The Iron Age 1892-11-17: Vol 50

‘THE The Weber Automatic Friction Cluteh. Some months ago one of the Weber clutches was put in one of the testing | shafts, which run at a speed of 450 revo- lutions per minute, at the works of the ‘dison General Electric Company, Sche- | nectady, N. Y., and has been in constant use testing incandescent and arc dynamos. It has never needed any attention beyond oiling the loose parts. This clutch is the invention of Peter Weber of Schenectady, N. Y. Mr. Weber’s primary object was to produce an automatic tightening mechanism that would be brought into operation should a slip occur between the two members of the clutch, and thereby bring into action suitable devices for in- | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1892. anism. The contiguous faces of disk, plate | and ring provide the surfaces of the clutch which makes contact with each other to! connect the pulley and shaft, and between these surfaces are interposed loose friction rings of wood, fiber, &c. The clamping mechanism consists of a} number of toggle levers, B, alever, C, for | each of the toggle levers and a bolt, A, for | each lever, C, engaging the outer face of | the latter and extending inwardly through | the disk, and at its inner end bearing in- | directly against the inner face of the disk, | as shown clearly in Fig. 3. One arm of | each of the toggle levers is pivoted at its in- | ner end to a sleeve splined to the shaft and | lof the ring D. IRON AGE movement is continued the arms are forced away from the disk by the cams, thereby rocking outward the inner ends of the levers C, the outer ends of which are corre- spondingly moved inward against the rib The levers when thus moved force the ring and plate inwardly toward the disk E, thereby tightly com- pressing the loose rings and clutching the disk to the pulley. The mechanism for adjusting the fric- tion between the two members of the clutch is now to be described. This mechanism consists of a cog wheel con- nected to all the clamping devices through the ring to which the bolts of capable of longitudinal movement on itfor| these clamping devices are connected. the purpose of shifting the clamping | This cog wheel has a bearing upon a shoul- mechanism to or out of clamping position| der formed upon the inner face of the The free end of the other arm of the disk E and is capable of being rotated by Fig. 1.—Perspective. THE «creasing the friction between the contact- ing or pressing surfaces of the two mem- bers of the clutch until the point is reached at which the slip ceases, when the tight- ening mechanism will no longer operate to further increase the friction. The clutch is also provided with an improved fric- tion-adjusting mechanism which will at a single operation and from a single point simultaneously and uniformly ad- just all portions of the two members of the clutch which make contact with each other. This mechanism can be operated by hand and also by the tightening device above mentioned. Provision is also made for rendering the tightening mechanism inoperative when the contacting portions of the two members of the clutch are out of, or being moved out of, clutching posi- tion. Keyed to the shaft isa disk, E, carrying the clamping, the adjusting and the slip- operated lightening mechanism. The pulley carries a plate which is embraced upon its inner side by the disk E and upon its outer side by aring, D, capable of movement to and fromthe plate by the clamping mech- WEBER AUTOMATIC FRICTION toggle lever is provided with a roller rest ing against tne face of the disk within a pair of ribs. Within each pair of ribs isacam engaging the roller, and also a) recess at the base of the cam for receiving the roller in the unclamping position. It will be observed from the foregoing that all the portions of the clamping mechanism and the disk E which make contact pre- sent rounded smooth surfaces to each other, thus minimizing the friction be- tween these parts, and, as a result, con- siderably reducing the wear and tear of the same. The outer ends C of the toggle levers B rest against a rib formed in the face of the ring D. The bolts passing through the arms C are all connected at their inner end to a ring upon the inner face of the disk E. The operation of the clamping mechan- ism is as follows: To clamp the two mem- bers of the clutch, the sleeve is moved away from the disk E in the usual way, thereby straightening out the toggle levers and causing the rollers of the arms B of these levers to ride up the cams inwardly toward the hub of the disk E. As this Fig. 2.—Tightening Mechanism. CLUTCH. hand or automatically by the tightening mechanism of the clutch. This wheel is so arranged that its rotation will move axially the bolts A to or from the disk E. The mechanism for operat- ing the cog wheel consists of a pin- ion, the shaft of which is journaled in the disk E, and extends throuzh and be- yond the outer face of the ring D. The outer end of the shaft is squared to re- ceive a hand wrench when it is desired to operate the pinion by hand and rotate the cog wheel for the adjustment of the fric- tion between the pressing surfaces. The operation of the adjusting mechan- ism is as follows: By rotating the pinion, and consequently the cog wheel, the bolts are drawn inward, and cause the levers to bear more strongly against the ring D, and thus increase the friction between the pressing surfaces. To decrease this fric- tion the pinions are turned in the opposite direction. It will thus be seen that the friction between the pressing surfaces may be adjusted with great nicety, the adjust- ing mechanism by which this result is produced being operated from one point, ~ ARE > ae nape, va eETT TF ee eS ie | oe ’ es R —z_, = seem nn 922 and upon its operation adjusting the fric- tion between the pressing surfaces simul- taneously and uniformly at all points. It may sometimes happen, however, as it frequently does in the common forms ot friction clutches, that the friction created between the pressing surfaces by the oper- ation of the clamping mechanism will not be sufficient to drive the load upon the driven member, and as a consequence ‘*slip”’ will occur between the two mem- bers of the clutch. It