The Iron Age 1902-10-02: Vol 70

THE IRON AGE Tururspay, OcroperR 2, 1902. The llorton Double Traveling Head Shaper. The shaper built by the Morton Mfg. Company of Muskegon Heights, Mich., embodies several new fea- tures. It is built on the principle of the drawing cut, with steel ram, heads and main driving gear, and is constructed with a heavy bed which is ribbed and cross ribbed, and on this bed rests the vertical column, which is suitably fitted and gibbed. The movement of the column on the bed is obtained by a serew, which re- mains stationary, the nut revolving. The apron is gibbed and fitted to the vertical column and the vertical adjusting screw is also statienary, being operated with movements. The reciprocatory motion of the ram is obtained by two friction clutches, one being operated by an open belt and the other by a cross belt. It has a quick return stroke of three to one. It is also provided with a coil spring counterbalance, shown in Fig. 2, for the vertically moving apron. This consists of a frame, A, in which is journaled the shaft B, and to which is also attached and journaled the shart C. On the end of the shaft B is the chain sheave D, which is made large enough to require only a part of a revolution to accomplish its work. On the other end of the shaft B is a gear,*E, which engages the pin- ion keyed to the shaft C. Journaled on the frame is also THE MORTON DOUBLE a revolving nut. These revolving nuts are fitted with ball bearing thrust collars. The ram is square and has a bearing on all four sides, wear being taken up with taper gibs. The stroke is adjusted by tappets on a circular disk and a suitable lever is provided whereby it may be reversed at any part of the stroke. The machine has automatic feeds in both directions and is also provided with means whereby it may be moved uy power, either vertically or horizontally, for purpose of adjustment. The countershaft is provided with a friction clutch and is stopped and started in- stantly at any part of the stroke by means of a lever provided for this purpose, rendering the machine under complete control of the operator. The friction feed is of the automatic relieving type and is positive in its TRAVELING HEAD SHAPER a drum and casing, F, the ends of which are provided with a ratchet. Connected to the shaft C are several heavy spiral clock springs. The outer coil of these springs is connected to a suitable casing, which fits loosely in the drum G and is driven and controlled by the lug H. It will be readily seen that the inner end of the heavy springs being attached to the shaft C, and the outer end being attached to the spring casing, and be- ing driven by the lug H, that when the load is varied and the apron of the machine moved up and down on the column the shaft C is made to revolve in either direction. The drum F may be revolved in the direc- tion in which the paw! will allow until sufficient ten- sion or counterbalance is produced. The shaft C being only required to make three revolutions in order to give an eae nae ar te bl ae me Ps ~ AS CF ilo ama Foes ww Pere abe ar ese. a Sil ¢ tn Goi ade. hae abe « Eset ~ 2 THE IRON AGE. October 2, 1902 the necessary movement to the saddle or apron on the column, as the column descends the tension on the springs increases somewhat, and as the apron is raised on the column the springs unwind. The drum under alt circumstances during these operations remains sta- tionary. This form of a counterbalance has proven satisfac- tory where the distance to be adjusted verticaily is not too great. One commendable feature of this shaper which dif- fers from any other is that of the vertical feed on the column, which enables the machine to take vertical side cuts and makes it well adapted for internal work. The head may be removed and a special head secured to the end of the ram so that internal slotting may be accomplished with this tool. Both heads feed inde- pendently of each other and obtain their feeding power with revolving nuts from the same screw. The machine is electrically driven, each head being driven independently of ethe other, so that either one may be brought into action and operated. This shaper has 36-inch stroke, 30 inches vertical feed on the column, and the length of the bed is 14 feet. It THE IRON AGE Fig. 2.—Coil Spring Counterbalance. THE MORTON DOUBLE TRAVELING HEAD SHAPER. is built either single or double headed and furnished with one or two tables, as the case may require. It may also be used in the capacity of a portable shaper, as with the vertical adjustments on the column it is adapted to be used in connection with a floor plate, in planing off spots on large castings, pillow blocks for medium sized Corliss engine frames, &c. The plate on the front side of the column is planed so that a suitable bearing may be placed in between the work and the frame of the machine, thereby placing the thrust of the cut directly against the column. It is very heavily geared and capable of taking a cut 14 inches deep in steel with 1-16-inch feed. When desired it can be con- structed with tables made to raise and lower for pur- poses of adjustment. One particular advantage of this style of shaper is that one head can be operated on a piece of work 30 inches above the table, while the other head may be operated at any intermediate point. In machining the opening in a solid end connecting rod the end is held in a suitable adjustable chuck and a support is placed between the top of this chuck and the column of the shaper. This allows the machine to be fed vertically or horizontally, and when machining the opening a cut may be taken across the bottom, then the head turned 45 degrees and a cut taken up the side. It can then be changed and a cut taken across the top and another change made and a cut taken down the end. This enables the opening of a connecting rod to be planed out on all four sides, the rod remaining in a stationary position. With the automatic feeds on the column and the range which this shaper has a great deal of irregular work can be done which has hereto- fore been difficult to reach with any tool. OO — The Scheme to Deepen the Great Lakes. The vessel interests of the great upper lakes, as well as all other interests