The Iron Age 1903-07-02: Vol 72 Iss 1

rH E O ON ¥ oy I qn a 2NO sii es) #891909 jo inueiayt A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery and Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St., New York. 7 ol. 72: No. I. New York Phuesdyy July # 190}. $5 OO a_Year, including Postage Single Copies, 15 Cents eading Matter Contents.........page 70 iphahetical Index te Advertisers ** 237 \assified List of Advertisers «6 6229 dvertising and Subscription Rates‘ 236 Smokeless Powder Shot Shells are being continually improved to meet changing conditions. Dealers should carry a stock of the best loads of U. M. C. NITRO CLUBand ARROW shells to meet the increasing demand. U. M. C, products are half sold before they are offered by the retailer, This is due to their long standing reputation and the thorough advertising behind them, Bristol's Patent Steel Belt Lacing, Lacing,| J The Union Metallic Cartridge Co., Agencv, 313 Broadway, BRIDGEPORT, SA VES New York City, N. Y. CONN. me, Belts, Money. Greatest* trengtk READY TO APPLY fFimiSHEQVOWT With Least Metal Send for Circulars and Free Samples. ———————— siicoctiediiacilien SAMSON SPOT ‘CORD CAHALL | BOILERS See via 68 Also achurett tts and Phenix ds of Sash Cord. a SS SS = SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. REGULAR PATTERN. ee he Oo CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS NEW YORK, Branches : PORTLAND, ORE., ch Office, 11 any New York. PHILADELPHIA, BUFFALO, Cleveland and City Forge and Iron Co., - Cleveland, a : CHICAGO, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, ST. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, BOSTON, SAN FRANCISOO, DENVER. | THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY Low Phosphorus Pig. HARTFORD, CONN. Girard Bailding, Phils, | RESULAS PATTERS. Farmers’ Bank, Pit sburg Gr PILLING& CRANE Kmpire Bldg, New York Het PLATE PATTERN. 9 Board of Trade, Boston. Excelsior Straight-Way Back Pressure Valve. SOME SORTS . . This valve has no gash pots, springs, guides or complicated levers to get out of order. It is simple, reliable and well made. Never sticks, and cap be 4 . : \ llo: relied upon at all times when using exhaust steam for heating ; or when used of work require ‘polio; some as a relief, or free exhaust on a condensing plant, it has no equal. It is noise- don’t. , less and free from any complicated attachments. If you want your iron to | JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago. bend uniformly, to bear a good deal of working of any sort, to |WANTED HEAVY MELTING SCRAP» puodt$OnbWasic PIG IRON be strong, not brittle, not crack, For Sale High Grade Basic Open Hearth Steel Billets and Slabs not tear, to. hold fast, to stay THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING COMPANY SEE 29, put, to be accurate; only Apollo (Water and Rail Delivery) BRIDGEPORT, CONN, PAG will do. -2 £eWRAEWNHOIYIDYA META). _ Quick service. Return a ( > mM AGN © L I A mM ETA LL. = : Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings. whole sheet for an inch of fault. Fac-Simile of Bar. Beware, of imitations. ~ MAGNOLIA METAL CO., San Francisco, New Orleans, Montreal, Boston, Owners and Sole Manufacturers, 651/-513 West I3th St., Pittsburg and Philadelphia. We manufacture all | Chicago, Fisher Bidg. NEW YORK. grades of Babbitt Metals at competitive prices American Sheet Steel Company Battery Park New York 2 THE ANSONIA BRaAss gp” COPPER CO. MANUFACTURERS OF BRASS AND COPPER Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. SOLE MANUFACTURERS THE 1RON AGE. B R AS 5. | ee l -— ( al COPPER) | "eae | PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERWA | SILVER AND GILDING GERMAN ser SILVER | Tobin Bronze aa (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) Condenser Pliates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Seamless Tubes for Boilers and Condensers. 99 John Street, 00008788888 8O Randolph-Clowes Co., Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER TUBING. BRAZED BRASS AND BRONZE TUBING. : ::::::: WATERBURY BRASS CO., WATERBURY, CONN. 130 Centre St., New York. Providence, R. I. RAPA New York. Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze and Metal Company, Bridgeport, Conn. Mc NecNet Nac Nekc Neb ee ee eke eke eee Nee Nede ae" New York Office, %3 Broadway, Postal Telegraph Bldg., Room 718. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER @| © GENUINE No. 1 BABBITT. 3 TUBES. EC glandtoet Mota ructically 3 SEAMLESS BRASS 3 “Saves In every way—Time, - ; oney an atience & COPPER TUBES $|€ GREATEST DURABILITY. » TO 36 IN. DIAM. € anette y € 2 3 $ Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg. 6 SPSEVCVVUSVSVVISV VBVVSE 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. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. HUN ere kn SB8:74 West Monroe St. Best Bronze, Babbitt Chicago. Metals Brassand Alominum CASTINGS BRASS, BRONZE and ALUMINUM CASTINGS. Founders, Finishers. W. G. ROWELL & CO., BRIDGEPORT, CONN. HENDRICKS BROTHERS PRIETURS OF TH Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS ©. Brazsiers’ Bolt nana Sheathing COPPER, ot oe we ee oe ee ome Le Pee cam, T. F. WELCH MFG. CO, 68 SUDBURY STREET, BOSTON. COPPER WIRE AND Riv=zts. | eo; importers and Dealers in ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. : LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE. THE PLUME & ATWOOD Mrs, C) MANUFACTURERE JF Sheet and Roll Bras: —AND— WIR METAL, COPPER RIVE AND BURRS, Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Ke sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Trimmings, &c. 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAG ROLLING MILL : THOMASTON, CONN. | FACTORIES : WATERBURY, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of BRASS, CERMAN SILVER Sheets, Rolis, Wire, Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods. SPECIAL BRASS GOUDS TO ORDER Factories, wArenenes CONN. OTS: NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SON AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER LEAD, ANTIMONY, 100 John Street, ~ New York Arthur T. Rutte SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING 256 Broadway, NEW YORK Small tubing in Brass, Coppe Steel, Aluminum, German Silve &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire. Brazed an¢ Seamless Brass and Copper Tube Copper and Brass Rod. “PHONO -ELECTRIC’ WIRE. “IT’S TOUGH,” TROLLEY, TELEPHONE and TELEGRAPH LINES. BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO. 19 Murray St., New York. Mill» Bridgeport, Coun. No better counte monn made. 4 Whecl, $3.0 5 Wheel, 83.2 Guaranteed. BATTLE CREEK, MICE R. A. HAR®S, ‘THE [RON AGE RSDAY, Sixty-Foot Vertical Boring and Turning Mill.