The Iron Age 1891-05-07: Vol 47

‘THE The Shipman Pumping Outfit. A compact pumping outfit has been | brought out by the Shipman Engine Com- a! of Boston, Mass., consisting of a iler and a pump on one base. The ar- rangement is clearly shown in the accom- anying illustration. The supply of fuel is automatically controlled by a diaphragm which can be set at any given pressure, and the latter then varies but afew pounds either way. The water supply is also automatically controlled by a ball-float in float chamber connected direct with a cut- TuHurspAy¥, May 7, 1891. | purposes. It does not require a skilled | mechanic to set up or operate it. The boiler has been tested to 400 pounds |pressure per square inch. The makers | give the approximate capacity per gallon | per hour for three sizes, and the approxi- mate cost of fuel per hour. | these estimates they have included only | the tank or medium service pumps. Gals. per hour. Cents. No. 1 pump 34 x 34 x 4....1050 31g | No. 2 pump, 4x4x5....... 2200 7 No. 4 pump, 5x 4x7........3000 10 In making | IRON AGE (and those in dock, are considered. In arranging how this could be done it was ' found necessary to design heavy floating | derricks for vessels afloat, and to facilitate the placing of plates upon the vessels when 'on dock portable cranes were devised. | Strong trucks for the carriage of the plates | were also designed. As no bolt holes are ‘allowed in the plates in most instances | until the plates are in position, a difficulty | arose as to what means could be secured | for controlling such masses of metal. This | demanded that new appliances be provided | to suit the occasion. For boring the holes off valve in the pipe leading from the feed | These capacities are calculated at an or-| through the steel backing and also into the pump to the boiler. The feed pump is attached direct to the piston rod of large pump. This arrangement of fuel and water supply leaves nothing for the opera- tor to do, beyond the opening and closing of the throttle valve, when it is necessary to start or stop the pump, there being no small petcocks or valves to adjust. The economy of room is a very important feature, the plant we illustrate having a floor space, inclusive of legs, of only 38 x 39 inches. This is no more than is ordi- narily occupied by the average small wer engine commonly used for pump- ing purposes. The outfit is designed to THE SHIPMAN PUMPING OUTFIT. dinary speed for pump and delivering wa- ter at an average hight of 50 to 75 feet. The board ordered by the Secretary of the Navy some time ago to devise the best method of fitting the armor to naval vessels, consisting of Naval Constructor Philip Hichborn as president, Naval Con- structor J. J. Woodward and Prof. P. R. Alger, has made its report, covering the whole subject. Some of the points of primary importance are the adoption of a/| standard in the bolts to be used in the securing of armor. These bolts are of a| steel armor plates the board recommends the use of electricity as combining the most favorable possibilities for this werk. The report is voluminous and contains many drawings and tables of reference, and it is a series of improvements upon everything of a like nature heretofore de- vised by other Governments in meeting the same questions. The Venezuela Government has placed an order with E. T. Copeland & Co. for four revenue cutters or gunboats. Two of the same are to be 75 feet long and 14 meet the demand for a compact and inex- | peculiar construction, designed to resist | feet beam, and two are to be 65 feet long pensive pump for supplying water to shock most efficiently. The threaded | and 12 feet beam. They are to be hotels, residences, public buildings, dai- | part, which screws into the armor, is of an| equipped with triple-expansion engines ries and farm uses, tanneries, breweries, The best modes of entirely new design. and Worthiogton water-tube boilers. The and is particularly desirable for railroad _ handling the armor plates in placing them | vessels are to be schooner-rigged and will watering stations, as well as for irrigating on the ship’s side, both for vessels afloat be handsome and fast. we i TS << SNES OF oes vw ea 2S a Soe Set ey ES ES: WERE Se NS ee eee SO Gs ee oe rte % Seobertas ere ES ee nm - nn of 7 = LA 2 oS BREE 8 eee: ek aetiiie ine le Me “ ‘ ied - nm ’ eae 3) 864 THE IRON AGE, May 7, 1891 Casting in Bronze. Before the time of written history the fact that bronze was peculiarly adapted to the reproduction of sculpture had been discovered. Its extreme fluidity when molten, its hardness and resistance to oxi- dation and its property of acquiring a fine patina on long exposure combined to ex- tend its use in the early ages. Some of the examples of bronze work which have been found show artistic excellence of the highest degree and a skill in the handling of the metal not surpassed at the present time. How the work was done in those copper to 1 tin is a soft metal which can be rolled and drawn. The dead black pa- tina of some Japanese and Chinese bronze (we may here mention that the former are in some cases wonderfully accurate in the refinement of detail) is due to the presence of iead. In Europe the composition of the bronze used for statuary and art pieces is from 33 to 43 kg. of copper, 7 to 16 kg. of zinc and in some cases 250 to 500 grams of tin. The principal works in this coun- try are cast with about 90 per cent. of copper to about 10 per cent. of tin. It is presumed that the famous Shield of Achilles described by Homer was a bronze. ‘Although not sure of that, we do know that the composition there given could the shell, while specimens have been found in which the bronze shell was cast ona core of iron. Different Modern Methods. Coming down to modern methods, we find that the composition of bronze is formed with certain definite aims in view. Being of extreme fluidity when molten, it fills accurately and brings out all the fine details of the ae. This fluidity is, therefore, most desirable, but in addition it must have the requisite strength, dura- bility and a certain behavior when cooling in order to insure success. Many grand specimens of art work now to be found in this country and Europe show to what per- Fig. 1.