The Iron Age 1901-05-09: Vol 67 Iss 19

FRIV Dy BINDING J i a Bs aking Goce ru ~AGE A Review of the Hardware, Iron, siicdiicnay and etal Trades. nblished every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St... New York. j.67: No. 219 New York, Thursday, May 9, 1901. g Matter Contents... page 52 abetical Index to Advertisers “‘ 139 sified List of Advertisers..... “‘ 141 ising and Subscription Rates “‘ 63 fs als Patent Steel Belt Lacing, SAVES Time, Belts, Money. GreatestStren READY TO APPLY FiNISHEDVOWY With Least Me Send for Circulars and Free Samples, EBRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn MSON SPOT CORD — = or teeeresets eae DN CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TURNBUCKLES. = Branch Office. 11 Broadway, New York. d City Forge and Iron Co., - ‘Cleveland, oO. MERRILL BROS., 465 Kent Ave., BROOKLYN, N.Y. ORGINGS. LLING & CRANE, G.rard Bufidin Poi pk glock, er ra , New Yor APOLLO BEST BLOOM GALVANIZED IRON lt pays the worker to use Apollo galvanized iron. That should be the whole argument for him. American Sh. ct Steel Company Battery Park Building New York REMIN GTOR N HAMMERLESS GUNS| NGTON ARMS co ILION New York_ ss as. AGENCIES 313 Broadwa ‘425 AGarket St. San Francisco. New Youu. = BAHALL BOILERS s% CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS. NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, ST. LOUIS, BOSTON, DETROIT, CINCINNATI, SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, ORE., BUFFALO, BALTIMORE, NEW ORLEANS. THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY, HARTFORD, CONN. BRANCHES: , Jenkins ’96 Packing. Pronounced by steam users throughout the world the best joint packing manufactured. ve? Not at all, as it weighs 30¢ less than many other packings. consequently is much cheaper. JENKINS OROTHERS, New York, Boston, _Phitadetphia, Chicago- Brass Prices High So Use Bright “Swedoh”S Stamp- See | ‘| ing Steel, Easily Brass Plated and Save Money, pas MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all poo cry Bearings. Ae 266 and 267 West St., London, Chicago, Montreal, Pittsburgh, NEW YORK. Philadelphia. ee ee * 2" Para ¢ [AANSONIA BRaAss yp” COPPER Co. MANUFACTURERS OF BRASS AND COPPER Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. Ingot Copper. GOLE MANUFACTURERS Tobin Bronze (TRADE-MarRK REGISTERED.) Condenser, Pliates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. 99 john Street, . . New York, Randolph- foacis Co., Main Office aad Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 258 Bresdwey, Postal Te egraph Bldg., Room 202 Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bld Boston Office, Cor. Oliver and Purchase Sts. Waterbury Graas Co. Established 1845. Sheet, Roll and Platers’ Brass, German Silver, Copper, Brass and Ger- man Silver Wire, Brass and Copper Tubing. COPPER RIVETS AND BURS. TAPE MEASURES, METALLIC EYELETS, Brass Kettles, Brass Tags, Powder Flasks, Shot Pouches, &c., AND SMALL BRASS WARES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Cartridge Metal in Sheets or Shells a Specialty. DEPOTS: 60 Centre St., New York. 126 Eddy St., Provi- dence, R. 1. 38 Mechanic St., Newark, N. J. MILLS AT WATERBURY, CONN. Deoxidized Bronze Best Acid-Resisting Metal ~ in the United States. . . Send for Price. Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze & Metal Co., BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. SULPHURIC ACID. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. BRASS Firsn se:74 West Mo: Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals Brass and Alaminum SAST'NGS — J, JLRYAN & CO, & a oo] — i —) ee J ob lath ce) » Or t Rotic No sae epuntes g § 4 Wheel, “93.00 | ‘ 5 Wheel, $3.25 Guaranteed. BR. A. HART, BATTLE CREEK, MICH MEGAPHONES DiscouNT TO HaRDWaARE DEALERS. Crane Bros., - Linenoid Mfrs., - Westfield, Mass. SEND FOR CATALOGUE. HENDRICKS BROTHERS PROPRIETORS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS OF Brasiers’ Bolt amd Sheathing COPPER, COPPER WiiIiRD AND RIvETs. Importers and Dealers in Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST-. NEW YORK. THE PLUME & ATWooD M6, ( MANUFACTURERS OF Sheet and Roll Bras —AND— WIRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GER SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER Riy AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Ke sene Burners, Trimmings, &c. Lamps. La mp 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICA ROLLING MILL : THOMASTON, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO. Manufacturers of BRAS SHEET, WIRE, TUBES. Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods Nipples, Pumps and Oilers for Bicyeles, Braziers’ Solder. FACTORIES, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: CHICAGO, FACTORIES : | WATERBURY. con NEW YORK, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SON AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper C DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTEE LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, - New Yo Arthur T. Rutte SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING, 256 Broadway, New Yor Sheet Brass, German Silver, C« per, Brass and German Silver Wire, Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tubes, Sma Tubing a Specialty. Brass a Copper Rods, Brass Ferrules Sheet and Ingot Copper; Spelt Tin, Antimony, Lead, etc. fpncentdneg oa “IT's TOUGH.’ es PHO /, AF Bridgeport, save ® BRASS Coaa. to Murray St., New York. CONT OUR ae erm mi ModE SA Sa AAS SSS OE A ‘THE IRON AGE Tuurspay, May 9, 1901. The Commercial Variable Speed [lotor Driven Lathe. The accompanying illustrations show the system adopted by the Commercial Electric Company of Indian- apolis for the direct driving of heavy engine lathes and similar machine tools requiring a variable speed that should be maintained practically constant when set at a given point regardless of the depth of the cut and feed, and which should admit of ready and accurate adjust- ment over a wide range and operate at maximum effi- ciency at any of the speeds at which it may be set. An- other condition that is required of the lathe and by most tools of similar character, and which is well met by the system illustrated, is that the machine shall be capable of exerting its greatest torque at low speeds. These Ne Ce i. od in AE. . s Ss, THE COMMERCIAL VARIABLE results are secured in this equipment in the following manner: An electric motor, having two independent armature windings and two commutators, is mounted upon a spe- cially constructed saddle casting, which is supported on the standard head stock of the lathe, in most cases, and requires no special patterns for the lathe parts. The armature windings are so proportioned that by various combinations of coils connected to the two com- mutators, the motor may be operated at the three dif- ferent speeds, without the use of any series resistance in the armature circuit, and consequently with prac- tically uniform efficiency at all speeds, and when set for a given speed, will not vary appreciably with the depth of the cut. At the slower speeds, the torque or pull of the motor is Increased just in proportion as the speed is reduced, without calling for a greater expenditure of power from the supply lines; so that the motor is capable of taking heavy cuts on large diameters without being strained in any way. The motor shaft is provided with a rawhide pinion, A, Fig. 3, which meshes with a gear, B, on the counter shaft, that passes across the head stock on front of the motor. This counter shaft is rigidly supported by the same casting that supports the motor, so that the parts are always maintained in perfect alignment. At the opposite end of this counter shaft are placed two gears, one of large and one of small diameter, marked C and Cc’. The latter are mounted upon a sleeve that replaces the usual cone pulley in the head stock. These gears are shifted and held in position by the lever S, which is mounted at a convenient point on the casting support- ing the motor. By this system of gearing, combined with the three motor speeds, the sleeve on which D, D* are mounted can be run at six different speeds, and the standard set of back gears, E and F, which is in no way SPEED MOTOR DRIVEN LATHE. changed by the introduction of the motor equipment, gives a range of 12 speeds to the lathe spindle, which in the case of the 30-inch lathe illustrated ‘may be varied from 2% to 450 revolutions per minute. The motor is started by raising a handle on the lathe apron which is connected by a cord with the starting box on the controller board, and it is stopped by simply pressing a push button that is also connected electrically with the controller board. The handle on the commutator board may be set in six different positions, giving three motor speeds either forward or bacxward, and this handle is so interlocked with the starting lever that the motor cannot be started at all except when the handle is in one of the positions making proper connections for running at one of the standard speeds, and it is impossible to make two dif- ferent combinations of windings at the same time. By this system the workman cannot possibly make such a connection as will injure the motor or any part of the electrical equipment. The motor, Figs. 5 and 6, is of the standard semI-in- 2 closed type made by the Commercial Electric Company, having a four-pole steel frame with circular magnet cores, and pole shoes of annealed wrought iron, by means of which the highest efficiency of the magnetic circuit is obtained. The necessary power required to drive heavy tools may be furnished in a neat and compact design, occupying but little space. The armatures are of the standard iron clad construction, with form wound coils, having such winding that the slightest inequality of the DU am Fig. 2.—Side Sectional Elevation of Head Stock. ml I A LA Tus IRON AGE Fig. 8.—Plan of Head Stock. THE COMMERCIAL VARIABLE magnetic poles is compensated for, and the armature magnetically and mechanically balanced. All the coils are interchangeable, and the windings are so proportioned that the motor operates without sparking at the brushes, even under conditions of very severe overloads, and can thus do the heaviest work that can be imposed upon the machine without injury. The motor bearings, as well as those of the counter shaft, are lined with phos- phor bronze, and the motor bearings are self oiling. Where this equipment has been installed, much heavier work and much more rapid work has been turned out on the lathes than was possible with the belt drive, for the reason that the positive gear drive eliminates all slip- ping of the belts, which limits the capacity of the tool before the maximum limit of the other working parts is reached. Also the possibility of adjusting the tool accurately to the most efficient speed for the given plece of work enables, under all conditions, the most work that the tool will stand to be turned out, without lim- itation from the capacity of the driving power. THE IRON AGE. ft ie ~ 2% TO 450 R.P.M. /} SX j f---3f 7 May 9, 1901 s | The Illinois Central Will Pension Employees. Announcement is officially made that the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad Company will put into effect July 1 a pen- sion system for their 40,000 employees. The system is more liberal in its provisions than that adopted by any other road. All the employees of the road who have been in the service ten years or over will be eligible to pensions on retirement whether on account of injuries or age. In contrast to the action of other roads in simply mak- ing annual appropriations to meet the pension fund, the Illinois Central sets apart a sinking fund of $250,000 at the start for the benefit of the fund and provides for the further expenditure of a sum not to exceed $100,000 each year to meet the current expenses. It is further pro- vided that whenever the expenses of the system shall exceed the interest on the sinking fund and the annual appropriation a new basis shall be made, ratably reduc- ing the pensions. On retirement the pensioner is to be given 1 per cent. of the average monthly pay for the last ten years of serv- ice for every year that he has been in the employ of the road. Thus, if his average monthly pay has been $50 for the last ten years and he has been with the road for 40 years he will get 40 per cent. of $50, or $20 a month. Once on the pension list the employee gets monthly re- mittances, providing he does not forfeit his right to such by gross misconduct. The regulations provide that locomotive engineers and firemen, conductors, brakemen, flagmen, baggagemen, yardmasters, switchmen and all employees doing out- f ( C ~ j j ae j \A/’f ) ¥ j Sa A WY LL~ / Tue IRON Aor Fig. 4.