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AIR COMPRESSORS AND TYRE INFLATORS.
Page 130
Page 131
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The Usefulness of Air Under High Pressures is Rapidly being Recognized, and Air is being Applied to Many Duties in the Garage.
NOWADAYS an ample supply of compressed air has become almost a sine qua non in all large industrial
vehicle garages. Originally employed mainly to provide a constant supply of air under pressure for tyre inflation purposes, it is likewise now being brought into use in connection with petrol and oil-delivering pumps, for the operation of body-washing apparatus, or for the running of pneumatic tools and the working of paint-spraying medianism.
The Bores compressors of LacyHulbert and Co., Ltd., 9, Victoria Street, Westminster, London, 8.W.1, which are made in 1 h.p., 3 h.p. and 5 h.p. sizes, embody an electric driving motor and a water-cooled compressor mounted on the same bed-plate. The compressors are fitted with roller and ball bearings and aluminium pistons and are pro' vided with silencers and oil and moisture separators. The air containers, which vary in size in accordance with the capacity of the plants, are tested up to a pressure of aoo lb. per sq. in.
This firm also makes a very handy portable tyre pump, also known as the Borns, for use in garages where a supply of electricity is available. Mounted on a small four-wheel trolley, the set comprises a 1 h.p. electric motor and one of the firm's compressors by means of which a 36-in. by 6-in. tyre can be inflated up to a pressure of 75 lb. per sq. in. in less than three minutes.
Another firm specializing in air-compressing appliances is Messrs. Williams and James, of Gloucester, one of whose latest products is the David compressing plant, operated in conjunction with an air and water delivery tower. The compressor unit is exceedingly compact. In fact, in order that it may occupy a minimum of floor space the 26 gallon air container is located vertically with the operating electric motor below and the compressor on top. A controller is provided for the automatic starting and stopping of the motor, so that the pressure in the tank Dever falls below 120 lb. nor exceeds 150 lb. per sq. in. The tower is of the revolving type, so adapted that it can supply either air or water to vehicles within a 30-ft. circle. The same firm also makes two patterns of portable air compressors for tyre inflation purposes. Both are electrically operated, the large one, the David, comprising a 1 h.p. motor and twin-cylinder compressor, it
being Capable of inflating a 36-in. by 6-in. tyre from flat to 90 lb. per sq. in. in 4i mins. at a cost of id., taking current as costing 5d. per unit. This machine is supplied with 30 ft. of flexible cable and 180 ft. of hose, so that it can be used from one position over a wide area. For smaller establishments the " Nev-a-Tire " portable electric inflator is recommended. This is equipped with
a h.p. motor and single-stage compressor.
B.E.N. Patents, Ltd, among its numerous specialities, handles the wellknown Kellogg air compressors made in a variety of sizes and patterns. In the electrically operated self-contained units the air-pressure tank is located horizontally and has the electric motor and air-cooled compressor accessibly mounted above it. For use in large establishments, where a greater volume of air is required, the maker recommends a 7 cubic ft. per min, singlecylinder compressor plant used in conjunction with an 80-gallon tank, whilst for small garages there is a 2-cubic ft. plant with 16-gallon tank. As. is customary with apparatus of this Mud, the motor is adapted to be automatically started and stopped in accordance with the fall and rise of the air pressure in the cylinder.
Several pntterns of the Kellogg electrically driven portafile tyre inflator are also available, whilst a good deal of attention is just now being devoted to the B.E.N. Air Scale, which consists of a standard intended to be installed at the exit of a garage and supplied with air from a compressor installation, so that the tyres of buses and coaches can be inflated to the correct pressure as they leave thepremises for their respective journeys.
Reference has frequently been made in these pages to the H. F. Curtis and other air compressors supplied by Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., so that it need only be briefly mentioned that both fixed and portable types are available. A useful one comprises a horizontal 32.2-gallon air tank mounted on four small wheels and carrying on the top a small electric' motor and belt
driven air-cooled compressor with fantype flywheel. Another partable plant is of similar style, but without the air container, the compressor delivering the air direct ta the tyres to be inflated.
An interesting compressor is that known as the Romac Mater, made by the Romac Motor Accessories, Ltd., The Hyde, Hendon, N.W.9. This is available in both fixed, belt-driven form and in two portable patterns, one being driven by an electric motor and the other by a J.A.P. 1i h.p, air-cooled petrol engine, a chain drive being used in both cases. The special feature of this plant is the compressor, which comprises four cylinders, the pistons or plungers on which are operated through a centrally pivoted awash-plate caused to oscillate with a circular motion by the rotation of the unequal arms on the main shaft, the awash-plate depressing each of the four pistons in turn. It is claimed that the efficiency of the arrangement is such that only h.p is necessary to run the compressor at 450 revs. per min, sufficient to give an air pressure of 120 lb. per sq. in.
Mann, Egerton and Co., Ltd., make the M.E. air compressors in both air and water-cooled forms in various sizes, the apparatus being of the horizontal opposed two-cylinder type, capable of supplying from 4i to 20 cubic ft. of free air per min. at a speed of 400 revs. per min. They are supplied with belt pulleys so that they can be driven off existing power installation or as selfcontained electrically driven sets, complete with air storage tanks.. In addition to automatic starting and stopping gear, as the pressure in the tank fans and rises, provision is made whereby the compressor is automatically unloaded at starling and gradually loaded, enabling the motor to start up slowly.
The firm of Sir W. H. Bailey and Co., Ltd., of Salford, Manchester, has long been associated with air compressors, and now that such apparatus is being used in connection with car-washing installations it has lately produced a special set for this purpose, which is used in connection with a swing arm adapted to be secured to the wall of the garage.
The company also makes an Air-on
Wheels portable electric tyre pump, this being so arranged that it can be readily moved about to any part of the garage and plugged into the lighting circuit at any convenient point. The electric motor is directly connected to the small • water-cooled compressor through a flexible coupling, the capacity being such that a 38-in. by 7-in giant tyre can be inflated up to a pressare of SO lb. per se: in. in under five minutes.
Equipments, Ltd., handles a range of air-compressing plants known as the Eco, these being provided with either single or two-stage compressors in accordance with requirements. As in the Kellogg, the air containers of the Eco plants are horizontally arranged and have the electric motors, beltdriven compressors and other compota
cots accessibly mounted on the top. The usual automatic controller for starting and stopping the motor in order to maintain a full supply of air under pressure is provided. A novel and useful device supplied by this firm is the Eeo automatic tyre inflator, a small wall-fitting with 25 ft. of hose, intended to be used in conjunction with a compressed air installation.
Other makers of air compressor and tyre-inflating, plants who may be mentioned are Research Engineers, Ltd., Efarmood Place, Chalk Farm, N.W.1 ; Fredk. J. Gordon and Co., Ltd., 92, Charlotte Street, W.1 ; Gerrard and Co., Ltd., 15-19, Great Titchfield Street, W.1, which specializes on the portable Lectroplates; A. Picard and Co., 4, New Burlington Street, WA, which produces the well-known Bavox pumps; Simkine Engineering Works, Londeu Road, Nottingham, which makes the Southwell electrically operated inflator, and S. Landsberger, 68, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.1. The Equipment and Engineering Co., 2-3, Norfolk Street, Strand, W.C.2, also Makes a special feature of the Luchard air cylinders, this being a system in which a fully charged cylinder of compressed air can be carried on a vehicle to "top up" the pressure in any of the tyres as may become necessary during the course of a long run.