The Iron Age 1904-07-28: Vol 74 Iss 4

KR RRR A Review of the Hardware, I Published every Thursday Morning by David and Metal Trades. 0., 232-238 William St., New York, Vol. 74: No. 4. New York, Thursday, July 28, 1904. ee ae needing Pestagy Single Copies, 15 Cen Reading Matter Contents. ...... page 50[) Alphabetieal-Index to Advertisers ‘‘ 161 /) Classified List of Advertisers.... ‘' 153)) Advertising and Subscription Rates‘ 160 | are the satisfactory kind. Never misfire or lead the barrel. Dealers should carry a full line of U. M. C, Metallics to meet the increasing demand, Half sold before they are offered to the retailer. Latest improvements to meet changing conditions. U. M. G. has but one quality— U. M. G. QUALITY. arate Patent Steel Belt Lacing. ree VES. || THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE COMPANY Money. wilt eueys BRIDGEPORT, —, Ms MA crestststrengin | | 313 Broadway, CONN. : nfo eet te, for Circulars and Free Samples. THE Bi BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn. eG Alse a and Italian Hemp a sh Cord. SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. @ —— PLAIN PATTERN REGULAR WEAD. TURNBUCKLES. a ° 2 z 2 mist Seamer ni...| § Gapewell Horse Nails ; Gr: = NEW York, Branches: PORTLAND, ORE, 7 =Z gee 2 #PHILADELPHIA, BUFFALO, . Se oi Se y CHICAGO, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, wn 3 = + 8T. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, ¥ = 1 BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. y 4 PILLING & CRANE, fe: cance PLAIN PATTERN REGULAR HEAD Boston. SAID AN ENGINEER “ Yes, they did not know about valves at the time the t was put in, but they do now. Iam replacing all valves with the genuine Jenkins Bros.’ BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID “ Esporiince kogpe a dear school. Remember this : they that will not be counseled Start your plant with Jenkins Bros. Valves and avoid troubie. JENKINS BROS., New York; Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Londen: “An old acquaintance (Semper idem) Always the same.” “SMet ON” Gold Rolled vite cio tr DIG raWing ut stamping THE AMERICAN — a oa ee OMPANY (Water and Rafl Delivery) a MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Pac-Simile of Bar. Insitationa. GHOLIA METAL CO., Owners and flole Meneitactsivers, 13-115 Bank Street, Fittahng aad Petadaipmie We mametéctore Chicago, Fisher Bldg. NEW YORK. competitive area See Page 24. —ame «Ct re . 1 oe 2 gl Rey 2 THE IRON AGE. MMA BRASS) "|= > seer oe6t and Roll Brass COPPER WIRE ra PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN GERM AN SHEET po GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVETS SILVER |“ wine)" "== "mzerinee Se" Trimmings, &c. “QUEEN'S RUN” Deane “Lock HAVEN” LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE. | 29 murRay sT., NEW YORK. ae) ay ae ole. Oe ea SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. Lock HAVEN, PA. JANG TG TCOnUT 100 LAKE SF., CHICAGO. Randolph-Clowes Co. SONLE VORA 2 ttstss 6) ee ee Eee oe Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY BRASS Co,, | SCOVILL MFG. CO., WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF WATERBURY, CONN. BRASS, MANUFACTURERS OF 99 John St., New York. Providence, R. I. SHEET BRASS & COPPER. GERMAN SILVER Sn mater tus ae Teen, prazep Brass & copper $|BN0gepOIl Deoxidized BIOnZe &|\ erase snes, cups, minges, SEAMLESS BRASS BRIDGEPORT, GONN. & COPPER TUBES $| automobile Castings a Specialty. Buttons, Lamp Goods. Special Brass Goods to Order. New entice ‘“ esl Postal High Tensile Strength. SS aaa Bronze and Aluminum Alloys. JOHN DAVOL & SONS FACTORIES: WATERBURY, CONN. Drpots CHICAGO, Telegraph Building, Room 715. Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg. Write Us. DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, e LEAD, ANTIMONY. Matthiessen & Hegeler Zimc Co., Qi} roo join street, - New York. LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER Artqur T. Rutter & Go. SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. 25 6 Broadway, Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. NEW YORK. Stove and Washboard Blanks. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Steel, Aluminum, Gesesee Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- TS far NO Copper and Brass Rod. NEW YORK, BOSTON. 36-74 W ian aan ane ise and rn 111) hee eda bk “PHONO-FLECTRIC r rage Prone sea CASTINGS Wo oe FPOUNDERS— FINISHERS. Ww. G@. ROWELL Co., Bridgeport, Conn. TELEPHONE HENDRICKS BROTHERS eesti P RS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, LINES. Brasiers’ Bolt and Sheathing otis. BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO., COPPER, Geum. 19 Marray St., New York, COoOPPpErEr Wink AND ROV MTS. | THermodynamics and Chemistry. 4 Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, noon Antimony, etc. thorined_ translation by George Bi est 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK Fer sale by David Williams Co., 232 William St., W.¥. Enero peer ‘THE IRON AGB ‘THURSDAY, JULY 28, Igo4. The Walker Tool Room Grinder No. 2. To produce a more completely universal grinder than has heretofore been made, and one of large capacity and comparatively light weight, the Walker Grinder Company, Worcester, Mass., has brought out the tool illustrated herewith. Primarily, the machine is intended for cutter grinding, but it may also be used for grinding miscel- laneous work. Aside from the No. 2 here machine, this work prove to be too long to be supported between centers in either position, as shown in Fig. 1, both heads may be moved to one side of the wheel in use and a bar of indefinite length supported with the cutter overhang- ing. Fig. 2 shows in detail the construction of one of the center heads. The lugs .