GB1587038A

GB1587038A - Production of faced buildin bricks

Info

Publication number: GB1587038A
Application number: GB1943278A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: P & H Harrison Ltd
Current assignee: P & H Harrison Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-13
Filing date: 1978-05-13
Publication date: 1981-03-25

Description

(54) PRODUCTION OF FACED BUILDING BRICKS (71) We, P. & H. HARRISON LI MITED, a British Company, of 15 Briarwood, Wilmslow Park, Cheshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention concerns the production of faced building bricks, that is to say bricks treated on one or more faces so as to impart a decorative, skid-resistant or other suitable surface finish thereto, and has for its object to provide an improved method of and apparatus for producing such bricks.

With this object in view, the present invention provides, as a first feature, a method of producing faced building bricks which comprises extruding a continuous column of clay or other suitable brickmaking material, so that it progresses in a plastic or unset condition past vibrator means having one or more faces confronting a respective surface or respective surfaces of the column and serving to impress into said surfaces simultaneously-applied or previously-applied particulate material, and subsequently dividing the column into individual bricks.

The continuously extruded column of clay or other suitable brick-making material is preferably of rectangular cross-section, in which case the particulate material may be applied to three surfaces of the column, each of the said surfaces having a respective vibrator for pressing the particulate material therein.

The particulate material, which may for example be sand, is conveniently applied to the product by means of a vibratory feeder, and can be supplied to the column through the or each vibrator, e.g. through holes in the latter. or may be applied to the column in advance of the vibrator or vibrators.

The invention further provides, as a second feature, apparatus for producing faced building bricks as aforesaid comprising an extruder for extruding a continuous column of clay or other suitable brickmaking material so as to progress in a plastic or unset condition past vibrator means having one or more faces confronting a respective surface or respective surfaces of the column, means for supplying particulate material to said column either at the vibrator means or in advance thereof so as to be impressed into said surface or surfaces, and dividing means serving subsequently to divide the column into individual bricks.

The invention also includes, within its scope, a faced brick when made by the method above discussed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, one preferred embodiment of apparatus according to the invention, its method of use, and the bricks obtained therefrom will now be described, by way of example only, it being understood that the following details are purely illustrative of, and not limitative of, the scope of the invention.

The description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a side view of the same apparatus, to a reduced scale.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is employed in conjunction with a conventional brick-column extruding machine which serves to extrude, through an appropriately shaped nozzle, (not shown), a continuous column 3 of clay or other suitable brickmaking material, of rectangular section and in plastic form, this column 3 moving along a substantially horizontal extrusion platform 4 and being disposed with one of its wider rectangular faces directed upwardly.

At a suitable spacing from the extrusion nozzle, bridge meinbers 5, shown in broken lines in the drawings, extend across the extrusion platform 4, and these serve to support, above the platform 4, an electrically-operated ultrasonic vibrator 6 which has a planar surface directed downwards towards the platform 4. This planar surface is spaced from the platform 4 by a distance just very slightly greater than the depth of the column 3, so as to confront the upwardly directed surface of such column 3.

The bridge members 5 are supported from the floor or other suitable substructure by vertical pillars 7 disposed at each side of the extrusion platform 4. These pillars 7 support, just above the level of the platform 4 respective ultrasonic vibrators 8 and 9 each of which has a substantially vertical planar face confronting the respective side surface of the brick column 3 and spaced about one or two millimetres from such side surface.

Arranged upon a suitable support (not shown) between the vibrators just described and the extrusion nozzle is a vibratory feeder. This comprises a shallowly inclined chute 10 10 adapted to be fed with a continuous trickle of particulate material from a hopper 11 (figure 2) both the chute 10 and the hopper 11 being adapted to be vibrated continuously. The chute 10 is arranged above the column 3 and terminates in a transverse edge extending. crosswise of the direction of extrusion of the column 3, being approximately equal in dimensions to thewidth of the column 3.

Assuming the extruder to be forwarding the continuous column 3 onto the extrusion platform 4 for subsequent division into individual bricks and the three vibrators 6, 8 and 9 and the vibratory feeder to be energised, the apparatus operates as follows.

Particulate material, such as silica sand, trickles from the hopper 11 to the chute 10 of the feeder, and the vibrations imparted to the chute 10 serve to cause the particles to spread out as a fine layer which is progressively caused to move down the chute 10 to the transverse edge thereof whereupon it falls as a very fine curtain onto the upper surface of the extruded column 3 at a point on the latter approaching the three vibrators 6, 8 and 9.

