A SPLENDID ELECTRIC PLANT.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13328, 31 January 1912, Page 2

A SPLENDID ELECTRIC PLANT.

INSTALLED BY KIRKPATRICK

AND CO,

A representative of "The Colonist" was conducted over, the promises of Messrs. Kirkpatrick and) Co. to view the extensive lighting and mechanical alterations that have been recently effected and which have in the past few days been put into operation. The new facilities constitute the installation of a very comprehensive system of electricity for lighting and to expedite work in the factory. The idea of using electricity instead of gas was thought of over a year ago, and arrangements were weil in hand for the shipment of all the necessary plant from Home, but the great strike prevented it arriving until some two months ago, when tho work was put in hand by Messrs. Turnbull and Jones', tho prominent Wellington firm whose expert has made a splendid display of tho firm's work, and carried out a lighting scheme . which will stand as an advertisement for it in Nelson for a long time to come. All the appliances are the' best English make, and of the latest design. The motive force is derived from the powerful steam engine which drive.; the shafting. Belting connects this with an 8-k.w. dynamo, giving 115 volts, •which is the latest machine of its kind that the famous 'Wostinghouso firm has turned out. It js encased in a steel frame, and .is fitted with a patent cooling fan. Beside the dynamo is the switcli board'and control, which will be operated/by Kirkpatrick's competent electrician. Each department in the factory is controlled from a separate series of buttons. The scheme contains several miles of wires, which are insulated and encased in steel piping, the laying and bending of which has been executed with astonishing skill. Tho burners arc in all cases "Lunars," which are now being recognised in Sydney as tlie most up-to-date pattern. The rooms, which now present a brilliant appearance at night are lighted with 32, 50 and 100 candle power lights, as follows: Boiling room, 1G 100-e.p.; packing room, 7 100-c.p. ; tin room, 12 100-c.p., G 50-c.p.; packing room, 12 50-c.p., G 100-c.p.; spice mill 2 32----c.p., 2 50-c.p., and 2 100-c.p. In some rooms more of the strongest light had been installed but the light was too brilliant and lighter burners were put on instead, although these can be replaced by the originals at will. The effect of the lighting, Mr. Kirkpatrick considers, will be to facilitate work at night by quite 50 per cent. With the gas the employees' eyes were tired, and it was impossible to pick or pack as quickly as will now be the case. There is again the additional safety of tho electric illumination to he considered. In this direction the improved conditions will be noticed by tho hands employed at +!>■-- machinery, which can now bo handled with as much expedition and safety as in broad daylight. .Power is derived from the dynamo to drive 1 lire' motors installed with new machinery plant in various departments of the factory. A 1-h.p. motor drives tho new bottle washer, a successful trial of which was made yesterday. Recently imported apparatus in the canning room will be worked from a <Ih.p. motor. The 2-h.p. motor for recently added labelling machinery is r. Lan tod well up above the floor, where it is conveniently unobtrusive. It= 1000 revolutions per minute will have to be reduced when being transferred to the belting by a largo wheel on tho shafting. In the cases of these tlires motors more or less cumbersome steam plant would have had to be fitted up had not electricity been taken from the dynamo. The firm proposes to put in a largo storage battery which will arrive in Nelson shortly. The advantage of this is that during the daytime" the dynamo is not always runnimr to its full capacity, and the surplus will be stored in the battery for night use ■fo that it will not bo neeossarv, as it. is now to keep the engine working when tho factory machinery is not in use Messrs. Kirkpatrick -md Cn ay to b 0 congratulated on their enterprise and no doubt very fine results wUI attend their progressive step