@ on the bottom of the heads lo- cate them in the T-slot of the table. In this slot is fitted the nut ), tapped at an incline to receive the binding screw c. The clamping forces the lugs against one side Fig. 1—The Walker No. 2 Universal Tool Room Grinder. shown, there is also a new No. 1 of smaller size, and a No. 3 of a heavy pattern, fully automatic, with multiple variable speeds for all moving parts. The No. 2 machine has a capacity of 25 inches between centers, and with its two sets of interchangeable heads swings either 9 or 14 inches. The grinding head can be raised or lowered 10 inches and swung around 180 degrees horizontally or 90 degrees vertically without altering the tension of the belt or interfering with its running. It has an automatic feed attachment, and also an arrangement for feeding by hand by means of a worm and worm gear, shown at the right of Fig. 1. The machine is also built in a form known as the plain No. 2 grinder, on which the automatic feed and longitudinal hand screw feed of the bed are omitted. Arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the ma- chine is adapted for grinding work on dead centers. By removing the centers the V-troughs of the heads may be used for holding a heavy cutter on its own arbor. Should of the T-slot, insuring perfect alignment. When it is de- sired to swivel one of the heads a graduated pedestal is interposed between the head and the table, and a vertical bolt is passed through the hole d in the head to clamp it to the table. The action of the gripping device is also shown in Fig. 2. The jaw e is held by the screw f, around which is a coiled spring, allowing the jaw to conform to the work when forced down by the screws g. h is a floating center held in a T-slot in the stop j. Fig. 3 illustrates one of the unique capabilities of the machine, where it may be seen that one of the V-heads is transformed into a universal cutter holder, in this case supporting a face cutter. The tooth rest is held on the top of the head and may be swung in a horizontal plane to give different positions without changing the vertical adjustments. Clearance is obtained on the cutter by tilt- ing the grinding spindle instead of the work, as may be seen. The grinding head has also been turned 90 degrees 2 THE IRON AGE. horizontally from the position shown in Fig. 1, the belt running on quarter turn. The provision for tilting the spindle has several ad- vantages, one of which is that with the use of a beveled emery wheel a dulled reamer can be sharpened by grind- ing its radial faces without affecting its diameter. The toothed face to be ground lies in a horizontal plane, and the surface facing is done from the cutting edge toward the center of the reamer. The spindle being turned to a vertical position, allows other desirable operations. For Fig. 2.—Detail of a Center Head. instance, a cupped emery wheel may be placed in the spindle, in which case it is usually necessary to insert an extension sleeve, raising the spindle head to obtain suf- ficient overhang. Special forms of work holders may be used on the bed for operations of horizontal surfacing, such as the grinding of planer knives, &c. Fig. 4 shows clearly the construction of the spin- dle support, and incidentally illustrates the manner of grinding clearance on cutter or reamer teeth. a is the spindle post, which slides through the housing }b, and is clamped by a quill not shown. The post is operated ver- tically by the screw c through miter gears and the hor- izontal shaft d, upon which is mounted an operating hand July 28, 1904 justable to take up any stretch'ng of the belt, moves with the housing, allowing the belt to run at a quarter turn when the head is rotated either way to a 90-degree posi- tion. A loop is formed in the vertical side of the belt, which passes between idlers, h and i, to the spindle pul- ley j.. The idler pulleys h and i being close to the grind- ing spindle allow the iatter to be tilted or moved to a vertical position without undue distortion, and the lower idler g being fast to the housing allows the grinding head and post to be adjusted vertically any amount without altering the belt tension. The housing flange e is fastened by two clamps, only one of which is shown at k. In grinding clearances on cutter or reamer teeth the cutting point must meet the work in a horizontal plane with its axis. Accordingly to facilitate setting, a reading line / is marked on the post, which, when set, coincides with the top of the housing and will bring the head and tail centers and wheel axis in the same horizontal plane. This is the setting for grinding taper or revolving work. The next step is to determine the distance above the center line / that the wheel must be raised to obtain the proper backing off for the tooth, for which a second read- ing line is made at m. This is an average line, and to obtain variations in the amount of clearance it is only necessary to set the head above or below it, the guiding principle being that the face of the tooth being ground must lie in the horizontal plane coincident with the axis of the cutter. This being established, the tooth rests, blades and holders are made of standard total hight to conform with the hight of the centers from the top of the platen. After setting the post to proper position, the tooth rest bracket n is clamped so that the bottom of the tooth rest holder o will just clear the top of the platen. Since the tooth rest blade p and support q are fitted against shoulders and all clamping surfaces are in horizontal planes, the necessary adjustments for posi- tion of tooth rest do not affect the vital point of vertical setting. The blade p, as shown in the small detail view, is slotted near one edge to provide a ratchet action, as the cutter is moved from tooth to tooth. A blade of the form shown at r is used with spiral cutters. The ends of this blade are both ground to a radius from the point s, Fig. 3.—The Machine Set for Grinding an Bnd Face Mill. wheel with micrometer graduations. This shaft is jour- naled in a bracket which swivels on the housing b. Midway in the hight of the housing is an eccentric flange, e, which is dovetailed and fitted to the column top f. The vertical side of the driving belt passes.through the cen- ter of the eccentric flange and rotates with the housing when the latter is adjusted. The idler gy, vertically ad- coinciding with the point of the center of the clamping screw t. Consequently, the blade can be swung in either direction without altering the hight. By turning the grinder head to a vertical position a cupped wheel could be employed with the spindle tilted so as to grind a flat clearance instead of the usual concave resulting by grinding as shown in Fig. 4. In grinding flat clearances July 28, 1904 the tooth rest holder o is usually fastened to the top of the platen uw instead of the bracket n, and for work of small diameter a center with long projecting end is furnished to allow the cupped wheel to pass the end of the work. By mounting the reamer with its radial faces up- heed THE IRON AGE Fig. 4.