The Iron Age 1890-02-13: Vol 45

Compound Steam Engine. The accompanying cuts show a new valveless compound engine which, it is claimed, marks a revolution in the engine | business, being remarkably simple and | compact and yet accomplishing the same | results hitherto necessitating the applica- | tion of such a complexity of parts as not only to greatly increase the first cost, but also the cost of repairs and attendance. H’ H” H’” are high pressure and L’ L” L””’ ure low pressure cylinders, and the pistons acting in each will be referred to by the same letters. The pistons are connected directly to the shaft by connecting rods without the intervention of piston-rods, and the cranks are set at an angle of 120°) with each other, in which position all the’ moving parts, which consist merely of pistons, connecting rods and shaft, are perfectly balanced. The pistons H” and SINt L’ are shown on the upper center, ieee H’ and L’ being 120° in advance and | pistons H’’ and L’” 120° in the rear. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1890 port q’’ to cylinder H”, and at the same Instant steam which has been partly ex- panded in cylinder H’ passes down through port g’ and pipe ¢’ to cylinder L’”’, thus ad- mitting live and low pressure steam on one “THE TRIUMPH COMPOUND ENGINE CINCINNATI, mR IRON AGE |cylinder until the lower edge of port g” passes the upper edge of pipe ¢’’, at which | point it passes to cylinder L’”. At the ‘same moment live steam passes from a |through port ”, pipe a” and port a’"gto cylinder H’’. At this point also piston H’ moving upward closes the connection be- tween cylinders H’ and L” and the steam expands alone in L” for the remainder of the stroke. As piston L” reaches the lower center port d’ comes opposite pipe ¢, and the exhaust steam passes through this con- nection into pipe ¢, which communicates with the atmosphere or condenser. When piston H’ reaches the upper center live | steam passes from a through port }’’, pipe a’ and port g’ to cylinder H’, and the partly expanded steam passes from cylinder H’” down through port g’” and pipe e’” to cylin- der L’. Cylinder L’” exhausts through pipe e’, port d” into e and cylinder L’ through lpipe «”, port d”’ intoe. X is merely a OF *LE-ACTING COMPOUND STEAM ENGINE. set of pistons at the same moment. Under| live steam connection with the low-press- the action of the steam pistons H’ and L” | ure cylinders for heating up and starting /move downward, live steam being admit-| Thus with the exception of the cut-off In this position live steam is admitted ted until the upper edge of port g” passes | each set of pistons controls the steam in from main steam-pipe, which is connected | the lower edge of the pipe a’ at which/| the cylinder next preceding in the order with the boiler through port 4’, pipe’ and | point it is cut off and expands alone in this| of rotation, and when acting as a valve is 9 50 at or near its maximum speed, while the | pistons in the preceding cylinders are at or near their slowest speed. This simple expedient controls the steam in this engine in a manner unexcelled by any valve de vice. All lubrication is perfectly automatic, consisting of a sight feed lubricator on the steam-pipe, a drop sight feed cup on each end bearing of the shaft and a mixture of oil and water in the crank case perfectiy lubricating all parts withia. The cylin- ders are cast in one piece and bored at the same time on a tool especially de- signed for the purpose, by which means they are made absolutely parallel and the danger of leaky joints : avoided. The bear- LYK ings for shaft are bored out after being bolted in place, insuriag perfect alignment, and all wearing surfaces are exceptionally ! | | | large, so that internal friction is reduced to a minimum. The only adjustments | consist of two keys in the which take up all the wear in both boxes. The pressure being always downward these adiustments are seldom necessary, and the engine will run indefinitely w ith- out stoppage and with but little attend- ance. This engine built by the umph Compound Engine Company, Cin- cinnati, Ohio. is EE _ In a letter to the Collector of Customs, dated January 31, George C. Tichenor, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, has decided that so-called type metal or anti- monial lead containing less than 9 per cent. connecting rods | | being constructed is from: Tri- | _THE IRON AGE. of antimony shoul he onal with duty. under the provisions in T. I., 189, for ‘lead in pigs.” ——— Shipping Lake Superior Ores. The necessity for improving the St. Mary’s Ship canal, in order to promote shipments of ore from Lake Superior formed the of substance arguments by Senator Gorman and others, last week, before the House Committee on Rivers aud Harbors According to statements made before the Senate Committee, the general public has very little conception of the enormous and rapidly increasing trade on the lakes. In rn Ta | February 13, 1890 | the Alleghenies for the first time a year ago. Last summer over 300,000 tons of it was landed at Bulfalo and was sent over ithe Lehigh Valley and over other roads to }the iron mills of Eastern Pennsylvania, By the further improvement of the water- ways and better railroad and mining fac- ilities it is expected that this ore will be brought into the Pennsylvania mills ata still lower rate, and as it largely Bes- semer ore the result in the future on the ivon business in the North may be of great importance, enabling it better to compete with the southern mines and mills, and with the foreign ore which, owing to the difference in wages and the low rate of ocean freights, can now be landed along Is — ll PTE TM a Fig. 2.