The Iron Age 1904-09-22: Vol 74 Iss 12

Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 Williar St. New York, ‘ol, 74: No.'12. © New York, Thursday, September 22, 1904. TBSP. A Fae: Segting Panag. ‘ Reading Matter Contents.......page 49 ‘ Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘“‘ 161 || Classified List of Advertisers.... ‘‘ 153]' , Advertising and Subscription Rates ‘‘ 160) ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE ; of our large assortment of Price Books for the Hard- ; ware and Metal Trades Sent on request. DAVID WILLIAMS CO., 232-238 William Street, New York. = - " ~ FOR BRUSH AND FIELO SHORT RANGE SHOT SHELLS are carried in stock by all wide-awake dealers. An entirely new invention producing practically the same velocity and pattern at 25 yards as the regular load at 40 yards. These shells often prevent a choke bored gun from missing or SST Par Teva TST AT Pe mutilating game at close range. All sportsmen wish to Bristol’s Patent Steel Belt Lacing. try thei. SAVES Supplied in Arrow and Nitro Club trands only—same price as regular loads. Time, Belts, The Union Metallic Cartridge Co., oe Agency, 313 Broadway, N. Y., New York. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. aan Costes for Circulars and Free Samples. THE BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn. Alse Linen and Italian Hemp SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. PLAIN PATTERN REGULAR WEAD. DRNBUOKLES. 9 >. 2 z 2 ars ies. 17 Benen ta Yo «: Gapewell H Nails : eee apewe orse INalis S-. #2 < NEW yoRK, Branches: PORTLAND, ORE, 7 =e Sz 3 & $PHILADELPHIA, BUFFALO, 5 oe MSE CHICAGO, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, fod sz w wn 2" 2 ~ 8. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, u = o 5 BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. > IRON ORES a THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL GO.,, Hartford, Conn, a me Gerace rd Building, Phila. PILLING & CRANE, x kmpire eps ae EX PLAIN PATTERN REGULAR HEAD. EX EXCELSIOR STRAIGHTWAY BACK PRESSURE VALVE is simple in construction and weil made. Being fitted with the Jenkins Dise, it is noiseless and never sticks. Can be relied upon at all times when =— See heating ; or when used as a relief or free exhaust on a lant Working parts can be quickly thrown in and out of use ae g valve apart JENKINS BROS., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicage, Londen. . “Swedon’” Gold Rolled Stel sce, Drawing » Stamping ante Ce ee ei 4 Aer sre COMPANY By ~~ > 95, AMERICAN SHEET& |—— i . TIN PLATE COMPANY, MAGNOLIA mM ETAL. = aoa Page 23. “TS MAGNOLIA METAL CO., Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machin Owners and Sole Manufacturers, 13-115 Bank Street, _S*” Francisco. Montreal, Boston and Pittsburg. 1 bi Chicago, Fisher Bidg. WK mane “Uncle Sam’s Delight.” THE IRON AGE. * MMA a (BRASS ee High Grade 2 a { ROD Levene l sucer (Sheet and Roll Brass COPPER; = WIRE WIRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN GERMAN [Stet [isrtiam: “Une Nem eres ee SILVER | ve Se Trimmings, &c. OTT) tty hn Ol, Pe Aaa Vanalerd| |LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE.| 2 wURRAY st, NEW YORK. AAPM SAI aE! |CEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER| _— “4 HIGH ST., BOSTON. EC SSEESASNEEMAGM) TUBING. BRAZED BRASSAND| oncme, ) nom, BRONZE TUBING. :: : : +: : :|_THOMASTON, Conn. | WATERBURY, Conn, WATERBURY BRASS CO.,/JSCOVILL MFG. CO., MANUFACTURERS OF WATERBURY, CONN. 99 John St., New York. Providence, R. I. Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze & Metal Co., BRIDGEPORT, GONN. Automobile Castings a Specialty. High Tensile Strength. Bronze and Aluminum Alloys. JOHN DAVOL w& SONS. Write Us. DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., 100 John Street, ~ New York. LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SM mpaafrrenns ie + peel Arthur T. Rutter & Ce. Randolph-Clowes Co. Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 253 Broadway, Postal Telegraph Building, Room 715. Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg. Rolls, Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shelis, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods. Special Brass Goods to Order. FaCTORIES: WATERBURY, CONN. Depots CHICAGO, NEW YORK, BOSTON. SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. 256 Broadway, Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ Selected Sheets for Paper and ous Makers’ = NEW YORK. Stove and Washboard Blanks. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and TANS GMP AU PET ROMER | Stee rce nnd copper Tie See TSR PHONO-ELECTRIC' rage, Bronze and CASTINGS) ee ny FPOUNDERS— FINISHERS. Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals. Brass and Inminnm CASTINGS 8 iu Te - Ww. G. ROWELL Co. Bridgeport, Conn. TELEPHONE HENDRICKS BROTHERS and s PROPRIETORS OF THE : : TELEGRAPH Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, LINES. Brazsiers’ Bolt nanee Sheathin Mills ™ COPPER, . “aa BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO., COPPER WIRE AND RNRIVDASB, | ermotynamics and Chemistry. 4 nonmathematical treatise for chemists and Importers and Deslere in students of chemistry. By P, Duhem. Ao Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. | a te een ae 5. Soe. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. For sale by David Williams Co., 232 William St., N.Y. IAN ‘THE JRON AGE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1904. A Forty-Passenger Automobile. A sightseeing automobile which differs from those heretofore in use in that the seats are terraced so that each passenger has an unobstructed view has recently been built by the Fischer Motor Vehicle Company of Hoboken, N. J., for the New York Auto Transfer Company. The vehicle is shown in Fig. 1, and in size and seating capacity is probably the largest of its class that has ever been put into active service. There are eight rows of seats, each accommodating five passengers comfortably, or six if need be, so that the maximum seating capacity is 46, exclu- sive of the operator. Each row of seats is 5 inches higher than the one in front, and is made to open near its center, the last seat excepted, to facilitate the entering and leav- ing of passengers. The general dimensions of