* Designed by John Riddell, Mechanical Superin- tendent of the General Electric Company. Schnectady, N. Y. The mill herein described was made necessary owing to the constantly increasing dimensions of dynamo elec- tric machines. On account of its immense proportions and weight of material, it was deemed necessary to build it in the factory where it was to be used, and it has been suggested by several disinterested parties that a general Face Plate A 60-FOOT VERTICAL description of the machine would be of interest to the members of the American Society of Mechanical Engi- neers, or any others interested in large machine work. Possibly the best way to describe this machine would be to start with the foundation. Foundation. This is shown ‘in section in Figs. 5 and 6, which also show a section through the whole machine. From the floor line to the bottom of foundation is 22 feet 6 inches. When the excavation was made for this foundation a bed of quicksand was struck at the depth of 8 feet, which rendered it necessary to have a steel tank, 9 feet in diam- eter by 12 feet 9% inches in hight, sunk to keep back the sand and water. It was found impossible to sink this tank by the regular method of digging, and the hydraulic vrocess of sinking was resorted to. After the * This paper was presented by Mr. Riddell at the Saratoga meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Jury 2. and BORING 1903. tank was in place, as much earth as possible was re noved from the outside, gradually rounding the bottom 1) toward the outer edge of the foundation, the object heing to keep the bottom of the foundation in as nearly au semispherical form as possible, the idea being that in settling it would adjust itself in a solid mass. In build- ing the foundation the advantage of having an ample number of passageways of liberal size was taken into consideration, with the result that the working parts of under side of mill are comparatively of as easy access as the parts above the floor. This is shown in Fig. 6. Bed Plate. The bed plate is 20 feet in diameter, and for venience is made in three pieces, one pattern only being con- Vain Spindle. AND TURNING MILL. necessary. Each segment weighs’ 26,900 pounds, making a total for bed plate of 80,700 pounds. The bed plate has two ways for table to revolve upon. The center of outside way is 17 feet 6 inches in diameter and is 10 inches wide. The center of inside feet diameter and is 6 inches wide. The outside way has a bearing surface of 6600 square inches, and the inside way a bearing surface of 1130 square inches, making a total bearing surface for table of 7730 square inches. The maximum approximate total weight, including table, that the bed plate is ex- pected to carry is 300 tons, thus making a pressure of 77.6 pounds per square inch. It is also bored out in the center to a diameter of 4 feet to receive the main bear- ing for table spindle. It has a projecting shelf or flange around entire periphery, faced on upper side to form a support for floor plates, Fig. 7, which are bolted securely to the same, and is also faced on bottom to form seat for bar support. way is 5 2 THE Ample means are provided for oiling the table ways, by flooding or by pressure; the flanges at sides of ways form an oil well and are of sufficient hight to allow a head of 2 inches of oil above surface of bearing at all times. (It may be of interest to know that 32 gallons of oil are required for this purpose. ) . There are two sets of oil channels, one consisting of a number of grooves \, inch wide by \% inch deep, running diagonally across the ways, in opposite directions (open at the ends), subdividing the same into a number of tri- angular faces, free circulation being thus induced from side to side of bearing. The pressure system consists of a number of pipes from pressure main terminating in radial oil grooves in ways. The pressure and return piping being of brass, all branches are bent, no elbows being used. Two mains IRON AGE. July 2, 1903 inches, and greatest diameter 5 feet 6 inches where it rests in inner way of bed plate, and has a taper of % inch per foot on main bearing, being 46 inches diameter at large end and 40 inches long, weight of same being 10,100 pounds It is also bored out and splined at each end to receive bearings for the boring bar sleeve, and also adjustments for the same. Bearing for table spindle is 48 inches outside diameter, 40 inches long; has bab- bitted inside for spindle bearing, Fig. 1, bored to a diameter of 46 inches at large end, with %-inch taper per foot, and is adjusted by means of set screws in a ring, which is bolted to under side of bed plate, one- half of the screws being arranged to push bearing up- ward, the other half to draw down. This bearing weighs 3700 pounds. Immediately outside of revolving table there are 14 floor plates, making a stationary table of 44 pockets on Fiy. 2.