The Iron Age 1906-05-17: Vol 77 Iss 20

THE IRON AGE New York, Thursday, May 17, 1906. A Heavy Duty Gas Engine Installation In the Carnegie Technical Schools’ Plant, Pittsburgh, Pa. About the first of the year the new service plant of the Carnegie Technical Schools, Pittsburgh, Pa., was put into operation for supplying light and power to the build- ings. Upon the opening of the schools a small gas engine unit was operated until the large horizontal double acting unit, forming the subject of this article, was installed. This small unit is now used for periods of light load on the plant. Current is distributed on a three-wire direct current system and lights and motors are fed from the same bus, the Westinghouse system of balancing assisting the regulation of the two sides of the system. <A large number of the motors, varying from THE |RON AGE the four-stroke cycle, with practically constant quality of mixture. With the tandem cylinder arrangement one power impulse is obtained on each forward and back- ward stroke, the resulting crank effort being equivalent to that of a single cylinder, double acting steam engine. Normally of 500 horse-power capacity the engine provides for a continuous overload capacity of 10 per cent., which is the standard practice of the builders in engines of this type. The cylinders are 21 inches in diameter by 30 inches stroke and the engine runs at a normal speed of 150 revolutions per minute. For the sake of accessibility all parts of the engine Fig. 1.—General View of the 500 Horse-Power Gas Engine Installed in the Carnegie Technical Schools by the Westinghouse Machine Company. 2 to 20 horse-power in capacity, are operating various classes of machinery in the several buildings, shops and laboratory, and the entire property depends upon this power plant for its light, power and heat. Its success ful operation is evident from the fact that an emergency connection to an outside source of power originally pro vided for has never been put in. The new gas engine unit is probably the most inter esting part of the plant and is shown in the illustrations. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining a photograph of the entire engine the three half-tones, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, have been supplemented by the line elevation and plan given in Fig. 4. One feature characterizing the general design of this engine is its strong adherence to approved steam engine practice. The frame and cylinder structure resembles that of a horizontal tandem Corliss engine, and many of the features of the latter have been found equally applicable to the gas engine. The engine operates on have been placed above the floor level, in comparison with the benefits of which the increased cost in founda- tions is immaterial. Unfortunately this makes the en- gine look much larger in comparison to the generator it drives than it really is, due somewhat also to the high generator speed. It will be observed from the accompanying engrav- ings that the cylinders are supported clear from the foun- dation by main, center and rear frames. Only the main frame is anchored; the others rest upon sliding ways to accommodate expansion and contraction of the engine body. To insure permanence of alignment the cylinder ends are recessed into their respective frames. The foun- dation body terminates at the floor level, separate piers rising 26 inches above the floor. This construction brings the exhaust valves and every working part of the engine above the floor. Side crank construction Was adopted in this engine. A i ee 1602 THE IRON AGE heavy box girder bed, cast in one piece, provides a rigid supporting structure for the main bearing and a con- tinuous rectangular member surrounds the crank pit. The rigidity of the center crank construction is thus re- tained. To give access to the center cross head, the mid- dle housing has its upper front quadrant cut away, the opening being closed by a heavy tie rod. All guides are bored. ‘The crank shaft is solid forged steel, approximate- ly 18 inches in maximum diameter, with a cast steel disk pressed on with a taper fit. On account of the large diam- eter of the shaft the crank pin is cast integral with the disk, special precautions being taken to insure homogene- ous metal by casting under pressure head. The bearings are of segmental construction. The main bearing is in three parts, the lower shell resting in a bored seat. The shell may be readily removed from above by jacking up the shaft. ~The bearings are cored for water cooling if found necessary and are faced with hammered babbitt. The connecting rod is forged steel, May 17, 1906 move the cylinder head to accomplish this satisfactorily. The heads are in one piece, and are cored with water passages independent of glands. Their removal is easily accomplished by: a special clamp bolted to the outer face, and so shaped that the center of gravity of the head falls directly under the eye bolts of the clamp, thus avoiding any binding on the rod as the head is removed. Impor- tant features in the design of the piston are a symmet- rical piston structure without internal ribs, and perman- ent mounting on the piston rod. In the case of the pis- tons it was advisable to depart from the steam engine practice of using a ribbed box piston and to employ a structure which would be free to expand unrestrained by ribs or webs of any description. This result has been accomplished by a peculiar arrangement of internal parts performing the functions both of closing piece and water duct. The pistons were cast in one piece, and when their internal parts were assembled they were forced on the rods with hydraulic pressure. In addition they were Fig. 2.