Abstract: A hydraulic press having an upper ram-die subassembly is lowered hydraulically toward a mold cavity at a relatively high speed while resting by gravity on lower sets of nuts attached to the lower ends of piston rods. When the upper die comes to rest on the pulverulent material in the cavity, the piston rods continue their downward movement through passageways in the ram. At a predetermined distance sensed by a sensor on a set of upper nuts located on the rods above the ram cooperating with a switch on the ram itself, the ram continues downward at a much slower speed against the material with very high pressure for an initial stroke and then is retracted for additional strokes to "de-air" the powder (optional). Finally, after de-airing, the ram-die combination effects the final forming operation on the powder in the cavity.

Abstract: In presses such as hydraulic presses used for forming tiles or bricks from ceramic or other materials, a mold box is mounted in alignment with the upper and lower dies. To hold the mold box without keying it to the mold case, a wedging assembly comprises an outer wedge releasably fixed to a wall of the opening and having a vertically angled surface facing inwardly. Next to it is an inner wedge having a vertically angled surface which is brought into contact with the angled surface of the outer wedge. Adjustable securing means such as vertical bolts pass through a vertical passageway in the inner wedge and are screwed into an aligned, threaded passageway in the outer wedge for moving the inner wedge vertically until its translation laterally secures the key-less mold box fast by friction alone against downward thrusts of the upper die.