—End Elevation of Head Stock. SPEED MOTOR DRIVEN LATHE. door work in the operating department may be retired on pension op reaching the age of 65 years, providing they have been in the service of the company for ten years. The other roads which have recently installed pension systems make the retiring age 70 years and the term of service 30 years. All officers and employees in every department shall be retired upon reaching the age of 70 years and shall be pensioned providing they have been in the service ten years. Officers and employees between the ages of 61 and 70 years who are incapacitated may also be retired and receive the pension. On other roads the age limit in this class is from 65 to 69 years. In the matter of computing the term of service the _Toad is especially liberal. It is provided that leave of absence, suspension or dismissal, followed by reinstate- ment within one year shal! not detract from the period of service. Temporary lay offs, which on other roads constitute a break of service and prevent men who have practicaily been in the road’s employ all their lives from fol! the ‘ 1 ' f 1 ‘ ‘ ( ( May 9, 1901 receiving pensions, will thus have no effect on the em- ployees of the Illinois Central. One provision of the system will prevent the pen- sioners from falling into the hands of the money lend- ers, for no assignment of pensions to any one will be permitted. This is explained by the statement that it is desired to keep the pensioners in close touch with the road. The pension system is intended only for employees who give their entire time to the company. Members of the medical and legal departments, who devote but a small portion of their time to the interests of the road, at the same time having outside practice, will not be al- lowed to receive pensions. - —_— Workingmen’s Homes at Cold Spring. At the recent meeting of the Get Together Club in New York J. M, Cornell of J. B. & J. M. Cornell made the following address which we reprint from Social Service, the journal of the society: The science of making lives of employees comfortable without incurring the sense of obligation is a difficult Fig. 5. THE IRON AGE. '3 furnished comfortably and put under the care of my secretary, with instructions to have a good table and a plentiful one. These men were housed there, and they came to the city Saturday afternoon, returning Monday morning. I frequently spend a night or take a meal at the “Inn” for my own convenience and to see that the table is good. They certainly seem to be very happy. In summer the piazzas and windows are entirely inclosed with wire screens. A number of our men have moved to Cold Spring with their families, and as every house in the place was soon filled it became necessary to build some cottages. These houses I carefully planned and believe them to be very comfortable. Care was taken to have them painted differently in cheerful colors. Each house has a cellar with a cement floor and an up to date furnace, stationary slate washtubs and white enameled bathtub and basins in bathrooms; a good range and boiler in kitchen, parlor, dining room and kitchen on first floor and four bedrooms and bathroom on second floor, with a well ventilated attic—keeping the house cool in sum- mer. Especial attention was given to the number of win- dows of generous size and covering the entire house, THE IRON AGE Details of Motor. THE COMMERCIAL VARIABLE SPEED MOTOR DRIVEN LATHE. one and worthy of much study. All idea of inspiring gratitude on the part of employees must be dispensed with, for gratitude is the result of a sense of obligation. If the employer is entitled to any reward for his efforts in this direction he must take it in the knowledge that he has been of some use to his fellow men. I have been requested to tell here to-night of what has been done for our employees at Cold Spring on the Hudson, where is situated the larger part of our works. Nothing but the hope that some other employer may get ideas from the little that we have done leads me to say anything on this subject, for I fear we will fail in our efforts if we speak of what we are doing. About four years ago we commenced to move our works to Cold Spring from New York, having secured the Old West Point Foundry property. One of the rea- sons for making this change was the desire to get our employees into a place where we could carry into effect the plans we have had for some years for adding to their comfort. Our first move was to offer to sell and deliver coal and flour at wholesale cost, being careful to have it known that they were under no obligations to pur- chase from us; no store orders have ever been known in eur establishment. This has resulted in a large saving to the men. ; Having a number of skilled men who were not ready to move their families from the city, we secured a large dwelling on one of the best streets near the village and near the works, naming it “ The Iron Inn.” This was under the shingles and clapboards, with double hair felt paper, making these houses warm in winter and cool in summer. A privet hedge in front and the flower gardens we propose having will make the little houses very at- tractive. These houses rent for $12 per month, which gives about 10 per cent. on the investment,.5 per cent. being in cash and 5 per cent, in the pleasure we have when we look at them. It is our intention to build some cottages which can be rented for less, also laborers’ cot- tages, with bathrooms, which can be rented for, say, $6 per month. I am now struggling with this problem. I regret to say that this is all we have been able to do as yet. We have purchased property for a large club house—it is to have a reading room, billiard room, bowl- ing alleys, bathrooms and gymnasium, the latter to be used as a hall when required for meetings. ERE NEE The wages of iron miners in Alabama were advanced 2% cents a ton on May 5. The investigation of the books of the iron companies showed that the average price of all grades of pig iron sold last month was over $11 a ton, and, miners’ wages being based on the price of pig iron, the miners will now get 55 cents a ton, which Is the maximum wage under the contract with the oper- ators. The shipments of iron ore from Cuba during 1900 reached a total of 445,679 long tons, all of which was sent to the United States. py ae = P The Federal Industrial Commission. The Coming Hearings for the Steel Trade. WasuincTon, D. C., May 7, 1901.