Edison Portland Cement - 2

Edison Portland Cement - 2

Here he placed a large sheet of paper on a draughting- table, and immediately began to

draw out a plan of the proposed works, continuing all day and away into the evening,

when he finished; thus completing within the twenty-four hours the full lay-out of the

entire plant as it was subsequently installed, and as it has substantially remained in

practical use to this time. It will be granted that this was a remarkable engineering feat,

especially in view of the fact that Edison was then a new-comer in the cement busi- ness,

and also that if the plant were to be rebuilt to-day, no vital change would be desirable or

necessary. In that one day's planning every part was considered and provided for, from

the crusher to the packing-house. From one end to the other, the distance over which the

plant stretches in length is about half a mile, and through the various buildings spread

over this space there passes, automatically, in course of treatment, a vast quantity of

material resulting in the production of upward of two and a quarter million pounds of

finished cement every twenty-four hours, seven days in the week.

In that one day's designing provision was made not only for all important parts, but minor

details, such, for instance, as the carrying of all steam, water, and air pipes, and electrical

conductors in a large subway running from one end of the plant to the other; and, an

oiling system for the entire works. This latter deserves special mention, not only because

of its arrangement for thorough lubrication, but also on account of the resultant economy

affecting the cost of manufacture.

Edison has strong convictions on the liberal use of lubricants, but argued that in the

ordinary oiling of machinery there is great waste, while much dirt is conveyed into the

bearings. He therefore planned a system by which the ten thousand bearings in the plant

are oiled automatically; requiring the services of only two men for the entire work. This

is accomplished by a central pumping and filtering plant and the return of the oil from all

parts of the works by gravity. Every bearing is made dust- proof, and is provided with

two interior pipes. One is above and the other below the bearing. The oil flows in through

the upper pipe, and, after lubricating the shaft, flows out through the lower pipe back to

the pumping station, where any dirt is filtered out and the oil returned to circulation.

While this system of oiling is not unique, it was the first instance of its adaptation on so

large and complete a scale, and illustrates the far-sightedness of his plans.

In connection with the adoption of this lubricating system there occurred another instance

of his knowledge of materials and intuitive insight into the nature of things. He thought

that too frequent circulation of a comparatively small quantity of oil would, to some

extent, impair its lubricating qualities, and requested his assistants to verify this opinion

by consultation with competent authorities. On making inquiry of the engineers of the

Standard Oil Company, his theory was fully sustained. Hence, provision was made for

carrying a large stock of oil, and for giving a certain period of rest to that already used.

A keen appreciation of ultimate success in the production of a fine quality of cement led

Edison to provide very carefully in his original scheme for those details that he foresaw

would become requisite--such, for instance, as ample stock capacity for raw materials and

their automatic delivery in the various stages of manufacture, as well as mixing,

weighing, and frequent sampling and analyzing during the progress through the mills.

This provision even included the details of the packing-house, and his perspicacity in this

case is well sustained from the fact that nine years afterward, in anticipation of building

an additional packing-house, the company sent a representative to different parts of the

country to examine the systems used by manufacturers in the packing of large quantities

of various staple commodities involving somewhat similar problems, and found that there

was none better than that devised before the cement plant was started. Hence, the order

was given to build the new packing-house on lines similar to those of the old one.