Report of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of Internal Affairs of ...

282 REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES. Off. Doc.
temperature of the air during compression, the third cylinder being entirely
immersed in the water box on the end of the machine.
The steam cylinder is sixteen inches in diameter and eighteen inch
stroke, provided with the Meyer adjustable cut off valve and directly
connected with the three air cylinders, which are all of the same
stroke. The steam and air cylindei's are all mounted on one solid
bed plate with two heavy fly wheels. The capacity of the compressor
is 21G cubic feet of free air per minute, compressed from the atmosphere
to 800 pounds per square inch. The air is delivered from the
compressor through short pieces of 1^ and 2 inch pipe successively,
then down the intake fan shaft through 100 feet of 4 inch and 50 feet
of inch pipe to a heavy cast iron T, provided with a drip cock to
drain off any moisture which may collect in the pipes.
At the top and bottom of the fan shaft, right angle bends of threefeet
radius were used instead of L's, to reduce the friction.
From the above-mentioned T, the 6-inch pipe runs to a charging
station near the foot of the slope and in the other direction about 2,700
feet along the main hauling road to a second charging station, which
is not needed but has been put there for an emergency.
The pii)e line acts as a reservoir for the compressor and has a capacity
of about GOO cubic feet of air at 800 pounds pressure.
The most of the joints are coupled by an extra heavy wrought iron
sleeve, recessed at the ends for caulking with lead or copper. At the
charging stations and bends, extra heavy flanged couplings are used.
These are male and female and a lead gasket is used to make a tight
joint. The pipe was furnished by the American Tube and Iron Works
Company, and each joint was tested to 1,700 pounds per square inch
at the mill.
The charging stations consist of a flange on the end of the 6-inch
pipe, reduced to 2 inches, and a piece of 2-inch pipe on which is
placed a heavy gate valve and a Moran right angle flexible coupling,
with a sufiicient length of extra heavy pipe ending in the end of a
(juick acting screw coupling to reach the charging pipe of the locomotive,
which contains two Moran flexible joints and ends with the
other half of the screw coupling, the whole being very flexible and
giving considerable latitude in stopping to charge.
l^etween the valve on the pipe line and the one on the locomotive is
a small bleeder valve to exhaust Ihe. air from the coupling before unscrewing
the same.
The imeumatic locomotives, shown on the opposite page, was built
by H. K. Porter & Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa. It is of the six wheel connected
type, having three drivers, 24-inch diameter on each side, the
cylinders being 8-inch diameter and 14-inch stroke.
The general dimensions of the locomotive are 17 feet 6 inches long
over bum])ers. .5 feet inches wide and 5 feet hijrh above the rail.