—The Federal In- dustrial Commission, which to-day began the series of hearings scheduled for the month of May, will take up the subject of the big steel merger on the 16th inst., the first witness being C. M. Schwab, president of the United States Steel Corporation. The hearings concerning the merger will occupy two or three days, and the commis- sion hopes to place upon the record very full statements concerning the reasons which led to the consolidation and the methods in detail employed in bringing it about. Proceeding upon the assumption that there are two sides to most questions the commission has arranged to hear several] other important witnesses whose testi- mony will relate more or less directly to the merger, but will also embrace a general review of present conditions in the iron and steel trade. Some of these witnesses, it is expected, will criticise the United States Steel Corporation both with regard to the considerations that brought them together and their general business policies. These wit- nesses will include a member of the firm of Ryerson & Co., iron and steel merchants of Chicago, a member of the firm of Jones & Laughlin, iron and steel manufac- turers of Pittsburgh, and representative of the Sloss- Sheffield Iron & Steel Company of Birmingham, Ala., and Andrew Moreland, a former director of the Carnegie Steel Company. It is anticipated that the representative of the Sloss- Sheffield Iron & Steel Company will be asked to testify with regard to a number of details concerning the opera- tions of that company suggested by the recent testimony of Charles R. Flint, who organized the company, and who has furnished the commission with copies of the options, prospectus and general plan of consolidation employed in bringing about the combination. The com- missioners questioned Mr. Flint at some length concern- ing the economies and other advantages which were sought to be secured by consolidation and received very specific answers, but Mr. Flint confessed his inability to testify in detail as to whether all the results hoped for had been achieved. He said that the combination was organized for the purpose of securing economies in manufacture and distribution, to transfer individual holdings into stocks and bonds of a corporation which would have a market value, to provide against changes in management or policy following the death or disability of individuals, to avoid destructive competition and to give the constituent companies the benefit of the highest order of ability to be found among all their managers and officers. The extent to which these aims have been realized in the case of the Sloss-Sheffield Company is an interesting question on which the commission hopes to secure a good deal of light. It is understood that the testimony of the Chicago and Pittsburgh firms above mentioned will cover very fully fluctuations of prices during the two or three years since the organization of the leading consolidations in the iron and steel trade under the New Jersey laws. The com- mission has gathered a great deal of data in the way of market quotations, using the market reports of The Iron Age for this purpose, but it desires to secure as much in- formation as possible concerning the trade conditions accompanying the most important fluctuations, and it wishes especially to learn whether the advances that have been recorded in the prices of various staple articles have been due to increased cost of raw material, labor, &c., or to the arbitrary action of the consolidations control- ling the various lines of trade. It is not stated by the commission what line will be followed by the testimony of Andrew Moreland, but it is expected that he will give some interesting information concerning the policy which for so many years induced the Carnegie Steel Company, of whom he was a director, to hold aloof from the combinations and what finally induced them to be- come the principal factor in the greatest industrial con- solidation that has ever been effected. The commission has scheduled the joint debate, if the expression is permissible, between the New York Re- THE IRON AGE. May 9, 1901 form Club and the Home Market Club of Boston on the question as to whether the tariff is the father of the trusts for the 10th inst. Byron W. Holt will be the prin- cipal speaker for the Reform Club. Edward Atkinson has found it impossible to be in this city during the hear- ings, but will probably give his testimony later. The witness on behalf of the Home Market Club has not yet been announced, but will be selected by the Secretary of the club, Colonel Clark, who is also a member of the In- dustrial Commission. These witnesses will devote con- siderable attention to the iron and steel trade, and it is understood that Mr. Holt will go in some detail into the conditions which have enabled the American steel man- ufacturers to build up a large foreign trade. He will urge the material reduction of the present tariff on the ground that it is no longer necessary, and will suggest the placing on the free list of certain lines of products embraced ir Representative Babcock’s free metal bill. In addition to the witnesses mentioned the commis- sion will hear considerable testimony relating chiefly to certain industrial combinations, railroad consolidations, . freight and other transportation problems. The follow- ing tentative programme, subject to change from day to day, has been arranged: May 7, J. A. Munroe, freight traffic manager, Union Pacific Railroad, Omaha, Neb.; J. C. Stubbs, vice-president Southern Pacific Railroad, San Francisco, Cal. May 8, Arthur Williams, secretary Denver Chamber of Commerce on freight matters; E. S. Wilson, secretary of the National Board of Trade, and representing the Cincinnati freight bureau. May 9, Messrs. Duke and Lee, representing the American and Continental Tobacco companies, concerning the tobacco combinations; representatives of independent producers of tobacco. May 11, H. J. Chisholm, president Interna- tional Paper Company; Isaac L, Rice, president Consoli- dated Rubber Tire Company. May 13, Osborne Howes, secretary of the Board of Fire Underwriters, concerning the relation of Canadian transportation lines to American lines; S. M. Felton, president Chicago & Alton Railroad. May 14, W. L. Guilladau, president Old Dominion Steamship Company; Wm. Mahl, comptroller Southern Pacific Railroad; J. McGovern, chairman Southern Class!