Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-01-15

d. At every place where brick arc
made in the usual way, large yard Is
indispensably necessary, which requires
much labor, expense, and care, to make
and keep it in order for the reception of
the newly formed brick likewise large
quantity of fine sand or dust is wanted,
10 dust the moulds and the yard, to keep
The soft brick from sticking; which CAM
not be obtained without much trouble
Z and Inconvenience, particularly in the
spring or in damp weather. For the
machine, no yard, no sand or dust is re-
quirsl.
5. The sand or dust that is used in
moulding brick made by hand, makes
them very rough; and when they are
burnt, Injuries the color. They are SO
soft when laid on the yard for the pur-
pose of drying, that the corners are LA
Die to be spoiled, and the whole brick
warped in such a manner, that when
they are laid in the wall, they take a
double quantity of mortar, which makes
the joints so large that, taken together
with the color, the elegance of the build
ing is much injured--whereas, with the
machine, no sand or dust being used, the
brick when burnt have a beautiful red
color, never to be found on those made
BY hand; and their smoothness far sur
passes any thing of the brick kind have
ever seen their corners are so good and
she whoit brick SO true and square, that
the Joints in wall formed of them need
not exceed the eighth part of an inch in
thickness.
6. The brick made in the usual way,
have such quantity of water in them
when moulded, that when the water is |
dried out, they are left in such spongy |
state, that, unless burnt extremely hard,
(which Injuries the color) they will not
stand the action of the water and frost
in winter--whereas, by using the ma
chine, such large quantity of clay is |
pressed together, and all its particles
brought into such close contact, that, |
with moderate burning, they will be
sc intensely hard, that they can be made
use of as stone for the purpose of foun-
dations for buildings, walling wells, ma
hing fences, walling up the sides of ca
nails, constructing turnpike roads, &c.
&c. which will be of incalculable advan-
tage in those parts of the country where
stone cannot be conveniently obtained.
7, The stock made in the cities for
the fronts of good buildings, costs twice
as much as the ordinary kind-whereas,
the brick formed by the machine are in
every respect superior to the best of the
stock have ever seen, in point of color,
smoothness, and durability, and can be
sold for half the price of our common
rough brick.
8. For the purpose of making brick in
the common way, it lis necessary TO Sc
lect sandy clay, as in some places the
clay is too pure, or AS it is usually term
ed, too strong, to admit of being worked
into proper consistency to be moulded
by hand. With the machine, this diff
Guilty is obviated; as it can be in a few
minutes SO adjusted as to work any kind
OF clay, from the strongest down to the
weakest, with the greatest possible ia
cility.
9. In order to make brick as it is
usually done, it is necessary to have an
experienced hand to mould: such hand
is sometimes difficult to obtain, and al
ways at more than ordinary wages
whereas, the machine is SO simple, and
easily managed, that our common labor
ing hands are fully sufficient to attend
the whole process. w.
10. From the simplicity of its con-
struction, the machine can be made so
portable, that it may be moved at tri-
fling expense, from one farm to another,
and work up the clay as it is dug out of
the cellar of the intended building; and
thereby save the expense of hauling, and
the loss generally sustained by breaking,
&c. &c.
AT time like the present, when econ
omy has become indispensable, would |
think that the great saving attending a
general use of the above machine, will
not escape public notice. The immense
number of brick used annually, in this
state alone, would, if reduced fifty perl
cent. in price, save two or three hundred
thousand dollars to the community; and
IF extended to every state in the union,
the saving would be incalculable. 1t is
therefore hoped, that an enlightened and
patriotic people will not fail to encour-
age the erection of those machines, if,
upon trial, they are found to answer the
expectations of the inventors, that the
use Of them may become universal as
soon as possible.
v