The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-07-31
BIG FIVE COMPRESS
SOR STARTED UP

lug
The new electric driven air COM
pressor installed at the Big Five
Tunnel at the west end of town,
was successfully started up aud
placed i'll serviceIThursday. Pres
ldent Daniels of the Big Five
Company and Superintendent
Barry expressed themselves as
greatly pleased with the showing
made by the new equipment, and
consider that they now have one
OF the most modern and complete
as well as one of the largest com
pressors in operation in the state,
certainly the largest one in the
Idaho Springs district.
The compressor was built by The
Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co, at
their Franklin, Pa. works. 1t
has cylinder dimensions % inches
and IS inches in diameter with IS
inch stroke, and has a displace-
ment capacity of 1900 cubic feet
per minute at speed of 200 revo-
lutione per minute. Al the pres
ent time and probably for some
time to come, the compressor is to
be run at speed of only .I5o rev
olutions as this speed will furnish
all the air required for the work
now being carried on. At such
time as the ultimate capacity of
the machine Is required, larg-
er motor pully will be put on and
the speed of the compressor there
by increased.
The compressor is driven by a
$50 horse power 22oo volt m otor.
which was furnished by the Allrs.
Chalmers Company of Milwaukee
This motor is of the slow speed
type, running at $50 revolutions
per minute, and is fitted With
three bearings, enabling it to Car
ry heavy loads continuously with
absolute freedom from besrino
troubles.
The most interesting feature of
this installation is the entirely
automatic control used throughout.
The oiling is automatic and every
bearing is kept flooded, and no
filling or adjustment of oil cups is
required. Even the cylinders are
fabricated by an automatic oiler,
and the motor is provided wit b
automatic protection against over
loads and interruptions 10 the
current supply. The air pressure
Is regulated by the latest type of
unloader, which not onl. holds
the pressure absolutely constant,
out IS unique III that it unloads
the compressor by quarters, that
is it throws the load off and on
one quarter at a time. Most COM
pressors unload by throwing the
entire load off and on at one time
which with large machines, fire.
qnently catlses very Objectionable
jerks and variation in the power.
Some machines unload by halves
but the Big Five machine is the
first i'll this district to unload by
quart ers and the action is remark
ably smooth and free from the
disturbances often found with snch
large machines in this class of SER
vice.
The entire equipment has been
installed under the personal super
vision of Mr.. H. B, Barnes of the
firm of Barnes & Youtsey, engine
ers, of Denver. This firm has
been consulting engineers for the
Big Five Company for number
of years, having designed and in
stalled the very successful storage
battety locomotive that the Big
Five Company has been using for
the past three years. They have
also handled a great deal of cleo
trical and mechanical equipment
tor other mining and milling prop
critics, and are known as very cap
able and conservative engineers.
The Big Five Company is to be
congratulated on completing such
a substantial addition to their
equipment, as it will enable them
to carry on more extended devel-