the automo- bile are: Length, 18 feet 6 inches; width, 7 feet 7 inches; rrr ae } | problem of driving a heavy truck or bus is much more involved than the driving of an ordinary light pleasure vehicle. With the latter, the sudden jump made in start- ing when the gears are engaged is absorbed without dis- comfort by the springs and the slipping of the wheels This would not be permissible in a heavy machine, as it would shake the load and soon destroy the tires. It is then necessary to employ some power means which has greater elasticity than a gasoline motor, and steam and electricity are the only recourses. A steam driven vehicle has certain disadvantages, principally in complications attending the use of a boiler, and an all electric system requires the carrying of a very large storage battery, which is in danger of being over-discharged or of causing the vehicle to become stalled if the driver does not pay careful attention to the condition of the battery and his distance from a charging station. The advantages in Fig. 1.—The New Terraced Automcbile: 18 Feet 6 Inches Long, 7 Feet 7 Inches Wide: Weighs 13.000 Pounds Unloaded: Capacity, 40 to 46 Passengers. wheel base, 10 feet 3 inches; gauge, 6 feet 5 inches; weight (empty), 13,000 pounds; speed, 10 miles per hour. The power equipment consists of the Fischer combined gasoline and electric system, wherein a gasoline engine is used to drive a dynamo, and the latter to furnish current to motors geared to the rear wheels. A small storage battery is connected in multiple with the motors and the engine runs continuously. The storage battery thus serves as a reservoir of energy, being charged when the motors are consuming less than the full generated current, and discharging when the motor load exceeds the normal capacity of the dynamo. At first thought it may seem an uneconomical system, inasmuch as there is an undeniable loss of efficiency in the three transforma- tions—namely, from the engine to the generator, from the generator to the storage battery, and finally from the storage battery to the motor. It must be remembered, however, that there are only two of these losses which are considerable, inasmuch as the storage battery handles only the balancing current, most of the electric power be- ing transmitted direct from the dynamo to the motors. The disadvantages, however, are more than offset by the gains made in other directions. In the first place, the the combination system are elasticity in starting; a con- trol that has a greater range than is possible with change searing and is more easily manipulated ; the ability to run any distance, limited only by the capacity of the gasoline and water tanks; a storage battery which is light, its capacity being only that necessary to care for the un- balanced load, and which is never discharged below its efficient range, ard ‘ast, and perhaps most important, the use of the gasoline engine at its most efficient speed, for it is well known that the economical performance of a gasoline engine is limited to but a small range. The general construction of the chassis is similar to that of other heavy vehicles built by this company. The frame is built of channel steel, the wheels are of the wooden artillery type, with solid rubber tires, front wheels 36 inches in diameter by 6 inches tread, and rear, 42 inches in diameter by 7 inches tread. The front axle is of wrought iron, built on the bridge truss principle, giving the greatest strength for the amount of material used. The parts of the front axle, including the steering knuckle and springs, are shown in Fig. 2. The rear axle, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, consists of a diamond shaped steel frame, supporting two electric motors, each geared e 4, MS . + dhe 2 THE IRON AGE. with a double reduction to one-half of the divided live axle so that no differential gear is required. The gears are on the inner ends of the motor shaft, and are all inclosed in a single casing. The outer ends of the motor shafts carry drums for the brake mechanism. The whole forms a complete self contained driving unit, partly rest- ing on the wheels and partly spring suspended from the body of the vehicle. The front springs are of the platform September 22, 1904 magnetic flux travels. The contact breaker is placed in this gap, so that the spark is reduced by the effect of the magnetic blow-out, greatly prolonging the life of the con tacts. As a precaution, two of these interrupters are placed on the machine, either one of which may be set in operation by the throwing over of a double throw switch, and when one fails to act there is always the other as a reserve. THE 1RON AGE. Fig. 2.—Front Axle, Steering Knuckles and Platform Spring. type and the rear ones half elliptic. The steering is done by a horizontal hand wheel through a rack and pinion and a rod connecting to a knuckle arm. The disposition of the parts of the machinery may be seen in Fig. 5, which shows a sectional elevation and plan of the vehicle. Fig. 6 shows the engine generator set. The engine, made under the company’s own patents, has four 5% x 6% inch cylinders placed in horizontal opposed The lubrication of the engine is accomplished by grav- ity through a system of small brass pipes running to each rubbing part. Instead of regulating the supply to each pipe by a needle valve, the constricted opening through which is always likely to clog, a novel feeder is used, which was also invented by Mr. Nilson. The principle of this feeder is shown in Fig. 7. Fundamentally the feeder consists of a brass drum, A, rotated by mechanical te THE IRON AGE. Fig. 3.