Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-09
SWUNG ny ELECTRICITY.
storage Battery That Handles 9
Weight Of 5000, 900 Pounds,

From the Omaha Bee.
The swinging Of the draw Of the Omaha
Bridge and Terminal Company's structure
across the Big Muddy has been accomplish
ed by the aid of the Waddell- Entz storage
battery now in position. For four months
Engineer V. A. Hewes has been working
on the motive power to swing the span,
and yesterday In the presence Of a number
Of the officers OF the terminal company,
and for the benefit of Chief Engineer j. A.
L. Waddeil, who came up from Kansas
City to see the test made, the span swung
out over the river without q jar or hitch,
thus virtually completing the bridge which
connects two Of the great sisterhood OF
states.
The power used consists Of two forty
horsepower motors, Weighing $500 pounds
each. and Is the same system now in use
on the Second Avenue line New York The
storage battery is of the well-known zinc
copper alkaline type. the positive element
consisting Of an agglomeration of finely d.
vided copper held about a central copper wire
by fine wire netting. To still further secure
the finely divided copper in position an out
side covering of cotton Is woven around II,
thus giving the finished product the appear
ance of insulated magnet wire. This WIRE
as IT may be termed, is then wound spirally
to form nat rectangular sheet the thick
these sheets or plates, usually seven. are
then united together to form the positive
side of the cell. and are placed in an iron
case divided 90 that there Is an iron parti-
ton between each Of the positives. A solu-
ton Of potash. in which zinc has been dis
solved. forms the electrolyte. Upon charg-
ing the cell the zinc In the solution is de-
posted upon the sides and partitions of the
case, and the copper OF the wire is oxidized:
in dischargn9 the battery may be consider
ed simple oxide of copper and zinc CELL
the zinc being redissolved into the solution
from the iron surfaces and the copper oxide
reduced.
Eight racks are used to manipulate the
power. 3SI cells being contained In the
racks. The cells are connected In series On
each rack. each two racks being in a series.
thus forming four units being the same as
four individual batteries. These are led
into a controlling device. from which wires
run to the armatures OF the motors. The
controller has single lever that WORKS a
cylinder and on which arc contact points.
by means Of which the batteries are coupled
In SERIES giving the different speeds TO the
motors. BY turning the lever In the up
posite direction there Is given three differ
emit speeds in reverse direction. On coming
to the zero point Of the controller the arina-
ture forms a magnetic brake. which stops
the motor Instantly. While In opera lion
the machinery is under the most perfect
control by simply working the lever Of the
controller.
The switchboard has a number Of switch
es SO arranged that the batteries may be
charged from the trolley wire " The East
Omaha Street Railway COMPANY. OF the
batteries may be renewed by the same cur
rent The whole battery may he charged
in series or 1t may be divided into separate
parts and each charged separately. In
operating from the batteries the switches
can be thrown in such manner that the
machinery may be worked from one-Eaif
the battery independently OF the other nal:.
one-half thus being in use while the other
half Is being charged.
The srmatures on the motors are OF the
gramme ring type. with internal fields.
these fields being unique In their way, h&v-
ing eight poles and but a single magnetic
ing coil. The motors are geared 20 the lift
ing and interlocking shaft and also ID the
main or turning shaft. Upon the mteriock-
ing shaft are friction clutch gears and
upon the center shaft. which carries The
pinion driving the equalizer. are two irfc-
ton clutch couplings. The main or turning
shaft is cut at the center and the .qr1lizcr
introduced, this equalizer being for the rur-
pose of cQualizing the strain upon the large
rack. The main gear wheel Of the equalizer
is five feet in diameter. with a sX-inch face
The matter of moving and stopping the
motion of such an immense weight. at pres
ent being 5000. 600 pounds. but which will
be increased to 4,000.000 when the carriage
and footways are completed. has been care
fully studied out, so that the machine in
position can move the draw "a easily as a
child can lift lead pencil. In fact, L child
could swing the draw OF the largest span
in the world by simply moving he lever
which controls the current.
Those who were present proaaunc-l Tie
test perfect. Mr. waddell being particularly
sanguine that the storage battery would
revolutionize the power used in swinging
draw spans Of bridges.