The Iron Age 1890-06-05: Vol 45

‘THE IRON AGE TuHurRspay, JUNE 5, 1890. Expanded Metal Machine. The massive machine herewith illustrat- ed is one of the many special appliances, and its product constitutes one of the late interesting developments of this ‘‘ Apes Steel” now looming up so grandly. th machine and product are unique. In operation a comparatively narrow plate or band of steel is passed in horizontally at the left, as if to be slit. Instead, it is slashed or cut in a peculiar manner, and as fast as cut these slashes are extended or distended downward, each serivs of slashes forming a series of diamond meshing as shown. Thus, a web or fabric of meshes | is made, whose general plane is at right angles, transversely considered, to that of the original plate. The slashing is exactly similar to, and the fabric not unlike the ‘*fly trap’ work of children. paper, soft, tough steel is the material treated, and for the scissors a huge machine of eighteen tons, on an equally massive | foundation, is the instrument. The name iven this metallic fabric, if we may so call it, is ‘* Expanded Metal,” and the coining of the term is justified when we state that the machine shown will produce from a pe 9 feet long by 7 inches wide a web.8 eet long and 4 feet wide. It is difficult, without elaborate illustration, to elucidate the action of this machine, but this short, general statement may be made, premising that it will be evident to any one that alternate or staggered slashings of the metal at close parallel intervals would give the scheme of the operation. A moment’s reflection, however, would suggest that the part cut and opened out Instead of comes a seeming anomaly. While ability to roll up the fabric, as made and cut to lengths as needed would seem desirable, the makers say the very ability to permit this would prove its incapacity for the useful purposes mentioned hereafter. It is stiff and rigid, while tough and of a char- acter peculiarly its own and distinct from the usual twisted or woven wire fabrics, and possessed of totally different capa- bilities. On the main shaft of the machine are placed three eccentrics, two being at the by any ordinary consecutive system would be distorted by that to follow, or to dis- tend or to separate the edges of a plate which normally is 7 inches apart to a distance of 4 feet, without destructive action on the material or causing general wreckage, would involve more than the best steei ‘‘ good nature” could bear. Suffice it to say, then, that in each jaw are carried an equal number of peculiarly formed oblique knives—arranged as to their faces or cutting edges—in a stepped The whole series of each form- manner. ing zig zag faced continuous knives above | ends and one near the center. This shaft and below. These are carefully made and |is actuated from the driving shaft by a pinion and , as shown at the left. The adjusted. The upper jaw has the general make up of the same part in an ordinary ' end eccentrics operate the upper bar which lt Dee eT RE AES i} FXPANDED METAL MACHINE. guillotine shears, but the lower, or what carries the upper series of cutters and is would be the stationary knife, has a cer-| reciprocated vertically. The lower bar, tain amount of oblique lateral movement holding the lower cutters, is so guided |as the upper and cutting jaw descends. that its cutters move parallel to the upper The plate is fed in automatically and cutters. The form of the cutters is clearly somewhat obliquely to general line of | shown in the drawings. They are held by knives, the upper jaw descends and from | 4 screw passing through a slot which per- a corner of the plate a diamond or partial | mits of their being adjusted, and are ar- ‘one is cut and formed. The plate ad-| ranged to overlap each other. | vancing again, another stroke is made and| As the outer eccentrics on the main shaft |& pair possibly produced, to be followed | are revolved the upper bar is raised and by more cutting, more building of the| lowered, thereby working the cutters se- web, each stroke forming a new row of; cured to it up and down in a vertical meshes, and as plate after plate is added | plane and over the cutters in the lower at the left of machine this building goes| bar, As the upper cutters descend, their on. Indeed, given a continuous band or | bevel edge moves along the bevel edge of strip the fabric would be equally contin- | the lower cutters and the lower bar, being | uous, like the paper product of a pulp| free to move longitudinally in its bearings, mill; but practical and commercial expe-| is moved horizontally, and when the up- diency place limitations of size at 4 feet| per cutters have finished their downward as the maximum width, and 8 feet for the; movement the two sets of cutters are in usual length of a fininshed sheet, although | the positions shown in the drawings. The this length frequently is exceeded by | Sheet of metal is fed between the two sets a foot or two in special cases. And here' of knives by which it is cut and bent to form themesh. The uncut intervals in the shee form the union of the meshes. This uncut interval is formed as follows: The lower bar is moved a certain distance. This distance is such that the upper corner Sheet Slashed and Stretched to Form the Meshes. THE IRON AGE. hours’ running, which, if made of maxi- mum width of 4 feet, would give 16,000 square feet. This is the largest mesh made. Other and varying sizes down to 1} inch each demand a separate machine, Sheet Partly Cut. SPECIMENS OF of the beveled edge of the lower cutters is a little beyond the lower corner of the beveled-edge corner on upper cutters, and this distance between these two corners determines the uncut interval in the metal. The feeding movement is so adjusted that the metal is fed at each movement just far enough to form the strand, and as the up- per cutters descend they push ahead of them that part of the metal and at the same instant cut it from the main part of the metal, and this cut strand lies between the beveled edges of the two cutters and against the lower edges of the upper cut- ters. The entire piece of metal is con- sumed and no part or portion is lost or wasted. The metal is fed at an angle with