466 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



This peculiar capacity of the auger machine has led to its abuse. It has 

 made poor ware it is true, but could any machine have done better, with the 

 stuff that was fed into it. Now there is no doubt that a good deal depends 

 on the machine, but there is more depending on the tempering of the clay. 



Among the manufacturers of this kind of machine 1 may mention Kells 

 & Son, Tiffany, Adrian Machine Co., Michigan Tile Machine, Smith at 

 Jackson and Brewer at Tecumseh. 



Class II. — Includes those machines in which the clay passes from the pug 

 mill into molds, in which it is sometimes pressed and from which the molded 

 brick is discharged. 



There are several varieties of these machines, any or all of which have 

 points in their favor : 



Subdivision 1st — Soft mud machines.. 



Clay is tempered as for hand working and fed into molds, same as used in 

 hand working. These molds are carried to yard and spread for drying. There 

 are several kinds of these machines. 



Subdivision 2d — Those in which we have a vertical pug mill, underneath 

 which a large horizontal wheel moves, centered on another point. This 

 machine carries on its face a series of molds with adjustable bottoms, which 

 pass during a part of the revolution under the pug mill, after which the 

 bottom rises and lifts the brick out of the mold. This principle is used in 

 an old English machine, but is well known to us in the Sword's Brick 

 Machine, made at Adrian. 



Subdivision 3d — Have the molds in a vertical wheel, which is fed by either 

 a vertical or horizontal screw. 



Subdivision 4th — Have two vertical wheels on both of which are molds, 

 the part between the molds in one pressing the clay in the other. 



Subdivision Stli — In this the molds are linked together by an endless chain 

 running over two sprocket wheels. 



Suhdivisio7i 6th — In this the clay is pressed by a reciprocating piston. 



Subdivision 7th — In this the molds are worked back and forth beneath the 

 pug mill. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



There is little doubt but that the practice is a good one of making some 

 portion of the machine so weak that it will give away when an extraordinarily 

 heavy strain comes on it. This part ought to be one that may be easily 

 replaced. 



This practice, I am aware, is not followed by many makers, and perhaps it 

 is to their profit not to do so. One heavy machine, and, in many respects, 

 a good one, seems to have the weak point in the cogs of the main driving 

 wheel. No doubt every machine has one part peculiarly apt to give way. 

 If that part is one not easily and readily replaced, that machine is certainly 

 a faulty one. 



It may seem strange to coolly advise the construction of a machine in this 

 way, instead of trying to made everything equally strong. 



A brick or tile machine made like the " Deacon's one horse shay " would,, 

 m my opinion, be a faulty one, for should it be overstrained, it would fly in 

 pieces and become an irreparable ruin. And it would probably go in clay 

 working much sooner than the famous *'shay." 



I have spoken of making one portion, and that a part readily replaced,. 