- fication Committee, Atlanta, Ga. May 15, J. F. Goddard, commissioner Trunk Line Association; Wm. Nicholson, Central Railroad Clearing House, Buffalo, N. Y. May 18, J. B. Ross, president Royal Baking Powder Com- pany; representative of alum baking powder interests; J. F. Jackson, chairman State Railroad Commission, Boston, Mass. Following the hearings in this city a sub-commission will visit New York, where evidence will be taken on a variety of subjects with a view to closing up investiga- tions which have heretofore been pursued along certain lines. WwW. L. C. — - Frick Coke Company Changes.—At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the H. C. Frick Coke Company, held in the Carnegie Building, Pittsburgh, last week, Giles B. Bosworth, George Lauder and James Gayley resigned as members of the board. Mr. Bosworth also resigned as vice-president and treasurer. The resigna- tions were accepted, and the following were elected to fill the vacancies: O. W. Kennedy, W. C. Magee and Philip. Keller. Mr. Keller was also elected to the office of treasurer, the office of vice-president, resigned by Mr. Bosworth, remaining unfilled. W.S. Armstrong was ap- pointed assistant treasurer. W. C. Magee retains title and office he has heretofore held as vice-president and general sales manager. tie > At the annual meting of the United Gas Improve- ment Company of Philadelphia, the annual report was submitted which shows net receipts for the fiscal year ended December 81, 1900, of $3,386,771, which is equiva- lent to 15 per cent. on $22,500,000 capital stock. The profits of $4,948,923 last year include premiums on cer- tain securities realized on, in the period of high security values, and also certain outside operations, while in re- sults for the year just closed they figure to a lesser de- gree. Net earnings compare as follows: 1900, $3,386,- 771; 1899, $4,948,923; 1898, $1,864,129; 1897, $1,424,299. May 9, 1901 Notes from Great Britain. Office of The Iron Age, Hastinas Hovss, | NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, W.C. | Recutting Files, More than a month ago I was able to make an an- nouncement with reference to a new method for recut- ting files. My announcement was copied in several British papers and was the cause of many comments. The principals to whom I referred were interviewed, and the substantial accuracy of my announcement was ad- mitted. On this point another method of recutting files is suggested by Sherard Cowper-Coles of London, who write as follows: “Any one accustomed to use files knows how quickly they lose their cutting edge or be- come clogged when used on certain metals and alloys. A file card will clean a file, but will not sharpen the cutting edges. The only process that has been success- fully applied to the sharpening of files up to the present is Tilghman’s sand blast. Fine sand is projected on the file with a steam pressure of 150 pounds through rubber hose fitted with cast steel nozzles. The harder the surface to be operated on the more vigorous the ac- tion of the sand. It occurred to me that cutting edges might be readily sharpened by dissolving off electrolytically a thin, even film of the steel. A large number of experi- ments were made for the purpose of determining the best conditions. The effects of various current densities and electrolytes upon the cutting edges of the files were recorded by means of impressions taken on lead foil, and also by taking microphotographs. Another method for recording the results obtained was to take guttapercha molds, from which electrotypes were produced. Cur- rent densities were tried, varying from 100 to 500 am- peres per square foot, and with variations of time from five minutes to 60 hours. A large number of electro- iytes were also experimented with, including cyanide of potassium, ferric chloride, ferric sulphate, and solutions of sulphuric acid of different strengths. The best re- sults were obtained from a solution of ferric chloride with high current densities.” German Water Tube Bollers, The British Admiralty, as I anticipated, are still enamored of water tube boilers, eight of the Diirr type having been ordered from Germany. The total cost of the boilers is $95,000, exclusive of spare parts and fit- tings. The boilers are being placed on board the “ Me- dusa.” They have been guaranteed by the makers to give 155,000 pounds dry steam per hour from feed water at 80 degrees F., and with an air pressure of 1% inches; 104,000 pounds per hour with %-inch air pressure (that used for continuous steaming), and 80,000 pounds per hour with natural draft. Gas from the Pit’s Mouth, The manufacturers of tubes of one sort and another in the Midlands of England are looking hopefully to a proposal which is being mooted that corporations should, as far as possible, when situated near the coal fields, manufacture their gas at the coal pit mouth and trans- mit it at a distance through big pipe lines on the Ameri- can model. As the tube trade has been hard hit of re- cent years through one cause and another, it follows that if this system could be adopted it would suit the tube makers’ books excellently. It is calculated that the extra cost of gas to London consumers last year, as a consequence of the rise in coal, amounted to $3,750,000. It is further computed that the extra cost of gas to the gas companies was only one-third of that sum, the two- thirds having gone into the pockets of the shareholders. As some of the British city corporations are now con- sidering the advisability of purchasing their own coal mines, it is quite possible we shall hear more of this scheme in the future. English and American Coal, The