The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-07-14

Every Ouc mas seen q Timer al Work
with his furnace and irons. He would
work a little while and then poke the
iron back into the charcoal furnace,
and either wait for it to be heated
again or bring forth a fresh iron from
the furnace. In later times in IAN
ming factories and such places naph-
tina or gas furnaces have replaced the
old charcoal fires, but still the timer
has had to work with a number of
irons to keep busy, and these were
often too cool or else SO hot that the
tin was burned off. With the electric
soldering iron the furnace is done
away with entirely and the irons are
always at just the right heat to do
their work properly. Except that
these irons have wire cords running to
the end of the handles and a jacket
over the copper head, they appear like
the ordinary soldering iron. Within
the jacket lies concealed a coat Of wire
and this supplies the needed heat.
In all the big electrical works all the
soldering is done by means Of these
irons.
Many factories are not only sup
piled with a great variety of special
electric tools, but also use electric
motors for the direct driving of nearly
all their machinery. A notable exam
pie of this is in a new shirt factory.
Beyond the work of heating, which is
done by waste straw, the whole place
is run and lighted by electricity. The
sewing machines are driven by it, the
collar and cuff ironing machines are
worked and heated by it, and all the
hatirons are electrical.
One Of the most potent advantages
claimed for the electrical sad iron and
tailor's goose is that no heat is wasted
and the iron can never do any harm
if left standing. The grasping of the
handle in most makes puts on the cur
rent, and the iron heats up; and the
current is cut off and the irons begins
to cool the moment you let go of it.
The owners of the factory declare that
electricity is away ahead Of other
power, being more clearly, less noisy,
and more satisfactory in every way.
Tiffany & Co.'S. great silverware
factory at ForestHill, N. j., depends
entirely upon electric motors to drive
the machines which are used in each
department. In one place a visitor
may see delicate drills and polishing
wheels running by electricity and in
another the same power operates a
hydraulic press capable of exerting a
pressure Of l 900 tons, while in another
room the same current is e%lectro-plat-
ing and gliding. Out at North Tona-
wanda, near Niagara Falls, is a great
bolt and nut factory in which every
machine is driven by electricity.
Here big motors run great lines of
shafting and these in turn drive the
machines which transform the raw
bars of steel or iron into finished bolts
and nuts. The same work could un-
doubtly be done with steam engines.
The intention to use electric power
from Niagara Falls might explain the
installation here, but there are many
other factories where no such reason
would hold. Yet there are other good
reasons for doing it. One of these is
economy in room. In the nut and
bolt factory the motors are carried on
platforms hung from the roof rafters
over the heads of the workmen and
above all the machinery ON the floor,
and this is done in many other places.
A steam engine could not be treated
so, nor would it be handy to have it in
such a position, for steam engines re-
quire constant attention. Nots so with
the electric motors. They are made
for the toughest uses and the greatest
exposures, and, cased in dust proof
and waterproof covers, they defy
everything. In the bolt and nut fac
tory the only attention they require
is to be oiled, and this is attended to
by filling the oil wells nee in every
six months.
Besides running the fixed machines
in factories and shops the hardness
with which a current can be conducted
has made electricity a favorite fol-
driving tools which are used about the
floor or in yards, such as drills,
punches, shears and small presses.
One Of the handy tools Of this sort
has the electric motor on wheels and
a flexible shaft running from the
motor to drive the tools.
In textile factories the electric no
tor is making it's way rapidly for div
ing looms, spindles and carding ma
chimes, and for printing presses they
have no rival for efficiency and case Of
control. Another of their very i'm,
portant uses is the driving of pumps.
For this purpose they are made of all
sizes, from that required for the little
house pump, which would run with an
electric light current, to tremendous
machines adapted to pumping the
whole water supply of a city. There
are a dozen cities in this country
which pump their town water into the
mains by electricity. Then there are
motors and pumps meant forthe rough
work Of sinking mines Or keeping them
clear of water and others for pumping
water, stone, sand, coal or grain
through centrifugal pumps, such as
are used for dredging.
Everywhere that one secs the elec'
trio motor applied it becomes arpar.
cnt that no other motor could compete
with it for economy Of space and the
case with which power can be carried
to it, and there are many situations
where these qualities make it possible
to be used when all other powers
would be out of the question. With
all of these advantages it has one
other, which is of vital Importance.
This is economy in the use of power.
a good motor will return in actual
work more than 95 per cent. OF the
energy that reaches it, while no en-
ginc driven by other powers will APP
proach this figure.
"Thcse colleges" said the old