Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

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480 RECORD AND GUIDE March 20, 1915 USEFUL APPLIANCES Novelties, New Applications of Familiar Device* and the Trend of Invention, Designed to Aid the Architect, Builder and Building Manager, Described Without Regard to Advertising Consideration 133 Saves Carpets and Floors. MUCH damage is done to carpets and floors by the dripping from radiator air valves, especially in hotels and apart¬ ment houses. This can be remedied by inscrtinj^, over thc entire valve, a glass receptacle that is be¬ ing introduced by a Brooklyn concern. The manufacturers say that the device will fit on any radia¬ tor air valve, and that it saves work and worry by catch¬ ing the condensing steam and at the same time allows enough to escape into the room to keep air in the room moist. It deadens I,. . , the sizzling sound 1 i that emanates from —^ ! the steam jet when the valve is open, and is sanitary, useful and inexpensive. It is made of glass, in one piece. The cut shows how it is applied to the radiator. An Adjustable Steel Curb Form. HIRE is something that concrete con¬ tractors have been looking for. It is an adjustable steel concrete curb form. While it is designed especially for sidewalk, curb and gutter work, it and at short intervals; the fuel bed kept level and in good condition by spread¬ ing the fresh coal only over the tliin places where thc coal tends to burn awa}' and leave the grate bare. Leveling or disturbing the fuel bed in any way should be avoided as much as possible, as it means more work for the fireman and causes thc formation of clinker. Fur¬ thermore, while the fireman is leveliti^,^ the fires a large excess of air enters the furnace, and this impairs efficiency. "The ash-pit door should be kept open and large accumulations of ashes in it avoided, as it may cause uneven dis¬ tribution of air under the grate. Wlien a coal shows a tendency to clinker, water should be kept in the ash pit. All regulation of draft should be done with thc damper and not witli the asli-]>it doors. "In firing, phice the coal on thc thin spots of the fuel bed. Thin and thick spots will occur with the most carc-ful firing, because the coal never burns at a uniform rate over the whole grate area. In places where the air flows freely through the bed the coal burns faster than where the flow of air is less. This variation in the flow of air through different parts of the fuel bed may be due to difl^crcnt sizes of coal, accumu¬ lations of clinker, or thc fusing of the coal into a hard crust. Where the coal Inirns' rapidly, a thin place forms. "Before throwing the fresh coal into thc furnace note thc thin spots, which in a well-kept fire can usually be recog¬ nized by the bright hot flame; the thick places showing either a sluggish smoky flame or none at all. In placing the coal on the thin places take a rather small quantity of coal on the scoop, for it is much easier to place the coal where M'anted with small shovelfuls. The coal should also be placed in thin layers, be¬ cause if you fill up the deep hollows in has many other uses in building con¬ struction such as forming- wheel bases and making curves in hallways where reinforced concrete construction is be¬ ing used. The illustration shows the general character of the device which is now be¬ ing introduced. It is made of spring steel curved by a system of turn buck¬ les and can be adjusted to any radius or a reverse curve. It is said to be as inexpensive in first cost as a wooden one and concrete can be laid by it 2.4 cents cheaper per linear foot than by methods that are now in vogue. The readiness with which the form can be set and dismantled permits the con¬ tractor to finish the curved work at the same time that the straight work is completed. Another advantage is found in the fact that in removing the forms after the concrete has set the danger of chipping is eliminated because by mere- Iv unscrewing the curb buckles thc pres¬ sure against the laid work is released simultaneously. Hints for Soft Coal Burning-. WEN burning bituminous coal under l)Ower plant boilers the best resultfi arc obtained if the -fires-ar-e kept level and rather thin, says Technical- Paper 80, entitled "Hand Firiii.s Soft Coal- Under Power-Plant BoHers," -just issued by the United-States"-'Bureau* of-" Mines, as a manual ■ for firemen "em*- ployed in buildings and industrial estab-'- lishments. \\ ^ - -'-■'■ The best thickness is fmir t'o ' ten- inches, depending on the -charact-er of the coal and tlic strength of,draft. ."The- coal -should be fired -in^ small., .titie5. the fuel bed at a single firing, the freshly fired coal may fuse into a hard crust and choke the flow of air, causing the fuel to burn slowly and forming new thin spots. If the high places in thc fuel bed are missed on one or two firings the hard crust at the surface will burn through or crack, allowing more air to flow through, and the place will get back to normal condition." Heating Water With Steam. LGGKINCi over the housetops of Ncw York at the waving plumes of steam arising from a myriad of buildings, one cannot help being impressed with the terrific waste that is countenanced by various industries in this city. Appar¬ ently this is what the head of a great corporation did recently for he went back to his home up State and devised a system for heating water by the steam that is wasted in large- buildings. Thc exhaust steam is taken from an engine and applied in keeping water hot for tenants,, thus cutting down the fuel bill, by' getting a double service from thc steaih generated. Elevator Safety Assured. BV-the installation of a very simi>lc ■■ - and--'- inexpensive device positive safety of- "passengers on passe'nger ele¬ vators is assiirfed. 'Liability is made re- in-ote-'and efficiency in operation may be expected without menace -to the travel¬ ing public. The two cuts presented herewith, show- the new device in two stages of o|)er«t-idn which is being introduced in this market. It is in the form of an automatic switch control, which makes it possible to operate an elevator car when the door is opened. It has the distinctive feature of being extremely simple in operation and minimizes the number of parts that can get out of or¬ der in use. It controls the entire ele¬ vator equipment regardless of the size of the buildings, cars or horse-power of motors. It can be applied in any elec¬ trically operated elevator, using either direct or alternating current systems. It does not interfere with the safety of the car nor does it in any way alter its op¬ eration. It relieves the operators' bur¬ dens by giving automatic contingencies. This device has passed an endurance test of 200,000 operations without any mechanical adjustments which is equiva¬ lent to two years of hard service. In¬ sulation tests have been as high as 1,000 volts for one consecutive minute with¬ out damage in any particular. It has been fully approved by local boards. The first cut shows the switch open. In this position the circuit controlling the car mechanism is dead and the car cannot move. The second cut shows the control latch pushed in, the switch knife in contact and current at the disposal of the operator. It is invisible to the av-. erage observer. Cost of installation . is low. It is noj. a. Qpnsuroer. 6f^eIectrta energy^.^.■^^■^% ^yr^ [:-'^r:'^.-::^::::^''^^f