The column 3 therefore has a fine layer of the particles applied to its upper surface as it passes under the lower end of the chute 10 and moves towards the three vibrators with such layer disposed thereon. Upon reaching the three vibrators 6, 8 and 9, the particle layer encounters the vibrator 6 which is mounted on the bridge members 5, and certain of the particles are able to enter into the very small clearance between this vibrator 6 and the column 3, so that they move with the column 3 beneath the vibrator 6.

The vibrator 6 serves to impress these particles into the upper surface of the column. Others of the particles come up against the vibrator 6 and are unable straight away to pass therebeneath, so there is a slight build-up of the particles in front of the vibrator 6 which serves after the manner of a doctor blade, tending to ensure that only a certain thickness of particle layer passes with the column 3 on the upper surface thereof and holding back a small build-up of the particles.Such built-up particles tend to be mobile, and in practice a substantial proportion thereof tend to fall over the lateral edges of the column 3 and become adhered to the side surfaces of the column 3, thereupon passing with the col umn 3 between the latter and the respective vibrators 8 or 9 mounted on the pillars 7, to be impressed into the side surfaces of the column 3. Accordingly, the column 3 emerging from the vibrators 6, 8 and 9 has particles impressed into three surfaces thereof, namely the upper surface and the two longitudinal side surfaces.

The column 3 is then appropriately di vided into individual bricks by appropriate means illustrated as a blade 12 (Figure 2) and the resultant bricks are appropriately treated for setting. The product is a brick of which one side surface and two ends are "faced" in that they have a rustic finish imparted thereto.

The invention is not confined to the details of the foregoing example and many variations are possible. It will be evident that the arrangement may be set up, for example, to apply particulate material only to one surface of the product being ex truded, and if desired the or each of the vibrators 6, 8 and 9 may be adapted (e.g. by holes or passages therethrough) for the particulate material to be supplied directly to the column at the vibrator instead of in advance of the latter. The particles applied to the column can, of course, be of any suitable material to impart a decorative, wear-resistant, slip-re-sistant or like finish to the resultant bricks.

Any suitable form of vibrator, which may be ultrasonic, sonic, or subsonic, and which will present an appropriate vibrating surface to the extruded column for impressing the particles into the desired surface can, of course, be used. The vibrations of the vibrator or vibrators may, for example, be induced mechanically or electrically. In stead of being constituted-by a plate, the vibrating surface may be constituted by a roller or a brush and it may be a curved surface adapted to press particles into a curved surface of the product.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of producing faced build

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. nozzle, bridge meinbers 5, shown in broken lines in the drawings, extend across the extrusion platform 4, and these serve to support, above the platform 4, an electrically-operated ultrasonic vibrator 6 which has a planar surface directed downwards towards the platform 4. This planar surface is spaced from the platform 4 by a distance just very slightly greater than the depth of the column 3, so as to confront the upwardly directed surface of such column 3. The bridge members 5 are supported from the floor or other suitable substructure by vertical pillars 7 disposed at each side of the extrusion platform 4. These pillars 7 support, just above the level of the platform 4 respective ultrasonic vibrators 8 and 9 each of which has a substantially vertical planar face confronting the respective side surface of the brick column 3 and spaced about one or two millimetres from such side surface. Arranged upon a suitable support (not shown) between the vibrators just described and the extrusion nozzle is a vibratory feeder. This comprises a shallowly inclined chute 10 10 adapted to be fed with a continuous trickle of particulate material from a hopper 11 (figure 2) both the chute 10 and the hopper 11 being adapted to be vibrated continuously. The chute 10 is arranged above the column 3 and terminates in a transverse edge extending. crosswise of the direction of extrusion of the column 3, being approximately equal in dimensions to thewidth of the column 3. Assuming the extruder to be forwarding the continuous column 3 onto the extrusion platform 4 for subsequent division into individual bricks and the three vibrators 6, 8 and 9 and the vibratory feeder to be energised, the apparatus operates as follows. Particulate material, such as silica sand, trickles from the hopper 11 to the chute 10 of the feeder, and the vibrations imparted to the chute 10 serve to cause the particles to spread out as a fine layer which is progressively caused to move down the chute 10 to the transverse edge thereof whereupon it falls as a very fine curtain onto the upper surface of the extruded column 3 at a point on the latter approaching the three vibrators 6, 8 and 9. The column 3 therefore has a fine layer of the particles applied to its upper surface as it passes under the lower end of the chute 10 and moves towards the three vibrators with such layer disposed thereon. Upon reaching the three vibrators 6, 8 and 9, the particle layer encounters the vibrator 6 which is mounted on the bridge members 5, and certain of the particles are able to enter into the very small clearance between this vibrator 6 and the column 3, so that they move with the column 3 beneath the vibrator 6. The vibrator 6 serves to impress these particles into the upper surface of the column. Others of the particles come up against the vibrator 6 and are unable straight away to pass therebeneath, so there is a slight build-up of the particles in front of the vibrator 6 which serves after the manner of a doctor blade, tending to ensure that only a certain thickness of particle layer passes with the column 3 on the upper surface thereof and holding back a small build-up of the particles.Such built-up particles tend to be mobile, and in practice a substantial proportion thereof tend to fall over the lateral edges of the column 3 and become adhered to the side surfaces of the column 3, thereupon passing with the col umn 3 between the latter and the respective vibrators 8 or 9 mounted on the pillars 7, to be impressed into the side surfaces of the column 3. Accordingly, the column 3 emerging from the vibrators 6, 8 and 9 has particles impressed into three surfaces thereof, namely the upper surface and the two longitudinal side surfaces. The column 3 is then appropriately di vided into individual bricks by appropriate means illustrated as a blade 12 (Figure 2) and the resultant bricks are appropriately treated for setting. The product is a brick of which one side surface and two ends are "faced" in that they have a rustic finish imparted thereto. The invention is not confined to the details of the foregoing example and many variations are possible. It will be evident that the arrangement may be set up, for example, to apply particulate material only to one surface of the product being ex truded, and if desired the or each of the vibrators 6, 8 and 9 may be adapted (e.g. by holes or passages therethrough) for the particulate material to be supplied directly to the column at the vibrator instead of in advance of the latter. The particles applied to the column can, of course, be of any suitable material to impart a decorative, wear-resistant, slip-re-sistant or like finish to the resultant bricks. Any suitable form of vibrator, which may be ultrasonic, sonic, or subsonic, and which will present an appropriate vibrating surface to the extruded column for impressing the particles into the desired surface can, of course, be used. The vibrations of the vibrator or vibrators may, for example, be induced mechanically or electrically. In stead of being constituted-by a plate, the vibrating surface may be constituted by a roller or a brush and it may be a curved surface adapted to press particles into a curved surface of the product. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of producing faced build

