The Iron Age 1904-05-05: Vol 73 Iss 18

gi , Sis | A Review of the Hardware, Iror omer | Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co,, 232 38 William St., New York, Vol. 73: No. 78. New York, Thursday, May 5, 1904. Singte Gapied 4g Conte _ Readiig Matter Contents ....... page 62[, — ——= — ens — Alphabetical index to Advertisers ‘‘ 23! a 7 aN Classified List of Advertisers.. 223] , Advertising and Subscription Rates ‘ WV SS 9? SP Vv ior O42 (pe The New U.M.C. No. 33 Primers give an added ballistic value to the powder and shot charges in all U. M. C. smokeless powder shells. THE NO, 3 U. M. C. PRIMERS were the first and best primers for smokeless powder ever made here or abroad —until the advent of the new U. M. C. 33 primers, which were substituted for them some time ago. The U. M. C. Southern Squad used shells primed with the new 33 primers. Bristol’s Patent Steel Belt Lacing. THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE CO., SAVES - Factory, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. =o Agency, 313 Broadway, New York, N. Y. GreatestS To ruswen sour With Least Me for Circulars and Free Samples. Send for THE BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn. Alse Linen and Italian Hemp , Sash Cord, SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, 8 ‘ M PLAIN PATTERN REGULAR HEAD. TURNBUCKLES. ‘ °G ll H « L,aDEeEwe orse INalis Branch 11 . New York. oo pe Ctavetand Gite Forge tad Nestea. hnciiad. 0. 4 i < NEW YORK, Branches: PORTLAND, ORE., : 2 PHILADELPHIA BUFFALO =Z i ig- y CHICAGO, " pETRort, BALTIMORE, il wu 8T, LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEASS, ico 3 : 4 BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. a “BASIC PIG. THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL GO., Hartford, Conn. Girard Buil PILLING & CRANE. Empire <hireret PLAIN PATTERN REGULAR HEAD. SAID AN ENGINEER “* Yes, they did not know about valves at the time the r do now. Iam replacing all valves with the genuine Jenkins Bros.’ Two Great Leaders in American |” SAO” Gold Rolle Steel eset Drawing =« Stampl — AMERICAN TUBE & SoD Wing Sheet Metals. — cannot Phe hel Start your plant with Jenkins Bros. Valves and avoid trouble. JENKINS BROS., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, London. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings. Pac-Simile of Bar. Beware of Imitations. MAGNOLIA METAL CO., See Page 30. Owners and Sole Manufacturers, 13-16 Bank Street, Pitsburg and Puiledelphia, “We manufactare all Chicago, Fisher Bldg. NEW YORK. “Babbitt Metals at competitive prices, THE IRQN.. AGE 0 BsBLiAvd OBZAVONUWoD lant was put in, but they BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID ‘* Experience keeps adear school. Remember this : they that will not be counseled (Water and Rail Delivery Brrperport, Ooms. aay MAGNOLIA METAL. Pt ee —— NN IT — RAPES .———. Ae a See aba 2 THE IRON AGE. Te THE PLUME & Atwood Mrs. Co. MN BRASS; Maen: seer Sheet and Roll Bras: COPPER; | wire PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMA) GERM AN SHEET ae - GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVET: SILVER |“ wre)" Trimmings, &c. MANUPACTUREES OF “QUEEN'S RUN” PECIAL anid “Lock HAVEN” LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE.| 29 MURRAY sT., NEW YORK. “West BRANCH” HAPES SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. Lock HAVEN, PA. JER ICME LVAD ETT COED) ee BRONZE TUBING. : : : +: +: +|_ T™OWAsTon, com. | wareRouRy, conn, Randolph-Clowes Co. é\waTERBURY BRASS CO.,|{ SCOVILL MFG. CO., WATERBU! RY, CON N. WATERBURY, CONN. BRASS, GERMAN SILVER Sheets, Rolls, Wire Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods. Special Brass Goods to Order. FACTORIES: WATERBURY, CONN. Depots: CHICAGO, MANUFACTURERS OF 130 Centre St., New York. Providence, R. I. SHEET BRASS & COPPER. Brazep Brass & copper $|bidgeporl Deoxidized Bronze & TUBES. Metal SEAMLESS BRASS BRIDGEPORT, GONN. & COPPER TUBES $| automobile Castings a Specialty. TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 253 Broadway, Postal High Tensile Strength. legraph Building, Room 715. : iniecaunata 0a Fisher Bldg. Bronze and Aluminum Alloys. NEW YORK, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, Write Us. DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., 9) oon t NY vor. LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. SUCCESSOR TO Speci Saw of Zinc cut to order. Rallad Battery Plate, WILLIAM S. FEARING Selected ae = — Be Card Makers’ use. 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Small tubing in Brase, Oopper, Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- NN ie pete 28 Sees rs Oe sears Copper and Brass Rod. e88:-:74 West M Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals we yn pan ek asap “PHONO-ELECTRIC.- ies CASTINGS ~*~" Ww. G. ROWELL & CO., Bridgeport, Conn. TELEPHONE eee ae ee and HENDRICKS BROTHERS ees awe Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, LINES. Brazsicrs’ Bolt ane BSheathing Brideevert, BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO,, Conn. 19 Murray St., New York. COPPER, dtangastidliimencieatigaainaanaitirass COPPEHE WiRE AND RIvVETs. She Lectmetive of Fo-Gas: , Ryans Importers and Dealers in ~~ Ry eet jocond edition, . = Ingot’ Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, ete. pony Mg pages, 37 ijastrations. i8 Ralf 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. For sale by David Williams Co., 232 William St., N.Y. tHE LRON AGE THurspay, May 5, 1904. TheSTorbensen Gear Gasoline Auto Truck. That the automobile has ceased to be a pleasure vehicle merely, and is entering upon a field of business usefulness, is apparent from the increasing number of auto-delivery wagons and trucks to be seen about our city streets. Although at present the power driven pleasure vehicles outnumber the commercial motor vehicles probably in a ratio of 100 to 1, and although the number of pleasure motor cars is increasing as fast as the existing factories can turn them out, yet ultimately and before very long it is believed the ratio will change in favor of the power driven business car. It is not to be understood that the use of the motor car, as a pleasure of this truck may, therefore. be of interest. Its dimen- sions are as follows: Length of bedy over all Width of body over all.. Hight of platform.... ianktacaets Weight of fuel and water....... Carrying capacity (including driver).............. 