—Detail of the Construction of the Spindle Support. ward and placing the tooth rest above instead of below it, a means is obtained for grinding clearances against the cutting edge of the tooth. A universal chuck and independent spindle may be furnished with the machine, to be used as shown in Fig. 5 in place of the regular head center and face plate, for holding pieces of work that cannot be centered in any other manner. The independent spindle sleeve and the tail spindle sleeve being exactly the same diameter, the work is held in perfect alignment. Since the top of the platen THE IRON AGE. 3 portant improvements, the first of which is the sub- stitution for the old swivel jointed arms of telescopic arms, greatly increasing the rigidity. Another improve- ment consists in the use of a positive stop on the grinder head in place of the old hight gauge formerly used. Three sizes of spindles are made, 4, % and % inches in diameter, respectively, which may be used interchange- ably by inserting bronze bushings of proper size. In Fig. 6 are illustrated the details of the automatic feed attachment. The bed has a cross feed movement on the V-tracks a. b is the sliding carriage with the ends broken away and ¢ ¢ are the operating pinion shafts, having squared ends to receive a hand crank. The transverse sectional detail at the left is taken on the line C D of the side elevation and shows the driving worm d and the worm gear e mounted on the inter- mediate pinion sleeve f. The next detail to the right is a cross section on the line A B through the pinion shaft and clutch gear g. The key h is in a chambered recess in the gear g and is drawn into a radial groove across the hub j by pulling on the rod k, to throw the device into gear, pinion f intermeshing with gear g. The automatic feed is operated by shifting belts after the manner of a planer, except that an instantaneous reverse is effected by coiled springs attached to the belt shipper, which are first compressed and then tripped at the proper moment. The right hand detail is a section on the line E F and shows the worm and gear that compose the hand screw feed attachment. The box cas- ing carrying the worm /? is lifted and clamped out of mesh with m when not in use. The matter of providing variable speeds was perhaps as difficult a problem as any connected with the design of the grinder, for the time is past when one or two speeds suffice for a machine carrying wheels ranging from 3 to 8 inches in diameter. It is also becoming rec- ognized that finer graduations of speed are desirable than may be obtained by step pulleys. For those desir- ing a moderate priced counter one has been produced capable of three speeds. The hangers carry two shafts, the upper or main one driving the lower one from a three-step cone pulley. A more complete variable speed device is shown in Fig. 7, which is a development of the simpler form made by a few changes and additions. It is capable of the finest graduations in speed from maximum to mini- mum and is provided with an index and dial at each end for guidance in regulating. The drum is hung low enough to permit the main driving belt to pass over it, so Fig. may be swiveled, and one end is graduated in inches per foot, the machine may be readily set for grinding taper in the manner illustrated. In connection with the chuck and spindle just de- scribed an internal grinding attachment may be em- ployed. With this in use a driving pulley is substituted for one of the emery wheels, which drives an internal spindle by a short endless belt. The latter is supported by a jointed extension bracket secured to the wheel spindle. The device resembles fhe one used on the original Walker tool and cutter grinder, but has two im- _ 2 a & pap ee 5.—The Machine Set for Grinding a Taper Shank. tuat the drive may be from either side. The shippers and shipper rods are arranged for either open or crossed belts. The journal boxes are self aligning and ring oiling. Fig. 8 shows a detail of the disk drive feature of the counter illustrated in Fig. 7 and the manner of produc- ing flexibility in the thick wedge shaped belt by saw kerfs on the inner face. It will be seen that the disks a and b are forced together by coiled springs c abutting on a collar, d, which is fast to the shaft. This causes the beveled edge belt ¢ to be automatically crowded toward the circumference of the disks a and bd as much as the 4 THE upper disks f and g will allow. The latter are operated by the pendent rod h. through bevel gears and the hori- zontal screw i, impinging on a hardened steel button in the hub of the disk f. When this screw is withdrawn disk f is free to move to the left, and is caused to do so by disk b, due to the action of the springs c. Thus the belt, always in alignment, will alternately approach or IRON AGE. July 28, 1904 past attempted to compel them to pay 15 per cent. more wages than were paid by any competing mill, particularly as only 47 men in their employ were members of tnat union. They state that over 70 per cent. of the sheets produced in this country are made by mills not in the Amalgamated Association, and that all their competitors on pickled sheets are nonunion. Signing the Amalgamated scale, THE IRON AGE Fig. 6.