—Face Plate and Its Bearing. A 60-FOOT VERTICAL extend entirely around bed plate, as seen in vertical section of mill, the lower being the pressure and upper the return mains. Six 1-inch branches from return main pass up through oil well at side of ways and terminate in open pipes 2 inches high, to take care of surplus oil. All other bearings are piped to a central location and are fitted with sight-feed oil cups. Table. The table, Figs. 1 and 2, is 20 feet 4 inches in diam- eter, and is made in three sections, each section weighing 26,300 pounds; total weight of table, 78,900 pounds. The table bas a range of speeds from one revolution in eight minutes to one revolution in one minute. The greatest gear reduction obtained for driving table is 1040 to 1. The table is driven through a spur gear 20 feet pitch diameter, 3.1416 inches circumferential pitch, 10% inches face, made in two pieces of gun iron, bolted to under side of table, Fig. 4. This gear weighs 14,000 pounds and is driven by two pinions, 180 degrees apart. Pinions are 15 pitch diameter and are made of forged steel. The spindle for the table has a length of 6 feet 9 BORING AND TURNING MILL. feet diameter, each plate weighing 19,000 pounds, making a total of 266,000 pounds. Outside of this table there extend 15 plates radially 6 feet wide by 10 feet 6 inches long, making complete outside diameter of 65 feet. Each of these plates weighs 13,000 pounds, making a total weight for the 15 of 195,000 pounds. The stationary table has two tracks upon its surface, center of inside track being 30 feet diameter and center of outside track 40 feet diameter, both 12 inches wide. The object of these tracks is to form an outer bearing for support, on which boring tool heads rest when boring out large fly wheels or frames, or forming outer bearing for frames or fly wheels when they are being revolved by table and are being turned on their outside diameters. These tracks are covered by a moving platform to pro- tect them from chips or dirt, and upon which the operator may stand. Boring Bar. The bar support, Fig. 4, consists of a cast iron shell made up of a number of segments which have been ma- chined up and bolted together, and is suspended from July 2, 1908 under side of bed plate. At A is shown a seat for bevel pinion on main table driving shaft; at B seats for bear- ings of diagonal shafts; at C seats for main driving shaft of boring bar, and at D a seat for step bearing of bar drive, while at bottom is support for boring bar. The borivg bar was designed for boring out work varying from 1 to S feet in diameter, is 24 inches diam- eter by 16 feet long. and is made to revolve in either THE IRON AGE. ~ when blow holes or other obstructions are encountered. By reversing the main operating valve feed in opposite direction is obtained, the top of large bar and small plunger being made with taper sockets and key to carry boring heads, these boring heads being provided with suitable cross feed slides to bore to diameter required. Thus when keyways are required, the work may be done by removing the boring tools and substituting slotting direction by means of suitable gearing and reversing ¢lutches through a gear 69% inches diameter by 6 inches face, which is placed upon the lower end of the bar sleeve. This sleeve, which weighs 8450 pounds, is 8 feet 144 inches long, rests and revolves in flat bearing in the top of the table spindle, and is centered by means of the tapered bearings A and B, placed respectively at the top and bottom of the main spindle, keyed to the same to prevent turning, but adjustable vertically by suitable adjusting screws, as shown in vertical section of mill. This sleeve has feathers fastened in the bore, through which the bar passes. The bar, which is to have a hydraulic feed, is made in two sections, each a cylinder, the upper 12 inches diameter by 4 feet 8 inches travel, and the lower 18 inches, bushed with copper sleeve to 17% inches diam- eter, and has a travel of S feet. The piston of lower cylinder is stationary and mounted securely upon a holt low piston rod, which contains an internal tube, which passes up through the piston to upper end of cylinder, oil for upper end passing through this tube and for lower end through outside or piston rod tube, and by means of port in the same near its connection with the piston passes into cylinder; thus, by admitting oil to under side of piston, the bar or cylinder moves downward and admission to upper side gives motion upward. Should it be necessary to bore out a piece of work 24 inches or less in diameter recourse is then had to the upper cylinder, where we have a double acting piston, the rod of which is 8 inches diameter and forms the boring bar. Oil for operating this plunger is obtained as fol- lows: The valve in bottom cylinder head is opened, the oil passes through valve up through pipe which is im- bedded in side of bar, up to and through inner head be- tween upper and lower cylinders, thence to under side of top piston; the feed being controlled by the quantity of oil allowed to escape from upper side of piston. It will thus be seen that pressure is on both sides of both pistons at the same time,the pressure from pump being at the low- er side of top piston and lower side of bottom piston, while the exhaust is on opposite side of pistons; this is to pre- vent any jumping effect of the bars in vertical direction Inside Spindle Fig. 4.—Support for Bearings. A 60-FOOT VERTICAL BORING AND TURNING MILL. tools, and then by manipulating the main operating valve the bar may be given the cutting speed required and also have a quick return. Standards or Housings. The housings are constructed entirely different from the standard type of vertical boring mill. There are two large portable uprights 15 feet high, having one part of 9 RoR REY me leae ) ae— = ee - ae ies 2 ERE = ne 4 THE IRON AGE. July 2, 1908 upright standing in same line as cross rail and the other standing at right angles thereto, both forming part of common base 9 feet square and tied together on inside width and length to secure alignment of the same. They also have a large bracket at the back which slides upon back column of standard and a clamping device at end of FLOOR LINE FLOOR LINE — a 40 0 dias ; SEC. A-B ? i 7 ' i Kd t 1,7 ae {_DAMP PROOFING — en ae 48'6 dia. CONCRETE CONCRETE Tue [Ron Acs DAMP PROOFING Fig. 5.— Plan of Foundation. Tae IRON AGB Fiy. 6.—Vertical Section. A 60-FOOT VERTICAL BORING AND TURNING MILL. near the top by a very strong brace. The arm or cross’ rail which passes across the face of housing, both of rail, Fig. 8, which has a vertical adjustment on standards, which when secured serve to prevent springing of the rail has bearings and gibs between rail and housings of ample during operation. Additional support is given to rails July 2, 1903 where they join at the center by means of a stationary stand and bracket extending out to and against the rail, as shown in plan of mill, Fig. 7, these rails being of suf- ficient length to enable a minimum diameter of 12 inches THE IRON AGE. 5 cipal object being, however, greater accuracy and less liability for the saddle to oscillate, owing to the propor- tions of length to width of bearing, which is 12 x 42 inches, the usual proportions of large boring mill sad + 4 ahead y -_ VL 4 tae Iron Ace Fig. 7.