The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-05-17

A number Of weil-known gentlemen. by in
! vitatiop, visited MesSrs. Joseph Hall & Co.'s
iron-works on Saturday afternoon and in
spected General imbodcu's railway car
| litter. Among those present were Governor
kemper, Colonel James Mcdonald (Secretary
of the Common wealth., Colonel r. NJ. R..
Talcott, Major <. 7. d. Myers, MIR. X. II.
Maury. General &. Lindsay Walker. aud
many others. Messrs. Joseph Hall & Co.
| have just finished the r-llfter, which was
| explained and operated within their IRON
| works. 1t was originally designed for
Greensboro, n. c., but the change Of gauge
| OF the North Carolina railroad rendered its
use at that point unnecessary, and ii will
| now be used on the Manchester side Of the
river at the Danyille and Petersburg railroad
junction. -.- -.
TIE machine is ten feet wide and forty
six feet lnug, with lift OF two feet, and
| may be operated by steam, compressed air,
right-and-left screw, hydraulic cylinders, or
the rope and pulley with a capstan. For
| economical and rapid working steam is pre-
ferable. to be supplied from locomotive run
on sidlng 10 await the transfer Of the train
from one set Of trucks to another, or by
small stationary boiler. On Saturday steam
was used.
The object Of the invention is to obviate
the necessity OF transbippiug frei2hts or
breaking bulk where roais Of different
gauges meet or connect. The car-lifter is to
be constructed in 8 pit under the track
where the two gauges meet, there being
double rails laid 10 the machine, thus form
ing both gauges With common centre be-
tween the two pairs Of rails. When
loaded car of the five foot gauge, for instance,
is run in, bars or crutches connected with
the litter are placed under the car body, and
the machiue lifts the body, but not the
trucks, two feet and holds II there. This
lift draws out the centre pin from the trucks
and they are free to be moved from under
the body, when another set OF trucks, say
4.S3-inch gauge, are run ia on Melr apprc-
pirate rails, and the body Is then let down
on them by the cGbaustvilye, and the car,
thus remounted, is moved out on the latter
gauge. This operation is repeated with
each car till the whole train is placed on the
proper trucks TO carry it forward on the new
gauge. Where two trains meet they simply
exchange trucks with each other.
Where steam or com pressed air is used as
s. motor the lit can be ssfely effected 10 less
than quarter OF minute. And where
road has large business, and time is an Oh
jecl, as many machines may be pl2ced under
the track rs there are cars in an ordinary
train, and by simple connection OF the cyl
indcr TO the several machines BY long pis-
ton.rod one boiler will operate them all in
harmony snd lift the entire train in less than
one minute. Compressed air will do the
SAME. Other motors will not act so rapidly,
but any Of them may be worked in connec-
ton on an indetiEite number Of machines.
The combination Of the inclined plane, or
UelGe, with the wheel and axle gives this
machine its enormous power. Building the
lifting trucks. wheels, aud incliucs Of iron,
and using eIgateen-lnch cylinders of siS-loo,
stroke, each machine viii lift 10000 pounds,
or G2d tons, at each stroke OF the piston TO
the height of two feet, under pressure OF
100 pounds TO the iuch in the boiler or in the
air nigaZtue. At sixty pounds pressure the
lifting power is 10000 pounds, or 3I3 tons
more than double the weight of the heaviest
cal-body loaded. Each stroke will require
the evaporation OF eighty cubic inches, or
about one-third Of a gallon OF water in the
boiler, Ut sixty pounds pressure. Twenty
lifts. aggregatng weight Of 100000
pounds, would consume less than seven gal
| Ions OF water, and the same if there be
twenty connected machines working slmul-
taneously TO lift an entire train by single
stroke Of each separate piston. 1t is within
| i large margin TO say that ten gallons Of
| walter cvaporaled and less than a bushel OF
coal consumed will effect the transfer OF the
| bodies, loaded or empty, OF two trains of
twenty cars each, upon their respective
trucks, to those of the other, though their
aggregate weight may reach 100000
pounds. If, therefore, a stationary boiler is
| employed, ii very small one OF say y by )
| feet will be ample to do the transfer n urk on
| u road OF the largest traffic.
| The Steam cylinder which was used oE
| Saturday is eight ieet long, with scveu.ioot
stroke and tWenty.tour-inch bore. 1t was
cast uud bored at MesslS. Joseph Hall i
| Co.'S, and is i model piece OF workmanship.
| Iudeed, the whole apparatus rcilecls The
| highest credit upon the builders, and "iIi,
no doubt, luIly answer the purpose lor W nch
| il j. intended,