The Iron Age 1893-05-18: Vol 51

‘THE Speed on the Big Ferry. As was expected, the latest ocean greyhound has already broken the trans- atlantic record. On her first eastern voyage the new Cunarder ‘‘ Campania ” accomplished the trip from Sandy Hook to Queenstown in the unprecedented time of 5 days 17 hours 27 minutes, being over two hours less than the best previous time. This is very good for a beginning, but it is pretty certain that it is by no means the utmost the vessel | tion are not yet exhausted. electricity is brought into play fordriving | sea-going vessels there is no -saying | where the potentialities of speed in | Tuurspay, May 18, 1898, But when ocean navigation may stop. It is quite within conception that we may yet be able to run over to Europe, transact our business in London, and get back again | within the limits of the week. _— et It is now understood that the five | | handsome steamers which lately formed | the United States and Brazil mail line are | | nt. —9— i Fig. 1.—Plan. IRON AGE The Allis Quadruple-Expan- sion Engine at the World’s Fair. | With Supplement. | On the score of magnitude, at least, the 2000 horse-power engine exhibited by the Edw. P. Allis Company of Mil- waukee, Wis., may be considered as the most important item in the class of THE ALLIS QUADRUPLE-EXPANSION is capable of. New machinery seldom works to full perfection at the outset, and it is stated by her agents that the ‘* Campania’s ” engines were not pressed to their full power. We may therefore expect her to lower her own record in the future. One thing is evident, that the limit of speed for ocean steamers is still far from having been reached. Each year recently has witnessed a dim- inution in the time of passage across the Atlantic, and it may safely be as- sumed that the progress will go on for some time to come. Even now another giant steamship is being built at Belfast which, with engines of 1500 more horse power than the ‘‘ Campania,” will, it is calculated, be able to compass a speed of 27 knots an hour.. So even the resources of steam power.in this direc- Fig. 2 —Side Elevation. ENGINE AT owned by leading men in the Standard Oil Company, but it is not known that any definite plan has been made for their future employment. It was hoped that under the Postal Subsidy bill the line would prosper. This second fail- ure in attempts to develop South Amer- ican trade is peculiarly unfortunate. Another railway line is to be intro- duced into Palestine. The Syria Otto- man Railway Company and the Tyrian Construction Company have been formed in London for the purpose of opening up the rich country in the neighborhood of the Jordan Valley. The line will start from Haifa near the ancient Tyre, = through the Jordan Valley and ave its terminus, at any rate at first, at the city of Damascus. THE WORLD'S FAIR. steam engines at the World’s Fair. As is now generally understood, it will be the leading feature of the immense power plant in Machinery Hall, and will be to the Columbian Exposition what the 1400 horse-power Geo. H. Corliss beam engine was to the Centennial. To the uninitiated its size and the ingenuity of its construction make it a thing of wonder and admiration; to the engi- neering profession it is an example of the latest improvements in stationary engine economy, in which the principle of compound expansion is carried to the extreme limit of practical application. General Description, The engine is of the Reynolds-Cor- liss type, and may be described by the apparently paradoxical designation of 1110 THE IRON AGE. May 18, 1891 ‘*tandem cross compound ” —or, more explicitly, as a twin pair of tandem en- gines thrice cross compounded, and therefore interdependent as wellat cylin der asat crank end in the performance of its function of quadruple expansion. Unlike the Centennial engine, the duty to which it is applied is exceptional. In case of the former, the power was transmitted by means of spur gearing from the fly wheel to the main jack shaft, from which it was distributed throughout a large portion of Machin- ery Hall for driving the multitude of machines of all kinds using belt power. Any sudden great increase or decrease of load was, therefore, almost impos- sible on account of the diffusion. The duty of the Allis engine, however, is far more trying, as the entire power is concentrated in driving two machines only; and th¢se of a character in which the possibilities of great and almost instantaneous changes of load render the most perfect and reliable regulation an absolute necessity. The transmis- sion from the fly wheel is by leather bejt 72 inches wide, as the Allis Com- pany consider this system more dis- tinctively representative of American practice, and, where admissible, far su- perior to any other. Of course, the many differences of opinion on this sub- ject are based on the varied experiences of the users of the several systems in vogue; but this company express a very emphatic preference for the flat leather belting. Directly west of the engine are located two Westinghouse incandescent dyna- mos of the largest size and capacity, they being for 10,000 lights each, of the stand ard 16 candle power, requiring 1000 horse-power each to run them at their rated speed of 200 revolutions per min- ute. The armature pulleys are of 9 feet diameter and 76 inches face, and as the engine fly wheel has a diameter of 5 feet and speed of 60 revolutions (5655 feet per minute periphery speed), the re- quired armature speed is obtained direct. A peculiar feature of the drive, as shown in the plan and side elevation, Figs. 1 and 2, is that the two driven pulleys are directly in line and the belt of the further one runs on top of that next the engine. While this method is not uncommon, particularly in dynamo drives, it is unique in this instance, from the immense size of belt and amount of power transmitted. The Steam End, The general features of design and arrangement of parts of the engine may be seen by referring to the accompany- ing illustrations. The perspective view, which we print as a supplement, is from a photograph of the engine in position in Machinery Hall; and Figs. 1 to 10 are reproductions of the construction drawings. An illustrated description