Document aJNQZQGqdmJMmao334gy9VjZN

Good Trouble Shooting Saves Air Compressor When Howard L Livingston of Los Angeles, Calif, took over os the college boy they sent up to run ibis , plant?" When I said yea, he follow'd ^ with, "We don't want any of your book \ learning. On this job, we want men '! with experience--end a fat of it." j Compressor, By this time i wit la- side the plant. The compressor ws* a 2-stage cross-compound meeh/ae, belt- i driven by 200-bp squirrel cage motor, f noticed that her crankcase, erosthead tgiiast the guides, instead of down the shoe, which mode guides heat. I learned that the oiling system orlgitillf was supplied from the crankcase, i temper hsd taken oil off crankdfak 'm and sent it through off (toes to the in jauraals, ersnkpins, crosshead i sad guides. Bur with the compresturning in the wrong direction, there was to take orders from s foreman. Mokes Changes. Departure of the super ond compressor man was good news. After dinner, l beaded for the compressor house. I removed the home made oijlng equipment, cleaned and replaced the regular system. Next, l removed the muck from the crankcases ond filled them with new oil. 1 cleaned main job was cleaning the motor, com pressor, and inside of compressor house. Second evening 1 did give the inter and discharge reives a going over. When ibe super returned a few days later, he was annoyed at the changes 1 hsd made. But as the compressor ran quietly, and rsn all day without giving any trouble, he let me alone. the "college boy" compressor operator, many, marry years age, he ran Into a fouled machine and a tough character,' besides. But common sense pvt compressor and fhe character in place covers ond oiling system had been re moved. Also, a homemade oiling sys tem, requiring constant attention with i an oilcan, had been installed. With . covers removed, I saw the compressor- . house interior was spattered with ail. ivat no oil lo scrape off. Hence, the .homemade hand-oiling system. The tight belt, two tight bearings, and no Rood of oil explained the hoi bearing!. -When 1 asked why the wrong directtwo, the old boy snapped, "Several of and restored the crankcase and crosshead covers. Also, l slacked off the main bearings and wrist pins because [ knew they would run quietly as long as they were kept flooded. 1 removed the belt idler. My biggest The old compressor operator returned to town one evening some time later. But I packed up and left camp in time to avoid meeting him. Hero's 0 second chapter to this story. In 1921, 1 worked is draftsman (or a ! Compressor was well smeared, too- The , M* Wmu wowonc my way through college in 1911-191$, I operated air compressor* ter e construction firm dining my natations. One vacation, the boas tent me to a nearby thop to help t>n\. Btlore 1 went, t heard stories that this shop's air com* preaaor we* no good, that it gave trouble, ran hot, and that the machine *a shut down every hour to cool off. Our matter mechanic sold [ might find the men hard to get on with. Later, I learned that the wive* of superintendent and compressor operator were tit* ter*. Also that the women had con nection* with the firm** head, which wa* mem reason theae men held their job*, On the Job. A* l approached the compressor houte that first morning, the silence laid me the compressor waa shut down. Cotnpreaaor houao waa a boardopd-batten check. Next to ft wae a aimilar building, which housed the blacksmith shop and a email machine and general-repair shop. A pile of odde and end* on the scrap pile outside the compressor house at tracted my attention. I recognised them ts the oiling system and the crank case and crosshead covers o( sn air compressor. They were in good condi tion bt very dirty. While 1 was look, ins them over, a man came to the door and looked me over auspicious]/. He was about 60, hod Iron-grey hair and wvre ffletal-rimmsd glasses, ife looked like a tough guy to work with. The old boy blurted out, "Ate you motor we* far enough away to hire ^ missed most of the shower, but it was "j very dirty. The driving bell was drawn *ery tight. Belt's underside near eoraprei- j tor flywheel was running over an Idler -, pulley, supported on a homemade Urn* her cribbing. Timber support had t* wdge*, evidently driven In by * sledge hammer', io increase bell tension. Mo* tor was for enough from compressor e t couldn't understand why the Idler- Finds Causa. At this paint, the old man left me and started oiling the bear- . ings and crosshesd guides. He then said they had cooled down enough, ** ., he started the machine- I saw that tbs ' compreaicr was running over, Initesd of under. This made the lop side of lb* bell the tight side, which eaplolned tbs idiot. It brought the crotshead thru** m young wise guys have asked me (fiat. I've been running engines for SO 7esr sod 1 never ran one turning unJer yet, and no engine I run is going la turn under. 1 know my business, so don't try to tell me nothing." Compressor had suction-type inlet 'shea, which is the reason machine mold run in either direction. 1 aaw there wu no use arguing, which ac counted for not being fired that day. ' At quitting time I met the superin tendent. He wasn't friendly lor the old compressor man had evidently put in a lew words. But because I was the only compressor man available, the super *ld he'd try to put up with me for a law days. "But you belter wotch your he warned. I then learned that and the old compressor man were k*rtog that evening; also, that (be su- P*r would be back in a few days, but *t ihe compressor man. Meantime, J worry was (bat the excessive strain on the belt might have removed its stretch. Then, with tbo Idler removed, it would not grip the pulley and flywheel. Last, I reversed the motor's rotation. Machine Works. Very much lo my satisfaction, the belt, when started up, showed no. signs of slipping. As the compressor got up to unloading pres sure, f saw she'd need seme adjust ments. However, as shutting - down schedule had been established, 1 de cided to use it if neeeasery. The compressor ran seven days a week, so l started her up at the usual lime. About two hours later, the fore men asked when 1 wanted to shut down. I told him the compressor was running OK, and from indications any necessary work could be.dene on h el noon or In the evening. Also, that during work hours it would run right through with out stopping. Krom this time on my large utility. One day an engineer handed me a sketch. It was a one-cyl inder compressor, to be bell-driven by a squirrel-cage motor. What surprised me wu that the compressor was to run over, and installation included idler with tightening screw. As motor w* far enough from compressor, idler wasn't needed. I pointed this out and gave my reasons (or compressor turning in opposite direction. The engineer listened without comment, then told me to follow the sketch. That cemptessoc also had suction Infet-vslvei and doublebabbitted crotshead guides, so it could operate equally welt in either direction. But ho told me lo follow his plan*. When you consider how some com pressors are installed and operated, and the unskilled men who often run them. It's remarkable they aland up. My ex perience has been that all machines are good, if operated as designed- fUHT 't,*"ON *NO MAINTENANCE SECTION SOWd OCIOSM 1933 HAMT OSeXATION AMP MAINTENANCE SECTION ns