New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24
ELECTRICAL. MANUFACTURE.
BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PROGRESS AND
SUCCESS OF THE CROCKER- WHEELER
ELECTRIC COMPANY.

SUCCESS OF THE CROCKER- WHEELER
ELECTRIC COMPANY.
In the growth and progress of the electrical
manufacturing industry New-York is amply
justified in claiming for itself a pre-eminent
place. for within it's boundaries 1t has seen
the origin and birth of several companies which
now among the leader. Among others the
CrockerWheeler Electric Company has met with
great success Although the company was only
incorporated in 1889. less than ten years ago, 1t
has won a wide reputation for the reliability and
high standard Of its products. 1t began Its OPP
erations ut Twenty eighth-st and Seventh'ave.,
soon moving to Fourteenth-st. and Washington
ft., where 1t remained about three years. In
1893 the plant Of the company moved to
Ampere. NJ J. Two years later a fire destroyed
the buildings. and the present modern factory
was erected. in which the manufacture Of the
varied products Of this company has since been
carried on under a much greater advantage.
The new factory is the embodiment Of all that
is best in the most progressive machine shop
practice. This company was the pioneer In the
warfare which has been waged for the last six
year by electricity against shafting In factories
The distribution of power by electricity through
out the floors of a building of several stories or
throughout a plant of large extent has been
steadily gaining ground against the old-1asn-
Toned method Of power distribution by means OF
shafts and belts. wire ropes compressed air, and
every other method Of power transmission.
The advantages of electric power Distribution
are many and various. In the first place there
IS the great advantage OF increased economy OF
operation. With shafting. the friction load is
often found to be from One-quarter to three
quarters the total load of the engine due to
the friction of the shafts and belts. This fric-
ton loss is constant. no matter what the useful
work amounts to. II many tools are shut down
and only part of the plant is in operation. TINS
loss becomes many times more than the useful
power transmitted In a factory in which the
power is distributed by means Of electricity In
stead OF by shaftng- when only few machines
need to be operated only those machines, and
no Others consume any powers In factory
where the power Is transmitted by shafting, the
long lines of shafting must be run in order to
operate perhaps two machines on one
floor The running Of this great amount Of idle
shafting is what causes the great ineffciency OF
to- e run IT. even When it is doing no useful Work
IL tool has an electric motor direct connect
ed. geared or belted to it, this motor is entirely
shut of and consumes absolutely no power when
the tool Is not in operation. The electric con-
ductors, which convey the current to the motor.
do not waste any energy when no current is
flowing through them; and even when current
is flowing through them the waste Of energy
In the wires is extremely small, amounting to
only or per cent. and. at most. D per cent.
which Is much less than the power wasted In
friction Of shaftng.
Another great advantage of electric distrbu-
tion Of power in factories Is that the machines
are entirely independent of overhead shafting.
shafting, which Is frequently a source OF trouble
and annoyance. An electrically driven tool can
be placed in any convenient place In factory.
it being extremely simple and easy to run two
electric wires to the motor which drives ii. An
electrically driven factory burned down recently.
and, owing to this system OF power distribution
one OF the large lathes. which was not material
ly damaged in the fire. was running three days
after the fire, the wires giving current to the
motor being strung poles over the smoking
ruins Of the building. With the old method OF
driving h. shafting. this tool could not have
been in operation until the building had been
rebuilt and line OF shaftng put up, which
would have taken many weeks.
Cleanliness, safety and quetness are other
advantages Of electric power distribution. since
1t does away with innumerable vertical belts
seen In ordinary factories. which throw dirt
and dust about and are a source Of danger TO
the wOrkmen by catching Of clothes. hands,
ETC. and also by the noise Of their slipping add
to the din and confusion in the factory.
The first cost of an electrically driven factory
Is somewhat higher than that Of factory driven
by shafting in the old way but it has been
frequently proved that the difference In cost
Of operation Of the two SYSTEMS will more than
pay for the interest Of the difference in the
amount Of original investment.
WAITED CUDDJY ENGTIEEPTTG