—Vertical Longitudinal Section. COMPOUND STEAM ENGINE, 1887 there were seventy-nine large ships | launched for this lake trade; last year | sixty-two, and forty-two more are now under contract to be conpleted in May. While there is a decrease in the number of vessels, there a very large increase in the tonnage, owing to the increase in the size of the vessels. The average size of those 35900 to 4000 tons, are mostly steel This in the size of the ships engaging in the lake trade calls for improvement in the St. Mary’s through which they pass. on the lake trade is shown in the great de- crease in freights. Ten years ago average quette to Cleveland was $3, summer freights were reduced as low as $1.05. The low rate on the lake enabled the mine operators to ship the ore east of is is and they vessels. increase canal and other channels | The effect of this | the | freight on a ton of ore from Mar- | but this last | the eastern coast, duty paid, at a lower rate than the ore from the western mines. enc The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company contracted with Nolan Bros. for the construction of 23 piers for a new bridge across the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg. The structure will be a mile long and 40 feet above the water. An elevated road through the city will form the bridge connection. The Peunsylvama +Railroad Company’s officials have in contemplation the erection of an interesting monument near Borden- town, N. J., to designate the location of the first mile of railroad laid in New Jersey. <A portion of the monument will ; be made of the original spikes and plates of the first section of the road, vhich have been carefully preserved for this purpose, February 13, 1890 THE IRON AGE. The Colors Produced During the Tempering of Steel.* It has long been observed, and every steel worker knows, that when bright steel is heated in the air to certain definite temperatures, a series of colors can be ob- tained, beginning with a light straw and passing through a succession of brown and purple shades to a deep blue. These colors have attracted the attention of many ob servers and suggest questions of interest as to the causes and circumstances of their production and the physical and other problems therewith connected. In addition, however, to any other cause of interest these colors they bave been studied on account of their real and supposed importance in the arts. Every one must be familiar with the different shades of color which are given to steel pens, varying from a very light straw to a deep purple or blue. These various shades are commonly produced by heating the clean, bright pens, in their otherwise finished condition, to a suitable tempera- ture ina revolving cylinder. When the desired color has been obtained the pens are immediately cooled by being turned quickly out on toa sieve or other cooling place, so that the color produced may not change by further heating. The colors of | the pens met with in commerce are, how- ever, not quite the same as those produced as above described, since the tints are ta wal Fig. possess, Fig. = oe S N N SSS SSN 3.— Vertical Cross-Section. Fig. slightly altered by the lacquer which is | used to prevent rusting. Another well- | kuown application to these colors is in the * Paper read by Mr. Thomas Turner, lecturer on metallurgy, Mason College Bir- mingham, before the Birmingham Philo- sophical Society, June 3, 1889, ordinary method of te.npering steel, which is a very important, though in many cases an extremely delicate operation. After the steel has been hardened, say, in the form of a plain drill or chisel or other sim- ple tool, the workman commonly cleans a portion of the surface of the steel and then 251 ional Plan through Live Steam Ports. g 5.—Sectional Plan through the Expansion Ports. | once more cautiously heats it until a cer- | tain desired color is obtained on the bright surface; the tool is then usually immedi- ately cooled in water. It will be seen, therefore, that the formation of a particu- lar color is assumed to correspond more or less nearly with a certain combination of hardness and tenacity which is required in the tool; and when it is remembered that usually the value of the tool is dependent to a very considerable extent on the temper which is imparted toit, and that the work- man judges of this temper by the color of the surface, it will be seen that the study of the properties of these colors is of great |importance to thousands of workshops }inthis country. Further, the whole range |of temperature used in tempering steel | generally extends only from about 220° to 320° C. or thereabouts—that is, only about 100° C. (though we have good rea- son to believe that this range is capable of extension); it will be seen, therefore, that it must mvolve very considerable experi- ence to successfully temper a piece of steel when the operator is obliged to work in the manner above described. | Thus, within the range of only 100° C., we have compressed the points which are necessary for the proper treatment of a | knife edge and a cold chisel, a razor and ® spring, a steel engraver’s tool and a saw, a lancet and a hatchet, tools as opposite as pombe in propertiesand uses, and each and | all of which would be entirely unfitted for | their purpose if treated improperly during | tempering. It is no exaggeration to say that |a difference of only 10° C. would often ex- | ert a considerable influence on the useful- |ness of a tool, and yet in most cases the workman can only judge of the tem- perature employed by the color he observes. | The best and most complete color-tem- | pering scale with which I am acquainted was published in the form of a colored diagram with the Report of the United States Chief of Ordnance, 1885, page 204. Most writers who touch on this subject treat it in astereotyped manner, stating that when bright steel is heated to a certain temperature such and such a color is pro- duced, and this is suitable for lancets, chisels, springs or other articles, as the case may be. It is therefore tacitly as- sumed, though not perhaps actually stated, that a particular color - -corresponds to a certain temper and is invariably produced at a particular temperature. In fact, the 252 three things—color, temper and temper- ature—might, so far as the text books are concerned, be closely and forever united. The cause of the production of these colors is now universally, I believe, ac- knowledged to be the formation of thin films of oxide on the surface of the metal when it is heated in presence of air. Even this question was at one time in dispute, such men as Davy (Chemical Phil., p. 390, and Thomson (Chemistry, vol. 1, p. 224) taking the opposite view. But Davy af- terward showed ( 7'homson’s Annals, 1813, vol. i, p. 181) that steel might be heated in a neutral gas, such as hydrogen or nitro- gen, without being colored on its surface, and that steel remained colorless when heated under the surface of oil or of mer- cury.