A BIG CAPACITY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17133, 8 September 1926, Page 9

A BIG CAPACITY

BOROUGH BITUMEN PLANT

NOW BEING ASSEMBLED

Tin; hot-mix plant recently ordered by the Uigborne Borough Council fum Messrs. Niven and Co. has now arrivt.i,

nnj is being assembled at (he emvn'-.i s vard, where i! will operate. Tin plain '■- exceedingly (complicated, and eons: Is i f a number of separate unit.-, all < t which are ico ordinated to give maximum

efficiency. Many huge castings are in eluded in I hi! plant, and the complicated nature uf the machinery sii-_. .< • liuw rapid have heen the strides oi Sew Zealand engineering concerns in being able to turn out these jobs. The machine which the Coum i! i> '"• (.tailing it. rapable of turning on! ««•/ cubic vards of hot mis a day. It > probably'the most modern of its kind. ; ::d is designed on what is known ao ii-e. continuous: system, which supplies tin: material in the minimum oi Uni.-i and enables the work of surfacing to '" . •arrird on without, any delay.'-. HOW THE PLANT OPERATES.

In preparing the materials necessary for tin- process of surfacing, the ran ingredients. sand and shingle, are dumped into a pit from which a chain and bucket elevator corivev,, them to the

drier. The drier, which is really an adaptation of the Niven fertiliser drier. comprises a cylindrical steel shell, having mounted on one end an accurately machined roller path on which it revolves. Supported by adjustable rollers below, at the other end it is carried on a heavy trunnion, revolving in a swivel bearing, thus ensuring automatic aliinnient. Internal arrangements are prov'ded for the drying of the materials, and the even distribution of heat. A suction fan is employed to ensure the rapid evacuation of all steam evaporated from the materials treated. The -and and shingle, goes through into tanks, where it eoines into contact with and is thoroughly mixed with the heated bitumen, and finally passes out of the machine into carts which come underneath. A PERMANENT FIXTURE. The whole machine, which is a very big .structure, is mounted on brii-kwor* foundations, and is, of course", a permanent fixture in the council yard, fhe brickwork has not cost nearly as much as was originally anticipated, and the contract price for all the brickwork is £179 16s. The .contract- specified that all sections of the machme were to bo lauded in Gisborne by September 10, and the machine was to be in readiness to commence work by October 14. The contractors are well ahead of time, and it is expected that the whole of the work will be completed by the end of the present month provided the weather i oud il ions remain favorable.