that are influenced by the transpor- tation possibilities on these bodies of water, will watch with close attention the development and transactions of the International Commission to be appointed, in pur- suance of an act of Congress, as set forth in a clause of the River and Harbor bill. In carrying out the purpose of Congress, Assistant Secretary Adee has formally in- vited the Government of the Dominion of Canada, through the British Embassy, to name commissioners to co-operate with a similar commission to be appointed by the United States. This joint commission will investigate and report upon the conditions that govern the levels of the lakes and will take into consideration also the advisability and necessity of construeting a dam at the foot of Lake Erie and entrance to the Niagara River in order that the level of the lakes 1aay be raised. The building of such a dam has long been advocated by engineers who have given attention to the important subject, and the doings of the commissioners cannot fail to be of vast impor- tance to the industrial interests of many sections. If the dam is coustructed it must be an international work, and therefore the co-operation of the Dominion is essen- tial to its success. The plan is one of such magnitude that it will require the utmost care in its consideration. While the primary object is to increase the depth of water at necessary points, there are so many things likely to result from the construetion of the work that the engineering problem is a large one. In many places the lake shore is very low, and any increase in the hight of water will result in flooding large areas, both in Canada and the United States. Then, the industrial de- velopment that has attained great magnitude between Niagara Falls and the lake demands consideration, while the preservation of the beauty of the Niagara cataract likewise demands attention. Especially has New York State expended large sums to retain the glory of Ni- agara, and since this work has been in progress there has grown up the equally important interest of the won- derful power development. It is understood that the plan is to construct a canal about the dam on the New York side in order that the commerce of the river may not be interrupted, and, of course, there would be a flow of water over any dam that might be built. However, the question is one which is likely to be influenced but not wholly governed by necessities of the immediate lo- eality, as the extensive necessity of the harbors on the great inland seas is the primary object of the present international movement and consideration. The American Foundry & Construction Company.— The American Foundry & Construction Company, or- ganized in Pittsburgh some months since have about completed their works in Hazlewood in that city. The plant includes a machine shop, iron foundry, pipe bend- ing equipment and blacksmith shop. The entire plant is equipped with the latest improved appliances for the manufacture of machinery and eastings for blast fur- naces, rolling mills and steel works, as well as valves, fittings, pipe bending and high pressure piping. The machine shop is 80 x 150, feet, of gallery construction. The lower floor is exclusively for machine work, while the gallery is used as a pattern making and storage de- partment. The foundry is 85 x 105 feet, and contains a 20-ton cupola and two electric traveling cranes. The pipe department is 85 x 85 feet. Powef is supplied by a 200 horse-power engine and two 150 horse-power boilers, The officers of the company are: Jeremiah Miller, presi- dent; H. E. Weiskopf, secretary and treasurer, and G. E. Klingelhofer, general manager. G. E. Klingelhofer was connected for some time with the Pittsburgh Valve, Foundry & Construction Company, but left that com- pany to organize the new enterprise. October 2, 1902 THE IRON AGE. 3 The Suppression of Smoke in Steam Plants Using Bituminous Coal.*—I. BY ALBERT A. CARY, NEW YORK. It is not the intention of this article to illustrate and describe the many smoke suppressing devices on the market, as one has merely to consult the pages of the technical and trade papers to find these fully advertised, and from such directions one may learn the names and addresses of the makers of these various devices and send for as many descriptive catalogues as he pleases. I propose to first discuss the theory of smoke sup- pression as simply as possible (which subject is almost inseparable from a consideration of fuel economies) and then make use ot this information in the further discus- sion of various methods of firing and furnace develop- ments, and finally give short descriptions of a number of special hand fired furnaces designed to suppress smoke and promote fuel economy. As far as possible I will il- lustrate old devices which are not protected by patents and therefore open to common use. It is further hoped that this article will not only help the reader who has not heretofore made a study of this subject to understand the principles involved in the so-caJled modern smoke suppressing devices, but en- able him to group them readily into a few classes, which is the first step toward a consideration of their relative merits. The smoke nuisance from boiler furnaces can be al- most entirely avoided by the adoption of proper furnaces adapted to the fuel used and by the employment of a sufti- cient amount of intelligence to properly handle the fires. I write thus positively after a number of years’ experi- ence in burning all kinds of fuel in various sections of the country, and I may add that I have frequently been called upon to comply with various smoke ordinances in certain Western cities, and have never found any diffi- culty in attaining the required results when I could ob- tain a reasonable amount of co-operation from the own- ers and operators of these plants. The whole secret of burning fuel smokelessly is to obtain complete combustion in the furnace and combus- tion chambers before any appreciable amount of the combustible gases meets the chilling water surfaces of the boiler. Such practice will always secure the highest results in fuel economy, and therefore should receive the careful consideration of all steam plant