DO IT ELECTRICALLY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 112, 9 February 1928, Page 15

DO IT ELECTRICALLY

Electric Ploughing. In a paper on “Electric Ploughing” read before the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Mr. R. Borlase Matthews said that to solve the present farming crisis in England agriculture would undoubtedly have to be industrialised by the aid of electric power. Considerable attention had been given to the applications of electricity in the farm buildings, but not so much to work on the land. Hence the subject of this paper, which covered the author’s own experimental work, and the result of experience of observing electric ploughs in operation in other countries, over 200 of these machines being now in use abroad. To obtain a concrete idea of the work to be accomplished, some notes were given ocncerning the objects of ploughing, the efficiency of the implements, the power required, and the differing classes of soil to be dealt with. Methods of electrical distribution, and tapping for the necessary current supply, were also described. They were quite simple in principle, and reasonable in cost. The principal practical types of plough included the large doublewinder steel-rope machines, based upon 40 years’ experience of British steamplough practice. These, of course, were only suitable for large areas and cooperative or contractor owning, as they covered 12 to 30 acres per day. Also, there were the newer development of the small farmer or market gardener. These were constructed on the revived round-about-system and also on the tractor system. Rotary tillers were then briefly described, and the cost of electric ploughing was discussed. An interesting large-scale development of electric plough contracting, under the auspices of electricity supply undertakings had taken place. Electrical Safety. The Home Office Industrial Museum in Horseferry Road, Westminster, has recently been completed, and furnished with a collection of interesting exhibits The purpose of the museum is to show the best methods for protecting industrial workers against accidents, and promoting conditions most favourable to their health and efficiency. Ihe electrical section of the museum, though small at present, affords much information as to the paterns of electric lamps, appliances and material which should be used in industrial works, and examples are shown, while defective specimens of apparatus which should not be used are also exhibited. Amongst the latter are a number of portable lamps which have caused the deaths of persons who used them. Many of the mishaps occurred with currents not exceeding 250 V, and the exhibits of this character are only a very small proportion of the number that could be shown. The show also includes exhibits which conform to the Home Office regulations. These require that a lampholder shall not be in metallic connection with anv other metal work, and that all metal work other than the holder shall be earthed. As an alternative, however, to avoid the inconvenience of earthing a portable lamp, it is held to be sufficient if the lamp is so constructed that there are no metal parts which can possibly become “live”—i.e., the lampholder and metal cap must be entirely shrouded by insulating material. Amongst the approved exhibits are lamps, safety fuses, switch and fuse cabinets, insulated switch covers, handshield plugs, plugs . combined with switches, sockets and plugs, and motor controllers.