The Iron Age 1902-01-16: Vol 69 Iss 3

«20 J IT uxinos A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery ee etal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St., New York, Vol, 69: No.3. New York, Thursday. January 16, 1902 See ene Ton Ga ee Reading Matter Contents......... page 68 Alphabetical Index to Advertisers “‘ 15! MOODOOODQODDOCOSVWOODQDOOODOSOQODOOQOOEQOQDHDOGDOSO. Classified List of Advertisers. . 2: Advertising and Subscription Rates rr U S E FORSTNER Brace and Machine Bits SEP 22 7+ AT FEB 23 96 P “One of the most remarkable tools for wood- working ever invented.”—Cuicaco Wortp’s Fair Com. AWARDS. Patent Stee Bolt Lacing, SAVES Time, Belté, Money. GreatestS ith Least Me Send for Descriptive Circular—Mailed Free THE BRIDGEPORT GUN IMPLEMENT CO. 313.317 . Broadway, NEW YORK GQQ®OOGVHIGWO®OHDGHGOOHHGODODGQHGOHDGQHGODOSGQOGHOOOIVOIWOISO ‘READY Circulars and Free BRISTOL CO., Waterbu ESET SOAHALL BOILERS #01 ' Zt Alve anachnrstin epg Epeats 4 SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS. e TURNBUCKLES. NEW YORK, < cmcAGo, oa and City Forge and ron Con ”= Chnsetsn’. 0 SF, Lose, = | BRANCHES: RBETROIT, Sie | CINCINNATI, : : SAN FRANCISCO) —_) ae PORTLAND, ORE., 4 : *e ‘ BUFFALO, df he BALTIMORE, oats on; NEW ORLEANS. Z is THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY, HARTFORD, CONN. ‘FORGINGS. , Girard | PLIES Cae, fangs sere va 2, * % $ i aX Kae at < x se 3 mie Ps » i % s? Sik m 4 * Jenkins ’96 Packing. Pronounced by steam users throughout the world oh the best joint packing manufactured. Expensive? & hae Not at all, as it weighs 80¢ less than manyother - | packings, consequently is much cheaper. _ JENKINS BROTHERS, New York. Boston, Philadetphia. Chicage- Brass Prices High, So Use Bright“Swedoh” Stamp- tee | 4] = ing Steel, Easily Brass Plated and Save Money. page s MAGNOLIA METAL. — Common galvanized iron SSE sl ie OO Ol OOeltC has all the faults there are; wrwevwvevy''. the worst one is its varying. Apollo is uniform. — Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings. Pac-Simile of Bar. ooer~ocrrr""""” - American Sheet Steel Company, New York bo THE IRON AGE. THE PLUME & Atwood Mré. Go., Beass {WATERBURY BRASS G0. ANSONIA BRA # COPPER Co. MANUFACTURERS OF BRASS AND COPPER Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. Brass, German Silver, Ingot Copper. Copper. 6OLE MANUFACTURERS Tobin Bronze IN SHEET, ROLL, ROD, WIRE, (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) BRAZED and SEAMLESS Condenser,Piates,Pump Linings, Round, TUBING, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Brass Brazing Wire, Spelter Solder, Rivets and Burrs, Metailic Eye- ESTABLISHED 1845, Main Office and Mills at Waterbury, Conn. Manufacturers of 99 John Street, oe New York. | Randolph-Clowes Co., Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBS, SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. lets, Shells, Ferrules and Small Brasswares of every Description. Deoxidized Babbitt. NEVER HAS BEEN BEATEN, Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze & Metal Co. BKIDGEPORT, CONN, ‘Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co.,° LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selectext Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. TN eres LGU Ln Se 8:74 West Monroe St Chicago. es Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals, Brass and Alaminum SAST!NSS PDs weet, mt 33.08 Brass and Aluminum Founders, 5 aS 82. Phosphor Bronze Bearing Castings. BATTLE oom. ay W. G. ROWELL & CO., Bridgeport, Conn. HENDRICKS BROTHERS Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, Brasiers’ Bolt an aunaa. Bheathing ; COoOoPrPrPrER, ale CoorRrPrKTr zrsk. wre AND HRIVETs. Importers and Dealers in Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST.. NEW YORK. ; R.A. HART, Pee ee antl MANUFACTURERS OF Sheet and Roll Brass —AND— WiRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVETS AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chaiu, Kero sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Trimmings, &c. 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, ROLLING MILL THOMASTON, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of BRASS, CERMAN SILVER Sheets, Rolls, Wire, Rods, Bolts and Tubes, FACTORIES : WATERBURY, CONN, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges Buttons, Lamp Goods. SPECIAL BRASS GOODS TO ORDER Factories, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: CHICAGO, NEW YORK, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Coemer Co.. DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY, 100 John Street, - New York. Arthur IT. Rutter SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Copper and Brass Rod. “PHONO-ELECTRIC” WIRE: «1s rovn.” TROLLEY, TELEPHONE é = aridsenort, BRIDGEPORT BRASS C0., ‘THE IRON AGE THuRSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1902, A New Crank Pin Turning Machine. The Work; Remains Stationary and the Tool Travels Around It. By simply reversing the operation ordinarily em- ployed in turning the pins of a crank shaft, the ma- chine which we illustrate overcomes many of the diffi It has always been a difficult matter to properly bak- ance the work by the application of counterweights in order to get the work to run true to center. Still greater has been the problem of maintaining this accuracy of balance. As the work progresses it is generally found that the blocking shifts and the work does not come out perfectly true. To correct this requires additional labor. As the distance from the pins to the center is generally Fig. 1.