—Method of Casting the Greeley Statue in Bronze. days we have no method of finding out, except by conjecture and presuming upon the results now obtained ; but we do know, from analysis, the composition of the bronze forming those pieces. Bronze Alloys. This composition varied so much then and varies so much in different processes in different countries at the present time that it is simply impossible to define exactly the meaning of the word bronze, since it is copper alloyed with any one or several of many other metals. Thus the ancient Greek and Roman alloys consisted chiefly of copper, with zinc, tin, lead or silver, the percentage of copper varying from 70 to 95. A proportion of about 2 copper to 1 tin produced the well-known speculum metal; 3 copper to 1 tin gives a bell metal; 5 copper to 1 tin produces the tam-tam or Chinese gong; 8 copper to 1 tin is a bronze adapted for machinery bearings, while 16 produce a metal admirably ,adapted to the purpose, Ancient Methods. The ancients left no record of the map- ner of producing their bronzes, and we can only judge of the processes by study- ing the examples found. Some of the weapons discovered, and which have been attributed to the bronze age and of course ante-date the more artistic pieces, were probably cast, and it has been ussumed that they copied a pattern, since it can be supposed that a people far enough ad- vanced to produce a casting would quickly learn that it would be easier to make a pattern of some material not so difficult to handle as bronze, and then melt and run the metal in. The earliest method as ap- plied to statuary was to hamnfer it out in long thin sheets, which were then fastened together with nails. The early Greek artist cast with a core, evidently of sand, which could afterward be removed from fection the proper composition of bronze has mek =" e In general, there are three methods of making what we may term a duplicate in bronze of a piece of art. é work consists in hammering a malleable sheet over a model until it conforms accurately with the contour of the piece to be dupli- cated. These pieces are then joined and mounted upon a frame work to give the necessary rigidity and strength, which are lacking in the thin metal plate. The largest example of this method is to be found in the Statue of Liberty. In this an accurate model in wood was made of the statue, and the sheets of copper were then hammered to fit this. The joints in all ex- posed places were end joints united by a strip on the back riveted to each plate. Lap joints were in some cases used where not likely to be seen. A frame was then accurately fitted and united to the shell, and from this frame extended braces and a May 7, 1891 THE IRON AGE. 865 central supporting frame uniting the statue with the pedestal upon which it stands. It is evident that this method, owing to the fact that it is impossible without an ex- treme amount of labor to produce any texture in the surfaces, is not applicable to anything except the forming of colossal figures. The Wax Process. The processes now used for the repro- duction of the artist’s model are of two kinds, the cire perdue or wax process and the sand process. The former has been used in Europe, but the extreme care re- quired at every step in the operation, the difficulty of reproducing objects of large size and the cost have gradually compelled its replacement by the sand. The reproducing in metal by the wax process as pursued by Eugene Gonon of Paris consists in first covering the model with pieces of paper, upon which a piece mold is made, suitable ducts and vents Sand Molding, which is so well adapted for the repro- duction of pieces of unusual size, and which in such cases is far superior to the other, is exclusively used in this country and very largely used on the Continent. This may be divided into the following stages: The making of a model of plaster, the piece mold, the core and the casting. To illustrate this process we have selected the statue of Horace Greely, which now adorns the front of the New York Tribune, and which was cast at the Henry Bonnard Bronze Company, of New York, through whose courtesy we are permitted to ex- plain in detail the operations connected with work of this character. Under the guidance of Eugene F. Aucaigne, the general: superintendent of the company, who is familiar with every detail of the process and who has personally superin- tended the casting of many of the most important bronzes in the country, we saw Fig. 2.—Core and Lantern. being"provided as the work progresses. This piece mold is then removed from the model and reassembled. The mold now becomes the pattern and is ready in this process to receive the gelatine and wax. A coating of wax superimposed upon gela- tine, which has been applied to the sur- face of the hollow mold, is now applied, the amount used defining the thickness of bronze in the completed statue, since this wax occupies the space between the core and the mold into which the melted bronze is to be poured. The interior is now filled with a liquid core material, and upon this solidifying the outer mold is removed and any retouching done to the wax model, which now in reality is an exact duplicate of the original. The mold is then reassembled, and after suitable filling in and bracing upon the exterior, the whole thing is placed in an oven and heated so as to com- pletely burn out all the wax separating the core from the mold, which conforms in every particular to the statue it is de- sired to make. The next operation is the pouring of the metal into the space through suitable leaders, vents, &c., having been provided for the age of the metal and gases generated. This, in brief, is the proc- ess used where wax is the foundation. the many steps leading to the reproduc- tion in bronze of a plaster model. This plaster model is, in every line and detail, a fac simile of what the bronze re- production is to be. On this the artist spends the utmost care, bringing out every feature as his taste dictates, and looking carefully to the texture of the surface. Having completed this to his satisfaction, he sends it to the foundry, where all the final steps leading to its reproduction are performed. It may be well