800 pounds. Maximum speed on level road.............. 15 miles per hour. Manian wee Gi BIG: von dcviccccccdcdécecun 5 miles per hour. The power equipment consist of an 8 horse-power two- cylinder vertical gasoline motor suspended from the steel frame midway between the front and rear axles, with the driving shaft at right angles to the rear axle. This gives ample clearance between the top of the motor and the floor of the car, and permits of a level and unobstructed floor, Ae a 9 feet 6 inches. é itnaaw eee See er ee sa eateeeee 2 feet 6 inches. tictedeveewn 1,150 pounds. Fig. 1.—-The General Appearance of a Small Torbensen Gear Gasoline Auto Truck. vehicle, is likely to decline; on the contrary, it will keep on growing greater and greater every year; but when the users of vehicles for transportation of merchandise and material become satisfied of the saving which can be ef- fected by the use of the automobile the motor car indus- try will expand as scarcely any industry ever has before. The saving in dollars and cents is not the only de- termining factor in the estimation of the progressive man of business when considering the automobile, but rather as an economizer of time, and as such the automo- bile is without competition in transportation. Ingsmuch as time is the element of most importance whatever tends to effect its economy is bound to find a welcome. The little truck shown herewith belongs to the class of business vehicles. It was designed especially for the use of a building contractor and house carpenter in Orange, N. J. This suburban town containing so many homes of wealthy New Yorkers covers a large territory, and where a contractor has building operations going on in widely separated places at the same time, requiring not only his presence several times a day at each place, but also the frequent delivery of mill work and material, the value of a light swift motor car, capable of carrying moderate loads, becomes apparent. A short description very desirable in carrying long strips of timber or other ma- terial. A large hinged trap door in the floor over the motor allows ready access to same when necessary for oiling or adjusting. The most interesting part in connection with this truck, however, is the system of transmission and con- trol between motor and driving wheels, which after the constant use of three seasons has proven itself reliable and efficient, though simple. The whole transmission is contained in the rear axle, a plan view of which is shown in Fig. 2, and consists of the “ gear,” shown in elevation in Fig. 3 and in section in Fig. 4, the axle proper and the driving shaft with pinions, the latter meshing with in- ternal gears fastened to the hubs of the driving wheels. The “gear” has two forward speeds and reverse. It is contained in a cylindrical cast iron case which fits into an annular ring forming part of the axle. It consists of a friction clutch, a planetary gear for slow speed, a bevel gear drive for forward and reverse motion, with bail thrust bearings, all of which run in a bath of oil. The mo- tor is connected through a set of universal and telescope joints giving the utmost freedom of motion to the for- ward end of the “ gear” shaft. The vertical lever shown on this shaft engages the low speed when in the forward EE ——— en eens nom =a o3) Seer: ae EE ESD SS SN ae # = Br es cnc ie ee ree 2 THE IRON AGE. position, through the planetary gears, and when in the opposite position engages the high speed clutch, at the same time releasing the planetary gears, thus giving a direct drive on the high gear. The rear axle proper is of double tubular trussed con- struction, of great stiffness and strength. The end pieces THE IRON AGE Fig. 2.—Pian of the Transmission Gearing. of this axle consist of steel castings, into which are in- serted the axle studs on which the wheels revolve, and the journals for the driving shafts which carry the pinion shown on end of axle in Fig. 2. The wheels have plain hard phosphor bronze bearings, the axles are case hard- ened and ground, all driving gears are hardened and fitted on squares instead of keys, and as they are in dust proof \\ y, iH Z if \ THE IRON AGE : Fig. 3.——Elevation of the “ Gear.” tight cases, and liberally lubricated, they last indefinitely and work smoothly and efficiently. It remains only to be said that the internal drive gears, not shown, which are bolted to the hubs of the wheels, and engage with pinions of the driving shafts, are fitted with powerful external band brakes, and therefore, serve the double purpose of driving gears and brake drums. THE IRON AGE Fig. 4.—Section of the “ Gear.” As a summary, the advantageous features of the power equipment of this auto-truck are the following: Great flexibility and freedom of motion between the source of power and the driving mechanism without the use of chains; an all spur gear transmission, with every driving gear incased and run in a bath of oil; undivided rear axle possessing great strength ; clutches incased and work- ing in oil, making starting smooth and easy and without May 5, 1904 jerks, so destructive to the working parts. This system of transmission is known as the Torbensen “ gear,” and the truck was built by the Torbensen Gear, Incorporated, Bloomfield, N. J. —_—_ >< oe —_——- The Use of High Percentages of Mesaba Ores in Coke Blast Furnace Practice. Edward A. Uehling of New York has contributed the following to the discussion of the paper by W. A. Bar- rows, Jr., before the American Institute of Mining En- gineers: The method of filling a blast furnace has always been one of the most important elements in its successful man- agement, and Mr. Barrows strikes the keynote of proper filling in his statement: “The purpose in moving the siliceous ore or coarse ore barrow one pocket each charge is to destroy the continuity of the gas currents ascending through the fine ores, and to reduce the pressure incident thereto, so as to prevent in a measure the dust from being carried over into the downcomer.” ‘The stock must be charged into the furnace in such a manner that the current of ascending gas cannot readily plow