—General Vicw of the Machine. A NEW CRANK PIN culties usually encountered in connection with this class of work. In finishing up a crank shaft on a lathe the turning of the crank pins has always been an arduous task. Where the shaft is of two or more throws the perplexity is increased proportionately. Since small engines, such as are used in connection with automobile and boat building, have been produced extensively, it has been necessary to manufacture crank shafts of two or three throws at comparatively low cost. In addition to being arduous the ordinary. lathe method is costly, requiring much time and great care. TURNING MACHINE. considerable it is necessary to take light cuts. When the shaft is of more than one throw, reblocking or re- balancing is required. With the crank pin machine, it is claimed, these ob- stacles are overcome. The employment of this machine obviates all necessity for blocking or counterbalancing, because the shaft is rigidly fastened to the’ bed of the machine. The tool then rotates around the work. In- stead of changing the center of ‘the work, the center of the machine is shifted. This is the chief feature of this machine and the- ESS See ena eee ea Se ee = | | | ; he N ene aa a ee ee eee OE ETP tie: Pe ee 2 THE IRON AGE. underlying principle wherein it differs from the ordinary lathe. Fig. 1 shows the general design of the machine. It is so arranged that it will take either long or short crank shafts. For holding short shafts a pair of centers or tail stocks are provided. When the shafts are too E oe D— 4 Le ers ~ Lee | Cc BSoso January 16, 1902 In the side and end elevations, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, these blocks are designated A. One is placed at each end of the bed. Bushings are made to conform to the diameter of the outside bushings of the shaft, and the top bar of the blocks is bolted down securely. The steady rest B is then adjusted so as to surround the square crank, Tue IRON AGE Fig. 2.—Side Elevation, Fig. 3.—-Showing Method of Fastening Work. A NEW, CRANK PIN TURNING MACHINE. long for these centers, the latter are removed and blocks, containing bushings and a tightening bar, are substi- tuted. Fig. 1 shows the machine fitted with the centers. All of the other engravings show the machine arranged for long shafts. While either the centers or blocks are furnished with the machine, in practice the blocks are generally used for all but very short work. which is secured in the rest by means of set screws. These fixtures rest on transverse slides and they are adjusted sidewise, so that the center of the crank pin comes eetitral with the axis of the machine. The tool, which is held in the cutter bar C, is then adjusted by means of the screw E, which runs in the bearing D. Phe upper portion of the cutter bar also comprises half THE January 16, 1902 of the bearing for the screw E. The entire cutting ap- paratus is fixed to a drum, which revolves in an outside bearing, F, and is rotated by means of gearing G. The shaft H conveys the power for the horizontal movement of the saddle, drum and, of course, cutter bar, all of which are rigidly fastened together. The shaft H IRON 3 AGE, the position of the intermediate pinion in the chain of gears I reversed. The lock nut M engages or disengages the star handle L, by means of which the horizontal movement is con- trolled by hand when desired. is changed and the horizontal movement is Fig. 4.—End Elevation. as well as the main shaft, which drives the gearing G, are splined. The shaft H drives the chain of spur gears I, which, in turn, are connected to a worm which op- erates and is operated by worm wheel K. This worm Fig. 6.—Showing Method of Driving Drum. A NEW CRANK PIN TURNING MACHINE. Wheel surmounts the shaft O, which operates spur gears and pinions, N, which are duplicated in the front and back of the machine and are enmeshed in the rack on each side of the bed. By means of the knurled screw J Fig. 5.—End Elevation, The screw E is surmounted by a bronze star, which comes in contact with the spring lever shown on the saddle in Figs. 3 and 6. When this lever is pulled out- ward the star turns a point with each revolution of the drum. As soon as the required depth of cut has been obtained the operator releases his hold on the lever and the cut fixed is maintained for the balance of the hort- zontal travel. On this machine the work is placed between the cen- ters or retaining blocks according to the center of the shaft itself or end bearings. The entire work is then shifted transversely so that the center of the crank pin comes central: with the axis of the machine. The exact center of the machine is first agéertained by means of center gauges or plugs. These are steel blanks about 8 inches long, 3 inches wide and % inch thick. The gauges are placed on the cross slides on each end of the machine. A small steel stop is fastened to the rear end of each slide, as shown in the general view, Fig. 1. When the center ef the crank pin is desired gauges are made of the proper’ size’ard’ placed on the cross’siities in substitution for the center gauge. An advantage of the machine is claimed in the fact that drop forgings can be used instead of the solid forg- ings, when so desired. It is claimed that the work per- formed on the machines cannot be equaled. on a lathe for accuracy. It is also.said that the machige will pro duce the werk in one-third the time required on a lathe. Another feature is its simplicity of construction and operation, which permits of its being operated by any one competent to run a lathe. The machine as made at present. takes a shaft up,to 7 inches throw of crank, pro vided that the shaft is not over 3% inches in diameter in the rough. The machines can be quickly changed to more or less throw of crank without removing shaft 4 THE IRON AGE. from main centers. The machine is built for and sold by the Crank Pin Machine Company, 135 Broadway, New York. — or The Mineral Production of the United States. The publication by the Geological Survey of the ‘“ Min- eral Resources ” for 1900 enables us to give for the first time a connected review of the larger operations of this surprising year. “Every chapter in this report is a census of the productive features of the industry, as complete as possible with the means at command.” That sentence from the introduction by Dr. David T. Day, the chief of the division, gives the keynote of the whole report. The figures are obtained directly from the producers themselves; much information has been added by many local experts, and the technical press has furnished prices, market reports, new technical processes and new mining enterprises. In 1900, for the first time, the value of our mineral products passed the $1,000,000,000 mark. That is a great saying in little compass. The exact figures are $1,067,605,587, a