to state that all connected with the work have not only the mechanical ability and skill necessary in the performance of such an operation, but have a certain artistic sense which enables them to fully appreciate the aim of the sculptor and to aid most materiaily in executing his ideas. All the men in the Bonnard foundry have been engaged in this work from their youth, and in the operations connected with it have acquired skill only to be attained by long study, petient experiment and successful execu- tion of works of high artistic merit. The Greeley statute was cast in one piece. Sometimes, as in the case of Ward’s statute of the Pilgrim, it is deemed expedient to divide the figure. In that case there are really three pieces, consist- ing of the head, right arm and remainder of the figure. In that instance the separated parts of the model were united by a Roman joint, which insured their accurate re- fitting and prevented the possibility of dis- placement or disarrangement, and then the three pieces were molded separately. After having been cast the parts were mounted and riveted and the joint trimmed down. It is one property of the bronze that a joint of this kind can be made without any danger of detection and without any liability of its becoming prominent in time. Molding the Greeley Statue. It was first imbedded for about one- half in sand, which merely served as 2 temporary foundation upon which to sup- port the figure and the first half of the mold. This sand was then trimmed off to a level surface, which was provided with the necessary indentations and ridges, the use for which will be made apparent fur- ther on. Beginning at the junction of the model with this sand foundation a piece mold was begun. “It is evident thar in the selection of the sand to form the mold extreme care is necessary. Many praiseworthy attempts have miscarried, owing to the failure of the bronze founder to properly appreciate the necessity of having sand of the right quality. It is first essentia! that he should make sure that the sand is fine enough and of such a texture as to reproduce ab- solutely and with the greatest minuteness every little detail of the figure. This is not easy to obtain. The next important requisite is that this sand should have such refractory qualities as will enable it to resist the heat of the molton bronze and to maintain, even when heated to that point, all its fineness of execution. These two points having been attained, the piece mold is built up. This piece mold varies in the size of the pieces comprising it from specimens not 4 inch square to larger pieces weigh- ing pounds. For instance, in molding in flat surfaces, like the back of the chair in which Greeley is seated, one piece will suffice, but in the molding of any places where it is not possible to ‘‘draw” the mold smaller pieces have to be inserted. This will readily be understood. When the surface of the figure retreats so as to form a cavity larger at the bottom than it is at the opening, it is evidently impos- sible to use pieces larger than the opening. In this case the two corners of the cavity a would first be filled with two triangular pieces smaller than the opening. A third piece could now be easily introduced to completely fill the cavity. The contour of the pattern governs the shape and size of the pieces forming the mold. Each piece fits accurately with its neighbors, since they were molded upon it as much as they were upon the pattern, and this mutual dovetailing insures the correct re- assembling of the piece mold as often as may be necessary. We now have these irregular openings filled, and it is then possible for the molder to do larger pieces which fit these, and reproduce cer- tain portions of the figure, his experience and skill alone dictating their size and exterior conformation. Inthe Greeley mold there were some hundreds of pieces, all of which perfectly fitted together, and the interior surfaces of which united in a re- verse reproduction or a negative of the model. In order to prevent the sand from adhering to the figure, and also to the several pieces, it is frequently dusted with tale or lycopodium powder. During this operation provision has, of course, been made for the entrance of the metal, and <A a eh] Sw — =. Ce cr cs ‘ee «ee somes er) 53 - F SSS SSS FS SE. CSV A ES Se Ee ee — - a a . Sen —= -- ad ORS 2S 6 ne, 5 meeutions iene pe 2 rw tii iA: JES home Eh acoay OD RA ep oF pony ~ a — ° A.) ee rt 866 © THE IRON AGE. May 7, 1891 also for the escape of the gases generated by the metal. How this was done in this particular case will be understood from the accompanying drawings. There are no arbitrary rules governing the placing of these inlets and gas vents, the whim, so to speak, of the molder alone serving to guide him. His first con- sideration is, of course, to insure the quick entrance of the metal to the spaces left be- tween the core and the mold, also to make certain that every part will be vented, this meaning that there must be no part in which an air chamber can be formed, and he must further govern the entrance of the molten metal that it will cool and, there- fore, contract evenly. The _—_ mold, now finished, is removed from the pattern, the surface of each piece carefully examined, any defects corrected, of course the workman remembering that he is now working on the reverse of the figure, and the pieces then reassembled without the pattern. As they are reassem- bled the interior is packed closely with sand age of a larger proportion of sand that has already been used in the out- side case. The first molding is done with French mixed sand about half and half with sand which has already done duty. The core which is here used is made of sand which has been already used. The ee mold is again removed after the core as been finished. The mold is provided with so-called lanterns, shown in Fig. 2. These consisted of 2-inch perforated gas pipes arranged through the body and legs of the figure asshown. The gas generated in the interior of the mold finds its way through the sand of the core to these pipes, and by them is led outside. These pipes also serve to support the core. In the Greeley statute the reassembling was first begun at the head and the core packed in as the mold advanced until finally the bottom or pedestal was reached. When the mold had been completed it was placed in an oven and carefully dried, the same operation being performed with the core after its completion. The mold is now removed again, which exposes the core, which should at this stage be an ex- act reproduction of the model. This core is then pared down, a certain portion of every part of its surface being removed, the thickness of the part re- moved governing the final thickness of metal in the statue. The objects aimed at are to insure that at no place will there be a deficiency of metal, and also at no place an excess, since uniformity in the thick- ness is necessary to final success. The mold is then reassembled about the core, and is supported or held rigidly by out- side packing in a suitable flask, when the casting is made. Inlets and Vents.’ While pressing his sand in place the molder had other things to think of be- sides reproducing exactly the plaster im- age. He had to provide for the quick and free entrance of the bronze to certain parts of the mold, and to insure that all the gas generated would escape. How he did this is shown in Fig. 1. In the Gree- ley statue, which was cast lying upon its back, there were nine attacks or points where the metal entered. On top of the mold is a reservoir, from which lead two 14-inch ducts, A A. These pass around the figure and terminate at the points shown, the attacks on the opposite side not being indicated. In a certain sense the quantity of metal in any part governs the position of the attacks. It is expedi- ent to place an attack where there is much metal; for this reason one is shown at the back of the neck, where there is a mass of hair. Leading from all the prominent or elevated portions of the figure are 4-inch vents, which unite at the two vent open- ngs B B, and through which the gas es- apes. Thcre is no set formula to be fol- ES lowed in the arrangement of any of these passages, and it is more than probable that if this figure were again modeled they would be differently disposed. Leading from one of the inlet passages is a passage to the overflow at C. Pouring. The final success now depends upon sev- eral things. First, the bronze must be of the right composition in order to flow and fill every crevice in the mold. Next, it must be heated to just the right tem- perature in order to insure this, and in order also to make sure that there will be no trouble upon its cooling. Too great heat or too little heat will ruin the result of many men’s work for months. By means of a crane, a ladle containing molten metal, which as here used consists of 90 od cent. of copper and 10 of tin, is brought so that it can be poured into the reservoir, the two openings from the bot- tom of which are stopped by iron plugs covered with sand, as shown. It is im- portant that this reservoir should hold a certain amount of metal, since after the filling has once begun it would ruin the result if the openings became uncov- ered. At the right moment the two plugs are withdrawn, and as the metal flows from the reservoir into the cavity of the statue more metal is poured from the ladle, thereby keeping all the dross on the surface, and making sure that nothing but pure metal shall enter the mold. The fact that the mold has been filled is shown by the ——— of the molten metal at the overflow C, it then being cer- tain that the metal has passed over a cer- tain road, which is the: space it is neces- sary to fill, and that the surplus has found its way out here. The mold being then removed, the fig- ure presents a unique appearance. At every point where the metal has entered the mold there is a spine or branch, and at every point where an air duct has been provided there is a similar spine, so that the figure looks like av uncouth porcupine whose quills have been strangely and won- derfully distorted. The figure is now cleaned of all sand, the spines cut off with a chisel, any ridges left by the sections of the mold removed, and the whole thing, so to speak, cleaned up. It now presents an iridescent color, the several portions of the surface varying very strangely from each other. Anapplication of acid brings the surface to the same color all over, and then, if considered desirable, an artificial patina is applied, but in the case of the Greeley statue this was not considered de- sirable. Descending and Ascending Methods. There are two methods of introducing the metal to the mold. In the descend ing method the metal enters the highest ints and flows downward to the lowest. n the other, which is here practiced and which is decidedly superior, the metal epters at the lowest points and pushes its way upward until it reaches the over- flow on a level with the reservoir. In the downward method the metal attains a momentum which must be checked before complete filling will occur and there is therefore more danger of leaving some cavities unfilled. In the other process, however, the metal fills every cavity dur- ing its ascent, and while it, of course, moves rapidly, there is still time sufficient for this. The best results are obtained in the way here illustrated. It will be observed from the foregoing that this process is decidedly more direct and simple than the wax method, and that providing the casting is successful, the results obtained are better for larger work. The only thing gov- erning the size of the work which can be cast in one piece is the difficulty of obtaining an even flow of the metal and the absolutely complete filling of the space between core and mold, If this could be assured, the most intricate shapes could be easily molded and figures of the greatest size and complexity could be made with- out trouble. Bronze Casting in this Country. In closing we may mention that while the art of casting in bronze has only been carried on in this country for a very few years we are now in position to compete successfully with the oldest and best founders of Europe. This is shown by the many beautiful specimens of bronze work scattered through the country and which, for perfection of workmanship, will bear comparison with the best. That this esti- mate is held by artists is attested by