US1239480A - Brick-cleaning machine. - Google Patents

Description

.l. 1. HARDIN. BRICK CLEANING MACHINE.

1 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1916.

Patented Sept. ll, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. J. HARDIN.

BRICK CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mu) NOV.18. mus.

J. J. HARDIN.

BRICKCLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV-18.1916- LQfiQAEQ Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lit)

JACQUES J'. HARDI N, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

BRICK-CLEANIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

Application filed November 18, 1916. Serial No. 132,098.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAc Uns J. HARDIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification. V

My invention relates to apparatus for cleaning bricks. l

Bricks which have been used for building purposes are entirely serviceable for a second use, especially for inside walls to be plastered over or as fillers in man positions, provided the hard plaster, cement or the like can be cleaned therefrom at a reasonable cost. Heretofore such cleaning has been done practically entirely by hand.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide mechanical means for cleaning such torily and at comparatively small expense, means which are simple of construction, strong and durable, and with parts readily interchangeable and replaceable as may be required by wear. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of these improvements, Figure 1 being a top plan of the machine; Fig. 2 being a fragmentary detail showing in face view the lever connection which appears adjacent to it in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 being a side elevation of the machine, numerous parts within the casing being shown in dottedlines; Fig. 4 being a medial sectional view of one of the two cleaning rotors, fragments of associated parts also being shown; Fig. 5 being a fragmentary sectional view of the two rotors, as on the line 55 of Fig. 4 or 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 being a top view of one of the rotor frames and cutters; and Fig. 7 being a fragmentary detail showing one of the hand levers and connected parts. a

The housing 10 is suitably of cast iron and is formed in two main parts secured together as by bolts 11, and is supported upon standards 12. In slot-like openings 14 in the side walls of the housing are slidably positioned journal bearings 15 and 16, the openings 14 being enlarged at one end, as at 17, whereby the split journal bearings 15 and- 16 may be readily positioned therein. Withinthe journal bearings 16, as Well shown in Fig.-

bricks rapidly and satisfac has an axial recess 22 in which the stud 21 may rotate and also slide longitudinally. The shaft 20 carries the suitably cast iron circular rotor frame 23 rigidly thereon, as by the key 24. This rotor frame 23 is provided with a frusto conical clutch surface 25. The shaft 19 carries rigidly the interfitting frusto conical friction clutch part 26, as by the pin 26 and an auxiliary cast iron rotor frame 27 is secured upon the shaft 19 in adjustable relation thereto by the spline 28 and set screw 29.

As the two rotors A and'B are alike so far as the features already described are concerned and as to additional features, it will be necessary to describe further in detail merely the one illustrated in Fig. 4. The rotor frame 23 carries a plurality of hollow cylindrical cutters 30., shown in section in Fig. 4, in side view in Fig. 6 and in face view in Fig. 5, a total of 16 of such cutters being carried by each rotor frame 23. An equal number of the same kind of cutters 31 is carried by the rotor frame 27, the cutters 30 and 31 being opposed to each other and spaced apart normally the thickness of a brick. The cutters 30 and 31 are of such diameter as to cover one-half of each side of a brick in its longitudinal directions. These cutters are respectively secured to the rotor frames by bolts 32 and 33, the cutters being of hardened steel and having serrated edges where they engage the mortar upon the brick. The rotor frame 23 also carries a plurality of cutters 34 and 35 side by side in alternate arrangement, the cutters 34 being starwheels having a considerably large number of cutting chisel-like edges, the cutters 35 being disks brought to a V-shaped cutting edge at the periphery thereof, and both kinds being of hardened steel. Sufficicnt of them are arranged in alternate arrangement to cover the edge portion of a brick. They are secured upon bolts 36 whereby each battery of them may rotate upon their respective bolts 36 when the brick is being engaged by them. Their action is to cut and dig into, and pry and force loose,

the mortar upon the edge portions of the brick. I

To accommodate the heads of the bolts 36 I, of the casing out of one opening an annular recess 37 is fo'rmedin the rotor frame 27. In order to adjust the cutters 30 and 31 closer to or farther from each other to accommodate bricks of different sizes I provide the adjusting screws 38 threaded into the clutch element 26. By loosening the set screw 29 and turning the bolts 38 the desired adjustment is obtained.