owners. Antiracite coal may be easily burned in almost any kind of furnace without smoke, simply because it is (aside from its ash) almost a pure carbon (like @oke or charcoal), and it carries little volatile hydrocarbonaceous matter. Of course anthracite furnaces must be carefully designed to obtain economy of fuel, aside from the mat- ter of smoke production. Carbon (C), when sufficiently heated in contact with oxygen, burns directly from the solid state without smoke to carbon monoxide (CO) when the supply of air is limited or to carbon dioxide (CO,) when the supply of air is ample. The burning of C to CO is known as imperfect or imcomplete combustion. Bituminous and semi-bituminous coals carry, besides “fixed carbon,” more or less “ volatile” or hydrocar- bonaceous matter, and those carrying the highest per- centage of hydrocarbons are the greatest producers of smoke. The hydrocarbons found in coal must first pass into a gaseous state before they can be burned, and this gas is distilled off from the coal when it is thrown on the hot bed of fire in the furnace. It is generally known that combustion ceases when gases are chilled below a certain critical temperature; hence it is necessary to maintain a temperature above this critical degree in or- der to secure the combination of a proper amount of oxygen (from the air) with the gas just formed to pro- duce complete combustion. When the hydrocarbon gases are distilled off from bituminous coal we have remaining the coke which con- tains the ash. The coke continues its combustion the same as anthracite coal, as described above, and forms a hot fire bed on which additional coal can be thrown and have its hydrcecarbon gases distilled off. Marsh gas (CH,) is one of the most important hydro- * Copyright, 1902, by Aibert A. Cary. carbons distilled from bituminous coal, and as all of the hydrocarbon gases behave similarly in the furnace let us see what results when this gas combines with oxygen. For complete combustion, 4 parts of oxygen (obtained from the air) combine chemically with 1 part of the marsh gas, thus: Marsh gas. Oxygen. Carbon dioxide. Water. CH, b 4:0) Co, + 2(H.O), and the result of this chemical combination is, as just shown, 1 part of carbon dioxide (or, as it is frequently called, “ carbonic acid ”) and also 2 parts of water, which of course appears as superheated steam. The conditions necessary for maintaining this com plete combustion are: 1, That sufficient oxygen be sup- plied and thoroughly mixed with the gas; 2, that the combustion takes place in a very hot chamber or fur- nace, As long as such a perfect condition of combustion continues no smoke will be produced, but as soon as there is an insufficient supply of oxygen available, or when the gases drop below the critical temperature of combustion. smoke appears. ‘This drop of temperature will occur when the unconsumed gases from the furnace come in contact with the boiler parts containing water; hence the reason for my statement above, that for smokeless results the combustible gases must be com- pletely consumed in the fire box and combustion cham- ber of the boiler. The influx of a considerable amount of cold air into the furnace will lower the temperature of the unconsumed gases and generally produce smoke, as will also the delivering of a large amount of coal on the bed of the fire, which coal must be heated to the temperature of the fire bed. Further chilling effects are produced after fresh coal is added to the fire by the ab- straction of heat from the hot fire bed necessary to dis- till off the hydrocarbon gases, and further, to evaporate any moisture that may be contained in the fuel. There- fore, it is desirable to use, in firing, only a small amount of coai for each charge, and also to distribute it well over the bed of fire, so that a great amount of chilling will not occur in any one spot. It is also desirable to use as dry a coal as possible. Throwing iarge quantities of coal on the bed of the fire chokes the air spaces between the particles of fuel and prevents the free passage of air drawn through the grate and fuel bed by the chimney draft. Too great a supply of air will, of course, produce a chilling and di- luting effect and produce smoke, if it is cold (as stated above), and therefore the supply of air must be earefully regulated. Conditions of Incomplete Combustion, With the above facts before us, let us see what occurs when conditions of incomplete combustion exist. When the combustible gases are chilled by coming in contact with the comparatively cold boiler parts or with cold air, &c., their temperature is lowered, and in case they fall below their critical temperature of combustion the combustible gases will either pass off unconsumed or else *be partially consumed, if combustion has already begun. In the former case nearly all the heat that has been expended to distill these gases from the coal is wasted. Generally a partial combustion follows such conditions, and this also occurs when an insufficient air supply exists. After hydrocarbon gases are distilled from the coal the hydrogen they contain will eagerly seize any oxygen it may come in contact with, and combining will thus form water; and next the carbon, if at a sufficiently high temperature, will unite with what oxygen may be left. If it fails to find any oxygen (after the hydrogen has been satisfied), or if the temperature has dropped too low, the carbon will appear in little floating masses of “soot,” and these particles may become heated to red- ness or even to incandescence, and then we will see in our furnace a red or yellowish mass of flame or a pure white opaque flame. Unless the particles of carbon are e-nsumed before entering the fire tubes or the boiler flues or coming in contact with the water tubes we have our troublesome smoke condition. In other words, for smokeless combustion the flame must end before it comes in contact with the boiler surfaces. Smoke, generally speaking, is simply a “cloud” of pene ne I 4 4 | | : 2 } i } vy wes este cttw ie nye lls : . ate oe a BS Caer Sess THE steam (formed as just described), more or less condensed, earrying with it little particles of unconsumed carbon, which gives it its more or less black