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Storage battery locomotives
N O T E S FROM T H E U. S. B U R E A U STATE LAWS ON USE OF ELECTRICITY
OF MINES.* IN COAL MINES.
By L. C. Ilsley.
THIRTY of the States in the Union have coal mines, and twenty-eight have regulations or laws governing the operation of coal mines. Pennsylvania was the first to have a coal-mining law of any kind in 1869 . By 189o , thirteen States had coal-mining Statutes. Before 189o , electricity was little used in mines, and these early codes contain practically no provisions regulating its use. Since that date the application of electricity in coal mining has made tremendous progress and now twenty-one States make some reference in their coal-mining codes to the use of electricity. The rapidity with which electrical equipment has entered into the many phases of mining has, however, greatly exceeded the advance of regulations governing its use. Even the best electrical mining codes in force need modernizing and some States have even neglected to mention the use of electricity in their mining laws. In general, the best way to obtain satisfactory electrical equipment for mine service, and to insure its proper installation, inspection, and maintenance, is for each coal-mining State to make and enforce fundamental rules and regulations relating to the use of electricity and electrical equipment in and about coal mines. Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 271 , " Mining Laws on Use of Electricity in Coal Mines," presents the results of a study of the different State codes. STORAGE BATTERY LOCOMOTIVES. By L. C. Ilsley and H. B. Brunot.
IN the past ten years the use of storage-battery locomotives in coal mines has rapidly increased. Their use tends to do away with trolley wires except on main haulage roads, hence the danger of electric shock from uncovered trolley wires is lessened * C o m m u n i c a t e d by the Director. 129
130
U.S.
BUREAU OF ~{INES NOTES.
lJ. F. I.
and the wires need not be extended into the gaseous parts of the mine. Storage-battery locomotives are, however, a possib,le menace to safety. Originally they were not designed for use in gaseous places, but their use iu such places has gradually increased because the danger was not generally recognized. In I916 , the Bureau of Mines, in co6peration with manufacturers of locomotives and batteries, prepared tentative specifications covering minimum safety requirements. As specific information on many of the points involved was necessary for intelligent revision of the specifications, the bureau began laboratory and field investigations of possible dangers from headlights, from abrasive sparks struck off by brakes and wheels, and from battery equipment, with a view to, the elimination o.f unsafe features discovered. Also, application was made of information derived from previous work on the testing of coal-cutting equipment and miners' lamps. In July, I919, another conference of manufacturers was held at the Pittsburgh Experiment Station. A schedule for the establishment of a permissible list of storage-battery locomotives was prepared and after minor additions was published in August, I919, as Schedule 15 of the Bureau of Mines. Technical Paper 264, " Preliminary Investigations of Storage Battery Locomotives," describes the development of the specifications that led to the preparation of S.chedule I5, and contains data obtained through the preliminary investigation made in order to assist manufacturers who were developing apparatus.
ANALYSES
OF AIR FROM
BURNING
BUILDINGS.
By S. H. Katz.
TIlE BUREAU OF MINES is co6perating with muni.cipal tire departments for the purpose of obtaining information regardingcomposition of the air in burning building~s. The gas-mask. laboratory of the Bureau's experiment station at Pittsburgh sent vacuum bottles for taking samples to tire chiefs in twenty-five cities. Thus far, eleven samples have been received by the laboratory. Results of analyses and pertinent data regarding these samples are given in a paper recently issued by the bureau. Eight of the eleven samples contained no carbon monoxide;
OF MINES.* IN COAL MINES.
By L. C. Ilsley.
THIRTY of the States in the Union have coal mines, and twenty-eight have regulations or laws governing the operation of coal mines. Pennsylvania was the first to have a coal-mining law of any kind in 1869 . By 189o , thirteen States had coal-mining Statutes. Before 189o , electricity was little used in mines, and these early codes contain practically no provisions regulating its use. Since that date the application of electricity in coal mining has made tremendous progress and now twenty-one States make some reference in their coal-mining codes to the use of electricity. The rapidity with which electrical equipment has entered into the many phases of mining has, however, greatly exceeded the advance of regulations governing its use. Even the best electrical mining codes in force need modernizing and some States have even neglected to mention the use of electricity in their mining laws. In general, the best way to obtain satisfactory electrical equipment for mine service, and to insure its proper installation, inspection, and maintenance, is for each coal-mining State to make and enforce fundamental rules and regulations relating to the use of electricity and electrical equipment in and about coal mines. Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 271 , " Mining Laws on Use of Electricity in Coal Mines," presents the results of a study of the different State codes. STORAGE BATTERY LOCOMOTIVES. By L. C. Ilsley and H. B. Brunot.
IN the past ten years the use of storage-battery locomotives in coal mines has rapidly increased. Their use tends to do away with trolley wires except on main haulage roads, hence the danger of electric shock from uncovered trolley wires is lessened * C o m m u n i c a t e d by the Director. 129
130
U.S.
BUREAU OF ~{INES NOTES.
lJ. F. I.
and the wires need not be extended into the gaseous parts of the mine. Storage-battery locomotives are, however, a possib,le menace to safety. Originally they were not designed for use in gaseous places, but their use iu such places has gradually increased because the danger was not generally recognized. In I916 , the Bureau of Mines, in co6peration with manufacturers of locomotives and batteries, prepared tentative specifications covering minimum safety requirements. As specific information on many of the points involved was necessary for intelligent revision of the specifications, the bureau began laboratory and field investigations of possible dangers from headlights, from abrasive sparks struck off by brakes and wheels, and from battery equipment, with a view to, the elimination o.f unsafe features discovered. Also, application was made of information derived from previous work on the testing of coal-cutting equipment and miners' lamps. In July, I919, another conference of manufacturers was held at the Pittsburgh Experiment Station. A schedule for the establishment of a permissible list of storage-battery locomotives was prepared and after minor additions was published in August, I919, as Schedule 15 of the Bureau of Mines. Technical Paper 264, " Preliminary Investigations of Storage Battery Locomotives," describes the development of the specifications that led to the preparation of S.chedule I5, and contains data obtained through the preliminary investigation made in order to assist manufacturers who were developing apparatus.
ANALYSES
OF AIR FROM
BURNING
BUILDINGS.
By S. H. Katz.
TIlE BUREAU OF MINES is co6perating with muni.cipal tire departments for the purpose of obtaining information regardingcomposition of the air in burning building~s. The gas-mask. laboratory of the Bureau's experiment station at Pittsburgh sent vacuum bottles for taking samples to tire chiefs in twenty-five cities. Thus far, eleven samples have been received by the laboratory. Results of analyses and pertinent data regarding these samples are given in a paper recently issued by the bureau. Eight of the eleven samples contained no carbon monoxide;