debate on the coal tax waxes more keen than ever. I think, however, we may be sur. that the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer will stand by his tax. Many are the surmises as to the influence upon the British and American coal trade in consequence of the new im- post. In this connection the annual report for 1900 of the Rhenish Westphalian Coal Syndicate states that vari- THE IRON AGE. 5 ous Hamburg coal importers made a trial of American coal. The experiment did not prove successful, although low freights prevailed at the time. In the Mediterranean and French ports generally English coal has been re- placed by American. In North European harbors Ameri- can coal does not appear to have much chance. It is further alleged that the coal supplied by the United States during 1900 to the French railway companies has not proved satisfactory. They Want a Rebate. An interesting case is being tried before the Railway and Canal Commission. It shows vividly the constant friction which has become chronic in this country as between the railway companies and manufacturers. Vickers, Sons & Maxim of Sheffield, Birmingham and Barrow; John Brown & Co., Limited, of Sheffield, and Charles Cammell & Co., Limited, of Sheffield, all manu- facturers of heavy steel castings, have applied to the commission to fix a reasonable rebate for services ren- dered to the Midland Railway Company in connection with the loading and unloading of traffic at their works and sidings. The defendant company in their turn allege that Vickers, Sons & Maxim are not entitled to a rebate because the railway company render services to them which are equivalent. The maximum charge for station terminals is 8 cents. Against this the company think they are entitled to something for sheeting, packing, chaining and clerkage. One would have thought that the railway company in question would have been only too glad to meet the convenience of these large steel manufacturers in every way possible. It would be in- teresting to compare the terminal charges upon Ameri- can engineering works made by the American railway companies with those charged in this country. Two Books on Africa, I have received two traders’ year books relating to Africa, which should also be in the hands of American exporters, particularly of heavy goods. “The West African Year Book” is published by the West African Publishing Syndicate, Limited, Tower Chambers, Moor- gate street, London, E. C., at $1.25. It runs to over 300 pages, and is a complete compendium of information re- lating to the development of West Africa. Not the least valuable section is the list of directors of West African mining and finance companies. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs, showing the economic prog- ress of this district, which so many of us assume to be practically virgin. A full report is given of the various mining ventures connected with West Africa, the mining section being quite elaborate. Full statements as to ex- ports and imports are published, the customs tariff in each case is stated in detail, distances are carefully noted, while all the principal West African towns with population and situation are given. The book is, to some extent, a surprise to me, as showing how very rapid is the development of industry on the West Coast of Africa. The imports from the United States into this large area are not so large as they might be, but doubt- less with further information this defect will be remedied. “The African Annual and Traders’ Year Book,” 75 cents, published from the office of “ African Commerce,” 46 Fleet street, London, E. C., is more general in Its character, embracing the whole of Africa, but is also a useful little book, full of information of the sort that exporters like to possess. 8. G. H. nt naa oact” ¥-soareeateoeer The Roller Bearing & Equipment Company.—The Roller Bearing & Equipment Company of America are being incorporated this week in Delaware, with a view to the manufacture of all kinds of bearings and small railroad equipment; their factory to be located at Keene, N. H.,. and their principal promoters are W. S. Rogers, largely and well known to the trade as general mana- ger for several years of the Ball Bearing Company of Boston; E. P. Wells, president of the Steamobile Com- pany of America at Keene, and friends of these two gentlemen. It is announced that the new company al- ready have part of their machinery in place and are ready to accept orders. met ee Pee ais AN ASME DRE PAE cen 2 Se Se a a Chains and Chain Gearing.* BY CHARLES PIEZ. Chains have so well established a place in the me- chanical world as a means for transmitting power that it is necessury to say but a few words concerning their scope. They are applicable wherever a positive speed ratio is to be secured, wherever heavy strains at low speeds are 1o be transmitted, wherever a damp or hot at- mosphere would prove destructive to belts or ropes, and wherever power is to be transmitted without sacrificing the flexibility of the shaft supports, as in the case of agricultural machinery. Just as gears may be roughly classed as cut and cast, so chains can be grouped as machine made and cast. The former have been almost solely applied to bicycles and motor cars, while the latter are applied to elevating, conveying and the transmission of power in the me- chanical arts. The limitation to the use of machine made chain is almost wholly a matter of price, and is due very largely to the fact that its manufacture has never been so systematically organized as to produce a well made chain and sprocket wheel at a reasonable price. Machine CAE ah pao hy a a> — ] a Na \ eA Fig. 1—Faulty Construction of Wheel when Gearing with a New Chain. THE IRON AGE. . May 9, 1902 and takes place between the pintel, or what in Ewart chains is termed the end bar, and its bearing. The ex- ternal wear is that which is caused by the engagement of the link with the sprocket. Lubrication of both the chain bearings and the teeth of the wheels would largely reduce both kinds of wear and in the larger chains used for dredges special pro- vision for properly lubricating the chain bearings is made. But these provisions are applicable only to very large chains, and even were they not so limited the cost of such devices when applied to the smaller chains would stand in the way of their general adoption. Every chain, no matter what its duty or what the atmosphere it runs in, should be lubricated at frequent intervals, tests hav- ing demonstrated that a chain lasts longer when a mix- ture of emery and oil is applied to the chain than when the emery alone is applied. The joints should be wiped free from dust and sticky oil, and an effort should be made to get the lubricant into the bearing. Besides this the teeth of the wheels should be cleaned and a heavy grease applied to them. In a large percentage of cases when a chain gives trouble, such a treatment will give relief. But the chain manufacturer realizes that the lubrication of chains is not always an easy matter, and > SIDE ™ PS -3 fom : ( WITH LOAD ACTING THUS RB 2 \ <=> DRIVER A oN \ iS", \ =, \ \ + D \ L —\ : SLACK SIDE OF CHAIN Tus Iron AGE a ae Fig. 2.