the line of the cutters and parallel with the face of each cutter. The reason for feeding the metal at an angle is first, that the cutting | bars may be in line with the main shaft, | and second, that the metal may encounter | the cutters first on one corner and ina | line parallel with the surface of each cut- | ter. The object in beginning to cut at | one corner of the metal is that each cut, | strand, or loop, will be set free by a cut | immediately back of it, this cut or cuts always supplying as much length of strand as the preceding knives consume, as the ressing the strands downward and form- ing the mesh causes the cut and spread part of the metal to assume a form shorter than the uncut part. The illustration is made after a photo- graph of a machine now producing fencing EXPANDED METAL. with its corresponding knives, except as in lathing, the stroke adjustment gives the modification in mesh required. The plates entering the machine are treated ———— ee ey Cutters in Position to Receive Metal. KNIVES USED IN June 5, 1890 sheets are then treated in a ree dipping paint of the color desired, and thus doubly coated, on drying are ready for market. The pesetier flatness of the sheets, the strand edges ‘‘ spooning” into each other nicely, permits com tively easy pack- ing and preparation for transportation. Before enumerating some of its general and many uses, and with saying new ap- plications are being found every day, it will not be amiss to give some brief historical account of this invention. The inventor is John F Golding, long and favorably known to the metal fraternity as the late business manager of our co- temporary, the Industrial World, of Chi- cago. The patents are held by a corpora- tion, of which Oscar Bradford, of Curtis & Co. (St. Louis and Chicago), is presi- dent. Licensees for various and respect- ive territories are: Chess, Cook & Co., well-known manufacturers of nails, tacks, soft steel plates, &c., who are g on this ens of their business under the style of Central Expanded Metal Company, with works at Rankin, Pa., office 116 Water street, Pittsburgh (New York office 85 Chambers street and 67 Reade street); Northwestern Expanded Metal Company, Wm. W. Ramsey, presi- dent: Works at Hermosa, age office at 148 Adams street that city ; the St. Louis Expanded Metal Company ; Mer- rill Watson, president, Biddle and Collins streets, St. Louis. Other com es are: one in Canada; one on the Pacific Coast, to be located at San Francisco ; one in opera- tion at Melbourne, Australia, Wm. Ward, president, and one just established in Great Britain. Some brief account of these applications would seem natural and proper. Its larg- est use is for fenciug. These webs de- scribed, of 8 feet long by 3 feet, 34 feet, or 4 feet, are mounted simply on the same framing as to posts and rails tbat go to make up a paling or ordinary fence. It may be mounted in better style ou special wood rails, which the manufacturers pro- vide, or for better lawn and garden en- closure it is carried on various light and ceful mountings of iron and steel. ithout extended notice of the facility of its erection, its pleasing, graceful, unob- trusive appearance when up, we proceed Cutters in Position After Having Cut and Expanded the Metal. EXPANDED METAL MACHINE. web at the works of the Pittsburgh Com- | automatically to a lubricating compound, | to say that in the matter of strength, fit- pany. The diamonds in the mesh seen | the largest portion of which is the best emerging from machine measure 7 x 3} | boiled linseed oil. inches on diagonals. This, after serving its This machine pro- | purpose at the cutting, in a few hours be- duces regularly some 4000 feet linear in 10|comes an unimpeachable paint. The ness, &c., for fencing, this material has an endorsement in Chicago of great impor- tance. Our readers will remember that quite recently in these columns we dis- June 5, 1890 cussed at some length the surface steam railroad problem in that city. In line with effort for greater provision for safety, and to have some mitigation of the stringent city ordpances there in force as to nore. of trains, the companies are fencing up their tracks and providing safety gates at cross- ings. Casting about for means to do this efficiently and cheaply (since so many miles were involved and clumsy wood fencing seemed out of the question generally) an ultimate physical test was made of the strength of an expanded metal sheet ordinarily pro- vided, by one of the most important railroad companies there. A sheet fastened horizontally and fastened only at ends to a frame, was loaded gradually until at 2700 Ibs., attachments and frame gave way leaving the intermeshing intact. This was so conclusive and convincing ‘that an order was at once placed for some miles, which is now being executed for them, as well as some miles for each of three or four other = ies, in all an te of 17 miles, many more in repeat. Generally these railroad fences are 7 feet (two sheets high), stapled on wood framings. Many applications are made of the hiewe sized mesh to stable and elevator guards safety gates and screens. Being self framed it is readily treated by the most ordinary mechanic without the use of iron workers’ tools. For farm drive gates — sheets stapled on wood framing give alight, neat, strong and satisfactory result. Such gates are also mounted by the manufacturers in steel and iron frames, but the above is one instance of ‘‘ home made ” work. Standard all-metal foot gates are made and sold separately. The strength of this material, self tied and solid, as to intersec- tions, has suggested its use as a net work binding to be imbedded in artificial stone vements. The same as an imbedded inding in thin monolithic beton facings for levee construction has been proposed recently. Smaller sizes of mesh are used for window sereens, lawn, —— poultry and aviary work, tree guards, &c, It is a fact that wire workers exist only in large cities ; the need for window'screens, , &e., is relatively as great in the smaller places. Sheets of expanded metal may be carried in stock by general hard- ware dealers and of various sizes, so that for local demand with tinners’ snip shears, ards, &c., may be cut out and