Updates for Illinois Electric Porcelain Company and General Electric Company

Written for THE CLAY-WORKER.

OF INTEREST TO POTTERS.

The Illinois Electrical Porcelain Company, of Macomb, Ill., manufacturers of Standard and Special Porcelains and Pole Line Insulators, intend to install a new sagger press. They have just recently built a new fireproof sagger department 50 feet by 96 feet. The press must be modern in every respect, and is to make saggers 16 inches outside diameter, and from 3 inches to 10 outside height, the saggers being of the standard thickness.

The Vitrified Wheel Company, of Westfield, Mass., manufacturers of emery and corundum wheels, will install several jiggers to enlarge their jiggering department.

The Hartford Faience Company, of Hartford, Conn., manufacturers of high grade porcelain for electrical specialties, contemplate putting in a pug mill which will enable them to increase their capacity. Mr. G. D. Rankin is general manager of this plant.

The General Electric Company, of Schnectady, New York, are now installing machinery in their new plant at Pittsfield, Mass. The machinery is of the very latest design throughout. The ball or pebble mills are being furnished by the Abbey Company, of New York City, the screw or dust presses, two sagger presses, and a wet pan are being installed by the Mueller Machine Company, of Trenton, while the filter presses, lawns, blungers, and 7-foot wet pan are being furnished and erected by the Crossley Machine Company.

The Ionia Pottery Company, of Ionia, Mich., manufacturers of flower pots, lawn and hanging vases and fire brick, intend to avail themselves of clay which they have on their property. They are having this tested and washed to determine its merit. If this clay is satisfactory it is the intention of the company to buy the necessary machinery to start the manufacture of tiles.

The Homer Knowles Pottery Company, of California, with offices at the Bank of Italy Building, Santa Clara, Calif., are now receiving proposals and plans for the new plant which is to be erected shortly in California. This company Is proposing the erection or installation of a self-contained blunging equipment, with the blunger tank to be above the floor line, and the agitator partially under blunger foundation, and which will be supported by eyebeams covered over with concrete. This type of layout will give them practically a clear floor space and the agitators would be of easy access and would not obstruct the floor space. This is one of the latest ideas in blunging or blunger equipment. The company intends starting operation with five kilns and then continuing the construction until they have at least ten kilns. They do not intend installing a sagger machine until they have ten kilns.

The Onqndaga Pottery Company, of Syracuse, New York, are anxiously awaiting the receipt of their flint and spar grinding machinery, which they have on order from the Crossley Machine Company, of Trenton, N. J. This machinery will include one 5-ft. 6-in. chaser mills with 18-in. face stones. Later on it is the contemplation of this company to install ball mills of the largest type, which will give them one of the best and most up-to-date pottery plants in their locality.

The Owen China Company, of Minerva. Ohio, manufacturers of high grade porcelain and hotel china, also underglaze decorations, intend to install a new pug mill in their sagger department in the course of a very short time to be electrically driven.

The Trent Tile Company, of Trenton, New Jersey, have just completed the installation of a new sagger pug mill.

This mill is of the vertical type and is of the very latest type, and was furnished by the Crossley Machine Co.

Practically all the machinery for their new plant in Baltimore, Md., has been received by the Locke Insulator Corporation, and same is now being installed under the direction of Mr. W. S. Austin, their able erecting engineer. The new buildings of this concern were just recently finished.

Mr. Phillips, of the Sneyd Enameled Brick Company, of Trenton, N. J., reports a fine demand for high grade fire brick. He— also states that most of his production is along this line. The prevailing price of the best grade of fire brick is around $85.00 and $90.00 per thousand. Several potteries in this locality are furnished with their requirements by this concern. From time to time Improvements are being made at the plant which give it more production and increased efficiency.

The Such Clay Company, of South Amboy, N. J., has recently been purchased by Mr. L. H. McHose, of Perth Amboy, N. J. This company produces high grade fire clay and sands. Mr. Such, of the Such Clay Stills, maintains a prominent position with this company.

Rapid progress is being made by the New Jersey Tile Company, of Trenton, N. J., in the erection of their new plant on Brunswick Avenue. The plant will probably cost in the neighborhood of $100,000, when machinery and other equipment are installed. This company specializes in the manufacture of high grade, white, vitreous floor tile and has lately added a special line of colored tiles. Mr. Francis M. Walker, of Trenton, N. J., is president of this enterprising concern. It is understood that this company Intends to install a power tile press in the course of a short time.

The Athens Pottery Company, of Athens, Texas, owners of large clay plants and tracts near Fort Worth and Athens, Texas, contemplate in the near future the erection of a large plant at Eustace, Texas. These people have been manufacturing clay products in Texas for the past thirty years. Their plant is equipped with the American Dresser tunnel kiln and has a capacity of 40,000 brick per day. This concern also manufactures tiles and stoneware. It is one of the most progressive plants in the Southwest. Mr. P. E. Miller is president and general manager of this concern.

The Lakewood China Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, have recently installed new kilns which have doubled their capacity. This plant is indeed a novel one and should, therefore, be justly proud of itself. It holds two distinctions, namely, It is the only pottery plant in Cleveland, proper, and is the only plant in this county devoted exclusively to the manufacture of children's and doll set china. The company has been in business but a short time, but ha\ established a reputation which will last for sometime to come. It was organized expressly to fill the need of the children's line, and out of it have come the famous "Darling Dolly Dishes," which all young future housewives will recall.

The D. E. McNicol Pottery Company, of East Liverpool, Ohio, announce a great demand for their yellow and Rockingham ware. This company is the sole producers of this line of ware in the Ohio district. For a number of years only two kilns were utilized for the production of this class of pottery, but they have met with such a demand that It has been necessary to add nine more kilns to take care of the call.

The Empire China Company, of Brooklyn, N. Y., have found that the making of dies by outside machine shops is so expensive that they have decided to install a new machine shop. In this shop they will not only be able to supervise the making of their dies, but also they will stand ready to make repairs to their machines.