Electric Drive in Garage and Workshop.
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I.—General Advantages.
Alongside the exceedingly rapid rise of the motor transport industry has been the no less rapid development of the utilization of the .electric motor as a driving power in the industrial held generally. The purpose of this article is to record in a non-technical fashion the many advantages which may be obtained through the adoption of electric drive in the garage and motor mechanic's shop.
Current is Abundant and Cheap.
Mishaps occur to motor transport vehicles just as they do to other vehicles. Prime functions of the garage are to effect repairs, overhaul vehicles periodically., and act as service stations generally. It may be said that hitherto the smaller garages have not been able to effect as many repairs as they might have done had they been properly equipped with the necessary power and tools. Now that the electric motor is in such an advanced state of development, and because central station electric power is so freely available, easily obtained, and, in the majority of cases, very cheap for power purposes, there seems to be no adequate reason why even the smaller garages should not attend to practically all of the necessary repairs to their own vehicles. Supplies and repair parts have been reduced in cost to users, chiefly due to standardized manufacture. The largest item in the repair bill—the item for time spent in doing the repair—can be considerably reduced by improved equipment in the garage.
In a, large number of industries the electric motor drive has become the rule rather than the exception. In the garage and motor workshop it will also become the rule.
Little or No Waste of Energy.
With electric drive from the central station, that is, when the energy is supplied through the town's or supply company's mains, only the energy actually consumed is paid for ; and, furthermore, the power is at hand and may be obtained by the mere turning of a switch at any single moment of the 24-hour day. It, say, a 2 h.p. motor is installed and required for use to effect a small repair which will take 10 minutes, only the energy sufficient to drive the motor for the time, stated is paid for ; no superfluous energy is supplied, no superfluous power is applied. The cost of energy is exactly in proportion to the work performed. This can be checked by suitable measuring instruments. The rule in regard to cost of energy, applies always when the power is obtained from a central supply station, while continuity of service is practically in all cases guaranteed. It can be definitely stated that the reason why the electric motor drive has become SD universally adopted is because it can do its work far more cheaply and effectively than can any other known means of power application.
Simplicity and Convenience.
The simplicity of the means of power transmission and distribution is unexcelled. Flexible cables and wires are the simplest means known of carrying energy. With an individual drive the motor-driven tool or machine can be placed in any desired spot at any time at the convenience of the user, while additional tools can be readily installed. With a grouped drive through shafting the machines can also be placed in the most convenient spot for efficient service. This is due to the fact that the means of power —the electric motor—can also be placed in the most convenient position. It may be placed either on or beneath the floor, on the ceiling, on a wall bracket, or in a separate room altogether. Briefly, in all cases, the driven machinery or tools can be located with reference to the work desired rather than to the power-transmitting system. Changes can easily be made and portable tools made available, which means that the tools may be brought to the work.
Cleanliness.
Cleanliness—a prominently desirable factor in garages and all workshops—is effected, no dripping of oil or giving off of fumes occurring, while due to the absence of shafting, better lighting—both natural and artificial—is obtainable. The control of the motor or motors, as already stated, is simple in operation. The starting arrangements may be by means of the customary switch ; white push-button operation can be arranged if deemed desirable. The starting arrangements may be placed either on or near the machine to be driven, or in a remote position. Due to the general reliability of both motors and starting gear, greater freedom from accidents becomes the rule. In point of fact, the danger of accidents be-' comes, to a large degree, eliminated.
Commencement in a Small Way Possible.
A particularly wide choice of motors is available both in regard to size, mechanical design, and operating characteristics. In regard to the latter, motors can be obtained either for constant or variable speed.
With the adoption of electricity in the garage, electric light—an emphatically desirable featuae—becomes available : the advantages here are obvious.
From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that there are many important advantages to be gained through the adoption of electric motor drive, in garages, which could not possibly be obtained by any other means of power application. A single Motor installed as a beginning in a small garage will prove the advantages of the system more than any talk on the subject. It is a most feasible proposition for all garages which can obtain a central-station supply of current, to instal by way of trial a single small and comparatively inexpensive motor, together with the necessary starting gear. As the establishment increases in size, and as the original trial installation proves it value, further electric plant can be installed with the utmost convenience in order to cope with the additional work. This can go on indefinitely.
Selt-contained Generating Set.
In those garages situated at some distance from a central-station supply, it is possible—and in many cases feasible—to obtain a small generating set to generate the electricity locally both for power and lighting. Such a generator could be economically and reliably driven by either a small stationary gas or oil engine. The same advantages of electric motor drive as outlined above would also apply. It is proposed to set forth in a further article dealing with the same subject an outline of the particular duties electric motors can fulfil in the garage end motor mechanic's workshop.