gain of $95,704,693, or 9.85 per cent., over 1899. This gain is much less actually and propor- tionately than the gain of 1899 over 1898, which was 39.20 per cent.; but it is more than three times the normal growth of the mineral industries from 1880 to 1898, and shows that those industries kept pace with the national prosperity in 1900. Iron and coal, as heretofore, are the most important of our mineral products, the value of iron in 1900 being $259,944,000, and of coal $306,891,364, an aggregate of $566,834,364, or more than half of the total production. Nearly all the important minerals increased in output during the year, though copper increased in product and declined in value, and zine declined in both product and value. Every variety of fuel increased except anthra- cite coal, which declined from 1899 over 2,700,000 long tons. The total value of the fuel in 1900 was $406,- 250,518, a gain of 19.22 per cent. over 1899. The average price of anthracite coal per ton at the mine in 1900 was $1.49, 3 cents more than in 1899; and the average price of bituminous coal was $1, 13 cents more than in 1899. Metals. Iron and Steel.—At the beginning of the last century comparatively little iron and steel were made in any country; there was little demand for them. Then came the railroads, beginning in 1825; then came the street railways in 1832; then iron and steel bridges; then iron and steel steamboats; then steel frames for large build- ings; last, steel freight cars, and along with all these a constantly increasing use of iron and steel for machin- ery, pipe, hardware, stoves, shovels and a thousand and one other articles. The last year of the first quar- ter of the century witnessed only the beginning of this huge development; the last few years of the last quar- ter alone have seen its ripest fruits. The invention of the Bessemer process in 1855 and 1856 made the great railroad extension possible; with its companion, the Siemens open hearth process, dating from 1864, it has made steel bridges, buildings, ships and cars possible. Beginning with the use of the hot blast by William Henry, at Oxford Furnace in New Jersey, in 1834, the modern blast furnace has made the application on a large scale of these steel making proc- esses possible. And Nature has made the ‘whole de- velopment possible. No other country possesses in such abundance as the United States the necessary raw ma- terials; and no other country has produced a more skill- ful class of iron and steel makers than our’ own. Back of it all is chemistry, that science which, in 75 years, has changed the face of Western civilization, and shown that the philosopher’s stone is really iron ore. The record breaking output of pig iron in 1899 was, contrary to expectation, exceeded in 1900, both in quan- tity and in value. The gain of 1899 over 1898 was pro- digious, and was recognized as the result of abnormal conditions, which could not last; nevertheless, 1899 was surpassed by 1900. The avérage price, also, of pig fron January 16, 1902 increased from $18 in 1899 to $18.85 in 1900, almost reaching the maximum of $19, attained in 1887. Al- though the production of Bessemer steel ingots de- creased, the production of open hearth steel increased, as did also the production of steel rails, and their aver- age price at the works was $32.29 in 1900, against $28.12 in 1899. Our total imports of iron and steel in 1900 amounted in foreign value to $20,443,908, -whereas our total exports of iron and steel in 1900, including loco- motives, car wheels, machinery, &c., amounted to $129,- 633,480, against. $105,690,047 in 1899, $82,771,550 in 1898 and $62,737,250 in 1897. Our exports of iron and steel have more than doubled in value in the last four years. These exports do not include agricultural imple- ments, whose exports amounted to $15,979,909, a value more than threefold what it was five years ago. The United States produced 34 per cent. of the total world’s production of pig iron in 1900, and over 37 per cent. of the world’s production of steel. Iron Ores.—Our production of iron ore in 1898, 1899 and 1900 has never been equaled by any other coun- try, the nearest approach to our output being made by the German Empire in 1900, when it produced 18,667,- 950 long tons; and yet this nearest approach was about 2,000,000 tons less than the output of the Lake Superior region in 1900, and more than 4,000,000 tons less than the output in 1900 of red hematite ore alone, Our total production of iron ores increased to 27,553,161 long tons, an increase of 12 per cent. over 1899, and their value went by a great leap to $66,590,500, or 90.26 per cent. over the value of 1899. The number of tons produced in 1900 was 42 per cent. greater than in 1898, a marvelous record. The best of it is that the bulk of the iron ore mined in this country is used in the production of pig iron in this country. From 1889 to 1900, inclusive, the produc- tion of iron ore was 206,060,395 long tons, an average of 17,171,700 tons per annum, and the production of pig iron was 114,931,099 long tons, an average of 9,577,592 tons per annum—an apparent average yield of domestic ore of 55.78 per cent., which is, however, too high. The Lake Superior region, embracing iron ore mines, chiefly red hematite, in Michigan, Minnesota and Wis- consin, produced in 1900 its maximum output of 20,- 564,238 long tons, 75 per cent. of the total for the United States, more than was mined in the whole country in any previous year, except 1899; and of this enormous output the Mesaba range alone, in Minnesota, produced 8,158,450 long tons, or 30 per cent. of the total output of the country. Minnesota is the largest producer of red hematite, followed closely by Michigan, with Alabama third. The iron ores of the Lake Superior region reach their destinations cheaply by means of the long water haul. The total shipments in 1900 were 19,059,393 long tons, over 11,000,000 long tons coming from the three lake ports of Two Harbors and Duluth, in Minnesota, and Escanaba in Michigan. About 2,700,000 tons went to Chicago furnaces and furnaces in Michigan and Wis- consin. Of about 15,800,000 long tons transported to the lower lakes, over 9,600,000 tons were received at the