Year: 1875

VI UlOuIlo Il IN
cept within the limits of his own
workshop and neighborhood, has
been busy planning and developing
motor, which, now that it's compile
ted, performs all that Keeley claims
for his invention, and great deal
more. The man who has worked ont
this mechanical problem is Mr..
Thomas, foreman of the mechanical
department of the Car shops OF the
Northwestern Railway Company, in
this city. A few days ago an Inter
Ocean reporter learned of the exis-
tence of wonderful machine by
which motive power to the amount of
several thousand pounds pressure on
the square inch could be generated
and then stored for an indefinite pc
Rod. At one side of the
room and close against the wall was a
small model engine having three
inch stroke, from the steam Chest of
which a small copper pipe rose and
passed througL the partition into the
hidden region beyond. A little way
beyond the engine an ifou i,ar f,aujrUtz
ed from the wall, at the end of which
was hung weight of 2l0 pounds.
That, said Mr.. Thomas, acts on the
same principle as a safety-valve, and
the weight is raised by an iron rod
one half an inch in diameter, which
is connected with the rod some four
feet from the weight, and upon the
end of which rod the motive power
presses.


The inventor turned throttle
valve and the engine started The
reporter placed his hand over the ex-
haust, but there was no dampness,
and it's temperature was but few
degrees lower than the air of the
room. The copper pipe that con-
veys the motive power from the gen
orator to the engine is about the size
of lead pencil, and it occurred to the
reporter that if the power was very
great it would burst the tube. How
is that. was asked of Mr.. Thomas.
Why, said he, the hole through the
pipe is so small that if you were to
attempt to blow through it the fric-
ton of the air against the, sides
would be SO great that no air would
escape from the other end of the
tube.


The force from the reservoir drives
this engine, when no work is on 1t,
about 100 strokes per minute. OF
course it is rot possible to estimate
this power correctly without know
ing the pressure present in the cylin-
der. This has not been tested by
any pressure indicator, but it indi
Gates a great pressure in the reser-
voir, as no small force could pass
through so small an area as one-six
teenth of an inch, the bore of the
pipe, and afterward expand to an
area of two inches, and be capable of
driving the piston at the rate of fifty
feet per minute.


The motive power is on the side of
the partition opposite the engine, and
it is not to be seen by profane eyes.
1t may be described as follows: Two
cylinders of cast iron, about twelve
inches in diameter and twelve inches
deep, with appropriate interval pipes,
compose the generator, into which
stream of water is admitted at q
pressure of about ten pounds to the
square inch, and at a velocity equal
to that pressure; in other words, the
contents of the generator, which con-
sists of pure water and air, only re-
ceive the momentum or energy due
to the motion of water under a ten
foot head. In summer a very re-
markable fact in this motor consists
in an apparent increase of power,
which occurs when the lever on
which the weight is hung) is moved
up and down. Any compression of
the vapor seems to increase the reac-
tion, and the next compression is
more difficult to accomplish, showing
a gain of power by agitation of the
vapor. Mr.. Thomas has, it is
thonght, accomplished much more
than Kelley, while the foundation
principle is doubtless the same.


This is shown by the fact of his be-
ing able to retain this force without
diminution while using it, and also
to hold it for twenty-four hours in
statu quo. Mr.. keeley has not
reached this point, if all accounts are
correct. Mr.. Kelley must look to
his laurels, or he will be outdone and
beaten ab his own trade. Mr..
Thomas is not anxious to have this
matter brought to the attention of
the community, but as such things
will get out In some upaccountable