appearance, accorda- ing to the amount of carbon present. If we were able to catch all of this carbon and burn it we would have very little heat produced to pay us for our trouble com- pared with that obtained from the original coal, but this is not the proper place to look for a saving under these conditions, as will be shown later. It may be that after the hydrogen in our fuel has been satisfied with suilicient oxygen to convert it into water the carbon wiil find a limited supply of oxygen still pres- ent. but enongh to burn it to carbon monoxide. If all the carbon can be converted to carbon monoxide (as is very seldom the case under these conditions) no smoke will result, but a considerable loss of the available heat ing value of the carbon will occur, due to this incomplete combustion, as will be shown later. When fresh, moist coal is charged upon a hot fire bed, after sufficient heat has been abstracted to convert the moisture inte steam, the water present (H,O) may be split up (if it can be sufficiently heated) into two separate gases (i. e., H, and O). The oxygen may then combine with the carbon it finds present (i. e., C + O = CO), and thus form water gas, expressed by the formula CO + 2H. This decomposition of water is a chilling process. It robs the furnace of just as much heat as would be re gained if the hydrogen generated were afterward burned so as to reproduce steam. This chilling of the furnace by the decomposition of the water contained in moist fuel is a mostimportant cause of the formation of smoke. If this chilled (as it frequently is at this critical period by the admission of considerable cold air over the top of the fire) a further combustion will take dlace, productive of considerable heat; the added oxygen forming carhen dioxide (CO + O = CO,) and also water (2H +0 H.0). ‘Fixed carbon” is gas be not thus named in contradistinction to the carbon that is chemically combined with hydrogen As stated above, the fixed composes the greater part of anthracite eoal and coke, when sufficiently heated in the presence of oxygen burns directly from the solid fuel into carbon monoxide (CO), or (CO.,). This state- modified on account of the car combining later with more oxygen and forming carbon dioxide, thus: CO + O CO forming the tydrocarbons. carbon, which earbon dioxide men may he somewhat hon monoxide (CO), which is a gas, Frequently, with dioxid a bed of fire of considerable depth, (CO,) will be formed in the lower part of the bed, and as it rises through the upper layers of coal or will part of its oxygen to the highly carbon it finds, and in this way it will leave the fire bed with its newly found associate as car- bon monoxide. 2CO. carbon coke it give ap heated This may be expressed thus: CO, + C = The formation of this CO is also a cooling process. It abstracts more than two-thirds of the heat originally generated by the burning of the C to CO,. If the monox- ide thus formed is chilled the critical tem- perature of combustion by coming in contact with the below Table of Two parts of hydrogen (H) combining with one part of oxygen (O) forming water (H: + O H,O). One part of marsh gas (CH,) combining with four parts of oxy gen (QO) forming one part of carbon dioxide and two parts of water (CH, 4$(O) CO, + 2(H20) ro part of olefiant gas (C.oH,) combining with six parts of oxy gen (QO) forming two parts of carbon dioxide and two parts of water (CoH, 640) 2(CO>s) 2(HO)... ) parts of sulphur (S) combining with four parts of oxygen (QO) forming two parts of sulphurous anhydride (S. + 20, One oxygen (O) forming carbon dioxide (CO + O The above combination(CO + O CO.) requires a higher ignition quantity of temperature in the presence of a large dioxide 7 carbon (CQ.) viz: Cannel] coal ignites at Bituminous coal ignites at Semibituminous coal ignites at Anthracite coal ignites at [RON Temperatures of Ignition Under Atmospheric Pressure. AGE. October 2, 1902 water surfaces of the boiler or with cold air, or loses sufficient temperature in any of the other chilling ways described above, it will leave the boiler with the produc tion of less than one-third of the amount of heat that would result from its complete combustion to carbon dioxide, When carbon monoxide is formed direct from the hot bed of “ fixed carbon” it will be found that there is an insufficient air supply. Thus it is seen that for the sake of both economy and sinokeless combustion a careful regulation of the air supply is most necessary, and especially any supply of cold air that may be admitted over the top of the bed of fire. Smokeless combustion is frequently obtained at the cost of economy by the admission of too much air to the furnace, and although the absence of smoke is very often the sigu of desirable furnace conditions it is not always safe to trust this as a true index to economy. When smoke is suppressed by the application of spe- cial furnaces or an analysis of the discharged flue gases should he made before the value of the ap- paratus is passed upon. and with modern methods for testing flue gases this has become a comparatively sim- »le procedure in the hands of an experienced man. stokers Ttgnlition Temperatures, The critical temperature of combustion for various substances, which bas been referred to a number of times, most important subject, which has received alto- vether too little attention by those interested in furnace cevelopment, smoke suppression and fuel economy. Concerning this critical temperature of combustion, which may more scientifically be termed the ignition temperature, I cannot do better than quote from Harry C. Jones’ “ Elements of Physical Chemistry,” as follows: * There many (chemical) reactions which take place with an appreciable velocity only above a certain temperature. Below this temperature the reaction ap- parently does not take place at all. This temperature at which the reaction is known as the ignition temperature. Just as there temperature at which many reactions apparently begin, so there is a pressure at which and is a are begins is a some reactions between gases other substances apparently commence to take place. “Temperature and pressure, however, apparently act in opposite senses, increase in temperature increasing ithe