three ports of Ashtabula, Cleveland and Conneaut in Ohio. Ouly 489,078 tons were forwarded by rail. In the order of production of fron ores down to less than 500,000 tons the States rank as follows: Michigan, Minnesota, Alabama, Virginia and West Virginia, Penn- sylvania, Wisconsin, Tennessee. The total value at the mines of the iron ore produced in 1900 yielded an aver- age of $2.42 per long ton, an increake of -$1 per ton, or 70.4 per cent., over the 1899 value of $1.42 per ton. The lowest average value Feported per ton was 82 cents, in Texas, where convictelabor is used in some mines; the highest was $3.71, in Colorado. The stocks of ore re- ported on hand at the mines on December 31, 1900, were 60 per cent. over the total of 1899. In 1900 110 mining operations produced 88.3 per cent. of the total output of iron ore. Three of these operations contributed over 1,000,000 each. Of these mining operations 42 are im Michigan, 31 In Minnesota, 10 in Alabama, 6 in Wis- consin, 4 in New York, 3 each in Tennessee, New Jersey and Colorado; 2 in Pennsylvania and 1 each in Georgia and Wyoming. January 16, 1902 THE The total imports of ores in 1900 were 897,801 long tons, valued at $1,303,196, or $1.45 per ton, at the port of shipment, an increase of 33.2 per cent. over 1899. Cuba was the largest foreign contributor, with 444,- 977 long tons; Spain comes next, and Newfoundland and Labrador third. Of the imports Baltimore received 448,660 tons and Philadelphia 414,064 tons. The ex- ports. chiefly of Lake Superior ores and chiefly to Can- ada. amounted to 51,460 long tons, valued at $154,756. Copper.—The production of copper increased 16.59 per cent. over 1899, but the value declined 2.7 per cent. The average price per pound of copper in 1900 was 16.25 cents, against 17.8 cents in 1899 and 11.75 cents in 1898. Some of the leading producers mined less metal than in former years, while other producers largely in- creased their output. There was great activity in open- ing old mines and in the development of new properties, but few of them became productive in 1900. This ac- tivity was marked in the Lake Superior region, in Mon- tana and in Arizona, the three great copper producing sections of the country, and also in Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Culifornia, Tennessee and Vermont. The copper exports in 1900 were valued at a little over $58,- 800,000, as against about $43,500,000 in 1899; the im- ports were valued at $15,449,779, against $11,054,274 in 1899. Lead.—The condition of the lead industry in 1900 seemed to be deplorably unsound. The increase was unprecedented, nearly 30 per cent., with an increase in value from nearly $19,000,000 in 1899 to about $23,- 500.000 in 1900. This sudden rise cannot, however, be regarded as either normal or safe, being the result ap- parently of consolidation of mines and of artificial stim- ulation of prices. There is reason to believe that con- sumption failed to keep pace with increased supply, and that important accumulations of the metal were un- marketed during the year. This is to be deplored. Our lead is produced, 1, from the non-argentiferous ores of Southeastern Missouri; 2, from the zinc-lead mines of the Joplin-Galena district in Southwestern Missouri and Southeastern Kansas; 3, by far the greatest ma- jority of lead is obtained by smelting argentiferous lead ores mined in the Rocky Mountain region. In 1886 imported argentiferous lead ores from Mexico and Brit- ish Columbia began to furnish considerable amounts of lead. Later on refining in bond of foreign base bullion became an important industry. The market price of lead in 1900 varied rapidly and capriciously, so far as could be seen. From August 27, 1900, to the close of the year it remained at 4% cents per pound. Zine.—During 1900 the production of zinc ‘in the United States, 123,886 short tons, declined 4 per cent. in amount and 28.2 per cent. in value, as compared with 1899. The average realized price of zine ore per short ton in 1900 was $26.50, against $28.50 in 1899 and $28.44 in 1898. There was a large loss in production in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri and a large gain in Kan- The decline ir Illinois was due largely to strikes. The indications are for an increased production in 1901. The exports of zinc in 1900 were $3,450,644, more than double the exports of either 1899 or 1898. Those in a position to know predict that our exports of metal will soon take the place of the present exports of zine ores. Gold.—The most important gains in gold production were in the Seward peninsula of Alaska, the Cripple Creek district of Colorado and the territory of Alaska. The Cape Nome beach claims are found where streams empty, or have emptied in times past, into the ocean, bringing gold from the placers above. This general ter- ritory, about 350 miles long and 100 miles wide, yielded in 1900 $5,100,000 in gold. Colorado gained $2,846,600 over 1899, the Cripple Creek district supplying nearly the whole gain. The reserves in sight in this district are enormous. The tendency to consolidate in the Crip- ple Creek properties has been very great. Arizona nearly doubled her production in 1901 over 1899, and the discoveries reported promise a growing future output. Silver—The yield of silver in the United States in 1900 shows an increase cf nearly 3,000,000 ounces over 1899, and has been exceeded in but three years, 1891, 1892 and 1893. And yet the Director of the Mint as- F sas. IRON AGE. 5 sures us that two-thirds of the output of silver in the United States is obtained as a by-product from mines which will be operated, no matter what the price of silver might be. Thus Colorado produced over 20,000,- 000 ounces, of which 16,000,000 was from lead and cop- per ores; and Montana produced over 14,000,000 ounces, of which over 11,000,000 ounces from lead ind copper ores. Quicksilver.—The production declined in 1900 about $150,000 in value, as compared with 1899. Except 265 flasks from Oregon in 1887 and 1900 and 2800 flasks from Texas in 1899 and 1900, the total production was from California. Manganese Ores.