—Pian. Fig. 8 Plan for Boring and Turning Large Diameters A 60-FOOT VERTICAL BORING AND TURNING MILL and a maximum diameter of 28 feet being bored and turned without moving the housings. The design of cross rail is peculiar in construction in having the lower face project 3% inches beyond the up- per part; this lower face is 12 inches wide vertically and forms the main horizontal guide for saddle, one advantage being a double bearing to sustain the weight, the prin- dies being about square. We still retain the great width of rail to counteract the tool action. Movement or feed of saddles along the rail is made by means of hydraulic mechanism, the piston and rod being stationary and attached to bracket on outer end of rail. The cylinder is allowed to float, carrying on inner end a pair of gears proportioned two to one, which engage in epee + we 6 THE IRON AGE. July 2, 1908 two racks, the upper or stationary rack meshing with standard type of mill. ‘This bar is bored out and fitted small gear, and the lower rack attached to saddle and with a double acting piston and hollow piston rod and meshing with large gear; this arrangement‘gives a mo- cross head, to which are attached two racks which serve tion of head equal to three times that of cylinder, pres- as keys to prevent turning of bar and also for raising Tus IRon AGB Fig. 9.—Plan of Drive. C) Tue Iron AcE Fig. 10.—Right-Hand Rail. A 60-FOOT VERTICAL BORING AND TURNING MILL. sure being admitted and discharged in the same manner or lowering of bar or tool heads. The bar can be held in as described in main boring bar. position as in standard mills, or can be lowered and clamped to floor when turning a piece of work. (See vertical section of boring mill, left hand bar, Fig. 6.) The boring bar in tool heads—12 inches diameter by 15 feet lomg—is held in bearings on swivel plate, as on July 2, 1908 The tool head is also provided with suitable device for raising or lowering bar by hand. The tool head on bar consists of a cross slide and swivel attachment, capable of being revolved around the bar by means of worm and wheel, and moved vertically along the bar by means of the two racks above men- tioned. The housings are supported by the stationary table and floor plates extending from the table to a diameter of 65 feet, being free to travel from a position close to table to outside diameter of plates, in which position they are capable of boring or turning work of a maxi- mum diameter of 60 feet. Housing rails, &c., weigh 155,580 pounds. The power for driving this mill is obtained from a 50 horse-power variable speed motor. This motor has a A 60-'OOT VERTICAL range of speeds of from 128 to 512 revolutions per minute inclusive, power being transmitted from pinion on arma- ture shaft through train of gears to main driving shaft. Upon main driving shaft, Figs. 9 and 11, is bevel pinion which meshes into two bevel gears on two shafts placed diagonally, upon other end of which are two bevel pinions meshing in two large bevel gears, mounted upon vertical shafts, upon which are the two pinions for driving table gear. Motor is controlled by means of a portable con- troller, which can be carried to any point about the mill convenient for the operator. Net total weight of boring mill complete is pounds. 385,620 —<—$<$ $$. Vessel Contracts Awarded by the Army.—A contract was awarded by the Quartermaster-General of the Army at New York, on June 25, to Neafie & Levy of Philadel- phia, Pa., for the construction of four submarine double- bottom boats, to be used in the defense of New York har- bor, and by the School of Submarine Defense at Fort Tot- ten. The contract price was $122,000 each. Contracts THE IRON AGE. BORING 7 were awarded also to the Maryland Steel Company of Baltimore for the construction of a single screw harbor defense transport for use in New York harbor, at $88,000, and to the Risden Iron Works of San Francisco for con- structing a quartermaster’s supply transport vessel for San Francisco harbor, at $110,000. Or Patentees Should Not Be Their Own Lawyers. A curious fact in connection with the assignment and use of patents is that parties interested generally under- take to settle or arrange transfers upon their own con- clusions as to their legal rights and privileges in the premises without the slightest knowledge of what they own or are transferring. Also, having agreed to one set 7 Pe, erg te i & ry 3 F : Se Driving Gear. AND TURNING MILL. of conditions, either party to the agreement or contract introduces modifications and changes from time to time, as they may occur, after the fact of such transfer, the re sult being confusion worse confounded if such cases ever come into court. They usually do, for disputes arise as to emoluments which can only be settled in court by those who know what the law is. It would occur to most per- sons of ordinary prudence in business affairs that the best way to avoid complications of the kind above men- tioned would be to put the matter in the hands of at- torneys in the first instance, leaving out all guess work and assumptions. The Scientific American of June 27 reports a case of the kind alluded to, wherein it appears that an employee of a certain concern invented an appli- ance which was used in its business and of which a number were sold by the makers. Thereafter the employee ap- plied for a patent and obtained one. A question then arose as to what compensation the employee should re- ceive for the use of it. A settlement of this kind was made: The employee was given a paper signed by the manufacturers which agreed that a certain salary should be given him for ten years, provision being made for an <me — <SePe Ee Tea sae ‘ THE IRON increase of said salary at certain periods, whereupon the inventor orally assigned the patent to the manufacturers. He subsequently claimed that the paper covered an agree- ment to employ him for ten years, which assertion was denied by the manufacturers, and the case went to court, the judge deciding against the inventor; thereafter he left