greatest speed at which the `bar of clay issues from the die, thusfseparating the bricks for convenience of handling theloi'-` bearers. a I

Should the .wooden f pi n fm, by `which 1 the `formeris held shut, bren-k and allow the former to iiyopen-darin g the time the hinged table T is; down, some part of the machine would 'be broken or displaced 4were itfinot for' `the curved incline- S',.attachcd to table T', 1111-. der which thelnut 'of the former-bolt K slides, and turns over the table 'l" out of the way.. '(Se liig.4 S.)

Ati-ga point" opposite -to that at which the i chain N reaches'var horizontal position is secured to the cap t, which holds down the chain, a slide, on theend of which is a spring,

s', for the purpose of guiding and holding the n Y n bar of clay aga-nist the angular side of the To protect `the tempering-case from the effectlof' undue vinternal 'pressure arising fromy anyobstruction or too great stiffness of the as showny in Fig. and weight B2.

Should the blade be sud- Ad lenlycaught in the chain from any defect, or

be wedged by a nail or other article, so as to z 4 prevent its revolving, the flat friction-plate rear cud of said shaft, running true with it, 4

and in contact with a loose plano-convex plate, U, in the cavity of the cross-head, all as and -for the purpose set forth. a

The-conoidal hopper II, provided with a flange, a, and annulus b, and arranged with itslargcr` openingfdownward, in the manner and for the purposes stated. 1

3. In combination with the shell of the tempering-case, the inlet-pipe I, inserted tangen-` tially into said case on the side on which the tempering-knives are on the ascending part of their revolutioln-as and for the nurnose specified. j 1

4. The shaft l?, provided'iwithtemperingknives'K, arranged in a spiral line opposite in direction to that of the threads of the expressing-screw, in the' manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

f5. Thespirally-arrangedknivesK, supported at lthe back'by projections elv on the pnggingshaft, set in a spiral,and having' their faces set to impel the clay toward the delivery end of the machine, asdescribed.

` 6. The expressing-screw S, havin g its mouth seta little back from and opposite to the first tempering-knife, in the manner and for the purpose specified. l

7. The expressing-screw having a diameter .at its delivering-point not more than double the greatest diameter ot' the forming=die.

, S. The former and die-lining, made 'in one piece, as described, for the purpose stated.A

9. The former provided on one side with the enlarged hinge j, andon the other with the swinging locking-bolt 7.1, attached by theV Iwoodenv pin'm, in4 the manner described, for the-purposes set'forth. l

10.,"lhe sand-box' provided with -flexible seraperscc'f, arranged in diierent planes, so that' no corners shall be formed to become clogged'by weak and soft clay,l as described.

ll. The cut-o mechanism consisting of the endless slitted belt N, in combination with the spiral .blade (2 constructed as described, and runningin the slits of the belt, in the manner and for the purpose stated.

1,2. The4 spiral blades Q, having enlarging diameters, as described, held between the ad` justing-elamps, and united by through-bolts -to the circular heads attachedio the shaft X, asshown and described.

13. The blade-shaft X, ruiming in Jorurnab. boxes supported by universal joints upon oscillating levers, and connected by pulleys with the clutch and {1y-wheel which control the speed of the cut'zoli' mechanism, in the manner described. .V l 14. "The combination of'tl'ie weighted lever L1,- hollow 'arm Kl, and rod Z with the-journalbox of the bladeshaft X.,in the manner dcscribed, for the purpose of balancing the blade .alud enabling it to clear obstructions, as speci- I ,f V

` 15. The combination of 'the main shaftW, clutch V, gear K, ily-wheel'shatt I, pulleys@ Y and for-the purpose s L2r M2, :ma shaft X of ma@ on @hammer and for the purposes described.

16. The combination, with the hin ged former, constructed as describetbof the 'hinged table lT', provided with the slide S', in the manner l 17. Thejsand-box ,constructed as described, and provided with n sliding bottom, i, as and for the' purpose stated.

In testimony that I. olnim i110. foregoing' as my own invention I :tfiix hereto my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' CYRUS CHAMBERS, JR.

Witnesses: I

S. BERNARD GHAMBERS, WiLLIM/il MENDHAM.

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