Self-Contained Portable Electric Mine Lamps*
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
June 13, 1914 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT No.2006 373 motion (to prevent the formation of a conical depression carefully measured to 1/100-inch with a scale and mag a layer of clay, the surface of which was flush with their in the skin) until its point touched the underlying bone. nifying glass. tips. The rough reconstruction of the face and head In this process, the lamp-black was rubbed off that part After all of the little pyramids, representing the thick thus obtained was finished by an artist, Herr Buechly, of the needle that penetrated the flesh. After the needle ness or the flesh at the selected points, had been affixed who also supplied the hair and neck. Thus was produced was withdrawn, the length of the bright portion was to the plaster cast of the skull, they were connected by a lifelike portrait bust of the woman of Auvernier. Self-Contained Portable Electric Mine Lamps* Gain in Safety, Convenience and Current Cost, as Compared with Oil Lamps By H. O. Swoboda I T is a well-known fact that a considerable number of 100 amperes for batteries with not more than 2.5 volts to perform his work satisfactorily, and, according to mine explosions with their enormous losses of life and 85 " " " "" " " 4.0 " the investigations made by Dr. T. Lister of Llewellyn, property are caused by defects and improper handling 65 5.0 " England, is the principal cause of the special eyesick of the so-called miners' safety lamps, built on the Davy 45 " " 6.0 " nesses (miner's nystagmus) with which miners become principle. The Bureau of Mines, for instance, mentions Therefore it is not necessary to provide special pro affected. For this reason it was considered advisable in one of its reports that at least two disasters in this tection against sparking on the switch and on the con to equip the electric mine lamps with incandescent country in 1912 were caused in this manner, killing nections between battery and lamp. lamps of at least 1.5 candle-power. more than a dozen men, and the Prussian government As the filament under normal conditions is operated The only .source of electrical energy which will produce states that during the decade from 1902 to 1911 at least in a vacuum and enclosed in a glass bulb, the danger of this amount of light satisfactorily for:at leas(one shift, Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. Fig. 9. Fig. 7. Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 8. Fig. 10. 27 per cent of all explosions in the anthracite mines are igniting mine gases exists only in case this bulb is smashed or approximately ten to twelve hours, is the storage to be blamed on these lamps. Therefore, it is only without the filament being broken at the same time, so battery, primary batteries for such an output being natural that attempts to develop a portable electric that the latter continues to glow until it burns out. entirely too large for use in portable equipments. Years safety lamp were made quite some time ago. Satis Severa'! absolutely safe methods can be employed to of development have resulted in fairly satisfactory bat factory results, however, have only been obtained since prevent the filament from glowing after the bulb has teries, and it seems, in the present state of the art, that the carbon filament lamps were superseded by the the lead cell, regardless of its weight, on account of tungsten lamps. Owing to their high economy in current its comparatively high voltage and slow drop in voltage consumption they permit the reduction of the battery while discharging, is the most suitable type. to such an extent that the weight and size of the portable Foolproof De8ign.-�iners' lamps are exposed to ex lamp does not prevent the miner any more from moving tremely rough handling by inexperienced hands and around freely in performing his duties. the least mechanical or electrical weaknesses are liable GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. to result in a failure to supply light. The following Electric safety lamps must answer the following are about the most important points which must be requirements: observed in a successful lamp: Absolute safety against ignition of mine gases; The lamp must be locked so that the miner absolutely Uninterrupted production of a steady and sufficient cannot get at any part of the mechanism. amount of light for at least one shift; It must burn in any position, even under water, and Absolutely foolproof design. if dropped o� solid material such as rocks, iron or cement Besides this, it is essential from a height of several feet must continue to operate. To have a simple and durable construction; The incandescent lamp bulb must be thoroughly To keep the weight at a minimum; protected so that it is almost impossible to break it. To facilitate the charging and inspecting of the The electrolyte of the battery must not leak out. battery. That constructions of this character are possible, and Safety.�Careful experiments conducted by the Bureau in actual use, will be shown later on. of Mines in Pittsburgh and also at Gelsenkirchen, Ger LAMP DESIGNS. many, have shown that the only source of danger in a During the year 1912.prizes were offeredby the British portable electric lamp is the glowing filament of the government for the best portable electric mine lamp, incandescent lamp. and not less than 197 applicants entered into competi Sparks obtained by the breaking and establishing of tion and submitted samples. After careful tests, extend Fig. 11. the electric circuit are not of sufficient strength to ignite ing over several months, the first prize of $3,000 was mine gases, owing to the low voltage and amperage of the been broken, and one method which has been in actual awarded to the make� of the "Ceag" lamp described batteries used, as long as the maximum short-circuiting use for a number of years will be described in the course in this paper. Since this lamp has also been accepted current of these batteries does not exceed of the paper. by practically all other European governments and was Steady and Sufficient Light.-The miners' old safety the first lamp approved by the Bureau of Mines, answer * Paper read before the American Institute of Electrical EngI lamps furnish a flickering light of about 0.8 candle-power ing all requirements, and still remains to-day the only neers. Pittsburgh. Pa .• uuder the auspices of the Committee on Use of Electricity in Mines, and published in the Proceedings of capacity, which rapidly decreases. during the shift to approved hand lamp, it might be well to study its con the Institute. about one half, This is not sufficient light for the miner struction carefully. © 1914 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC 'S74 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT No.2006 June IS, 1914 Fig. 2 gives an idea of the general appearance of the plant is impossible. Lamps are made for rescue parties, series can be charged if necessary. A portable volt lamp. The incandescent lamp is covered by a heavy cages, powder magazines, shaft lighting, shaft inspection, meter with a capacity of about 3 volts is provided to glass dome, which is protected by four heavy steel rods loading places, blasting cars and locomotives (head and take the voltage readings on the individual cells. Cells held together by a sheet steel roof . A substantial hook tail lamps), etc. A few of these modifications are shown are charged, ready for service, when their voltage is attached to this roof, so that the miner can either in the illustrations. reaches a value of 2.6. When more than 80 cells are to stand the lamp on the ground or hang it to a post in The standard lamp, being of the "lighthouse" type, be charged, two, three or more racks can be combined, the immediate neighborhood of his working place. distributes its light uniformly over the entire surround and all the cells can be charged at one time. The bottom part, made of heavy corrugated galvanized ings. The modification shown in Fig. 3, known as the After the batteries are charged and the contacts and sheet steel, contains the storage battery. By turning "trip" lamp, has the incandescent lamp mounted on one housings have been carefully cleaned, the lamps are re the upper part on the lower, the miner can turn the light side combined with a reflector concentrating the light assembled and hung up on special racks from:which the on and off. rays in one direction. This design is mostly used for miners remove the lamps when they begin a new shift. The construction of the lamp is easily understood from inspection trips, and head and tail lamps for cars and For mines using a large number of lamps it is essential a section shown in Fig. l. locomotives. It is made in the same capacities as the that charging, cleaning and repairing be handled system The incandescent lamp l rests in a socket n, which is standard lamp. atically and with proper care. For this reason special pressed upward by a spiral spring 0 against another The "shaft" lamp illustrated in Fig. 4 is arranged lamp houses are being erected on the same general spring P between the bulb and glass dome b, providing with an adjustable arm, on which the incandescent principles as those for the Davy safety lamps, but a complete spring support and preventing breakage lamp is mounted, so that the light can be sent in any simpler and cheaper, because it is not necessary to make even with the most severe shocks.