—Rear Axle as Seen from Behind with Gear Case Removed. pairs, and runs at 550 revolutions per minute. A jump spark igniter is used with an induction coil for each cyl- inder, the primary circuits of all being broken by a single vibrator. A rotary contact maker, or commutator, driven by a connection with the engine, directs the secondary current successively to the spark plugs of the four cylin- ders. The coils are placed as near the engine as possible for the reason that it is difficult to insulate the secondary wires. For the same reason four coils are used instead of one. The interrupter is placed near the operator’s seat and is of a form embodying a noved idea patented by Lars Nilson, chief engineer of the company. The arma- ture is in two pieces, with a gap between across which means and dipping in a bath of lubricant. A stationary semicylindrical sheet, C, partly encircles the drum, and is held a certain distance from its surface by springs and spacing points. If the oil is heavy this limits the quantity taken up by adhesion to the drum, and if the oil is light assists in raising it by capillary attraction. Connected with the inlet of each of the oil pipes is a brass spring brush, BE, which bears on the drum and lifts from it a certain quantity of the oil, depending upon the width of the tapered end of the finger. To increase the supply to any pipe a small piece is cut off from the brush to widen the end, and to decrease it the taper is sharpened. The crank case of the engine is extended to form a ei er Sete neo Ta PRE September 22, 1904 THE IRON AGE. 3 tioned among the advantages of the combined system. It - dynamo. An automatic magnetic throttle governs the en- is not necessary to crank the engine by hand, or even : gine, according to the demand of the motor, regardless of for the operator to leave his seat in order to start it. By ’ the speed of the vehicle. This throttle is connected with closing a switch the dynamo is caused to run as a motor, sub-base for a Sprague 10-kilowatt, 120-volt, shunt wound $23: THE (RON AGE. Fig. 4.—Rear Axle from Above, Showing Motors and Gearing ENGINE STORAGE BATTERY ! | ’ a pp. + pI —= ‘ f ? a © DYNAMO. | ENGINE . = ‘ THE IRON AGE Fig. 5.—Elevation and Plan, Showing the Arrangement of the Parts. the operator’s speed controller, so that when on the off drawing current from the storage battery until the engine position the engine is throttled slightly, but not enough is up to speed, then the gasoline is turned on and the to stop it. As soon as the controller is moved to any of igniter started. The engine can be stopped at any time its running positions the magnetic device operates, draw- by shutting off the gasoline supply and opening the ig- ing the throttle open. The arrangement for starting the niter circuit. engine is a unique feature, which should have been men- The storage battery consists of 48 cells of chloride 4 THE IRON AGE. accumulators, made by the Electric Storage Battery Com- pany of Philadelphia, with a total capacity of 136 am- pere hours at a three-hour rate of discharge. The motors are of Sprague make, series wound, of 7% horse- power each, and will stand a 200 per cent. overload for a half hour, and 100 per cent. for an hour. Weston volt and amueters are provided on the dash board. A two-way switch connected with the voltmeter enables the opera- ator to read the pressure at the dynamo or at the battery September 22, 1904 ference to revise the scale of wages. This conference will be held at an early date, when each side will appoint a conference committee. a The Ferris Wheel. At the Chicago Exposition of 1893 the Ferris Whee! formed one of the features of greatest engineering inter- est. After the exposition with its crowds of visitors was rs Fig. 6—The Engine Generator Set. to ascertain its condition of discharge. The gasoline tank holds 28 gallons, or sufficient for a run of 90 to 100 miles, depending upon the condition of the roads. The controller is of the series-parallel type similar to that used on street railways, and gives five forward and two reverse speeds. With the controller on the first running position the motors are in series with each other 7.—Detuils of the Oil Feeder. Fig. and with a resistance; on the second the resistance is cut out, leaving the motors in series with one another; on the third, the fields are in multiple, and the armatures are in series with each other and with the fields; on the fourth, the armatures are in multiple and the fields in series with each other and with the armatures, and on the fifth, the motors are in multiple, with the field and armature of each in series. The two reverse speeds are obtained with the same connections used for the two slowest speeds, but with the current passed in the oppo- site direction through the windings. —_——_3--e——_—__ The Manufacturers’ Association of Pittsburgh has sent a request to the boiler makers’ helpers for a con- over, the operation of the wheel became unprofitable and it was sold. The St. Louis Exposition has furnished an- other opportunity to profitably exploit it, and the present owners of the wheel, the Chicago House Wrecking Com- pany, removed the wheel to St. Louis and set it up on the Exposition grounds. The total weight of the wheel and its fittings was some 4,200 tons, and 175 freight cars were required to transport it. So long a time has elapsed since the original description of the wheel was published that the following brief résumé of its design and princi- pal dimensions will doubtless interest many readers: The wheel is built upon the bicycle principle, with im- mense tension spokes, 2 and 15-16 inches in diameter. The wheel is 250 feet in diameter and stands 264 feet high. In reality it is two wheels securely braced together. Between the outer rims of these wheels the eleven-ton cars are suspended on 6%-inch pins, 6 feet long. These cars are 13 feet wide, 26 feet long, 9 feet high, and will carry 60 persons eagh. There are 36 of them, so the total capacity of the wheel is 2,160 persons. At several times in its history the wheel has been filled to its capacity. ‘The axle of the wheel is a solid steel forging, 32 inches in diameter and 45 feet long. The solid bronze bearings upon which it rests are each 6 feet long and contain nearly two tons of metal. The weight of the wheel is carried upon two four-post towers, 6 feet square on top and 40 x 50 feet at the base. These in turn rest upon solid concrete and steel beam pillars, which are carried down to solid rock, 26 feet below the surface of the ground. The towers are anchored to the bottom of this mass of concrete by 2 x 6 inch eye-bars, so that the wheel is perfectly safe, even in the most violent storms. The side vibration of the wheel in an 80 mile an hour wind is less than % inch. The wheel is run by a double re versing engine with cylinders 30 x 48 inches, capable of developing 2000 horse-power. The power is applied through a series of cogs