—General View of the Engine from the Exhaust Side. with solid ends at both the cross head and crank ends. Split bronze boxes are used with wedge adjustment. The cross head is cast steel with a single babbitted slipper locking over the ends of the cross head. This avoids re- versible stresses or shear in wedge bolts. The slipper is turned cylindrical inside and out, so that it may be rolled out after easing off the weight. The cross head pin is of forged steel with continuous taper, and is removable through an opening in the housing with the assistance of a special starting clamp. The cylinders are of symmetrical construction, only partly inclosed by jacket walls, a split jacket band clos- ing the opening. This construction permits ready adjust- ment of strains due to shrinkage and differential expan- sion between cylinder and jacket walls, and also gives access for cleaning the jackets. A distinctive feature of the cylinder design is the vertical location of the valve chambers at each end of the cylinder structure for access to the interior. Advantages of this arrangement, espe- cially for dirty gas, are obvious, as by removing a valve at each end of the cylinder, the interior is readily accessi- ble for cleaning through the spacious openings. With any other construction it would be necessary to entirely re- secured by a recessed nut, which was afterward turned off in a lathe flush with the piston surface. This con- struction is intentionally permanent, and in assembling or dismantling the engine the piston and rod are handled in one piece. The piston rods are forged nickel steel, made in two pieces with water duct drilled through the center. They are screwed into the main, center and rear cross heads and are secured by keys. The center cross head is in the form of a split screw coupling resting upon and dowelled into the cross head support which is cast as a separate piece and is removable sidewise. This coupling thus acts as a closing piece to the piston structure, and enables repairs to be made upon one section of the en- gine without disturbing the other, during which time the remaining cylinder may be kept in service if necessary. The water duct of each rod section is closed at the ends by plugs, and a deflecting plug is inserted in the center line of each piston for the purpose of diverting incoming water into the piston channels. Much importance is attached to “ floating” the pistons clear of the cylinder walls through adjustments provided at the various cross heads. The rods have been so pro- May 17, 1906 portioned that requisite stiffness is provided to carry the weight of the piston without flexure, thus the piston rings alone are in contact with the cylinder, resulting in small friction and wear, even with dirty gas. Each pis ton has four segmental cast iron rings set out with flat springs. By using segmental metallic packing rings ar- ranged in series along the rod, the difficult problem of providing tight packing without undue friction has been solved. An important property of this packing is that it floats, thus easily absorbing slight variations in align- ment due to flexure of the rod. The rings are mounted in a separate ring cage, independent of the head, and remov- able in one piece. The poppet or mushroom type is used for both exhaust and inlet valves. They are all steel, seating in the direc- tion of pressure by springs and mounted in one piece bon- nets that are removable vertically from the cylinder cast- ing without dismantling any of the lay shaft gear. The inlet valve performs the functions of both admission and governor value, but the gas and air are not mixed in proper proportions until they reach the interior of the THE IRON AGE 1603 exhaust valves are operated by one lay shaft paralleling the engine cylinders and geared 2 to 1 direct to the main shaft. A flange coupling near the driving end permits of small angular adjustment in either direction for facilitating proper valve setting. The main drive for this lay shaft is a spur gear mounted close to the main bearing upon the main shaft. A cross shaft extending beneath the crank pit transmits this motion to a 2 to 1 bevel gear drive. As a substitute for spiral gear drive, formerly empleyed, this construction seems to be Both inlet and a decided improvement. For sensitive governing, the regulator must not be required to actuate valves of large mass or dimensions. In this engine an oil relay system has been developed in which a reciprocating piston, operating under 40 to 50 pounds pressure, does the actual work of moving the inlet valves. It is controlled by a small pilot valve which is alone actuated by the regulator, and as this is bal- anced the regulator does very little actual work. A pow- erful and sensitive centrifugal type regulator is driven direct from the main lay shaft through a cushioned gear. Fig. 3.- valve itself, which reduces the possibility of premature firing. There are two distinct motions of the valve: a vertical one opening the gas and air ports to the cylinder, and a rotating one which proportions the quantity of mix- ture to the load. The proper ratio of gas to air is main- tained constant by butterfly dampers in the separate gas and air ducts leading to the individual valves. As each valve is directly under governor control, the engine can take only such volume of mixture as is needed at the instant to maintain speed; closer regulation is thus more readily obtained than where the governor valve and inlets are farther apart. A valuable feature of this valve is that a somewhat richer mixture is obtained on very light loads to insure greater certainty of ignition. The exhaust valves are driven by separate eccentrics. With a special form of multiplying motion two desirable features are obtained, concentration of lifting force_as the valve leaves the seat against the heavy exhaust pressure, and rapid opening as soon as the valve has left the seat. With a comparatively light linkage, great power is exerted at the start, followed by maximum velocity of opening when most desired. The valves are of solid cast steel resting in a cast iron yoke, with ports for conducting the cooling water. This water rises through the center of the valve and discharges downward through a concentric tube, so arranged as to always keep the valve full of water. -A View from the Fly Wheel End. A separate cushion dash pot attached to the regulator linkage assists in securing staple governing, especially at light loads on the engine. Oil for the relay cylinder is supplied by a small pump connected to one eccentric. This pump discharges into a steel storage tank which is kept partly full of oil. Should pressure gradually dimin- ish, due to leakage, sufficient air is left in this tank to maintain