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12 COAL AND TIMBER April, 1905 sans for rope haulage and compressed air have much to say for their respective methods, but the operators who use electric locomotives seemingly have no quarrel with their judgment in their selection. The electric locomotives as used in coal mines IIMIVC been employed mainly in hauling coal on the main headings, but in some mines, they have also been employed for gathering, the cars from the mouths of the rooms, the cars in such instances having been pushed out of the room to the headings by the miners or their assistants This practice, is, of course, limited to mines where the cars are small and the tracks of the rooms arcpractically level, or have a slight natural slope toward the headings. The gathering of cars from the "face workings" in rooms, or headings, is yet done largely by mule power, and this generally constitutes the largest per centage of the cost of transporting coal from the "face workings" to the tipple or the bottom of the hoisting this system is dangerous to any great degree. They point to the comparative saftey with wdiich mines equipped with this installation are operated. But few deaths ever occur from contact with the trolley wire, for this is placed at the side of the mine roof and away from likelihood of being touched by the miners as they walk to and fro in the headings. The partisans for the electric system of power haulage point to the generality of its use as a strong argument that it is everything which they claim for it, else why its greMit popularity? There is no doubt tluit electric mine haulage as in operation today in the mines of this and other countries is very satisfactory in operation Mind very economical. The champions for it invite the closest inspection and have never feared to accept challenges from the parti- SMUIS of either rope haulage or compressed air to determine the relative merits of the systems. tion of power equipment for a coal mine. It is claimed by those interested in this form of mine equipment mine that the older a the greater are the possibilities for the sudden Mind unexpected formation of gas and tluit the compressed air system is a perfect safe-guard against explosion from haulage machinery. As a question of economy the partisans for this form of applied power claim that it takes firstplace. Compared with rope haulage, it is argued that the wear and tear oi wire cables will throw the balance of expense well in favor of the compressed air power. As to electric haulage, the question, they state frankly, is more open to debate. It is freely admitted that there is more room for honest difference of opinion in regard to the comparative expense of these two systems. It is admitted that a special test made of electric installation, under the best conditions, will, if properly designed and constructed, undoubtedly show considerably Compressed Air Locomotive—Made by the H. K. Porter Company, Pittsburg, Pa. shaft. The success of the electric mine locomotive in hauling coal on main headings has created a demand for a better, cheaper and more satisfactory method of gathering coal, or in other words, an efficient substitute for the mule for this class of work. To meet this demand some manufacturers have designed and built small locomotives especially adapted for switching in mines and hauling the pit cars from the "face workings" to the entry to the main headings. There the cars are picked up by the larger locomotives and hauled in long trains to the tipple or the foot of the main shaft. The illustrations with this article show modern electric mine locomotives and how they are operated. They work exactly like the modern trolley car, whether they are given power by an overhead trolley wire or by means of 3 third-rail running in a slot between the rails. The advocates of the trolley wire decry the attempts to show that COMPRESSED AIR. The latest system for underground and surface haulage is that for which the power is furnished by compressed air. Those who favor this sort of equipment for the conveying or transporting of mine cars from one part of the workings to another, claim that among the practical advantages of compressed air, the most obvious and that which should appeal with greatest force to operators as peculiarly advantageous for underground work in coal mines where there is the faintest possibility of danger from mine gas, is that compressed air locomotives are absolutely and positively safe against any danger of setting fire to mine gas, and producing such disastrous accident^ as have unhappily taken place in almost every coal field of the world, both in the bituminous and anthracite regions. This, then, is a consideration which they urge as one of paramount importance in the secgreater efficiency than any single test can show made along the same lines of haulage. It is further frankly admitted that if an electric haulage plant could be operated always and continuously at the highest rate of efficiency as shown by special test, it would be impossible to maintain any claim for air haulage of equal or greater economy and efficiency. It is then asserted that it is impossible to, in practical daily work, maintain the high efficiency in an electric plant which may be shown in a special test. Here, the sponsors for compressed air claim that their system is par excellence— that it shows to best advantage when reviewed by the results of the daily practical workings of the new system. It is asserted that in electrical haulage the power has to be used as fast as made when, on the other hand, the power for compressed air is never lost. It is claimed for this system that the compressor is working continuously at practically the same speed all day long, and that