to a sprocket chain which en- gages wide cogs on the outside of each rim. Two revolutions are given each passenger, and the time required is from 20 to 30 minutes. September 22, 1904 The Porteous Portable Metal Melting Furnace. A metal melting furnace in portable form is a thing that so far as is known has never been manufactured be- fore. The one illustrated on this page is made by the John Porteous Mfg. Company, 525 Reading Road, Cincin- nati, Ohio, and is claimed to have shown itself by tests to be a most economical and convenient furnace. It is intended primarily for foundry use in the making of light castings, but is adapted for various purposes requir- ing the melting of brass, copper, zinc, aluminum, tin, lead, steel, cast iron and malleable iron. Among its ad- vantages are that it does away with crucibles, ladles and coke, oil or gas being the fuel, and that it may be handled with perfect comfort. It is commendable for special jobs wanted in a hurry, as a heat can be taken off every hour and there is no necessity of waiting for a cupola. Among its special uses are the burning of rail joints on railroads, the brazing of copper tubes or any other kind THE IRON AGE. ur withstand from 300 to 400 heats before it must be re- newed. The two front wheels revolve on a ball bearing fifth wheel and the truck may be steered by a lever at- tached to the front wheels. It is propelled by a series of gear wheels or with a side rod, at the convenience of the operator, and is designed to run on a rail truck road laid on the foundry floor. If oil is the fuel used it is forced into the furnace through an opening at one end of the shaft by a small rotary pump and the blast is afforded by a blower. If natural gas is used the procedure is the same as for any gas furnace, the gas entering through the hole in the shaft. Where electrical power is available the furnace is equipped with a motor for driving the fan and pump, but it may also be had with pulley instead for belt con- nection. The engraving shows an oil fed furnace, with motor drive. The suction pipe for the oil may be seen at the extreme right, leading to the rotary oil pump. The supply to the furnace is controlled by a valve, and any The Porteous Portable Metal Melting Furnace. of heavy copper work, softening asphalt and tempering and hardening steel. When the metal is ready for pouring, the furnace, being mounted on a four-wheeled truck} may be conveyed to any part of the foundry and the metal poured from the lip shaped opening directly into the gate hole. The fur- nace is supported by two grooved trunnions rolling on the horizontal surfaces of two uprights. It may be rolled from side to side by a pilot wheel and worm gear, al- lowing a lateral movement of a 10 or 12 inch radius, and the spout may be quickly and easily adjusted to the gate hole by the long vertical lever. When the furnace has been poured it is recharged and run back and con- nected to the fuel supply. The fuel is either crude oil or natural gas. The time required to connect or discon- nect the furnace is not over five seconds. The furnaces are manufactured regularly in three sizes, of 300, 600 and 1000 pounds capacity, respectively, and larger sizes may be had on special order. It is simple in construction, positive in movement and has no delicate devices requiring frequent repairs. The shell is made of 5-16-inch plate steel and is divided lengthwise into two parts, bolted together on the sides and ends. The shell is lined with a layer of cement and fire brick to a thickness of about 4 inches. The lining is said to surplus returns to the oil tank through an escape valve and an overflow pipe. The motor is on the same shaft with the fan and is geared to the pump. The oil pipe leads to the furnace through the elbow connecting the fan discharge with the furnace, and both may be discon- nected by unscrewing a union joint. The hand wheel for propelling the furnace is on the opposite side from that shown and connects with the axle of the rear wheels through gears, which may be dimly seen in the figure. To operate the furnace the motor is connected with a source of electric current and the furnace with the fuel supply by. means of a union joint. The furnace is then fired by a lighted torch and the air and oil are turned on slowly. In a few seconds the oil is thoroughly ignited and the flame plays directly on the metal in the furnace. When the metal is at the required heat the air and oil are turned off and the furnace is disconnected and wheeled to the molds. When the bricks at the top of the furnace become worn the barre] may be rolled over and the spout at- tached to the opposite side at an opening there provided, but normally covered with a circular plate. The plate is then placed over the old hole, after it has been plugged up with fire clay. It is stated that a given quantity of metal may be ee bi 6 THE IRON AGE. melted in this furnace at about one-quarter of the cost of melting the same quantity in crucibles, as a result of a saving in fuel and labor expense and a decreased loss of metal in melting. For softening asphalt pavement the furnace is turned downward so as to direct the flame upon the surface to be softened. For rail joint burning the truck is made to fit any gauge track, so that the metal ean be poured directly upon the joint. The Eight-Hour Inquiry. WasHINGTON, D. C., September 20, 1904.