normal about 40 pounds per square inch. Two independent ignition systems serve the engine at opposite points in the combustion chambers: the familiar hammer break or low tension, and the jump spark or high tension system. They are complete and separate at all points and each serves the other in a purely relay capac- ity. A small auxiliary lay shaft, parallel and geared to the main shaft, carries four igniter cams, set at quadrant, for the hammer break system. A valuable detail of this gear is the provision for simultaneously advancing or re- tarding ignition in all cylinders while the engine is run- ning. This adjustment is conveniently located on the gear case of the drive and a graduated scale and index gives the exact point of ignition. Current for both igniter systems is received from indi- vidual sets of Westinghouse storage batteries, so con- nected that one is in use while the other is charging, and vice versa. These batteries deliver current at 8 to 9 pressure She volts to the igniters and spark coils of the high tension ignition system. All igniter plugs are removable in one piece, and any of them may be changed while the engine is running by temporarily cutting off the gas supply from the cylinder end affected and relieving the cylinder com- pression while the other end of the cylinder is kept in service. A simple and effective device opens all igniter circuits instantly upon the cessation of cooling water supply pressure. This works in connection with an en- gine safety stop located at the rim of the fly wheel, by which the same switch is tripped by a centrifugal plunger sunk into the face of the fly wheel. In the circulating system two important features are individual discharge outlets from all the main parts of the engine requiring cooling water, and outlets open to the atmosphere, so that the temperature of the water may be determined from time to time by the attendant, where- by he would quickly discover a stoppage of the cooling water passages. Cooling water is pumped from and re- 1604 THE IRON AGE , \GAS VALVE May 17, 1906 the pressure of combustion operating against special check valves at the entry to the cylinders. The engine can be readily brought up to speed inside of one minute by one man and loaded inside of two minutes. Automatic oiling devices have been applied at every possible point. On each end of each cylinder is a small sight feed plunger pump operated from an eccentric. These pumps are filled from a reservoir located on top of the cylinders, and separate ducts convey oil to several points around the cylinder wall and to the glands. An im- portant point is that cylinder lubrication is accurately timed, so that its effect will not be vitiated by combus- tion before the lubrication has been accomplished. This also results in a reduction of the oil necessary to about 1 gallon per day. The engine oil is handled by a circulat- ing and filtering system. It is supplied under gravity pressure from an elevated tank to sight feed manifolds on various parts of the engine, and a large excess of oil is used so as to thoroughly flush all working parts, which finally drains back through the filtering system. After thorough filtering and settling it is again elevated to the tank by a small geared pump belted to the main shaft. Pittsburgh natural gas furnishes motive power and n C . ————— ) ( he EXHAUST) 2 Y j_FLOOR LINE | ! w i Het & Ha -O—— - LI ‘OUTLET & MANIFOLD <| » a7 cn ” aoe — EXHAUST MUFFLER Led ' ‘AIR INLET. L_iMANIFOLD! | lo ny Af Fig. 4.—Plan and Elevations of the Four-Cylinder Double Acting 500 Horse-Power Westinghouse Gas Engine. turned to a storage well of large diameter, located in the open, from which heat is dissipated with sufficient rapidity to maintain safe jacket temperatures. As the plant operates normally 15 hours per day, there is con- siderable opportunity for dissipation of heat in this stor- age tank during the night time. Should the triplex pumps (which are in duplicate, one driven by a motor and the other by a small gas engine unit) fail, city water is turned into the system by an automatic valve which opens when the delivery pressure falls below 20 pounds. A special operating feature is the simple method of starting, which is the adoption of vertical gas engine practice. Compressed air storage tanks in the basement furnish motive power at 200 pounds pressure. On the engine lay shafts are four cams, engaging stems of small poppet valves, which automatically inject compressed air into each combustion chamber to give the forward impulse. No manual adjustment of the valve mech- anism is necessary. In starting there are but two op- erations: Opening the compressed air throttle, which sets all starting valves, and opening the gas throttle. Each inlet valve then comes into play in required order. After the first impulse gaseous mixture is drawn into the cylinders in proper proportion, and with succeeding ignitions the engine rapidly comes up to speed. At this point the compressed air is automatically shut off by heat for the entire Carnegie properties. The gas engine piping contains a Westinghouse proportional gas meter and an automatic gas regulator, in which the supply pressure is reduced to approximately atmospheric. For the large engines diaphragm regulators have been dis- placed by those of the gasometer type, owing to the difficulty in keeping the former from chattering under the effects of the rapid intermittent suctions. In normal operation one man can easily handle the large gas engine unit with an assistant at the switch- board when starting. The load is controlled the same as with a steam unit. Up to the present time, with the exception of a short run at full load, the engine has been but lightly loaded, under which conditions best results upon a reciprocating engine are difficult to obtain; yet the engine runs quietly, practically without vibration or signs of faulty bglancing of parts, and governs with sen- sitiveness and stability. Owing to the use of labor sav- ing auxiliaries the attendant is enabled to devote a much larger proportion of his time than usual to inspection, with manifestly good results. oe San Francisco is to have a 15-story steel building constructed after the manner of a steel