of the foundations was given in The Iron Age of April 6, 1893, so that further reference to this part of the sub- ject is therefore unnecessary. The sizes of the four cylinders are as follows: High-pressure, 26 inches diameter; second cylinder, 40 inches; third, 60 inches; and fourth, or low-pressure, 70 inches. The stroke of the piston is 72 inches. In order to equalize, as nearly as possible, the two parts of the engine, the first and third cylinders are arranged tandem on the right, and the second and fourth on the left-hand side, thus three times crossing between the two sides. Each pair, of course, constitutes acomplete engine, connected by quar- tered cranks. Between the two foun- dations, and below the floor line, are the three vertical cylifidrical receivers shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the respect- ive sizes of which are relative to those of the cylinders from which they re- ceive the exhaust. The condenser is located on the left of the low-pressure side, as shown in Fig. 3. While it is the ordinary practice of the Allis Company to drive the air pump by belt from the main shaft, it was not found convenient in this case, the method of belting from the fly wheel to the two armature pulleys. Fig. 1 is a plan of the same, showing the positions of the three reheaters and the independent air pump. The Crank Shaft, While the general design of the cylinders and their connecting girts and guides is similar to that ordinarily used Fig. 3.—Cross Sectional Elevation through Cylinders, Receivers and Air Pump. TaP FoR 34 Y VALVE - 20 PIPE Fig. 4.—Receivers. THE ALLIS QUADRUPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. and the apparatus was therefore made | independent by providing it with a steam cylinder of the UCorliss type, which will be more particularly re- ferred to in its proper place. The ar- rangement of steam and exhaust piping is necessarily quite elaborate, in order | to permit ot the admission of live | steam to any or all of the cylinders, | and to make the different combinations of connections between the latter and the several receivers. Referring to the | drawings, Fig. 2 shows a front side elevation of the engine and dynamos to the bottom of the foundations; also | | for tandem engines of the modern Cor- liss type, it will be noticed that the main pedestal foot is extended to form a bed plate, or, more properly, a hous- ing, which also furnishes the support for the outer end of the guides. The peculiar design of this casting—the ar- rangement of the very liberal amount of metal employed, which is a dis- tinctive feature of this make of en- gines—affords not only great strength to resist the thrust of the pistons and the severe strains due to the angular - ity of the connecting rod, but also a very large amount of bearing curface May 18, 1893 a THE IRON AGE. on the foundations and great spread of holding down bolts. The heavy cored rib is carried around from the pedestal to the front side of the hous- ing and slopes upward to join the cyl- indrical support for the outer end of the guides. The importance of this feature may be more particularly real- ized in the present application from the fact that the engine may at any moment be subjected tothe tremendous The Fly Wheel. The fly wheel is 30 feet in diameter by 76 inches face, its total calculated weight of 136,000 pounds being dis- tributed as follows: Rim 88,000, arms 30,000, center 18,000. It construction is clearly shown in the detail drawings, Figs. 5 to 8. The center is composed | of two disks, 7 feet diameter, keyed to the shaft by two 3-inch steel keys 90 THE ALLIS QUADRUPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE AT THE and sudden increase of load which would result from a short circuiting of one of the dynamos, the effect of which would be to check almost instantane- ously the reciprocating parts, moving at a velocity of 12 feet per second under an impulse of over 15 tons. Under such conditions it is readily seen how great would be the transverse strain to which the pedestal foot would be subjected and the serious nature of the results from failure to effectively re- sist it. The crank-shaft body or wheel seat has a diameter of 21 inches, journals 19 inches and crank bearings 18 inches, with a total length of 18 feet. The crank disks are of cast iron and are 8 feet in diameter. The crank pins are 9 inches in diameter by 9 inches long. Fig. 5 to 8.—Details of Fly Wheel. apart. Each of the 12 arms is made separate, and is fitted to its seat between the center disks, to which it is attached by three 3-inch through bolts and nuts driven tightly into reamed holes drilled through the solid metal with the parts in position. The nuts have a moder- ately fine thread and are screwed up tightly, thereby clamping the arms be- tween the disks and affording a powerful friction hold, which greatly relieves the detrusive strain on bolts. The rim is composed of 12 segments, which are joined by means of interna) flanges and eight through bolts and nuts 2 inches diameter, the outer one of which on each side is driven into a reamed | hole drilled from the solid. The outer | end of the arms is inserted at the joint, being held between the heavy ribs by 1111 two 24-inch turned bolts and nuts, in reamed holes. As additional security the joints in the rim are strengthened by the use on each side of 14 x 14 inch wrought-iron links, let in flush and shrunk on to the inclosed lugs. The wheel was put together in the shop and turned on face and hub, after which it was taken apart for shipping and re- built in place on the shaft. The pistons, piston and connecting rods, cross heads, pedestals, &c., are all of the standard patterns used by the Allis Company and need not, therefore, be described. The Receivers, The exhaust receivers are shown in position in Figs. 1,3 and 4. The first, receiving from the 26-inch or high-press- | ure cylinder, is 36 inches diameter; the | second, 54 inches; and third, 66 inches. | All have a length of 104 feet. They are of substantially the same construc- tion, all containing a large number of symmetrically arranged brass tubes to WORLD'S FAIR. act as reheaters. They are not, in any sense, intended for superheating, but merely to