the fram- ing, mounting, &c., done at home by an ordinary carpenter. Sheets of the finer mesh rolled into cylindrical forms, mounted with light self-hooking bands, and with the neat iron stukes provided, the whole painted, make tree guards impervious to the depredation of animals and that of the ** bad boy,” and are easily erected by any one. The spiral lines produced are graceful and pleasing, the structure is un- obtrusive, does not conceal the trunk form, and at a little distance 1s invisible. But one of the most important forms of expanded metal is lathing. Steel of 22 gauge is cut and opened out for this, and the sheets are uniformly two lath, 8 feet, iong by 18 inches wide, and of the form of mesh shown in cut. : This is readily applied, as it needs no stretching, and like wire lJathing and un- like perforated sheet lathing is ‘‘ all key.” Self contained and solid, it cuts without waste, needs no furring, since it cannot be — so close, from its peculiar rake of surface, as to not give key on any ex- tended flat surface. It readily may be molded like so much sheet lead and this form it retains. This has made it quite favorite for hollow and curved work, such as is found in churches, opera houses, &c. Arching gives added strength and stiff- ness, and is a unique and singular func- tion, It goes without saying, plaster car- ried on this foundation is fire resisting in a high degree. Experiments have demon- THE IRON AGE, strated that under the severest stress of firing this metal foundation remains neu- tral and does not strip its coating. Con- versely the severest cold does not cause destructive contraction on exterior cement or plaster work, as in gables, A new departure in wood building is another outgrowth of this material romised. Several wood studding houses ave been constructed, whose whole ex- terior walls have been of cemert carried on a sheathing of expanded metal. It is ex- pected that many buildings will be exe- cuted in this manner this season, the most important in prospect being the Ames office building, Helena, Mont., 125 x 90, of six stories, whose whole interior will be done on expanded metal lathing, while its exterior is to be finished in cement done on the same. The president of the Aus- tralian Expanded Metal Company, Wm. Ward, just passing through Pittsburgh on his way to England, states that a hand- some terraced block of residences at Mel- bourne is now under execution, all done in this same manner. The perfection and beauty of cement finished structures in Europe, especially in Germany, no traveler will gainsay. Examples here in America are generally doleful failures, from im- proper foundation for the plastic ma- terial, and shortcomings in the latter, not worthy our position otherwise in the worlds’ structural art. This constructive method lends itself peculiarly to the massive Richardsonian treatment now so much in vogue. It is needless to say the fire resisting, slow combustion qualities of such structures, inside and out, will be rated well up toward Al by fire under- writers, and the comfort of their inmates against vicissitudes of heat, cold and humidity will be that gotten from a pos- sibly combined house of stone or brick and wood. Structurally, walls on such self-braced lathing, inside and out, would be of great strength and could be sustained on lightest foundations on otherwise doubtful locations. In conclusion, it is claimed by its advocates that this system will not only be in the line of good and economical construction, but safe, sub- stantial and enduring. Te — Basic Iron. The South Tredegar Iron Company, of Chattanooga, Tenn., made some basic iron during 1889, and have furnished the Bulletin with the following information as to how it was made: Basic iron is iron which has been desiliconized in a Besse- mer converter, and dephosphorized on a second lining in a Danks or other form of furnace, on the lines of the inventions ana discoveries of Dr. L. D. Chapin, of Chi- cago, Ill. worked out to their logical so- lution. We take the high phosphoric pig iron of the South, high also in silicon, melt it in a cupola, thence pass it through the converter, with a shorter blow than for Bessemer steel, and thence run it into gas heated puddling furnaces, where it is ** balled,” and is then ready to be squeezed or hammered, We prefer the hammer. We are able without difficulty to handle charges inside of an hour from cupola to muck bar, removing as much of the silicon and carbon as we care to, and also re- moving over 97 per cent. of the phos- horus, and at a most reasonable cost. ou will at once see that this settles the steel business from Southern pig iron, as we can readily and cheaply deliver strictly neutral blooms or muck bar to the steel makers in any desired quantities. We are the only parties having any sub-license so far, but we understand that the holder of the license for some 25 States, John F. Haskins, M. E., now of Chattanoo Tenn., is negotiating with others for its adoption. We are only fairly started with the process, but see no reason to regret having taken it up. 939 NEW ENGLAND NOTES. The annual report of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company con- tains the following: Increase. Gross earnings.......... $1,255,570 $128,263 TRBORGES... .....20ccceeee 957,305 100,724 Net earnings............ 298,265 27,538 Of the total amount charged to new con- struction—$318, 169.17-—$190,000 has been expended for underground work, and $88,000 for extension of extra-territorial and toll lines. Total conduit constructed in 1889, 27,978 feet containing 239,334 feet of duct. The un und system in Boston now consists of 73,752 feet of con- duit, the total length of duct being 733,949 feet, or about 139 miles, with a capacity of about 16,000 miles of single conductor. The total length of new cable, of all classes, placed in use in the Boston Exchange during 1889 is 124,405 feet, the length of underground wire reported in use at the close of the year was 3599 miles, or about two-thirds of the entire amount employed in opening the Exchaage. In the use of this system, the Boston Ex- change now stands second among all the exchanges in the country, New York be- ing the only city in which a greater mile- age of underground wire is in operation for telephone purposes. The company have now in use in their various exchan 446,470 feet of cable, aérial, submarine and underground, carrying 6600 miles of copper wire. The mileage of Exchange wires December 31, 1889, was 19,784 miles. The expenditure upon the plant and equipment during the year has been: and long distance desk sets....... $331,191.94 For reconstruction. ..............