The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-05

That is q new motive power, or q new
phase Of somewhat old one. Mr.. DASFoRD
of Geneva, Illinois, has invented machine,
which, if it prove to be us successful as the
inventor and practical machinists deem it,
will inaugurate new era in the use of steam
and prove valuable as a motor, aud As avoid
ing the accidents incidental to steam explo-
sions. in the apparently trivial event which
led to his discovery, Mr.. DANFoRD did no,
differ greatly from WxrTs. Z ,as9 sas8k
1t is thus stated:
VIM. +. Danford, who possesses the inven
tive mechanical faculty in a high degree. got
up early one, frosty morning TO build a fire in
his stove, aud heat the water in the kettle.
After starting the fire, he placed the kettle,
full Of cold water, on the top of the fat stove.
plate, and sat down before The FIRE to muse
over an improvement in 4 reaping mschine
which he was building. Pretty soon he saw
the kettle vibrating on the stove plate. This
motion was continuous. At tirst he esAought
1t was caused by the water boiling. hat taking
off the lid he discovered that it was not boil.
ing; still the regular vibration continued.
growing stronger, if anything. He then re-
moved the kettle, when he discovered in the
bottom sand hole, from which trickled slow
ly drops OF water. This water coming in con-
tact With the hot stove-plate, was instantly
converted into "super- heated steam. The
explosion of the drop Of water produced the
shock, or movement, observed in the kettle
Ihe immense power generated from so small
quantity of water as a single drop, arrested
the attention of the inventor. and the ques-
hon at once occurred to him, Why can not
this power, SO vastly greater than ordinary
steam, be utilized?
Mr.. DANroRD devoted himself TO trials and
experiments, and the result is machine now
on exhibition In Chicago. In this machine
the boiler, or " generator" as Mr.. d. calls
1t, is not filed with water, but highly rarifed
steam. which is generated as fast as consurn ed
by the engine. The generator is hollow
cast-iron globe, suspended into the furnace
An iron tube enters the globe at tao top and
descends halfway down it, where it termi-
mates in sprinkler with forty or fifty Jets.
By means of pump. small quantity of wa
ter is forced through the tube into the gene
rator. This water, or spray, is expanded
into hot steam before il can reach the sides of
the generator. Thus explosion is prevented,
for the water beng converted into steam when
thrown from the tube, no further expansion is
possible. A principal cause of explosion is
the sudden conversion of too much water
into steam, danger TO which the common
boilers are always liable, but which is avoided
in Mr.. DASFoRDs invention by the small and
regular quantities of water changed to steam,
and the stock of water being kept outside of
the generator. As to the motive capabilities
Of Mr.. DASFoRD' ) machine, an exchange
avs;
A test of this machine showed that with
one-fourteenth part of the fire surface, thirty
three per cent. more labor was done hy DsI,.
ford's little generator than was accomplished
by fifteen horse locomotive boiler, and that,
too, with one,hAlf The Consumption If fuel.
Danford generator got twenty. horse power
work out Of an ehgipe bniit for FIVE or six
horse power boiler. twenty-five ;gAlls of NJ {
ter in the form Of super-heated steam proved
to be thirty-three per cent more powerful
than eighty gallons of water In the shape OF
saturated steam. In other words, one gallAn
Of water in the condition Of dry stean' is
equal IN eficient power to nearly FIVE gallons
in the condition OF ''wet steam"