prevent condensation of the exhause steam in its passage from one to another of the cylinders, and to de- liver it at the normal degree of satura- tion due to its reduced pressure. The exhaust passes through the tubes, which are surrounded by live steam at boiler pressure—the condensation from both internal and external spaces being re- moved by suitable traps. As the com- bined tube areas are relatively large, the passage of the steam through them is comparatively slow, and it is therefore thoroughly exposed to the heat of the live steam surrounding it. As the entire system of steam and ex- haust piping is very comprehensively shown in the perspective view and in ee Sa aeeen eere aE Ms O88 ee a real cot eee ~uiemnenes Oe ee i er = — i a 1112 THE IRON AGE. May 18, 1898 Figs. 1,3 and 4 it will be superfluous to refer to it in detail. The location of the condensing apparatus is shown in Fig. 3, as also the pipe connections, The Condenser, ~ The cylindrical jet condenser, Figs. 9 and 10, forms the base of the housing of a vertical Corliss engine, from the cross head of which two parallel rods, at both ends. Its construction and the arrangement of induction and de- livery valves are clearly shown in Fig. 9. The Valve Gear, One of the most important and in- teresting features of the engine is a modification of the regulating gear, which was rendered necessary to extend Figs 9 and 10.—Condenser. | | | calculated by the method followed by the Allis Company, which is by laying out the hypothetical curve representing the expansion in a single condensing cyl- inder of the given volume of steam at the required initial and terminal press- ures. The area inclosed by the dia- gram formed by this curvein connection | with the admission and release lines is divided into an equal allotment of total o* S\/9 THE ALLIS QUADRUPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. placed at an angle of 45° with crank shaft, are employed as a means of pass- ing the latter and the cranks to con- nect with cross head of pump piston rod. The air-pump cylinder is cen- | trally located in the lower part of the condenser—the latter, therefore, being annular in shape, having a 22-inch con- nection or exhaust opening in one side, and the injection admission at right angles with it—both being as near as possible to the top. The pump is single acting—the cylinder being open the limit of maximum cut-off, by reason | of the high rate of expansion. As, however, a comprehensive description of the device would be very difficult without a more extensive diagram than is practicable now, it must suffice to say that, by means of a supplementary eccentric, an independent motion is imparted to the cams, the effect of which is to allow of the entire range of cut-off from nothing to full stroke. In regard to the proportions used, the sev- eral cylinder and expansion ratios were pressures for the required number of cylinders. Mariotte’s curve is used un- modified in this diagram and the neces- sary allowances made to compensate for heat transmission, &c. The Electrical Starting and Stopping Device. In the perspective cut is shown a feature which on opening day attracted quite as much attention as the engine itself, and was for a few minutes the focus for all eyes within range. This May 18, 1893 1113 is the device by means of which the big engine was made to respond to Presi dent Cleveland’s pushing of the button at the grand stand, over 1000 feet dis- tant. It is called the Electro-Auto- matic Engine Stop and Starter, and was attached by the manufacturers, the Electro-Automatic Appliance Company of Hartford, Conn., especially for the occasion. A 4-inch by-pass was at- tached to the main steam pipe under the platform, in the horizontal portion of which was rlaced the throttle. The latter, an ordinary gate valve, is oper- ated by a screw stem and hand wheel. On the sem, just back of the latter, was placea a 6-inch sprocket wheel, the chain from which was driven from a similar whzel on the starter. By clos- ing the va’ve, the machine was set for the opening at the closing of the elec- tric circuit by the President’s golden button. The operation of the starter upon the momentous occasion which signalized the formal opening of the great exposition was prompt and effect- ive, though from the unusual impor- tance of the result there were not a few of those upon whom rested the respon- sibility who breathed more freely after it was an accomplished fact. As a full illustrated description of the machine is given on another page of this issue, it will be superfluous to make further note of it in this connection. Conclusion, Judging from the nature of the duty to which 1t is applied, it is reasonable to expect that the engine will be kept in continuous operation under normal con- ditions during the usual number of working hours ; and as an exponent of the type of multi-cylinder compound expansion engines, it is to be hoped that so good an opportunity of obtaining exact and unquestionable data on the subject of its comparative economy will not fail to produce practical results of great value to both makers and users of steam engines in the near future. I Smokeless Powder. An important trial of smokeless pow- der was recently made at the great military camp of Aldershot in England, which has afforded additional proof of the utility of this substance. Artillery operations were conducted over an ex- tensive area in order to test the visibil- ity of guns using cordite as compared with black powder. Telegraphic com- munication was kept up between the batteries in action and the general com- manding, who advised the frequent changing of ammunition. It was found that at long ranges it was almost impos- sible to discern the position of guns using the smokeless powder, whereas those using the old explosive were easily discovered. Meanwhile complaints are being made of the instability of the new powder in many quarters. That which has been manufactured in Russia has, it is stated, been found to be ut- terly useless after five months’ keeping. The cause is some defect in the cotton which forms the basis of the powder, and all attempts have failed to discover a satisfactory way of preparing it. An inventor of a kind of