HARKER'S PATENT BRICKWORKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5374, 6 February 1879, Page 2

HARKER'S PATENT BRICKWORKS.

a This useful local institution, eatablished jj wecliauius' Bay some years ago, has at* assumed dimensions of such importance that it deserves more than a parsing notica. Tat rapid manufacture <>£ bemi-preised bricki, a time wheu brick buildings are in courie o! ' er.ee,on on all sides, is an item »' very great importance in the progreijiri

works of the city. A member ot our sta! yesterday paid a visit to the works, t> inspeco the very ingenious apparatus in cat. L'he works are erected ac the oase of the hill in Mechanics' B»y, at the bick of the Unioa Saw-mill premises, and the material ij jfc. tained from, the surface of the hill, when it exists to a depth of 17 feet. A tramway conveys the crude clay ii;tj a hopper, and here the work of automatic mastfacture commences in Murray's Pat«as tSrictc Manufacturer, an ingenious mschaniic worked in this instance by one of Ruby's wellknown portable engiues of about 14 horsepower. When discharged into th» hopper, the clay passes through what are called th« hedge-nog rollers, when it is broken up, and from there, by the force of gravitation, aided by the action of knives fixed in the eame manner as the flukes of a 3crew steamer, it is forced through another pair of rollers, when it is further re luced, and it is then delivered into the mixing mill, where it is thoroughly mixed up before it reaches the pug-mill, After leaving the latter, the clay 13 forced through a pair of sii.l fiuer rollers, and through the dies to the cutting-table in a mass contaiuiug nine bricks, which are by means of a lever cut by tine wires into the required size. The bricks in this form are taken in long wheelbarrows to fchehackaor drying platforms, where about 3030 are stowed on each of 33 hacks, and allowed to remain about a fortnight before beiog sentto the kiln. The ltilu is a large concern, containing 12 chambers, eacn capable of containing 11,000 bricks. The tire is forced through the furnaces in the most economical manner, the fuel used being Bay of Islands coal, of which, when in full blast, the consuinpti .n is about li tons a day. The plant is capable of producing 200,000 brieti a-month. inclusive of the manager and foreman, there are eleven meu and four boys employed. The foreman is Sir. Sfcacey, aad the business manager Mr. James Watson. The latter transacts all the outdoor buainesi of tile establishment, and since he has taken over charge of the business he has pushed ik forward mo3t energetically. There is now no difficulty found in disposing of all tin bricks that can be produced, and the rapidly extending demand for bricks of this manafactare is likely to necessitate an increase of plant and the employment of extra hands. Mr. Watson's large business experience in the firms of Messrs. Br jwu, Barrett and Co. and Owen and Uraham well qualities him to push the trade of the establishment with which he is now connected.