—The work of gathering data for the report of the Bureau of Labor upon the questions submitted by the Labor Committee of the House of Representatives as to the advisability of the enactment of the so called Gompers eight-hour bill is now progressing rapidly, and the matter will be in shape’ for final analysis before November 1. While it is too early to definitely forecast the conclusions of the Bureau, there is very good reason to believe that the re- port will not be found to support the arguments of the friends of this extraordinary measure. From all the data obtainable with regard to the specific questions submitted by Congress, as well as from the great volume of literature bearing upon the general subject of hours of labor, the Bureau officials are con- vinced that the general tendency is now toward shorter hours by natural evolution, and that the progress of this movement in the United States is more rapid than in any other country in the world, taking into account tue great variety of domestic industries and the conditions under which they were established. On the other hand, no evidence has been obtained by the Bureau indicating that legislation, either State or Federal, has in the long run assisted the movement. In isolated cases, and espe- cially with reference to such police regulation of indus- tries as the limiting of the hours of labor of women and children, the passage of laws has aided in reducing the length of the workday in certain industries, but in almost all cases, where the lenziu of the work day has been cut down there has been either a decrease in wages paid per day or such an increase in the unit cost of output as to reduce consumption, and hence to diminish the demand for labor. The labor leaders appear to have ignored entirely the direct effect of the shorter work day, which increases the labor cost and diminishes the demand for the output. Under certain conditions when the demand is very great this labor cost may advance considerably without visible effect, but viewed broadly it appears that where the cost of production is materially increased by a reduction in the hours of labor, the result is a diminished demand that promptly affects the particular class of labor engaged in the industry. Few Plants on Eight-Hour Basis. The first series of schedules sent out by the bureau to manufacturers have been returned, and are now being col- lated. They include two classes of industries—namely, those now working on an eight-hour basis and those which have reduced the hours of labor, but are still working more than eight hours. Very few establishments have been found operating on an eight-hour basis outside the iron foundries, building trades, cigar factories and granite cutting concerns, and the data received from these industries are far from conclusive. A salient fea- ture of the information received is the fact that even in those trades working eight hours there is no limit of over- time, and hence the experience of manufacturers and pro- ducers in these lines sheds no light upon the probable ef- fect of the Gompers bill, which abolishes overtime and establishes a hard and fast eight-hour day, with a pen- alty upon the manufacturer for every minute he may per- mit one of his employees to work in excess of the stipu- lated time. It has been decided to conduct the canvass of those concerns having Government contracts clearly not ex- empt under the terms of the Gompers bill, by employing special agents to visit the plants and obtain the desired data direct from the books. This work is now being pushed as rapidly as possible, and, as foreshadowed in this correspondence some weeks ago, the only concerns September 22, 1904 included in the bureau’s list are the shipbuilders, the armor plate makers and a few firms engaged in the pro- -duction of heavy forgings for ordnance. To this list will probably be added a few manufacturers of heavy ma- chinery and two or three concerns outside of shipyards that have from time to time taken contracts for the con- struction of dry docks. Careful examination of the testi- mony given before the House and Senate Labor commit- tees since the Gompers bill was first presented has dem- onstrated to the bureau officials that it would be a waste of time to attempt to gather the opinions of the ship- builders and other Government contractors referred to as to the desirability of the enactment of the Gompers bill. Nearly every prominent concern is already on rec- ord as strongly opposed to the measure, and the great ma- jority have declared that if it should become a law they would be forced to abandon Government work. The ** Connecticut »-** Louisiana” Contest. When the report is submitted to Congress it will probably contain a brief but interesting chapter on the contest between the New York Navy Yard and the New- port News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in the construction of the sister battle ships “ Connecticut ” and “ Louisiana.” By the time the report is ready statistics will be available showing the progress of these two ves- sels and the cost of same from the time the keels were laid until they were launched. The labor leaders have recently endeavored to make capital of the fact that the “ Connecticut” is only 3 or 4 per cent. behind the *“ Louisiana,” figuring on the same number of days since the laying of the keel, and the deduction is made that this disproves the contention of shipbuilders that it would be impracticable to construct a battle ship under the Gom- pers bill. The fallacies in this argument are obvious. In the first place, both yards were expected to make such arrangements as would insure the completion of both vessels within the contract time, and no limit was placed upon the number of men to be employed, the only issue be- ing the relative cost of the two ships. In the second place, while the New York yard has operated nominally on an eight-hour basis, overtime is allowed, and any emer- gency is regarded as sufficient excuse for employing a force of men for any reasonable period. The statements with regard to the impracticability of the Gompers bill as applied to a shipyard, which were presented with much force by practical men in the employ of the Cramps, dealt almost exclusively with the difficul- ties that would follow the abolition of overtime, which, it was claimed would prove a tremendous handicap to the shipbuilder, especially during the operations which fol- low the launching of the ship, including installing the machinery and putting the armor and armament in place, when conditions of tide and weather frequently make it necessary to continue the work of certain gangs con- siderably beyond the ordinary limits. Ww. L. C. —— +.—-e—_____ Wire Cables Adopted For New York’s New “ Man- hattan "’ Bridge.