its way through in a straight line. Homogenous filling is com- patible only with very moderate driving. From a study of the chemical reactions which take place in a blast furnace I came to the conclusion, many years ago, that stratification would be more conducive to fuel economy and regularity of working than the more or less thorough commingling of the ore, fuel and flux which was the method then generally in vogue. The theoretical considerations which led me to advocate and to practice the stratified filling, always with very ma- terially improved results, were based on the principal chemical reactions which constitute the process of reduc- tion in the blast furnace. The iron ore, Fe,O,, for ex- ample, can be and is reduced according to the following reactions : (1) FeO; + 3 C = 2 CO + 2 Fe. (2) FesOs + 3 C = 8 COs + 2 Fe. (3) A combination of reactions (1) and (2). It is evident that the best possible results, so far as fuel economy and protess of smelting are concerned, is obtained when the maximum amount of the carbon charged is burned to carbon monoxide before the tuyeres, and the ore is reduced by the carbon monoxide thus formed. The heat developed in thus burning the carbon in the hearth produces the necessary temperature in the zone where it is required to melt the iron and the ac- companying slag; the carbon monoxide formed, with accompanying nitrogen, in their upward course pre- heating the descending material, thus offering the great- est possible opportunity for the reaction indicated in the equation (2) and permitting the gases to escape with a maximum content of carbon dioxide. On the other hand, if the ore is reduced by direct contact with the carbon— that is, according to the equations (1) or (3)—the hearth is robbed of so much fuel, which is detrimental to the process of smelting, and all the carbon monoxide so formed passing off as such, enriches the escaping gas and is to that degree prejudicial to fuel economy. From these considerations it follows that it must be conducive to fuel economy and improved smelting to reduce the opportunity of direct reduction as much as possible. To accomplish this, I proposed to fill the coke and ore in separate strata, making the layers as heavy as is consistent with existing conditions, and so far as I am fware, this method of charging a blast furnace had not previously been proposed, much less systematically practiced. When Stratified Filling Was First Tried. It so happens that stratified filling was first tried and its virtues were proved more than 20 years ago in the same furnace, then known as Douglas Furnace No. 1, in which Mr. Barrows proved the method of filling de- scribed in his paper. I had been connected with the Douglas furnaces in 1880, but was at the time chemist for the Bethlehem Iron Company. Mr. Briorty, furnace superintendent at Bethlehem, did not feel inclined to try any experiment, but George Kelly, manager of the Doug- las furnaces, to whom I explained the method and rea- sons for likelihood of success, took it up at once, and I can do no better than quote from his letters, in which he reports the results obtained. DOUGLAS FURNACES, PIERCE, KELLY & Co., SHARPSVILLE, MERCER Co., Pa., September 23, 1884. EB. A. Uehling, Esq., Bethlehem, Pa. Dear Sir: You no doubt think it about time that you should hear some sort of a report of the results of trial of your method of filling. Two weeks ago yesterday we began filling 12 barrows of coke at a time, and 12 barrows of ore with 6 barrows of lime, which gives us an average depth of say 12 to 15 inches. We have kept this up steadily since then with very gratifying results. The first week the furnace was on cinder mixture and the second week on all ore mixtures, and in each case there has been a most marked ‘mprovement over any work the furnace has done in the past years. We find improvement not alone in increase of burden, but in almost every other essential feature—viz., uni- formity in quality and quantity of product, increased production and decrease in quantity of flux (the latter feature I had not thought of). The trial showing results so far as follows: In- crease in burden, 12 per cent.; increase in production, 10 per cent.; decrease in flux, from 5 to 8 per cent., and increase in quantity of No. 1 iron, 25 per cent. The above certainly shows a very marked improvement, and if the use of still larger charges will show a corresponding im- provement, it cannot help being of great advantage. I can see but one drawback to it, and one that may prevent the increase of the charges to the size you propose in a depth of 3 fo 4 feet, and that is the increased pressure. We now notice an increase of % to % pound over our former average pressure; this, of course, comes from having so much fine ore in a body, and we might not have this increase if coarser ores were used, but if the pressure should increase relatively with the size of the charges it is a question whether we can get them up to the maximum, but a trial will settle that point. I want to give the matter a thorough test, and therefore make each stage of it sufficiently long to fully demonstrate the results, so that, when we are through with it, we can tell just the point to stop at. I shall, therefore, run a week at a time on each increased charge here- after, and will add each time six barrows, so that it may be some littie time yet before we can fully determine the matter. Within the next day or two I will increase to 18 barrows, and at the end of a week note results and advise you, and will con- tinue to do so at the end of each stage. Very truly, Gro. D. KBLLY. SHARPSVILLE, Mrercer Co., Pa., December 27, 1884. E. A. Uehling, Esq., Bethlehem, Pa. Dear Sir: Your favor of the 17th duly received. Our No. 1 furnace is still running and doing so well that we have con- cluded to bank instead of blowing out, believing the lining capa- ble of service for a long time yet with the exception of a few feet from the top. We are still following your method of filling with resu!ts equally as good as first advised you of. The writer owes you an apology for not writing you as promised. A trial of over three months fully confirms the results, and in one par- ticular even better than we then stated—that is, the diminished quantity of flux