Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-02-26

Animal power IS the last TO be consl"
dered. The application of this power for
the purpose of moving machinery, is ac~
complained with many advantages, par
ticularly in this country. Some of the
principal OF them are the following: LIST,
This power can be at any time obtained;
and machinery may be moved by 1t any
season of the year, and during any kind
OF weather; which cannot be said DIVA
ter or wind. I'd, Mills and other cstab-
lishments moved by this power, may be
located in any place the owner chooses.
Sd, The machinery necessary tor the
application of this power is not very ex-
pensive, and is very cheap compared
with steam engines. 18th, And the ex-
pense of the building necessary to con-
tain the machinery is generally less than
that for water mills, because a better
situation may be selected for it. 5th,
This country is remarkably well adapted
to raising cattie and horses; and food
Tor Their support while at labor is album
dant and cheap. 9th, Those parts OF
the country which are most destitute of
streams for moving water mills, and
wood for the support of steam mills,
afford an abundance of food for cattle and
| horses.
Although animal power is generally
acknowledged to possess the advantages
enumerated above, yet much difference
of opinion prevails respecting the man
ner of applying it. There are two modes
in use, viz by draught and by treading.
LIST, By draught. In this method the
animals are fastened by gears to the ends
of horizontal arms, which extend from
aperpeDdlcu lar moving shalt, and by mo-
wing circularly round the shaft, lhey draw
the arms after them, and the machinery
is kept in motion by means Of gearing
attached to the upper end OF the shalt.
There is one material objection against
this construction, which is, that the mo.
ton produced is not eqnable. For this
reason alone it cannot be excessively
used. 1t is now much used throughout
the state for grinding corn; but its use is
diminishing. Attempts have been made
to apply animal power in this way to
cardmg wool, but without success. A
more equabIe motion is necessary for
this as well as for most other mechanic
cal purposes where animal power is re.
CURED.
Cd, By treading. In this manner the
animals are made to tread on revolv-
! ing wheel, which turns as they attempt
to walk forward; by which means the
power produced is in proportion to the
J Weight nf their bodies. eF@-esst s. gsnaYeFt
lion 70 sheir n1uscnlar strrHg tA, as IL ths
foregoing plan. The wheels on when
the animals tread may be either ineiihe"
or verticle. The inclined wheel Is III"
clincd TO the horizon, 50 as TO make an
angle vita it OF from ten to fifteen de-
urees.-.This wheel being covered on
the upper side with boards or pianks, the
animals walk or tread upon II as near the
| periphery as possible; the wheel reVo .''
ing on its axis as the animals attemPt.o
walk forward. The more the wheel Is
1 inclined the more power is produces
! For the power produced by any welghl
upon the wheel, is to the weight as me
sine of the angle Of elevation is to radl-
US, or the weight is to the power as the
breadth of the wheel is to The distance
which the highest part OF the wheel IS
elevated perDendicularly above the low
es, part. But from experiments il Is
found that cattle or horses cannot walk
well on a wheel elevated more than
twelve degrees above the horizon. But
eleven degrees is thought to be the best
elevation. Fifteen degrees has been
tried and found to be too much, and the
mill was obliged to be altered, SO as to
reduce the elevation. Good business Is
done with a wheel which IS elevated ten
degrees. Eleven degrees may there.
fore be assumed as the most proper eles
| vation of the wheel. To calculate the
lpower then of any given weight on the
wheel, suppose horses or oxen amount
ing in weight to three thousand pounds
to be placed on a wheel inclined to the
horizon eleven degrees, then as radius ::
tothe sine OF II degrees 10000: /; $3.50
pounds: 572. Sothat 5000 pounds VIII
act with a constant force OF 572 pounds,
Ideducting the friction; and SIX oxen each
weighing one thousand pounds VAL give
a continued power OF ll44 pounds de-
Iducting the Friction. But this power
does not all act with the same length OF
| lever, because it is impossible to place
number of animals en- the same wheel
at the periphery, and hav them all walk
at the same distance froRi the plane ct
| the inclination OF the Shalt or axis OF mo'
tion. The lever upon which an animal
acts is not his distance from the axis OF
nation Of the wheel but the length OF a