+. 106,956 .52 i becganessanvanusaonass 216,289.55 sd Scldd dcdectundssdbencalan $654,438.01 As against an expenditure for 1888 Eon ica ctcsccstcccukiemuenitieds 469,157 .82 A Portland, Maine, syndicate has made a big offer for the control of the patent on the new locomotive now in process of con- struction at the Portland Company’s works, so far as New England is con- cerned. The Atlantic Works, at East Boston, are building radial steel trucks for the Robin- son ial Car Truck Company, and the Bemis Car Box Company, of Springfield, are building 14 trucks of the same de- scription, to be used on the West End ilway, of Bostcn, under o cars which are now being constructed. The rumor that the Underhill Edge Tool Company, at Nashua, renamed the Ameri- can Axe and Tool Company, had been sold to the Boston and Maine Railroad is pronounced false. It grew from the fact that the syndicate which has purchased the property in that vicinity has had to survey all the property in order to estab- lish their boundary lines. Efforts are being made by the Spring- field, Mass., Board of Trade to induce the Spencer Gun Company, of Windsor, Conn., to locate in oe The gun com- pany have been obliged to give up their quarters in the building of the Eddy Elec- tric Company, at Windsor, owing to the latter concern’s increase of business. Windsor Locks people have offered induce- ments, but the company prefer to look elsewhere, as they require greatly increased facilities. A syndicate headed by Siemens and Mannesmann have bought the works of the English Landore Steel Company, in order to manufacture Mannesmann tubes on a large scale. One of the large cast iron pipe manu- facturers in the country estimated recently, in conversation with a. representative of The Tron Age, that the annual production of cast iron pipe is close to 500,000 tons. 940 Ammonia Pump. The illustrations show a side and end view of a new ammonia pump manufact- ured by Dean Brothers Steam Pump Works, Indianapolis, Ind. The pumps are designed to work against a pressure of 100 to 250 pounds per square inch in con- nection with absorption ice machines. The valves and piston rods are made of the best tool steel. The stuffing box of tne ammonia pump is double with a ‘lantern iron,” the center of which is connected with the suction of pump in such a way as to carry the ammonia back to pump that Sawa might leak out of the stuffing x. The fly-wheel is very heavy so that the pump can be run at a very slow speed. The yoke for crank has a bearing in the bottom of the frame. All oil drippings are collected in the frame and can be drawn off through the faucet. The parts of pump are all accessible, the workman- ship first-class and parts strong. The am- monia cylinder is cast in one piece, so there is but little danger of leakage. EASTERN MISCELLANY. It is reported that an extensive addition is soon to be built to the foundry depart- ment at the Knowles Pump Works, War- ren, Mass. It is now probable that the Spencer Gun Works, of Windsor, Conn., will locate at Indian Orchard, Mass., instead of at Windsor Locks, Conn., because the manu- facturers and capitalists of the latter place will not put $20,000 in the concern. The Newton, Mass., Water Board has given the contract for the 5,000,000 gal- lon pumping engine and boilers for the high service for $35,000, to the George F. Blake Mfg. Company. Directors of the Pratt & Cody Machine Company have decided to recommend an increase of the capital stock from $100,000 to $150,000, the additional stock to be offered to the present stockholders at par. The additional capital, if the plan is ap- proved by the stockholders, will be used in the erection and equipment of a new building which will adjoin the company’s works. The new addition that Matthews & Hickock, of Burlington, Vt., are building | on the north side of their mill is 90 x 40 feet, and will contain a new engine and} boiler rooms covered outside and in with corrugated iron. A new Watertown en- gine, of 100 horse-power, will be put in. In a suit brought in Massachusetts to | compel the American Express Company to deliver certain freight, it was decided that | it was no more beholden to do so than the | post office. It receives the goods, and | those who want them must call for them. If it delivers goods by wagons it is simply to accommodate. The Spencer Gas Company are success- fully running their new departure in the | manufacture of illuminating gas. No coal gas is made whatever. Lima oil, a crude oil that cannot be refined and has hereto- fore been used for fuel only, isused. The process is more economical than the old one. A big land purchase has just been made at Newburyport, Mass., by the Newbury- | port and Amesbury Street Railway Com- pany, and a power plant is to be estab- | lished for running the electric lines of the company. The erection of a brick build- ing 100 x 70 feet is to be commenced at once. gine and two large dynamos. erected machine, paint and repair shops. This improvement will necessitate the ex-| now being penditure of about $100. 