MILK -PLANT OPERATION. 



15 



single-row machines are approximately the same. As more machines 

 of the single-row type than of the rotary type were used at these 

 plants, making a greater charge for interest and depreciation, the 

 costs with the former are slightly greater. In the case of the macliine 

 with hand levers and the automatic case-filling machine, the cost 

 per bottle mth the latter becomes comparatively less as the size of 

 the plant increases. 



At fu"st glance the curves in Figure 11 seem to indicate that the 

 costs of using the single-row and rotary macliines were considerably 

 higher than at plants using the large automatic and hand-lever types. 

 In part, however, this is due to the fact that many of the plants 

 using the former types had some machines which were not in constant 

 use. In some cases an extra machine had been installed to take care 

 of emergencies, such as breakdo^vns. This is a wise precaution 

 against having the work come to a standstill, but the high cost of the 

 large automatic types operates to prevent having extra large macliines. 



Fig. 12. — A battery of lotivry automatic fillers and cappers, with special conveyer system which reduced 

 the number of men required to operate the machines. 



Tlie difference in actual cost at these plants between the rotary 

 and single-row machines on the one hand and the hand-lover and 

 large automatic machines on the other, is not groat, and other 

 factors are involved which have resulted in the more general use 

 of the rotary and single-row types. Among the advantages of the 

 latter types are: 



The smaller machines are more convenient because they are more adapted to be 

 used in units. If one machine breaks down the work wiW not have to stop, as the 

 other machines can be operated while the broken one is being repaired. As the 

 business increases, additional units can be readily added. 



Inspection of bottles can be much more reacUly carried on with these types p,^ 

 machines, as the bottles are removed from the cases in the operation. 



The machines are automatic and the results are not wholly dependent on the meti: 



As comjiared with the automatic machines that are used for filling bottles while 

 in the cases ("case-filling machines"), there is less mechanism to got out of order 

 and the operation is much more simple with the smaller types of machine. 



