[ 1861 . 
AME RICAN AGRIOULTURIST. 
938 
Fig. 24 —Apparatus for making Cement Tiles. 
clay, the top is closed and a piston drawn in 
from the rear forces out two, three, or four con¬ 
tinuous tiles. Perhaps one or more of these ma- j 
chines will be described at another time. (We 
would be glad to hear from any of our readers 
who have used, or seen used, what is called the 
“ Buckeye Tile Machine,” a very simple cheap 
affair, said to be effective.) 
CEMENT DRAIN TILES. 
There have been on exhibition at some of our 
fairs sundry drain tiles made of “ hydraulic 
cement,” but partly from the appearance of the 
specimens, and perhaps partly from the reticence 
of the exhibitors, we were not favorably im¬ 
pressed with them. We learn, however, that 
improvements have recently been made, and 
shall investigate further and report, if there ap¬ 
pears to be anything valuable. In the mean¬ 
time, we present herewith, an article translated 
for the American Agriculturist from the leading 
Agricultural Journal of Prance. The accom¬ 
panying cuts we re-engrave from that journal. 
From the “ Journal d’Agriculture Pratique, April 20,1861.” 
“There is found in the department of l’lsere a 
cement of great hardness and consistence which 
if^n great demand for buildings. The brothers 
Durand, of Grenoble, conceived the idea of using 
this cement for making drain tiles, and have ar¬ 
rived at satisfactory results. They have invent¬ 
ed a machine with which the pipes can be 
molded very rapidly; it requires only a quarter 
of an hour by this process to obtain solid tiles, 
the' durability of which is almost without limit. 
The complete apparatus of M. M. Durand, is 
represented by fig. 24, and in vertical section by 
fig. 25. It is simply a wooden box in which are 
placed moulds of a hexagonal form. This box 
can be taken to pieces. By simply loosening 
the screws shown in the figures 24 and 25; the 
whole side can be removed by the bowed hand¬ 
les represented in the engravings. The first 
row of moulds is thus exposed which can be 
taken off. We can then take off the succes¬ 
sive rows of moulds by the handles shown on 
each one. The cores, which form the cavities 
of the tubes, are each 
supported by a cast 
iron sockle or pedes¬ 
tal, which can be 
raised or lowered 
by means of a screw 
as shown underneath. 
To operate the ma¬ 
chine, the different 
series of moulds are 
placed in the box, the 
screws tightened on 
the sides—and the 
hight of tire bench 
regulated by the 
screw, so that the up¬ 
per ends of the cores 
shall not be above the 
level of the moulds. 
In the upper com¬ 
partment (shown 
turned back in fig. 24) 
is then placed equal 
parts of sand and ce¬ 
ment previously mix¬ 
ed with a suitable 
quantity of water. It 
will take nearly five 
minutes for cement 
to begin to set. The 
slide of the compartment is then raised up, and 
the contents flow into the moulds beneath and 
completely fill them. In ten minutes more the 
operation is finished. The apparatus as seen 
from above, presents the appearance of fig. 26, in 
which the tiles are represented by the shaded 
parts. The screws are now loosened and the 
series of moulds are successively removed, and 
each tile separately detached and slipped it off 
from the core around which it is formed. The 
tiles are about 13 inches long. In fig. 27 is 
shown both the exterior and interior form. 
The machine of M. M. Durand, despatches 
work rapidly but requires a cement which sets 
quickly, and consequently can not be made use 
of everywhere. It will be very useful in those 
Fig. 25 —Vertical Section of the Apparatus. 
countries where this material is of low price. A 
committee appointed by the agricultural so¬ 
ciety of Grenoble to examine the new drain-tiles, 
have reported favorably in regard to them. They 
consider drains from cement tiles far preferable 
to ordinary drains; these tiles are straighter and 
more regular at the ends and by reason of their 
form are more easy to lay. They cost 30 francs 
(nearly $6) per 1000 when laid, and 1000 tiles 
weigh 800 kilogrammes (about 1765 lbs., or 1| 
lbs. each). The diameter of the tiles is not given. 
The machine of M. M. Durand, has the pa¬ 
tronage of M. Paganon, President of the agricul 
tural Society of Grenoble, who has given an in¬ 
teresting notice of it in one of the late numbers 
of the ‘ Sud-Est.’ The machine could have been 
seen in operation at the “ Coucours General,” of 
Paris, in I860, where it was exhibited by the 
inventor. A. de Certs.” 
Remarks. —The above article gives us no 
particular description of the kind of cement used, 
further than that it sets quickly, or in 15 min 
Fig. 26 —End view of Tiles in the Frame. 
utes from the mixing. Probably any of our 
good hydraulic cements would answer, since 
the difference between setting in 15, 20, or 45 
minutes could be remedied by using two or three 
cheap machines instead of one. Any fair quality 
of cement which will harden under water, will 
answer for making tiles that will be permanent 
under ground. The question of cost is one wo 
can not determine readily. As near as we can 
estimate, one barrel of hydraulic lime with a 
Fig. 27— Form of a Tile. 
little more than one barrel of sand, will make 
about 300 round tiles three inches outer diameter, 
the rim half an inch in thickness. The cost ol 
the “Rosendale Cement” (or hydraulic lime) 
which is considered the best in this market, is 
$1 25 per bbl.—probably less when taken in 
quantity. Call it $1 20, and the cost of the 3-J- 
barrels of hydraulic lime for 1000 tiles would be 
$4 00. The sand, hauling, etc., may be put at 
$1, making the cost of materials on the ground 
$5 for 1000 tiles. Probably $5 is a liberal al¬ 
lowance for the average cost of materials in most 
parts of the country. 
The next question is, can or can not the tiles 
be made on the farm cheaper than to buy clay 
tiles at $8 per 1000 at the yards, and transport 
them home. Smooth straight tiles are far prefer¬ 
able to burned clay tiles which are more or less 
crooked, though this is not so great an objection 
when collars are used. We confess to a hope 
that the cement tiles will yet prove to be profit¬ 
able, especially in those places where hydraulic 
lime is accessible. Will not some of our inge¬ 
nious readers experiment on the subject ? With 
the accompanying engravings it will not be diffi¬ 
cult to get up some cheap form of a machine to 
mold the cement tiles. We shall endeavor to 
try the experiment, if we can find time. If 
the machines come into market in Prance, we 
shall certainly import one, but in the meantime 
our Yankees can doubtless get up a better one. 
The descriptions and the engravings are for 
hexagonal tiles. If made with collars, as re¬ 
commended last month, the round form will be 
just as good, and require less materials. 