000 It will be equipped with a new en-| compound engine. The pur-|be 163 x 84 feet, and will contain 24 chase includes 25 acres of land, and on the | space not used for power house will be THE IRON AGE, June 5, 1890 The new central power station of the West End Street Railway Company will consist of a power house and boiler room. The former will be 319 x 173 feet, built of brick and granite. In this building will be 13 triple expansion engines of 1000 horse power each and a 300 horse power tracting considerable attention. The boiler has a downward draught instead of upward. It consumes all the smoke, gas and cinders in the combination chamber just below the grate. Several large offers have been made for the patent, a local company desiring to control it for New End View. Side View. AMMONIA PUMP. The boiler house will| England. It is understood that one of these boilers will be recommended for the new Government cruisers now building at Bath. A new routing and milling machine is soon to be put on the market by a Boston company which bids fair to have an imme- boilers rated at 500 horse-power each and set in batteries of two boilers each. The new patent boiler and locomotive Puilt at the Portland Boiler Company’s works, at Portland, Me., is at- June 5, 1890 THE IRON AGE, 941 _______ diate and lar ch adapted for the lightest kind of milling as well the heaviest, the range of useful- ness being greater than apy other machine now on the market. The special features of the machine make it of great value to the machinist, as a greater variety of work can be done than on the ordinary machine, which is adapted, in most instances, to heavy work only. It is manufactured by the John Becker Mfg. Company, 157 Pearl street, Boston. Professor Elihu Thomson has patented a device to furnish power for electrical railways at long distance and saving copper wire. At present, if the pressure is 500 volts, say at the power station, it will reach a much less potential on a long run. The present device is to run smaller wires from the power station independent of the trolly wires attached to dynamos of a much higher voltage. When the current reaches the point where it is needed it is taken by a motor generator, which takes it, say at 1000 volts, and turns it into a pressure of 500 volts. Professor Thomson patented a safety conductor for induction systems of distribution. This is for the purpose of ‘‘ grounding the secondary,” and consists of a wire running from the point where an incandescent light or other wire enters a building to a point near the round where it ends in a canvas conduct- ing surface. From the ground runs another wire to the same point and ended like it. These two conducting surfaces are separ- ated by an insulating film—in practice by a piece of oiled paper—which is im- penetrable by a potential of 50 volts, that common in lighting buildings, but which in case of lightning striking the te the wire would be at once penetrated an the bolt carried into the ground, thus making the house safer when wired, as the wire would be a much better medium for grounding the electric current than the body of a person who accidently made a circuit by touching the wire and a metallic article. The professor has also recently patented an invention which applies the principles of electric welding to soldering and cementing. By it, after the are put together and properly shielded, the electric current is applied, and under pressure the parts are fused together, the heat bein applied just where it is wanted. A deal of time is being put into the work of perfecting overhead details of electric cars | @& at the Thomson-Houston Electric fectories, at Lynn, Mass. Professor Thomson has patented acopper trolley guard, so arranged that when the trolley is thrown off by a frog the guard will run along the trolley wire conveying the current to the incan- descents in the car until it is replaced. New England machine shops turning out textile machinery continue to have plenty of business, veral large cotton mills that have been recently reported as soon to be erected in the South will call for a large amount of machinery, and ulready their agents have arrived in New England to negotiate for such. The nunerous instances of woolen mills being started up in New England or plans for new plants will keep builders of woolen machinery actively engaged for some time. The export of weaving machinery of American make is getting to be quite an item, and from what is reported in English papers the machines are giving great satisfaction. SE The Pittsburgh Reduction Company, at Pittsburgh, manufacturers of aluminum, are just completing the additions to their lant. The new machinery includes a ttery of Babcock & Wilcox boilers, two large Westinghouse compound engines, two very large dynamos and eight reduc- ing tanks, t sixfold. t will increase their capacity demand. This machine is| Double Acting Crank Power Press. The accompanying cut shows a new double acting crank power press, recently ut on the market by the Stiles & Parker Press Company, of Middletown, Conn., and 207 Centre street, New York. The most noticeable feature in this press is its long slide bearing surfaces which are very carefully fitted. The outer slide carries the cutting or blanking punch, while the inner one carries what is called the draw- ing punch. Both the inner and outer slide are adjusted with a single screw each. The adjustment of the outer slide is very ingenious, doing away w.th the usual double screw pitmans which have been that are made of thin metal. There are now many of these machines in use and the demand for them is increasing. VIRGINIA IRON NOTES. The West Lynchburg Land Company during the past week have been negotiat- ing with Mr. W. P. Riley, of the Valley Iron Works, of Williamsport, Pa., for the removal of that plant to West Lynchburg. The negotiations terminated favorably, and the contract, it is said, has been agreed upon. The buildings for this enterprise will be erected as soon as the plans and specifications are drawn and accepted. Immediately on the completion of the used for years in this class of presses. | buildings the necessary machinery for this a BSNS. L dl Double Acting Crank Power Press. While this press has the double pitmans for its cutting shde it has only one center screw adjustment, which the cut very clearly shows. Through this center ad- justing screw passes the inner or drawing slide which again has its own adjustments, thereby making each slide independent in its adjusting parts, a very important feat- ure in this class of tools. The machine is fitted with a new automatic stop motion which can be easily worked at a speed of 250 revolutions per minute. The shaft has a special take up for wear which can also be used as a brake to prevent its throwing over the centers. The frame is designed with special care for the work it is intended to do. It bas improved at- tachments for carrying scrap cutters, pull- offs