BRICK 



527 



shaft, exactly similar to that at h, but at the reverse end of the m'achine, and causo 

 the moulds and the frame supporting the trucks to be slidden to the left end of the 

 machine ; the upper surface of the mould being scraped level in its progress, in the 

 way already described. This movement brings the frction-wheel, o, up the inclined 

 plane, and thereby raises the truck, with the board to the under side of the mould, 

 ready to receive another supply of clay ; and the mould at the left-hand side of the 

 machine being now in its proper situation under the plungers, the clay becomes com- 

 pressed, and the bricks discharged from the mould in the way described in the 

 former instance; when this truck being drawn out, the bricks are removed to be 

 dried and baked, and another board is placed in the same situation. There are boxes, 

 p, upon each side of the pug cylinder containing sand, at the lower parts of which 



small sliders are to be opened 

 (by contrivances not shown 

 in the figure) as the mould 

 passes under them, for the 

 purpose of scattering sand 

 upon the clay in the mould 

 to prevent its adhering to 

 the plungers. There is also 



nected to the inclined plane 

 at the top of the plunger- 

 rods, for the purpose of rais 

 ing the plunger after the 

 friction-roller has passed 

 over it ; and there is a spring acting against the back of the quadrant-catch, for the 

 purpose of throwing it into its former situation, after the pin of the plunger has risen. 

 An effective machine for brick-making is that patented by Mr. Edward Jones, of 

 Birmingham, in August 1835. His improvements are described under four heads: 

 the first applies to a machine for moulding the earth into bricks in a circular frame- 

 plate horizontally, containing a series of moulds or rectangular boxes, standing 

 radially round the circumference of the circular frame, into which boxes successively 

 the clay is expressed from a stationary hopper as the frame revolves, and after being 

 256 i .~^ so formed, the bricks are succes- 



sively pushed out of their boxes, 

 each by a piston acted upon by an 

 inclined plane below. The second 

 head of the specification describes 

 a rectangular horizontal frame. 

 having a series of moulding boxes 

 placed in a straight range, which 

 are acted upon for pressing the clay 

 by a corresponding range of pistons 

 fixed in a horizontal frame, worked 

 up and down by rods extending 

 from a rotatory crank shaft, the moulding boxes being allowed to rise for the purpose 

 of enabling the pistons to force out the bricks when moulded, and leave them upon the 

 bed or board below. The third head applies particularly to the making of tiles for the 

 flooring of kilns in which malt or grain is to be dried. There is in this contrivance a 

 rectangular mould, with pointed pieces standing up for the purpose of producing air-holes 

 through the tiles as they are moulded, which is done by pressing the clay into the moulds 

 upon the points, and scraping off the superfluous matter at top by hand. The fourth 

 or last head applies to moulding chimney-pots in double moulds, which take to pieces 

 for the purpose of withdrawing the pot when the edges of the slabs or sides are 

 sufficiently brought into contact. 



Fig. 255 represents, in elevation, the first-mentioned machine for moulding bricks. 

 The moulds are formed in the face of a circular plate or wheel, a a, a. portion of the 

 upper surface of which is represented in the horizontal view, fig. 256. Any 

 convenient number of these moulds are set readily in the wheel, which is mounted 

 upon a central pivot, supported by the masonry b b. There is a rim of teeth round 

 the outer edge of the wheel a a, which take into a pinion, c, on a shaft connected to 

 the first mover ; and by these means the wheel a, with the moulding boxes, is made 

 to revolve horizontally, guided by arms with anti-friction rollers, which run round a 

 horizontal plate, a a, fixed upon the masonry. 



A hopper, e, filled with the brick earth, shown with one of the moulding boxes in 

 section, is fixed above tho face of the wheel in such a way, that the earth may descend 