—‘the production of manganese ores amounted to 11,771 long tons in 1900, valued at $100,289, the average price per ton being $8.52, against $8.28 in 1899. Virginia and Georgia produced 96 per cent. of the total amount. The bulk of the manganese ores used by the steel companies in 1900 came from foreign countries, were also Russia, Brazil, India, Turkey, Spain, Chile, &c. Russia was the largest producer and Spain the next. The im- ports were valued at $2,540,361, or per ton, as against $8.41 per ton in 1899. Russia contributed over half of the importation, Brazil and Cuba coming next. Nickel.—The nickel deposits in Oregon continue to at- tract attention, and efforts are being made to develop them. Nickel has been found near Sedro and Woolley, in Washington, also near Mt. Idaho, Idaho. This coun- try looks to Sudbury, Ontario, for its supply of nickel, ind if the export duty recently authorized by the Cana- dian Parliament be put in operation it will power- fully stimulate the development of nickel deposits in the United States. Platinum.—As the result of made by Dr. David T. $7.97 a thorough examination Day, platinum has been shown to occur In small quantities at many of the placer mines in California and Oregon, and at a few places in Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Chromite is nearly always found associated with platinum, hence it is not improbable that platinum will be found in the basic magnesian formations of California and Oregon, and also of North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. ———___$<g>— The Goldschmidt Welding Process.—A modification of Dr. Goldschmidt’s thermite process has recently been described by L. Cohn, which should make the method even simpler and more convenient for welding street rails, &c., away from the shop than it was in its origi- nal form. A crucible of sheet iron lined with refractory material is used, the bottom of the vessel being con- structed of one or more unprotected iron plates. The crucible is carried on a suitable tripod of such design that when the apparatus is in use it stands immediately over the spot where the weld has to be performed. The crucible is charged with thermite, the quantity taken being calculated by the rule that 1 kg. yields 450 grams of molten iron. Over the thermite is laid the igniting mixture, and over that the lid of the crucible, which is an iron plate with a central hole. The ends of the rail are brought together under pressure within a proper mold, and when everything is ready a fusee is applied to the priming. The reaction begins at once, and in a few seconds the charge becomes fluid, melts the unprotected iron bottom of the crucible, falls into the mold, and ef- fects the weld. This modified process is claimed prac- tically to do away with all need for skilled labor, and to be well adapted for the treatment of solid objects of all kinds, such as broken axles, &c.; but it is not suited for the repair or jointing of tubes, as the stream of hot metal is likely to melt a hole in the upper wall of the pipe. It is also suggested that the process would be particularly useful on shipboard for the repair of a broken shaft, since the apparatus is very simple and remarkably compact. . The Iron and Coal Trades Review publishes a state- ment to the effect that there are now being built or re- built 70 blast furnaces in Great Britain. Scotland leads with 11, followed by 10 in the South Staffordshire dis- trict, and 8 each in the Cleveland and West Cumberland districts. THE Modern Plants for the Manufacture of Hoops and Merchant Bars BY THEO. J. VOLLKOMMER, PITTSBURGH, PA. The writer does not wish to increase the volume of ‘literature on the large modern iron and steel plants, about which much has been published lately, but con- fines his remarks to personal observations in plants and mills for the manufacture of light shapes, as hoop and band iron and so-called merchant bar. Only compara- tively recently these works have followed the example set by the large plants in introducing improvements, with the tendency to replace manual labor by automatic machinery to reduce the handling of material and to get more and better proportioned machinery. The savings effected by these improvements in a few large plants will render competition rather difficult for the many small works which operate under many dis- advantages, so that the time will arrive when the small mills will either have to follow in remodeling their ma- chinery to enable them to fight for existence in less / yo = — ——— / F BILLET YARD / Gapaaanicussbaaneeeats Se elaananbtadaaneem f ( IRON AGE. January 16, 1902 For larger plants a coal dump, with chain elevators and conveyors to distributing tanks in front of the boilers and producers, will be preferable. The space between the fork formed by the receiving and shipping tracks can be used to great advantage as a billet yard, Y, and can be provided with side tracks. One or two shears, 8, for cutting the billets to shorter lengths, will naturally join the billet yard Y, which is connected with the furnaces F by a double narrow gauge track, with switches to every furnace. Narrow gauge tracks, T, convey the finished and cut bars or bundles to the warehouse W, to be stored or to be directly loaded for shipment. The machine shop, carpenter and smith shop, roll turning shop, scrap house, storeroom, oil and paint cellar and similar structures should be located convenient to the mills, and at the same time out of the way of extensions. Generally conditions do not allow such convenient arrangement, and the lack of available ground, the existence of mills 7] Coe corr rs oe FLYING SHEARS os = —<—— = = ~ HOUSE = iS SS : HH > N\ es _=eE | > i . . —4 F fesi|//| SS = = = a afk LJ jill oar —sSs Poe WwW ¥ : TT | | . ~~ UL | NI =o : on ‘om Mii Se Hii] ——= Tus li 1N AGE Fig. 1.