the fact that a few days since the Bonnard Bronze Company received the contract for casting the bronze doors for Trinity Church, New York, this company being practically in competition with the most famous founders on the other side. These doors will be cast in one piece—a work never before attempted on such a large scale, I A Well-Equipped Foundry. The John B. Morris Foundry Company, of which John B. Morris is president, Geo. McGregor Morris secretary, Wm. H. Edwards treasurer, have erected and com- pleted their new plant, located at the corner of Court and Harriet streets, Cincinnati, Ohio. It isa brick structure having 275 feet of frontage on Court street and 125 feet on Harriet street. The building is shaped in the form of an L, the portion abutting on the last named thoroughfare being four stories in hight, 75 x 125 feet, the balance of the depth being occupied by the foundry, 90 x 200 feet. Entering at the corner of the first floor are located the general and private offices and counting room, each occupying space of 16 x 25 feet. To the left of these are arranged tiers of racks and bins occupying space of 77 x 75 feet, in which are kept in stock thousands of repairs for nearly every stove ever produced ; passing through this stock room, entrance is had to the foundry or molding floors, occupying space of 90 x 200 feet. This being a one-story building of brick, it is amply provided with light both from its three sides and skylights run- ~— the entire length of theroof. A 15x 80 foot space in one corner of the foundry is taken up by an improved apparatus for the drying of cores used in molding. To the left of the molding floors are located respectively the engine room, 25 x 25 feet, with a 75 horse-power engine, cleaning room, 35 x 65, and the 30-ton cupola, with elevator for hoisting the pig metal, coke, &c. The cupola is equipped with a No. 5 Root combined blower and engine. The yards are 100 x 65, a portion being taken up with coal and coke, sheet flasks, &c. Again refer- ring to the main building, the entire second floor is utilized as a machiae shop, a central or main shaft running through its full length, 125 feet. Here is located all the necessary machinery used in the production of tools required and of the various specialties made by the firm, the third floor being used as a finishing and cking department, while the fourth floor is entirely given up to the storage of pat- terns, an elaborate system of racks and sections being used for the purpose. Ample provision is made for the transfer of material from floor to floor by means of large elevators in addition to broad stairways. The capacity of the foundry is such that it gives employment to 75 to 85 snap molders a day. The com- any are now employing 142 hands, and increasing this number daily in the pro- duction of stove repairs, hardware spe- cialties, builders’ and plumbers’ goods, May 7, 1891 THE IRON AGE, 867 and a variety of soft gray iron castings, their first heat in the new plant having been made March 5, 1891. — I The Munsing Pulley. The Munsing Pulley Company of Min- neapolis, Minn., have designed a pulley applicable to two different classes of ma- chinery. Their object is, first, to employ it as a safety pulley on any machine where there is a liability that the working parts may become clogged, so that a further move- ment of the machine would be detrimental. In this case the friction blocks C C are ad- justed to give the necessary tension to properly drive the machine under ordi- nary circumstances. Any extra resistance which would lead to clogging causes the friction between the rims and the blocks to be overcome, and the rims continue to revolve with the belt and the central por- tion of the pulley stops. A second application of the pulley is to fast-running machines, where it is neces- An Assistant Cylinder for Marine Engines.* BY DAVID JOY. By the courtesy of your Council I again have the honor of asking your attention for a few minutes to the results of some further work I have been engaged in, still in the direction of my former course of work—‘‘ The Valve Gearing of Steam Engines.” For several years I have been directing my attention 1o the possibility of driving the valves of large and fast running engines, by the direct pressure of steam or water, exerted in a cylinder, and so clear- ing away all the complicated and cumber- some macbinery, to which the valve gear of the modern marine engine has grown. In following out the course of investiga- tion to which this aim has led me, I have tried a number of experiments, and in the course of them have been induced by circumstances to take first only one step in advance of the ordinary valve gear, by The Munsing Pulley. sary, to overcome the momentum, that an excessive strain is brought upon the belt when the power is first applied. In this case the power is shown applied to the central portion of the pulley, which re- volves within the loose rim until the fric- tion between the latter and the blocks is sufficient to overcome the momentum. This starts the machinery gradually, without any extra strain upon the belt or slowing down of the machinery or the annoyance | occasioned by shrieking. It*makes it possible also to use a much narrower belt to do the same work. A glance at our drawings will show the construction of the pulley itself. belt passes can revolve independently of the central portion B, which is secured to the driving shaft. To the central portion B are attached the friction blocks C C and are arranged by springs to force outward, and brought into contact with the loose rim A. Suitable screw bolts D bear upon the ends of the friction blocks and extend radially toward the hub. These blocks are pro- vided with nuts E, and are surrounded by spiral springs F, so that the friction be- tween the blocks and the rim can be in- creased at will by putting more or less tension upon the springs F with the aid of | the nut E. The pulley has been in use at a number of local works and is well spoken of by the users. oe The fifty-pinth meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers will be held at Cleveland, beginning on Tuesday, June 2. The rim A over which the | | | | | | | | relieving such gear of a part of its