* I have frequently heated bright strips of polished steel for hours under the surface of mercury or oil without discol- oration, while they would have been in- stantly colored at the temperature used if heated in contact with air. I think, fur- ther, that there can be little doubt that the oxide so produced is practically transpa- rent, first, because the sequence of colors is what would be expected in films of a transparent substance when the thickness of the films gradually increases; also be- cause of observations on the reflected light, the color of which varies somewhat at dif- ferent angles, but chiefly because it is found that on increasing the temperature a little above the point necessary to pro- duce a dark blue the color gradually dis- appears (though doubtless oxidation pro- ceeds more rapidly), and the surface, though covered with more oxide, becomes almost colorless again. When it is granted that the colors we are considering are the result of oxidation it would at once appear probable that the na-- ture of the surface to be heated, its free- dom from dirt and grease and the length of time during which it is heated, would all exert a considerable influence on the shade produced. It would also appear probable that the amount of carbon pres- ent in the metal and the condition in which the carbon existed would have com- paratively little influence. Hitherto my experiments have been chiefly directed to the study of these simple and, as they ap- pear, almost self-evident conclusions. Heating has usually been performed in a large air oven inside of which, about 2 inches from the bottom, was an iron tray supported on fire-bricks and filled with sand to the depth of about an inch, a small space being left all round the tray so as to prevent contact with the sides of the oven. Resting on the surface of the sand, but not touching the edges of the tray, was a plate of copper on which were placed the strips of steel it was desired to heat. The object of this arrangement was to prevent irregular heating from below and to give as much uniformity as possible. Passing through the center of the copper plate and partly covered by the sand was the thermometer used; and as even with these precautions it was not found possible to get perfect uniformity, a considerable number of strips was oper- ated upon at one time and about four re- moved from different parts of the plate, when an observation was made. I am ndebted to Messrs. Perry & Co, (late Sir Josiah Mason) for specimens of bright crucible pen-steel both in the soft and in the hardened condition, while Mr. G. H. Strick, of Brynamman, kindly supplied me with samples of bright wrought-iron. It is, of course, necessary that for such ex- periments the steel to be used should be clean and bright. A rough surtace does not give nearly the same brilliancy ot color as is noticed when the metal is carefully polished, though the shade 1s pretty nearly the same in both cases. The * Professor Roberts-Austen has also shown that steel is not colored when heated in vacuo. THE IRON AGE. presence of dirt usually causes irregular coloring, producing bands or spots of color different to the rest of the surface. Naturally, too, some kinds of dirt appear to assist ‘oxidation, though the shade is less brilliant, while other kinds of dirt exert a protective influence. The bright- est shades are produced with perfectly clean and polished ‘surfaces, and few peo- ple are aware of the gorgeousness of the shades of purple and blue which can be produced on a large surface with proper conditions. In connection with the supposed re- lationship between color and temper, I have taken strips of bright steel, hardened and unhardened, and also bright wrought- iron, and heated them as above described at various temperatures, for definite periods, and find that practically each of these three varieties of iron gives the same colors in the same time. The only dif- ference I have been able to perceive is that the hardened steel gives the brightest color, and the wrought iron the least brilliant. This difference in brilliancy is, | no doubt, due to the fact that the surface | was more perfect in the hardened-stee! | specimens, which had been carefully | cleaned by rotation with saad in barrels for a lengthened period. The fact that in each of the three classes the shade pro- duced under similar circumstances is ie. tical, shows at once that the color ona steel tool is no indication whatever as to the contents of carbon or the temper of | the steel. As bearing on this aspect of | the question it may be mentioned that | Bousfield patented (1866, No. 2810) a! method of blueing the surface of sheet iron. After the sheets had been properly cleansed they were heated in an air-tight flask for a good many hours at 700° F., care being taken that no two sheets were in contact with each other. Probably a lower temperature, and a shorter time, with free access of air, would produce a similar result. I notice, too, that in some cases cast iron is colored in a similar man- ner, and this fact confirms the above con- clusions. * From the very beginning of my experi- ments I have been struck with the fact that time has a most important influence in de- veloping these colors. From a study of ordinary text-books one might readily con- clude that to produce a light straw color about 221° C. is necessary, while about 320° C. 1s required to produce a blue color. | Such a conclusion would, however, be quite erroneous, for it is easy by heating | the specimens for a comparatively length- | ened period to produce a blue color at a temperature below that which is usually regarded as necessary to give a straw color, or over 100° below that which is generally | accepted as producing a blue. In the same way a straw color can be produced in a few minutes fully 50° below 221° C., which is the generally accepted temperature. It will be found, however, that as we pass from shade to shade up the series, each color requires a longer interval for its production | at a given temperature than the one which preceded it. Thus, at a given temperature, we may pass from very light straw to straw, a well-marked change in a few minutes, while at the same temperature it may re- quire almost as many hours to pass from | purple to blue. Further, in starting with | low temperatures, the intervals of time between the various shades are greater and | become very considerable indeed for the | deeper shades. For example, a purple can | be produced at 250° in a few minutes which would require an hour at 220°, about 12 hours at 170°, though the ulti- mate result would be the same in each case. * Dr. Percy has given details of the methods | words. used to obtain the bright gray-black coating on Russian sheet iron (‘* Manufacture of Rus- sian Sheet Iron, 1871”). The color in this in- stance is partly due to carbonaceous matter. February 13, 1890 On the other hand, it can be shown that with a deficiency of oxygen, iron or steel may be heated far above the temperatures previously mentioned without producing the usual succession of colors. Thus, in annealing sheet iron in the manufacture of tin plates, a number of sheets are heated to redness for some hours in an iron box from which the air is excluded as far as possible. On removing the sheets when cold they are found to be straw-colored or brown in the center over perhaps two- thirds of their area, Surrounding this center portion, passing outward in order, are found purple, blue, light blue, blue green and nearly colorless, depending on the amount of oxidation, though the sheets themselves have been exposed for a consid- erable time to a red heat. Bousfield’s patent, above mentioned, is another ex- ample of the same kind. Details of a few of my own experiments, undertaken to try and determine the interval between definite shades, may serve to illustrate these facts. Thus: | 8 By ! 3 . e 4 fie | 68 38a s F Color. =F Se sat 68 = == Min- Min- utes utes. 5 rs Dark straw. 2 7 Brown. 21 9 Brown, with purple. 3&2 ll Nearly all purple. 45 13 Purple, with some blue spots. oo 15 Very similar. 77 17 Nearly all blue. b 19 Very similar. 117 21 Deep blue. 140 23 Blue, with slight tinge of green It will “be seen on examination of ‘the specimens shown that several of the above colors are ‘‘ bastards *’—i, ¢., transition of colors—and that, although the last interval (23 minutes) is more than four times as long as the first (five minutes), still the early intervals are too long and the later ones tooshort. Another experiment gave : Sa; | 23 oo 2e eM | S68 sah SF Color. 3s> i Sen 2 % & —e > Min- Min- utes. utes. 1 és Very light straw. 4 3 Lis ht straw. 9 5 Straw. 16 7 | Brown. 25 9 | Brown, with purple. 36 ll_ =| Brown and purple, about equal 49 13 S| Purple, with some brown. OF 15 Purple, with blue. 81 7 Nearly all blue. 100 19 Blue. In this experiment, though the time of heating varied as the squares of the num- bers from one to ten, still the intervals were too short in the later samples and transition colors were obtained. The earlier samples also were not so definite as might be desired, though it would be diffi- cult to express the slight variations in The following was a more suc- | cessful experiment: Say 3 Z em | ag ssh - z Color. 2s og San | £8 iS) =. 2 Min- | Min- utes. utes. - hw Very light straw. 4 | 2 Straw. 8 | 4 Dark straw. 1 | 8 Brown. 2 | 16 Brown, with purple 64 | OR Purple. 128 | ClCéO64 Dark blue. 236 | 128 Greenish blue. February 13, 1890 The three series of steel test pieces as above are exhibited in the room, and it is evident to all that the last of the three experiments gave far the best results, as judged by the distinctness of the shades produced. Hence at the temperature used (220° to 227° C., corresponding closely with 221°, commonly accepted as giving a straw color), the time required to pass from one | distinct shade or color to the next increases approximately in geometrical progression. Dr. Poynting has suggested that at the | temperatures used in my experiments the | tilm of oxide first formed may act as a protection to the surface of the metal, and that the rate at which the thickness of the tilm increases may be represented by a logarithmic curve. I do not venture to suggest that a similar rule would hold good for all temperatures; of that I have no evidence; but this is certain—that at low temperatures, such as, say, 150°, the | various colors can be produced, but it re- quires very prolonged heating in order to | obtain the blue shades. On the other hand, the lighter colors can be produced | ata high temperature, but require very little time for their development. I have not attempted to determine the lowest temperature at which these colors can be olaced, be difficult to do so accurately. however, succeeded very well at 150° to 160° C., and do not doubt that with suf- ticient time a still lower temperature would suttice. Though I have, the foregoing observations prove that the color developed is depend- | as upon tempera- ent as much upon time ture, and that alike the carbon present, so long as the surfaces and other conditions are alike, still these observations merely suggest another and more important question—namely, how far the temper of the steel may be affected and its properties changed by long con- tinued heatingat a tempe rature below that which is generally employed for temper- ing. HithertoI have not been able to} obtain quantitative results in this con- nection owing to the fact that steel strips, | even when carefully hardened, aot only | differ in the various pieces, though cut off | the same sheet and treated in the same | manner, but even the same strip will very | commonly differ in hardness on the two | sides, and not unfrequently, even in a strip of only some 3 inches in length, one side of the strip will be different at each end, whilethe middle will not agree with either. Hence some more satisfactory method of experiment is required, but in | the meantime I have satisfied myself that | hardened steel strips, if heated for some hours at 220° C., are distinctly softer than similar strips which have been heated for a shorter time, and that though a few minutes at 220° produces a distinct effect, the aaa has to be considerably in- creased