the service of the manufacturers and refused to con- tinue the oral assignment. The court held that by reason of the contract the manufacturers became the owners of the patent, and the inventor, having refused to perform his part, could not bring a suit for infringement, which he would have maintained if he had performed his part. All of this expense, delay and annoyance could have been avoided by consulting the proper persons at the outset. — ora Railroad Problems. The address of Geo. W. West, president of the Ameri- can Railway Master Mechanics’ Association, delivered at the thirty-sixth annual convention of that society, held in Saratoga, N. Y., last week, was an interesting discus- sion of problems with which the railroads are struggling. Mr. West is connected’ with the motive power department of the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad Company. He said, in part: Cause of Recent Trafiic Congestion. The press of the country has tried to persuade the public that the trouble was with the motive power de- partments, or a lack of motive power or equipment; as a fact, it was because nearly, if not quite all, the trunk lines lacked terminal facilties. It was no uncommoh thing during the winter to see miles and miles of trains, with the engine of the following trains within coupling distance of the leading train waiting for orders to move, and instances have been cited to me of train crews re- porting for duty immediately on arrival of train at des- tination ready for work, having had the required amount of rest on the trip while sidetracked or awaiting orders. These conditions have proved more forcibly than could any committee of our association, had it continued its in- vestigations of the cost of running high speed trains, that the number of factors entering into the problem make if an unknown quantity, depending entirely on how much other traffic is delayed in keeping high speed trains on time, and unless they are kept on time it is no credit to the system attempting it. The per diem system of handling freight equipment demonstrated to many roads that it is wiser and better to look after the movement of cars they owned than to build additional ones. The same rule if applied to their locomotives would give equally surprising results. Efficiency of Equipment. The various coal roads carried 23,120,238 tons less coal during the strike period than they did during corre- sponding months in 1901; and men well up in knowledge of the fuel situation prophesied it would take two years at least to meet the requirements due to the shortage. In fewer than three months from the time of settlement we find the demand supplied and the storage of coal be- gun. It has proved what can be accomplished with our modern equipment when necessary. The several roads moved in the first four months fol- lowing the settlement 5,624,828 tons in excess of any pre- vious corresponding period. The Ontario & Western, for example, moved 58,360 tons more coal in the three months following the strike settlement than ever before in the same period, with only two additional locomotives. The anthracite strike enabled the bituminous coal com- panies to obtain a much higher price for their fuel and the result has been that the cost of fuel to operate our locomotives has been very materially increased. It is strange that notwithstanding this one item of expense on many roads equals the cost of repairs and wages of en- ginemen combined, it is given the least attention of any- thing entering into the performance sheet figures. The wide fire box engines lose a large percentage of their savings and other advantages in the extra coal used in cleaning fires and that consumed while held on side tracks and at terminals. Undoubtedly any road hav- ing 100 locomotives in service can well afford to employ AGE. July 2 1903 ohe man to every 100 miles of road to give this loss of fuel his entire attention. There seems to be a great diversity of opinion re garding the advantage or efliciency of the piston valve, and from all that can be learned the engine failures are not reduced on lines using them. In this connection, have we not for the last few years paid too little attention to the one important factor in successful railroading, “ en- gine failures ’—little things that affect the public and are seldom talked about in our meetings? There is hardly a day that some man is not half an hour late, whose ex- planation is that the engine broke down. In my opinion, it will hold true on nearly all roads that 20 per cent. of the engine failures represent 80 per cent. of the cost, while the other 80 per cent. of failures represent only about 20 per cent. of the money damage, but represent a large proportion of perplexing delays. Many of these can be attributed to poor inspection, others to defects attending the high boiler pressure, such as broken water and lubricator glasses, &c., while a few are due to patent sanders. Air Brakes. Men connected with mountain roads, as I have been nearly all my life, will welcome the effort that is being made to meet the one serious defect in the automatic air brake—viz.: Liability of heavy freight trains, getting be- yond contro] of the engineer, descending long grades while train is being recharged. The Westinghouse people have an attachment connected with the engine that serves a valuable purpose in connection with the automatic brake, as it relieves the friction from the locomotive tire while other brakes are in service, thus allowing the tire to remain cool and tight on wheel center and better adapted to check the speed of train when brakes are ap- plied, which is only during the time train brakes are re- leased while auxiliaries are being recharged. Recent tests in stopping high speed trains have demon- strated that the braking power of any metal used for breaking diminishes as the heat increases, and we have. found that engines equipped with the device referred to will hold trains down to the same speed, during all the time the brakes are being recharged, that had been at- tained at the time necessary to recharge. Considerable progress has been made in the applica- tion of high speed brakes, and both our brake companies have demonstrated that even more can be