The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
TWO NEW INDUSTRIES
 SECURED FOR CITY Southern Syrup Company Be gins Work on Factory THOMAS CRATE BAR co. This Plant, Employing About Sixty Men, Will soon He Removed
 From VaIdosta, Ga, to
 Birmingham
THOMAS CRATE BAR co.

d great new year ltCOla lol ham. The first was announced Wednes- day when it became known that the Southern Syrup company had begun work on it's s6OOO factory at Eleventh street and Avenue F.
 Secretary Joseph B. Babb of the Cham that the deal had been completed whereby the Thomas Crate Bar company of Val dosta, Ga, will move it's plant to Bir- mingham.
 Ed l.. Thomas, the president of the company, was in the city yesterday and completed arrangements with T. F. John ston for the purchase of the Johnston foundry in East Birmingham
 The new plant will be removed at once, and several thousand dollars eN- penditure will be necessary to put the foundry in modern condition.
 MT. Thomas returned last night to Val dosta Before leaving he stated that he would employ about 50 men. The con- pany has maintained branch office Tn Birmingham a number of years and MT. Thomas decided that he could get the raw material cheaper here, and reach his market as well or better.
 E6CIcldIN 1odDD SptethS ShAiiboioSNiSe'iA| of this new acquisition. An industry with a reputation and trade already es- tablished is valuable acquisition" he said, and I am glad to see the new year beginning with such favorable outlook.
 The Manufacturers Record recently gave a two-page article to discussion of the merits of this grate bar. Here is an extract:
 "A striking case in point was the per- lection of an elliptic grate bar by MT. Ed L. Thomas of Valdosta, Ga. For some years past a great deal, of thought and study has been devoted to minimizing the cost of generating steam. 1t being realized that there was a vast waste in the older methods. The effect of concen- traitor of thought upon this subject is reflected in a greater attention given to the quality of the coal used, the proper firing of the boilers, and the construc- ton of boilers and boiler equipment along more scientific lines. As result we now have filters, superheaters. condensers and other apparatus for preparing the water for the boiler, automatic systems for stoking them and various other improve ments, all aiming to secure a maximum amount of steam with a minimum con- sumption of coal.
 "Realizing the room for improvement in grate bars, MT. Thomas gave the subject close study and investigation for number of years, and as a result perfected bar that was a marked departure from the old lines This bar, which Is constructed Of a superior mixture of iron, has met with unqualified success ever since it has been on the market, about two years ago.
 ''In addition to possessing all the ad- vantages of other grate bars, the Thorn as elliptic is of scientific construction being made up of two oppositely curved surfaces joined together at each side with spacing and connecting Jugs of one third contact. leaving two-thrds all space. The top portion of the bar is the fuel-supporting part, while the bot tom is the bar or unit, supporting part The heat from the top portion of the bar will attempt to equalize itself through these spacing and connecting Jugs into the gratebar unit, but on account Of the excess air space around these spacing and connecting Jugs a circulation of air from any and every direction radiates the heat from these Jugs and 1t is drawn up into the furnace. Thus the lower or hold ing portion of the bar never gets hot, never crystallizes, cannot break, but re- tains its life and shape indefinitely, and holds the grate-bar unit in shape, pre- venting it from bucking, sagging, warp ing, twisting or sluing. Consequently the grate bar is only destroyed by actually wearing it out. which gives long life, or the everlasting feature. With the lower portion never wearing, the grate- bar unit is held in shape even after the top or fuel supporting portion of the bar becomes crystallized and fire-cracked. This is an extremely valuable feature for users of locomotives from the fact that they are relieved from delayed trains on account of broken bars having become crystallized and f1re-cracked from the constant use, but remain intact until some heavy piece of wood Is thrown on to a crystallized and weakened bar in the starting of their fires, and is not detect ed until the engine is ready to go on its run, when the fire has to be drawn and new bar put in its place. With the Thomas bar the only accident that hap pens would he a few ribs knocked out, and would not interfere with the bar be- ing used until a convenient time to re- place. The only loss sustained would be a little fuel through this hole.
 Another feature peculiar only to the Thomas elliptic bar is it's self-cleaning one while in operation, the curved sur face of the bar enabling it to shed ashes automatically as they are made, which leaves live coal and fresh fuel on the bars at all times The curved surface provides no fiat places for ashes to lie on, bank up and foul over the draft spaces. but rather these draft spaces are always open and permit a free passage of air through the grates and through the fuel bed to combine with the gases This enables more of the gases to be burned, which gives an increased number of heat units, consequently an increased boiler efficiency. This same process is true with coal when used for a fuel, as the slag clinker separtes itself into particles and is expelled in the shape of a cinder, as 1t finds no flat surface on the bar to lie on, harden and gather to itself similar mat ter. There is an exception, however, to this feature performing impossible duties, as 1t cannot expel dirt or sand from the fuel after it melts and runs into sticky, gummy substance, which is glass. This substance does not separate itself into particles in it's molten state. but rather runs together and gathers to itself all matter that comes in contact with it. Neither can this feature throw out rock, slate, etc., but the Thomas bar does per form all the duties expected of grate bar and more than any other bar will do.'
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