work, and so lengthening its life; this step, however, I believe to be an advance toward the substitution of the direct action of steam, for the movement of the valve, and not by any means an ulti- matum. The machine I am going to describe to- night, and I hope to prove a move in ad- vance in the right direction, I propose to call a ‘*Steam Assistant Cylinder,” as it is applied to the valve spindles of large and fast running engines, to relieve the | strains thrown upon the vale gear of such engines from the great weight of the valves now required, and the great speed at which it is necessary to drive them. The machine is represented in its position in relation to the valve of an engine in section in Fig. 6, where its at- tachment to the valve is also shown. In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are shown the original forms through which it was de- veloped to that shown in Fig 6, probably the permanent form. This represents an |assistant cylinder for the valve of a low- pressure engine cylinder, 56 inches in diameter, and with a valve stroke of 6 inches. In Fig. 7 is given a pair of the earlier diagrams taken from cylinder No. | 8, and in 8 and 9 are the analyses of those diagrams. In Fig. 10 are diagrams from the same cylinder, No. 3, after alterations, and Fig. 11 are from cylinder 4. Figs. 12 and 13 | are analyses of diagrams Fig 10. Figs. A, | ™ Paper read before the Institution of Naval Architects. B and C (Fig. 14) are from the first type of cylinder shown in Fig. 1, and where a valve was used, moved by the steam. Figs. D, E and F, (Fig. 15), are from the second type of cylinder, where the piston became its open valve, as in Fig. 3. I have given these diagrams letters only, and not figures, as they are only introduced to show the progress toward the present results. From an inspection of these earlier forms of the machine, it will be very evi- dent how, as usual in the introduction of |any new piece of mechanism, the most complicated and elaborate form came first. And, by experience, gradually the com- plications are dropped off one after another, resulting in the simplest form, as. shown in Fig. 6. As I have named already, it was while trying over various designs for working the valve direct by steam, that the idea occurred to me that a step in that direc- tion might easily and without much cost be taken by accepting the engine and its valve gear as it stood, and, abandoning the ordinary balance cylinder, to supply its place by a live steam cylinder capable of exerting a controllable driving power, in unison with the existing valve gear. So, after a great deal of scheming to get such a cylinder, with all the requirements for an adjustable and definite motion, and with the greatest simplicity and fewness of parts, I decided to adopt a cylinder with a steam moved valve, as shown in Fig. 1; ard during the meeting of this institution in the spring of 1889, | showed my designs to Mr. William Laird and to Mr. Bevis, suggesting their taking up the system and trying it. After care- fully examining the designs, appreciating the advantages intended to be gained, they readily acceded, and ordered one cylinder, which was to be titted on the engine of one of the torpedo gunboats they were | then building. At the same time I sub- mitted, and we discussed the design of the cylinder where the piston acted as its own valve. But it was considered best to adopt the form which gave more facility for adjustment in all directions, notwith- standing its greater complication. The ma- chine was made and delivered at Chatham in July of that year for attachment on the engines of H.M.S. Skipjack, and a second was ordered for the second set of engines on the same ship. And now it will be convenient, in the continuation of the paper, to go on in the plural, as, though hitherto I had been quite alone, from this time 1 was greatly assisted in bringing the machine to its present state of efficiency by the very practical and willing co-operation and in- dependent criticism of Mr. Ratsey Bevis. I ought not here to omit a word on the further help rendered by Mr. Bevis’ assistant, Mr Gibson, and of my son’s en- thusiastic efforts in filling my place when I was not able to be present at the trials. Almost immediately after Messrs. Laird ordered two more assistant cylinders for the engines of another torpedo gunboat. Early in August we got trials of the cylinders on the Skipjack, when, up to 150 revolutions at dock trials, the result appeared to be quite satisfactory. I say appeared, because, owing to the nature of the machine, with all the parts internal, and all valves shut up in their chests, it was very difficult to follow adequately their movements, or to know what was really going on. Both these ships, how- ever, successfully ran their trial trips. Now, leaving these cases, as it is not my object to drag you with us through all the difficulties of the introduction of a new machine, I come to Messrs, Laird’s fur- ther order for four machines for the en- gives of two almost similar ships. The first of these cylinders were to be similar to those already employed, but they were to be fitted with indicator bosses, both top ——————_ ea ta RR ce a te ee ce rr ——— == =e = maa ee - ee a ) ee eM 6 we ne 1H OS Mi ee ee ye em — ment Sieg ~ SE ho . + ee ee a acid 868 THE [IRON AGE, and bottom of the cylinders, and other im-; disappointing. (See Figs. A,BandC.) It provements, part of the adjusting levers also being done away with. On the trial of the first set (see Fig. 1) on the engines on the Almirante Lynch, we had rigged up a sort of ‘‘stethoscope ” to apply to the valve chest at one end and to the ear at the other, so by that means to detect what the valve was doing. as we could not see it. Though this instrument might have done very well in a quiet room, as it gave the ticking of a watcb very distinctly, the roar of a couple of sets of 2000 horse- power engines was too much for it. Mr. oe = Set —syen 10 UG Le st ROK ~ € yewarnns TO PUT CYLINDER IW ACTION was now decided to replace two of the cylinders on the Almirante Lynch by two May 7, 1891 much better than the former ones, there were eccentricities in the behavior of both the steam and exhaust lines which we had of