—Details of the Automatic Feed Attachment. recede from the centers of the two shafts and vary the speed of the driven one. This method of speed variation is not new, but orig- inality is claimed for the index dial in connection with the device. The action of the indicator j is shown in the illustration. The figures on the dial indicate the proper size of grinding wheel to use at the speed corre- sponding to the position of the indicator. A similar beveled disk drive may be seen on the right end of the counter in Fig. 7, for varying the speed of the drum which drives the work spindle of the machine when the latter is in use. The drum disks are mounted on a sleeve which ordinarily runs free on its shaft, but by turning the handle of a hanging controlling rod a shipper is caused to release a taper friction. which, actuated by they say, would place them at a disadvantage with 137 other sheet mills which operate independently of the Amalgamated. NR Albany advices state that the Legislative Committee to inquire into systems for towing canal boats by elec- tricity will soon invite inventors and manufacturers to lay before it any plans they may have for the electrical propulsion of boats. The committee inspected the Wood system at Schenectady recently and seemed to think the system practicable. The impression of a number of State officers is that this system will be recommended by the Legislative Committee next year, as a proper one for the State to adopt. In case a report of that kind is accepted Fig. 7—The New Variable Speed Countershaft for the Walker Grinder. a coiled spring, locks the device to the drum shaft. All adjustments and the starting and stopping of the main counter are effected in the same manner by turning a handle on a pendent rod. — Se eo The Inland Company’s Sheet Mill Closed Indefinite- ly.—The Inland Steel Company, Chicago, started all its works in operation last Monday except the sheet mill. The sheet plant is to be closed down indefinitely, as the firm refuses to sign the Amalgamated scale. The officers of the company contend that they cannot afford to place their sheet mill in the hands of a union which in the and a law enacted authorizing the superintendent of pulb- lic works to direct the installation of the system on the present canal, the result, according to some officers, may be so striking and conclusive that the proposed barge ca- nal and the expenditure of $101,000,000 may be shown to: be altogether unnecessary. The Pere Marquette Railroad opened its line to Buf- falo and the Suspension Bridge for freight service July 18. It will connect with all Bastern trunk lines at the twod points named. The Pere Marquette has also ar- ranged through its Buffalo connections to share in the July 28, 1904 THE handling of the tonnage of the Lackawanna Steel Com- pany. Census Report on the Mica Industry. WASHINGTON, D. C., July 23, 1904.—The report of the Twelfth Census upon the mica industry, which has just been completed by Joseph H. Pratt, shows remarkable fluctuations in the output and value of this product since it first came to be separately reported by the Census Bureau in 1870. Other interesting tendencies based on changing industrial conditions are also recorded, notably the large recent increase in the production of sheet mica and in the importation of scrap mica. The following aT “ Fig. 8.—Detail of the Disk Drive on the Countershaft. table embraces a comparative summary of the statistics from 1870 to 1902: 1902. 1889. 1880. 1870. Number of mines......... 49 s s s Number of operators...... 88 * * ° Salaried officials, clerks, &c. 21 * * ® Salaries ...cescesegecees $13,444 . * . Wage earners.......+-«++ 98 185 272 24 Wa@es «ccc cccccpcssessss $44,043 $42,174 $65,600 $5,000 Miscellaneous expenses.... $12,914 $8,753 ° ® Cost of supplies and mate- PION occ ccdicwocoeecees $11,961 $7,408 $6,110 $85 Value of product......... $118,849 $52,450 $127,825 $7,000 * Not reported. Distribution of Mines and the Production, I'he 49 mines reported in operation during 1902 were located in the following States: North Carolina, 28; Cali- fornia, 10; South Dakota, 3; Maine, 2; New Hampshire, 2; Virginia, 2; Georgia, 1, and New Mexico, 1. Of the 38 operators, 26 were in North Carolina, 3 in South Dakota, 2 each in Maine, New Hampshire and Virginia, and 1 each in California, Georgia and New Mexico. North Carolina was the main producer of mica in the United States. In 1902 the value of its production was 59.8 per cent. of the total. The production reported in 1902 was 373,266 pounds of cut or sheet, 1028 short tons of scrap and 372 short tons rough as mined. This production of sheet mica is about five times that reported in 1880 and nearly eight times for 1889; but the total value, $118,849, of all the mica produced in 1902, although much more than that shown for 1870, is $8976 less than the value of the production reported at the census of 1880. This is due in part to the somewhat higher prices received in 1880, and also to the very large quantity of small disks and sheets cut in 1902 for electrical purposes, Changes in the Industry The principal changes in the mica industry since the census of 1890 have resulted from the utilization of the IRON AGE. scrap mica, which was formerly thrown away as value- less, and the cutting of large quantities of small disks 1 inch in diameter, and small sheets 1 x % inch and 1 x 2 inches for electrical purposes. This waste having become of value, it is possible to work properties which would otherwise be unprofitable. Many new uses for both sheet and scrap mica have been devised during the past few years, so that although there has been a very large falling off in the amount of sheet used in stoves (which was formerly the principal use of mica) the quantity of all mica used has greatly increased. The large increase in the production of sheet mica during the past few years has been accompanied by a large decrease in the production of scrap mica. This decrease is accounted for by the fact that most of the scrap mica now produced is that obtained as waste in the present mining or cutting of the sheet mica, where formerly a very large percentage put on the market was obtained from old. dumps from former mining. The imports of mica for 1902 amounted to 2,251,856 pounds, valued at $466,332, which .is an increase over the importation of 1901 of 574,291 pounds, valued at $131,- 278. The main point to be noticed, however, is that this increase is greater than the total value of the produc- tion of mica in the United States during 1902, showing that the increasing demand for mica in this country is being supplied largely by foreign countries. Sheet and Scrap Mica. Mica is cut into sheets of various sizes, which are used for stoves, lamp chimneys, incandescent lights, and in electrical apparatus for insulation purposes. While the use of this sheet mica for stoves has decreased very rapidly during the past ten years, there has been a cor- responding increase in its use for electrical apparatus. It is also used in place of