from time to time in order to pro- duce further and further appreciable soft- ening of steel. I am informed that the experience uf steel-pen manufacturers lends support to the above opinions, and I may | venture in conclusion to refer to other ob- | servations in the same direction. Brande ( Chemistry, 1848, vol. i, p. 759) gives the following interesting details in reference to the preparation of knife edges for a pend- ulum used by Captain Kater (Phil. Trans- | actions, 1818, p. 38), the details of which preparation were not given in Captain Kater’s original paper. Brande | states that the knife edges ‘+ were forged | by Mr. Stodart from a piece of fine wootz; they were carefully hardened and tem- | pered in the bath at 430° F.; on trial they | were found too soft. They were a second time hardened and then heated to 212°. The intention was to increase the heat | from that point, trying the temper at the advance of about every 10°. In the pres- | ent instance this was not necessary, the the color is independent and should imagine it would | | Company THE IRON AGE. heat of boiling water proving to be the ex- act point at which the knife edges were admirably tempered.’ “Tt is highly probable,” Brande continues, ‘‘ that steel for many uses may be sufficiently tem- pered in a range so extensive as from 212° to 430° (100° to 221° C.). But this is not the temperature only, but also the time during which the steel is exposed to it, which influences its hardness or temper ” | As confirming the view that steel may be tempered at a lower temperature than is usually supposed, there are also the ex- |periments of Professor Langley (Proc. | Inst. M.E., 1882, page 148), who showed that the density of steel was distinctly re | duced—(i. e. the steel was harde ned) by | cooling rapidly from the boiling point of ) an alkaline solution used for removing the scale from the specimens examined. So far as my observations have gone, I be- lieve— 1. In the words of Brande: ‘It is not the temperature only, but also the time during which the steel is exposed to it, which influences its hardness or temper..’ | 2. High carbon steels are more sensitive |to the effects of comparatively low tem- peratures than are steels containing less carbon. 3. The colors observed in tempering | steel can be produced by suitably varying the conditions, at temperatures far either above or below those usually accepted as necessary to produce a particular shade; the colors can be produced alike with hardened or with unhardened steel, and with wrought iron or cast iron as w ell as with steel. They are, therefore, inde- pendent of the amount or condition of the of the amount and condition ot | carbon present in the steel. LL Screw-Cutting Chuck. The patent screw-cutting chuck here illustrated is known as the Mischke, and is placed on the market by the Conant Mfg. Screw Cutting Chuck. of 162 West Twenty-seventh street, New-York. The principal feature in the construction of the chuck is the hinged jaws, which are so arranged that | the cutting dies automatically spring back and away from the work, so that there is no reverse motion necessary to relieve the tool. The time saved by this construction is obvious, since as the release is practi- cally instantaneous, all time usually lost in reversing and unscrewing the cutter is saved. The method of mounting each jaw carrying a part of the cutter 1s shown 'in the sectional view. By means of a pivot placed about in the center it is hinged in a recess formed in the body of the chuck, and its forward or cutting end is pressed outward or away from the cen- ter by means of a spring arranged as shown. On the rear end of the chuck is a shiding collar beveled at its extreme for- ward portion and shghtly tapered at its 253 remaining part. By means of a set screw extending longitudinally through the body of the chuck the distance traveled by the collar can be adjusted to govern the dis- tance the rear ends of the jaws will mount the tapered portion. In this way the opening of the dies can be adjusted to a slight extent without resetting them. Extending in a direction parallel with the axis of the chuck and secured at any de- sired point in the collar by a radial set screw, is a screw rod, against the for- ward end of which, the work being threaded, strikes, pushes the collar back, permits the rear ends of the jaws to slide off the beveled portion of the collar and thereby release the dies, when the work can be instantly withdrawn. It is evident that this gauge-bar can be set at any desired distance from the jaws and the length of the thread varied to suit re- quirements. When necessary this gauge- bar can be entirely removed and endless screws cut. The forward motion of the collar to bring the dies to their cutting position can be accomplished by hand or can be arranged to work automatically. The shank of the chuck is made cylin- drical in order to be held in an ordinary chuck, or can be tapered as may be de- sired. Each cutting die is placed in the jaw in an opening which just fits it, and at the rear end of which is a set screw, by means of which the jaws can be adjusted to and trom the center in order to cut threads of varying diameters. In the face of each jaw is a set screw, the object of which is merely to keep the cutting die in place. These chucks are made in two standard sizes, threading from + to %, and from % to 3. Special dies are also made tor pipe and gas-fitters’ work in- tended for the severest use. It is evident that the life of the dies—any single one of which can be furnished when desired—is considerably extended as no wear takes -place except when they are cutting I The Best Furnace Record Ever Made. The Bulletin of the American Iron and Steel Association learns from James Gayley, superintendent of furnaces, at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, at Braddock, Pa., that Furnace F, which went out of blast on August 7, 1889, was relined and blown in again on September 25. Some slight changes were raade in the furnace lines with a view to obtaining greater economy in fuel, but otherwise the furnace is practi- cally the same as before. The results so far obtained have been a great improve- ment over the former run. Commencing with the month of November tie record of output and fuel consumption has been as follows: Pounds coke Bessemer iron per gross ton tons. iron produced. November...... 