Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-18

HE CITY SToNE-CRUsHER.-Ne paid Il
visit day or two since to the new machine
for crushing stone for our streets which has
lately been set up at Wizards ledge by
Superintendent Linsley. The crusher
stands upon a platform supported by a
framework Of heavy timbers placed against
the face Of the ledge. The machine is
Blake's stone-breaker, which for many
years has held its place as the most effective
crusher for such purposes, and is in gen
eral use on both sides Of the Atlantic,
taking the place of English inventions
even in England. 1t is a very simple
affair. Within a massive iron frame,
which Is one immense casting weighing
nearly louc tons, is heavy jaw, faced with
a corrugated surface of chilled iron. to
which a slight motion, not over half an
inch at the greatest, is given by toggles,
worked by an eccentric on the shaft The
hopper, or wedge-shaped space between the
frame and The jaw il front, will rec Give a
piece Of rock twice or thrice as large as a
ofthe biggest boulder that can be put into
it. The first bite Of that iron jaw con mon
ly cracks the rock into many ieees
These settle down little at each mo-
ton of the jaw, and are crunched
into smaller and smaller pieces, till
they drop out at the bottom into
the revolving screen. This is a long
cylinder of boiler plate, perforated with
holes. This separates the crushed stone
into four sizes, which drop from the screen
into as many bins or compartments below.
The first holes are small. Through these
passes the finest portion of the material,
which Is a clean gravel, suitable for side
walks. Next come the Jumps which are
able to drop through inch holes, and then
the larger sizes, up to two inches in diane
ter. The whole is driven by a steam en-
glne Of Is horsepower. The crusher was
made by the Blake Crusher Co. of New
Haven, Conn. Its weight is six tons, and
its cost was 81, $50. The engine was made
the Ames Iron Works of Oswego, n. Y, and
seems to be very well constructed engine,
being the first we remember to have noticed in
which the water completely surrounds the
iirebox, passing under it as well as on the
sides.
The crusher is conveniently placed both
for receiving the loose stone from Willard
quarries, and FOR delivering the crushed
material to the carts which will bring it to
the streets. \ favorable contract has been
made with Mr.. Willard, under which the
city may take all the stone it requires at
the almost ominal rate of FIVE cents a
perch, for ten years. The stone is a capital
one for the .urpose, and the city Is to be
congratulate d on the favorable circumstan-
ces in whic 1t is enabled to commence the
work Of permanent improvement of the
st-eets. I ne city of Hartford brings a less
suitable stone six miles to macadamize
its stree IS, and there is hardly another
case " here a place of this size
contains within the city limits a
quarry Of such suitable stone, 50
conveniently situated for use The first
street 10 be macadamized will be College
street below the Square. The sidewalks
will be faced with cut stone curbing. The
soil will be removed from the surface of the
street. to the thickness of foot, and its
place supplied with the broken stone. This
viii then be compacted into firm and
hard road, by rolling with a roller which
gives pressure of 300 lbs. to every square
Inch. \ road once thoroughly built in
/ that manner will remain almost indefinite
! ly, with triiing expense for repairs, and
will be always smooth, firm and free from
water or mud. 1t costs a good deal at the
start, bat in a soil like ours and in place
like tins, it is superior to paving, and its
| use will prove to be true economy.