Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-08-04
AN IMPORTANT
INVENTION

Our readers will be glad to learn
that our former townsman, William
L. Harder, of Birmingham, Ala, a
brother of Postmaster Charles p.
Harder, has perfected very useful
invention relating to rolling mill work
which will no doubt enrich him and
make his name famous. Mr.. Harder,
who is distinctively a rolling mill
man, in the 70's acc mpanied William
Faux from Danville to Pueblo. He
next went to Houston, Texas, later
drifting to Birmingham. The follow
ing from the Birmingham News y
fully explains the invention:
. William L. Harder, after much theo-
reticaI study on the subject, has made
tests at the Birmingham mills of
patented auxiliary furnace, using pro
ducer gas, demonstrating an idea he
hes looking to general saving in eb-
or, fuel and wear and tear of machin-
cry. Experts who have witnessed the
demonstration believe that the patent
will arouse as much interest as did
the Westinghouse air brake when it
was first demonstrated.
A large number OF experts and in
terested parties have been to the roll
ing mills and Investigated the paten t
and it is likely that there will be some
use put to it in Birmingham.
With the Harder system of burning
producer gas under boilers it is propos-
ed to effect a great saving in the
worlds consumption of coal. Over
the best practice with the most mod
ern up to date steam generating and
steam saving appliances this method
of firing will save, it is said, from ten
to fifteen per cent. of the total COM
bustibles used, which is now lost by
incomplete combustion and by the in
PRODUCTION of excess air and by green
coal and coke falling through the CRATE
bars. The Harder system entirely OBJ
viates these losses by completely gasify
ing every particle of combustible in
the fuel employed and delivering same
to the fire box and consuming the gas
with the minimum amount OF air.
There is complete and smokeless
combustion In first-class practice it
is proposed to save in fuel ten to tif-
teen per cent. in labor from thirty to
fifty per cent. and prevent all smoke,
and over average steam boiler practice
it is proposed to save from fifteen TO
thirty five per cent in firing over fir
ing direct, and fifty per cent. in labor
and also have no smoke. Over poor
practice this invention, it is said. will
save fifty per cent in coal and labor
and under all conditions atate the
smoke nuisance. By this system it is
proposed to lengthen the life of the
boiler and the furnace walls, for at no
time is cold ali permitted to enter the
fire box and hence quick contraction
of the boiler is prevented and the
strains caused thereby avoided. There
are no CRATE bars and hence no clink-
ers accumulate on the boiler walls
and consequently the furnace is clean
at all times. The economies of the
Harder system as set forth in his gem
eral proposition are numerous and are
all founded on scientific principles and
his ideas are combination of we'll
established theories which he had re-
duced to practical application and
has made it possible to install set of
conditions in steam generation plant
that will effect the maximum saving
in fuel. the maximum saving i'll labor
give the maximum length of life to
the boiler and appurtenanGes and most
effectively abate the smoke nuisance.
Mr. Harder has been assisted by some
of the best gas experts and mechanics
in the district in the installation OF
his test plant. In the last two or three
days a number of persons interested in
the plants have looked at the temper
ary nlant erected at the rolling mills.