is the primary object of this construction to overcome this ob- jection and to utilize this slip for the operation of tightening mechanism which, acting upon the adjusting mechanism described, will through it operate the clamping mechanism to increase the fric- tion between the pressing surfaces until a point is reached at which slip ceases and the two members of the clutch travel at the same speed. Briefly, this tightening mechanism consists of a lever and a pawl and ratchet operated by it which, when slip occurs between the pressing surfaces, operating through the pinion, rotates the cog wheel in the manner before described when operated by hand. This device is extremely simple in construction and positive in its action. This mechan- ism is inoperative so long as no slip occurs. Four of these clutches are now being made to go on the new testing shaft which is being put up at the works of the Edison General Electric Company. ——————————EEE The Williamson Mechanical Trades School. The Williamson Free School of Mechan- cal Trades, founded by Isaiah VY. William- son for the purpose of giving poor and deserving boys a good English education, for training them in habits of morality, economy and industry and for teaching them mechanical trades, is now in opera- tion in Delaware County, Pa. Each scholar is given a preparatory course in wood working and mechanical drawing, in connection with studies in the school- room, and extending through six months. At the end of that period he is placed at one of the following three trades, the selection of which is made by the trustees, due regard being given to the inclination and adaptability of the boys to the trades to which they are assigned. Wood work- ing in its various branches, such as car- pentering, pattern making, cabinet mak- ing, &c. Building, including bricklaying, tile, range and boiler setting, &c., plaster- ing and stone masonry. Machine trade in all its usual details, including practical training in steam and electrical engineer ing, steam fitting, &c. Each scholar takes but one of the trades named, and his instruction in mechanical drawing, which continues during his entire course, tends in the general direction of his trade. I British marine engineers are again dis- cussing the desirability of agitating for a change in the system of testing boilers with a view to reducing the thickness and weight of the shells. It is asserted that of late years material and workmanship have so much improved that the hydraulic test at present imposed by the Board of Trade and insurance companies might well be re- duced by one-half to 90 pounds over the working pressure, as is now the case with British ships of war. The saving which this would effect may be estimated from the fact that in the new Cunarder ‘‘ Campania” about 1200 tons of weight are absorbed by the boilers alone. The complaint of scarcity of cars is not confined alone to the coke region, but ap- pears to be general throughout the coal regions as well. THE IRON AGE. A Railroad as an Iron Consumer. The railroads of the country are the heaviest consumers of iron and steel. So prominent a factor are they that the markets almost invariably reflect a bad railroad year. We have three conditions November 17, 1892 to month trade and financial writers have directed attention to this last mentioned fact, and have prophesied that this buying movement would soon commence, to the profit of the iron industry. That it is still hanging fire need only be but mentioned here. Many eauses might be ascribed. The principal one is the straitened — f}) A “ Fig. 3.—Section Parallel with Shaft. THE WEBER confronting us, viz.: 1. The past two years have chronicled the lowest prices for iron and steel that have ruled in a decade. 2. The past three years have showed un- precedentedly large earnings on the part of the railroads all over the country. 3. The railroads have not expended for re- pairs and betterments a sum proportionate to their increased earnings. From month AUTOMATIC FRICTION CLUTCH. financial condition in which most of the roads found themselves about the time the improvement setin. During 1887-1889, both inclusive, earnings barely maintained the average. This was particularly true of the roads of the South and Southwest. When the improvement came the equip- ment and roadbeds were in a very dilapi- dated condition, and notwithstanding two November 17, 1892 THE IRON AGE. 923 prosperous years there has been evinced little or no intention of making repairs and betterments beyond immediate re- quirements, The economic world fully realizes that in order to retain patronage and at the same time save itself from dis- integration, an industrial institution must keep up repairs. This applies especially to the railroads. Next year, owing to the World’s Fair, will be the best that the railroads have ever experienced. They show little disposition or intention of pre- paring beyond meeting absolutely meager needs, and the question arises: Will 1894 find them pursuing the present policy ? Table B.—( ‘omparative Costs, ee — Mileage of engines ria wanes Gross earn'ngs ee kN Nae Sane caine Operating expenses ....... Net earnings ....... va Gross earnings per eas Maintenance of equipment New motive power and e quipme nt. Cords of wood rere ; MOOR GOO soces ccccceccess ; eee Average miles to pint of oil Average miles to ton of coal. sii Cost of fuel per mile run ....... ...... Mileage of passenger cars. Mileage of freight cars..... Cost per mile repairs on freight cars. Cost per mile repairs on passenger cars...... New wheels used in repairs ....... ea New axles used in repairs .. Passenger cars on hand at end of year. EE cnc coass Waseda Ugecuurccocs uaa WO Occ cess cece cei Freight earnings. POSSONGEFr CQTOINGS .......0..0ccecececes ve Tons of freight trains s eee ess Tons of freight carried one mile .. Average distance in miles each ton was carried., Revenue per ton per mile ....... cai Aa ees Number of passengers carried. .... Average fare each passenger Number carried one mile ... Average rate per mile from each passenge vr increase in the sums expended since 1882 The maximum number of tons of rails used was 23,999 tons in 1889-90, it being an increase of about 15,000 tons in a year. From these figures it dropped to 14,190 tons in 1890-91, a most prosperous year, while in 1891-92, still more prosperous, it was 15,881 tons, No further attempt will be made to analyze the very complete table which fol- lows. A perusal will show the reader how prominently a railroad figures as a consumer, also the large percentage of gross | earnings which return yearly to the various producers of the country. 