and gauges, as well as a convenient drawer for catching the work which is made. This press is intended for such work as button shells of every variety, such as collar and sleeve buttons, typewriter buttons, all kinds of metal buttons, round or flat, or any small articles of about two inches diameter and one-quarter inch edge plant will be shipped from Williamsport and put into place. Work on the new industrial plants at Basic City goes vigorously forward. The furnace foundation has been made espe- cially substantial, having been put down 8 feet. The foundation for the hardware works that is to be removed from Buffalo, N. Y.,-is nearly ready for the superstruc- ture. The managers of this enterprise are now in the market for boilers, engines, shafting, pulleys, lathes, drill presses, cupola and other equipments. This con- cern will employ 500 hands before the end of their first year. The work on the foundation for the car works, necessarily slow by reason of its magnitude, is being pushed with all possible speed. Quite a number of new industries, nearly all of which requiring iron as a raw material, are negotiating for location. During the past week a very fine deposit of manga- nese ore was discovered on the land of Andrew Newcomb, contiguous to Basic City. Itis now stated that the work of con- struction will commence at once, at Pulaski City, on the large rolling mill that is to be . established in that place by the Philadel- phia capitalists, and which will give em- ployment to about 300 men. At Alexandria there has been incorpor- ated, with a capital stock of $5,000,000, the Barrow Land Company, which pro- poses to develop mineral lands, and oper- ate iron plants. C. L. Adkin is to be the _| president of this new company; B. F. Blye, secretary and treasurer. A rolling mill is to be erected at Goshen Bridge by a newly organized land and improvement company that have a capital stock of $600,000. A new iron town—that is to be—is Clo- verdale ; the Cloverdale Iron and Land Company have been organized with ample capital, and will develop mineral lands and establish industries. Henry Body is presi- dent; J. M. Gambrill, vice-president; W. P. Hough, secretary and treasurer. A 2-aere site has been donated by the city of Manchester to the Johnson. Axle Company, ot Richmond, and that company will remove their plant thither. The ca- pacity will be considerably enlarged. The Eagle Cliff Mining Company, W. C. Bullitt, president, and H. C. Groom, treasurer, have purchased the Huddle Iron Mine, near Ivanhoe Furnace. The Berryville Land, Mining and Mfg. Company have been organized, with A. Moore, Jr., president; A. W. McDonald, vice-president and manager. The Bluefield Car Works are having a 100-foot annex built to their main struc- ture. The capital stock of the Roanoke Iron Compazxy will be increased sufficiently to admit of the construction of a rolling mill. The American Bndge Company, of Roanoke, are building cast house No. 2 at the Crozer Furnace entirely of iron. It will be remembered that this structure was recently demolished in a wind storm. The Huntington Boiler Works, at Iron Gate, have gotten most of their machinery 942 » THE IRON AGE. June 5, lego into position, and it will not be long before the plant will be regularly in opera- tion. Stove works are contemplated at Basic City, Glasgow and Lexington. The Valley Land and Improvement Com- pany, at Luray, are negotiating with differ- ent parties for the establishment there of an iron foundry, agricultural implement works and car shops. The buildings for the foundry and ma- chine shops of B. F. Gravely, which were removed from Martinsville, are now being constructed at Salem, where they will be permavently located. Ninety thousand dollars’ worth of iron ore properties, at Rye Valley, have been purchased by Northern capitalists, and will be developed. Quite appropriately, Virginia is every year manufacturing more of the ma- chinery necessary in the manufacture of tobacco. In addition to the several vigar- ette machines that are contesting for super- iority are a number of mechanical devices for the preparation of both plug and smok- ing tobaccos. Among the more recent inventions in this line is the R. W.- Coffee stemming machine, which ae manu- factured by a company at iord City, having a capital stock of $1,000,000, and of which corporate concern J. F. Slaughter, of Lynchburg, is president; S. A. Berry, vice-president; M. P. Burke, secretary and treasurer. Another company is being organized just now in the city of Rich- mond, for the purpose of manufacturing the Old Dominion log-filler bunch ma- chines. Crutchfield & Capston are the principal promoters of this enterprise. It is currently reported in railroad circles at Norfolk that ‘the Norfolk and Western Railroad are perfecting plans to build car works and a round .house capable of ac- commodating 24 engines at Lambert's Point, the well-known coaling station, . near Norfolk. The, further statement has been current so: ;me that this road in- tended building jurnaces and rolling mills in the same locality, and with a view to carry this project..into execution had al- ready purchased extensive deposits of Cuban iron ore, which they proposed to mine and bring to Lambert’s Point and mix with Virginia ores in the making of a high grade of iron. There is no one that I have been able to meet who can vouch for the thorough accuracy of the state- ments in circulation, but there are a few facts of which there can be no doubt that are fraught with great significance. It is well known that the Norfolk and Western Company have been persistently buying all of the real estate obtainable between the City of Norfolk and Lambert’s Point, all of which land lies beautifully for town building. In no known instance has a less figure than $1000 been given per acre for their property. Surveyors have plotted the land into streets and blocks, and every indication exists that the company have reason for anticipating a mysterious influx of population. President Kimball has even been quoted as recently saying that within the near future not less than 500,- 000 people will be living along the Eliza- beth River in and near the city of Nor- folk. What is still further