glass in the manufacture of a great many novelties and in many respects increases the usefulness of the articles made. There was formerly a considerable demand for the larger sheets of mica, but these have been replaced to some extent at the present time by a manufactured product known as micanite, which is made from very small, perfect pieces of mica arranged and cemented together into larger sheets. For some purposes these manufactured sheets are as satisfactory as the natural ones and are, of course, much cheaper. The waste or scrap mica which has not been found suitable for cutting into sheets of even the smallest size has a value when ground to a flour, which is used in the manufacture of wall papers, lubricants, fire proofing material, artificial snow, novelties, &c. Coverings for boiler tubes and steam pipes are also manufactured from particles of scrap mica which are not ground, but are broken into pieces of approximately the same general dimensions, 4% x % inch. These are then arranged with their longer dimensions and faced parallel to the length of a wire net coil, pressed into the shape of a pipe or tube, against which the layer of scrap mica is kept tightly in place by means of heavy canvas. A number of the States, especially North Carolina, offer very favor- able locations for the erection of plants to manufacture products from scrap mica, as there is usually a supply of available water power near the deposits. ———-—_-.<$-+-— The Amalgamated Association has appointed John J. Buckley as its representative on the Conciliatory Board to settle the iron scale between the association and the Republic Iron & Steel Company. Mr. Buckley resides at Youngstown and was formerly vice-president of the eighth district of .uwe association. The Republic Company has named Henry W. Heedy as its representative. Mr. Heedy is secretary and treasurer of the Andrews & Hitch-' cock Iron Company, at Youngstown, Ohio. lected will name a third to adjust the scale. The two se- The armored cruiser “ South Dakota” was launched at San Francisco, Cal., July 21, She is a sister ship of the “ California,” which was launched three months ago also at the yards of the Union Iron Works. The two ships are almost identical, and are the largest war ves- sels ever launched at a Pacific Ocean port. ow is a é ‘sf ‘a ay a Oat UR ee ere te aR a bs < awn 6 THE Pumping and Air Compressing Ma- chinery at the St. Louis Exposi- tion.—II. The Exhibit of C, H. Bradley, Jr., & Co, High speed, vertical, reciprocating engines of large size have reached their greatest devolpment in England, due perhaps to the fact that engines used on steamships are of that type. The engine shown by C. H. Bradley, Jr., & Co., Pittsburgh, in block 52, aisle 11, Machinery Building, was originally developed by Willans & Robin- son, Rugby, England. It is a triple expansion engine, the steam ports and valves between the three tandem cyl- inders being located in the common piston rod. There are two sets of cylinders, the cranks on the common shaft being set at right angles. The engine on exhibition is IRON AGE. July 28, 1904 been installed by the Ice & Cold Machine Company near Intramural Station No. 9, University Way. An ice ma- chine consists essentially of a pump handling carbonic acid gas, hydrogen sulphide, air, or some other gaseous me- dium, and driven by a steam engine or other prime mover. In the present case a steam engine is used, which, in or- der to obtain condensation (distilled water) for making ice, as Well as to improve the engine economy, is run condensing, exhausting into an 1800 square foot Worth- ington surface condenser. The tubes of this condenser are of seamless drawn brass and the tube heads are care- fully drilled and tapped to receive screw glands. The latter are adjustable and permit of free movement of the tubes during expansion or contraction, and can be read- ily removed to permit replacing the packing. The cooling water for these condensers is taken from the Lagoon. To remove the air which always accumulates in a surface condenser a Worthington wet vacuum pump of the du- Fig. 17.—Condensing Outfit for Willans Engine, 2000 Square Foot Surface Condenser, Vertical Twin Beam Vacuum Pump and Volute Circulating Pump. used in the Exposition arc, lighting service, and has the distinction over most American machines of being built in accordance with the metric system throughout. The condensing apparatus seen in Fig. 17 consists of a 2000 square foot Worthington condenser, a Blake verti- cal, twin beam, air pump and an §8-inch Worthington volute circulating pump. The vertical twin air pump was originally developed by the George F. Blake Mfg. Company for marine service. There are two air cylinders placed side by side in a vertical position, with the steam cylinders directly above, the two piston rods being con- nected by a walking beam. A crank on the shaft of the walking beam operates the slide valve of a small cyl- inder, the piston of which is in reality the driving engine of the main steam cylinder valves. This is not a dry vacuum pump, but is intended to handle both air and the water of condensation. Its operation is noiseless and regular, the auxiliary valve mechanism giving complete and accurate control of the motions of the main pistons. Exhibit of the Ice & Cold Machine Company. There is only one exhibit of refrigerating and ice pro- ducing machinery on the Exposition grounds. This has plex type is used, having 10-inch steam cylinders, 14-inch air cylinders and 10-inch stroke. The peculiarity of the wet vacuum pump is that the air pistons are always sub- merged, preventing leakage and doing away with the necessity for lubrication. The steam piston valves used: in this pump are perfectly balanced, requiring little or no oiling, making it possible to operate the pump with very. little attention. Fire Protection for the Exposition. The buildings of the Columbian Exposition at Chi- cago were constructed of steel, yet that Exposition ex- perienced a destructive and fatal fire, entirely consuming the large Cold Storage Building. The buildings of the present Exposition are constructed largely of wood, but such elaborate precautions have been taken in the pro- vision of fire fighting apparatus that a great fire is con- sidered impossible. All