expected of the automatic brake than we have been getting in its power to stop quick moving trains. The two companies are working on entirely different lines to accomplish the same result, and it is to the interests of all the railroads that they lend all the assistance at their command to en- able the brake companies to give us the best brake pos- sible at the least expense or change. This is certainly a high speed age and only they that can attain it are in the race. OO ———— In the English Channel on June 27 the new turbine steamboat, the “ Queen,” made her final trial trip before being placed in commission. The average speed was up- ward of 23 knots. Expressions of satisfaction were gen- eral. The vessel afterward took her place on the regular schedule from Dover to Calais in connection with the London-Paris service. Persons who were on board on her trial trip predicted a turbine Atlantic liner within two or three years. C. A. Parsons, the inventor of the turbine marine engine, is confident he can clip a full knot off the best Transatlantic speed record whenever he shall have a chance to make a test of his invention on so large a scale. The danger of experimenting with substances the na- ture of which is not fully known was shown in a foundry recently, when two men who were drawing off liquid as- phalt from a barrel, finding it did not flow as freely as they desired, undertook to hasten operations by plunging a red hot iron into the orifice. The asphalt immediately ex- ploded with disastrous effects, doing great damage and seriously injuring several persons. Asphalt is said to be liquefied by the use of naphtha, so red hot irons are inad- missible in connection with it. 8 THE IRON increase of said salary at certain periods, whereupon the inventor orally assigned the patent to the manufacturers. He subsequently claimed that the paper covered an agree- ment to employ him for ten years, which assertion was denied by the manufacturers, and the case went to court, the judge deciding against the inventor; thereafter he left the service of the manufacturers and refused to con- tinue the oral assignment. The court held that by reason of the contract the manufacturers became the owners of the patent, and the inventor, having refused to perform his part, could not bring a suit for infringement, which he would have maintained if he had performed his part. All of this expense, delay and annoyance could have been avoided by consulting the proper persons at the outset. Railroad Problems. The address of Geo. W. West, president of the Ameri- can Railway Master Mechanics’ Association, delivered at the thirty-sixth annual convention of that seciéty, hela in Saratoga, N. Y., last week, was an interesting discus- sion of problems with which the railroads are struggling. Mr. West is connected with the motive power department of the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad Company. He said, in part: Cause of Recent Trafiic Congestion. The press of the country has tried to persuade the public that the trouble was with the motive power de- partments, or a lack of motive power or equipment; as a fact, it was because nearly, if not quite all, the trunk lines lacked terminal facilties. It was no uncommon thing during the winter to see miles-and-miles-of- trains, with the engine of the following trains within coupling distance of the leading train waiting for orders to move, and instances have been cited to.me of train crews re- porting for duty immediately on arrival of train at des- tination ready for work, having had the required amount of rest on the trip while sidetracked or awaiting orders. These conditions have proved more forcibly than could any committee of our association, had it continued its in- vestigations of the cost of running high speed trains, that the number of factors entering into the problem make it an unknown quantity, depending entirely on how much other traffic is delayed in keeping high speed trains on time, and unless they are kept on time it is no credit to the system attempting it. The per diem system of handling freight equipment demonstrated to many roads that it is wiser and better to look after the movement of cars they owned than to build additional ones. The same rule if applied to their locomotives would give equally surprising results. Efficiency of Equipment, The various coal roads carried 23,120,238 tons less coal during the strike period than they did during corre- sponding months in 1901;'and men well up in knowledge of the fuel situation prophesied it would take two years at least to meet the requiféments due to the shortage. In fewer than three months from the time of settlement we find the demand supplied and the storage of coal be- gun. It has proved what can be accomplished with our modern equipment when necessary. The several roads moved in the first four months fol- lowing the settlement 5,624,828 tons in excess of any pre- vious corresponding period. The Ontario & Western, for example, moved 58,360 tons more coal in the three months following the strike settlement than ever before in the same period, with only two additional locomotives. The anthracite strike enabled the bituminous coal com- panies to obtain a much higher price for their fuel and the result has been that the cost of fuel to operate our locomotives has been very materially increased. It is strange that notwithstanding thisoneitem-of expense on many roads equals the cost of repairs and wages of en- ginemen combined, it is given the least attention of any- thing entering into the performance sheet figures. The wide fire box engines lose a large percentage of their savings and other advantages in the extra coal used in cleaning fires and that consumed while held on side tracks and at terminals. Undoubtedly any road hay- ing 100 locomotives in service can well afford to employ AGE. one man to every 100 miles of road to give this loss of fuel his entire attention. There seems to be a great diversity of opinion re- garding the advantage or efficiency of the piston valve, and from all that can be learned the engine failures are not reduced on lines using them. In this connection, have we not for the last few years paid too little attention to the one important factor