velocity of the reaction, while decrease in pressure increases the velocity of the reaction. That pressure at which a reaction begins with an appreciable velocity is known as the ignition pressure, and with a lower pres- sure the reaction preceeds with a still greater velocity. Thus 2 mixture of hydrogen and oxygen has its ignition temperature from 1148 to 1004 degrees F. by the from 760 to 360 mm. (which former pressure correspends to the normal atmospheric nressure—viz., 14.7 pounds—-while the latter pressure cor- responds to 7 pounds). lowered reducing pressure The following table of critical temperatures of com- bustion wiil be found useful for reference: 7 Pounds Per Square Inch, (In Degrees Fahrenheit.) - —-_—— Authorities Oe Vivian W.S. Victor Mallard& French Mayer & Ce. Lewes. Hutton. Meyer. Chatelier. commission. Munich. Stromeyer. Deg Deg Deg. Deg. Deg. Deg. Deg. 1,130 1,031 1,071 October 2, 1902 The temperatures of ignition of coal given in the table are approximately correct for solid lumps of small size. There is some little difliculty in giving proper values for ignition temperatures of solids, as these tempera- tures will vary more or less with the physical condition of the material. Thus oxidation will take place with much less rapidity in a large, compact solid substance than it will with the same substance reduced to a fine powder, loosely scattered. This is largely due to the much greater surface presented to the oxygen present, which facilitates rapid chemical combination, and a somewhat lower temperature is found adequate to com- plete such ignition. Few. if any, solid substances present so great a range of ignition temperatures as carbon, which occurs in many different forms, such as the diamond, graphite and charcoal. The ignition temperature of carbon in the form of the diamond is very high. As it has been burned on platinum without fusing the platinum its temperature is somewhat below the melting point of this metal, which is 5227 degrees F. I have found no reliable data concerning the ignition temperature of carbon in the form of graphite. There is no deubt that this temperature is less than that required to chemically combine oxygen with carbon in the form of diamond, but the ignition temperature is nevertheless very high, as we may infer from the ex- tensive use of graphite for the manufacture of crucibles for use in highly heated furnaces, and also for furnace linings where very high temperatures occur. There is a sharp contrast between the high ignition temperatures of these two forms of carbon and the third form mentioned—that is, charcoal, which is nearly pure -arbon containing but a few per cent. of impurities. The ignition temperatures of all charcoal are not the same, varying according to its density (there being both hard and soft charcoal), which difference is due to the kind of wood used in its preparation and also the tem- perature existing in the charcoal furnace when it was formed. Professor Thurston, in his ** Materials of Engineer- ing.”” Voi. I, page 184, gives a table of ignition temper- atures for charcoal, as follows: Temperatures of preparation Temperatures of ignition Degrees F. Degrees F 3,000 2 500 2,500 1,300 2 000 1.100 1,500 900 1,000 S00 500 650 x We will see that the specific gravity of the substance (which is a measure of its density) has a material effect on its ignition temperature. Taking the above named forms of carbon and ineluding with them anthracite coal (which runs from 92.5 to 97 per cent. of pure carbon aside from its ash), and also taking coke, which aside from its ash is within a very few per cent. of pure car- bon, and considering their specific gravities, we have the following interesting table: Approximate ignition temperature. Degrees. Average specific Substance. gravity. Diamond, in small chips.............. «+ O08 about 2,900 Graphite, reduced te small flakes : 2.5 possibly 2,700 EE, SPORES Git waka cles Kee ae wes about 2 2,500 EIN TREE Mts. ois onc & bis okt © oar we bre me 1.875 about 1,500 Anthracite coal........... én: 925 ge! | ee ee about 1.3 650 The specific gravity in the above table for coke and charcoal is the actual and not the apparent specific gravity (which is considerably less than the actual, due to air being inclosed in the pores). This table, unfortunately, due to lack of sufficient data, is a very rough approximation, but is sufficient to show that the temperature of ignition of solids is gov- erned by the state of density in which they exist. The ignition temperatures given above must not be confused with the temperatures resulting from combus- tion. These latter temperatures are always much higher, as may be seen by consulting the following table: THE IRON AGE. 5 Theoretical Temperature of Combustion of Various Substances in Air. Degrees F. Hydrogen .......... ; sociated $,935 Carbon to carbon dioxide ane en 4,920 ON (I ie inn hea wea 5 dl weal eaten eta ; Sao ee kuew ee 3,536 COMM WOW o's cen ewes he ie eal ree oe + ed, 404 It will be seen from the table of temper- atures of ignition that if ample free hydrogen is ‘iberated in the furnace (which is seldom the case) it will not be necessary to maintain a temperature in the com- bustion chamber much above 1130 degrees F., which will ignite tne hydrogen present and produce sufficient in- tensity of heat to ignite the other accompanying com- bustible gases, but should little or no free hydrogen be contained in the combustible gases, and if they consist, as they do in burning bituminous coal, largely of marsh zas, a temperature of over 1436 degrees F. should be inaintained until the combustion is completed. With anthracite coal, where the principal combus tible gas found in the combustion chamber is carbon monoxide (mixed with carbon dioxide), a temperature should be maintained of over 1292 degrees F. Where there is considerable moisture present in the coal of the boiler furnace there is less likelihood of its being split up into its component elements (oxygen, and hydrogen, which requires a temperature of about 2900 degrees F.