calculated to create the impression that this railroad, that has done so much for Roanoke and other new iron towns on its line, intends to spring some great project within the near future is the fact that the most prominent capitalists interested in the road, together with its leading officials, recently visited Norfolk and took a painstaking scrutiny of the site of their recent purchases. The Nortolk and Western Company are now engaged in building new and immense piers at Lambert’s Point that gives addi- tional color to the surmises indicated in the foregoing. I learn that a rolling mill for the manu- at Roanoke in connection with the West End Furnace which is now in process of erection. It is stated that about 100 men are to be employed in the proposed mill, and that the work of constructing the plant 1s to be commenced at an early date. —_———EESES Disk Wheels with Direct Attached Engine. There are numerous places where the best application of a ventilating fan re- quires the use of a direct attached enyine, on account of the impracticability and ex- pense of supplying power by belt con- nections which often exceed the first cost of an engine, to say nothing of su uent expense for maintenance. We show here- with the latest design of a direct engine as is now furnished in capacities suited to run the different sizes of the Buffalo Disk Fans, made by the Buffalo Forge Com- through a slot in the back plate of the center piston, the crank pin being secured to a crank disk on the inner end of the main driving shaft. The pistons are held steam tight to the face of the cover by two plates inserted in the back of the outer piston, and acting as slides on the back of the case, which is fitted to receive them. These plates are acted upon by steam let in between them and the back of the outer piston, and are of the right area in each size of engine, so that they hold the pistons back and front, without loss of steam, at the same time. There is no loss of power by friction; the wear of the outer piston is taken up by plates on the under side of which are inclines sliding on cor. responding inclines in the bottom of the casing. The wear of the inner piston is provided for by detachable slides at the ends, Coiled steel wire springs keted in the ends of the pistons hold the slides firmly to the planed surface of the inside DISK WHEEL WITH DIRECT ATTACHED ENGINE. pany, of Buffalo, N. Y. These engines are constructed with special reference for the work, and occupy but little space, though capable of driving the fan at high 8 without noticeable vibration or noise. It will be noted their ap ce is neat and compact, occupying little more space than is required for belt connections, while they require only a small amount of attention to keep in running order. With using an engine there is no lost motion by slipping or wearing of belts, while the rate of speed may be easily increased or di- minished as the work requires, and there is perfect control of the fan as to startin or stopping instantly. This engine, whic is double reciprocating with square pis- tons, will work as well turned up side down and bolted to beams overhead or placed with cover, end down, with the shaft in a perpendicular position, as in the regular way. The engine is within a cas- ing, in which a rectangular piston is held to move backward and forward horizon- tally. This piston has achamber in which an inner piston is mounted to slide vertically, the inner piston beimg mounted facture of merchant bar iron is to be built 'in its center on a crank pin, projecting of the outer piston, in which the inner piston moves up and down. There are are only two bearings in the body of the engine, the main journal and crank pin. These are in the form of bushings and are made from the best quality of phospher bronze, and give no trouble in the way of cutting and heating. From the manner in which the steam is applied to the moving parts, they are less liable to wear than in the ordinary engine. a The Pardee Car and Machine Works, of Watsontown, Pa., have just completed the construction of 250 box cars, of 50,000 pounds capacity, for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, and are now constructing a number of the newly ee 60, 000- pound capacity hopper gondola coal cars for the Beech Creek Road. The Anaconda copper mine has been opened and the fires are all out. It will take about six months to repair the dam- age caused by fire and get everything in running order again. June 5, 1890 THE IRON AGE. 943 —_——______s___ el Fort Payne, Ala. Its Manufacturing Industries. Railroad, built by the company, to pro- vide communication with their coal mines on Lookout Mountain. This road is ten miles long, tops the Castle Rock coal seam of the Black Warrior field at several places, and will be extended ultimately to the At- lantic coast, at Port Royal, South Carolina. It needs to be extended but a short dis- tance eastward to tap several north and south lines of road. A branch is to be built west to Decatur, affording another outlet in that direction. Spur tracks have been built to 1ron mines in the vicinity. The inspection of manufacturing plants was relieved by a visit of the entire party to Maniton Cave, in the side of Lookout Mountain, close to the city. It is also owned by the company, and was illumina- ted by hundreds of candles on this occa- sicn. This cave has been explored for a}. mile and a half, and extends still further. It abounds in lofty halls, curious galleries, subterranean water falls, mysterious side passages and beautiful crystalline forma- tions, constituting one of the permanent attactions of the locality. After thor- oughly inspecting Fort Payne a visit was made to Birmingham, but the stay was limited to only a few hours, which simply enabled the visitors to obtain but a glimpse of the marvelous activities of that wonder- ful Southern city. Taking up the indus- tries of Fort Payne somewhat in the order of their magnitude, the most prominent establishment is The Fort Payne Fire Clay Manufact- uring Company. The works of this company have been completed and are now in active o ion, turning out fire brick, sewer pipes and terra cotta and architectural work. They were erected under the