212 GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 



large 48 x 24 press at the Calumet works has been equipped with power, 

 1st, for moving the socket former and platform up and down; 2d, for 

 cutting off the pipe and throwing the knife out of gear; and 3d, with a 

 small steam cylinder, called the "doctor," for throwing the latch of the 

 socket former in and out of gear. 



These various power appliances are controlled by a set of levers in 

 front of one man, who in the course of time becomes wonderfully expert in 

 handling them; so much so that an outsider cannot follow his motions 

 with any show of intelligence. 



The use of the "doctor" and the power cutting off gear are now com- 

 mon. A movement toward improving the work of the press by using 

 better means to fill it with clay has been inaugurated at the National 

 Sewer Pipe Co. at Barberton. A press is in course of construction for 

 them which will use a horizontal steam cylinder with a long slot in its 

 upper side, through which the clay will be introduced. This horizontal 

 cylinder bolts onto the main vertical clay cylinder, close to its upper end; 

 in operation, the clay is to be filled into the horizontal cylinder loose, and 

 compacted in the course of the five foot stroke into a solid plug of the 

 same dimension as the clay cylinder. When the vertical cylinder is 

 empty, and its piston drawn up above the level ot the horizontal cylinder's 

 entrance, the movement of the horizontal piston will fill the vertical cyl- 

 inder with a solid compact charge ot cla} r which will enable the work of 

 pressing to begin instantly when the piston touches it and will enable a 

 cylinder full of cla}>- to furnish material for two or three pieces of each of 

 the smaller sizes, in excess of the number obtained by the common 

 method of filling. By the use of this cevice, which is well secured by 

 letters patent, it is expected to increase the out put to five thousand or 

 six thousand pieces of six inch pipe in ten hours. 



A similar idea has already been used in the horizontal press and 

 has long been giving satisfaction. The mechanical appliances in use in 

 feeding the clay to the steam press have been considerably improved. 

 There are two plans using mechanical skill, the Smith Feeder and Ander- 

 son Feeder. Both of these work with great dispatch ; the Smith Feeder is 

 very easily arranged so that one man can distribute the clay to two presses ; 

 indeed in the National Works, one man feeds three presses on three 

 different floors at the same time. He is located on the middle floor and 

 has the lower and middle feeders in plain sight, and uses mirrors to re- 

 flect the appearance of the upper one down to him. The Smith Feeder 

 consists of two belts, one running at high speed all the time, and the 

 other which carries the clay to be fed is stationary except when clay is 

 needed. The big belt by a motion of a foot or so throws enough clay 

 into the little one to fill the cylinder; it can be done with very great 

 celerity. 



In some old works the press is still fed by hand power with a shovel, 

 but this method has nearly disappeared. 