—By its approval of the plans of Bridge Commissioner Best, last Thursday, the Municipal Art Commission of New York settled the much mooted ques- tion of whether eye bar or wire cables should be used in the construction of the proposed Manhattan Bridge, which is to span the Kast River at a point between the Brooklyn and New East River bridges. The plans of Commissioner Best, which were approved by the com- mission, call for wire cables. Now that this controversy is terminated, advertisements for bids will be issued as soon as the specifications can be prepared. > +e Metal workers employed by the Link-Belt Machinery Company, Chicago, who had gone out on strike in sym- pathy with the machinists in May, decided last week, in defiance of the orders of the business agents, to return as individuals and make application for work. The su- perintendent of the plant informs us that a number of such men have already applied for their old jobs, but could not be employed inasmuch as their positions had long since been filled with nonunion men, who had be- come proficient in their work, and would be retained as long as they gave efficient service. An Improved System for Handling and Check- ing Baggage in the St. Louis Union Station. To expedite the handling of baggage and express mat- ter and do away with the danger and inconvenience to patrons incident to trucking baggage on passenger plat- forms and across tracks, a new system has been installed at the Union Station at St. Louis by the owner, the St. Louis Terminal Transfer Company. The train shed, which was 800 feet long, has been extended 150 feet, and a subway constructed underneath the tracks large enough to accommodate q great many teams and aford an under- ground storage warehouse for baggage. There are 32 tracks in the station. which are now served by 17 bag- gage elevators, the shafts for these being placed between each pair of tracks. From the baggage cars the trunks, &c., are lowered on these elevators to a transfer platform beneath, where they are either loaded on teams for de- i September 22, 1904 THE IRON AGE. 7 nished by three 40 horse-power, one 33 horse-power and one 7% horse-power Westinghouse alternating current motors, each driving a Connellsville blower through a Morse rocker joint chain. Westinghouse, Church, Kerr & Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., were the general engineers for the entire baggage hand- ling system, and the tube system was installed under the direction of Mr. Townsend, manager of the Chicago office of the Lamson Consolidated Store Service Company of Boston, Mass. a The Taylor-Wilson Mfg. Company of Pittsburgh has been ‘ncorporated with a capital of $25,000. The new company is a corporation and will take over the business of Taylor-Wilson & Co., Limited. Grand avenue, Alle- gheny, Pa., manufacturers of machine welded gears and other machinery. The Taylor-Wilson Company is now building a large new plant at McKee’s Rocks, Pittsburgh, ee] ee ae ee ene Oe ene ens Underground Baggage Receiving Station, from Which the Checks Are Distributed through Pneumatic Tubes to the Transfer Stations. livery about the city or in case of transfer are trucked to the foot of the elevator serving the proper outgoing track. A pneumatic tube system has been installed for trans- ferring baggage checks from the baggage room to the 35 separate transfer stations. When the passenger pur- chases his ticket he has only to step to the adjoining booth, where he secures a claim check for his baggage, and a corresponding check is sent by tube to the underground receiving station, where his baggage has meanwhile been taken. The check is then sent to the transfer sta- _ tion corresponding to the traveler’s destination, as shown by his ticket. The accompanying half-tone shows a view of the receiving station from which the tubes radiate to the 35 underground transfer stations. The tube system was installed by the Lamson Pneumatic Service Company, and comprises some 8 miles of 3-inch brass tubing. It is capable of carrying 12,000 baggage checks per hour during the day and early evening turn when the work is heavy. Ordinarily, the cartridges are drawn through the tubes by vacuum, but during the lighter hours, late at night and early in the morning, the system is reversed so that the eartridges are driven to their destination by air under pressure, this arrangement being the most economical when the service is light. The necessary power is fur- which the concern expects to occupy about January 1. It is stated that a rush order for 25,000 boxes of tin plate has been secured by the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company from the Japanese Government. The order will be filled at the Shenango Works of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company at New Castle. Pa., and will be shipped out as fast as possible. The Cuban Government has awarded the West End Rolling Mill Company & Chain Works, Lebanon, Pa., their annual contract- for heavy chain cable for harbor use. This is a duplicate of a contract given to the West End Rolling Mill a year ago. This contract, with the one recently secured from the United States Government, Philippines, assure them steady work for some months in their chain department. Sixty new fire proof cars have lately been put into commission in the subway of the Metropolitan Railway in Paris. In addition to the fire proof qualities, which have been severely tested, they are claimed to have great powers for resisting collision. They have seating accommodation for 74 passengers and room for 45 more standing. OPIS 3 eer { 5 i i 8 THE IRON AGE. Automatic Lubrication of Rolling Mills. A company has recently been incorporated in St. Louis, Mo., known as the American Automatic Lubri- cating Company, to manufacture and sell a newly in- vented automatic swab greaser for rolling mills. The present practice among rolling mills is to grease the roll necks by hand, and it frequently happens, because of lack of skill or neglect of duty on the part of the greaser, that the necks get hot, resulting in the breaking of the rolls. Another difficulty frequently attending hand greas- ing is that grease is apt to seep in between the rolls, causing plates or sheets to pinch, damaging both rolls and product. The above named company believes that it has over- come these difficulties by means of the mechanical ap- paratus illustrated herewith. It consists of a swab, A, attached to an endless chain, which passes through a grease box, B. The chain is driven by a sprocket and pulley at C, and is supported by other sprockets so that it will pass between the two upper and two lower roll necks at D and B, greasing both. A wiper is arranged above the grease box, at F, to remove surplus grease from the swab. It is stated that each set of rolls in a rolling mill requires 200 pounds of grease in 24 hours, when lubricated by hand, while this device gives perfect lubri- September 22, 1904 1400 degrees F., the tuyere pipes were, of course, gen- erally bright red; but it was noted occasionally that only two or three of the six tuyeres were so, the others being black, showing that nearly all the blast was passing through the red hot ones. By partially closing the valves in the tuyere stocks of the hotter ones, the others could be reddened, and the blast thereby more evenly dis- tributed. Subsequently a direct experiment showed that the volume of blast which was entering the furnace through 75 square inches of total tuyere area would pass out into the open air throug. 