1892. 1891. 1800. 19,805,150 19,093,381 $19,291,760 17,881,554 $13,141,775 11,890,366 $6,149,985 5,991, 188 $6,690 j 1.483.969 $2,035,405 $652,050 973,408 22,470 19,327 867,109 625,692 210,978 165 255 ai 12.31 13.04 ai 23.96 27.31 4.73¢ ot 4.8] 23,806,720 21,952,061 18,340,595 202,582,586 194,033,517 178,929,879 43¢ 41 3b o7¢ 1.01 1.04 12,489 13 019 12,328 2,490 2,834 3,468 487 463 417 nee 15,324 14,943 13,686 es 200 157 9x $12,809,972 12.100,600 11,335,364 $4,388,269 3,812,339 3,287,292 7,519,192 6,948,867 6,359,729 1,411,375,499 1,302,002.213 1,189,282,889 187.70 187 .37 187 weil .908¢ 934 5 ‘ 11 912,463 10,108,375 8,207,213 oe 36.84¢ 37.71 40.81 208,836,686 183.875,079 158,267,606 2.101¢ 2.073 2.078 expenditure was in 1892 and 1891, the amounts being $2,035,405 and $1,802,395 respectively, as compared with $1,272,870 in 1887. There is shown an increase in the car equipment which will probably ac- count for this expenditure, the number of passenger cars in 1892 being 487, an in- crease of 83, and freight cars 15,341, an increase of 4022. The cost of repairs on passenger cars per mile has gradually de- creased, showing a better grade of equip- ment. On freight cars it remains about the same. Since 1888, when the track was only 300 miles shorter than at present, the gross earnings increased materially. Revenues anl Erp onditures 18 9. 1588. 1887. 14,904,567 14,493,418 13,132,346 14,655,617 13,660,245 13,546,287 8,710,313 8,633,475 7,510,941 5,945,303 5,026,769 6,235,342 5,400 Dy 566 5,751 1,309,738 1,5552,408 1,272,879 110,968 895,955 253,759 24,483 29.027 30,377 533,557 538,761 459,282 144.765 156,127 138,336 12 87 11.89 12.2 27.33 26 72 28 3 5.40 5.24 4.98 4! 3 33 1.18 1.44 121 5,831 11,744 10,665 1,536 2,153 1,156 408 397 4d 12,512 12,474 11,302 108 96 98 9,916,229 9,125,527 9,034,862 3,087,742 2,842,518 2,785,407 5,527,058 5,266,187 4,910 248 1,053,294,405 963,929,9:9 830,970, 5% 190.57 183.04 169.23 94 95 1.08 7,444,111 7,184,691 6,949,852 40,81 39.56 40.8 150,€88,320 134,582,800 122,790,764 2.016 2.011 2.8 It is a question which can only be answered in Wall street, and then only vaguely. The Illinois Central Railroad Company is a type of the more progressive and legit- imately handled roads. Its policy is to keep its equipment up to a certain stand- ‘ard from its earnings. In this it leads many roads. It is oneof the few roads which have during the past three years maintained an average condition. It being the nucleus around which World’s Fair traffic’ will center renders its physical The road has increased nearly 1000 miles in length since 1882, being now 2888 miles long. We find that during seven and one- half years from 1882 the extension was 908 miles, the total cost was approximately the same year by year, showing that it was almost entirely for extension. Since 1888 there has been practically no exten- sion, while the expense of maintenance has increased from $1,598,117 in 1888 to} $2,793,513 in 1892. From this we on conclude that its physical condition has Thus the increase in 1890 over the preced- ing year was 10.92 per cent. ; in 1891, 8.69 per cent. ; in 1892,7.89 per cent. These per- centages arc to be ‘compared with operating expenses increases of 15.97 per cent., 14.71 per cent., 10.52 percent, and net earnings 2.32 per cent., 1.56 per cent. and 2.32 per cent. Rai! Condition of llinois Central Track. 1892. 1891. 1890. Miles, Miles, Miles. Iron rails 184.43 195.57 229.97 Pounds. a eed ee ee EE 2 a eee = wt ees ‘condition and facilities for doing business doubly interesting. been vastly improved. There has also been an increase in the number of heavy The following tables are compiled from | rails laid, a3 is shown by the accompany- a series of the very full annual reports!i»g table. It will be seen that the mile- rendered by the company. They show! age of 76-pound rails was increased from Steel rails, 52.... 250 2.50 2.50 | Steel rails, 56 ae 394 O1 441 09 462.09 | Steel rails, 60......... 1,682 97 7 41.54 1,780.39 Steel rails, 67 ; 12.89 146,23 147.48 Steel rails, 75 . ... 361.50 248,25 152.75 Not classified.... ... 100. 100, 100. 2,875.19 2,888.30 2,875.18 | Totals Table A. | I | The first lodge of the National Union of ‘Iron and Steel Workers, composed of the |finishers employed in rolling mills, was organized in Youngstown, Ohio, last week, and will be known as Fair Play Lodge. |The members of this new lodge were all formerly connected with the Amalgamated Association. It will be remembered that 604,096 | $201,648 $1 6 317.227 $1.212,9%6 |) the National Union of Iron and Steel 425,627 | 153,739 1: 5 1,272,850; Workers was organized in Pittsburgh 1 New rails. Cross ties. Other items. Potal. Year. end of year. Miles of road at of tons. Amount. Number. Amount, Number $128,521 183,240 93,446 87,332 63,239 79,918 573,898 116,373 654,141 44,517 336,611 23, 999 327,298 759,955 14,190 185,589 1,247,924 46:2 665 154,083 1255, 549 > 508-756 | 176/836 {36,134 | 2DOut three weeks since. 492.524 74,516 1. 179, 130 annem i 197,989 1,349,780 ‘ | 214.131 595.117 | The work of replacing the structures Milwaukee con- cies 765'093 Be 666<ce 2,554 847,807 404.685 1,086,596 1,133,440 1,2 1,227,778 15,881 197,033 1,135,934 377,223 310,908 111,226 380,261 $21,454 527 083 105,682 796,460 | destroyed in the recent 414528 S420 za | flagration will not be delayed on account $64,445 2,793,513 | of “scarcity of structural iron, as at first feared. The supply seems to be equal to the demand, and no difficulty has been ex- perienced in placing contracts. Bricks and other material entering into construction work have advanced in prices owing to the {i __ | sudden increase in demand, and labor is : ~ | proportionally higher. | f that a systematic expenditure reduces| 152 miles in 1890 to 361 miles in 1892, | ay operating cost, increases profit, and at the| while the iron rails decreased from 236 Navigation between St. Louis and New i end of a year leaves the road in good con- | miles in 1890 to 184 miles in 1892. | Orleans suffers more than ever from rail- dition. The table of ‘‘ Maintenance of| The maintenance of equipment shows|road competition and the impediments i! 1890-91. ... 