Show COMPRESSOR FOR TOM BOY The Largest Plant Ever Installed in Colorado One of the largest air compressors ever brought to the state says the Denver Republican is now being erected erect-ed by the Rand Drill company for the Tom Boy mine the order for the machine ma-chine having been given to W H Emanuel agent of the company last week after a sharp competition between be-tween the manufacturers of compressors compres-sors The machine is being constructed on special lines with reference to the altitude of the mine its location and the work that it is to be called upon to perform In the first place the mine is located at a point on the mountain that is inaccessible except by a trail and the matter of the first importance was to have it so constructed that it I could be hauled up without difficulty This will be done without any sacrifice to the weight of metal the heaviest piece weighing but 1000 pounds The mining company wanted a machine to operate nine drills and in order to guarantee this capacity at an altitude of 12000 feet It was decided that a machine ma-chine with a normal capacity of 16 drills at sea level would be nec ssarv The usual allowance for the reduction of atmospheric pressure at an altitude I of 12000 feet is 25 per cent but in order or-der to be nerfectlv safe a still trreater I allowance was made It is thought by the experts of the machine company that the compressor will be able to do much more work than the nine drills I guaranteed but the liberal allowance for reduction of atmospheric pressure I makes the guaranteed work mere certain cer-tain The compressor is a compound steam and compound air machine with a 14x22inch cylinder The compressor is a model of its kind The steam cylinders are fitted with Meyer cutoff valves specially arranged for the free admission of air into the low pressure cylinders The air is then i I delivered from the low pressure air cy j hinders to the water cooling device I which does not permit the water to come in contact with the air After I 1 being cooled the air is delivered to a I water jacketed highpressure air cylinder i cylin-der and compressed to about 100 pounds I pressure The compressor is fitted with j a band wheel instead of a fly wheel The usual plan of a compressor is to I I have the steam cylinders in the center and the air cylinders at the end farthest I I farth-est from the fly or band wheel In I this machine however these positions will be reversed the steam cylinders I being placed at the end and the air I cylinders nearest the band wheel so I that the steam can be shut off and the compressors operated with a belt I from an electric or water motor to the band wheel The steam cylinders are so fitted that they can be quickly disconnected dis-connected in case it is found necessary neces-sary to run the compressor by electricity elec-tricity or water power It is of the same pattern as that in operation at tne Alanala mine in Leadville with the I exception that the cylinders are reversed I re-versed as stated above The contract requires the finishing machine to be placed on the cars in six weeks from the time of the award and it is expected ex-pected that it will be in operation not later than the middle of June The purchase of a machine of this charac ter by the Tom Boy company is an earnest of its determination to very largely increase the output of the mine Other improvements are now under consideration and will be put into ef fect during the coming season |