Light in the Country.

Progress, Volume III, Issue 4, 1 February 1908, Page 126

Light in the Country.

The facility with which electuc light may be applied- to a hundred-and-one purposes in and around a country house appeals most strongly to those who are accustomed to the conveniences of urban life. There is no doubt, however, that a large number of those whose homes are m the country have been deterred by the cost of installation from adopting electricity, either for lighting cr for supplementary purposes. Recognising the fact that a widespread demand exists for an electrical plant so designed as to fill all domestic requirements, and yet not unduly encroach upon the pocket of the average householder, the manufacturers of the " Ideal " electrical outfit have made an exhaustive study of the special conditions attaching to the electrical equipment of country houses, and the following particulars reach us from Messrs. George and Stokes, Auckland. The "Ideal" electrical outfit is distinctive in point of — (a) reliability, (b) simplicity, (c) compactness, (d) low cost It consists of a dynamo to generate the current, an engine to drive the dynamo, a battery to store the current, and a switchboard to control it. The engine is,' petrol-driven, vertical, two-cycle in action, giving an impulse every revolution. The design of the engine eliminates all moving valves, the passage of the piston opening and closing the parts^admittmg and discharging the gases. This design may be^said to entirely overcome the vibration nuisance. In 4 almost every other make of direct-coupled 1 ] plant the engine only receives an impulse one stroke out of four, and the lod^alternately intension and compression. .With

the'j'^ldeal "^engine, however, every second stroke is a. .useful or working stroke, and the connecting rod is always m compression. Efioits have frequently been made to secure vibrationless effect of twostroke engines by multiplying the number of cylinders. This, though possibly modifying one evil, merely aggravates^ another, in that it entails tne multiplication of complicated valve gear. There can, therefore, te no doubt as to the superiority of an engine which not only has no valves, but \\ hich will also work steadily and quietly on one cylinder alone. Most engine troubles aie located somewhere in the valve gear. Running at high speeds of necessity develops considerable wear in the relatively delicate mechanism of a valve. A little grit may lodge and hold it open or keep it shut Periodical grinding is necessary, or the valve will not bed properly. Springs lose their elasticity, and the " timing" is thrown out. The " Ideal " engines have no valves, only ports, and as long as the piston moves up and down these ports must be opened and closed. The timing is positive, because the relative position of the ports, once determined, can never be changed. The cylinders are water-cooled by thermo-syphonic circulation. Lubrication is semi-automatic. The governing is close and efficient. As the engine and dynamo are direct-coupled on the same bed ptete, all belting is dispensed with, and the utmost possible compactness is thus secured, the " Idej,l " sets occupying, power for power, less space than any other on the market. In addition to this, the absence of beltmg not only removes a danger to

those working about the engine room, but also eliramites the loss in power due to bslt-slip and friction — a by no means negligable quantity. The dynamo is specially built for the work. It is so wound as to afford close regularity of voltage, the bearings are long and are fitted with continuous, or " ring " lubricators, while, in accordance with modern practice, the brushes are carbon, of ample sectional area to carry the maximum current. The " Ideal " storage batteries are, as to design and manufacture, both mechanically and chemically correct. Careful consideration has been given to the conditions under which the country house battery usually works, the plates being made of the best lead and of a section that will insure rigidity and absence of buckling. The sets are made up in the smaller outfits of 27, and m the larger sizes of 54 cells, each set consisting of glass boxes with trays, oil insulators, spray plates, non-corrosive connecting lugs, dilute acid and stands. The switchboard is handsome and symmetrical m design, and consists of a base of polished enamelled slate fiamed m oak or other suitable wood. The addition ""to "the switchboard of charge and discharge meters is strongly to be recommended, by means of which the amount of current taken out of and put into the si orage battery may be determined. By making use of these meters the common fault of overdischargmg the battery is obviated. Taking the " Ideal " outfit as a whole, we must conclude that it is an immensely successful one as regards the saving in capital, outlay, and 1 mining expenses. Thus, the manufacturers are enabled to' k place a complete electric lighting plant within thepreach of the man of moderate means. We understand that Messrs. George and Stokes, Limited, are prepared to submit full particulars, etc., of the "Ideal" outfit.