direction of W. Garland Taylor, who for over 30 years has had charge of important fire clay works in England and this country. Mr. Taylor was given full power to carry out his own ideas, and he has erected a most substan- tial and convenient establishment, with very powerful machinery. The fire clay used comes from local deposits of great extent, and it was thoroughly tested with satisfactory proof of its refracto quality before the works were erec A quarry of white flint was also opened, aod from it the material is obtained for the manufacture ot silica fire brick. Two railroad tracks run through the works; one to bring in fire clay and coal, the other passing beside the stock house and kilns, for shipment. The main factory is 200 feet long and 80 feet wide, three floors high. The first floor is de- voted to the manufacture of fire brick, and contains two steam-power brick machines, and a steam-power re-press, in addition to a number of hand presses. The floor is covered throughout with metal steam plates, under which there is arranged a perfect system of steam heating, with all necessary pipes, valves, &c. The exhaust steam will thus be utilized. This arrange- ment, while an expensive item as to first cost, dispenses with the continuous cost of coal and labor necessary to produce the heat for drying the fire brick and other product. The second floor, the size of the building, will be used exclusively for the manufacture of glazed sewer pipes. In the center is erected a massive steam pipe press, with steam cylinder 44 inches in diameter, for making the pipes connected with which are ele~ators and usual attach- ments. The thir vor is set apart for making terra cotta and general archi- tectural work. The machinery annex, 70 x 70 feet, contains boiler room, with two locomotive fire-box boilers, 110 horse- wer each, and foundations for a third. e engine room has a highly finished automatic cut-off engine, 200 horse-power. The mill room contains a powerful mill for grinding the flint and fire clay in a dry state, connected with which is a Blake stone breaker, with elevators, screens, &c., also two other large mills for p ing the clay ready for use. A battery a six kilns, for burning fire brick has been built, which will receive 50,000 bricks each. Adjoin- ing this battery of kilns are four large tent gas producers, erected by the Tay- or Gas Producer Company, of Philadel- hia. The gas generated will be used for ing the fire brick. For burning sewer pipes five round kilns, 25 feet inside diam- eter, have been completed, with three others to put down. Connected with the boilers and kilns are three chimney stacks, each 105 feet high and 6 feet inside diam- eter. The works also contain a block of three offices, stock room, 250 feet by 30 feet, and shops for machinists, blacksmiths and pattern makers. The manufactures intended to be carried on, for which the fire clays and flint are particularly adapted, and for which the works and machinery are especially designed, are: Fire brick, for blast furnaces, rolling mills, steel works, glass works, &c. ; silica fire brick, for open hearth steel furnaces (made en- tirely from white flint), now largely im- ; os ported into this country; glazed vitrified in full operation in all departments. The | sewer pipes; terra cotta in any design, for works will be in charge of experienced | which purpose tne best skilled designers superintendents and foremen in every de-| and modellers have been engaged and are partment. E. B. Cook, formerly of Port-| now at work. The capital stock is $200, - land, Maine, is vice-president and man-| 990, The officers are: Horatio Adams, 40 ager, and J. W. Spaulding, C. 0. God-| Water street, Boston, president; J. W. frey and E. B. Cook constitute the execu- Spaulding, Fort Payne, vice-president. tive committee. (To be continued.) A few years since the West presented the most marvelous exhibitions of town building. The extension of railroads into unpeopled sections caused cities to spring into existence at favorable points for trade as if by magic. Nothing like it had ever before been seen in any country in the world, Since then a radical change has taken place, and the fever for town building has been tranferred to the South. Another change which has occurred is in the motives governing the town builders. The Western towns of which we speak were located mainly for trading or com- mercial purposes. The new Southern towns are being established as the seat of manufacturing interests primarily, with the trading interests in the background. Among the newest of these new towns is Fort Payne, which is located in the north- east corner of Alabama, in DeKalb County. Here a little hamlet had ually grown about the site of a old fort used as a Government station when that of the coustry was occupied by the Cherokee Indians. Its altitude is about 1000 feet above sea level, and it is situated in a long, narrow val- ley with the Lookout Mountain vgs on the east and Sand Mountain on the west. In March of tast year the hamlet had grown to be a large village of some 400 people, when new life and energy were infused into it by the Fort Payne Coal and Iron Company, a northern or- ganization, composed largely of citizens of New England. They secured possession of large tracts of land in the vicinity, began to develop coal and iron ore mines, started a fire-brick works, a stove foundry and some other enterprises, built a fine hotel, and have had the satisfaction of seeing the population of the town swell to almost 5000. As other manufacturing es- tablishments now nearly completed will employ over 3500 andi it will be seen that a substantial basis exists for belief in a still more rapid growth of this thrivin New England city in the next year onl even beyond that. At the invitation of the managers of the Fort Payne Coal and Iron Company a number of Western business men recently visited that city, leaving Chicago on May 22. The iron trade was represented in the party by S. D. Kimbark, of Chicago, the well known heavy hardware merchant ; Kirk Himrod, of Chicago, member of the ig iron firm of Charles Himrod & Co.; iden T. Hartz, of Chicago, secretary and treasurer of the Calumet Iron and Steel Compafy, and by a re