required, which will average on all kinds of mixtures from 10 to 12 per cent.. We have not yet decided in regard to the sectional bell. Very truly, Pierce, Keuiy & Co. I described this method of filling in a publication’ mentioned below (Stevens Institute Jndicator, 1884), and the description was copied by several of the technical journals at the time. I have used it at all the furnaces that have come under my management, and the change from unstratified or indifferently stratified filling to stratification of the charge invariably resulted in a marked reduction of coke consumption, increased produc- tion, greater regularity in running and a higher quality of product. The Effect of Stratified Filling. The chemical reason brought forward above in favor of this method of charging no doubt has an appreciable share in the resulting fuel economy, but far more im- portant is the fact that stratification does break up the continuity of the ascending gas currents. The strata of coke, being so much more open than those of the ore, permit the gas pressure to equalize itself laterally, thus preventing concentrated vertical currents, which have a tendency to become more and more local- ized and intense, and are the major cause of nine-tenths of the irregularities occurring in the interior of the fur- nace. It is evident that filling according to this method means lowering the fuel separately. The charges must be heavy enough to form distinct strata. No hard and fast rule can be laid down which would cover all con- ditions. The size of the furnace, physical properties of the ore, and blast pressure available are all factors to be considered. The coke is lowered first; if the hopper is large enough, preferably in one charge; if not, then in two or more equal charges. The limestone should be May 5, 1904 THE IRON AGE. 3 dumped evenly around the bottom of the hopper. The ore is charged evenly over the limestone, and both are lowered into the furnace together. Judgment must be used in shifting the different ores composing the mix- ture around the hopper. Consecutive strata of ore should vary vertically as much as possible, both physically and chemically. This method of filling, like everything human, no doubt, has its limitations. With the bell and hopper charging apparatus, now in universal use, ores having an angle of repose differing greatly from that of the coke do not lend themselves well to stratified charging since they will not cover the fuel evenly, and by pro- ducing vertically superposed annular rings of greater resistance may tend to concentrate the currents of gas in place of destroying them, thus giving unsatis- factory results. I have not had the misfortune to be called upon to manage a furnace using Mesaba ores, and cannot, therefore, speak from experience with that par- ticular ore; but in discussing this question recently with Mr. McDonald, general manager of the Ohio works of the Carnegie Steel Company, the above fact was first brought to my notice. The method of heterogeneous filling described by Mr. Barrows, therefore, marks a step in advance and will, no doubt, be welcomed by many furnacemen whose troubles have been multiplied by the introduction of the Mesaba ores. Unfortunately, this method of filling is restricted to hand filled furnaces, thus leaving the problem still unsolved for the major part of the furnaces consuming Mesaba ore. Heterogeneous filling can evidently never be applied to automatically filled furnaces, whereas stratified filling might easily come to their rescue if proper distribution of the stock could be obtained. The only hope for relief seems, therefore, to rest on an in- vention that wil accomplish the latter. ————- -e_______ The Farm Implement News, Chicago, has issued No. 9 of its annual Buyers’ Guide. This book is almost double the size of any previous issue, containing 418 pages. A new method of classifying names of manufac- turers makes this book extremely valuable for reference, as it gives the names of all agricultural implement, ve- hicle, wind mill and pump manufacturers and related industries in every State alphabetically by States. The first part of the book is devoted to a classified list of the trade names of tools manufactured, and the last section to a miscellaneous directory of manufacturers. The book lists 7361 articles made in 1743 factories. It is bound in green buckram, and is a creditable piece of work in every way. The Audit Company of New York have issued the sixth annual (1904) edition of the Directory of Directors in the City of New York, corrected to March 1, 1904. This edition has been increased by 100 pages over last year’s issue, and is now double the size of the first (1898) edition. The Directory consists of an alphabet- ical list of directors or trustees with New York City ad- dresses, followed by the names of the companies with which each is connected, and an appendix consisting of selected lists of corporations in banking, insurance, trans- portation, manufacturing and other lines of business, al- phabetically arranged, accompanied in each case by the names of the company’s principal officers and all its di- rectors or trustees. The comparatively new style of street paving with mac- adam, in which the stones are coated with tar, has been used with success in the city of Hamilton, Canada, and 8.68 miles were laid at a cost of $145,000. The curb is of Portland cement concrete. The top surface of the road is finished with clean gravel, 2 gallons of tar being mixed with each cubic yard of gravel. The whole is thoroughly rolled. No repairs have as yet been made on any of the pavements laid within the last three years. The advan- tages of this class of pavement may be summed up as follows: Economy in construction, the average price, with labor at 18 to 20 cents per hour, being about $1.08 per yard; good foothold for horses, and absence of dust— therefore, economy in cleaning and sprinkling. sey eee eee { b F + 4 Eis Sees f eS Seen r ocean a Set eae ee, — oa ——— The New Jones & Lamson Turret Lathe. The flat turret lathe manufactured by the Jones & Lamson Machine Company, Springfield, Vt., has recent- ly been redesigned so that it now has the appearance shown in the accompanying illustrations. Most of the changes are to be found in the bed and