—Plan of Mill to Roll Hoops or Merchant Bars. MODERN PLANTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HOOPS AND MERCHANT BARS. prosperous times than the present, or be content to grad- ually drop behind in the race and give up altogether in times of severe competition. Laying Out of the Plant. In plotting a plant, it is necessary to keep an eye to possible enlargements of the system in the future, and not to obstruct the ground for future mills with acces- sory constructions, tracks or substantial buildings. The arrangement should, if possible, allow the independent entrance of tracks to the receiving end and to the deliv- ery end of the plant. Generally a rectangular system of buildings and parallel tracks will utilize the ground most economically. Contrary to the general opinion, the writer considers a slightly rising ground desirable; coal and billets can then be brought in on the higher receiv- ing tracks, the materials can be handled downward, as- sisted by gravity, more easily than on level ground and the finished product can be shipped from the lower string of tracks. If the available ground and capital allow it, an ar- rangement similar to the one in Fig. 1 will prove very convenient. At one side of the coaling track O the boiler house B, at the other side the producer house P, can be placed. For a small plant the track can be raised to a certain extent to secure greater convenience in .dumping or unloading coal and greater storage capacity. already in operation and other special features some- times offer quite difficult problems. Billet Supply. The size of billets to be selected depends on too many influencing factors to allow of the treatment of the sub- ject here. Generally, it is desirable to use as few differ- ent sizes as possible. The relative market price of larger and smaller billets is the deciding point in the selection of the size of billets for mills to be designed. The length of the billets, too, is subject to many considerations. It is generally convenient to buy lighter size billets, up to about 2 inches, in stock lengths, about 30 feet, and to cut them to suit the different furnaces. Billets of differ- ent chemical composition should be stored separately to avoid mixing them up. Natural (unsheared) ends and ends cut with !mproperly prepared shear knives are fre- quently split to some extent. This crack is liable to widen into a fork during rolling and to prove very an- noying, especially in continuous stands. The storing and handling of billets is still a sore point with many mills. Automatic unloading devices have been tried, but the cost of machinery and the attention precludes their use, except under especially favorable conditions. Well arranged skids, especially if the ground or the arrangement allows them to be inclined, with a string of power driven rollers to the shears, will January 16, 1902 THE prove generally satisfactory, chunky billets and slabs a short swing crane, or better, a self propelling track crane, if possible with magnetic Fig. 2. For short and grip, will prove servicable. Close to the shears should be lecated a platform scale with narrow gauge track, so that the cut billets can be weighed on the buggy while being loaded. It is desirable to keep the buggies all of the same size, or at least of one hight, so that all bug- gies can be used at all furnaces. In this case a number of buggies can be loaded for one, furnace before chang- ing the gauge of the shears or ‘drawing from another billet pile. A slight inclination of the track downward on Fig. 2. to the furnaces will be greatly appreciated by the yard- men. Bollers, Eagines and Power. The steam consumption of a plant of this description is rather regular. For this reason the boilers do not re- quire a large water volume. Plain cylindrical boilers have been generally abandoned, and water tube safety boilers have been lately adopted to a large extent. The quality of the feed water will determine the style best adapted to the purpose, but any good type of boiler will answer. Under average conditions, according to the efficiency of the mills and steam plant, 15 to 20 horse- power for each ton of product per day will generally be required as boiler capacity. This includes all the power for shearing, conveying and the driving of all machin- ele contest | Rep ath he ee ot ee Re ro | ud | a os > Py ea i Fi 2 Tux IRON AGE Fig. 3.—Coal Fired Heating Furnace. ery likely to be used in a mill. Formerly a part of this power was generally drawn from boilers above the heat- ing furnaces, but with the use of well designed contin- uous furnaces the heat is so well utilized by heating the billets and preheating the air that it does not pay to get steam from this source. The boilers work under and are subject to the same conditions as ordinary stationary boilers. Up to recent times a rolling mill engine was gen- erally a crude arrair, wasteful of steam and frequently subjected to a treatment that would have ruined any sensitive engine in a short time. The latest mills, how- ever, show modern and well proportioned engines fitted with all devices found in a well equipped steam plant, and the managements endeavor to place them in charge of well trained engineers. Frequently they are of com- pound type and condensing. With the high boiler pres- sures established in several modern mills (150 pounds), the saving by means of compounding and condensing need not especially be mentioned. The practice of driving several mills from one engine has been largely aban- doned, because each stoppage of one mill, owing to small repairs, stickers, exchanging of guides, &ec., caused a IRON AGE. 7 loss of time on the other mills. Continuous mills, of course, must be driven from one large power unit; semi- continuous mills are frequently driven in groups from several engines, and even in Belgian mills the last one or two passes are frequently driven from independ- how ent smaller engines. The auxiliary machinery, like shears, conveyors, fans, are now generally provided with independent motors. A new competitor of the steam engine is at present appearing in the shape of the gas engine of large units, and the chances are that it will drive the steam engine slowly out of some mills, espe- cially where high speed is wanted. Almost every new mill has an auxiliary power system in the shape of an electric power station, or of hydraulic pressure or com- air plant, since the successful application sometimes difficult in crowded places or in pressed of steam is Sane NI ta toate ph —Skid for Unloading Billets. localities exposed to the cold. The writer’s experience in planning auxiliary power plants is that they almost invariably were afterward used for a number of other