Procedure and device for cutting brick blanks from clay columns

A device for cutting bricks from a clay column comprising:

• means for moving the clay column in a machine direction including first and second supports, said second support positioned downstream from the first so as to define a gap therebetween,
• means for mounting at least one cutting wire at an angle with respect to the plane defined by the supporting surface of the supports,
• means for moving said at least one cutting wire within said gap between a raised position where the cutting portion of said at least one cutting wire is above the clay column and a lowered position where the cutting portion of said at least one cutting wire is below the clay column, and
• moving means for moving said column from the first to the second support in a coordinated fashion with movement of said at least one cutting wire so that as said at least one cutting wire moves downwardly it passes through said clay column.

A device for cutting brick blanks from clay columns comprising:

• first and second support assemblies each having a width that will completely support the full length of the clay column, the second support assembly being located downstream from the first by a predetermined distance and defining gap therebetween,
• means for moving the clay column from the first to the second support assembly,
• means for mounting at least one cutting wire in a plane at an angle with the plane defined by the supporting surface of the first and second support assemblies, and
• means for synchronously moving said cutting wire within said gap between a first raised position and second lowered position so that when the column is moved from the first to the second support assembly, and said at least one cutting wire is moved from tis raised to its lowered position, said at least one cutting wire will penetrate and pass through the clay column as the clay column is transferred from the first to the second support assembly.

A device for cutting bricks from a clay column comprising:

• first and second conveyor assemblies for respectively receiving and discharging the clay column and for moving the clay column in a conveying direction with the second conveyor assembly being positioned downstream from the first conveyor assembly;
• each of said conveyor assemblies including a conveyor belt and at least two rollers for supporting said belt and for defining the supporting surface thereof;
• said first and second conveyor assemblies being spaced apart a predetermined distance so as to define a gap therebetween;
• each of said first and second conveyor assemblies including driving means for driving the conveyor belts;
• means for mounting at least one cutting wire in a vertical plane and at an acute angle with respect to the plane defined by the supporting surface of the conveyor belts;
• means for moving said at least one cutting wire vertically within said gap between a raised position above the clay column and a lowered position where a substantial portion of said at least one cutting wire lies below said supporting surface;
• means for jointly moving at least the rollers in each of said first and second conveyor assemblies positioned on opposite sides of said gap;
• and
• moving means for moving said means for jointly moving, in a horizontal direction counter to the conveying direction, in a coordinated fashion with movement of said at least one cutting wire so as to follow the point of intersection of said at least one cutting wire with the plane defined by the surface of said conveyor belts so that, as said at least one cutting wire is moved downwardly, said at least one cutting wire passes through a clay column positioned on siad first conveyor assembly and the gap between said first and second conveyor assemblies will move horizontally in a direction counter to the machine direction so as to pass beneath that clay column thereby simultaneously cutting the clay column and transferring the clay column from the first to the second clay conveyor assembly.

A device for cutting brick blanks from clay columns comprising:

• first and second conveyor assemblies each having a width that will completely support the full length of the clay column,
• said second conveyor assembly being located downstream from the first,
• each of said first and second conveyor assemblies including an undriven end roller,
• means for mounting each of the undriven end rollers a fixed distance from one another so as to define a gap therebetween and for moving the rollers in a joint manner horizontally thereby simultaneiously altering relative position of the gap,
• means for mounting at least one cutting wire in a vertical plane and at an acute angle with the plane defined by the supporting surfaces of the first and second conveyor assemblies,
• means for synchronously moving said cutting wire mounting means vertically within the gap between a raised position to a lowered position with the gap following the point of intersection of said at least one cutting wire with said plane so that, when the conveyor belts are stopped and the undriven end rollers are moved toward the receiving side of the apparatus and said at least one cutting wire is moved from its raised to is lowered position, said at least one cutting wire will penetrate and pass through the clay column as the clay column is transferred from the first to the second conveyor assembly.