The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-04
Work of Compressed Air.
From the Springfield Republican.

The individual who has delved into me-
chanical mysteries and can appreciate the
difference between a monkey wrench and
buzz saw knows that compressed air is a
valuable motive power, and when properly
directed can be utilized to advantage in
may different ways. Mechanical authori-
ties differ widely as to the value and econ
omy of this agent, as compared with cleo
tric and steam motors, but there is no
doubt that for some purpose it possesses
many advantage. This fact is generally
conceded in as far as its use in car shops
and locomotive works is concerned. The
officials at the Boston and Albany shops,
in West Springfield have long since recog-
nized this truth, and acted upon it. For
the last two years they have utilized this
power in many ingenious ways, and are
constantly finding new openings for its
application.
The number of uses to which the power
can be put would seem hardly credible to
the lay mind The oil used in the shops
comes in barrels, and must be transferred
to the tanks. This is done by attachinga
pipe to the barrel, through which the fluid
is to be conveyed to the tanks; then hole
is bored i'll the top Of the barrel, the COM
pressed air tubs is attached, and after be-
ing turned on it forces the oil out and irto
the tanks in very short time. By a
similar system sands is elevated to the To-
coniotives through pipe, doing away with
the necessity Of lifting it by hand. The
tubes of the engines at the round house
are also blown and washed out by the air,
and it has been found very valuable in
blowing up fires, as it has steadier and
more powerful current than either a man 5
lungs or pair Of bellows.
BY means of valve and piston,
crane and chain for loading and unloading
cars at the shops is operated, and as a
proof Of the force it eXerts, any weight
which the chain is capable Of sustaining
can be elevated. The power is also used
for bending heavy iron pipe in the process
called ''offsetting, which it readily per-
forms by the aid of the necessary auxiliary
mechanical appliances. Formerly the
work Of cleaning passenger cars was what
is known as ''no cinch in the current
vernacular; it required incalculable amount
Of pounding, sweeping and dustin@, and
the atmosphere was shvered into mil
lions Of fragments as the cleaner
rapidly swung his reeds on the unclean
cushion, and worked himself into profuse
perspiration by his efforts All this is
avoided now by the use Of compressed air.
which cleans out the interior Of the coaches
very quickly and at the same time noise
lessly busting cushions and carpets and
washing paint with the least apparent
effort.
An ingenious little piece of the mechan-
ism is the motor for drilling iron: when a
hole has to be put through piece Of iron
all that is necessary is to adjust the bit,
press the button and it does the rest. \
contrivance for painting cars and locomo-
tives is also very interesting article. This
apparatus resembles somewhat on ordinary
tin kettle with a spout; an atomizer is
placed in the spout and through this the
paint is blown One man painting by hand
is able to give only two cars coating in
day of nine hours, but by the use Of this
pneumatic paint pot he can finish ten cars
in the same time.
One thing which would probably appeal
the strongest to the average man and wO-
man. save many sore thumbs with Incl
dental loss of temper and use of naughty
language, is the automatic hammer, which
the air drives at speed of 2, 200 blows Il
minute A nail could be sunk in piece
of soft pine very easily at this rate, but
the hammer is used mainly for beating fiues
and calking seams. The pneumatic lifts
easily handle ponderous car wheels and
axles, raising them high in the air and
placing them on the lathes. All the lathes
and much of the machinery are driven by
compressed air and are easily controlled by
means of belt shifter, the belts being
thrown on and off instantly by means af IA
small cylinder which operates the appara-
tus. In the tinsmith shop the fires for
heating the soldering irons are blown by a
tan which if allowed to run at its full speed
would make $500 revolutions a minute.
1t has been found advisable to use the fan
and direct the current through large pipe
in order to obtain volume; otherwise a
small-sized pipe would have sufficient force
to blow the Goals out on the floor. The
force can be regulated and distributed to
suit conveniece. If large fire is required
current can be spread out so that the fire
will cover the entire forge, it can also be
diminished so that the fire will have only
small circumference of one or two inches
diameter These are only few Of the
uses to which compressed air can be put,
and, as has been previously said, new
means of applying the force are being
found every day.