ship. All the walls are to be of steel plates. It will be the first build- ing of its kind in the world. May 17, 1906 A New Gisholt Boring Mill. Two views of a 30-inch vertical boring and turning mill recently brought out by the Gisholt Machine Com- pany, Madison, Wis., are shown in the accompanying illustration. In many respects it resembles the 34-inch boring mill described in The Iron Age February 16, 1905, but it embodies fewer parts, only those having been re- tained which are indispensable to a serviceable and sub- stantial mill, so that it may be marketed at a moderate price. Of this mill in common with the line manufac tured by the company, it may be said that it has par- ticularly broad bearing surfaces, and a construction that makes for strength and rigidity. The head stock is driven by a four-step cone pulley. The power is transmitted directly or through back gears which are thrown in and out by positive clutches oper ated by a lever. Sixteen table are obtainable through the two-speed self oiling countershaft, and eight speeds A 30-Inch Boring and Turning Mill of feeds, ranging from 0.0156 to 0.25 inch. operated by power or by hand. reading to 0.001 inch on both feeds facilitate the setting. any predetermined point there is an automatic feed tripping device, which it is claimed will trip positively at the end of the feed traverse. The table may be a universal and combination chuck fitted with three movable jaws and nine radial T slots, or a plain table with 12 radial! T slots. The turret has five faces, each containing a 214-inch hole. The hight under the rail is 17% inches. The floor space required by the machine is 63 x 63 inches, and the extreme hight is 92% inches. 3 Any feed may be Micrometer index dials vertical and horizontal For stopping the feeds at always The maximum swing is 3 inches, the diameter of the table 28 inches, the total ratio of gearing is 2014 to 1, and the weight 5000 pounds. This machine may be motor driven, if desired. All gears are incased and all those subjected to heavy duty are of steel. ————_>- +- @—___—_ The New England Foundrymen’s Association.—The monthly meeting was held at the Exchange Club, Boston, Wednesday evening, May 9, with President W. B. Snow 3 THE IRON Simplified Design, Built by the Gisholt AGE 1605 in the chair. Attention was called to the convention of the American Foundrymen’s Association to be held in Cleveland, June 5, 6 and 7, and the members were urged to send as large a representation from New England as possible. The chair appointed John Magee, B. F. Shaw, Jr.. and F. F. Stockwell a committee to make arrange- ments for attending the convention. Announcement was made that the June meeting would be held in the form of an outing at Point Shirley, Winthrop, Mass. E. M. Tay- lor of Library Bureau discussed in a practical way “ The Correct Application of True Burden to Iron Costs.” At the conclusion of his address a rising vote of thanks was extended to Mr. Taylor. aad teen The American Mining Engineers in Germany.—Dr. E. Schroedter of Diisseldorf advises us that a preliminary programme has been outlined for the visit of the mem- bers of the American Institute of Mining Engineers to Germany following the joint meeting at London with the The members will register at Iron and Steel Institute. 5 : : : ; : : . x : ' ! Machine Company, Madison, Wis. Diisseldorf on Monday, August 13. On the first day a Steamship excursion will be made to the ports of the lower Rhine, which are readily reached from Diisseldorf. These handle a about 25,000,000 tons per annum, and an opportunity may be offered to visit ports tonnage of some of the furnaces and steel works located there. In the evening the Mayor‘of Diisseldorf will extend an in- vitation to a musical entertainment. On the second day furnaces, and in the vicinity of Ruhrort and Oberhausen will be inspected, the trip being so timed that the party will be back in time to partici- The third day will be devoted to fur- Remscheid, steel works collieries pate in a dinner. ther where the Héroult electric furnace is in operation. An visits to works or to an excursion to occasion will also be offered to inspect the dam, the Muengsten bridge and the Elberfeld elevated road. The fourth day is set aside for a sail on the Rhine from Cologne to Coblenz, with which possibly an ascent of the Drachenfels or the Petersberg will be coupled. We un- derstand that Dr. Schroedter will be at the office of the Iron and Steel Institute at London when the members arrive. POR EE eM, RR TSI ION = 1606 THE IRON AGE Large Niles Motor Driven Bending Rolls. Bending rolls are built in a variety of styles and sizes by the Niles-Bement-Pond Company, New York, for bend- ing plates from 5 feet wide and % inch thick to plates 382 feet wide and 1% inches thick. The rolls may be ar- ranged either in pyramid form, or the two initial rolls may be placed one over the other and the bending roll placed at the back. In this latter arrangement the upper and lower pinching rolls are geared together. In the pyramid arrangément the two lower rolls are geared together. The bending roll raises and lowers by power at each end independently for bending plates of different thicknesses and for taper work. One bearing of the upper roll is removable and may be thrown back leaving the roll free for the removal of a ring or flue. In the large machines intermediate supports for the rolls are provided, and engines or motors are used for driving. The machine illustrated is known as the No. 8, and is built at the Niles works, Hamilton, Ohio. As may be seen, it is a massive machine and is driven by two elec- tric motors, one of 50 horse-power and one of 30 horse- power, and will bend plates 144 inches thick, 12 feet wide, to 20-foot radius. The 50 horse-power motor is used for driving the rolls and the 30 horse-power motor for raising and lowering the upper or bending roll. The rolls are solid forgings arranged in pyramid form. The lower rolls are geared to run by power, while the upper one is re- volved by friction of the plate passing through. The latter is adjustable by power to suit the radius to which the plate is to be bent, and has a hinged bearing at one end, which can be removed. The other end extends be- yond