purposes, which were not calculated on at the time of the installation, and they therefore afterward proved too small for the demand. A liberal allowance is recom- mended for such unforeseen cases in the selection of air compressors, pressure pumps or dynamos. Producers and Furnaces, Many furnaces are still fired with coal directly. Al- most all new furnaces, however, make use of the ad- vantages offered by heating with gas. The ideal fuel is, of natural gas, but as very few works are in a position to enjoy nature's gratuitous gift, most are com pelled to rely on coal or artificial gas for fuel. Water the most efficient of the manufactured gases, is too costly to warrant its application in our case, and most especially continuous, furnaces work with pro- ducer The writer has heard of several complaints arising from the low efficiency given by certain gas fur- and in some instances the dissatisfaction was well The reason rests partly with the furnace con- but it is main- course, cas, modern, gas. haces, founded. struction and lack of intelligent attention, ly, however, due to the construction and handling of the producers. The writer for a long period has daily analyzed the fuel gases furnished by four different makes of producers, and the irregularity of the gas sup ply was such that at times it was a matter of sur- prise that the furnace worked at all. One cause of the trouble was the irregular feeding, the coal being dumped in too large quantities at one time. As a conse- quence tar products and hydrocarbons were deposited in the flues in the shape of soot at an exasperating rate. Efforts have been made to overcome this evil by auto- matic feed devices, but in the only case of such an instal- lation that has come to the personal attention of the writer the feed was removed again after a short time, because the device burned out in too short intervals, and because it interfered too much with the operation of breaking up the clinkers. It is probable, however, that similar feeding devices in other places have given better satisfaction. Another cause responsible for the trouble was the ir- regular blast and the relative quantities, of air and steam. Generally injectors are used on the ground of greater simplicity and efficiency. In the cases under observation the valve regulating the steam supply for the blower (injector) was operated by the furnaceman (heater), who gave more or less blast, according to his judgment. In this instance an increase of steam pres- 8 THE sure was not followed by a corresponding increase of air volume; on the contrary, with the valve widest open the air suction was considerably diminished, blowing al- most pure steam into the producer. For a few moments, of course, a considerable amount of water gas was gen- erated, but after a short time the coal bed lost its in- candescence, and the gas supply fell. Where a large number of producers are co-operating these changes in quantity and composition are, of course, less noticeable, and are liable to balance each other to some extent, but the disturbing effect on heating furnaces where two or three producers only supply one furnace is considerable. Even where many producers discharge into one common IRON AGE. January 16, 1902 larity of construction that no special make can be recom- mended as far superior to the competitors. A deep asb bed seems to have a kind of regulating effect. A com- paratively low gas space above the coal bed will facili- tate stoking; the storage volume lost thereby can be with advantage regained by the use of wider flues; the water seal, so highly praised in other quarters, did not find favor with the laboring men working at it in the mills under observation. Heafing Furnaces. The plain coal fired furnaces are still frequently in use, but their number is steadily decreasing. They are FROM THE IRON AGB * ‘PHE IRON AGE Fig. 4.—Horizontal and Longitudinal Section of Recuperator Heating Furnace. flue the changes in the constitution of the gas may be less pronounced, but the total efficiency will be lowered considerably all the same. The writer has designed an apparatus for regulating the relative supply of air and steam in proper ratio, which will avoid this trouble en- tirely. The formation of clinkers is generally followed by the high percentage of carbon dioxide (burned gas) OF THE | GE Fig. 5.—Clay Recuperator. and sometimes free air in the fuel gas. No effective de vice has been found yet to prevent the formation of clinkers, and persistent stoking seems to be the only ef, fective remedy. The different makes of producers show so much simi- the best style yet for intermittent running on small job orders, with frequent stoppages caused by changes of rolls or billets, especially where the coal prices are low and the labor cheap. Most of the furnaces of this kind in use have too short a hearth and too large a grate, and a lively combustion takes place long after the flames have passed the last billets. The capacity of these fur- naces is very variable, according to construction and firing; generally about 3 to 4 square feet of hearth area are required for each ton of product in 24 hours. Fig. 3 shows a much used style of the plainest construction. This style is very convenient for ‘intermittent running, but utilizes the heat in the hearth space to a very low extent only. In order to save fuel and to better utilize the heat of the combustion gases a recuperative or re- generative system is now frequently applied to absorb the surplus heat from the combustion gases before they reach the stack. The recuperator consists of a number of tubes or channels through which the blast air is conducted, while the combustion gases are brought into close and extensive contact with the walls of these channels. The blast air never flows through the cham- ber provided for the passage of the combustion gases. This uninterrupted and nonreversible flow of air and gases is the feature of the recuperator which distin- guishes it from the regenerator, where the hot combus- tion gases and the blast air alternately come in contact January 16, 1902 THE IRON AGE. 9 with the surfaces of the same chambers and channels. Both arrangements are recommendable, and are applied to