1891-92... 2888 The sums reported as the equivalent of the purchases of steel rails probably represent the purchase price from which the sums received for old rails taken out of track have been deducted. * First six months. The heaviest | caused by bridging streams. iti ‘Way’ shows, generally speaking, a steady | the same range of increase. ae = 2 SSS " s OE arge: = An cre ae ee 25 y Reg ae + <a ZS Pe oe ere A . ‘ OO EE De ye KOE GD MBG NE IP 4D mom mer. i 924 Power Transmission in High Build- ings. —II. Rope belting, the use of which has be- come very general during the past dec- ade, is peculiarly well adapted for pur- poses of transmission where a_ large Fig. 1.—Drive from amount of power is to be distributed in | various directions from the prime mover. | Owing to its cylindrical section, it is pos- sible to lead it in one continuous length | from and to any desired point or points, and to do so advantageously; whereas, if flat belting of any kind whatsoever be used, it would be obviously bad practice | to attempt turning corners and changing direction of drive without the use of counters and separate belts. Of course, corners can be turned by the use of mule pulleys, not only in one direction but several, but any one who has had an average experience of such a system of driving could hardly be expected to rec- | ommend it—except, possibly, to his com- | petitor. Fordriving the lines on the sev- eral floors of high buildings and still | avoid the objectionable features of the old-fashioned method previously referred to, rope transmission may be used to great advantage provided the requisite degree of | engineering skill be employed in planning | the drive; though, in default of this, the | most unsatisfactory resultsare probable. | THE IRON AGE, There are many peculiarities about the running of rope belts which have de- veloped and been provided for as the usual and natural result of experience; but unless that experience be available the in- stallation of such a system is pretty sure to be attended with much tribulation, even if it does not prove a failure. Most ea a, a ell Basia tbenal atid = High-Speed Engine, firms making a specialty of transmission have, of necessity, come to include rope driving among the several systems offered for the choice of customers. While in many matters of detail each concern has its own special devices, it would be diffi- cult to say that any particular one has the best, as all appear to satisfactorily accom- November 17, 1892 plish the same result by different means. The several cuts illustrate the system of the Webster Mfg. Company of Chicago, whose line of business includes all modern transmission appliances. As all devices which have not been entirely satisfactory in actual use have been promptly discarded and improvements substituted, their sys- tem may be considered as a fair exponent of correct rope transmission ; and its appli- cability to the use of high buildings is de- scribed with reference to their particular method. Fig. 1 is a view of the engine room at the company’s works, As in this instance a high-speed engine is used, the initial drive—being from a comparatively small pulley instead of froma large fly wheel, as in case of a lower-speed engine—is somewhat modified. The continuous rope passes over the two idlers and thenceto a pulley on the main line, one strand being interrupted in its course between the latter and upper idler by the suspended and fixed single sheaves through which it passes, The suspended pulley, being weighted, furnishes the necessary self-adjusting ten- sion to the entire rope, which is kept uni- formly taut, without regard to the con- tinual variations of load. To the right of the main driver pulley is a driver from which a three-part rope passes around the vertical idlers (which, as their motion is in opposite directions, necessarily run loose on the shaft), and thence toa pulley Fig. 2.—Vertical Drive. on aline—not shown—running at a right angle with the main line. The horizontal tension carriage is shown at the left of the cut, while the tension rope is carried be- tween the main ropes from the engine to the sheave on the wall, from which the weights are suspended. Upon the shaft of the upper main idler is a large single- November 17, 1892 THE IRON AGE. 925 groove pulley, the rope from which drives In Fig. 2 is shown what may be consid-| to be placed entirely outside of the wall the dynamo counter. From the latter to | ered as practically a vertical drive, and ad- for the purpose of avoiding the objectiona- the armature pulley a three-part drive is| mirably illustrates a method for furnishing | ble feature of belt holes, which in case of shown, with its very simple tension de-| independent power to as many floors of aj so large a number of ropes, would become very serious. Of course ample protection from exposure to the weather can easily be made, while the absence of all openings either in the floors or walls renders the drive absolutely isolated and safe as regards fire risk or liability to accident. Four floors only are shown thus driven, but it is merely a matter of sufficient face and num- ber of grooves in the main driver, and the necessary duplication of line shafts, to make the transmission to any number of stories a perfectly simple matter. With the main driven pulley on each line pro- vided with a friction clutch, every floor is entirely independent of its neighbors, above and below, and so long as the engine is running, can start and stop at will. In this method of driving but one tension device is needed—it being shown as the horizontal carriage, interrupting the outer strand and consequently the longest reach of rope. Fig. 3 shows another vertical main drive, but in this case to one floor only, though to two parallel lines at opposite sides of the building. The arrangement suggests the possibility of numerous modifications, by which from four to six lines on each floor might be included in the one contin- uous system, and all placed outside of the building, and rendered independent by means of friction clutches. + 4 In Fig. 4 we have an instance of the power conveyed for a considerable distance horizontally, and thence to the top of a tall grain elevator. It is not unusual that the location of the engine or water- power i cannot be made conveniently near to the 1 | point at which the power is to be utilized, 1 | and ordinary means of transmission are A in | therefore inadequate. In the case in f mn | wi | point, the elevator adjoins the car sheds of hai i" , —- — a | ————_ #® |. ———4r- the West Chicago Street Railway Com- 4 IN N pany (to whom it belongs), upon the other A> 4 b. 4 A side of which is the power house of the _ MIZE (RS TAS MBAS S| — | Madison street cable road. As a matter 1 = " : | Lae aes alli Sa aan ame NC Sem Fig. 3.