buildings have been supplied with stand pipes and hose connections, so that it will be unnecessary for firemen to bring hose to the scene of a blaze. There are two entirely independent water supply systems. One of these receives its supply directly from the city mains, and the other, a high pressure service, is supplied by fire pumps in the Steam, Gas and Fuel Build- ing. Although the first is spoken of as a low pressure service, the pressure ranges from 50 to 100 pounds over different parts of the grounds. The high pressure sys- tem is constructed of wrought iron pipe and has been tested at 300 pounds pressure. Its lines within the build- ings are carried:in trenches, from which branches are run up to the roof, where there are connections for 1%- inch hose. In addition, there are sprinkler systems in some of the buildings, which have connections for outside PoP eT Pee toe ft} a eof | a = . "i é is di fF : : 2 a é 4 Juiy 28, 1904 THE IRON AGE. 7 pumps are of the duplex, double acting type and are sup- plied with air and vacuum chambers of large capacity. The fittings are of composition metal througout, and the pistons and valve rods are of bronze. This entire set of pumps is kept in constant motion at slow speed to avoid possible delay in case of fire. The Acme Water Storage System. The apparatus exhibited by the Acme Water Storage & Construction Company, in block 44, aisle 9, Machinery Fig. 18.—Fourteen Underwriter Fire Pumps, Each with a Capacity cf 1000 Gallons Per Minute, Located in North Side of Steam, Gas and Fuel Building. fire engines, as well as regular connections with the in- terior piping, and there are frequent cross connections between the high and low pressure mains. Hose lines and Babcock fire extinguishers are scattered throughout all buildings. Further, in the main buildings there are 2 and 8 inch turret monitors, such as are used on fire boats. These are very powerful and will never be used except in extreme cases, as the jet from one of them would wreck all the exhibits in its path. The high pressure mains are supplied by 14 Worth- Fig. 19.—Clayton Air Compressor in the Lord & Ayer Timber Preserving Plant. ington Underwriter pumps, Fig. 18, equipped with Fisher governors set to maintain a pressure of 150 pounds per square inch. ‘They are located on the north side of the Steam, Gas and Fuel Building and discharge into a 20-inch main, which branches into two 16-inch lines. The water supply for these pumps is taken from a 12-inch city main along University Boulevard, or if necessary from Arrow Head Lake, which is one of the features of the Philippine exhibit, and has a capacity of 900,000,000 gal- lons. The pumps are each of 1000 gallons per minute capacity, capable of supplying four fire streams, making it possible to have 56 streams playing at one time. The Building, is intended to make possible the constant sup- ply of water under high pressure, as, for instance, for tall buildings, country residences and small municipal water works, displacing water towers or elevated tanks, The system involves the use of two air tight tanks, a pump and an air compressor. One tank is kept con- Fig. 20.—One of the Automatic Pumps and Receivers in Service tn the Restaurant of the Hanley-Casey Company. stantly charged with air at a high pressure, while the other contains both air and water, the air being admitted to the second tank from the first by a pressure reducing valve set to give constant pressure in the second tank and the water being forced into the tank by a pump. The 9 le epi Sem NES MR A at eres in Rs SEE seg Lar SD 40 ea pe: sre Gy AM 5 BIN 8 THE IRON AGE. entire contents of the water tank may be used under a constant pressure without operating either the com- pressor or pump, and it is necessary to run the latter only at such times as are found convenient for charging the system. As the water is pumped into the water tank the air is removed by the compressor and returned to the air tank, so that the water pump always operates against a uniform pressure. The apparatus exhibited includes two tanks, each 5 July 28, 1904 type with double plungers instead of pistons. The ad- vantage of the plunger type of pump is that the packings are on the outside where leakage is immediately detected. A single cylinder, fly wheel air compressor, having a 6-inch steam cylinder, a 6-inch air cylinder and 6-inch stroke, is next used to force air into the tank, displacing the creosote and returning it to an elevated storage reservoir. This machine, built by Clayton Air Com- pressor Works, is shown in Fig. 19. The air cylinder Fig. 21.—Compressed Air Plant in Machinery Building.—Left Hand Machine ts for Genera! Service and Right Hand Machine for Transportation Exhibit. feet in diameter and 10 feet long, and an air compressor and a pump operated by a single 5 horse-power gas en- gine. The pump is of the Deane vertical, triplex, geared type, and is fitted with 4inch cylinders, the plungers in which have a stroke of 6 inches. These pumps are de- signed for a pressure of 100 pounds per square inch and a speed of 47.3 revolutions per minute, the speed of the gas engine being 280 revolutions. This pump is of interest, as it indicates the possibili- ties of pumping with gas or gasoline engines in isolated places where electric power is not available or is too ex- pensive, and where the amount or continuity of the serv- ice does not warrant the installation of steam pumping apparatus. This type of pumping equipment seems well adapted for all places where the service is intermittent. The Ayer & Lord Timber Preserving Piant. The rapid destruction. of the great forests of this country has forced upon the railroads a‘very serious problem in connection with the supply and preservation of timber and outdoor construction, especially ties. Since the supply of timber for this purpose will probably de- crease as time goes on, many efforts have been directed to perfecting processes to preserve the ties from insects and decay. The Ayer. & Lord Tie Company, Chicago, has erected a number of large plants for this purpose in different parts of the country and has placed on exhibition west of the California’ and South Dakota gold mines ex- hibits, between Intramural Railway Stations 12 and 13, a model plant, capable of doing