Milford chronicle., 1922-06-02
GOVERNMENT ISSUES BRICK
ROAD FILM

With its latest motion picture re-
lease-a brick road film-the Depart
ment of Agriculture, through the Bu-
reau of Public Roads, has made avail
able to the public, motion pictures on
three types Of modern paving: asphalt,
brick and concrete. Due to this ac-
tivity of the government. the general
public, through farmers oranges, city
civic associations and the like, can
obtain, graphically, information on
modern highway construction.
The brick picture starts with the
mining of the snale or clay. and gives
a clear idea of the heavy labor and
fuel expense in connection with the
manufacture of This paving material.
The shale first is finely ground un-
der rollers weighing several tons, and
is then mixed with water in pug"
mill that looks like a bread dough
mixer. When it reaches the desired
mud-like consistency, it is forced
through a die under tremendous pres
sure and escapes from the opening
much like tooth paste escapes from
it's container, except that it is perfect
" moulded and compacted into a SOL
i'd mass.
After being automatically cut to the
desired width, the brick, travelling
along on a moving belt, are lifted by
hand and stacked on cars for storage
in the dryer, where the water USED
in mixing is evaporated.
When almost dry they are stacked
in kilns where, with a heavy con-
sumption of coal, they are heated TO
the melting point, a process Whlch
takes more than a week. This brings
about vitrificatiOn, or the fuslng
of the shale particles. The bricks
are then allowed to cool very slowly,
which results in annealing or tough
ening. When they are ready to be TAX
en- from the kiln they are perhaps rs
per cent as hard as diamonds, and so
Tough and dense as to Withstand the
heaviest traffic without cracking. or
wearing away.
Extreme care is used to see that
only perfect brick finally get into a
navement. They first are sorted as
fhev leave the kiln, all broken, crack
ed or chipped brick being thrown
aside. They are sorted second time
when niled in the cars for shipment.
Then a third time, after they have
been laid in the pavement and before
the filler is applied, an inspector goes
over them thoroughly and any tnat
will not pass visual Inspection are
thrown out. ,,..,y
The picture shows the "rattler," a
machine in which bricks are tested OF
ficiaIIv. The rattler is like an iron
harrei in which the brick are placed
with large and small iron shot, the
large shot being bigger than base
hall. The barrel is then revolved at a
SET sneed a certain number OF times
and If the brick, when removed, nave
lost more than certain set percen-
tage of their original weight, they are
refused.
1,facture and inspection, the HIN
shows the unusual diversity in the use
of briclk for surfacing city streets ana
country highways. Brick streets IN
use today range from the more simple
designs. where the brick are laid on
the natural soil without any artificial
base I'm through the more elaborate
5esiens to a. point where thick bases
are specified because OF exceeulnsly
heavy trafic) -, ,o,.--
al modern methods of laying prlek
surfaces on various types OF Dases
and with different kinds Of filters pc
tween the Joints, and closes with the
Subtitle: "Vitrified Brick makes a
bigh-cIass durable pavement, suitable
for the heaviest traffic, expensive IN
first cost. but cheaply maintained.