The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-10

side, but it goes on running ceaslessiy
and noisily With the air system il is
claimed that the speed Of the machine
in use may be graded, something that
is impossible when q belt is used.
Compressed air is already in use al
Pullman for lifting purposes, for the
testing of air brakes and for the clean
ing of carpets and upholstery. The
lifting of enormous weights is accom-
plished by the air process al great
distance from the source of power II
was said at the shops yesterday that II
the same lifting were done by steam at
the same distance from the source or
supply a much greater initial energy
would be needed, because steam loses
its power greatly by condensation dur
ing it's transmittal. The same TO
greater degree was said to be due OF
electricity.
The probabilities are that the next de-
partment at Pullman to be invaded by
the compressed air force will be that in
which the cars are sandpapered. This
work is now done by hand. One ma
chine will do the work Of six men. A
disk 10 which the sandpaper is attached
is fixed on the end of the air motors
shaft The supply hose is on the right
Of the operator, while on the left IS d
large duck hose extending almost to
the floor. This carries off the dust. The
floor is kept damp and the greater part
of the dust adheres to il. The maxi
mum air pressure on the piston just
balances the weight of the machine,
and it can be raised or lowered with lit
tie effort on the part of the operator
The work done by the machine is said
To he for Z a
in that it makes an absolutely uniform
surface all over the side of the car.
There are ten engines to supply steam
for the running of the machinery in the
different departments at Pullman The
engines are so placed that the work
which each has to do is in its immeri-
ate neighborhood. An officer of the
company says that with compressed air
as motive power probably not more
than one centrally located large engine
would be necessary because the air lost
so little of its force when being trans
mitted to a distance. 1t was said that
at Topeka at a distance of half a mile
from the source of supply, compressed
air lost less than 20 per cent of its pow
er. Steam at the same distance loses
more than 80 per cent of its force Full
~ 80 per cent of our steam power here
L
taken up by the betting. This loss is
saved by the oppressed air system. Add
to the so per cent lost to the belts the
amount lost in transmission and you will
see immense advantage in economy of
force that compressed air has over
steam. / am not well posted on the
fuel economy question, but those who
have made a longer study of the air
power than 1 say that there is a great
saving at the compressed air end.
Here we compress our air and store
it in tanks. That is the general Gus
tom, for you then always have asupply
in case anything happens to the COM
pressor. Compressed air has an ad-
vantage over electricity in that it is not
dangerous and because it cannot start
fires. In riveting, in breaking stay
bolts and in general boiler work the use
of compressed air saves one-ahlf the
manual labor necessary under the other
system
When they started cleaning carpets
by air the other day at Pullman, those
who had been accustomed to the switch
pounding arm-tiring method looked on
with something more than wonder. The
air came out with a Swish" struck a
spot in the carpet and the dirt vanish
ed. For brake testing the compressed
air method is pronounced superior to
every other.
Nearly all the air compressors, and
in fact the entire system of compressed
air production and transmission in OPP
Grafton in the places visited by the in
specting Pullman official, are the re-
suit of home invention and building.
The same thing is true of the system OF
COMPRISING and transmission at the
car factory at Pullman. There is some
thing essentially simple about the meth
cd of producing the power, and nearly
all the steam appliances can be convert
ed and made to do service in the new
way of working. The change, there
fore, is said TO be one of little expense,
and this. combined with the great ex-
pected saving in labor and running ex-
penses, was the most convincing rea-
son to Pullman engineers and directors
why the change should be made in part
Of the works as an experiment Now
that the experiment has proved sue
cessful, the same reason is potent for
the extension Of the system to all parts
of the great factory.