9,097 1,897 December... . . 10,603 1,756 January........ 10,536 1,737 Best week’s out- WS. a veeweeus 2,462 1,702 Best day’s out- FRc dsccaces 457 The best record obtained during the previous blast was as follows: Pounds coke Bessemer iron per gross ton gross tons. iron produced. MAM seca cncus 8,478 1,98 WG Sidi nncnuee 2,161 WAN vows, Kcdcevns 419 These records certainly warrant the erection of the three brooms and the hoist- ing of the American flag which the men have enthusiastically raised at the tunnel- head of the furnace. a The threatened trouble between the coke operators of the Connellsville, Pa., region and the workers has been amicably settled with the probable result of an ad- vance of about 15 per cent. in the cost of the production of coke. Squaring Shear. Of recent years the demand of the trade for sheet iron to be trimmed accurately to size has induced the sheet mills to add their plant Squaring and Trimming Ma- chines, which supersede for this purpose the old-tashioned and inaccurate alligator shear. The cut here presented represents the most recert design of the Standard Trimming and Squaring Shear, built by SQUARING E. W. Bliss Company for the Standard Iron Company, and for the Wheeling Iron and Nail Company. This machine will cut inch plate or packs of sheet up to that thickness, the length of cut being 10 feet 4 inches. The housings, as will be seen from the cut, are so arranyed that a sheet or pack of greater length may be trimmed by moving it along and taking successive cuts; and the gauges are so ar- ranged that the cut so continued will be true and in line with the first. The ‘‘gap,” or distance back from the cutting edge to the housing, is sufficient to allow of a plate or pack 36 inches wide, being sheared THE IRON AGE. lengthwise through the center. In order to hold the pack securely in place while being sheared, a clamping-bar is placed ai- rectly in front of the cutter-bar. This de- scends automatically in advance of the latter, and remains firmly pressing against the work until the cut is completed, after which it withdraws in order to allow the work to be removed. The main-shaft is of billet steel, 64 inches in diameter, with the two cranks for ope- ne 3 ne SHEAR, BUILT BY E. W. rating the cutter-bar forged and slotted out. | It driven 5 foot gear, to which a powerful clutch is attached, and which is operated from a treadle, The gear revolves continuously and freely upon the shaft until the treadle is depressed by the ope- rator, which, being done, the shaft makes one revolution, performing its work, and stops, with the cranks at their upper position. The clamping device is operated from a cam on the end of the main-shafts which imparts motion to a rock-shaft across the top of the machine. Two lever- on this rock-shaft give motion to the clamp } WV a Ls BLISS | feet | of ing-bar, by meins of two connections ar- F ebruar ry 13, 1890 ranged with suitable adjusting screws to regulate the pressure upon the work. The machine driven either by belt from line shaft, or as here shown, by an in- dependent engine attached to the housirig. IS The engine is of the plain slide-valve pat- tern, with throttle governor, and is de- signed with special view to simplicity and compactness, so as not to require much at- tention, and with strength and durability of parts to obviate undue repairs, rather CO, than to great economy of steam. The cyl- inder is 9 inch bore x 15 inch stroke, with the valve set to cut off at about }% of the stroke. The total weight of the machine is 30,000 Ibs. ce - The new tug Intern: itional, just finished at Neatie & Levy's, for the Red Star Line of tugs of Peter Wright & Sons, is with- out doubt the finest tug afloat. She is of and 17 registered tonnage being 400 tons. The deck-house is also iron, 75 feet long. The machinery consists of a triple-expansion engine of iron, 140 feet long, 26 feet beam, depth of hold, February 13, 1890 THE IRON AGE. 255 about 700 horse power, with cylinders 16, 24 and 41 inches diameter, by 30 inches stroke. Steam is supplied at 160 pounds pressure, by two boilers of steel, each 10 feet 3 inches diameter by 11 feet long, having corrugated furnaces. Her cost complete is about $80,030. Charles Hill- man & Co., of this city, will build the engines and boiler. She is intended for service on the Delaware River and Bay. —_—_—— EE The New England Petition. The following is the text of the petition of which so much is made by certain news- papers : To the Senators and Representatives in Con- gress of the New England States : The undersigned, proprietors or managers of iron-working establishments in New England, being members of all political parties; and be- lieving that, in the adjustment of the tariff, a careful regard should be had to the rights and interests of all sections, and of all the people; that the local interests of each section should be carefully watched by its delegates in Con- gress, and that in order to be fully informed, such delegates must necessarily depend largely upon information furnished by their constitu- ents; do hereby respectfully unite in calling your attention to the condition of the iron and steel-working interests in New England, and to the effect of this condition upon the general interests of this section of our common country, as fully set forth in a statement prefixed hereto. And, in view of the approaching revision of the tarit® laws, we further unite in the request that you will insist upon the incorporation of the following provisions, in any revised tariff law that shall be enacted. 