WRECKING USED CARS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 29 November 1930, Page 13

WRECKING USED CARS

AMERICAN SALVAGE WORKS. Following the systematic wrecking of more than 18,000 antiquated motor cars, a leading company in the United States announced recently that the salvaging of materials obtained in this manner was practical, and that it was now increasing its facilities lor continuing the work on a move extensive soafo At tiie present time a force of 120 men at one plant dismantles these apparently worthless hulks at the rate of 375 cars every 16 hours. Many parts, such as tyres, are salvaged in their entirety, and other materials are being converted into useful articles, while the steel is remelted in furnaces to be used in the manufacture of fresh cars and trucks. The derelicts are bought from dealers at a fixed price of :0 dollars a car. There is no restriction as to make, age, or conditions, except that all cars must have at least some resemblance of tyres and a battery.

The present method is, first, to drain the cars of petrol and oil, which, with any grease, is saved. The cars are then hauled into the building and placed on a progressive conveyer, where the headlight lenses and lampbulbs are recovered. The spark plugs and battery are taken out and all glass is removed. That which is whole or may be cut to useful sizes is used for glazing in tlie plant buildings, and the broken bits are sent to a glass factory for re-melting. Floor boards go to a box factory to be used for lids. The cotton and hair obtained from upholstery and roof are separated, made into bales and sold. The muslin from roofs and the better grade of upholstery covers are made into buffer and polishing wheels. The imitation leather from side-curtains and roofs is immediately transferred to electric sewing machine operators near theconveyor line, to he transformed into aprons for use in the blacksmith- and other engineering shops. Smaller pieces and trimmings made into hand-pads. Petrol tanks are pressed and made into bundles to he taken away and treated for the recovery of terne steel. Overhead compressed-air wrenches unscrew the wheel nuts, and when the wheels are removed the tyres are inspected. If the tread is good they are sold as used tyres; otherwise the entire unit is placed in automatic shears which sever both tyre and rim. The tvre is quickly stripped and tossed into a waiting cart to be sold as old rubber, while the rims join others for use as furnace scrap. Hubcaps are salvaged for aluminium, ignition wire for copper, oil cups for brass,. hrusliings for bronze, and other hearings for babbit. All metals are kept separated by depositing each kind in steel barrels. As the conveyor-propelled and now all but dismantled cars reach a station near the end of the salvage line, men

with oxygen torches burn the engines loose from the frames. ' Hoists are attached to the engines, which are swung into a washer containing boiling wau-i and soda ash to expel all grease and dirt. Meanwhile wluit is left o! the ears continues on the conveyor into a ““-ton press, which crushes them. Inc remains are then transferred to the third conveyor, which carries them to the furnace doors.