*) than there is for its combining with the carbon in the coal and forming water gas, which process requires a considerably lower temperature. According to Lewes, “ Water gas depends for its forma- tion upon the fact that at high temperatures carbon has a greater altinity for oxygen than hydrogen has, and that when steam and earbon (in any of its amorphous forms) are heated to such a temperature the steam is decomposed with iiberation of hydrogen and either car- bon monoxide or dioxide, the oxide formed being to a great extent dependent on temperature and the quan- tities of steam and carbon interacting. The action may be expressed as foliows: Carbon. Steam. Carbon monoxide. Hydrogen. ( H.O CO H., or Carbon. Steam. Carbon dioxide. Hydrogen. C + %2(H,O) CO } 2(H.,) In the former case we have water gas, which has a lower ignition temperature than marsh gas, while in ithe latter ease we have free hydrogen liberated in the combustion chamber. These facts, which show the production of gases with lower ignition temperatures, have misled some into be- lieving that it is desirable to wet the coal previously to firing, but an analysis of escaping flue gases will show the fallacy of such an assumption and make one realize that chemical combinations in a boiler furnace do not always result as they theoreticaily should, and that the lowering of furnace temperatures due to the cooling effect of water being present is bound to result in fuel waste. It is announced that the Rising Fawn Furnace, Rising Fawn, Ga., which was last active in 1896, will soon be in blast again with a _ greatly inereased capac- ity. The owners, the Georgia Lron & Coal Company of Atlanta, have inereased their capital stock and are now making repairs, supplying new machinery and a 1500 horse-power battery of Cahall boilers, purchased from the Aultman & Taylor Machinery Company, Mans- field, Ohio. They hope to have the stack in blast by February 1, and expect at the start to produce 150 tons of pig iron per day; increasing the output to 200 tons as soon as all changes shall have been made. Rising Fawn Furnace is the only coke furnace in Georgia, is 75 x 17 feet, and is equipped with four Whitwell stoves. The present annual capacity is 36,000 tons. Joel Hurt is president. * Deville in his experiments in the dissociation of water vapor found that with this vapor confined within a platinum tube a very Jimited dissociation occurred between 1760 and 1832 degrees F., and further heating to 2,192 degrees F. caused a fur- ther small decomposition to take place, but at these low dissocia- tion temperatures the oxygen and hydrogen recombined almost immediately upon reduction of pressure and temperature 2 ar sapere t ke ; ; % | 4 i 3 i as Leet oes ene ome oo lial gs a Pr a: pie Eee a a THE The Improved Bath Water Grinder. Several important changes have been made recently in the Bath water grinder. The whee! head is gibbed to the vertical slide, thereby insuring rigidity in any posi- tion. The vertical arm which carries the head can be clamped in its bearings if desired. The head may be adjusted above and below the center, and micrometer adjustment has been provided. The top portion of the vertical arm is threaded and is moved by a hand wheel and nut. The second engraving shows that a thrust arm has been furnished to prevent the axle movement of the dust cap nut. To this arm is also attached an idler pulley arm, which can be clamped rigidly or allowed to vibrate. The wheel head carries an adjustable hood which can be moved back or detached as the wheel be- comes reduced in size. The knee and frame are so con- End View THE structed that all water returns to the tank by the trough shown around the base of the machine. The swivel plate has two slots, which enable the head and foot stock and attachments to be used from the table without interfering with the head of the clamp screw, thus pre- serving the set alignment of the swivel plate. The tirst view shows the knee swung around the col- umn in position for surface work, also the new worm gear longitudinal automatic feed. The feed is driven from a drum in the overhead countershaft to a cone pul- ley at the side of the knee. When in use for cylindrical work the belt runs on the large step of the cone, and for surface work on the small step, which gives the higher speed required for the lattet At the front of the bottom slide is an inclosed box apron having a remov- able cover, so that all parts of the feed can be Yreached. The power cross feed attachment for surface work is so made that either one or two pawls can be engaged at the same time and adjusted to give a fine or coarse feed. [IRON IMPROVED BATH AGE. October 2, 1902 The feed may be disengaged by a knurled knob placed back of the large hand wheel, Fig. 1. This machine is built by the Loop-Lock Machine Company of Waltham, Mass., the agents for whom are Hill, Clarke & Co. of Boston and Chas. G. Smith Company of Pittsburgh. To Make the Gordon Drill Chuck. Equipment for fitting out a machine shop is being purchased by the Milwaukee Modern Tool Company of 1487-1493 Third street, Milwaukee, Wis. The only or- ders placed thus far include a Kearney & Trecker uni- versal milling machine and a 16 inch by 6 foot Prentice engine lathe. The company will manufacture the Gordon drill chuck, leather cutting dies and special machines and tools. The Gordon drill chuck permits rapid changing Rear Vier. WATER GRINDER. of drills and tools while the machine is in operation. It is designed to take straight shank drills and tools of any size within the capacity of the chuck. It is in- tended to manufacture four sizes, as follows: No. 1, to take from 1-16 inch to % inch; No. 2, to take from %& inch to % inch; No. 3, to take from 3-16 inch to % inch, and No. 4, to take from % inch to 1 inch shanks. The officers of the company are as follows: F. H. Hagerman, president; Chas. Gordon, vice-president; H. Atherton, secretary and treasurer. siniciciaiaianiiiaia ia How much the depression abroad has affected the profits of European steel works is illustrated by the “ase of the Aciéries de Longwy, a French company. During the fiscal year ending April 30, 1902, the com- pany made a profit of 1,959,852 francs, as compared with 6,372,598 francs in the preceding fiscal year, the production having been 169,670 tons of pig iron, 149,556 tons of steel and 145,310 metric tons of rolled products. eo «=e a . he he n- ed he ts. October 2, 1902 THE Drawback on Parts of Machinery. WASHINGTON, D. C., September 30, 1902.