—Vertical Main Drive. {| RNC HESS Trae SOY AE ORO IRE PHS Fig. 4.— Horizontal Conveyance of Power. vice. It is apparent at a glance that there | building as desired. While the cut shows | of economy and also to prevent the neces- is no limit to the number or direction of | the system placed inside of the building, it sity for placing a boiler in the elevator drives possible from the engine pulley—a| is obvious that no modification whatever is | building, the drive as shown was planned, point it will be necessary to consider later | needed (with the exception of wall bear-| and operates in a perfectly satisfactory on. ings for the end of the shaft) to enable it! manner. The distance across the car 2 ee a EET Sa TM 7S 8 =~ SOE SY SB - a ews > jin f ~ ~ = ' WL as os Ee ag Pens, 22> ¥ LSD BIBT NE FIN + PO oe eed - ar * SO BEL ts, an 926 THE IRON AGE. November 17, 1892 sheds is 110 feet, and the amount of power transmitted 75 horse-power. A somewhat more elaborate tension system is necessary on account of the long stretch of unsup- ported horizontal rope. It will be noted that the rope is made to undergo numer- Until comparatively recenty the diffi- culties of changing the direction of drive, or from one shaft to another not parallel with it, were suflicient to cause it to be loss of efticiency or trouble in mainte- nance. In Fig. 6 we have an example of one method by which it may be accomplished. avoided, if the nature of the case permit- | The simple and inexpensive character of ted. Where iv became a necessity, how- | the device is admirable—the two pairs of idlers and supended tension comprising the entire outfit. While both shafts are shown }at the same level, it is readily apparent that this is not a necessary condition, as the transverse driven shaft can just as well be located on a different floor, either above or below the driver, although this would involve the use of the objectionable belt holes through the floor. Fig. 7 shows another device of still sim- pler, but more limited character. The guide pulleys and tension rig being in one, may be considered as a center upon which the position of driven shaft—that is, its angular relation to the driver—may be de- pendent. The device, however, is not conveniently applicable to heavy drives, involving a multiplicity of ropes; neither is it suitable to connect shafts running — gs= ia “2 = ip > i —~ rt Ss tit t7es - Lev SSS Sys tt SEE SESeEEES SS SSSe Fig. 6.—Arrangement for Changing Direction. ous changes of direction, and yet in & manner as simple as would be a direct drive, so far as any objectionable features are concerned. It is readily apparent that if, instead of an elevator, the building were used for purposes requiring the use of power on each of any practicable number of floors, the same system of driving from the remote prime-mover could as readily be employed, the only modification neces. sary being that a sufficient number of parts to the rope be provided to enable it to pass over the pulley of each line in turn instead of going in an uninterrupted stretch from bottom to top. The foregoing cuts amply illustrate the adaptability of the rope system to the sev- eral main drives of high buildings, under both average and extreme conditions. The distribution of the power from these lines, however, requires the use of a number of supplementary devices, as show in the fol- lowing illustrations. Of course, the rope belting may be used for such distribution only without reference to the method of conveying power to the main line. For instance, it might be preferred to use the vertical shaft system described in The Iron Age, October 20, while the entire sys- tem of transmission throughout the build- ing should be by ropes. For this purpose, the device shown in Fig. 5 is designed to conduct the rope from the vertical to the horizontal shaft, which it does in a very simple and direct manner, but one idler being necessary, where the aligment of the two pulleys is made as shown. While but a single part Fig. 7.—Single Strand with Hanging Tension and Cross Drive. lever, the noisy and unsatisfactory miter|in the same horizontal plane. Fig. 8 rope is shown in the cut, any number] gears appeared to be the only reliable | shows still another device for the same which may be necessary to transmit the|means, notwithstanding the numerous, required amount of power may be used purpose, which is designed especially for and sometimes ingenious, attempts to/|use in connection with belt convey- without other change than that the pulleys | supply an efficient substitute. The use of|ors. This, also, is exceedingly simple contain the requisite number of grooves— ‘ropes for the purpose removes all trouble | and easily adapted, as the placing of the idler sheave, of course, being made to| and enables the changing of direction to|the idlers at proper angle and location corre spond. ‘be made in the drive without the least! to guide the rope without danger of chaf- November 17, 1892 THE IRON AGE. 927 ing is all that is necessary. The tension carriage may be placed at any point most convenient, provided only that its align- ment with the pulley be correct. The re- versal of direction of rotation, which in the use of flat belting is accomplished in a perfectly correct and satisfactory manner by twisting, or ‘‘crossing,” as it is techni- cally termed, cannot be accomplished by the same means where ropes are used, as they would chafe against each other to a destructive degree in running in opposite directions, though no appreciable effect is , ; Where the downward tension is necessary, the same carriage may be used, inverted, in which case the use of the sheaves for guiding the weight rope may be dispensed with, and the weights attached directly to | the carriage. Usually, however, the sus- pended tension device answers every pur- pose, and is preferable on account of its simplicity and cheapness. While there are innumerable other devices used in con- nection with rope transmission, the fore- going are suflicient to illustrate the system and to show its applicability to all classes MOVABLE Fig. 8.