30 square inches at the same pres- sure, providing that the resistance was in the stock, and not in the tuyere. Probably this condition exists ap- proximately at all blast furnaces. Many years ago John M. Hartman invented a device to show at a glance the distribution of the biast. As I remember it, it throttled the blast at each tuyere stock, thus maintaining a slightly higher pressure in the bustle windpipe than in the fur- nace, so that a blast pressure gauge, applied to each tuyere below the throttling diaphragm, would show the pressure in each tuyere. If it was equal to the bustle pipe pressure, it indicated an obstruction in the zone of that particular tuyere. While it is easy to demonstrate blast wandering, the remedy is not so apparent. Maintaining a considerably The American Swab Greaser for Rolling Mills. cation with 80 pounds of grease in the same period. The bearings are said to be kept perfectly cool by this means, and at the same time surplus grease is prevented from finding its way onto the rolls, where it is likely to injure the plate. Herrick J. Gray, general manager of the com- pany, has his office in the Commercial Building, St. Louis. —— —_ —~ 0 Blast Wandering in Furnaces. In a paper on “Special Forms of Blast Furnace Charging Apparatus,” read before the Lake Superior meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, T. F. Witherbee of Durango, Mexico, says: It is currently reported that the modern large fur- naces (from 90 feet up) have not proved very satisfactory, so far as regularity of working and fuel economy are con- cerned. In the West several have been blown out, after a few weeks’ run, for decapitation and other changes, and the manager of one of the largest groups of furnaces in the United States predicted that the two which his company had under construction would not surpass the stacks 85 x 18 feet in size, except in quantity of product. The performance of these furnaces has more than confirmed his judgment, since they have never consumed less than 2000 pounds of fuel per ton of iron. It seems incredible that an addition of a foot or two to bosh diameter and 15 or 20 feet to hight should be attended with such un- satisfactory results as are reported. One of my cor- respondents attributes this experience to a “ wandering ”’ of the blast, which is very possible, since the conditions for such a wandering are provided by the (from the one point of view) excessive tuyere area. J At an anthracite furnace, with blast heated to about higher pressure in the bustle pipe may tend to remedy the evil, but so long as the method of charging keeps the center relatively more open, it will not be «practicable to reduce the tuyere area; for, in such a case, the open center would ve burned out, and the most serious of all biast furnace derangements, a. ring scaffold, would be set up, with its accompanying dust throwing, slips and so called explosions. Perhaps any defects in working, which may have been shown by the “ Jumbo” furnaces, are due, not to the size of the stacks, but to the way in which the materials, in- cluding the blast, have been distributed. If their re- ported fuel consumption could be brought down to the best records of the smaller furnaces, it would represent a saving of over $100,000 per annum for each furnace—a sum of sufficient importance to justify the slightly in- creased complication of the charging apparatus. It will be a surprise if the monster Buffalo furnaces do not even surpass this fuel economy, not on account of any extra superheated blast that may be at their com-, mand, but by reason of their improved charging appa- ratus, which, to my mind, shows a step in the right direction. It is to be understood that whatever reference has been made to large furnaces applies to a few specific cases, reported to me, which may not be typical ones. Moreover, in these cases, fuel economy may have been sacrificed for quantity of product, as is sometimes in- tentionally done for good commercial reasons. The main purpose of this paper is to present the suggestion that better results in running might be had by charging nearer to the center. so as to have a more resistant column of materials there to blow against, THE September 22, 1904 thereby enabling the reduction of the tuyere area enough to minimize blast wandering and its train of evils. As the matter now stands, we are obliged to use, with large bells, tuyeres from 50 to 60 per cent. too large, and thus practically to surrender all control of the blast at the bustle pipe, from whicu it can enter the furnace through any tuyeres offering a relatively smaller resistance. a ————_ Wood’s Improved Waste Heat Water Tube Boiler. The feasibility of utilizing the waste heat from blast furnaces in the production of steam has been demon- strated by the many more or less successful attempts which have been made. Usually a boiler of some stand- ard type is selected and modified in its setting and con- nections to adapt it to the conditions of such special service, though the result is often a somewhat cumber- some outfit. In seeking for improvements in the design A STEAM OUTLET oe a STEAM VALVE ; - ——— * v4 > = ey my STEAM SEPARATOR ops SEPARA — te iy 66 Ca ea 4 ii 1 Ce Mia Via 2 Cl IRON AGE. 9 In this boiler the water circulation is uninterrupted, as provision is made for the passing of the whole volume of water at unchecked speed, no matter how rapid it may be. Half of the tubes