Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1910-10-18
The Valley Brick company's plant.

fully equal to the best anywhere. To
President John STROLLER. who is also the
gentlemauly and efficient general mana
ger of the company. we are indebted for
information which enables US to give a
detailed description of the Valley Brick
Company's valuable plant.
The plant was erected and equip
ped throughout by E M Freese & Co. of
Gallon. Ohio under the direct supervision
of their experienced representative. Mr.
c K Brown, of Willoughby. Ohio.
1t consists of Machinery building
57x72. to which are attached stock shed
5ox5S. receiving shed 23x5I. dry house
23xIoo, cooling shed 23x2s. fan house
I2xIS. coal house Isxso and two circu-
lar down draft kilns 80 inside diameter
and connected to 40 # double fue stack
and water tank of 1900 gallons capacity.
A side track with #. retaining wall and
capacity of 6 cars has also been con-
tructed.
The clay coming from the pit in carts
1 is dumped on belt conveyor, running
beneath the floor of the stock shed, which
carries it to 9 fl. Stevens dry pan,
fitted with two 3 ton mullers, where 1t is
ground and. falling through the perpor-
ated bottom of the pan. is swept into the
boot of bucket elevator which carries
1t to the top of the cupalo and delivers it
to Dunlap Perfection" self-cleanIng
screen. The fine clay resulting goes to
the brick machine and the coarse tailings
are returned to the dry pan for further
grinding by means of wooden chutes.
The brick machine is Model .K'
Union. The clay falling into 1t is temp
cred by the addition of water and
thoroughly plugged by series of revolv-
ing blades fitted to central shaft. These
deliver it to auger blades, which in turn
force it through steam fabricated die
forming solid and continuous column
of clay whose width represents the length
OF green brick, as its thickness does the
width. The capacity of this machine
is 1000 brick per hour. The column
passes over the measuring belt to No.
20 Automatic Rotating Side Cutter,
fitted with three sets of wires spaced to
represent the thickness of a brick and
this machine. at every third of a revolu-
ton, slices seventeen brick from the
clay column.
Passing under roll. which smooths
any minor roughness, the bricks are run
on to the off bearing belt, which separates
them sufficiently to enable the hackers"
to grasp them easily and hack" them or
pile them on specially designed iron
truck holding about 500 brick.
Waste ends or damaged brick are left
on the belt and delivered to bucket
elevator which throws them on belt
conveyor to be returned to the brick
machine and remoulded.
This machinery is actuated by Gen.
eral Electric Co. Motor of 100 H. P,
which is attached to q 1916 line shaft
seated on massive concrete piers, from
which power is transferred to the various
machines by a system of belts and pulleys.
The loaded brick trucks are shunted,
by means of transfer truck, into the
receiving shed, and thence run into the
dry house, which is of brick, containing
five tunnels, each with a capacity of ID
cars. Under the floor of each tunnel
runs hot air duct from which rises the
heat used for drying the brick. This
heat is forced through the ducts. and
system of tunnels connected with each
kiln, by e fit. Watertown blow fan, &C
tuated by a rs H. P. General Electric
Motor. The heat is drawn either from
kiln in process Of cooling or from a
auxiliary furnace III which coke is burned
% prevent smoking the green brick.
After drying the trucks are again run |
)nto transfer car and shunted directly |
uto the kilns where the brick are hacked |
or burning. These kIus are designed |
o contain $4,000 brick. and are fred |
rom the outside, the flame rising TO the
,rown of the circle, sucking down
trough the mass of brick and passing
'ut of the floor of the kiln through a
ystem of underground flues to the stack.
After burning the stack is cut off and the
,iln connected with the fan. Coal is
lsed for burning.
The company proposes to erect at once
wo additional kilps, which with the two
low in use will care for an output of
bout s. 900 b-ick lily, and later expect
0 increase the capacity of the plant to
so. 600 weekly.
About IS men are now employed and |
his number will increase as the work ,
emauds.
After completing the erection of the ,
liant, Messrs E NJ. Freese & Co. sent 8
} operate the same Mr.. G. s. Shane, of ,
colchester. Pa. who has spent his life in
lie brick business. and under whose
ireful guidance the infant industry"
rapidly passing through its intantile
oubles and promises at an early date to
; able to stand alone, a credit and
after OF pride TO the entire community. Z
A regular term of the United States T
ourt well be held at Martinsburg this c
eek. beginning today. I
II is.- Il.,;c.- |