many furnaces. Fig. 4 shows a recuperator (in com- bination with a gas furnace), a modification of which works very satisfactorily. In this case the furnace was intended only to heat steel billets, which do not require such a high temperature as faggots, and, the flame hav- ing to travel all over the billets, most of the heat is ab- sorbed by them before the combustion gases reach the recuperative chamber. Owing to the low temperature of the entering gases cast iron pipes are used for con- fining and conducting the blast air, the hot combustion during such high temperatures as the renegerators, have the advantage of requiring less attention, as there are no valves to be reversed at comparativly short intervals, or to be renewed. As above mentioned, either recuper- ators or regenerators may be used with periodical or con- tinuous furnaces. The continuous furnaces are generally provided with a system of water cooled pipes laid at a proper distance, on which the billets slide when the pusher at the feed end moves them nearer to the discharge end. If these pipes can be used without any bends they may be turned about one-sixth of a turn every time the contact surface is worn ont and a new wearing surface utilized on the same pipe. They only wear where the billets are still black, but never to any appreciable amount where they are red hot. Where the billets rest on pipes they gen- erally show darker spots, as in these places too much heat is carried off by the pipes. It is therefore de- sirable to extend the pipes only partly into the furnace, Fig. 6.—Cross Section of Run Out. gases filling all the remaining space of the chamber, and thus heating the walls of the pipe. A blast temperature of 600 degrees can thus be achieved without injuring the pipes. For other cases, where the temperatures are higher, the walls of the air conduits are better made of clay, hollow tiles similar to those shown in Fig. 5 being used by several builders of successful furnaces. For very high temperatures, as for steel melting furnaces and THE IRon Acs Fig. 7.—Plan and Horizontal Section of Run Out Cylinders. to some extent for scrap or faggot heating furnaces, where a welding heat is required, regenerator furnaces are preferable, their construction rendering them less liable to burn out the regenerator chambers and check- ers than would be the case with the channel system of the recuperators. The recuperators, while generally not yielding nor en- and let the billets slide on the hearth for the last short distance to equalize the heat. Where a large output is expected from a comparatively small hearth the pipes can be raised on blocks, so that part of the combustion gases have to pass also under the billets. It is also de- sirable, where the floor levels allow it, to incline the hearth toward the discharge end, so as to push the bil- lets downward, in which case, especially for long and light billets, they are not so liable to rise and pile on top of each other. Short billets are best pushed in and out of the furnace through the open ends, while long billets would require such wide charging and discharging open- ings that it is more desirable to push them in and out lengthwise through small doors, in which case the first set of rolls may be placed directly in front of the dis- charge door, so as to push them directly between the rolls. The pushers are operated by steam or pressure water. Proper combustion is the first essential of each good furnace, but it is too complex a question to treat of it here, and the design of high duty furnaces will be best left to experienced parties instead of to the local brick- layer, who frequently is the oracle on furnace questions. VEilis. The mills up to a short time ago were so-called Belgian mills, with all stands of rolls placed axially on a common bed plate, with long and light rolls, and with many passes in each set. The old mills are character- ized by their limited room, only short pieces, 50 to 80 feet long, being rolled, which slide out on the floor, to be dragged, after cooling, to the shears by muscular force. It was a laborious job, in a hot place. The out- put was small, and the waste from crop ends was con- siderable. The tendency in the construction of modern mills is to roll at the highest speed, with the least pos- sible loss of time between the pieces, and to roll in pieces as long as they can possibly be handled. It is especially this last item which deserves the greatest attention. If we compare a band mill with a’ production of 100,000 pounds per shift, rolling pieces 300 feet long at 1000 feet per minute, with a loss of 5 feet on both ends together for scrap ends, and a loss of 5 seconds between the pieces, with a mill running at the same speed and conditions, but rolling only 75 feet long, the former will have 68 per cent. additional product with oo 10 THE IRON AGE. January 16, 1902 * 4 hie -. 7 lias eo an a s ee the same amount of wages, or labor, and will save 5.46 per cent. of the product, only 1.69 per cent. going into waste. as against 7.15 per cent. in the case of 75- foot lengths. These figures are, of course, extreme, but types of both mills are working. The lengths are also limited by the weight which can be handled with- out lifting devices at the mills and shears, and the force it takes to drag the pieces, but in the majority of the eases this limit is far otf, and can, if needed, be ex- tended by some very simple devices. Large plants can achieve further saving by limiting their mills to a lim- ited range of sizes to avoid too much changing of rolls. For mass producticn on long uniform orders the continuous mills take the first place. There are some working on cotton ties and band iron turning out a large product with a small outlay of wages. A number of roll stands are placed tandem style behind each other, the rolls running with increased speed in reversed ratio to the area of the pass. There are only a few passes in each set of rolls, and for band iron the last sets of rolls are plain, without passes, or tongues and grooves. The average rolling mill with a variety of small orders for varying material cannot well afford the outlay for such a mill, and I merely mention them. In most places, fo