—Recent cor- respondence between the Treasury Department and sev- eral manufacturers indicates that there is a widespread misapprehension with regard to the application of the drawback law to parts of machinery, motors, &c., im ported into the United States in a practically complete condition and designed to be assembled or attached to other machinery of domestic production before being exported. The error appears to be based upon a con- fusion of the terms of section 30 of the tariff, relating to drawbacks, and paragraph 483 of the free list, cover- ing articles the produce or growth of the United States exported and reimported into this country without hav- ing been advanced in value. A case in point was recently presented to the Depart- ment in the application by the Providence Engineering Works of Providence, R. I., who desired to import from Canada an armature for a dynamo to be used in the construction of an electrical engine intended for use on a street railway in Canada. In urging a claim for draw- back the applicants stated that they had “ assumed, in- asmuch as the piece was brought into this country merely for the purpose of assembling on an engine shaft and was returned without changing its value, that there would be no question concerning rebate.” The Treasury Department, however, at first declined to consider the application and in rejecting it said: “It appears from your letter that you ‘do absolutely no work whatever on the generator spider furnished by the Canadian General Electric Company, merely forcing into it the shaft of the engine you are building, just as you would push a pencil into the hollow of a spool of thread.’ In reply, I have to inform you that under the provisions of section 30 of the act of July 24, 1897, draw- back is only allowed in cases where imported materials are used in the manufacture of articles manufactured or produced in the United States. Inasmuch as it very clearly appears from your letter that there is no manu- facture whatsoever involved in the present case, the Department must decline to authorize the allowance of drawback.” The applicants protested against this decision and took an appeal to the Secretary of the Treasury, con- tending that the armature was not a completed machine, but was a permanent part of an engine and had been in- corporated into it. It was further urged that the manu- facturers might have sent the engine without the arma- ture to Canada and have attached the armature there, but preferred to finish the engine at their works in Rrovi- dence. This last consideration was given little weight by the Department, but the Secretary finally concluded that the permanent character of the attachment of the armature might be considered as controlling the case and he therefore made the following ruling addressed to the Collector of Customs at Providence: “ As it appears from the statements made by the ap- plicants that the said armature has been incorporated into and has become a permanent part of the completed generator, you are hereby authorized, upon production of the usual proofs and compliance with the regulations of this Department as to the filing of drawback entry, &c., to allow the drawback as requested.” The importance of the drawback privilege in such cases may be gathered from the fact that the duty on this armature was between $500 and $600. In taking favorable action on this case the Department officials desire it understood that this ruling will not cover com pieted motors to be attached to engines, and that, gen- erally speaking, the greater the amount of work re- quired to be done upon imported parts of macumery, rather than the less, the closer will be the compliance with the terms of the drawback law. The importance of liberalizing the drawback laws along the lines covered by the Lovering bill has been greatly emphasized during the Congressional recess. The attention which the discussion of the Lovering bill drew to the drawback question last spring has resulted in the receipf by the Treasury Department of scores of applications for the issuance of drawback regulations, and many manufacturers have learned for the first time the facts concerning the drawback privilege. Many of [IRON AGE. T these applications, however, have been denied on ae: count of the inability of the manufacturers to meet the requirements considered necessary by the Department to protect the revenue. Some manufacturers, upon learn- ing of the demands of the Department in the way of details concerning manufacturing processes, &¢c., have been disposed to withdraw their applications rather than communicate their “trade secrets” to Government officials. These instances have emphasized the fact that under the Lovering bill the Department would not feel called upon to insist that manufacturers supply such detailed data, and thus the application of the drawback principle could be more widely extended. The prospect that the Lovering bill will be enacted into law at the coming session is greatly improved by the agitation of the tariff question now going on. The majority leaders in Congress having decided at a con- ference with the President that no tariff legislation should be attempted at the coming session, the im- portance of liberalizing the drawback laws is therefore emphasized. The late President McKinley frequently declared the drawback statutes to be the “safety valve of the protective tariff,” and as only through the opera- tion of more liberal drawback laws can manufacturers secure practically free raw materials for the export trade it is urged that no time should be lost in passing the Lovering bill. W. ke C. The Importations of Steel Beams and Structural Iron. The Bureau of Statistics in Washington in the month- ly reports of iron and steel importations does not give separately the figures relating to beams and structural material, apparently including them with all other man- ufactures of iron and steel. Yet in the finished iron trade there is no more important branch at the present juncture and widely varying estimates of the quantities imported are current in the trade. The New York Metal Exchange from week to week compiles the figures for the port of New York, but we are informed by C. Mayer, secretary, that the records for Philadelphia and other ports are not complete. According to Mr. Mayer’s fig- ures, there were imported the following quantities: Structurai Steel beams. Iron. Tons. Tons. MED << 15 a arte e eta ae Rinawete nea wks aaa 64 BS aw hae teed oe hea nea Ca aareaN 970 65 MO ord ns caked COURT OTR. oe hee Ke 1,814 21 or edad se 4aeree amie wakes 2,013 a EE SS ar oath eal bol Ba ad wa ae 2,767 30 lo September 23.......... . 