THOMSON'S FACTORY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 88, 12 May 1916, Page 2

THOMSON'S FACTORY.

OPEN FOE PUBLIC INSPECTION. What is considered by bottlers, travellers and visitors from all parts of the globe to be the most sanitary and up-to-date bottling establishment} in the world is that of Messrs Thomson and Co., of Dunediiu • fudging from the com-' ments ox thousands of sightseers who ' have visited the firm's factory during' the last winter shows, their establish- j went provides one of the greatest and ■ most interesting sights in Dunedin. The j handling of glassware by machinery is I a very difficult problem, but the firm 1 has now overcome it by designing and J inventing many machines of their own, I besides importing from almost every country machines specially constructed to their order. The machinery now installed handles, thoroughly soaks, sterilises, brushes, rinses, syrups, fills, seals, labels ami delivers bottles of any size or shape at the rate of 120 dozen per hour. There are close upon 10 different machines used, from the soaking, sterilising, brushing and rinsing of the empty bottles up to the syruping, filling, sealing ami labelling of the full ones. To convey some idea of the magnitude of the machinery now in use, it should be mentioned that engineers and experts were etigaged night and clay for IS months during the instalment, erection and fitting-lip of the machinery. As indicating the necessary efficiency of the machinery and the delicate liandI ling of the glass bottles, it may be menI tioned that the various machines fill and empty each bottle ten times wit.li a | strong caustic solution at a temperature • of UOdeg. Fahr. at the rate of 120 dozen per hour. The bottles are then automatically discharged, gripped by machinery and revoived at the same rate of speed in the opposite direction to brushes running at the rate of 500 revolutions per minute, which act upon the inside of the bottles. The rinsing machinery then receives the bottles and rinses them with artesian spring water inside and out, in three distinct operations. The hot ties are then inspected, after which they are automatically carried tn the fillers, which extract from them the atcospheric air; then svrup, till, seal and label, and deliver them to the packers at the rate of 12(1 dozen per hour also. Some of the labelling machines are capable of dating each label, counting the bottles, placing one, two or three different sizes and shapes of label upon them in one operation, and then delivering them to the packer at the rate of 24 a minute.

The progress made by Thomson and Co. is indicated by many interesting relies of the linn, dating from the year IS(i(i. Among these may be mentioned a col lection which shows the evolution of t,lu» soda water bottle. Bottles of their products recovered from the wreck of the s.s. Tararua, in IS,Si, after eight years' immersion, are also on view. A particularly interesting display is Thomson and Co.'s first plant, which was used in the year ISt'iti. This plant had a capacity of -IS dozen per day. The present plant has au output of Willi dozen in eight hours. We wish to inform the general public that visitors will again 'be comlm-ted over these premises during Show Week, on .May ;>O, HI, June 1, -, and 5. The hours will be: On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 1(1 to I-', 2 to 5, 7 to !»; Friday, Id to J-', - to 5 Saturday, HI to 1-'; Monday, ID to I- and - to o.