THE ADELAIDE-ROAD BRICK YARDS AND WALLACE STREET PIPE YARDS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 751, 23 July 1886, Page 20

THE ADELAIDE-ROAD BRICK YARDS AND WALLACE STREET PIPE YARDS.

Adelaide-road Brick Yards, which were recently purchased by Mr Herbert Hill from Messrs Spencer Brothers, and were started about a month ago, have been fitted up with brick-making machinery, all of the most improved description and driven by steam power. On a recent visit by one of our representatives, the machines were seen at work, turning out the bricks. The clay is first taken from the bank —which is a large block of ground with a depth on the present face of about twenty feet, showing an equal gxtenfc of splendid material for making a superior class of bricks. It ia then carried direct to the hopper of the brickmaking machine, through which it is forced, coming out through a self-lubri-cating solid die, in a continuous block tbe width and depth of a brick and pushed on to a wire-cutting table. There it is cut off into ten bricks at a time, either square or wedge shaped. Our representative saw a large number of the latter made, which are to be used in the construction of the sewer now being made by the Corporation to Newtown. The brick machinery has been made and fitted up under Mr Hill’s personal direction by Messrs Robertson and Co., of the Phoenix Foundry. It is of a superior kind, the pressure given to the clay being so great as to drive out almost all the moisture, and when the bricks are carried to the adjoining drying sheds, about a week’s time there is saved by this improved method of pressing them through the die. The machine turns out 10,000 to 12,000 bricks per day with ease. While our reporter was there it was timed at the rate of 40 a minute, and could have continued at that rate if necessary. The bricks are carried from the cutting table by a hoist and tramway, both worked by steam, to the large drying sheds situated on the top of the hill, where storage room is found for 120,000 to 130,000 bricks while undergoing the drying process. Owing to the shorter time they are required in the shed to be dry enough for the kiln, a very large quantity can be put through, and though Mr Hill has a kiln capable of holding 35,000 bricks at a time, he is erecting another of a similar capacity. A fourteen horse-power portable engine is used for driving the whole i of the machinery. The yard is in charge of Mr Nealson, who is a thorough expert in brickmaking, and has everything in

I first-class order for turning out bricks in an almost unlimited quantity. I Mr Hill has a separate establishment in Wallace-street where he manufactures drain-pipes and all kinds of sanitary ware, also ornamental chimney tops, flower pots, vases, &c. The oiay used for this purpose requires to be of the best quality, and is now mixed up with hard material, such as old firebricks, broken drain-pipes, &c., all of which has first to be ground to powder. This is done in a large revolving pan with two very heavy rollers inside, which crush up the material as the pan revolves. This machine weighs in all 10 tons, and was also made by Messrs Robertson and Co. The ground material greatly improves the quality of all the ware, and enables Mr Hill to produce a very superior article. A crushing and pugging-machine mixes the clay and powder effectually, after which it is put through the pipe-making machine. Pipes, iu sizes from 3in to 18in in diameter, are made by pressing the mixture through dies of the required size. A 16- ( horse power engine is used for driving-power. There is also a large moulding-room, where the ornamental work is carried on, and also the very important branch of making drain-traps of different designs, which Mr Hill makes a specialty. Between the two establishments employment is given to a large number of hands, and bricks or sanitary ware of the best quality can be turned out in any quantity.