REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1902 r87 



combination wet pans, where it is ground, mixed and tempered. 

 The apparatus consists of two large rotary crushers or mullers, 

 which, turning, rotate a large pan beneath them, the material 

 being crushed against the bottom. This is then shoveled out on 

 a horizontal belt conveyor, which dumps it into a pocket, from 

 which it is conveyed by a belt elevator to the top of the build- 

 ing; from there it is dropped on other belts, by means of which 

 it is carried to the presses. These presses consist of two cylin- 

 ders of different sizes, the larger, or upper, being a steam cylin- 

 der which drives a piston and disk down into the smaller one 

 beneath, into which clay is fed. By this pressure, the clay is 

 forced dow r n through dies and comes out as green tile. It is 

 said that a pressure of 117 pounds to the square inch is exerted 

 on the 42 inch steam head of the press, which, transmitted to 

 the 20 inch clay head, gives a resulting pressure on the latter 

 of nearly 30 tons a square inch, and insures a close bodied pro- 

 duct. In one press any sized pipe can be made by changing the 

 dies. The sizes made range from 3 to 30 inches, the 30 inch 

 being rarely made. After leaving the press the pipes are con- 

 veyed to the drying room and set on slat floors, underlain by 

 steam pipes, to air-dry. When the clay leaves the press, it is 

 in a comparatively soft state and is allowed to stiffen till of the 

 proper temper, after which the pipes are turned and trimmed and, 

 when necessary, are rounded by putting a circle inside and 

 " drawing them back." The junction work, or putting in Y and 

 T branches, is all hand work and is done the same day that the 

 pipe leaves the press, as it is then at the proper temper. The 

 time required for drying varies according to the size of the pipe. 

 For the 24 inch, three weeks are needed. After being com- 

 pletely dried, they are put in kilns and burned. In the kilns 

 the pipes are "nested," that is, the smaller set within the 

 larger to economize space, but not too close, as it would inter- 

 fere with the glazing. When the ware shows a sufficient 

 amount of burning, salt is thrown on the fire, when a fusion of 

 the surface of the pipes takes place, which constitutes salt 

 glazing. The larger pipes require six nights and five days, or 

 132 hours of continuous burning, called a six day run. Approxi- 