in successful railroading, “ en- gine failures ”—little things that affect the public and are seldom talked about in our meetings? There is hardly a day that some man is not half an hour late, whose ex- planation is that the engine broke down. In my opinion, it will hold true on nearly all roads that 20 per cent. of the engine failures represent 80 per cent. of the cost, while the other 80 per cent. of failures represent only about 20 per cent. of the money damage, but represent a large proportion of perplexing delays. Many of these can be attributed to poor inspection, others to defects attending the high boiler pressure, such as broken waéer and lubricator glasses, &c., while a few are due to patent sanders. July 2 1908 Air Brakes. Men connected with mountain roads, as I have been nearly all my life, will welcome the effort that is being made to meet the one serious defect in the automatic air brake—viz.: Liability of heavy freight trains, getting be- yond control of the engineer, descending long grades while train is being recharged. The Westinghouse people have an attachment connected with the engine that serves a valuable purpose in connection with the automatic brake, as it relieves the friction from the locomotive tire while other brakes are in service, thus allowing the tire to remain cool and tight on wheel center and better adapted to check the speed of train when brakes are ap- plied, which is only during the time train brakes are re- leased while auxiliaries are being- recharged. _ Recent tests in stopping high speed trains have demon- strated that the braking power of any metal used for breaking diminishes as the heat increases, and we have found that engines equipped with the device referred to will hold trains down to the same speed, during all the time the brakes are being recharged, that had been at- tained at the time necessary to recharge. Considerable progress has been made in the applica- tion of high speed brakes, and both our brake companies have demonstrated that even more can be expected of the automatic brake than we have been getting in its power to stop quick moving trains. The two companies are working on entirely different lines to accomplish the same result, and it is to the interests of all the railroads that they. lend all the assistance at their command to en- able the brake companies to give us the best brake pos- sible at the least expense or change. This is certainly a high speed age and only they that can attain it are in the race. ee In the English Channel on June 27 the new turbine steamboat, the “ Queen,” made her final trial trip before being placed in commission. The average speed was up- ward of 23 knots. Expressions of satisfaction were gen- eral. The vessel afterward took her place on the regular schedule from Dover to Calais in connection with the London-Paris service. Persons who were on board on her trial trip predicted a turbine Atlantic liner within two or three years. CC. A. Parsons, the inventor of the turbine marine engine, is confident he can clip a full knot off the best Transatlantic speed record whenever he shall have a chance to make a test of his invention on so large a scale. The danger of experimenting with substances the na- ture of which is not fully known was shown in a foundry recently, when two men who were drawing off liquid as- phalt from a barrel, finding it did not flow as freely as they desired, undertook to hasten operations by plunging a red hot iron into the orifice. The asphalt immediately ex- ploded with disastrous effects, doing great damage and seriously injuring several persons. Asphalt is said to be liquefied by the use of naphtha, so red hot irons are inad- missible in connection with it. + July 2, 1908 Speed Changing Planer Countershaft. The Speed Changing Pulley Company of Indianapolis, Ind., have designed the speed changing planer counter- ‘shaft here illustrated. The shaft does not revolve but is held stationary by set screws in the hangers. The large, or backing, pulley runs loose on the shaft and is driven by a belt from the line shaft. The forward drive also runs loose on the shaft and is driven by a belt from the line shaft to pulley A, which, through the three transmit- THE IRON AGE. throughout, cover a floor space of over 73,000 square feet, the main building being 34 feet high and equipped with a 15-ton electric traveling crane for changing rolls, &c. Practically all the steam power required is derived from the waste heat from the puddling and heating furnaces, there being nine waste heat boilers, aggregating 1200 horse-power, attached to different furnaces. The com- pany have their own mines, of low sulphur coal, within % mile of the plant, which is well situated on the banks of the Susquehanna River for an ample supply of pure Countershaft Seoured to Ceiling. ters shown in the sectional view, drives the pulley B, which moves the planer forward. The countershaft is started or stopped by the ordinary shifter, which shifts the belt at one end and compresses or releases a spring at the other end, thereby shifting the belt to or from the loose pulley and making pulley A tight or loose. Only the speed of the forward drive is changed. This is done by a hand wheel, six turns of which give a range of 7 eae 4 cS S. dN Ene SSS nr i AS SDN WES SSE SS HEL FL hoeass CARRS SSS a> \\ NG REELS NON QA wevaseroaconen s S e NAN LLL i —_-Y or, water. The works are situated on the line of the B. R. & P. Ry., about 2 miles from Clearfield, and have switching arrangements to the P. R. R. and New York Central. The capacity of the plant, when running full, will be about 50,000 tons per annum of iron and steel. The capital stock of the company is $750,000, all of which is subscribed for, with the exception of a small amount of treasury stock, and the list of stockholders includes some of the leading a) SNS | GRRE s SST ay Lhd d ddd MAA HY a) SSS ~—Y XN a Longitudinal Section. - SPEED CHANGING PLANER COUNTERSHAFT. to 1, or any intermediate speeds. All running parts are lubricated by compression grease cups through hollow shafts. The Clearfield Steel & Iron Company.