its housings to a third support which holds it up while removing work rolled to a complete circle. The housings are carried well up above the bearings of this roll and are tied across the top as the side pressure is very great. The housings are also tied together by longi- tudinal rods above the sole plate. Suitable levers and clutches are conveniently placed for the easy control of all the operations, ——— +e The corner-stones of the power station of the Elec- trical Development Company of Ontario, Limited, were laid May 8 on the Canadian side of the river at Niagara Falls. Following the ceremonies a trip was made May 17, 1906 through the power company’s tunnel, and after this lunch- eon was enjoyed at the Hospice on the Canadian side. A banquet followed in Toronto that evening. It is this com- pany that contemplates a power transmission to Toronto over the line of the Toronto & Niagara Power Company. Its power house site is in Victoria Park, above the station of the Canadian Niagara Power Company. Its tunnel extends to the gorge under the bed of the upper river, be- ing 1900 feet long. The unit of development adopted for the station is 12,500 horse-power. Ten units will be in- stalled, making the company’s proposed output 125,000 horse-power. A portion of the power from this station will be transmitted, it is expected, into New York State by the Niagara Falls Electrical Transmission Company. The capital that is interested in this company is closely allied to the Trans-Niagara Bridge Company, and there is no doubt that the proposed bridge of the latter will form the support for the transmission cables across the gorge. —— »-e—__—__ Associated Foundry Foremen.—For their annual convention, to be held at Cleveland, Ohio, in the first The Niles No. 8 Motor Driven Bending Rolis, Built by the Niles- Bement-Pond Company, New York. week of June, just preceding that of the American Foun- drymen’s Association, which will be in session June 5-7, the Associated Foundry Foremen will have their head- quarters at the American House. A programme is in preparation containing an interesting list of papers, and members of the organization will also participate in the discussions of the American Foundrymen’s Association. The Foremen’s Association has increased its membership from 177 to 356 since the convention of 1904. In the past year two new local associations of foremen have been formed, one at Cincinnati and the other at Mont- real, Canada. a ee Brittleness and blisters in thin steel sheets are dis- cussed by Edward F. Law, London, in a paper read before the recent meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute. The paper indicates exhaustive research, giving analyses and microscopical reproductions, with the following con- clusions: 1. Oxidized steel will give rise to blistered sheets, and this defect is more liable to occur with Besse- mer than with open hearth steel. 2. Steel high in sul- phur and phosphorus will cause brittleness in sheets, “especially if the sheets are rolled from large and slowly cooled ingots, in which the maximum of segregation has taken place. May 17, 1906 Customs Decisions. Antimony and Tin Scrap. In a decision by Judge Somerville the Board of United States General Appraisers on May 12 sustained a protest filed by P. McGettrick, Burlington, Vt., it being held that as the Treasury regulations had been complied with no duty should accrue on an importation of scrap metal which is shown to be a mixture of antimony and tin ex- ported from the United States to Canada and then re- turned to this country for a process of rolling. It appears from the evidence in the case that the merchandise was shipped in sheets to Girard & Godin, Three Rivers, P. Q., by Manning, Bowman & Co., Meriden, Conn. Later the merchandise was returned to the United States for the purpose already stated. The action of the collector in levying duty is reversed and he is directed to make a proper liquidation, in order that a refund of the duties may be made. Brass Snaps or Swivels. On May 12 the General Board granted relief to C. B. Richard & Co., New York, and held that a manifest cleri- cal error cannot operate to assess a heavy duty upon an article. It seems that by error the entry covered by the protest was described under a wrong number, and this led the authorities to collect a duty of 60 per cent. upon brass snaps or swivels which were not plated nor washed with gold. General Appraiser Sharretts holds that the duty should have been 45 per cent., under the provision for manufactures of metal. Nickel Plated Zinc Sheets. General Appraiser Fischer has decided that A. Eck- stein, Philadelphia, must pay a 45 per cent. duty on nickel plated zine sheets. The claim for a rate of 2 cents per pound, under the provision for zinc in sheets, is denied. No Customs Administrative Changes. The Importers’ and Manufacturers’ Provisional Com- mittee, which was formed in March to agitate against the so-called Olcott customs bill, has issued a formal state- ment that as there is no probability of the measure being reported by the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives no general meeting of protest will be held. The Merchants’ Association of New York and importers who favored the modifications in customs procedure embodied in the Olcott bill were very active in their support of the measure, and this resulted in an opposition movement, regarded by many as the reason for nonaction by Congress. Up to the time of the organized opposition to the Olcott bill the impression was wide- spread that importers as a class were in favor of modify- ing certain alleged harsh features of the Customs Ad- ministrative Act of 1890. This impression was dispelled, however, when a meeting of influential importing in- terests was held in New York, March 21. At that meet- ing the Olcott modifications were carefully analyzed and a statement prepared for general circulation giving specific reasons why the bill should not be passed. At the March meeting it was decided to call a mass meeting later for the purpose of opposing the administrative changes. The official statement just issued is taken to mean that there will be no customs administrative changes, for the present at least. ———— +--+ e—___ Swedish Iron and Steel Production in 1905.