Electric Hoist At The Belmont Mine, Butte

AT the Belmont mine of the Anaconda Copper Min-ing Co., Butte, Mont., a new double-drum electric main hoist and a single-drum electric auxiliary hoist have recently been placed in operation to meet the demand for greater hoisting depths, and to replace a steam-driven hoist which was inefficient and inade-quate for the new conditions. The ease of operation, safety, and efficient consumption of power of the main hoist all tend toward improved hoisting conditions. It consists of a 2150 hp. d. c. motor, directly connected to a shaft carrying two drums equipped with clutches and brakes. The auxiliary hoist consists of a 1000 hp. d. c. motor directly con-nected to a single drum provided with the necessary brakes. Fig. 1 shows the general arrangement of the complete installation, with idler towers and head-frame. The headframe is built of Bethlehem H and G rolled sections, equipped with two 12-ft. dia. cast steel sheaves for the main hoisting ropes. The sheaves are mounted 129 ft., 6 in. above the collar of the shaft; and above them trolleys are provided for their removal or repairs. Between the headframe and the hoist machinery are two idler towers for supporting the ropes on 3-ft. man-ganese steel idlers provided with roller bearings which fleet on a fixed shaft. As a city street is between- the mine headframe, and hoists, it is necessary to protect the thoroughfare from drippings of the preservative compound used on the ropes which pass over the street. For this purpose, at the point where the hoisting ropes cross the street ,a bridge of trusses, supported on columns and roofed with corrugated iron, is provided from property line to property line. Since one of the idler, towers is set close to the street, a part of the structure is built in-tegral with the street covering. The general design of idler tower as well as the covering over the street is shown at A in Fig. 1.