TRANSACTIONS OF SKCTION G. 



809 



attachments. The handles for operating the several movements, the break lever, 

 the switch and the automatic cut-out, are all collected together, so that a single 

 attendant can readily work the crane from one spot. 



The crane was set to work in June last, and has continued to act satisfactorily 

 ever since. The advantages are very great in the facility of adaptation, as it is so 

 easy to transmit the power from any point. The main boilers being always under 

 steam, the crane is available at a moment's notice. The duty realised is about 65 

 per cent, of the power developed in the driving steam-engine. As far as can be 

 judged at present, there is no special wear to apprehend. The conductors act 

 satisfactorily, though a considerable length is in the open air, and the dust, heat, 

 and smoke of the foundry do not appear to afl'ect the working. 



When first proposed, the writer was not aware of the existence of any other 

 electric crane, but he has .since learned that Messrs. Mather & Piatt, of Manchester, 

 have had one working satisfactorily for some time, and that there is one also in 

 France. 



Ex'pei-iments on Electric Foundry Crane, Erith Iron Works, August 1 888. 



MoTement of Crane 



Cross Traverse, quick gear 



Long Traverse „ 



Hoisting „ 



Cross Traverse „ 



Long Traverse „ 



RToisting „ 



Cross Traverse „ 



Long Traverse „ 



Hoistiiii.', slow 



Cross Traverse „ 



Long Traverse „ 



Hoisting „ 



Cross Traverse „ 



Long Traverse „ 



Hoisting „ 



Loail on 

 Hook 



Total Load 

 on Rails 



a 



tons cwt. 

 











12 



tons cwt. 

 18 



12 



9 llf 27 llj 

 14 \ I 32 if 



1» 23 



37 -21 



120 

 105 



110 



98 



86 



90 



130 



115 



103 



112 



135 



115 



135 



130 



98 



2. On recent Developments of the Gowles Aluminium Process. 

 By R. E. Crompton. 



It is unnecessary to again describe the earlier stages of the Brothers Cowles' 

 invention of the electric furnace. I confine myself to a description of such parts 

 of the new plant which has been recently put down at Milton, near Stoke-upon- 

 Trent, that 1 think will be of general scientific interest. 



The experience in America at the works at Lockport, Ohio, showed conclusively 

 that great economies were to be expected from increasing the size of the furnaces 

 and the strength of the electric currents employed to work them ; but no current 

 larger than 3,000 amperes had been used up to the time that the Milton Works 

 were planned. 



Mr. Eugene Cowles came over to England to ascertain whether English makers 

 of dvnamo machines were prepared to supply one 60 per cent, larger than Mr. 

 Brush's ' Colossus,' which had been made specially for them in America, and which 

 was then the largest direct current machine in the world. He prepared his speci- 

 fication for a dynamo to give a current of 5,000 amperes at 60 volts, and 

 eventually Messrs. Cromptou's designs and tender were accepted. 



The works were built near the Milton Station, on the North Stafibrdshire Kail- 

 way; the boilers for generating the steam required are of the Babcock Wilcox 

 type, and are provided with mechanical stokers ; the steam-engine is of 600 h.p., 

 iand is a compound condensing horizontal tandem, made by Messrs. Pollit and 