—Quarter-Twist Drive. SP YRELVE BOLLE. SEPT RA aa Fig. 9.—Reversal Arrangement ‘The Northwestern Trade. From the New York Times. | There is a new drift of traffic at the head of the great lakes. Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul are sensible of it and its |cause—the movement of wheat through inew channels. It is a gravitation to the shortest rail and longest water hauls. Wheat no longer follows the routes of the last decade, from the Northwest to Fig. 11.—Vertical Tension Carriage. experienced with the flat belts. shows a simple arrangement by which the reversal may be accomplished with no bad effects on the rope. Fig. 10 is the ordinary horizontal ten- sion carriage applied inside of the straight drive, and therefore occupying no un- necessary room. While the sheave comes directly in line of the outer groove of the two pulleys, the carriage, its ways and the weights are entirely outside and clear of the horizontal portions of the rope. Fig. 11 is the vertical tension carriage, used in connection with drives in which the ten- Fig. 10.—Horizontal Tension Carriage in high manufacturing buildings. — ; The Trades League of Philadelphia de- | mand from the city a new industrial census. Secretary Fitzgerald says: ‘‘ The indus- trial census recently reported with such great and shameful throwing out of re- turns will be satisfactorily amended. The falsification is seriously injuring the city, and every business house will feel the con- sequence. The Northern business journals are using these false reports to divert trade sion requires to be vertically upward. | away from this city.” Fig. 9|of transmission, and not the least to that | Minneapolis, and thence to Chicago by |rail. Most of the product of the great |Red River Valley region, embracing | northern Minnesota and North Dakota, | passes north of Minneapolis over the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads directly to Duluth. This represents a |third of the whole Northwestern wheat product in Minnesota and the two Dako- tas. The increasing yield of the Red | River Valley section makes it more of a factor each year. The wheat sections fur- ther south-—-Nebraska, northern lowa, South Dakota and southern Minnesota and Wisconsin— show a tendency to send their ee ee i ERS ) pe act m = —eorwae . =. s Ss > ) Pane pe a co a » ee eae ~~ se = . Ty 1 Mig 1 + amy aoe r% 928 crops past Minneapolis to Lake Superior ports and away from Chicago. This drift of wheat is strongly affecting trade centers and determining the routes of railroad construction and lake marine improvements. General Manager Winter of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad states clearly the situation in the southern section. ‘* Six or seven years ago,” he says, ‘‘a new movement in traffic manifested itself —a drift from southwest to northeast— that is, from Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin to the head of Lake Superior, The map shows the result better than statistics. The lines from Omaha and Sioux Falls, trending northeast to St. Paul and thence onward to Washburn and other Lake Su- perior ports, represent our road. Our road was the first to build in this direction. Then the Great Northern built southwest from St. Paul to Sioux Falls and com- pleted connections with Duluth and Su- perior on the lake. The Northern Pacific followed the same direction of construction, until now there is a vast web of lines woven across from southwest to northeast. Contrast this with the condition a few years ago, when the lines were entirely from northwest to southeast, all feeding into Chicago. ‘The reason is obvious. All parts of this southwestern section are from 50 to 350 miles nearer to Lake Superior ports than to Chicago. The growing congestion in Chicago, and the consequent delay and expense in handling grain, have also tended to force the trade to seek other outlets, The railroads have not given di- rection to this traffic. It is worked squarely against the original railroad lines and plans. The transportation and ter- minal facilities of this section have always been behind the development of the country.” At the north the railway traffic shows a new fluctuation. Formerly the Red River Valley wheat region drained directly to Minneapolis. Then, obedient to the tend- ency of wheat to seek a more direct route to Lake Superior and avoid the extreme detour to Minneapolis, the Great Northern and Northern Pacific established at some distance north of Minneapolis, at such points as Little Falls and St. Cloud, more direct easterly connections with Duluth. Yet these routes all make a long south- ward bend and increase the mileage from the Red River Valley wheat fields to Lake Superior. A still more direct route was started—the Winnipeg & Duluth Reail- road, It is built about 50 miles north- west from Duluth, but is apparently at a standstill. Tbo Great Northern on its map indi- cates a projected route from the Red River Valley through northern Minnesota with a probable connection with Duluth, but its officers will make no statements about the company’s intentions on this point. Probably, when urgent necessity arises or competition threatens, the company will complete this ‘‘short line.” This will naturally lead to parallel lines and result in the best possible rail connections be- tween the most northerly wheat regions, which are destined to become the greatest producers, and Lake Superior ports. The