commercial work. The timber being treated is placed in air tight cylinders, where it is first subjected to steam under pressure to re- move all air from the pores of the wood, after which the air and steam are exhausted. For producing a vacuum, a Deane single cylinder, horizontal, direct acting, wet vacuum pump is used, in which the piston rod stuffing box and the piston are submerged. After all vapor and gases are removed, creosote is pumped into the tank and forced into the wood by pressure. The pressure pump in this equipment is designed to work against 300 pounds pressure per square inch, and is of the Deane duplex of the compressor is completely water jacketed, both on the sides and heads, and the valves and seats are self contained and removable. The fly wheels are extra heavy, so that the machine will operate satisfactorily at a very low speed, if necessary. The Hanley-Casey Company’s Exhibit. The Hanley-Casey Company has installed in the south- east corner of the basement of the Forestry, Fish and Fig. 22.—Cross Section of Air Cylinder of Laidlaw-Dunn- Gordon Compressor, Showing Valves. Game Building, in connection with its exhibit, a Deane triplex, electric motor driven, 4 x 4 inch pump. This pump is designed to supply 60 gallons per minute against 100 pounds pressure, and is used for raising water to an elevated tank containing a live fish exhibit. The motor is run at 1200 revolutions per minute, and is connected to the pump by rawhide pinions. At the Irish Village and also at the Administration and Fire Fighters’ restaurants this company employs steam for cooking, using Blake July 28, 1904 THE automatic pumps and receivers, of the form shown in Fig. 20, for returning water of condensation from the kitchens to the boilers. This apparatus is designed to remove the water of condensation from steam coils, jack- ets, radiators, &c., and to return it automatically to the boiler. It consists essentially of a cylindrical closed re- ceiving vessel and a steam pump, a float inside the for- mer controlling the pump which forces the water from the receiver to the boiler. The Compressed Air Plant. At the Exposition many classes of apparatus requiring compressed air will be shown in operation, the air being furnished by two large compressors located in block 33 Fig. 23.—Worthington Duplex Piston Meter. of the Machinery Building and shown in Fig. 21. One of the machines has a capacity of 1300 cubic feet of free air per minute when running at 125 revolutions, and is used to supply the general compressed air requirements of the Exposition, while the other is capable of furnish- ing 530 cubic feet and supplies the transportation ex- hibits. The large machine is fitted with an improved type of valve gear, the distinguishing feature of which is the novel manner of using poppet valves for controlling the opening of the discharge in combination with the semirotary, mechanically moved valves for controlling the closing of the discharge and the opening and closing of the suction. It is recognized that mechanical valves are best for controlling the opening and closing of the suction in a compressor cylinder, since a full opening into the cyl- inder is assured, with a sharp and quiet closing of the suction without the use of the heavy springs necessary in poppet valves. This mechanical control is a compar- atively simple matter, since the points at which the suc- tion should open and close remain the same, no matter what the discharge pressure may be, and lately the bet- ter classes of compressors have been so arranged. Mechanically moved valves are even more important for the discharge, since the throttling effect of heavy springs causes an even greater loss on the discharge than on the suction. Heavy springs have been necessary, how- ever, to insure sharp closing of the discharge valves at the end of the stroke and to avoid wasteful leakage back into the cylinder at the beginning of the return stroke. In attempting to control the discharge mechanically diffi- culty has been experienced, because the point of opening of the discharge varies, being early or late in the stroke according as the discharge pressure is low or high. Ob- viously a variable mechanical control of this peint cannot be obtained without a complicated gear of the re- leasing type, which is apt to be quite as noisy as a pop- pet valve, and requires comparatively slow speeds. Only the opening of the discharge is variable; the closing should occur at a fixed time at the end of the stroke. This IRON AGE. 9 fact has suggested a solution of the problem, which has been embodied iri the large compressor here exhibited. A mechanically moved valve of the semirotary type is placed in each end of the cylinder, Fig. 22, controliing not only the opening and closing of the suction, as in previous designs, but also controlling the closing of the discharge. This valve opens to the dicharge early in the stroke, but a series of poppet valves placed directly over the rotary valve prevent communication between the interior of the cylinder and the discharge pipe until the compression in the cylinder has reached the discharge pressure. These poppet valves then open and remain open until after the mechanical valve has closed the dis- charge from the cylinder at the end of the stroke, hav- ing a cushion of high pressure air underneath, and the entire return stroke in which to seat themselves. In this manner the necessity for heavy discharge valve springs, which is the chief objection to the poppet discharge: valves, is obviated, and noiseless operation with a mini- mum amount of air friction is insured, the complete elas- ticity and simplicity of the ordinary poppet construction: being retained. By means of this gear the speed re- striction due to the appreciable time required for the seating of the poppet valves is removed, and, as in the case of the steam engine, the only remaining speed re- striction is the valve area, which may be proportioned for high efficiency at speeds impossible in a poppet valve: machine. The steam valve of this compressor is designed to in- clude the usual advantages of séparate Corliss steam and exhaust ports with small clearance and correspondingly high economy, the Corliss releasing gear, however, with its consequent speed restriction, being