The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-03-06

COMPRESSED AIR MINING DRILL.
way, the road started by ex-Congress-
man McGann.
Nor are the experiments with air
for transportation purposes confined to
cars. A company has been organized in
New York TO put u compressed air,
horseless cab ON the market, which is
expected to leave the cabbies without
an occupation. These cabs will be
running by April l. Another applica-
ton of air to the same purpose is by a
Chicago inventor, who has built com
pressed air tricycle.. The first use of
his machine will be for the delivery of
light goods and packages. 1t will be
followed at an early date with tricycle.
for passenger use, for which a great fu-
ture is hoped. Power for both classes
of vehicles will be supplied from CEN
trail COMPRISING plant in Wabash ave
nue..
Probably the most general use of air,
except for respiratory purposes, is in
the tires of bicycles. IL has been sue
cessfully employed also for bicycle sad
dies and handle grips. In the big office
buildings of the cities it has found a
wide and novel field. All of the clocks
in the Fisher building, Chicago, are
run by compressed air. In every office
of the building is a clock of peculiar con-
struction. 1t has neither springs nor
weights. Its hands do not move forward
with a slow continuous motion, but in
Il series Of jumps, at intervals of 80 sec
onds Neither has it tick like other
clocks. 1t is, in fact, a clock only In
regard to it's face and hands. These
hands are moved at intervals of half a
minute by another clock in the base
ment, called the master clock" which
acts by compressed air, through sys-
tenn of pipes, on its subordinates in the
different Offices. A small engine in the
basement supplies the power. The sys-
tenn is said to be successful in its OPP
Grafton.
All of the steam radiators in the
same building are regulated by com
pressed air. Connected with every radi-
ator is a thermomostat. II the temper
AZURE rise too high, it acts on a mech
enism which closes the steam valve in
the radiator. When the room becomes
colder than certain temperature the
same automaton opens it again. An
other use of compressed air in this
building is for opening and closing the
doors of the elevator shafts by touch
ing a button. Letter copying presses
operated by compressed air are in use.
In the office of a manufacturing firm,
compressed air has been employed for
the novel purpose of keeping the time
of the men. At the main door of the
shop is a board studded with num-
bered buttons. Each of the employees
has a number corresponding TO one of
the buttons. On entering the door, he
touches his button, when device oper-
qted By compressed mir stamps his num-
her and the hour or half hour on a card |
His leaving for lunch and arrival after |
the noon hour are registered in the same
manner. Alright the workman touches |
the button for the last time, the cards |
are collected by a clerk, the time en-
tered III a book. The services of time |
keeper are dispensed with by the use of
the device.
Many other automatic and controlling |
nechanisms are operated by com
pressed air. It is said to be certain in
lis action, without being subject to the
lelicate conditions of electricity.
Tools operated by compressed air have
| wide and various field of usefulness.
Chipping and dressing iron, steel and
tone, riveting boilers, caldng the joints
# ships. sandpapering the sides of cars.
Leaning car cushions, carpets and rugs,