Great Northern and Northern Pa- cific at present afford good facilities to this region. They charge no more to ship to Duluth than to Minneapolis, although the former is a longer haul by 150 miles, It is a just concession of the railroads to the farmers of northern Minnesota and North Dakota. Duluth, being a port, offers better facilities for reshipping to the East and pays as much for wheat as Minne- apolis. These are determining factors, and consequently most of the wheat of this Red River Valley region goes directly to Duluth. Upon this trade Duluth has established THE IRON AGE. herself as a wheat tollgate. maintaining the advantage by virtue of her position at the head of the lakes and near the wheat- growing region. Aside from this north- ern wheat trade which she has drawn away from Minneapolis, she also receives some wheat from the southern district previously alluded to, which is drained by the Omaha road. The former domain of Chicago has been invaded, until now the wheat receipts of the two cities are about the same—a condition of affairs which would not have been deemed possi- ble a few years ago. For instance, for the year ended December 31, 1891, Chicago’s wheat receipts were 42,000,000, and Du- luth’s 40,000,000 bushels. For the crop year ending August 31, 1892, Duluth’s re- ceipts were 51,000,000 bushels. Chicago’s figures are not at hand, but they will hardly do more than equal Duluth’s ex- hibit. Duluth has gained this enormous trade by her shorter rail haul, and also be- cause of her excellent elevator and ship- ping facilities. Her Board of Trade sales become a formidable rival to the Min- neapolis board’s operations. Minneapolis stands opposed to this new trend of the wheat trade. She is pre- eminently a wheat market and sells more actual wheat product than any other place on the continent, Her business is conducted by railways. Her boast is that her board sells over 1000 carloads a day in the wheat season. When the transfer is made and Minneapolis has received her ‘*rake off’ on every bushel, the cars are shipped through, mainly without break- ing bulk, to their destination in the East and South. In this way the Minneapolis board sold 72,000,000 bushels in the year ending August 31, 1892, about three- fourths of the entire Northwestern prod- uct. It must be admitted that the city’s busi- ness is done well and effectively. The wheat is sold from actual samples exhib- ited on the floor of the exchange, repre- senting every car of wheat on the tracks awaiting sale. But Minneapolis is greatly disturbed at the large amount of wheat which passes north of her to Duluth with- out stopping to be ‘raked off” on her board. The Duluth wheat represents al- most the total crop of North Dakota and northern Minnesota, where Duluth ob- tained her 51,000,000 bushels. With wheat shipping past Minneapolis to the north and south at this rate, it would seem that eventually she could get only so much as she needed to grind in her mills and the rest would go directly to Lake Superior for reshipment by water. Such a change would simply be the Northwest following the example of the middle West, which concentrattes its product in Chicago at the head of Lake Michigan. Minneapolis does not intend to give up the wheat market supremacy without a struggle. The fight is now in progress in an interstate commerce case. C. A. Pills- bury is the leading factor in it, as he vir- tually conducts the case personally for Minneapolis. He talked freely recently with the TZimes’ correspondent about other matters, but declined to make any statements on points connected with the interstate case until the decision was ren- dered. The point at issue is whether the railroads shall be allowed to carry wheat to Duluth, 150 miles further than to Min- neapolis, at the same rate. Minneapolis claims the right to receive the ‘‘differen- tial’ in her favor. The case turns on a few cents’ difference in the price of wheat. However, Mr. Pillsbury sets it forth as a flour case, arguing that this difference in cost of wheat will cause Minneapolis mill- ing interests to ‘‘ go to the bow- wows,” to use his exact words. Hesays that Minne- apolis will be unable to compete with Du- luth mills. Yet heretofore the great miller and the people of Minneapolis generally November 17, 1892 have been inclined to ridicule the Duluth and Superior mills, which are really in- significant in comparison with the great water-power establishments of the Flour City. As ‘*Pillsbury’s Best” brings 25 cents a barrel more than any other flour, owing to long-established reputation and uni- form grade, and as the great mills of Minneapolis, with their unequaled water power and other facilities, can make flour at a smaller cost than any other mills on the continent or in the world, and owing to the additional fact that the leading cor- porations are paying 8 per cent. net on millions of stock, no one need have the least fear that Minneapolis mills will not go right on increasing their capacity, out- put and profits. The curious point is that the conspicuous, not to say dangerous, position which Mr. Pillsbury has taken in this case, as well as in the ‘‘ wheat ring exposure,” has resulted in calling to his aid, not the millers of Minneapolis, but the wheat dealers of the Chamber of Com- have grown proportionately, and have | merce, to such an extent that they re- cently unanimously elected him to the presidency of that body. At no other time could this have been brought about, owing to strong elements of opposition, which disappeared when the common in- terests were at stake. The Minneapolis matter is at present the most vital item in Northwestern wheat and railway affairs. Where railway problems end those of waterways begin. Duluth sees that to hold and increase her railroad connec- tions it is necessary to have a deep chan- nel through the connecting waters of the lakes and an outlet to the seaboard for deep-draft ships. Marine men in all the lake cities have joined hands and se- cured authority and appropriations for a 20-foot channel. It is a long step toward a deep-water outlet to the sea. The Welland Canal from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence canals and locks afford but a poor substitute, giving