the other type, as given in Fig. 3. | not yet accounted for; so, to analyse these And again, the as on these cylin- | at our leisure, I had a cardboard model ders were renewed. The indicator cards | made, of the full size of the cylinder we now showed a vast improvement, though | were employing, with all the movements still very perplexing, with their loops and | given, and all scaled off. And again we twists (see Fig. 7), and nothing to show | had a consultation. which was the steam and which the ex-| By moving the piston on the model and haust line, as they had nothingin common | following the effect that must occur on its with ordinary steam-engine indicator cards, | passage over the ports, it was evident that Yet unknown to us there was more work | the piston must get knocked about from being done in the mght direction than we | side to side by the recurrent action of the le =: VER ro a 8 SH - TEOKE _OFwnwanen — ' == - oe = 0 —_— . SHORTEN | & t] i \ a ORTEN STROKE FROM BOTTOM TO PUT ON STEAM TO Sr _ TO SHORTEN STNOKE FROM TOP JOYS ASSISTANT CYLINDER FOR MARINE HALA ay toil | Steam EXHAUST( TT HY VAY Wy > _- Bevis then applied a small brass rod to the; were aware of. (See analysis of Fig. 7 and top of one of the valves, carrying this rod, those marked Figs. 8 and 9.) through the top of the valve-chest lid, but| The next step toward light came of Mr. we did not learn much from this. I am, Bevis having a set of diagrams taken at much surprised that at this juncture it did| slow speeds, and only one line of the not occur to any of us to lead the exhaust | out into the open; we might then have | had avery good record of the action of the valve, as one judges of the valve setting of a locomotive by the ‘‘ beat ” of the engine. Meanwhile indicator cards were being taken diligently and continually up to speeds of about 250 revolutions, when the indicator got into a dance that stopped all record. From this time, however, we be- gan seriously to approach the solution of the question, though the resulting cards proved at first an utter enigma, and from our not being able to read them, were very course of the piston taken at once, so that the steam line only for the upstroke was taken on one card, and the exhaust line of the same stroke on another card, and so also of the down stroke, four cards giving one revolution. On these results we had a consultation, Mr. Bevis proposing a new reading of the cards. This ended in my taking home with me these diagrams, and having constructed an analysis of them, as shown at Figs. 8 and 9, where the dia- gram 8 shows the lifting stroke, and 9 the falling stroke Although these diagrams showed up tt ~ HY a — i OH A a N 3 Ladd KZ ry BY ////b STEAM ENGINES. steam and the exhaust, and that consider- able and very erratic leakages must take place, as well as a very large and perma- nent leakage past the slide for adjusting the cut-off of steam for top and bottom stroke. Therefore it was decided to block the adjusting slide on one cylinder, that leakage would be entirely checked in that direction. This was done, with the result that the indicator cards, Fig. 10, came off at 250 revolutions. And these are analyzed in Figs. 12 and 13. Here the lifting power for ‘‘assisting” the movement of the valve is represented by 11,816 pounds, and to be in operation during 0.70 of the stroke. The ‘cushioning ” of its momen- tum at the top is 2828 pounds, the “as- sisting ” power down is 8008 pounds, and is in operation during 0.63 of the stroke, May 7, 1891 and the ‘‘cushioning” or resistance at the bottom is 5048 pounds. These ap peared to me to be such satisfactory results | | | t that I have endeavored to repeat them since. There still remained, however, the leak- | ages round the piston to be dealt with, | arising from its being out of balance, and so being forced from side to side in its | passage over the ports, so allowing steam to pass round it. To meet this difficulty, the next cylinders ordered by Messrs. Laird | for the torpedo gunboats Rosales and | at each end of the cylinder and in the pis- | Espora, for the Argentine Government, were built on the plan shown at Fig. 4. THE IRON AGE, 869 spindle; so there are no loose parts to| (supplementary paper), by Dr. E. J. Ball, shake away, no special arrangements to| Royal School of Mines, London; ‘‘On a make, which may alter or vary by loose-| Graphic Method of Calculating the Com- ness. But the piston itself performs all} position of Furnace Charges,” by H. C. the functions of distributing the steam, | Jenkins, F.C.S., Wh'tworth Scholar, Lon- and releasing the exhaust—but that being | don; ‘‘ On the Calorific Efficiency of the so the remark may be made, then you can} Puddling Furnace,” by Major L. Cubillo, get no more steam than you have ‘‘lead;”| Trubia, Spam; ‘‘On Economical Pud- of course that is so. But, firstly, we want| dling and Puddling Cinder,” by Thos. a good deal of lead for efficient cushion-| Turner, Mason Science College, Birming- ing; and to provide steam for each driv-| ham; ‘‘On the Micro-Structure of Steel,” 5) ing stroke sufficient clearances are allowed | by M. Osmond, Paris. | ee eee ton to allow of what, to use a gunnery | term, I may call a ‘“‘charge” of steam} The New York Concentrating Works, Here the piston was in entire balance, re- | sufficient by its expansion to give out all 'with a capital of $100,000, have filed a ceiving steam all round, and exhausting all round. This plan also gave room for vast port area in both ways. The results | given by these cylinders were very good, and the indicator cards are shown at Fig. | 11. In the construction of this form of | power required. Then for the manipula-| certificate of incorporation in the Secre- tion of the machine. On starting the) tary of State’s office. The company are main engines it is only necessary to turn| formed to mine, smelt or otherwise treat, on a ‘‘ whiff” of steam to slightly fill the| concentrate and deal in iron and other cylinder—so that it becomes inoperative metallic ores and their products, and to but not obstructive—till the main engines | manufacture and sell, and to license others to cylinder, steam tightness depends on the; have fairly moved. More steam is ad-| manufacture and sell