celluloid made from straw is now offering his invention as a substitute for cotton, and first ex- periments are said to be satisfactory, although, of course, it may fail to stand the test of keeping. It remains to be seen whether this difficulty has been overcome in the preparation of a South- ern inventor, which is now being tested by the Ordnance Department of this country. THE IRON AGE. Iron and Steel at the World's Columbian Exposition. BY E. C. POTTER, CHICAGO, 2 If there is one thing more than another that the United States should be proud of it is its iron and steel indus- try. Its vast deposits of iron ores of un- equaled richness, its immense supply of fuels of all descriptions, its systems of land and water communication in- comparable in extent and cheapness of ' carriage, all stamp this country as one supremely favored by nature and art for the successful manufacture of iron and steel. Two years ago, amid much jubilation and self-congratulation, the United States won from its ancient rival, Great Britain, the proud position of first among the nations in production of iron, which place it has since held, Technical papers and periodicals, jour- nals of scientific societies in all lan- guages are filled with the achievements of American metallurgists, which bear testimony that first place was fairly and honestly earned by superior skill. Our blast furnaces are the admiration of the world; our steel works and mills are filled with those ingenious automatic and labor-saving devices which reveal our native Yankee cleverness. It is with this full realization of our great- ness in this particular province that one enters the gates of the great fair confi- dent that asthe leading iron manufact- urer of the world the United States will here shine with effulgent splendor. Naturally one seeks first the exhibit bearing the world-famous name of Carnegie. This name is not in the cat- alogue ; in none of the buildings does one find a pavilion bearing the name of the great Pittsburgh corporation ; no- where in the grounds is to be found a building devoted exclusively to the manifola products of America’s largest and best-known steel manufacturer. Inquiry at headquarters develops the information—ofticial—that the Carnegie Steel Company are not exhibiting ! One turns, then, to find the display of our own local industry, which, bound by the triple ties of patriotism to city, State and nation, should undoubtedly be a conspicuous feature of an interna- tional fair located at Chicago. The Illinois Steel Company, however, is conspicuous only by its absence. In the same category are nearly all the promi- nent manufacturers of the country. Bethlehem, our American Essen, gives ample evidence of our recently devel- oped abilities in the direction of weapons ot offense and defense, heavy forgings, &c,, in a striking manner (this is not intended as a punning allusion to the big hammer). Old Cambria, the parent and training school of many of our great works, does its full share in upholding the dignity of the industry. The Crescent Steel Company and Singer, Nimick & Co. of Pittsburgh, together with several smaller concerns, display large and interesting collections of their products. All honor and credit is due to the few who had interest and appre- ciation enough in the greatest exposi- tion ever conceived to do their part in representing the nation in its greatest industry, but nevertheless the Ameri- can iron and steel industry is very inad- equately represented, a fact more strongly emphasized by the magnificent displays of other nations. The result is keen disappointment to the patriotic citizen who knows his country’s abilities in this direction. It strikes the average person that this industry owes something to the people of this country. They, through their national legislature, have for decades thrown about it the fostering protec. tion of an ample protective tariff, with the results we see. And now, when the nation is putting forth its best endeav- ors to show to the world at large to what perfection our civilization has attained, we find the principal repre- sentatives of our chief industry in- dulging in an aggravated fit of sulks. Such things may be pgssible with piano makers, but iron and steel men are sup- posed to be made of sterner stuff. It is not in the province of this ar- ticle to inquire into the causes that led to this sublime indifference to our coun- try’s good showing; one cannot con- ceive of any circumstance or combina- tion of circumstances that would ex- cuse the entire absence of our leading steel manufacturers on such an occasion as this. The lack of sufficient space is not a valid or acceptable excuse. If one cannot get the desired 1000 feet one must do the best he can with 500; but let him be present in some shape and contribute to his country’s glory to the fullest extent that circumstances will permit. That is his plain duty. No matter how limited, an exhibition is an evidence of the exhibitor’s good will and appreciation of the occasion. The people of this country expect to see our great steel works represented and they are going to be sorely disap- pointed and chagrined at our poor showing in this department. There is a little poor conso.ation in the fact that the showing of Great Britain is poorer and more attenuated than ours. That country, for centuries the leading producer of iron in the world, and to-day covering a wider range in its export trade than any other, the birth-place of the Bessemer and many other notable processes of manu- facture, is represented by the exhibits of three firms, the three together not equaling in size, interest or extent the exhibit of a single German firm adjoin- ing them. It is whispered that the per- nicious McKinley bill is responsible for this. That famous act may have had such an effect upon our British friends, but fortunately it bas not deterred other nations of Europe from participating in the iron and steel exhibit ina manner that calls for unstinted praise. To the German Empire we most heartily and cordially give first place in the iron and steel exhibit of the Colum- bian Exhibition. In this, as in every other department of the great fair, do the exhibits of Germany command uni- versal