Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-31

plate, Wnlcn is usually about Two feei
square. hut may be of any convenient
size, is loosely strewn the granulated
kryptol to a depth of about an inca
This, when the kryptol is laid continu-
ously acoss the plate forms, the cleo
trical connection between the two ele"-
trodes and closes the circuit. When
however. the kryDtol is brushed or
! scraped aside SO that an open, uncoN-
cred space is formed through the layer
across the plate. the circuit is broken
, and the apparatus remains, so TO speak,
dead. II now the kryptol is brushed
INTO the open space, so as to form a
connection between the two masses
lying against the electrodes On either
side. the circuit is at once restored, and
the kryptol forming this thin connect
ing layer begins to sparkle and glow,
becoming in a few moments incandes-
cent and generating heat that Will
raise cold water to boiling in three or
four minutes.
A popularity is that the incandescent
action takes place only at the places
where the layer of kryptol on the plate
is thinnest. and it is therefore easily
possible to create heat just IN the
place where it is wanted and not else
where. for in this case the thick bed OF
granular material on other portions OF
the plate remains cool and lmpaSSlNe
and may be touched or stirred by the
naked hand with entire impunity. The
finer the grains of kryptOl the less ac-
tive is the incandeScence, and it is for
this reason that the four different
grades or numbers of the material are
made. to be used as may be required IN
generating different temperatures.
This extreme tractablity, by which
the temperature can be absolutely
regulated by increasing or diminishing
the strength of the current or by alter
ing the thickness of the kryptol layer,
one or both. renders it applicable to a
large variety of practical uses, among
which some of the more important are
as follows: For heating street cars.
Railways, sleeping, and other rooms.
and l" poratories where a continuous
uniform warmth is essential. The ap-
paratus includes a simple cast-iron
Hanged radiator. the interior lining of
which is glazed so as to insulate the
kryptol mass with which it is filled. At
each end is an electrode, usually of
gas carbon, connected with wires
carrying a current of 4 to , amperes
and about 12O volts, which is an ordi-
nary Voltage for lighting systems in
this country. Such a heater, which
can be put under a car seat or be-
meath the floor, where it is out of sight,
can easily be managed by the conduc-
tor or motorman, can generate and
maintain Indefinitely any desired tenn
lNo 81,
filling for weeks together, would seem
to solve, technically, at least, the
problem of street-car heating in cold
climates. The radiator is made with
close-fitting cover. for it is found
that the kryptol endures nnimpaired
much longer in a closed chamber than
in the open air. A radiator in daily
use requires filling with fresh kryptol
once in about three months.
Some of the steel and cutlery manu-
facturers in Westphalia are expert
menting with kryptol with a view to
it's employment for tempering, anneal-
ing, and case-hardening steel and iron
bars. knives, scissors. and other imple-
ments. Such processes would become
thereby automatic and independent of
the skill of the workman. For chemi-
zeal Laboratories the new material has
already been adopted by the University
of Berlin, the Technical College at AK
10 Chapelle, the Imperial health office
at Berlin, and other state institutions.
When used in ovens and heating de-
vices of various patterns, it enables
the chemist to heat substances to any
desired temperature and to maintain
an unvarying degree of heat for an in
definite period. In elementary organic
analysis it is frequently necessary to
heat parts of the substance under eX-
animation to different temperatures
and to leave another portion not heat
ed at all. For this purpose a simple
but effective apparatus has been de-
vised. 1t consists of an iron frame
on which is laid a friedrich trough or
gutter, glazed inside and filled with
kryptol. In this is laid the combus-
ton pipe, which may be a glass tube.
containing the material to be treated. |
The current being sent through the
whole even mass of kryptol, heats the
tube uniformly throughout its length;
but when it is desired to heat one por- |
ton to a high temperature, it is only
necessary to scrape the kryptol aside |
and reduce the thickness of the layer
under that part of the tube, when it at
once begins to glow with accelerated
heat, while the temperature of the
other parts remains unchanged. If it !
is desired to withdraw or exclude the
heat entirely from the central part of
the tube. two copper forks, which slide
along brass conductor. are intro
duced into the kryptol, which take up
the current and pass it by the conduc-
tor over the intervening space. leaving |
the kryptOl and that section of the tube
cold and excluded from the heating |
operation.