1, That iron ore, coal and coke shall be put upon the free list, as they were before the war. 2. That the duty upon pig iron and scrap iron and scrap steel which prevailed imme- diately betore the war, be 1estored; to wit, a duty of 24 per cent. ad valorem. This petition is signed by the following firms and individuals: Tremont Nail Company, Horace P. Tobey, treasurer, nail and steel manufacturers, &c., West Wareham, Mass. Palmer Wire Mfg. Company, Henry P. Holden, treasurer; H. L. Holden president, wire drawers, Palmer, Mass. Thos. Gogin, 1ron and steel manufacturer, Boston, Mass Wm. E. Coffin, iron manufacturer, Boston, Mass. Bay State Iron Company, Jobn H. Reed, treasurer, iron manufacturing, Boston, Mass, South Boston Iron Works, W. P. Hunt, presi- dent, iron foundry, Boston, Mass, Danie) Hanson, manufacturer of skiving ma- chines, North Weare, N. H. The Colts Fire-Arms Machine Company, by Jno. H. Hall, general manager, machinery, fire-arms. &c., Hartford, Conn. Rhode Island Tool Company, Wm. B. Dart, treasurer, nuts, bolts, drep forgings, &c., Providence, R. I. Ww. H. Smiley, Tack manufacturer, Haver- hill, Mass. ‘Clark & Dow, tack and nail manufacturers, Haverhill, Mass. Bartlett & Perkins, nail manufacturers, North Middleboro’, Mass. Nahum Stetson, iron manufacturer, Bridge- water, Mass. J. A. Northrop, foundry and machine works, New Milford, Conn. Dighton Furnace Company, Jas. H. Codding, treasurer, stove foundry, Taunton, Mass, E. Phillips & Sons, tack manufacturers, South Hanover, Mass. Z. Talbot, tack manufacturer, Holliston, Mass. Holliston Mills, machinery, Holliston, Mass. Peter Joyce, iron foundry, Brattleboro’, Vt. H. B. Beach & Son, boiler manufacturers, Hartford, Conn. — Sugden, wire manufacturer, Spencer, Mass. Dunbar, Hobart & Co., tack manufacturers, Whitman, Mass. David B. Gurney, tack manufacturer, Whit- man, Mass. D. A. Gurney & Co., steel shanks, Whitman, Mass. Jenkins Bros. & Co., steel shanks, Whitman, Mass. Cambridge Rolling Mills, iron manufacturers, Cambridgeport, Mass. New England Butt Company, foundry, ma- chinery and hardware, Providence, R. I. Beach & Co., iron manufacturers, Hartford, Conn. Cobb & Drew, nail, tack and rivet manufact- urers, Plymouth, Mass. Armington & Sims Engine Company, Pardon Armington, Treasurer, manufacturers of steam engines, Providence, R. I. —— M. Beach, iron manufacturer, Hartford, onn, H. C. & W. S. Cole, tack manufacturers, Kingston, Mass, French, Hall & Co., tack manufacturers, Rockland, Mass. Henry Perkins, foundry and machine shop, Bridgewater, Mass. Perkins Bros., wire Bridgewater, Mass. Tyler Steel Tube Company, Wm. P. Tyler, President, steel tubes, &c., Boston, Mass. Florence Tack Company, G. W. Bond, Treas- urer, tack and small nail manufacturers, Northampton, Mass. East Bridgewater Iron Company, iron manu- facturers, East Bridgewater, Mass. Boston rorge Company, Jas. Smith, Treas- urer, Railroad and steam marine works, &c., East Boston, Mass. W. Osborne & Co., nail manufacturers, Lake- ville, Mass. B. Schlesinger, iron manufacturer, Boston, Mass. The Pratt & Cady Company, by Ernest Cady, treasurer, manufacturers of iron and brass, Hartford, Conn. Manchester Locomotive Works, Aretus Bloo1i, manager, locomotives, Manchester, N. H. Nashua Iron and Steel Company, Aretus Blood, treasurer, manufacturers of all kinds of iron and steel, Nashua, N. H. Tbe Cushman Chuck Company, by E. L. Cushman, secretary and treasurer, manu- facturers of chucks, &c., Hartford, Conn. Bradford Joint Company, bedstead fastenings, Plymouth, Mass. Brainard Milling Machine Company, A. H. Brainard, general superintendent, machine tools, Hyde Park, Mass. John ‘f. Robinson & Co., fine machinery, Hyde Park, Mass. s New Home Sewing Machine Company, J. W. Wheeler, treasurer, sewing machines, Orange, Mass. Joel Knapp, machinist, Lowell, Mass. The New Haven Rolling Mill Company, iron manufacturers, &c., New Haven, Conn. Alfred Morrill & Co., machinists and black- smiths, Cambridgeport, Mass. Wm. Campbell & Co., Cambridge Boiler Works, Cambridgeport, Mass. Augustus Swift, iron founder, New Bedford, Mass. — & Tripp, machinists, New Bedford, ass. Luscomb & Corey, machinists, New Bedford, Mass. Brownell, Ashley & Co., carriage manufact- urers, New Bedford, Mass. The Mallory Wheeler Company, lock manu- facturers, New Haven, Conn. Humphrey Machine Company, founders and machinists, Keene, N, H. Walter Aiken, hosiery and machine builder, Franklin, N. H. Thos. W. Keely, Treas., Nashua Co-operative Iron Foundry Company, Nashua, N. H. Rollins Engine Compary, steam-engines, Na- shua, N. H. The American Tool and Machine Company, iron foundry and general machinery, Boston and Hyde Park, Mass. J. M. Watson, special machinery, Boston, Mass. Moore & Wyman, elevators and machinery, Boston, Mass. Jos. F. Carroll, Machinist, Boston, Mass. Jas. S. Newell & Co., press and machinery manufacturers, Boston, Mass. C. H. Hutchinson, foundry and machine works, Manchester, N. H. Harrison Soule, iron N. H. John A. White, wood-working machinery, Concord, N. H. John P. Smith, machinist, Exeter, N. H. Wm. P. Ford & Co., iron founders, Concord, N. H. Danl. Kidder, machinist, North Groton, N. H. Washburn & Moen Mfg. Company, steel works and wire mills, Worcester, Mass. American Twist Drill Co., machinery and tools, Laconia, N. H. George H Whitney, manufacturer machivery and turbine water wheels, Nashua, N. H. J. R. Holman, machinery, Hinsdale, N. H. G. W. & C, A. Lane, manufacturers of mills and elevators, Exeter, N. H. Edward 8S. Taber, machinists’ tools, New Bed- ford, Mass. The New Haven Wire Company, manufact- urers of iron and steel wire, New Haven, Conn. Rodney Hunt Machine Company, E. N. Harris, treasurer. machinists and iron founders, Orange, Mass. nail manufacturers, founder, Rochester, Sargent & Co., hardware manufacturers, New Haven, Conn. Keene Mfg. Company, skate manufacturers, Keene, N. H. E calcite i adi eee hia emer in | Chase Turbine Mfg. Company, L. Kilburn, treasurer, machinery and iron foundry, Keene, Mass. Samuel B. Locke & Co., iron foundry, Somer- ville, Mass. Cunningham Iron Works Company, boiler manufacturers, Charlestown, Mass. Household Sewing Machine Company, Geo H. Dart, treasurer, sewing machines, Provi- dence, R. I. Sibley Scythe Company, manufacturers of scythes and hoes, North Newport, N. H. A. E. Tenney Mfg. Cm, manufacturers of machinery, Pawtucket, R. I. Geo. W. Payne & Co., manufacturers of ma- chinery, Pawtucket, R. I. J. S. White, manufacturer of machinery, Paw- tucket, R. I. J. C. Potter, president, manufacturer of ma- chinery, Pawtucket, R. I. McWilliams Mfg. Company, Jno. McWilliams a, machinery, Providence, R. I. Allen Fire Department Supply Company, R. J. _ manager, machinery, Providence, I Mechanics’ Iron Foundry