admiration for their extent, com- pleteness and artistic beauty, represent- ing, as they very evidently do, months of painstaking thought and labor, and a lavish expenditure of money. Their energetic and ambitious young Emperor seems to have infused his subjects with a large share of his enthusiasm, and they have responded in a most com- mendable manner. When we reflect that every item of their exhibits must first be transported to their sea coast, thence across the Atlantic Ocean, and then 1000 miles inland to Chicago, mak- ing a total journey of between 4000 and 5000 miles, we realize that Germany appreciates our fair and has put forth her best efforts. We, on our part, take this opportunity to assure the German people that we appreciate most deeply the animus that has expressed itself in their grand display. In the face of hostile tariff legislation which seems to es i — 1114 have deterred other nations, they have come forward without thought of re- muneration and taken the place in this Congress of Nations which is theirs by right of their leading position among civilized peoples. Sweden promises to have a full and varied display, which is unfortunately and unavoidably delayed. France and Belgium take no part in the iron and steel department. One cannot but re- gret the absence of such important and famous worksas Le Creusot, Terre Noire, John Cockerill, and numerous others. (To be continued.) . AI The Westinghouse Interests, The annual meeting of the stock- holders of the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Company of Pittsburgh was held in that city on Wednesday, the 17th inst. The annual report of the concern has been made public, and one of the interesting features of it is the an- nouncement that new and extensive works will be erected at Wilmerding very close to the present shops of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Reference to the building of new shops is made in the report as follows : Your directors bave been brought face to face with the fact that the business of the company has outgrown the present capacity of their factories, and that large savings could be effected if the manufact- ure were carried on in new works equipped with the latest devices for handling their product by machinery. In view of the favorable result of the past year’s business and of the volume of orders in band, and the future outlook, your di- rectors have not hesitated to accept a prop- osition from the East Pittsburgh Improve- ment Company to sell to your company 23 acres most favorably located with refer- ence to railway facilities. The improve- ment company have agreed to erect on this site buildings and works according to the plans and under the supervision of the offi- cers of your company, and to sell them to the company at their actual cost, not, how- ever, toexceed $500,000 above the price of the land, and have agreed to take pay thereforin quarterly payments of $25,000 and interest, beginning Jan. 1, 1894. Your officers have estimated that the savings to be effected by the manufacture of its prod- ucts in the new works will, on a most con- servative basis, be more than double the amountof the quarterly payments. Thus these new and complete works will be ac- quired without the expenditure of fresh capital, without taking into account the manifold business advantages that will arise from the centralization of its mauu- facturing operations. Concerning the business of the com p»ny for the past year the report says: The earnings of the year amounted to $1,604,533 73. This is after charging to operating expenses the following amounts: $84,747.31 for alterations and additions to buildings; $155,484.87 for maintaining the machinery and tools in order, and $58,- 188.86 for interest and discount. The year begun with large orders, but with only moderate manufacturing capac- ity and appropriate stock of materials on hand, so that the above earnings were made under unfavorable circumstances due to the fact that the capacity of the works and the material in stock and in process had to be more than doubled during a steadily in- creasing press of business. The report concludes as follows: Although the profits of the business might have justified the payment of dividends on all of the stock of the company, the direct- ors have thought it wise to pursue a very conservative policy, especially in view of the large expenditures required during the past year for machinery and material and of similar expenditures which the present prosperous condition of the company’s busi- ness may make necessary in the near future, Both the results and the prospects are so encouraging that the directors believe the stockholders will uphold them in a course which places the company in a position of undoubted financial strength, and which will assure the permanent continuance of dividends when once begun. THE IRON AGE. The Electro-Automatic Engine Stop and Starter. It would be but a useless repetition to refer at length to the importance of providing means for quickly controlling the motive power used in manufactur- ing establishments. The subject has been frequently presented in these col- umns, both in the abstract and in con nection with various devices intended either primarily or incidentally to ac- complish thisobject There are numer- ous different methods employed more or less successfully, in some of which the use of the electric current consti- tutes an essential feature. During the past decade the ‘ push button” has become a universally popu- lar instrument. From the amateur Kodak fiend taking his snap shots to the President of the United States start- May 18, 1898 throttle, while above it is placed an an- nunciator for indicating the location of the button from which the release was made, The drawings, Figs. 2, 3 and 4, show the details of construction, which, it will be observed, is extremely simple. In the drum / is coiled a powerful spiral spring similar to an ordinary clock spring. The drum is secured to its shaft a, upon the outer end of which is the sprocket wheel ¢. The spring is attached at its inner end to a sleeve on the bearing *; while the outer or free end is secured to the inner periphery of the drum. Upon the side of the latter are cut