—Faulty Construction of Wheel when Gearing with @ Chain Slightly Worn. CHAINS AND CHAIN GEARING. made chains, when properly designed and well made, are stronger, more durable and less noisy than cast chains of equivalent bearing surface and section. But owing to their lower first cost the latter have been much more ex- tensively used. I described machine made and cast chains as resem- bling cut and cast gears in their classification; I might carry the simile further by stating that there is as much difference in cast chains as there is between well made machine molded gears and gears cast from carelessly made patterns. That chains shall run properly with their wheels, it is essential that the links shall be ac- curate as to pitch, that the pintels shall bear uniformly in their seats, that the wheels shall be of the proper pitch diameter, the teeth of proper pitch and shape, and that the bearing and sprocket surface shall be proportionate to the strains to be transmitted. The last requirement is one that can be overcome by proper design, but those who are familiar with the vagaries of castings can imagine how difficult is the realization of the other four requirements. The high-class Ewart malleable chains are subjected to 17 distinct operations after removal from the annealing pots, and while primarily cast chains, they are, by selection, by treatment and by testing, brought to an accuracy and uniformity which leaves but little to be desired. Wear of Chains, The wear on chains is twofold, internal and external. The internal wear is due to the articulation of the links *Paper read before the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia and published in their Proceedings for April, 1901. his aim has therefore been to produce a chain joint which would prove durable in spite of imperfect lubrication. Chain Joint. Two general methods have been employed to achieve this result. The first method consists in the use of ® rocking joint, which is an application of the knife edge principle to the chain bearing. This application was the subject of a generic patent granted James M. Dodge om July 13, 1880. Only a fractional part of a complete revo- lution is possible with this form of joint; but by limiting the number of teeth of the smallest wheel to be used the are of articulation can be brought within the practicable limits of the rocking joint. This joint is practically free from friction, even without a lubricant; and when the force to be transmitted lies well within the safe limits of the strength of the bearing edge it gives excellent results in practice. The Morse bicycle chain and the malleable iron rocker joint chains are examples. The second method to obtain a durable joint consists in hardening the surfaces in contact. In cast or malle- able iron chains this is accomplished by using case hard- ened steel pins bearing against bushes of hard metal. In the chain invented by Francis Ley of Derby, England, this principle is carried one step further, The cast frame is cut away so that the outer surface of the case hard- ened bush bears against the wheel. Both the externa} and internal wear in this chain is therefore concentrated on case hardened parts, and these parts are made so that they can be renewed when worn. As the external wear is wholly due to the action of the wh scr rul May 9, 1901 wheel on the chain it will be necessary to give a brief de- scription of the action of the chain on the wheel and the rules which should govern a proper wheel design. The popular notion is that when a chain gears into a toothed wheel all the teeth entering the chain are simul- taneously in action. This is not true, for no matter how accurately a chain and wheel may fit when new, the mo- ment a strain is brought to bear on the chain and the wheel begins to turn the pins begin to bed themselves T Gr T \< —, ‘ — f Se ee ee ee ana aaa / —} f —_—_{--}— { ae > — —-? = -_ WITH LOAD ACTING THUS LA SLACK SIDE OF ie. CHAIN cae Tue IRON AGB Mt a ee Fig. 3.—Faulty Construction of Wheel when Gearing with a Worn Chain. Into their bearings, producing at once a lengthening of the pitch. The amount of this bedding or seating may be infinitesimal in each joint, but it is sufficient to de- stroy the simultaneous bearing on all teeth. The action between chain and wheel tends to wear the chain long and the wheel small, and results in one tooth doing all of the work at any one time. The cuts will illustrate the principle of chain gearing with the ordinary types of chain. Principle of Chain Gearing. Fig. 1 shows a wheel with a chain fitting every tooth. This is an ideal condition that may exist before the gear- F TIGHT SIDE tT Fe Fe a oh. E eer ~ a le WITH LOAD ACTING THUS _ ns ORIVER SLACK SIDE OF CHAIN A eet TA Tus IRon AGE Pig. 5.—Correct Construction of a Driver Wheel when Gearing with a Chain Slightly Worn THE IRON AGE. 3 same. As the wheel turns beyond the position shown in ihe figure link G wedges itself into position and crowds out link A, throwing the latter into about the position shown by link B in Fig. 2. The work is therefore done by one tooth, and that, too, during the period when the tooth is acting like a wedge to prevent the seating of the link. Only a portion of the power, therefore, is usefully employed. Fig. 3 represents the third stage of the same wheel— Cn SIDE wIiTH em ACTING 7. or ois P. ms ~~ Cc \\ LS / AY — a, ; B a —s o 4 = N AGE Fig. 4.