Method of manufacturing brick from nonrefractory raw clay

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BRICKS FROM NON-REFRACTORY RAW CLAY, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF RAPIDLY PREHEATING A PORTION OF THE CLAY FOR A PERIOD OF FIFTEEN MINUTES TO TWO HOURS TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 850* C. TO 920* C. BUT BELOW THE SINTERING POINT OF THE CLAY, IMMEDIATELY ADDING THE PREHEATED CLAY AT SUBSTANTIALLY SAID TEMPERATURE TO UNHEATED MOIST RAW CLAY IN THE PROPORTION BETWEEN 1 TO 1 AND 1 TO 2 AND IMMEDIATELY CRUSHING AND MIXING THE PREHEATED AND UNHEATED PORTIONS OF THE CLAY WHEREBY THE SPECIFIC HEAT OF THE PREHEATED CLAY RAISES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE OF THE ORDER OF 200* C., DRIVING OFF MOISTURE FROM THE UNHEATED RAW CLAY AND EFFECTING A PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF THE CLAY TO A LESS PLASTIC FORM, PRESSING THE CLAY MIXTURE INTO BRICKS AND FIRING THE BRICKS AT SINTERING TEMPERATURE.