only 14 feet of water and 260 feet in length of lock—insufficient for ves- sels large enough to make the ocean voy- age profitably. In addition to this, the Ca- nadian restrictions, levying a toll of 2 cents per ton on American vessels going through the Welland Canal which discharge cargo at Montreal, and 20 cents per ton on ves- sels making no stop or discharge at Mon- treal, render this route particularly closed to the American foreign carrying trade— as the Canadians meant it should be. It was @ Duluth man, S. A Thompson, sec- retary of the Chamber of Commerce, who made the original draft of the Retaliation bill which puts the tax of 20 cents per ton on Canadian vessels at the St. Mary’s Falls Canal. Mr. Thompson has labored with such zeal and enthusiasm for deep water- ways and a United States ship canal to the sea that he is generally known as ‘*Deep Water” Thompson. It should be generally known that the people along the lakes, and particularly at the head of the lakes, are guarding American interests against Canadian encroachments, rather than the statesmen and Administration at Washington. Duluth’s great future depends upon her ability to ship directly to an Atlantic sea- port and there have the cargoes resold if necessary and the vessels forwarded to European ports. Montreal, situated on what must be conceded to be the natural water outlet of the St. Lawrence River, is planning for that trade, and the improved facilities which she will doubtless secure by enlarging the Canadian series of locks and canals will enable her to command it and control the commerce along that waterway. The trade at the head of the lakes is forcing this deep-waterways question, and, as stated above, wheat and flour are the controlling factors of that trade, since they constitute the foreign exports. Other com- November 17, 1892 ores, copper bullion, lumber, &c., but wheat must go through to European ports. Now, the millers of North Dakota have something to say on the transportation question. Of their present output of 1,250,000 barrels a year, 250,000 to 350, - 000 are exported on through bills of lad- ing from Duluth to Europe and sold by the millers’ London agent. This volume of business, coupled with the concessions which the Amalgamated Millers’ Associa- tion of North Dakota has obtained in the way of the best possible European trans- portation facilities under the present order of things, gives weight to further de- THE STARK mands. The shipment of 300,000 barrels over the lakes for Eastern distribution makes the millers a factor in the North- | western shipping trade. Their position | on transportation matters is expressed by | their president, John M. Turner of Man- dan, N. Dak., who says: “We want wholesale consumers, whether in the East | or Europe. We have secured this to a cer- tain extent by our through bills of lading which cut off the commission of the New York Produce Exchange for rehandling | and shipping. At present North Dakota wheat and flour go through five ports— | New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Bos- ton and Montreal. We have rail and water connections with all these points. We now want a 16-foot channel and draft | through all Canadian locks and canals without tolls. We would suggest a reci- procity treaty with Canada providing for modities may stop along the line, as iron; POWER direct connection with | THE IRON AGE. enlarging her locks and canals and mak- ing this route absoiutely free to ships of both nations, giving on our part the free use of our lock at the ‘Soo.’ Or we would propose to freeze out Canadian traffic by closing the ‘ Soo’ Canal by excessive tolls, and building a ship canal around Niag- ara and through New York State to the Hudson River. ‘*To secure such an outlet through American territory, which we would much prefer, 1 have no doubt that the North- western millers and wheat dealers would guarantee to any New York canal syndi- cate a wheat tonnage toll fora series of years that would pay asubstantial interest PRESS. on the investment in such a canal, $30,- 600,000 or $40,000,000, or whatever it | might be. Such a ship canal would gather up the whole grain- export traffic from the interior West and Northwest that is now | split up between the five points named. [ | believe this would result in the New York Produce Exchange becoming the great wheat market of the continent. E uropean agencies would probably be established in | New York for buying grain, and all trans- fers would be made at that point. The | present product of wheat from the North- | west alone would increase the New York Clearing House business by 10 per cent. | «* With the open markets of the world, which would be given to us by either one e| of these deep-water outlets, the popuia- tion of the Northwest would be doubled in ten years and her product increased in the same measure.” The reciprocity wheat conference held 929 at Grand Forks, N. Dak., on September 2, gave emphasis and official utterance to the prevailing opinion of the Northwest in the following resolutions: Resolved, That all restrictions in the w ay of trade between the United States and Canada should be removed as far as consistent with revenue requirements ; and Resolved, That we favor the extension and enlargement of existing waterways and the construction of additional means of water con- nection between the great lakes and the sea, This conference represented men of both nations who recognize that the wheat prod- ucts of the Canadian-American Northwest are so vast that only the broadest policy of free use of all waterways existing or that can be constructed by both nations, and the establishment of trade relations almost as free as now exist between the several States, will enable this whole re- ' gion to develop equally. ——————EESE The Stark Power Press. The Stark Machine & Tool Company of Buffalo, N. Y., have brought out a power press specially adapted for heavy blanking and forming, in combination dies, such work as 3, 5 and 10 gallon, dome shaped, oil can breasts, bottoms, &c.; for wiring heavy tinware, lettering, embossing and similar work. The machine is massive in proportions and is well fitted in every respect. This machine is provided with the Stark