the ratchet teeth 7‘, which are engaged by the sliding bar or pawl 4, which holds the drum in position after winding the spring. The lever i, fulcrumed at i', is provided with a powerful spring,i*, whose function is to force the free end of lever away from THE ELECTRO-AUTOMATIC ENGINE STOP AND STARTER. ing the 2000 horse-power engine a quarter of a mile distant, this apparently innocent little device is the unfailing medium for transmitting the will of the operator. The electro automatic ap- paratus shown in the illustrations is operated by a system of buttons and wiring, but its most important and dis- tinctive characteristic lies in the fact that it not only signals the engine room, but it performs automatically the service required without requiring any assist- ance from the engineer. In other words, in case of emergency the engine may be stopped instantly from any part of the building by a simple pressure cf the button nearest at hand, while at the same time the ringing of the gong notifies the engineer of the fact. The use of the machine for starting instead of stopping the engine, as was the case at the exposition, does not in- volve any change in the mechanism, but simply a reversal of position of the apparatus with reference to the throttle valve. In the perspective cut the ma- chine is shown connected to the engine the drum. Atumbler, /, by means of the slot or camway /', engages the pins in the end of the lever, and the arm /* of the tumbler is retained in its set position by a small lug on the armature m of an electro-magnet. This holds the lever i in position against the ten- sion of the spring i”, and it is apparent that if the magnet be excited by closing the electric circuit the armature will be attracted and release the tumbler, when the tension of the spring i* will throw the lever i to the left with con- siderable velocity. The pawl bar 4, Fig. 2, is seento be forced against the ratchet teeth of the drum by the spiral spring concealed in the inner bearing. There will also be noticed a notch, k’, and pin, &*. The throttle valve is indi- cated at n, and the chain connecting its sprocket wheel ¢! with eis shown by the dotted lines. The other parts of the machine will be better understood from a description of its operation. Considering the throttle valve in the opened position (by turning its hand wheel for opening, the motion is trans- oe - SR A sim A Gta GN ee pa mi = aint) Seeeeree ae - en et Se Se ee eee = pace acceler oe oko Ne ey tA tata cinrtnnanenetait * - - . ss scene soanennenenndainsinain ; “EaIVs S-OTVHYOM BHI LV ANIONS NOISNVdIX3a-3B4IdNHAaAVND sintnv BAHL HY H Nw | bt ian i a aN ; = a a ee =A “S681 ‘SL AVIN ‘3DW NOY! SHEL May 18, 1893 THE IRON AGE. mitted to the drum through its shaft a | aud winds the spring, thus setting the | machine), it the electric circuit be | closed by pressing the button, the ar- mature is deflected and releases the | tumbler /, which allows the latter to | swing forward on its pivot and free the | end of lever, 7, when the latter isthrown | forcibly outward by the tension of the spring 2, and dy striking the pin i’ in the pawl bar disengages the latter from the drum rachet and permits the spring to unwind, which it does with considerable velocity. This, of course, turns the valve stem n' and closes the throttle. In disengaging the pawl bar from the rachet, the former is carried forward by the lever i until a notch, 2’, engages the pin o’, which retains it in that position. As soon as the drum begins to revolve the flanged nut g (which is prevented from turning by the guide bar A, Fig. 4, engaging one of | the slots g*) moves toward the drum, and coming into contact with the lever i, Fig. 3, forces the latter over into the set osition, while at the same time the pins n the lower end re-enter the camway in the tumbler and throw it back until the arm /* depresses the armature and passes the lug, when the armature will be drawn back to the open position by the | spiral spring back of its fulcrum and | lock the tumbler and lever i. In order to prevent the momentum of | the revolving parts from jamming the valve against its seat the motion is | checked by the lever i coming in con- | tact with a rubber buffer spring, j, and | the adjustment is obtained by releasing | the nut g from the guide bar and setting it in the required position to cause the cessation of motion at the instant when the valve is properly closed. The guide bar is then made to engage one of the slots in the flange which is nearest in po- sition. In setting the machine by open- ing the throttle, of course the nut is screwed outward, and in passing the stop slide o' the latter is depressed by the flange, which causes the pin o’ to dis- engage the slot X* in the pawl bar and allow the latter to be thrown into en- gaged pcsition with the drum ratchet. Thus it is evident that the machine 1115 company is now being organized in may be considered as absolutely auto- | Chicago with headquarters in the Com- matic, as there is no manipulation re- | quired for the setting beyond what is necessary without it in starting the en- | gine; and as to the release for stopping the engine, it consists in pressing the button. A dry battery, permanent in its action, _ is part of the outfit. The milled-headed | Spring pin p' is provided for the pur- pose of releasing without the use of the | electrical mechanism. This is effected | by forcing the pawl bar out of engage- ment with the drum ratchet and hold- mercial National Bank Building. The exchange question and the de- preciation in value of the silver rupee seem likely to lead to grave results in India. The following extract from a private letter received from a Govern- ment official in that country depicts the situation as it now exists. Writing April 12, he says: ‘* The great ques- tion agitating all minds out here just now is that of ‘exchange.’ It is as- suming a most serious aspect; and, as | the Finance Minister said last month in | his budget statement, it is not unlikely |; ent century. that we may soon be face to face with the greatest financial crisis of the pres- It is strange that the | whole financial arrangements of the Em- | pire should be now hinging on the rise or fall of the rupee. A drop of one penny means the Icss of millions sterling, and per contra arise ofa penny. We are waiting the result of the Currency Commission, but have little hope of any real benefit from its investigations. We are also very anxious to know what America is going to do in the matter of silver purchasing. So far as we Govern- ment officers are concerned it seems cer- tain that some relief will be granted THE ELECTRO-AUTOMATIC ENGINE STOP AND STARTER. ing it in that position until the motion ceases. The entire machine is inclosed in a handsome hardwood box which is surmounted by a silver-plated gong of 6 inches diameter, which rings upon the release contact being made. It is obvious that the device is not limited in its application to the purpose de- scribed, as there are many other uses to | which it is quite as well adapted. For instance, it may be a valuable adjunct to | a system of cut-off couplings, which it could be made to release as promptly as it would stop the engine. Also it might be made to control the valves of an extensive steam heating or water supply system from a central point. The machine is being introduced by the Electro-Automatic Appliance Com- pany of Hartford, Conn., and a local very soon; it has been practically promised. But anything done in this direction will, of course, mean addi- tional taxation, and one rather grudges this. I don’t envy the Government of India at the present moment. Its dif- ficulties and p:rplexities are many and great.” The Government crop report for May shows the condition of winter wheat to be 75.3 per cent., against 77.4 a month ago and 84 a year ago. The average condition of the six principal wheat States is 68.3, against 74.2 month ago. Oa the whole, the report is considerably better than had been anticipated. It does not indicate what the crop will be, as it gives no idea of the acreage of the crop. rere: ARRON TP 5 ene 7 ey . eS ae ee aah ion pas arn eh ee 7 regs a are ae eens oC Vet i 1116 Krupp’s Workmen, An interesting account of the methods pursued by the proprietors of the great Krupp foundries, at Essen in Germany, for the benefit of the workmen employed there and their families, is given in a recent number of the ‘‘ Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.” The following is an abstract of the paper: ‘‘Tbe Krupp works employ 16,000 men, and with their families, numbering over 50,000, constituting the bulk of the population | of the town of Essen, while over 3000 | are located at various branch works, and the total number benefited by their numerous charitable and philanthropic enterprises is estimated at 25,200 work- men, and, with their families, 87,900 persons, The Krupps themselves say that their numerous institutions for their workmen and their families are based first on their own business interests. Their successful efforts to raise the con- dition of their workmen have been made in various ways. The Krupps have built over 4000 houses—from frame dwellings of two rooms, renting at $15 a year, up to six-room houses, renting at $80 a year; they have expended over $3,000, - 000 on them, earning about two per cent. on the investment, but this, with much more, has been spent in benefiting the working population in other ways. The co-operative stores, managed by the Krupps at their own risk, include THE IRON AGE. oxide of iron without silica, no iron flux will be required for smelting, but there is a possibility of dry silicious ores of fair silver or gold value being taken to smelt with the copper. ———— —— The Lathe Chuck in the Patent Office There is probably no tool or appliance in the machine shop which is used in so many different forms and for so many different purposes as the lathe chuck. It is used on the lathe, on the screw machine, on the boring mill, the drilling machine and the tapping machine. It varies in size from that capable of hold- ing the large line shaft pulleys to that of the watchmaker, no larger than the end of your little finger. Chucks may be divided into two gen- eral classes: 1, those suitable for the general run of machine shop work ; and, 2, those designed for special work. It will be seen at a glance that the first is a restricted and limited class, while under the latter will be found all of those chucks designed to meet some particular want or some particular serv- ice, theretofore accomplished by some | roundabout method, in a better, more 15 retail grocery stores, nine branch | stores, with one main store for general merchandise, a shoe factory with three stores, a hardware store, a mill and bakery with six bread stores, a slaugh- ter house with seven retail meat stores, two clothing establishments, seven res- taurants, a wine store, an ice company, a coffee house, a brush factory, a laun- dry, a weekly market for fresh vege- expeditious and more satisfactory man- ner. To the former class we will give more particular attention. The first lathe chuck for which a pat ent seems to have been granted by the office appears to be a very creditable affair. It bears a date of July 18, 1840, | and was of the scroll-plate type. It tables, a coffee-roasting establishment | —in them nearly 500 persons were em- ployed, widows or daughters of work- men. There is a boarding house for the unmarried workmen, where | dging and food are supplied at 20 cents a day. In 1870 Alfred Krupp built a hospital for sick and wounded soldiers, and since the Franco-German war it has been used for their workmen and their families—they are cared for at the price of 38 cents a day for men, 30 cents for women and 25 cents for children. There is a large bathing establishment, where 6000 free baths were given last year, and bath tickets are sold for 2} consisted of a face plate having four radial grooves for the reception of the jaws; a hub extends backward from the center of the plate, internally and exter- nally screw threaded, and a flange also extends baekward from the edge. Each of the jaws consists of a main body running nicely in the undercut groove of the face plate; outward from this | body extends the jaw proper for engag- ing the work, and on the under side of the body teeth project, which are en- gaged by the thread of the scroll plate. The latter plate slides on over the hub