—The works of the Clearfield Steel & Iron Company, a corporation chartered under the laws of Pennsylvania, were formally turned over, during the past week, to the officers of the company by Hyde Brothers & Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., who designed, built and put the plant in operation. The plant is of modern design and well equipped throughout for the production of muck bar, chain iron, bolt and rivet iron, skelp and light iron and steel rails for lumber and mining purposes. The buildings, which are of steel bankers and business men of Pittsburgh, New Yerk, Rochester and Clearfield. The Pittsburgh offices of the company are in the German National Bank Building, corner Wood street and Sixth avenue. Actual boring for the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany’s Hudson River tunnel was begun June 25, when a large force of men began digging for the shafts to the headings at Thirty-second street and Bleventh avenue, New York City. Work will shortly begin at the western end of the tunnel in Jersey City. This will be the largest piece of engineering and construction work ever under- taken by private interests. 10 : "THE IRON The Cause of Some Blast Furnace Explosions. During the last few years furnace explosions following “ hanging” seem to have been very frequent on the con- tinent of Europe, and it has become a pressing question to ascertain their exact cause as the first step towards finding aremedy. At the annual meeting of the Verein Deutscher Hisenhuettenleute, held April 26 in Duesseldorf, a paper read by Director Schilling, a blast furnaceman of many years’ experience, formed an interesting contribu- tion to the subject. After giving details of various ex- plosions of this class, showing the conditions existing when they took place, and the havoc, in some cases amounting to a practically total demolition of the fur- nace, caused thereby, he developed his view as to the cause. The theory set up by Osann is based on the fact that at temperatures between 400 and 500 degrees C. carbon monoxide, in presence of ferric oxide, disassociates into carbonic acid and carbon, the latter in a finely divided condition completely enveloping the ore, and later, acting on the oxides, causing a very rapid reduction. Schilling is not prepared to believe that hanging can be caused in this manner because, in the first place, if the furnace is not working right the material moves too rapidly through | the zone of this particular temperature, and sécondly, carbon separating out from gas is too finely divided to allow it, while exposed to the stream of gas, to adhere to the continually shifting material. He believes that Osann confuses cause and effect, the separation of the carbon from the monoxide being always the result of hanging and not the cause. Not until a furnace hangs and the material is stationary do the gases have opportunity to undergo this reaction, but when that condition exists finely divided ore, such as “blue billy,” &c., acts like a filter and no doubt the finer the ore the greater the sepa- ° ration of carbon. As a result the temperature rises, the same reaction is repeated higher up and a large mass of material is soon impregnated with finely divided carbon which, if a slip now takes place, drops into a lower and hotter zone, is shaken off the ore and, by reason of its condition, rapidly attains the temperature prevailing in its new position. Here the gases also have a higher temperature, and the carbon mixing them disassociates the carbonic acid, forming the monoxide according to the formula CO,+C=CO. One volume CO, suddenly forming two volumes CO is the simple reaction which causes the explosion, a solid body being transformed suddenly into a gaseous state. , As evidence of the truth of his theory the speaker in- stanced an explosion which he had been able to watch from beginning to end. He was watching a furnace and noticed coming from the bleeder a hydrogen flame. Suddenly the valve at the top was thrown to one side, and with a roar a black column 100 feet or more in hight rose into the air, which gradually clearing away was fol- lowed from time to time by pieces of coke. In about two and one-half minutes the stream of gas from the furnace became normal. The blower had no knowledge that the furnace was hanging, as it was taking the blast as usual. The furnace in question was making Bessemer iron with a burden of which probably one-half was fine ore. Another instance was that of a furnace which had been idle for 15 hours and of which, although it took the blast well when the latter was turned on, the contents remained hanging and could not be made to drop by re- peated stoppages of the engines. After blowing for about two hours the furnace was laid idle for about~-ten min- utes. Suddenly out of the central tube rose a black cloud of such density that from below nothing could be seen of the charging platform. Scarcely had this stopped after lasting for about a minute than it was repeated, and large and small pieces of coke were at the same time thrown eut of the furnace. Owing to the valve not being quite tight, a certain amount of blast was going into the fur- mace all the time, besides which the limestone yielded 20 kg. of carbonic acid per minute. A similar explosion which took place at Seraing after the furnace had been standing idle for about eight hours AGE. ~~ July 2, 1905 was accompanied by more material damage than at the last mentioned example. The speaker remarked that be- fore he had heard of this occurrence it was his belief that by immediately stopping the blast after a slip such acci- dents could be prevented, the finely divided carbon being- removed by very gentle blowing, but two explosions tak- ing place in furnaces which were idle proved that this- assumption was not correct. Both in the case at Seraing and in the previously mentioned one a real “ hang” did not. occur, as a hanging. furnace will take little if any blast, and it is necessary by some means or other to form hollow spaces in order to give the burden a chance to drop and thus allow the gas a free passage. In the two cases mentioned, however, the slag was running normally and the gases were coming out of the furnace in the usual amount, evidences that there was no obstruction to the blast and that the mate- rial was not hanging in the zone of reduction but in