—Correct Construction of a Driver Wheel when Gearing with a New Chain, viz., when gearing with a worn chain, In this instance the defects of the last case have become aggravated and the working of the chain becomes irregular, the links fre- quently jumping the teeth. The construction shown in the foregoing results in a waste of power, a rapid wear of the chain and an irregular and jerky motion. In Fig. 4 is shown the correct construction of the driv- ing wheel, and this figure shows it gearing with a new chain. As will be seen, the wheel pitch is longer than the chain pitch, and the tooth space is much wider than the accommodation of the chain joint would require. This construction brings the driving tooth at the outgoing end of the chain instead of the incoming end. IGHT SIDE 4 t WITH LOAD ACTING THUS _—_— >; >—™ SLACK SIDE OF CHAIN TuE IRON ACE Fig. 6.—Correct Construction of a Driver Wheel when Gearing with a Much Worn Chain. CHAINS AND CHAIN GEARING. ing has been put into operation and when the chain and wheels have been made with extreme accuracy. But this condition ceases as soon as the chain runs long enough to bring the joints to a bearing. Then the chain approxi- mates the position on the wheel shown in Fig. 2, which represents the wheel shown in Fig. 1, when gearing with a chain slightly worn. The link A is now the only one which is in working contact with its tooth, the reason being that the chain has lengthened, whereas the wheel has remained the Fig. 5 shows the same driver gearing with a slightly worn chain. The driving is still done by the tooth en- gaged with the outgoing link, but links B, C, D, B and F have moved closer to their teeth without touching them. Fig. 6 shows the correctly constructed driver gearing with a much worn chain, and in this case the conditions, after a long and useful life, approximate those of the new chain when gearing with an incorrectly constructed driver, as shown in Fig. 1. To secure the proper opera- tion of the chain the driving face of the tooth should be eee ~——e RA fees cs ihe feltman ei eae ln gail SS —" o - > » . ——- ee eS eee ene Ee <idlbaae . _~ Se oe r - 3 “ - “ a ln : : ~<a a bs nmi asi 8 s0 curved as to permit the outgoing link to readily free itself. Tbe release must at the same time be gradual, so that the following link will slip back into engagement with the sprocket without jar. The proper design of the tooth face is shown in Fig. 7, which shows the first stage of the outgoing chain. As the foregoing cuts have shown the advantage of making the driver wheel longer in pitch than the chain, £0 the two following cuts will point out the advantage of making the driven wheel slightly shorter in pitch than THE IRON AGE. May 9, 1901 the strength of the chain will permit, but without en- croaching too much upon the tooth space of the wheel: for the above analysis also points out the fact that the greater the number of teeth the larger must be the space between them in order to take care of the elongation of tne chain when worn. This means that the larger the number of teeth the thinner the tooth. This is sound from a practical standpoint, because, chain speeds being the same, the greater the number of teeth the less fre- quently does each tooth come into action. /—~ THE CHAIN, / 7 \ — j PULLS \__ THE IRON AGE Fig. 7.—Firet Stage of Outgoing Chain. the chain. In practice the chain and wheel pitch are made alike, because the lengthening of the chain as soon as it Is set to work produces at once the desired effect. Fig. 8 shows the correct driven wheel gearing with a new chain, and Fig. 9 shows the same wheel gearing with ® worn chain. It is apparent that in the driven wheel, as with the driver, the tooth against the outgoing link is the one in action. W. D. Ewart, in his invention of the dif- ferential pitch sprocket wheel, has combined the prin- DRIVEN jin THE OHAIN f ——— = -}—w— - 45 = PULLS oF Eo. % - ’ ay Tus IRON AGE fig. 9.—Correct Construction of a Driven Wheel when Gearing with @ Worn Chain. HORSE POWERS TRANSMITTED o C = Tae IRon Ace Fig. 8.—Correct Construction of a Driven Wheel when Gearing with a New Chain. There is a limit to the number of teeth which a wheel should be given, and this limit—not the possible limit but the practical limit—can be set down at 100 for cut wheels gearing with accurately pitched machine made chains, and at less than half this number for cast wheels and cast chains, It is evident from the foregoing cuts that in the opera- tion of any of the ordinary chains, no matter how ac- curately made, and no matter how correctly cut the wheel, the transfer of strain from one link to the follow- ing involves a blow which becomes more frequent and therefore more severe as the speed increases. Take the case of a chain of 3 inches pitch traveling 900 feet per minute: Each foot of travel means the en- gagement of four links and this speed, therefore, repfe- “joo -200~«O«SOOS:*~*«C 500 600 700 800 900 SPEEDS IN FEET PER MINUTE Tus lRon AGE Fig. 10.—Table Showing Decrease of Horse-Power with Increase ' of Speed. CHAINS AND CHAIN GEARING. ciples that the driver wheel pitch shall be large and the driven wheel pitch small, in a single wheel. A careful study of the action of a chain gearing with & wheel shows that unless the wheel face is kept well lubricated, which in practice is rarely the case, a more perfect action is secured by the type known as the roller chain than by the ordinary solid joint chains, like the block chains or Ewart chains, because the release of the outgoing link and the slipping back of the remaining links is accomplished with less jar and with less wear on the external part of the chain joint by rolling than by sliding. The ratio of the roller to its pin should be as large as sents 3600 blows to the chain per minute. The severity of the blows is still further increased by the fact that the chain at high speeds vibrates in both a vertical and a horizontal plane and strikes heavily against the face of the wheel in consequence. The heavier the chain the greater the force of the blow and the quicker the de- struction of the chain. In designing chains for high speeds, therefore, material of the very highest degree of st