—Sta- tistics for 1905 show that 527,300 tons of pig iron were produced in Sweden in that year, as against 520,300 tons in 1904. Of Bessemer ingots the production was 77,900 tons, against 78,600 tons; of Siemens-Martin ingots 280,- 200 tons, against 245,500 tons; of wrought iron 178,700 tons, against 189,200 tons. The iron ore exports in 1905 were 3.316.206 tons, an increase of 250,674 tons over 1904. Of the iron ore production 1,072,000 tons were shipped from Lulea from the Kiruna mines, and 1,472,053 tons of ore were carried by rail into Norway, where the ore is shipped from Narvik. The exports of Swedish pig iron in 1905 were 110,400 tons, the largest amount reported for a single year. The total exports of finished products were 387,600 tons, some of the items being the following: Ingots, 15,000 tons; wrought and rough bars, 28,900 tons; bar iron, 192,200 tons; iron wire, 5600 tons! sheet iron, 2400 tons; tubes, 11,000 tons; drawn wire, 1600 tons; THE IRON AGE 1607 nails, 5400 tons. Projects for the establishment on the west coast of Sweden of iron and steel works are under consideration. The purpose is to enter into competition for a share of the trade in outside markets. High Duty Metal. The Western Tube Company, Kewanee, IIl., publishes a pamphlet giving an interesting account of its researches and experiments in producing a copper alloy for the manufacture of brass valves, which would not suffer a heavy reduction in strength with increase of tempera- ture. This loss of strength is not generally taken into account because the deterioration is slow up to a certain point, which is above the temperature of steam or air at the usual pressures, but at the temperature of 150 to 175 pounds of steam the loss begins to be very rapid, and at about 400° F. there is a sudden marked drop in tenacity, which is very rapid to 500 degrees F. In the company’s experiments it was found that an alloy that is very commonly in use as steam metal and would be called a fairly good meta) for this purpose, showed a drop in tensile strength of as much as 28 per cent. when raised to the temperature of 407° F. Another metal, considered an excellent mixture and frequently used by valve makers for valves of higher grade and designed for higher pressure, showed 22 per cent. loss under the same condi- tions, The well known “Government” mixture, as it has been called, consisting of 88 parts of copper, 10 of tin and 2 of zinc, was found to be as little affected by this extraordinary increase of temperature as any alloy which has ever been used, as far as known, in the manufacture of valves. The “Government” mixture was found to have, as an average of a large number of bars tested, a cold tensile strength of 33,633 pounds per square inch. When raised to 407° F. the tensile strength dropped to 30,675 pounds per square inch, showing a loss of nearly 9 per cent, After making its experiments the company arrived at an alloy which is practically of the same tensile strength as the above mixture when cold, as it shows an ultimate strength of 33,520 pounds per square inch at 70° F., and further, it shows an ultimate strength of 31,627 pounds per square inch at 407° F., the loss being only 5.6 per cent. A table is appended which shows in sum- marized form the results of these experiments upon six different alloys, with the company’s comments, as fol- lows : Tensile Tensile strength strength Loss. Alloy. at7O0deg.F. at407deg.F. Per cent. Pe Dawti wes ed tidaeestane 21,790 15,640 28.2 UIE disk H-cirat'e alah eich ats aici 29,010 22,410 22.4 ok Pe are eae eo 24,510 22,059 9.5 No. 4 Sehovaenensiceuscsane ee 30,675 3.8 MSS ere odo n ereiaes ocecteeae 31,305 tn Ot ee 31,627 5.6 No. 1 is the steam metal alluded to above and which is in common use among valve manufacturers. No. 2 is a metal which we ourselves use at times, and is fairly strong and durable at comparatively low temperatures. No, 3 represents one of our earlier experiments illustrating the advance along the line of research, but indicates too low tensile strength. No. 4 is the “ Government” mixture, so called. No. 5 is one of our later attempts, and No. 6 is the mixture which has finally been adopted and will be called by us High Duty metal. In addition to the rare quality of maintaining the high tensile strength at high temperatures, it is stated that this high duty metal also shows wearing qualities which are very remarkable; it has also been found to be very tough, resisting shock or water hammér with great suc- cess; in strength under compression it again showed marked superiority, and further, it makes sound, tight castings. The company announces that its entire lines of me- dium pressure brass valves, designed for pressures ranging between 125 and 175 pounds, and its new line of extra heavy brass valves, designed for pressures up to 250 pounds, are now and will hereafter be made of this high duty metal. It is also prepared to furnish any of its goods, now made of its standard brass mixture, made up in this high duty metal. E Sin Syeatinsie eer Ee alt ae Pee eS PN PN BO are ee seg 9 te Tea eR ER OEP ROOT Ns 1608 The Use. of Oxygen in Removing Furnace Obstructions.” BY DHE CHEVALIER C. DE SCHWARZ, LIEGE, BELGIUM. All experienced blast furnace engineers are acquainted with the great inconvenience, anxiety, and even, in cer- tain circumstances, danger caused by the taphole of a blast furnace becoming closed up by solid iron, so that it cannot be opened by means of the ordinary appliances without a certain lapse of time. There is the danger of the liquid iron accumulating on the hearth of the blast furnace and reaching the slag and the blast tuyeres, thus causing serious disturbances and sometimes explosions. It often becomes necessary to make a new taphole higher up, and to reduce or to stop the blast temporarily, which may result in the formation of scaffolds or other serious inconveniences, Remedies Heretofore Used, The case is still more serious if the blast tuyeres of the furnace get closed up by solid iron, either partially or entirely, owing to a scaffold dropping suddenly, or from other causes. Should it in such a case be impossible to get a hole through the iron