HARDWOOD RECORD 



uewal of belts, amounts to $200 per month and 

 over. When it is considered that the monthly- 

 cost of power in the table works averages 

 only about $130, and that the number of 

 machines in service in both plants is about 

 the same, it will be seen that the electric 

 drive accomplished that which is desired by 

 every manufacturer — reduction of operating 

 expenses. 



The total capacity of motors installed 

 throughout the plant is about 175 horsepower. 

 They are of the induction type manufactured 

 by the General Electric Company. These 

 motors have long been looked on with favor 

 in woodworking plants on account of their 

 simplicity and ruggedness. The absence of 

 all moving electrical contacts in this type of 

 motor and the consequent reduction of the 

 fire hazard is also an important point in their 

 favor. 



The fact that in this type of induction 

 motor the starting resistance is contained 

 within the revolving member, thus eliminating 

 the separate starting compensator, contributes 

 to a wiring arrangement that is remarkably 

 free from complication. A main switch with 

 the necessary fuses is all that is required. 

 The wiring throughout the plant is done in a 

 neat and substantial manner. 



The electrical transmission throughout the 

 miU is at 220 volts; three-phase, sixty-cycle 

 alternating current being supplied by the local 

 lighting plant. In this connection it is inter- 

 esting to note that although the total generat- 



ing capacity of this plant is only 100 kilo- 

 watts, or about 134 horsepower, power is sup- 

 plied not only to the table works but also to 

 several small factories in the town. While 

 this, of course, can be accounted for by the 

 fact that all of the machines in the different 

 factories are rarely in operation at the same 

 time, still it is an excellent illustration of the 

 inherent reliability and that desirable char- 

 acteristic of modern electrical machinery, 

 viz., the capacity for temporary heavy over- 

 loads. 



With one exception the individual drive is 

 used throughout. In many cases the motor is 

 direct connected by means of flexible coup- 

 lings, either to an extension of the machine 

 shaft or to countershaft contained within the 

 machine. Where this method is impracticable 

 the motor is either connected to a counter- 

 shaft to which the machine is belt-connected, 

 or it directly drives the machine by means Of 

 a short belt connection. 



Figs. 1 and 2 are excellent examples of 

 the direct drive. In Fig. 1, which shows a 

 double-end tcnoner, cut-off and rounding ma- 

 chine driven by a fifteen horsepower motor, 

 the motor is connected direct to a counter- 

 shaft contained within the machine. A short 

 belt shown in the illustration drives the cut-off 

 saw attachment. In Fig. 2 a twenty horse- 

 power motor is shown driving an H. B. Smith 

 Machine Company 's No. 108 nine-inch molder. 

 It ^lU be noted that the bedplate of the ma- 

 chine is extended to carry the countershaft. 



which is direct connected to the motor. The 

 feed rolls and cutters are belt driven from 

 the countershaft. This method of connection 

 results in a compact and easily accessible unit 

 with an abundance of head room. The ab- 

 sence of overhead belting contributes also to 

 a better lighting arrangement. 



A typical illustration of the belt drive with- 

 out countershafts may be seen by referring 

 to Fig. 3. A twenty horsepower motor is 

 here shown driving a Merritt table leg ma- 

 chine. A direct connected motor could not 

 be used in this case on account of the high 

 speed of the cutter head. This same method 

 was applied in a similar case involving the 

 operation of a double spindle shapcr by a 

 four horsepower 900 K. P. M. motor con- 

 nected to short countershaft, as shown in 

 Fig. 4. 



The Fay & Egan triple drum sander shown 

 in Fig. 5 is driven by a twenty-five horse- 

 power motor. The method of connecting the 

 motor directly to the countershaft, as shown 

 in this illustration, is used throughout with 

 the one exception of the group drive shown 

 in Fig. 6. The ten horsepower motor, which 

 is just visible in the right of the illustration, 

 drives a countershaft from which the follow- 

 ing machines are belt driven: Two hand 

 lathes, one spindle carver, one dove-tail ma- 

 chine, one combination saw, two emery grind- 

 ers, one post borer and a belt sander. These 

 machines are all smnll .inrl the arrangement 

 compact. 