April, 1905 COAL AND TIMBER 13 this holds good whether one locomotive is in use or 20, and that all of the locomotives Supplied by the compressor can be worked at their full power simultaneously, or all can be idle, without affecting the uniform economical operation of the compressor. This, they assert, means the economical use of steam and the saving of fuel used to produce it. This fact, it is asserted, is never made use of by theorists when writing articles on electric hauling. One objection is frequently made against the use of compressed air on the ground that much power is lost through the great friction developed by the compressed air passing through a long pipe, especially where small pipe is used. This objection, is declared to be wholly theoretical. Mind not borne out in fact. A compressed air haulage installation consists essentially of the following equipment: First, suitable compressor, generally operated by steam, but which may be operated by water power or any other form of power that may be more convenient or cheaper. The method of operation of air haulage is as follows: The compressor which has a capacity of intake of cubic feet of air commensurate to the amount of output, length of haul, and grades encountered, is adjusted as to speed and maximum pressure of air, and is operated at a very nearly uniform rate during working hours. If business is slack, the compressor may be adjusted to a lower air pressure, or to deliver a lesser amount of air in a given time, :md also in its daily operation, is automatic, slowing down in speed, or increasing in speed, as may be demanded at the moment. This secures the utmost economy in the production of the compressed air which is the operating power of the locomotives. The compressor pumps the storage system of tanks, or pipe line, up to the required pressure, and, as this pressure is reached, slows down. The compressed air locomotive is connected with the charging" pipe at the station and then the air is turned on, connecting the locomotive to the line pipe. cut loose, .and start off again on another trip inside of one minute and a half. The compressed air locomotive is essentially similar to the steam locomotive; the tank holding the compressed air taking the place of the boiler on an ordinary locomotive. Some persons have had the idea that the amount of air pressure carried by a compressed air locomotive is dangerously high. The opposite is the fact, as the compressed air locomotive is much safer, so far as liability of accident is concerned, than a steam locomotive. The locomotive tank is made of heavy high tensile steel, quadruple or sextuple riveted joints, with inside and outside welt strips, with heavy steel head, hydraulically flanged. The rivet holes are drilled, the tank fitted exactly together, and the riveting done with a pressure of 150 tons. The pressure which the tank is to carry is settled before hand, and by no possibility can this pressure be exceeded. Under this system, no explosive power can possibly be developed. Compressed Air Locomotive—Made by the H. K. Porter Company, Pittsburg, Pa. Second, a storage system, which in some cases may consist of a number of storage tanks, but which for mine work is generally secured in the most convenient and satisfactory manner by a pipe line. Third, charging stations, situated at whatever points may be most convenient, and fourth one or more compressed air locomotives. These are chosen of such weight and power and of such tank capacity and air pressure as the special service requires. All of these items which go to make up a fully equipped compressed air installation, are simple, and they are claimed to be easy to keep in good order, and are held to involve a very low cost of permanent maintenance. The locomotives and the compressor are the only parts of the equipment which are specially liable to wear and they are manufactured with this in view, having especially large wearing surfaces, are readily accessible, involve no unusual or objectionable speed, and if properly proportioned to the work to be done, will last, with ordinary care, from 10 to 30 years. This equalizes the pressure, making the pressure in the pipe line and the locomotive the same. The locomotive is then detached from the pipe at the charging station. The usual charging pressure for air locomotives is seldom less than 700 pounds, and not over 900 per square inch. The pipe line is generally charged with a pressure about 200 pounds greater than the pressure required for operating the locomotive, so that when the pipe line and locomotive are connected, and the pressure equalizes, the locomotive is charged to the required pressure, say 800 pounds. The locomotive, when charged, starts off on its trip, and when the pressure has been reduced to, say about 100 pounds, it comes back for re-charging. Meantime the compressor has been steadily working raising the pressure in the pipe line from 800 to 1,000 pounds, and everything is in readiness to charge the locomotive again to the pressure of 800 pounds. A locomotive coming back for a charge of air, can be stopped, attached to the charging pipe, charged to the required pressure, So far as controlling the pressure used, compressed air locomotives are vastly safer than steam. A very essential feature of the construction of a successful compressed air locomotive is the reducing valve. The valve is so constructed that while the pressure in the storage tank of the locomotive may be 1,000 pounds, which, as the locomotive does its work, drops down to such pressure as may remain after the locomotive has come back from its trip, the compressed air is delivered to the cylinders uniformly and ;it whatever pressure is found to give the best results. This pressure is generally 140 pounds. The air is not delivered through the reducing and regulating valves directly into the locomotive's cylinders from the main tank, but firstpasses into an auxiliary reservoir, the main object of which is to afford a reserve of 140 pounds of air pressure which then passes in turn through a specially constructed throttle valve to the locomotive cylinders, where it acts practically just the same as steam would act. There is
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