blocking up the tuyeres within a certain time, a new temporary tuyere, at a higher level, must be applied, and even this remedy often does not have the desired effect. There are, in fact, few cases in metallurgical practice where quick and effective measures are of greater importance and more imminently necessary than those mentioned above. Hitherto the opening of tapholes closed up by solid iron has usually been effected by forcing a hole through the iron by means of a steel bar driven by hand ham- mers. If hand methods do not suffice, a heavy ram, sus- pended on chains and worked by a dozen men, is em- ployed. However, it sometimes happens that the steel bar snaps off, leaving the broken end in the hole already made, or that the liquid iron cools down in coming out, and solidifies in front of the taphole, thus making mat- ters worse than they were before. Coke and heated blast, as well as sometimes employed for opening a closed-up taphole or tuyere, but these require too long a time to take effect, and, in the case of a tuyere, the latter is, as a rule, ut- terly destroyed by the operation. A strong electric cur- rent of from 400 to 1000 amperes has also been used for opening tapholes, but this method is similarly open to the objection that it does not work quickly enough, be- sides which it is very expensive. The Application of Compressed Oxygen in such cases has completely overcome all these diffi- culties, as a closed taphole or tuyere can be opened in a few minutes, besides which the method has the merit of being exceedingly simple and cheap, as will be seen from the following description. The iron to be burned through (pierced) is first heated from outside, at the spot selected for making the hole, by means of an oxy-hydrogen flame which, up to now, has proved to be the most useful for the purpose. It can, however, be replaced by any other combustible gas in case of necessity. The hydrogen and the oxygen gas are compressed in two separate steel flasks, each flask being provided with a suitable outlet valve, to regulate the pressure and the quantity of the escaping gas according to requirement. The burner consists of an outer and an inner tube, the outer tube supplying the hydrogen, and in the inner tube the oxygen. This simple appliance is worked as follows: The hydrogen is allowed to escape first, and is lighted, after which the stream of oxygen is turned on. The pressure of both gases is first kept low, but gradually raised and regulated in such a way as to give a very hot flame, which heats the spot upon which it impinges to a white heat. The pressure of the oxygen is then raised to such an extent that the iron commences to burn, which is shown by sparks being thrown about. The pressure of the oxygen is now further raised to 30 atmospheres and above, while the supply of hydrogen petroleum, are * Read before the May meeting of the Iron and Steel Insti- tute, London. THE IRON 1906 AGE May 17, is entirely stopped. It is now the iron alone which burns, thus replacing the hydrogen as a combustible, whereby, as shown hereafter, a degree of heat is developed which far surpasses that produced by means of oxy-hydrogen gas. The high pressure of the escaping oxygen, at the same time, serves to force out all the molten iron, thus keeping the hole burnt through perfectly clean through- out the operation. It can be shown that a solid block of cold iron or steel, say 16 inches thick, can in this way be pierced within one or two minutes. Why This Method Is So Effective, The heating effect of the oxy-hydrogen flame alone is far too low to serve the purpose of opening closed-up tap- holes or tuyeres. This is principally due to the fact that (on account of the comparatively great volume taken up by hydrogen) the loss of heat through derivation is much too large, as compared with iron, taking both, as in our case, as combustible matters into account. On burning one kilogram of hydrogen (with oxygen) 13,057 calories are produced, while -when burning iron (with oxygen) only 748 calories are generated. However, one kilogram of hydrogen occupies 87,234 times as much space as one kilogram of iron. Therefore, a certain vol- ume of iron, when burning with oxygen, produces about 5000 times as much heat as an equal volume of hydrogen in equal circumstances. When iron burns in oxygen the heat evolved is con- centrated on a comparatively very small area. This ex- plains the enormously high temperature produced, and the quick action, as mentioned before, notwithstanding that, at the same time, a considerable amount of cold is produced owing to the expansion of the compressed oxygen after leaving the steel flask. This shows itself at the tube leading the oxygen from the flask to the burner. which becomes coated with ice, the temperature of the tube being only about 14 dgrees F. The process above described yields remarkable results when employed for opening a blast or slag tuyere blocked up by iron, because the great heat produced when iron burns with oxygen might lead to the conclusion that the tuyere in question must be melted away, taking the thin- ness of metal in a tuyere into consideration. This, how- ever, is not the case. Experience has shown that, for instance, a slag tuyere of only 1% inch inner diameter can be thoroughly cleaned from all the iron adhering to it without being injured in any way, The tuyere does not get heated at all, but cools down, considering that the temperature of the oxygen coming from the tube is, as already stated, reduced below freezing point owing to expansion. Other Uses of the Oxygen Process, The oxygen process has been successfully applied for opening tapholes of open hearth furnaces where they have become blocked up with iron or steel. It is of great importance that no delay should occur in tapping an open hearth furnace as soon as the liquid metal has reached the desired degree of decarbonization, as otherwise its composition might change, owing to the delay, to such an extent as to render it useless for the desired purpose. The new process overcomes difficulties of this nature in a few minutes. Experiments are also being made as to the employ- ment of the new process for improving steel ingots by re- moving the pipe caused in the upper