convey the hotter ascending cur- rent while the other half return the cooler descending current. The first and most intense heat strikes the lower half of the first bank of tubes and expands the water, which rises to the top, where the commingled steam escapes. This increases the density of the water, which then descends through the second bank of tubes back to the first, and thus the circulation continues in- definitely. The manner of introducing the feed water also tends to accelerate the movement. The feed pipe passes through the center of the steam drum and down the rear neck, ending at a sufficient hight in the rear header to avoid disturbing or agitating the sediment. It cools the surrounding water, increasing the difference in specific gravity of the columns of water. Most of the particles & A GA oooQgogceD YZ 9 |; e90090000 Us\ COQQ0CR0D [7% 4\\ eccocco {ZH i: Woeos0a J | ee doasoodn Joasooga ) SECTION ON LINEA B® SECTIONON LINEC D \/ ae \ en THE IRON AGE Wood's Water Tube Boiler as Arranged to Use the Waste Heat From a Blast Furnace. of an apparatus especially intended for this class of work the first aim naturally would be to put it in a more com- pact form. This has been done in the boiler recently patented by John Wood, Jr., of Conshohocken, Pa., and manufactured by a company bearing the inventor’s name, having its main office in the Betz Building, in Philadel- phia, Pa. It places a large amount of power in a small space compared with the old type of boiler, and particular attention is called to the simple construction and the ac- cessibility, both externally and internally, for cleaning. The boilers are swung over the furnace from an iron frame of rolled I-beams and channels. They are inde- pendent of the brick work, making a strong, durable structure in which no cast iron is used. The waste prod- ducts of the blast furnace pass through an uptake enter- ing the combustion chamber at the front end of the boiler, thence passing among and around the lower bank of tubes, then the upper bank, and finally under the drum to the stack, which is placed at the rear. A fire brick tile partition separates the two banks of tubes and ex- tends to within 3 feet of the rear tube heads. Similarly a fire brick arch is placed over the upper bank to within 3 feet of the front tube heads. The stack may be placed on top of the setting, as shown in the illustration, or at any other convenient location and connected by a flue. held in suspension are, by reason of the heated state of the water, of so much greater specific gravity that they full with the down currents and are deposited in the rear drum at the lowest point of the boiler, where the blow- off is connected. The accessibility of all parts through hand holes or p.an holes permits the replacing of a tube at little ex- pense and facilitates thorough inspecting. The accompanying illustration shows two boilers sus- pended over one furnace. This is the practice where there is a large amount of waste heat, such as is given off by tube welding and blast furnaces. They may be set singly where there is less available heat, or may be mounted in either way for direct firing. In the latter form the boiler is practically the same as the Wood’s water tube safety boiler, which has been built for many years. The principal advantages claimed for both types are that all parts are readily accessible through hand holes or man holes, permitting the replacing of a tube at little expense and facilitating thorough inspecting; that there are no bent tubes or tubes of different lengths, and no parts of cast iron. There is only one metal used, open hearth steel, consequently strains due to unequal expan- sion are eliminated, and there are no circulating pipes outside of the brick work where the steam may condense. Fi ea —_— of rr ae) 10 THE IRON The New Lidgerwood Derrick Swinging Gear. For swinging the boom of an ordinary derrick simul- taneously with the raising of the boom and the hoist- ing of the load, three different types of gear have al- ready been put upon the market by the Lidgerwood Mfg. Company of New York City. The illustration on this page shows a new one, recently designed, which is a marked improvement over its predecessors. The new ap- paratus consists of a drum shaft carrying two gear wheels and two drums, and a friction shaft carrying two frictions and pinions. The friction shaft is mounted on side stands, and the whole is tied together underneath by two recessed flat steel braces, making an independent apparatus, which is mounted on an extension of the en- gine skids, and fastened to the front ends of the engine AGE. September 22, 1904 The frictions are applied by means of nuts traveling on composition sleeves having screw threads which are mounted on the friction shaft, and attached by suitable connections to an auxiliary shaft carrying the vertical operating lever. When this lever is in a central or ver- tical position neither friction is engaged. Moving it for- ward causes the nuts to travel on their screws, pushing one friction cone into engagement and releasing the other, and moving the lever back causes the reverse to take place. In this simple and effective manner one lever con- trols the swinging of the boom. The friction cones are of a special type of great holding power, and can readily be replaced.when worn without interfering with the main parts of the apparatus. To take up the slack due to the stretching of the rope, one of the swinging drums is loose on the shaft, but pre- vented from turning by means of a collar keyed to the Lidgerwood Standard Double Friction Drum Engine and Boiler Equipped with No. 4 Boom Swinging Gear. bed plate. If preferred, the engine bed plate may be ex- tended and the swinging gear mounted upon it. The friction shaft is driven by a pinion on the for- ward drum shaft next to the winch head. This meshes with an idler, which, in turn, drives a gear wheel keyed fast to the outer end of the friction shaft. There are two cone frictions on the friction shaft, the male parts carry- ing the friction woods, being mounted on the shaft with feather keys, and the female parts being cast with pin- ions and mounted loosely on the shaft. The pinion of one drives a gear on the drum shaft, revolving it in one direction, while the pi