The two rotors A and B are disposed on their respective shafts whereby the cutters 30 on each rotor substantially meet, side by side, as do also the cutters 31 on the oppo site'rotors, the substantially U-shaped annular recess in the peripheral portion of each rotor forming with the other thereof, in the plane of the two axes of rotor rotation, the rectangular opening 40 which is substantially of the side and edge dimensions of a brick to be cleaned. It will be apparent that a brick passing through this opening 40 will be engaged by the cleaning elements 30 and 31 on the sides thereof and by the cleaning elements 34- and 35 on the edges thereof.

By reference to Fig. 6 it will clearly appear that some of the cutters 31 are on different-vertical planes from others thereof. washers 41 being employed to provide this arrangement. Thus a greater distance between the cutters 30 and 31 occurs at some places than at others around the rotors respectively, which arrangement provides for the more free and ready entrance into the opening of a brick having a considerable amount of mortar thereon. In the arrangement illustrated four of the'cutters 31 on each of the rotors are in the plane of such cutters closest to that of the cutters 30, and such four cutters do the greater part of the cleaning done by the cutters on the rotor frame27. 'As it is a simple matter to change the washers 41 from one position to another -a ready compensation had for the unequal wear of the cutters 31.

A double bracket bolting, upon a side wall of the casing 10, this bracket having extensions 46 constituting a seat or rest for the two springs 47. These springs respectively bear against a washer 48 which engages a series of balls 49, and the balls engage a collar 50 on the shaft 19. The shaft 19 is also provided with an annular groove 51 in which} interfits the yoke 53. This bell crank yoke is mounted rigidly upon the shaft 54 adapted to rock in bearmg brackets 55 secured as by boltingto,

lever carries a spring-pressed detent 59 adapted to engage any one of several openmgs 60 in a plate 61.bolted to an end wall.

60 and slips into another (35 thereof as'the lever 58 is manually operated,

45 is secured, as by" shaft shifting studs 52 on the bell crank,

10. The detent 59 easily rides thus holding the lever in'one or another relative position.

Rotative motion is communicated to one of the shafts 20 as by the pulley 65. Such rotative motion is communicated to the other rotor by means of gears 66 and 67 these gears being bolted upon the respective rotor frames 23, as by bolts 68. The teeth of the gears 66 and 67 are so formed that they will coact with each other when the axes of rotation ofthe two rotors are adjusted toward or from each other, and, will coact when the rotors yield. apart when excessive pressure temporarily occurs between them. Such a yielding apart of the two rotors is provided by the sliding movement of the bearings 15 and 16 respectively in the slot-like openings 14, and against the pres sure of the springs 70 pressing respectively against the bearings and being held in operative position by spring-holding devices 71 secured to the casing as shown. To prevent the springs 70 from forcing the retors actually into contact with each other I provide a plurality of stops 72 (Fig. 1) in the form of cams engaging the bearings 15 and 16 respectively, the cams being held rigidly in a given position by a screw threaded into the casinglO. Thus the distance between the centers of rotor rotation may be'varied as desired to accommodate bricks of different widths, and the two rotors may at all times yield from each other underexcessive strain.

When the lever 58 is moved upward the shaft 54 is rocked and the yoke 53 and pins 52' move the shaft 19 whereby the clutch element 26 is drawn away from the clutch surface 25 upon the rotor frame 23, the rotor frame 27 and its cutters 31 thereupon coming to rest. This feature is provided in order that bricks not having mortar on one side thereof need notbe subjected to cleaning action on that side, the cutters 31 in such case merely acting to maintain the brick in the desired relation to the cutters 30. Only a very slight retraction of the shaft 19 is necessary to provide this result. The springs 47 have the additional function of providing a give or yield of the rotor frame 27 and cutters 31 in instances where excessive pressure is brought to bear upon the parts, as by a brick having an unusually large amount of mortar thereon coming be tween the cutters 30 and 31.

