Handbook N-P - Fulton County Public Library

Pa
A brick making machine that will produce 30,000 concrete bricks in a working day and
promises to revolutionize the industry is the invention of a former Rochester man, Frank Wilder,
son of James Wilder, of this city. Moreover the machine is now in operation at the Wilder home
on South Main street, where Frank is spending some time with his father and sister and perfecting
the minor details of the outfit. He has made his home in Los Angeles for the last 16 years and it
was there that he invented the device and has had it in operation for several years.
Mr. Wilder’s machine covers only about 3 by 18 feet of ground space and is about six
feet high. It is constructed entirely of steel and is very simple in operation and most important as
the inventor says - is foolproof. The product is a brick made of concrete similar to the method used
in producing concrete blocks. The machine turns out twenty bricks at one time and in its present
order most of the work is automatic while some must be done by hand.
The concrete is mixed as usual and is placed into the molds either by hand or by a
conveyor. The machine itself is run by a motor. Heavy tampers immediately begin to rise and fall
and pack the concrete solidly, and in a moment’s time. The tampers halt, one lever throws back the
sides of the molds, another lifts the bottom of the mold upward and twenty bricks are lifted off the
machine and placed on curing shelves. They can be surfaced with any color by stuccoe either of
the latter lasting as long as the brick themselves. They are finished with the smooth or rough
surface as desired.
Each brick has a groove, on both sides which when filled with mortar and placed against
another makes a perfect lock, and an entire wall so constructed is as strong as solid concrete or
even better. And as the inventor claims, the bricks can be made and sold much cheaper than the
old baked brick and are stronger, and have better fire resisting qualities.
Mr. Wilder has seen many large building erected in California with his brick and the
demand continues. However he is interested in marketing the machine, which is fully patented and
hopes to start producing them sometime in the near future. He says the machine can be seen by
anyone who cares to see it in operation at its present location at the Wilder home.
[The News-Sentinel, Rochester, Indiana, Wednesday, August 5, 1925]
ROBERT GREEK PATENTS A COLLAPSIBLE CRIB
By cutting in half the number of operations necessary for setting up and taking down,
Robert P. Greek of this city has obtained for himself a first patent on a collapsible crib, of primary
value to tourists and travelers.
The young man, who operates the shining stand in the Brubaker and Paramore barber
shop and a furniture repair and cleaning shop in the rear, Friday morning received his patent
papers from Washington, D. C.
Mr. Greek has not sold his patent as yet - in fact has not had time to adjust himself to the
news that he had really won his first patent. He may decide to manufacture the article himself -
probably will do that for a while, at least.
His patent application was filed July 25, 1924, and the patent has resulted from efforts of
a registered patent attorney in Mr. Greek’’s behalf.
The device, when standing is 38 inches long, 20 inches wide and 30 inches high. When
closed, it rolls up into a bundle about eight inches in diameter and 38 inches long.
Around the frame, consisting of four upright and eight horizontal bars, are wound two
double thick sections of ducking or canvas, the top being left open. The sections have loops for the
insertion of the bars of the framework. One section is stretched from one upper horizontal end bar
to the other, while the second section is run from upper side bar to upper side bar.
The bolts, one at each of the eight corners of the crib, constitute the clever feature of the
invention. Fastened on the end of each horizontal end bar is a plate with a hole through it. A bolt
comes through each upright, with the headless end passing through the hole in the horizontal end
bar’s plate. A wing nut is the fastener here. Now on the end of the horizontal side bar there is
fastened a fork plate which hooks over the head of the bolt. When the wing nut is fastened,
drawing the upright and horizontal end bar together, the horizontal side bar at that juncture is
likewise tightened. This saves a bolt at each of the eight corners.