ORNAMENTAL BRICK.
Ornamental brick are usually made in the same manner as fine pressed brick ; the quantities produced for a day's work are less, but vary with the size and complications of the designs.
In the year 1884 the Perfection Press was invented and patented by Mr. C. W. Raymond, of Dayton, 0., a novel and simple machine with great power, in construction deviating from the similarity between those of its class then existing.
Mr. Raymond had made the wants of the brick-maker a study for years, having previously invented several useful and valuable improvements for their use. The Perfection Press was largely the result of his experience and investigation.
The press, which is illustrated in Fig. 69, is constructed en tirely of iron and steel, the finest material only being used. For the dies, which require hardness and a high finish, a special grade of steel is manufactured. All parts are capable of ad justment. The entire work of pressing the brick and removing it from the die is accomplished with one motion of the lever ; this important point facilitates the work and allows the brick to be handled much more rapidly than where 2 or 3 levers are employed.
Any size or shape mould can be used upon one press, hence a great variety of work can be done with this press, such as red brick, fire brick, paving blocks, roofing tile, etc.
It can be adjusted to press any brick of any thickness by the adjustable platen at the top.
Its great power is also a feature rendering it valuable on the heavier grades of work.
The special feature of the press, however, and one which has worked a great change in the manner of making ornamental brick and terra-cotta, is its adaptation to that work. The ornament is used upon the top plunger, which after pressing the brick entirely lifts itself from it. All annoyance of loose plates in the bottom of the press dies required by other presses is avoided, and the finest designs are produced almost as read ily as common brick.
The ornamental plates are made in brass from designs fur nished by the manufacturer of the press or submitted by the purchaser, and can be used upon each press in endless variety.
It has been demonstrated that the best results in ornamental work can be obtained where great pressure is employed, there by solidifying the block, imparting to the surface that lustrous, velvety appearance so much sought for, pressing the most obscure parts into prominence, and giving to each block uni formity of size and figure absolutely essential to architectural effect.
Mr. Raymond, by his patented Perfection Press and system of working soft clay into ornamental and terra-cotta designs, has reduced a heretofore complicated process to exactness and simplicity, opened up an inexpensive and exhaustless field of manufacture to the brick-maker, and made it possible for artistic results to be obtained by those of ordinary means and comparatively little experience.
In the manufacture of ornamental brick and tiles, by the use of a re-press, the " stiff-mud process " can be successfully employed for the following reasons : The clay being stiff enough to re-press as soon as run into the right form and size— either 4x8, 8x8, ioxio, I2X12, or any other desired size—the labor of handling is avoided. The clay, having no sand on its surface, takes a clean, sharp, well-defined impression from the matrix.
The following is a brief description of the method of the manufacture of ornamental brick and tiles by the " stiff-mud process :" When the clay blank or " glut " is in the right condition to re-press, it is dusted on the face side which is to receive the impression, and this side is placed upon the matrix, which is a thin plate with the reverse of the pattern which you desire upon one side. This matrix or mould is in the bottom of the press-box, in some presses. Manufacturers have various appli ances for making ornamental work. With some the plate is placed in the bottom of the press, and others have the plate on top of the brick while pressing.