portion owing to shrinkage during cooling. The crust of solid steel or iron above the pipe is burnt through in the way already described, within less than a minute, and superheated liquid metal of the same quality as the rest of the ingot poured in. This thoroughly fills up the pipe. The ex- periments are not completed as yet, but the results so far obtained seem to promise final success. The oxygen process has also been successfully em- ployed in removing deadheads or runners on steel cast- ings. This is of special value in cases where the hard- ness of the steel casting is such as to resist the action of cutting the tool at the place where the deadhead or runner is joined to the casting. In rolling mills, where interruptions of work are very ‘costly, the oxygen process can be advantageously em- ployed in melting through and quickly removing any May 17, 1906 broken shaft or axle tree from couplings, fly wheels, &c., instead of causing long delay and expense in doing this work by means of chisels and drills. The oxygen process has also been successfully em- ployed for piercing armor plates for war ships and armored turrets. This is of special importance in case such plates are of hard metal. A hole through such a plate of, say 9-inch thickness, would require two or three hours if drilled in the ordinary way, while with, com- pressed oxygen this work can be done within 15 to 20 seconds. This remark applies also to the manufacture of hollowed weldless steel goods, either pressed or cast, especially if hard steel is used, where the driving in of a treblet might spoil the article in question. While, as already mentioned, oxy-hydrogen has proved the most convenient for producing the necessary initial heat, before applying the oxygen gas alone, in order to open blocked-up tapholes or tuyeres in furnaces, the elec- tric current has proved more convenient for the same purpose if armor plates, steel castings, &c., are to be pierced. A current of from 4 to 6 volts and 200 to 220 amperes is quite sufficient to produce the necessary initial heat before applying the oxygen. The oxygen process above described was invented and first practically applied by Dr. E. Menne, engineer to the Cologne Miisener Bergwerks Aktien Verein at Creuzthal, Westphalia. Some improvements have been effected and carried into practical operation by the Société Anonyme Oxhydrique Internationale at Brussels for cutting boiler plates, tubes, &c., so quickly and accurately that the oxygen process has secured favor as a_ trustworthy method for this purpose. The arrangement consists essen tially of two tubes which can be placed one behind the other, the first tube supplying oxy-hydrogen gas and the second oxygen gas. The oxy-hydrogen heats the plate up to a white heat, and the compressed oxygen burns (cuts) the plate exactly as desired. The apparatus for guiding the two tubes works in such an easy and exact manner that the slightest pressure of the finger tips suffices to guide it as desired. Finally, it may also be permissible to take the finan- cial outlook of the oxygen into consideration. The principal outlay is that for the oxygen gas, which, at present, costs about 3s. for 1000 cubic feet; but a re- duction in this price is expected. For opening a blocked- up taphole or a tuyere, as a rule, not more than 8 or 10 cubie feet of oxygen are required; in exceptional cases, however, from 20 to 40 cubic feet of oxygen gas are necessary. The apparatus itself is very simple and inex- pensive. It consists of two steel flasks, each with a re- ducing valve, and of a few yards of iron tubes and armored hose. Several blast furnace works in England, Germany, Austria, France and Belgium have already adopted the process, with satisfactory results. process Oe The Effect of Copper in Steel.—In a paper read at the recent meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute, F. H. Wigham of Wakefield, England, who is engaged in the manufacture of high class wire ropes, discussed the ef- fect of copper in steel, giving results obtained during the practical working of an open hearth steel furnace. He summarizes the results of the research as follows: “1. Copper is very difficult to alloy with steel so as to obtain a homogeneous mass containing over 2 per cent., even with the addition of aluminum. 2. Steel alloyed with copper in the pure form with the addition of aluminum is not so perfectly mixed as it is when it is added to the charge of steel in the furnace, and more copper could safely be employed provided it was in the metal before it was completely converted into steel. 3. In steel contain- ing 0.5 per cent. or more of carbon it is not of practical value to use more than 0.6 per cent. of copper. 4. The steel with 0.25 per cent. of copper and alloys up to 0.25 per cent. of copper with high carbon (say, of 0.70 per cent.) gives, with or without a high percentage of man- ganese, a good quality of wire. In conclusion, it may be considered as proved that copper to the extent of 0.25 per cent. is no disadvantage in the manufacture of the best classes of steel wire.” THE IRON AGE Fireproofed Steel Construction.* BY WILLIAM SOOY SMITH. The ease and perfection with which all the parts of steel structures can be accurately proportioned to the strains to which they are to be subjected; the lightness, uniformity, tenacity and unequalled capacity to withstand shocks, vibration and strains varying in intensity and direction; the cheapness and durability when properly used and protected from corrosion and high temperatures, all point to steel as the material par excellence for the tall structures, that have come to stay. These advantages are rapidly becoming well known and recognized by engineers, architects and builders, and the extensive and growing use of steel for bridges and buildings is the legitimate re- sult. With proper precautions in the use and protection of steel in the construction of a building it becomes the lightest, safest, cheapest and most durable edifice that be built. Whatever materials are employed in buildings, neglect of correct plans, faulty execution or want of proper pro- can tection and preservation is always dangerous and often fatal. There is no mystery in the precise methods to be