head. The turret is substantially as heretofore furnished, but embodies some minor changes in its construction, and that of the slide and the tools mounted on it. As the head contains all the necessary gears for ef- fecting changes of speed in both directions, the power for driving the lathe is received on a single pulley, which may be belted direct to a constant speed motor placed on the floor or ceiling or it may be belted to a single counter- shaft overhead. All the gears, clutches and bearings for the speed changing mechanism are held in a head stock having the form of a shallow pan, which contains oil, reaching the lower half of the running parts, insuring ample lubrication. The main bearings of the spindle are self adjusting, and are provided with a similar arrange- THE IRON AGE. May 5, 1904 accurate results for shoulder length, whereas, heretofore, the positive stop being 1-32 inch beyond the knock off tor the feed in the usual operation, the feed would knock off and then the turret slide relieved would jump back, at- tended by a springing of all its parts, such that the tool would dig in and cut a slight groove just back of the shoulder. For nice work the operator would then take the time to move the turret slide up against the positive stop, holding it there until the turner had faced its full length. A new stop mechanism of the same form is used in con- nection with ten rotary stops for the sliding head. The means for lubricating the turners and other tools is new and of special interest. Provision is made for the oil to come up through the turner casting—that is, the oil pump delivers into a pipe that is connected to the under side of the turret carriage, and the oil passes up through the turner that is in working position, issuing from a rectangular hole just above the cutting tool in a large but slowly moving solid stream. This does away with the troublesome swing joints and long pipes used heretofore. The shipper rod running the entire length of the ma- TWE WPON AGE Front View or Working Side of the New Jones & Lamson Flat Turret Lathe. ment for lubrication. The head stock mechanism is ¢ov- ered by a cast iron hood, conveniently removable when it is necessary to inspect the running parts. The head stock is mounted on guideways running across the machine, so that it is possible to give the work a cross feed relative to each tool on the turret, a feature which increases the range of chucking work. To insure the absolute return of the spindle to its correct central position, the head stock may be traveled in but one direction, being brought back against a positive stop in the opposite direction. Speed variation is also possible for the feeds of both the cross slide and the turret. The present turret slide differs from the original in being provided with 12 stops, two for each position of the turret, either of which may be used in either direction. The handle at the rear end of the turret slide is so ar- ranged that it can throw out all of the stops to move the turret beyond any one of them, and may also be em- ployed to throw out either one of the two stops that are available for a given position on the turret. The feed stop mechanism for the turret is so-arranged that the feed pulls the carriage forward with a maximum pressure against the positive feed stop, and holds it there firmly until disengaged by the operator. This insures the most chine gives the forward, stop and back motion for the spindle, and other levers on the face of the head give speeds that are equivalent to those obtained in the ordi- nary machine by the regular triple back gears and cone pulley. The ten stops for the cross feed head, combined with the 12 stops for the turret and the turning and bor- ing tools, render the machine instantly ready for work. All the shears and running surfaces are protected from the dust of cast iron, so that the machine may be used either for steel work in which oil is used or for cast iron chucking. The machine is made in two sizes with an outfit of tools for boring work and chucking. The 2 x 24 size turns bars up to 2%4 inches in diameter and 24 inches long and does chucking work up to 12 inches in diameter. The 3,x 36 size turns bars up to 3 inches in diameter and does chucking work up to 14 inches in diameter. _———+-+- Se __— H. C. Frick, it is reported, intends to erect three large buildings in the downtown district of Pittsburgh within the next two or three years. It is probable that two of the structures will be office buildings and the other a modern hotel. It is not likely, however, that any work on these buildings will be started this year. May 5, 1904 A Demonstration of the New Sellers Planer. A demonstration of a new planing machine, operated by pneumatic clutches, was given on Saturday, April 30, before a party of invited guests by Wm. Sellers & Co., Incorporated, at their works, 1600 Hamilton street, Phila- delphia, Pa. Following the serving of a luncheon the visitors were introduced to the machine by Wm. Sellers, Jr., chief engineer of the company, who explained from a chart the principles involved in the new pneumatic device. It was explained that the object was to overcome the limitations of the old style planer on which the re verse was accomplished by a shifting belt, the limiting conditions being the width and speed practicable and the amount of inertia of the pulleys which it is possible to overcome. It is well known that the reversing of the rapidly revolving pulleys of a planer is as great a prob- lem as the reversing of the table. In the machine shown there are no reversing pulleys and no reversing belts, the drive belt running continuously in one direction, so that End View of the New Jones & Lamson Flat Turret Lathe from the Head Stock Side. the influence of inertia is reduced to a minimum. A 50 horse-power Crocker-Wheeler motor, running at about 875 revolutions per minute, supplies the power. The re- verse is accomplished by a pneumatic clutch mounted on one side of the planer near the base. The friction sur- faces are of end grain maple, and the contact of the slidable member is obtained by air pressure at about 70 pounds per square inch directed alternately on either side through a valve mechanism controlled by stops on the planer bed. Through a spiral