ing bricks which comprises extruding a continuous column of clay or other suitable brick-making material, so that it progresses in a plastic or unset condition past vibrator means having one or more faces confronting a respective surface or respective surfaces of the column and serving to impress into said surfaces simultaneously-applied or previously-applied particulate material, and subsequently dividing the column into individual bricks.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the column is of rectangular crosssection and is passed beneath the said vibrator with one surface directed upwardly and the particulate material is applied to the upwardly-directed surface.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two side surfaces of the column of extruded material, adjacent the upwardly-directed surface also have particulate material applied to them and are each subjected to the action of the vibrator means.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the particulate material is applied to the two side surfaces adjacent the upwardly-directed surface by arranging for particulate material to spill over onto them from the upwardly-directed surface.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the vibrator means, where it acts on the upwardly-directed surface, is arranged to serve after the manner of a doctor blade controlling the quantity of particulate material passing beneath it to be impcressed into the upwardly-directed surface of the column material and causing a build-up of particulate material some of which falls over onto the said two side surfaces adjacent the upwardly-directed surface.

6. A method of producing faced building bricks substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A building brick produced by the method of any of the preceeding claims.

8. Apparatus for producing faced building bricks comprising an extruder for extruding a continuous column of clay or other suitable brick-making material so as to progress in a plastic or unset condition past vibrator means having one or more faces confronting a respective surface or respective surfaces of the column, means for supplying particulate material to said column either at the vibrator means or in advance thereof so as to be impressed into said surface or surfaces, and dividing means serving subsequently to divide the column into individual bricks.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the means for supplying particulate material is a vibratory feeder.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the vibrator means is electrically or mechanically operated.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein the extruder serves to extrude a column of rectangular section having one surface directed upwardly, the vibrator means comprising a vibrator arranged to confront this upwardly-directed surface and the means for supplying particulate material being arranged to feed particulate material to the said upwardly-directed surface.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the vibrator means comprises two further vibrators arranged to impress particulate material into the two side surfaces of the rectangular column of extruded material adjacent said upwardly-directed surface.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the means for supplying particulate material is arranged to feed the particulate material to the said upwardly-directed surface in advance of the first-mentioned vibrator in the direction of movement of the column of extruded material and said firstmentioned vibrator is arranged to serve after the manner of a doctor blade to control the quantity of particulate material passing beneath it to be impressed into the upwardly-directed surface of the column of extruded material and to cause a build-up of the particulate material so that some of it will fall over onto said two side surfaces adjacent the upwardly-directed surface.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein the means for supplying particulate material serves to supply the particulate material to the column through the or each vibrator.

15. Apparatus for producing faced building bricks substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.