of the face plate, and its outer edge meets the backwardly extending flange of the face plate, presenting a smooth and finished appearance. The scroll plate is held in place by a washer screwed on the outside of the hub. The | chuck may now be screwed on the live spindle of a lathe, the thread of which | will engage the internal thread of the cents apiece. The insurance funds | against accident and death and for pen- sions have been largely supplemented by the Krupps, in addition to the strict requirements of the German laws. Prim- ary and advanced and technical schools are maintained by the Krupps, who say that all this is done to enable them to extend and improve their work by mak- ing their workmen sharers in their prosperity. Plans for the location of the bridge across the Mississippi above New Or- leans have been completed. The length | from shore to shore will be 2290 feet; | central span 1037 feet. Government of Tasmania, has recently examined a large copper- pyrites deposit at Mount Lyell in that island. He | estimates that the portion already by 200 feet deep, will supply many years’ work on 4 large scale. As the pyrites, when roasted, is almost pure | operated by screws. _ asmall bevel pinion and the three are Mr. Montgomery, geologist to the | hub of the face plate. The scroll plate is intended to be operated by hand and | therefore the pitch of the scroll is made very slow. In 1855 a patent was granted for a two-jaw chuck, both jaws being oper- ated by a single spindle bearing a right- hand thread at one end and a left at the other. The spindle is held against end- wise motion by a collar at each end. This patent seems to be the first to show a right and left threaded spindle for the operation of chuck jaws. Later in the same year a patent was granted for a chuck of the circular-rack type. It consists of a face plate bear- ing three jaws aang, in grooves and ach screw bears operated together by a circular rack running in a groove in the back plate. On the outside ends of the screws the usual heads appear, to be engaged by | the wrench. opened up, which is about 300 feet long | Not long after this we find the first of the swinging-jaw chucks, in which the jaws are pivoted to the face plate and are moved toward and from the May 18, 1899 center by cams or other similar or equiv- alent mechanism. In looking over all of the chucks that have been patented since those early days one is struck by the fact that most of the later ones seem to be mere modi- fications and improvements on these four species. But by no means have inventors confined themselves to these varieties; they have gone into other fields than the mechanical for means of holding work while being operated upon. Fig. la and 1) shows a chuck which depends on the principle of the electro-magnet for its operation, in which the work acts as the armature to complete the magnetic circuit. By reference to the figure it will be seen that the face plate of the chuck consists of two separate pieces of iron, which, being connected to the cores of the coils constitute the two poles of the magnet. The outside shell is made of brass and connects the front and back armatures, the latter of which also acts as the back plate of the chuck. On the outside of the shell, and insulated therefrom and from each other, are two grooved brass rings, which are connectea by insulated wires to the coils of the magnets. Upon these two rings bear the brushes con- nected to a suitable dynamo or battery. When thus connected up it will be seen that the apparatus becomes a powerful electro-magnet, and if any piece of iron or steel be ~ upon the face plate it will be held with great force until the current is broken. This would seem to be a very ingenious mechanism, but the writer doubts if it ever came into any remarked degree of popular favor. Another patent describes a pneumatic chuck, which consists of a hollow cup, on the edge of which is placed a zasket ; from this cup runs a tube back through the spindle to the outer end, where it is connected to a pump which may be in- closed in the spindle, or connected thereto by suitable stuffing boxes and piping. The work is placed against the face of the chuck and the air from the interior is exhausted by the pump ; the atmos- pheric pressure then holds the work in place. This chuck is intended to hold a watch case while being worked upon, and could not probably be used for much heavier work, if, indeed, it has proved itself useful for the purpose for which it was designed. To pass from the method of operat- ing chucks to the various details and forms, let us first consider the eccentric chuck, This has been the subject of many patents, and it would not seem that the inventor is as yet satisfied with his production, for he still pursues the phantom—a perfect eccentric chuck. One patentee mounts his chuck on a slide screwed on the live spindle and moves the chuck bodily to and from the center by ascrew fixed in the slide and running through a nut fastened to the chuck. Another pivots the face plate to the back plate, and by means of a slot in the back plate in the form of an are of a circle, of which the center is the pivot, and a bolt which projects from the face plate through the slot, the face plate may be movil over the back plate to any de- sired degree of eccentricity within the limits of the capability of the machine, and there fastened. Another hasatwo- jaw chuck and a right and left threaded screw to operate the jaws. This screw is held in place by a detent engaging a neck in the middle of the screw. Now, to adjust the jaws so that they will hold the work eccentrically, it is only neces- sary to slide the detent to one side or the other in a slot in the body of the May 18, 1893 THE IRON AGE. 1117 chuck provided for that purpose, and to fasten it in the right position. Fig. 2 represents a somewhat more complicated form of eccentric chuck, in which the main body A screws upon the live center of the Jathe. The next plate B swings upon the screw has a center and is held in place by the strap e integral with A. It is operated by the screw F, which passes entirely through the chuck body and is engaged by a small chuck wrench. The jaw plate C is held by the screw N and i