gear the clutch drives an inclined shaft, carrying another spiral gear meshing with a rack on the planer bed; so that, with the excep- tion of the main belt and those for the feeds, no belting is used in the drive of the planer. The gear ratios are such that the bed is given a constant returning speed of 100 feet per minute, and the cutting speed may be varied from 25 to 48 feet per minute by changing gears, which, as was demonstrated, can be accomplished in a very few moments. In the lubrication of the V’s of the bed there is a novel arrangement. No rollers or wipers are used, but instead a stream of oil is forced into the V’s by an oil pump near one end of the base and is distributed by grooves to the rubbing surfaces. The machine is capable of taking work 100 inches wide, 96 inches high and 20 THE IRON AGE. > feet long. There are four slide rests, two on the cross head and one on each of the uprights. Each slide rest has its own variable feed. The weight of the entire ma- chine is GO tons, the weight of the cross rail is 12,000 pounds, and the vertical slide each weigh 3000 pounds. The weight of the work on the machine at the time of the demonstration was approximately 17 tons, and the table and work combined weighed over 30 tons. The actual cutting speed was 25.6 feet per minute, with three tools in operation. Both of the tools on the cross rail were taking a cut 1 1-16 x \& inches, while one of the tools on the side was taking a cut 9 x 1 1-16 inches. One of the heaviest operations which has been performed on the machine was the removing of 4% inches, using but one tool. This required three cuts, the feed on each being about 3-16 inch. A question which might be raised with regard to the efficacy of a pneumatic clutch for reversing the bed of a planer is the positiveness of the point of reverse on suc- cessive strokes. It was most effectively proved that the control by this pneumatic means was equally as accurate as the old style shifting belt method, by setting the ma- chine to stop about half way of the length of the work, while taking a finishing cut on one side. The resulting line marked by the point at which the tool stopped at each stroke was practically as straight as though it had been planed by a tool at right angles to the position that was used. The only condition which could cause the stopping of the bed at other than the predetermined point would be a failure in the air pressure, and this could cause no change unless it fell below the maximum neces- sary to prevent the clutch from slipping. An entire fail- ure of the air supply could result in nothing more serious than the stopping of the machine, as was shown by open- ing a valve and allowing the air to escape. Before their departure the visitors were conducted in groups about the shops and were shown, among other interesting things, a recently completed 30-ton electric crane to be installed in the new works of the Inter- national Steam Pump Company, at Harrison, N. J., ané three tool grinders, one for drills and the others for large and small planer and boring mill tools. These grinders are all automatic to an extent that nothing is left to the judgment of the operators, and accurate duplication of form is insured on as many tools and as often as required. rests —————>-e___—___ The George A. Fuller Company.—At a meeting of the stockholders of the George A. Fuller Company, in Jersey City, on April 28, the following were elected directors: H. S. Black, Paul Starrett, R. G. Babbage, Byron M. Fel- lows, Walter H. Clough, James Baird, W. A. Merriman, J. E. Fuller, O. G. Selden, 8S. C. Sibley and Faulkner Hill. At the directors’ meeting, held immediately thereafter, Paul Starrett was elected president; Walter H. Clough, vice-president; W. A. Merriman, vice-president; Byrop M. Fellows, treasurer, and David H. Lanman, secretary. The Executive Committee of the company for the com- ing year will be made up as follows: R. G. Babbage, chairman; H. 8S. Black, Paul Starrett, Byron M. Fel- lows, Walter H. Clough, James Baird and W. A. Merri- man. The George A. Fuller Company are embraced ip the United States Realty & Construction Company. —_—___3-g—_. Advices from Niagara Falls state that a consolidation is soon to be made of the Cataract Power Company’s in- terests with those of the Electrical Development Com- pany of Ontario, holding the franchise granted to Toronto parties for the production of electrical energy on the Canadians side at the Falls. The first-named company on April 30 awarded the contract for a large portion of the construction work on their new canal west of Thorold, and the contractors, Larkin, Sangster & Begy, of Niagara Falls, Ont., have already forwarded several carloads of construction machinery to the site. Henry Maurer & Son, 420 East Twenty-third street, New York, emphatically contradict the impression which seems to have gained credence that they are in some way connected with the National Fire-Proofing Company. They state that they have no connection whatever with that company or any other company. Sey ~* en tn hill res} Furnace Top Explosions. BY FRANK C. ROBERTS, PHILADELPHIA. Various theories have been advanced in explanation of what are known as “furnace top explosions” or “slips” in blast furnaces burdened with a high percent- age of fine ore. Each theory has its advocates, and the arguments pro and con in each case are various. Ap- parently, no theory of the cause seems to satisfy all the requirements, and even the character of the result—i, e., whether it is an actual explosion or not—is open to dis- cussion. The result of these explosions being so serious in loss of both life and property, it is somewhat surprising that so little progress has been made in devising means or methods to prevent their occurrence. It is hoped that the views herein expressed will result in a full and free discussion of the matter and lead to conclusions which will enable the furnace manager to prevent, or at least control within limits, the conditions producing these ex- plosions. In the following discussion, the word “ explosion” will be used as representing the result, but not necessarily as meaning an explosion in the strict sense of the word. It may be well to state also that it is not the intention of the writer to discuss