2,912 55 For a single port, even the most important, these fig- ures show quite a movement. It is well-known in the trade that considerable quantities have gone via Phila- delphia, and that, particularly lately, the Chicago dis- trict has purchased quite extensively, the material com- ing forward via New Orleans, owing to low ocean and land freights. The records show that by far the greatest part of the imports into New York come from Antwerp and are therefore largely of German origin. Smaller quantities are shipped from Rotterdam, probably by Belgian mills, while small quantities come from Glasgow, from Sweden and from Hamburg. EE The Jones & Laughlin Steel Company.—A meeting of the stockholders of the Jones & Laughlin Steel Com- pany will be held in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, October 8, to vote on a proposition for issuing bonds to the amount of $10,000,000. When the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company were organized an issue of $10,000,000 in bonds was provided for and at the coming meeting these bonds will be issued, but none of them will be placed on the market. The proceeds of the bonds will be used to carry out large improvements and additions now being made to their works. These include the building of a large blooming mill, the addition of another con- verter in the Bessemer Works and other improvements. Within a year at the most the Jones & Laughlin Steet Company will have a capacity for turning out 1,200,000 tons of steel a year. ay co aah Soman oo anoang Ss THE Notes from Mexico. Opening of Congress. DURANGO, September 24, 1902.—According to custom, the Congress of Mexico assembled upon the evening of the nation’s anniversary of independence, September 16. The speech of President Diaz was comprehensive, cover- ing the entire political, industrial and financial situation. The review of existing conditions in the Republic is for the most part a cheerful and reassuring one. The Presi- dent comments with satisfaction upon the progress in mining, the activity in railway construction and the prosperous condition of thepublicrevenues. While far too exhaustive to follow in detail, such topics as are of in- terest to the readers of The Iron Age which came within the scope of the President’s address may be chiefly noted. Delegates to Labor Congresses. Evidence of the Government’s sympathy with move- ments of the amelioration of the conditions af- fecting labor is given in the announcement “that the invitations to the nation to be represented at the inter- national congress on labor accidents and social insur- ance at Diisseldorf, and the industrial and commercial congress of Ostende, and the mining congress at Butte, have been accepted,” and that delegates have been ap- pointed to these various gatherings. Vining Progress. The active condition of Mexican mining interests is reflected in the figures quoted by the President in rela- tion to titles issued. In the last half year 1770 titles were issued covering mining claims aggregating 31,500 hectares in urea. Of these titles 1583 relate to mining activities wherein the precious metals predominate, Ralilway Construction. The railway mileage of the country, the President notes, has been increased since his last review of the situation bv 405 km., the total of the national railway lines and private branches being now 17,442 km. Of the new coustruction 148 km. are credited to the Vera Cruz & Pacific Railway, which is about completed, and which is the link between Vera Cruz and the National Telhuan- tepec Railway. Rallway Tariffs. The progress made in the important matter of revis ing the tariffs of the different railways in relation to freight and classifications is a subject to which a para- graph is given in the message. ‘‘ The commission,” says the Executive, “for the revision of railway tariffs has reported on 154 special tariffs, many of them relating to articles of importation and exportation, care being al ways taken to protect the native merchandise, and in passing upon the classification adopted by the majority of the railways of the Republic the commission has con demned all such tariffs as conflicted with the principle of the most absolute equality.” The Goverument aud Silver. One of the most important utterances of President Diaz is that wherein he reviews the currency question and the depreciation of the peso. That the President and his advisers are keenly alive to the embarrassing conditions which the fluctuations in the value of the Mexican dollar bring about, and the country’s somewhat anomalous position among the trading nations of the world, has long been evident. It appears from the re- marks of President Diaz that the Government’s attitude is still one of observation. He says: “The Executive feels obliged to maintain a waiting attitude, and to continue its studies with a view to eluci- dating the various aspects of the question, such as the conditions surrounding the production, circulation and consumptien of the metal in question, and as nearly as possible the advantages and disadvantages which its de- preciation bas occasioned, or may occasion, to Mexico. ln any event, it is necessary to bear in mind that with silver we meet about one-half of what for various rea- sons the country is compelled to remit abread, and that notwithstanding our substantial production of silver it would be rasn for the Republic alone to attempt to regu- Iate the world’s output of the white metal and in that wavy to bring about stability in its price.” [RON AGE. October 2, 1902 Industrial Notes, Au increase is noted in the imports of coal and coke by the railway companies, from the Pocahontas fields by w