The machine as thus constructed may be practically used for cleaning such bricks, but I prefer to includetherewith the featureof providing for theibriek a predetermined rate of, travel downward between the two rotors whereby the rotors will travel considerably faster where they engage the brick than the brick itself is moving. To this end I provide the brick support on the lever arm. 81 secured to one of the bushings 18 (Fig.

have the pulley 65.

4c), this support thus being adapted to swing on the axis of the associated shaft 19. For moving the brick support 80 up'and down at a desired rate of travel I provide the crank 82 on the shaft 83 carrying the gear 84 which is in mesh with the worm gear 85 on the transverse shaft 86 carrying the sprocket wheel 87 on which travels the chain 80,.the chain passing over the sprocket 89 on the shaft "20 of that rotor which does not The bushing 18 (Fig. 4) carries a bell crank lever 90. A. pitman 91 secured to' the connection 92 on the crank 82 and to the bell crank by a ball and socket joint 93 (Fig. 3) completes the connection whereby the brick support 80 is moved up and down periodically during the operation of the machine. After the brick has been supported and its travel downward limited. by the support 80 during the clean ing operation the free end of the support 80 comes out of such supporting contact with the brick and the latter then falls upon the belt convey'er 106.

I have also shown means for preventing some of the cutters from operating upon a particular side of the brick by the interposition of a protecting piece. For purposes of illustration I have shown this protecting piece as beingadapted to operate on the side portion of the made to operate on other port-ions thereof. These means comprise, in the illustrative embodiment shown, a flat piece of metal 95 on a lever arm 96 secured to a bushing in all respects like the bushing 18 of Ilig. 4-, the bushing also carrying the lever 97 traveling in a slot 98 in the top wall of the hous ing. Suitable stops 99 and 100 limit the movei'nent of this brick protecting device. In Figs. 1 and 3 I have shown this device in operative position. By moving the lever 97 into engagement with the stop 99 the protecting part 95 comes out ofthe operative position shown, whereupon a cutting action is had upon the brick by the cutters 30.

For carrying bricks to and from themachine I have shown merely diagrammatically conveyer belts and 10.6, a brick 106 being conveying means are well known and require no detailed description or illustration. An opening 107 in the top wall of the housing enables the operator to place the bricks upon the rest 108 in position to be cleaned as the part 108 periodically comes into the position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.

lVhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of these improvements, the same are not limited to the specific structure so shown. Reference should be had to the accompanying claims to determine what I contemplate as included in the present invention.

gagement with said cutters brick, although it may. be

shown on the belt 106. Such a I claim:

1. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a rotor having an annular substantially U-shaped recess in a peripheral portion thereof, cutters in said recesses adapted to engage simultaneously two sides and an edge of a brick to be cleaned, means for holding a brick in association with said cutters, and means for rotating said rotor.

12. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a rotor having an annular substantially J-shapedopening in a peripheral portion thereof adapted to accommodate a brick to be cleaned, said opening having brick-cleaning cutters on the three sides thereof, a wall of said substantially U- shaped opening being yieldable with respect to another wall thereof whereby said yieldable wall may move relative to such other wall when excessive pressure is brought to bear against said yieldable wall by a brick in said substantially U-shaped opening during the operation of the machine, and means for rotating said rotor.

23. In a brick cleaning machine, the combin ation of a rotor having a plurality of cutters thereon so arranged as to operate simultaneously upon a side and edge portion of a brick, means for holding a brick in enduring the cleanmg operation, means for rotating said rotor, and removable obstructing means adapted to be positioned between said brick and one of said cutters where the same would otherwise engage said brick.

In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a pair of rotors mounted on substantially parallel axes and with peripheral edge portions of one closcto peripheral edge portions of the other, each of said. rotors having a substantially Ushaped recess with cutters therein, said recesses registering with each other and being of-such proportions that a brick to be cleaned may pass between the axes of rotation of said rotors and into engagement with said cutters Where said rccesses register with each other, and means for rotating said rotors whereby both rotors move in the same direction where such brick is adapted to pass between the same.

5. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of a pair of rotors mounted on substantially parallel axes, each rotor having an annularsubstantially Ushaped recess in the periphery thereof, said recess having brick cleaning devices therein, the recess of one rotor registering with the recess of the other, the arrangement being such that a brick may pass between the axes of rotation of said rotors and be engaged simultaneously by the cutters of each thereof, means for rotating said rotors in the same direction Where the brick is adapted to pass between them, and means for limiting the movement of a brick passing between said rotors.

&- 1,239,480

(3. In a. brick cleaning machine, the combinatioii of a pair of rotors mounted on axes spaced apart, each rotor having an annular substantially U-shaped recess therein, said recesses registering with each other and each havingbrick cleaning elements therein, the combined area of said recesses where they registerwith each other being substantially defined by the side and edge dimensions of a brickto be cleaned, the arrange ment being such that a brick may pass between the axes of rotation of said two rotors while simultaneously in said recesses, some of said cutters being mounted to yield when excessive pressure is brought to bear against'them by a brick in said recesses during'tlie operation of the machine.

7. In a brick cleaning machine, a rotor comprising in combination a pair of rotor frames, one of said frames carrying brick cleaning cutters, the other of said frames being adal'itedto hold a brick in engagement with said cutters, a clutch for communicating rotative motion from one of said rotor frames to the other thereof, each of said rotor frames carrying onc'of the coiiperating clutch parts of said clutch, and means for o mrating said clutch.

S. In a brick cleaning machine, a rotor cm'nprising in combination two rotor frames, each having a plurality of cutters thereon, the cutters on each frame being mounted to travel in a plane to which the axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular, one. of said rotor frames carrying a plurality of cutters between the respective planes of rotation of said first mentioned cutters, a substantially U-shaped annular recess thus being formed defined by the cutting surfaces of said cutters, one of said rotor frames being spring pressed toward the otherthereofand being mounted to move in the directions of the axis of rotation of said rotor. V

9. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of two rotors mounted on substantially parallel axes and with peripheral edge portions of one substantially meeting corresponding peripheral edge portions of the other intermediate said axes, each rotor having a substantially U-shaped annular recess in the edgeportion thereof, said rccesses registering with each other where said rotors substantially meet each other, outters in each of said recesses adapted toenga ge the two side portions'and an edge por tion of a brick, the cutting surfaces ofsaid cutters bein so s aeed at art res ectivel that a brick to be cleaned may pass be tween the axes of rotation and into engagement with said cutters where said rotors substantially meet 'each other, and means forinoving said rotor-sin the" same direction where they substantially meet each other. V i

' 10. In a brick cleaning machine, the combination of two rotors mountedon substantially parallel axes and with peripheraledge portions of one substantially meeting corresponding peripheral edge portions of the other intermediate said axes, each rotor having a substantially U-shaped annular recess in the edge portion thereof, said rece 3s registering with'each other where said rotors substantially meet each other, cutters in each of said recesses adapted to engage the two side portions and an edge portion of a brick, the cutting surfaces of said cutters being so spaced apart respectively that; a brick to be cleaned may pass between. theaxcs of rotation and into engagementwithlsaid cutters where said rotors substantially meet each other, means for moving'saidrotors in tie same direction where they substantially meet" each other, and means for'limitingthe more- 'ment of a brick while in engagement with said cutters.

11. In a brick cleaning machine, a rotor comprising in combination a pair of rotor frames, each having a; plurality of cutters thereon in annular arrangement and substantially facing each other, the cutters of rne frame being spaced from the cutters of the other frame substantially the width of a brick to be cleanechone of said frames hav-' ing a female member of a conical friction clutch, the other of said framescarrying the male member of said conical frictioirclutch, one of said frames beingmounted to move in directions toward and away from the other thereof, means for rotating one of said frames, and means for moving one of said frames in directions toward and from the otherthereof, the arrangment'being such that rotati've motion communicated to one'of said frames is communicated to'the other thereof through said. friction clutch.

JAoou s J; ,rnianrnf Copies of thispatent may be obtained for Five cents each, byaddressing the Co mxx'iis's'ioner' otPatents Washington; I). O. 1 i

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