all theories that have been ad- vanced in explanation of top explosions, but to treat only of those which appear to be most generally accepted. A Peculiar Type of Explosion. Before treating the subject of ‘furnace top explosions, the writer desires to mention a type of explosion which, judging by the result, is the most unique within his knowledge. In this instance a furnace 70 feet in hight was completely emptied of stock down to a point below the cinder notch, surprising as this result may be. Prior to the explosion the furnace had been hanging, but not to an unusual extent. Little damage was done to the fur- nace; some of the brick work at the top of the furnace was displaced, but the charging apparatus was not in- jured, while the stock was forced out of the explosion doors and into the dust catcher and gas flues. Apparent- ly this was a furnace bottom explosion as distinguished from a furnace top explosion, but the cause seems rather difficult of determination. One explanation is based upon the supposition of a surplus of oxygen in the space be- low the hanging point; a condition brought about by the fuel in the lower part of the furnace being consumed un- til there was not sufficient fuel to combine with the oxygen of the blast. Whether this explanation is true is somewhat problematical, but certainly the result of the explosion was remarkable and merits the most careful consideration. Theories of Explosions. The theories which have been most prominently ad- vanced in explanation of explosions in the upper part of the furnace are as follows: 1. Admission of air to the space above the stock. 2. The deposition of carbon. 3. The formation of an explosive mixture owing to the absence of sufficient limestone in the burden. These three theories will be treated in the order named : 1. The Admission of Air to the Space Above the Stock. —The claim is made by those advocating this theory that the use of explosion doors on the top of the furnace con- tributes to explosions on the supposition that air is ad- mitted through them into the space above the stock, thus exploding the gases. At the same time the necessity for a bleeder pipe on the top of the downcomer is admitted. The writer has witnessed a great many explosions, both large and small, in cases where the bleeder valves were open, and in no instance has he seen evidence of the stoppage of the outflow of gas through the bleeder valves, indicating conditions which would cause air to be drawn into the furnace. He has seen explosions occur with- out any diminution whatever in the outflow of the gas, and other instances where there was a momentary re- duction in the flow. It seems to be a fair conclusion, how- ever, that if the explosions occur when there is no dimin- tion of the flow of the gas through the bleeder valves the THE IRON AGE. May 5, 1904 cause is not the admission of air into the furnace top. Again, one of the serious results due to these explosions is the large discharge of ore and stock, a condition that indi- cates that the force discharging the stock must originate below the surface of the materials in the furnace; this does not appear possible if we assume that the gas above the stock is exploded by the admission of air, and it does not seem reasonable to conclude that the admission of air above the stock explodes gas which is below the level of the top of the stock. The old fashioned explosions which occur while the blast is off the furnace, or when it is first put on the furnace, are undoubtedly due to the admission of air into the gas pipes and the failure to low- er the bell. This type of explosion is typical of an ex- plosion of gas in the furnace top due to the presence of air and rarely results in the throwing out of any stock; furthermore, it is accompanied by a loud detonation and is rapid in action, while the form of explosion under dis- cussion is not detonating, is slow in action and decreases gradually in power. It may be concluded, therefore, that a gas explosion due to the admission of air into the space above the stock is very different in its results from the type of explosion under consideration. 2. The Deposition of Carbon.—Briefly stated, this theory is as follows: Under certain conditions of tem- perature, and at elevations varying within limits below the stock line, the ore deposits carbon, causing the mass to swell and bridge over the furnace. The outlet for the gases is thus restricted, and the pressure built up under the bridge by the blowing engine until a sufficient force results to break through the bridge and cause the mate- rial composing the bridge and that above the bridge to be blown upward with considerable force, dependent more or less upon the weight of the stock above the bridge. In support of this theory, it may be stated that as a general rule an explosion is preceded by certain indica- tions, such as sparks and black gas discharged from the bleeder, and usually an appreciable interval of time elapses between these indications and the actual explo- sion ; all of which seems to indicate that the bridge is first broken through in channels by the effort of the pressure to overcome the resistance, thus showing the prelimin- ary symptoms mentioned. This theory is held very gen- erally by furnace managers, and certainly meets most of the conditions. Carbon deposition and its effect is very fully and completely treated in O. O. Laudig’s paper and F. E. Bachman’s discussion thereof before the American Institute of Mining Engineers in September, 1896. 3. The Formation of an Haeplosive Mirture Owing to the Absence of Sufficient Limestone in the Burden.