It has naturally been thought that the motion of the prism of clay might be utilised to work a cutter which would require no separate mechanism. It is on this principle that automatic cutters are based.

A small machine of the kind is manufactured by Chavassieux, and is shown in Fig. 147. The clay issues on a special endless band which rests on rollers and passes over drums. The clay by its weight and adhesiveness draws the band on in its motion, and the band turns the drum round as it passes. The rotation of the drum is communicated by means of a pulley and belt to a kind of star-shaped wheel whose branches are joined by the steel wires which cut the clay. The length of the arms of the wheel and the position of the wires are calculated according to the dimensions of the bricks required.

Fig. 147. Automatic Cutting-table (Chavassieux).

We give (Figs. 148, 149, 150, 151, 152) sketches of automatic cutting machines of American make. The complicated mechanism of these machines may be seen. The arrangements made for assuring a quite perpendicular cut will be noticed: in its passage under the wheel the prism of clay is bent in order to counteract the curvature of the cut caused by the rotation of the wire, and, in order to disengage the latter when the cut is made, the endless band does not pass over the place where the cutting is done; there is a system of drums for the return and motion of the endless band.

In Fig. 149 the prism is seen passing under the wheel, and the cutting-wire is just about to meet it. Fig. 148 shows the operation of cutting, and Fig. 150 shows the cut bricks advancing over the front part of the table.

The Chambers cutting machine (Fig. 151) has a similar arrangement, and, as in the preceding machine, the motion of the endless band is produced by a horizontal shaft which is worked direct from the machine by means of cog-wheels. The great length of the tables of these cutters is necessary owing to their large output.

Fig. 152. Automatic Cutter.

Instead of cutting the bricks endways, the wheel may be so arranged as to cut them lengthways. Such is the arrangement of the machine represented in Fig. 152.

Particulars Of The Different Brick-Making Machines

Maker.

Number of Machine.

Cylinders.

Pulleys.

Weight in Kilos.

Horsepower.

Output per Hour.

Price.

in Francs.

Remarks.

Length.

Diameter.

Dimensions in Metres.

Number of Turns.

PRESSES FOR MOULDING DRY CLAY.

Bricks.

Boulet (Fig. 98) .

...

..

..

I.OO-O.II

IOO

6,000

2-3

80O-IOOO

• •

The output is expressed in bricks of dimensions: 0.22 x0.11 x 0.06.

Johnson (Fig. 95).

...

• •

..

0.91-0.20

220

16,250

20

2500

16,250

Whittaker (Fig. 96)

• • •

...

0.75-0.12

195

6,600

4

600

5,300

MACHINES WITH PROPELLING CYLINDERS.

The prices include that of the machine furnished with a die, and of a cutter.

Groke (Fig. 105) . .

I

..

1.30-0.18

50

2500

4-5

9OO-I2OO

2625

With discount of 25 per cent.

2

..

1.70-0.21

65

3400

6-7

I50O-180O

3060

Jager(Fig. 106) .

O

...

..

0.58-0.07

90

IOOO

2-3

4OO-60O

1200

I

..

0.75-0.15

80

2200

4-7

8OO-I2O0

2050

2

..

..

0.90-0.18

165

3000

6-7

1000-1600

2500

Johnson (Fig. 107)

..

..

..

0.91-0.11

130

3550

5

I500

2500

Joly(Figs. 101, 103)

I

..

..

0.75-0.14

80

1600

2-3

I200-I500

1600

2

...

..

0.58-0.14

80

900

1-2

5OO-60O

1000

I

..

..

..

• •

1700

• • •

I200-I5OO

2100

This machine also makes pottery

Sachsenberg (Fig. 104).

1

..

..

0.70-O.IO

IOO

1700

3-4

80O-IOOO

1800

2

...

..

0.70-0.12

IOO

2600 |

4-5

1000 1300

2330

3

...

..

0.75-0.15

120

3200

5-6

I300-1800

2635

4

...

..

1.10-0.16

I20

5900

7-9

2400-2800

3980

Screw Machines With One Or Two Distributing Cylinders

Boulet(Fig. 116) .

I

...

0.25

1.00-0.11

120

..

2-4

700-1000

..

To obtain the price of machines possessing single or double rollers, it is generally sufficient to add together the price of the simple machine and that of the single or double rolling machine.

2

• • •

O.3O

1.00-0.11

120

..

3-6

800-1200

..

3

• ..

O.4O

1.20-0.15

150

..

6-8

I500

..

Jacobi (Fig. 120) .

1

• •

..

0.56-0.15

..

2-4

4OO-6OO

1310

2

..•

þ • •

0.87-0.17

..• •

I,500

4-6

9OO-I2OO

1625

2d

• • •

• þ .

0.85-0.17

..

1,800

5-8

I3OO-l600

1875

The same is the case for machines , fitted with vertical pug-mill (Figs,

108, 109).

Jager (Fig. 121) . .

0

O.4O

0.24-0.42

0.90-0.15

I20

5-8

IOO0-I30O

2750

1

O.4O

0.35-0.51

0.90-0.18

I30

3.750

7-11

I4OO-I8OO

3600

1 a

O.4O

0.40-0.55

0.90-0.18

IIO

5,000

12-14

2000-2600

4250

These machines have rollers.

II

0.5I

0.35-0.55

0.90-0.18

l80

6,500

14-16

3000-4000

4950

Two driving gears.

III

0.6l

0.47-0.67

1.20-0.22

l80

8,800

18-20

4000-5000

6500

,, ,,

Joly(Fig. 115) .

2 bis

• •

• •

0.95-0.14

6O

1,300

2-4

4OO-6OO

1500

2

• • •

...

0.95-0.14

70

1,500

2-6

600-1000

1800

1

• • •

...

1.30-0.16

75

2,400

8-10

I50O-2O00

2250

Lacroix (Fig. 117)

I

0.42

0.40

1.00-0.11

140

3,000

6-8

1700-2000

3200

2

O.4O

0.30

1.00-0.11

120

2,100

3-6

900-1200

2500

3

0.32

0.25

0.80-0.11

150

1,500

2-4

600-800

1600

Laeis & Co. (Fig. 125) .

0

...

..

0.50-0.13

140

1,200

3-5

600-900

1600

I

..

..

0.70-0.16

190

2,100

6-7

IOOO-I4OO

2350

2

..

..

1.00-0.18

140

3,450

10-12

I7OO-22OO

3200

3

....

..

1.00-0.22

120

5,400

14-18

25OO-33OO

3850

4

..

...

1.20-0.22

120

6,750

18-20

3300-4000

4300

Groke(Fig. 128) .

0

.....

..

1.40-0.11

45

1,650

4-6

800-1000

1825

Discount of 25 per cent, on catalogue prices.

1

..

..

0.86-0.18

130

2,500

6-8

I5OO-I7OO

2360

2

..

..

1.40-0.18

85

3,100

8-10

22OO-29OO

3125

3

..

..

1.80-0.18

80

4,200

10-12

3000-4000

3750

4

..

..

2.00-0.21

65

6,100

12-14

4000-4600

5000

Johnson (Figs 118, 126)

3

..

..

0.95-0.11

126

5,080

8

I500

3800

2

..

..

0.95-0.22

130

12,200

14

2O0O

7500

This machine has a roller.