Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-02-28
COMPRESSED AIR.
Piston Melton In Ar Cemprssssrs
"A Challenge by y sisw-ssroke
Champion.

EDrroR Nkvs: As have been advo-
eating for the past year or more the
principle Of running the air pis,ons Of
air eompressors at a much slower speed
in proportion to the speed Of the steam
piston that they are run BY. and as there
seems to be q doubt whether this prin-
ciBle Is correct or not. am willing to
back NY opinion to the amount OF 500
by challenging any compressor ON the
Comslock to q trial with the ons built
by the Gold Hill Foundry for the Alta
mine. the conditions OF trial to be as
follows: Each air compressor to be
supplied with 100 pounds Of steam; the
valve to cut the steam of at three
iourths OF tho stroke; a hole exactly
seven .eishths OF an inch to DO drilled
in the air receiver 80 tha, the air q
escape through 1t. and all other connec-
tons closed except to the compressor;
and each air compressor to be run ~
fast Us they please; but the holes In the
receiver are to DO proportional to tho
size Of the steam cylinder that does the
work. the one for the Alta being seven
eiehths OF an inch.
The party accepting this challenge
a make the first trial with his com.
pr,s.or. the trials to be Of one hour
duration each. The judges are to be
on- mining superintendent and one
mining chief engineer for each party.
and they are to. agree OF a fifth judge.
This challenge Is open only for fourteen
days. In order to make the conditions
more clear. we will take an example for
the sake OF comparison: The Alta steam
cylinder is AZ diameter by 32a. stroke.
equal to u cubic capacity OF 5,i3d inches.
and the hole specified in nv challenge
Tor the escape Of air is = Of an inch in
diameter. or clio OF an inch area.
4 No. Z Burleigh steam cylinder Is
isx2i, with a cubic capacity Of G,O96
inches, therefore the area OF the hole In
the air.receivsr should DO G7-l00 OF Al
inch area. or about l5-l6 Of an inch in
diameter.
Now. IL both steam cylinders are sup
piled with the sams steam for three
iourths Of their stoke. and the holes for
the escape OF the air made are In pro-
portion TO the size Of these cylinders. II
Is evident that the compressor that main-
tains the highest pressure Of air under
these circumstances Is the best air maker.
II the one at the Alta succeeds, 1t will
demonstrate that an air compressor with
a slow.moving air piston and fast.moving
steam piston il better than those now In
use ON tho Comstock Of various builds.
I have Experimental and figured on this
business for about q year and have de-
signed several methods for proportioning
the speed Of the air aud steam pistons.
My first plan was to use gear. but
many mining men object to 1t. My Sec
ond plan is q pair Of dies calculated to
be run by a fine horizontal engine
l5xJG. with adjustable cut Oh. This
engine was formerly in the Land mill.
The air cylinders would be lS'inch
diameter, 20.iueh stroke. The crank.
pins ON these discs are to DO connected
to the end OF a grasshopper beam and
the air cylinders midway. thus giving
the steam piston about twice tho speed
Of the air pistons. and maintaining the
greatest power Of the engine at q point
where tho air piston was doing the
greatest work. The other design is u
pair OF vertical air cylinders, lG.inch
diameter. lj.inch stroke, driven by one