The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-03-24
USES FOR COMPRESSED AIR.
Its Especial Advantage In Mining and
Tunneiing Operations Described by
nm Expert.

"What are some Of the uses of compress.
cd mir rs a motor ?" asked q reporter of a
leading dealer in rock drills and compressed
air machinery recently
" 1t is especially we'll adapted" was the
reply, for rock-dlills, pumps, hoisting
engines and other machines used in mines
shafts, tunnels and underground work in
general, where the direct use of steam
would be very announcement, and in most
cases entirely impraetieable. The fact is
that compressed air is motor for all the
essential purposes of steam, without the
loss OF power due to condensation and with
out the heat and many other Inconvenience
power especially in confined places and at
distance from the source of supply. 1t is,
therefore, applicable to all engines TINT can
be operated by the expansive power of
steam, either at high or low pressures, aud
one OF its principal advantages over steam
is that it can be stored and transmitted
through pipes to any distance without ma
terial loss of pressure or diminution of
volume, the only requisites being pipe of
ample area, with tight joints aud laid with
the least possible number of sharp turns
In mining work particularly it has the ad-
ditional advantage that, upon exhausting
from the drills or rather machines used, it
furnishes to the workmen constant and
abundant supply of pure, fresh and cool
air, thus in many cases obviating the neces-
sity of providing other and expensive means
of ventilation"
g Is it applied to other kinds of work sue
cessfully ?"
Quite 80. For instance, in sinking
bridge caissons driving tunnels through
soft material by the pneumatic process for
refrigerating and yentilating purposes
s.i'i4S...Atsine naSssssss .--i
senger ears in pneumatic tubes vulcanizing
wood; in the manufacture of rubber goods
and nitro-glycerine explosives; for eleyat-
ing liquids, purifying water for city and
town use, driving street cars, mine locomo-
tiyes, and for supplying very convenient
and perfectly safe motor for running eleva-
tors and factory and shop machinery. The
feasibility of COMPRISING air, either by
steam or water power, at any convenient
point for economical production, and tn en-
conveying it through iron pipes along the
streets exactly MS gas or water is carried,
to be tapped and used wherever required,
furnishing power for use in towns and
cities, has already been practically demon
strated, and it is only question of time
when this plan will be extensively adopted,
owing to its economy and safety. BY this
system power may be transmitted to great
distance at comparatively small expense
At the tunnel being driven for the WASH
ington, d. c., aqueduct, the compressor
plant is located Mt central point for eco
nomical operation, and the air distributed
over distance of five miles over ground,
through ten, twelve and six-inch pipes TO
The four shafts, where it is received by four
inch pipes and supplied to the drills, hoist
ing engines and pumps. When the tunnel
is completed the air will have been conveyed
through ten miles of pipe. This is the
longest distance air has been conducted,
and the loss by friction and radiation does
not exceed 2 per cen. 1t can just M readily
be conducted q much longer distance with
out q higher percentage of loss"