eliminated. The small compressor, which furnishes air for the transportation exhibits, is fitted with a semimechanical valve gear controlling the opening and closing of the low pressure suction only. The chief point of interest in this machine is the fork frame construction, involving the use of a solid forged crank shaft, instead of the usual built up type. Water Meter Exhibit, Closely allied to pumping machinery are devices for measuring liquids. In fact, the designs of most water meters have been developed from some form of pump. This is especially true of the duplex piston meter, Fig. 23, exhibited by Henry R. Worthington, which very closely resembles in the functions of its parts the duplex Worthington Disk Water Meter. pump. Two double acting pistons are arranged in paral- lel cylinders, each by its own motion operating the valve of the other piston. Since no water can pass through the meter without complete strokes of the pistons, all the water is accurately measured. The strokes of the pis- ton are counted by a train of gears moving pointers upon a dial face. This meter has been in use for over 50 years and has found a wide application, not only in connection with domestic water supply, but also for measuring liquids of all kinds, such as beer, molasses, oil, &c. It is accurate in operation and causes no appreciable dim- inution of the pressure of the water passing through it. 10 THE IRON AGE. One of the most interesting applications has been to the measuring of the water supplied to steam boilers, a special hot water meter having been developed for that purpose. The use of a hot water meter makes it easy to test the steam making values of different fuels and to keep a record of boiler plant economy. {Its use shows when the boiler is overtaxed or affected by scale or soot, when the method of firing is inefficient, the furnace de- fective or the coal of poor quality. The piston type of Fig. 25.—Section of Disk Water Meter. meter, when used for measuring hot water, is fitted with adjustable buffers in the heads, by which the length of stroke of the plungers may be regulated for calibration and adjustment. A similar type of meter is also used for measuring beer, vent cocks being provided in the tops of the cylinders for the escape of air and gas, and handles being attached for convenient handling. For measuring crude oil, petroleum and naphtha special meters are also constructed. The firm has on exhibit duplex meters for general water works service, and also for use in measuring hot water, beer and oil. In water works service, however, the piston type of meter is largely superseded by the disk type, because of the smaller weight and cost of the latter. In a meter of Fig. 26 —Worthington 6 x 4 x 6 Inch 1904 Model Duplex Boiler Feed Pump. this type, Fig. 24, a light disk fermed of hard rubber is placed in a comparament which may be approximately described as a hemisphere with a spherical segment taken out of the top. A slit cut in the disk upon one side fits over a vertical radial septum in the disk chamber, as shown in the cross sectional view, Fig. 25. The disk it- self is conical in shape on both the upper and lower sur- faces. From the center of the disk or piston a ball pro- jects that forms a bearing upon which the piston revolves. This piston is wholly supported by ‘this ball bearing, and being made of hard rubber, the specific gravity of which is about the same as that of water, does not cause any perceptible retardation of the flow through the meter. July 28, 1904 The piston ball, which fits closely within its recess, also carries the vertical spindle that drives the gear train. This vertical spindle projects through a circular opening in the disk chamber, and its upper end rests against a circular block or control, being thus constrained to move ina circle. It will be seen by examining the cut and con- sidering the possible motion of the disk that there is never a free opening between the water inlet passage and the outlet, but that the disk is always interposed. The piston divides the interior case into four spaces, two of which are in communication with the inlet ports and two with the outlet ports. The inlet ports are on one side of the radial abutment and the outlet ports on the other side, and the continual filling and discharging of these four spaces gives the piston the motion of nutation, causing the spindle to travel in a circular path about the control. This, in turn, drives the gear train that con- nects with the counter, so that the full amount of water passing is correctly recorded. The motion of the vertical spindle is reduced by an intermediate train of four gears, which operates a slow moving spindle extending through a stuffing box in the top of the meter casing. This spindle, in turn, operates the gears moving the counter. This counter may be either of the round dial type or the straight reading type, and may be arranged to indicate in cubic feet, gallons, liters, &c., as required. The Worthington Company also exhibits in this space its new 1904 model duplex boiler feed pump of the piston pattern, Fig. 26. This pump has been designed for a working pressure of 200 pounds, and the flanges and bolting are extra heavy. The gasket face on the force chamber cover and valve deck is exceptionally large, and the bolting is so distributed as to prevent gasket failure. The stuffing boxes are of the screw follower type. en ee Magnetite in Alabama About three years ago F. and M. Sloss began in- vestigation of a deposit of magnetic ore, located at or near Sycamore, Ala., on the Alabama Mineral division of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, in Talladega County, lying in the ridge about one-quarter of a mile from the railroad. This investigation, by sampling and analyzing the ores, and furnace tests, led finally to a sale of the property to the Shelby lron Company, T. G. Bush of Birmingham, D. H. Gordon, R. H. Edmonds and William C. Seddon of Baltimore, C. Bradshaw of Birmingham retaining an interest, having been inter- ested with the Messrs. Sloss. The new owners installed a complete plant as to mining machinery, crusher, tipples, houses, &¢c., and began development of the property. This has led to the opening up of a 6-foot seam of ore run- ning abou