Company, J. A. Cald- well, treasurer, iron founders, Boston, Mass. = Nail Company, horseshoe nails, Boston, ass, F. H. Woodward, manufacturer of hardware, Hill, N. H. W. H. Haskell Company, D. A. Abbott, agent, bolts, screws, &c., Pawtucket, R. I. Corliss Steam Engine Pang ome Wm. M. Cowan, treasurer, engine builders, Provi- dence, R. I. Aretas Blood, president, horseshoe nails, Bos- ton, Mass. Edw. Kendall & Sons, Charles River Iron Works, Cambridgeport, Mass. Henry M. Bird, Broadway Iron Foundry, Cambridgeport, Mass. Miller & Shaw, machinists and blacksmiths, Cambridgeport, Mass. Walworth O. Barbour & Co., iron founders, Cambridgeport, Mass. A. B. Phillips & Co., machinists, Whitman, Mass. Chas. T. Stetson, machine shop, Hanover, Mass American Screw Company, Edwin G. Angell, President, screws, tire and stove bolts, riv- ets, wire nails, &c., Providence, R. I. Emerson Edge Tool Company, manufacturers, scythes, axes, straw cutters, &c., East Lebanon, N. H. James G. English, iron manufacturer, New Haven, Conn. : Albert Field Tack Company, N. B. Deane, Treasurer, tacks, nails, shoe and wire nails, &c., Taunton, Mass. Norway Steel and Iren Company, Albert Geiger, Treasurer, iron and steel manufact- urers, Boston, Mass. : Taunton Tack Company, Thos. J. Lothrop, Treasurer, tack manufacturers, &c., Taun- ton, Mass. Brown & Sh Mfg. Company, machinists, Providence, R. I. The Yale Safe and Iron Company, Safes, &c., New Haven, Conn. Franconia Steel and Iron Works, Jas. C. Warr, Proprietor, steel and iron manufact- urers, Wareham, Mass. Somerville Spike Works, Sylvester & Co., Proprietors, spike manufacturers, Somer- ville, Mass. Howard Foundry Company, Wm. A. Nye, Proprietor, iron foundry, Bournedale, Mass. Fairhaven Iron Works, L. 8S. Judd, Proprietor, iron foundry and machine shop, Fairhaven, Mass. New Bedford Iron Foundry, Edmund Grin- _ Proprietor, iron foundry, New Bedford, ass. Oliver Ames, shovel manufacturer, North Easton, Mass. Ellis Foundry Company, Peleg McFarlin, treasurer, stove works, South Carver, Mass. R. H. Brown & Co., forgings and tools, New Haven, Conn. The D. Frisbie Company, Haven, Conn. Rhode Island Locomotive Works, locomotive works, Providence, R. I. Highland Foundry Company, T. W. Elliott. treasurer, stove works, Boston Highlands, Mass. Magee Furnace Company, Albert T. Parlin, treasurer, stove works and furnaces, Boston, Mass. Wareham Nail Company, Edgar Robinson, es nail manufacturers, South Ware- am, Mass. M. Seward & Son, carriage hardware manu- facturers. New Haven, Conn. Reynolds & Son, screw bolts, &c., New Haven, Conn. Biddeford Stove Foundry, Geo. W. McFadden, treasurer, stove manufacturers, Biddeford, Maine. Portland Stove Foundry, F. M. Lawrence, treasurer, stove manufacturers, Portland, Maine. F. S. Perkins, machinist, Lowell, Mass. elevators, New rn 56 Eugene C. Le Baron, iron foundry, Middle- borough, Mass. The Brown Cotton Gin Company, manufact- urers of cotton gins, New London, Conn, E. “se millwright, North Stratford, Cole & Nichols, iron foundry, Lowell, Mass. Taunton Locomotive W orks, Taunton, Mass. A. L. Smith, iron foundry, Lowell, Mass. Geo. W. Fifield, machinist, Lowell, Mass. Benjamin F. Stevens, machinist, Lowell, Mass. Alfred Nourbourn, machinist, "Lowell, Mass, A. L. Wright, machinist, Lowell, Mass. J. J. Crawford & Son, steam-plate presses, steam boilers, &c., Nashua, N. H. Whittier Machine Company, by Charles Whit- tier, president, manufacturers of machinery, Boston, Mass. Geo. Schneller, iron and brass, Ansonia, Conn., » Wheeler & Wilson Mfg. Company, N. Wheeler, president, sewing machines, Bridgeport, Conn. I Ingot Pusher. | Steel ingots are generally cast in open- ended tapering iron molds, in which it sometimes happens that an ingot sticks so that considerable force is required to push tt out of the mold and _ occasionally very great power is needed* for the pur- pose. If a hydraulic ram were employed having a single plunger of sufficient power for the exceptionally heavy work there | held to the cylinder |ofthe seat are made flaring, sothat when |the other side of the seat. | and brought into use for the purpose. THE IRON AGE. ing. The seat which serves as an abut- ment against which the mold is pressed is by rods and the sides the ingot is brought agai ist it it is held centrally in regard to the opening. The larger plunger is usually locked and the smaller one applied to the end of the ingot to see if it has the power necessary to move the ingot from the mold. The first effect of the plunger as it advances is | to push the table carrying the car up the jincline and enter the mold into the seat, against which it presses during the forcing out of the ingot. After the mold becomes firmly seated the further |advance of the plunger pushes the ingot out and discharges it upon a car placed In most in- stances the smaller plunger has power enough to do the work, but in excep- tional cases the larger plunger is unlocked It is evident that there is a great saving of power by using the smaller plunger alone in cases where it will do the work. TT — — Testing the Forth Bridge.—The Forth Bridge was tested on January 21, under the superintendence of Sir John Fowler, February 13, 1890 feet depth of hold, and will be put in service on the Magdalena and Cauca rivers. The other will be 74 feet long, 16 feet beam, 24 feet depth of hold, to be used on the Lebriga. The boats will be built to run 14 miles an hour and will be fitted with compound engines of the most improved type When finished they will be shipped by rail to New York, and from there will go by steamer to their destina- tion. The cost of transportation almost equals the first cost of the boats. The tirst one taken down, however, about 18 months ago, paid for itself inside of year, A — Barges for Lake Traffic. The American Steel Barge Company were formed a year ago with a capital of $5,000,000 and recently contracted with Carnegie, Phipps & Co. for the manufact- ure of many tons of steel plates for ‘‘ whale back’ barge’ for the lake trade The cost of one of these barges without steam is about $75,000, and the company expect to turn out one every 30 days. Of those already in commission the third will serve asa model. She is 260 feet long over all, 36 feet beam a