—This theory originated in the endeavor to account for the ac- tion of certain furnaces using Mesaba ore, where a bur- den of less than 27 per cent. of limestone resulted re- peatedly in top explosions, which were absent when 27 per cent. or more of limestone was carried. In these cases from one to three charges of stock were blown out in each explosion, indicating that the explosions occurred well below the top of the stock. The first experience of this character of which the writer has knowledge occurred at the furnaces of the Lackawanna Iron & Steel Com- pany, under the management of A. H. Lee. Reasoning that the explosive mixture is formed in the zone in which the carbon is deposited, it is assumed that in some mysterious way the deposited carbon combines rapidly with the oxygen of the ore, forming a large vol- ume of gas and causing an explosion. The theory which is advanced to account for the absence of explosions when carrying the larger percentage, and their frequent occurrence when the burden contains the lesser percent- age of limestone, is that the larger proportion of stone gives off sufficient CO, to form a nonexplosive atmosphere. This explanation was first brought to the writer’s atten- tion by Frank F. Amsden. The main objection to this theory seems to be that it is predicated upon the result being an explosion in the true sense of the word, while the evidence seems to be convincing that no actual explo- sion takes place, but that the condition is one of excessive pressure for the reason that, as before stated, the explo- sions, as a rule, are slow in action, extending over an ap- preciable length of time, and gradually decreasing in power from the beginning to the end. It appears to the writer that the absence of explosions May 5, 1904 when the larger percentage of limestone is carried is best explained by a theory based upon the supposition that the CO, of the limestone attacks the deposited carbon; the result of this reaction being CO, and the prevention of the accumulation of deposited carbon, which would other- wise result in the forming of a layer of stock through which it would be difficult for the gas to penetrate, as set forth under No, 2. In support of this proposition it may be said that while it is the general opinion that a large batter is advisable in furnaces working Mesaba ores, it does not appear to be a necessary condition when a high percentage of limestone is carried, indicating that the usual increase in bulk of the ore due to carbon deposi- tion does not take place. This question of inwall batter will be referred to later. Explosions Caused by Carbon Deposition. It would thus appear ,that the explanation of top ex- plosions, so far as present knowledge goes, is dependent upon the acceptance of the controlling principle of car- bon deposition as set forth in No. 2. In other words, that explosions are caused primarily by carbon deposition, and that the carrying of a sufficient quantity of limestone ap- parently prevents top explosions by checking cumulative carbon deposition. Of course, there is no particular magic in the 27 per cent. of limestone mentioned; no one percentage can be adopted as applicable to all furnace mixtures. Apparent- ly, however, this was the magic percentage in the cases noted. Different ores deposit carbon at different rates and in varying quantities, and the required percentage of lime- stone necessarily depends upon the character of the ore mixture as well as upon the analysis of the limestone. Evidently each mixture must be a rule unto itself. Apparently, the physical condition of the limestone is of great importance, as evidenced by the following in- stance: At a certain furnace, having about seven-eighths Mesaba ore in its burden, no explosion has ever occurred when 30 per cent. or over of lump limestone is carried. A short time ago it was hoped to lower the fuel consump- tion at this furnace by crushing the limestone to such a size that all stone would pass through a 4-inch ring, a condition which involved from 15 to 20 per cent. of the stone passing through a 1-inch ring. This crushed lime- stone was placed on the furnace instead of the lump stone; immediately top explosions began, and continued every few hours over a period of two weeks. At the ex- piration of this time resort was again had to lump stone; the explosions immediately ceased, and none have oc- curred during the two months which have since expired. The result indicates that the crushed limestone parts with its CO, too high in the furnace and before reaching the zone of carbon deposition, while the lump stone retains a large part of its CO, until it reaches the point where it acts upon the carbon. It is also fair to assume that the lump stone keeps the stock more open to the gases and contributes to the freer action of CO, and the readier access of the latter to the carbon. The relative effect of lump and crushed limestone is exceedingly interesting, and while it seems reasonable to admit the truth of the foregoing statements, yet they are probably not the whole truth, and further investigation would doubtless show other influences which the physical character of the lime- stone exerts upon the tendency to create conditions lead- ing to explosions. Experiments to Control or Prevent Explosions. Having outlined certain theories as to the causes of top explosions, it may be well to mention some of the ex- periments that have been made in the effort to control or prevent their occurrence. Much has been claimed for the “ tight top furnace ”"— i. e. one which is air tight and without explosion doors, the whole being built of sufficient strength to with- stand the pressure of the explosion. This device is pred- icated upon the explosion being due to the admission of air to the furnace top, and has been discussed under No. i It is generally admitted that a high batter to the in- wall is desirable, but cases are known of excellent fur- nace work and an entire absence of explosions in fur- naces having a very low batter to the inwall. For in- THE IRON AGE. stance, in one of the furnaces already referred to the in- wall batter is only 0.35 inch per foot. This furnace has been in operation for two years under a burden of seven- eighths Mesaba, with 30 per cent. or over of limestone, and has never had an explosion except when operating with the crushed limestone before mentioned. Practical- ly, it would seem wise to provide for the increase in vol- ume of stock due to carbon deposition by a high batter, but apparently this is unnecessary where the proper quan- tity of lump limestone is carried, the quantity of lime- stone being dependent upon the character of both the limestone and the ore mixture. nd Undoubtedly slow running tends to overcome the dif- ficulty of top explosions, a fact which is probably due to the relatively less rate of carbon deposition in proportion to volume of ore and gas. It is believed by many furnace