Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-26
THE MAKING OF SPARK PLUGS.
interesting Processes of Manufacture
Watched in Big Factory.

| Nyhitt ii'tANl dtIA, YOU NOulu ilOl dS
sociate romance with a spark plug
To all intents and purposes it is mere
| ~ combination of porcelain and stee
| and wire that provides the connectin:
| link in an internal combustion engin,
IA gasoline motor. to reduce it I,
=, common parlance, be il for an auto
| mobile. a motorcycle. motor boat
| for farm CT mill or factory use, or il
| any Of the other capacities whore al
| engine of this type is employed.
so far, so good. But the fact re
mains that The bit of white, shiny
porcelain which forms an essentia
part of the completed plug marks The
elimination of centuries OF endeaNol
to master the art of porcelain making
as it WAS practiced a thousand years
ago in China and Japan. process
guarded jealousy by the few familiar
with the secrets involved, and which
were handed down through q family
nom generation.
That wide research and exhaustive
experimentation has resulted in the
production. in limited quantities, of It
porcelain better adapted to the re
qairements than even that for which
tie Chinese have always been famous
does not strip the art of a particle of
its romance. Rather, the fact that
the conquest has Leen successful adds
interest. particularly when il is re-
memhered that to Detroiters-by adop-
tiCn at leaSt-belongS the credit for the
achievement. Also in reviewing even
in cursory manner the industries
that have made Detroit famous the
world over, it is worthy of note that u
single plant in this city furnishes -
per cent. of all the porcelains used in
spark plugs in The United States. and
isn't worrying a bit about orders, the
problem confronting it being to take
care of those that come almost unso-
licited. For such is fame.
The average owner of a gasoline en-
CINE looks upon the spark plug as u
sort of trinket, perhaps a bit eXpen-
sive because OF frequent renewals. As
a matter Of fact, it is one OF the most
important agencies in { motor, for the
most efficient electric current ever gen.
Grated would ne absolutely useless if
the spark plug was unable to resist
the clectrostatic strain thrown upon
cylinder in such manner as to cause
complete combustion within the tenth
part Of a second Or less. depending on
the speed at which the motor is run
ming. And it must Withstand the most
violent changes. one second it is
brought to a heat at the point which
would cause the hardest steel to melt.
Tic next it may be flooded with cold
water. as in the case of a marine en-
CINE. And through it all tie spark
plug must come up smiling, as il were
with the merry little spit of blue flame
which touches off the charge of gas in
the cylinder with almost tendish glee.
All of which is intended merely to
give even The experienced mortorist
some appreciation OF the fact that 4
spark plug worth is not represented
by its cost, but by its efficiency. to
show why such care is required in the
manufacture Of some of 1he compo
nent parts, and why the factory pro-
dueing these parts sets aside certain
departments that constitute Il holy of
hotties into which even thu Nerlest 40
vice is not permitted To sat foot, lest
he might in some manner ifnpart to
the outside world the secret processes
that represent long years of research
Any mechanic can make a spark
pllg, if given Il working model. Any
potter could nuke Il porcelain that to
ali outward appearances might not be
distinguishlble from those used in the
best spark plugs. although il put into
SCI vice it would probably prove worth
less. But the most skilful chemist
could not take bit of porcelain ready
for the kiln, ;jnayZe il and acquire Il
formula therefrom that would be the
same. Why? Well, that is the bust
ness of the man who presides over the
laboratory. and he isn't telling what
the missing properties are. This is
where part of the romance comes in.
Primarily, porcelain is a combina-
ton of kaulins, silicates. feldspar, OK
ides and-we ell, he rest is the other
fellows business thoroughly mixed,
turned into the desired shape and bak-
ed IN kiln. Most OF these ingredients
are imported from far-aWay countries.
England, France and Germany pro-
viding much of the kaoiin, which Is
also found in great quantities in China.
Arrived at the plant, the proper guam
titles Of each are put into great
Vat With revolving arms inside, and
the mass is mixed for hours. Then it
goes to another mixer, and another,
with intermediate processes that pos
sess no interest TO tie layman, until
it is ready for the filter press. Here
the mass is put in canvas bags and
subjected to pressure from corrugated
forms that remove the surplus of wa
ter md leave 1T about the consistency
of putty.
Next IN order comes the pug mill i'll
principle a series of powerful geared
worms that force the cray down and
out through a circular vent in such a
manner that most of the remaining
air is eliminated before the mass goes
to the storage bins.
Aging is one of the chief essentials
in the preparation OF Il mixture. In
the old DAYS a Chinese potter prepared
the Ingredients laboriously by hand
ard then stored the mass carefully
away for the use of the third or fourth
generation of his descendants, while
he busted himself with what his great
grandfather might have prepared
Nodern chemistry has succeeded in