inventions, processes excellence of the work done by the tool— | mitted as the speed increases till, by the and mechanical contrivances applicable to and this 1s all turning, and no reliance is | quiet of the valve motion, it is clear that | the objects of the company. The opera- placed on the workman’s fitting, except in BOTTOM LIFTING STROKE FALLING STROKE Fig. 12. Fig. 13, STEAM 180 A REVS. 250 the assistant cylinder has settled to work. | tions of the company are to be carried on ‘ 182 REVS. FALLING BOTTOM Fig. 15. Fig. 8. Fig. 9. DIAGRAM fi | 204 REVS. / ‘ ‘ ' ! / | / / ‘ / STEAM 185 REVS. 153 <= Irene ' ‘ \\ \ fi | ! ! ! Fig. 11. Fig. 7. Fig. 14. JOY’S ASSISTANT CYLINDER FOR MARINE ENGINES. the one point of fitting the lid accurately into the cylinder, but as the steam ports are produced, by one centering and turn- ing on the lathe, and the exhaust by an- other. The piston, of course, depending on only one centering, the possibility of a misfit between the cylinder and the lid might allow leakage at the ports. So the final form has been arranged to meet this possibility. Here the cylinder with all The system has now been taken up by | in the town of Putnam, in this State, and other firms, both in this country and on | in other States and Territories and foreign the Continent, and promises, I hope, gen- | countries. eral adoption on the class of engines for which it was designed. The Totten & Hogg Iron and Steel Foundry Company of Pittsburgh have a May Meeting of the Iron and Steel closed a contract with the St. Louis Stamp- Institute ing Company of St. Louis, Mo., for a num- : ber of rolls to be used in their plate plant. They have also received an order the ports is the result of one boring, and | The papers to be read at the London | fiom a new concern, to be known as the the piston of one turning, both lots of ports hold the piston in balance, and both are ample in area, and have ample cover. (See Fig. 6.) And now, lastly, I must give you avery short description of the machine itself, and its raison-d’étre, as well as its opera- tions. The machine is made to take the place of the ordinary balance cylinder. But it does much more, as has been seen; it should take most of the strain of moving the valve away from the ordinary valve gear, so saving wear and tear, and the trouble often given by eccentrics. And doing this it is equally applicable to hori- zontal engines. The engine is simplicity itself, consist- meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute of Minneapolis Rolling Mill Company, now Great Britian, May 6, 7 and 8, are an- being organized at Minneapolis, Minn., nounced as the following : for an 18-inch three-high muck train, a ‘*On the Ironmaking Resources of the | bar train and squeezers. The squeezers aes ee Ke he — van ‘aa | ordered are of very large size, being coa- . 7 a, Sep ee es ** Om the? an " in il Coke Industry of the United States,” by oa larger than many squeezers now | J. D. Weeks, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S. A.; : ‘¢ On the Manufacture of War Material in the United States,” by W. H. Jaques, Beth-| It has been stated that the railroads lehem Iron Company, Bethlehem, Pa.,U. S. | traversing the Mahoning and Shenango A. ‘*On Tests for Steel used in the Manu-| Valleys have suffered enormously as the facture of Artillery,” by Wm. Anderson, | result of the general shut down of the fur- D.C.L., Director-General of Ordnance naces in those districts. The railroad Factories, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich; | business is said to have fallen off from 30 ‘*On Certain Pyrometric Measurements |to 40 per cent., and if all the furnaces and the Method of Recording Them,” by were to shut down fully one-half of the Professor Roberts-Austen, C.B., F.R.S., | business would be gone, and the other Royal Mint, London; ‘‘On the Changes | half would follow as a result of the stop- ing only of a cylinder and a piston, the latter locked on to the end of the valve in Iron Produced by Thermal Treatment,” | page of the rolling mills. on = 870 THE IRON AGE. May 7, 1891 ame OUR BATTLE SHIPS. probably be fought mm almost any weather. , ship will be superior at her normal draft The bunker capacity of 1800 tons might | to the Royal Sovereign class, on account of possibly be useful to an American ship if | her less length and draft. The excessive she had to steam from the east to the west | cutting away of the keel forward is done coast of America by passing round Cape | to improve the maneuvering power and to Horn, but if she did this in time of war|reduce the hight of the bow {wave. oe United States Armored Coast-Line % Battle Ships. [| With Supplementary Sheet of Engravings. | P. Even the most sanguine supporters of i 3 the so-called new navy did not dream that ae such rapid strides would be made that in ks _ less than a decade we should be prepared vy to build battle ships superior to any in ey the English navy. It was not thought y that our engineers would be sufficiently experienced, our plants so well equipped and our gun factories so fer advanced, as 1} to enable us to design and build a war ee) vessel amply able to take care of itself, if ¥ pitted against any of the famed destroy- i ers of Europe. Yet such is the fact. it The three battle ships, of which draw- both in plan and purpose from any of those we have described in former issues. | , They are not designed to have speed enough to allow them to assume the most desirable position, but are expected to fight anything that may come against them. Their armor is of sufficient strength 4 fing. to resist the fire of an attacking force, ; while the battery is of the heaviest service- vi _ able description. a . Foreign Opinion, oe In a paper recently read by J. H. Biles ee, before the Institution of Naval Architects we find the following remarks about these vessels : The armament of these vessels seems fs to be more powerful than that of any aes European battle ship, having four guns . capable of piercing any armor afloat and eight 8-inch guns capable of penetrating —_ almost any armor, and certainly of pene- ee trating the armor at the ends of the belts and on the barbettes and redoubts of most Ray of our battle ships at close quarters, Of We co