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Show 1 LOADING DY ELECTRICITY. JNewly DlHcovcrctl I'ovrur r.Iticli UkciI 5 , In Iliimlllng; CnrcocH. k' A'fcw years ago the idea of loading- a ship with 2,500 tons at flour in JM hours i by moans of two fcmall motors would j , have been looked upon as absurd. This I ' was done the other day in TacOma, says an exchange. Two thousand tons of ' cargo liave frequently bcon loaded or unloaded in n day by steam power, but , Hlie important factor in tho rceord-t rceord-t breaking1 achievement at Tacoma was ' j that the oonyeyor was -worked by elec- ( v tricity. With the apparatus which has H i been designed for the 'purpose flour and 1S I grain can be loaded at any stage of the I , tide and independently of the weather, f t If it should rain .n canvas is quickly ,i spread from the door of the warehouse f l to tho ship's hatch. With the system of It' loading ordinarily used 18 men arc rc-U rc-U I ' -quired to do the work of one electric i conveyor, with wh'ich the bags arc dell de-ll Oi ' livcred into the ship's hold nt the rate J 1$ of 2,500 to 2,700 pounds n minute, or Wp 75 tons an liour. When extra spend is j fir desired tv o coiue,, ji nie employed. StS V Tliis was done when the record of 2,500 . jaZ tons in 24 hours was made. The electric i I mk . -conveyor is 40 feet long. It is moved ? Jfff at WM on two wheels in the center. A W two-horse power motor supplies the '.' L power, the current being taken from ! W the nearest electric wires. The sacks 1 arc placed on a revolving belt of rubber, 4 which passes over 12 rollers.' The belt .' 4 ' -is propelled by a driving wheel at- ; ' tached to the sid-c of the apparatus. The rolls are placed cIoeo together and the ' 'belt revolves at sufficient speed to car- ry all the weight in flour or grain that I can be placed upon it. The conveyor works as well when placed at an angle of 45 degrees as when on a level. |
