American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-08-19
THRESHERS SAVED
BY PRECAUTIONS
SpriMhling Systems or Dirt Shoveled
Into Cylinder Prove Effective.

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Precautionary measures are saving
many threshing machines In Whitman
county from destruction by fire fol-
lowing smut explosions, according to
specialists from the state experiment
station. The college investigators who
are giving their time to the problem
are George A. Olson, station chemist; |
o. l.. Waller. head Of the department of
civil engineering; II. L. Melvin, in
structor in electrical engineering. and
e. G. Scbafer, a~gronomist.
Dirt Stops Some Fires.
These experts report that while the
per cent Of smut this year is not SO
great as last year, there has already
been a considerable number of smut
explosions, and that fire following the
explosion has in some instance COM
pletely destroyed the separator, al
though In some cases the fire has been
extinguished by various means, IN
Guiding shoveling dirt into the cylinder
and the use of the s%prinkling system
distributed among the straw racks In
the machine. In some cases the rprink-
ling system was connected below the
water line of the steam boiler and in
others with a pressure ank contain
ing from 40 to so gallons of water.
]. N. Andrews, near La Crosse. has
his machine equipped with a sprinkler
system of three-quarter-inch pipe dis
tributed above the straw racks ana
connected with the blow-off of the en-
CINE. Mr.. Andrews extinguished an
explosion fire In a wooden separator,
aud was threshing again within ~
minutes, the machine suffering prac-
tically no damage.
Puts Out Six Fires.
Henry Hickman, who last year sur
fered two disastrous explosion fires,
equipped his third machine with a
sprinkler system, connected to a Az
gallon pressure tank, with a ~60-pound
pressure. He had six explosion fires
after the system was installed, and
extinguished them all with no damage
to the machine.
The experts visited a machine on the
farm of Il. ID. Paul, near Pcnewawa, in
which the moving parts had all been
coupled with electric wires, the cur
rem from which was carried through
a condenser and thence into the
ground. This machine last year, with
the same equipment, threshed 45 days
I'm all kinds of grain and weather with
out any explosion. Ed Shoemaker,
who has charge OF the machine, demon
strated the equipment for the benefit
OF the Investigators, showing the cur
rent that was taken off the machine
5 and calling attention to electric
I sharks nearly half an inch In length
The current generated by this separa'
tor and carried into the ground, was
I I'm the opinion Of the experts, sufficien'
to have fired a mixture OF smut an'
air.
In summarizing the findings, Pro
0 fessor o. l.. Waller said:
Sprinkler System Effective.
at seems fair to say that a sprinkle
system, properly installed either AT
tached to the engine or to a pressur'
tank, will put out separator tires ii IN
n water is turned on quickly enough IN
s sprinkler pipes should be drilled VIII
many small holes. directed 80 that tn
6 water will be thrown upon the stray
@ and straw racks. If 1t comes from IN
blow-off OF the engine, the spray WI
n ne delivered as water and steam, ant
W therefore, very effectively penetrat
every part Of the separator. Mr. An
drews. near La Crosse. couples nj
# sprinkler system with the blow-oft Q
II the engine by means OF a three
D auarter-inch pipe, each joint OF whic
h is coupled with a union. In that wa
e tire pipe is diconnected readily whe
9 the machine is moved. 1t is hardly sal
to n high pressure water systel
' by means of hose. The hose is apt !
blow off at connections, rendering tn
entire system useless" -Spokesmar