The Iron Age 1906-11-29: Vol 78 Iss 22

THE IRON AGE A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery and Metal Trades. Published every Vol. 78: No. 22. Reading Matter Contents Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘‘ Classified List of Advertisers * Advertising and Subscription Rates “ WANTED! CORLISS ENGINE and BOILER About 150 H. P. * GOOD SECOND HAND. Forster Pulley Works, Cuba, N. Y. The American Mfg. Co. Ropes and Twines 65 Wall Street, New York THE BRISTOL COMPANY Waterbury, Conn., U. - A. New York: 114 Libert 7 Chicago ; 758 Monadnoc Bldg. Bristol's Recording Instruments For Pressure, Temperature and Electricity. Simple, Aceurate, Reliable. All Ranges, Low Prices, and Guar- anteed. Send for Catalog R. SAMSON SPOT CORD Also Li d Italian H oe Laneg, sei Lie Hone SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TORNBUCKLES -— Branch Office, 11 Broadway, New York. Cleveland City Forge and iron Co., - Cleveland, O. A K® Machesney Bidg., Pittsburg Se Bldg ., Hee Vere Bidg., New York THE FELLOW who has a reputation and wants to keep it—specifies DROP . AMMER BROS, BROOKLYN, N.Y. MERRILL PILLING & CRANE Girard Building, Philada. ROOFING TIN and won’t take substitutes. SEE AMERICAN SHEET & TIN PLATE COMPANY’S Adv., Page 15. Thursday Morning New York, Thursday, November 29, 1906. (Water and Rail Delivery) Owners and Sole Manufacturers, by David Williams Co. 14-16 Park Place, New York. $5 OO a Year, inciuding Postage. Single Copies, 15 Centa. Big Enough for the Biggest Game The penetration of the Remington Autoload- ing Rifle is shown by this cut, showing steel 5-16 of an inch cleanly penetrated by the .35 calibre bullet. Five smashing knock down blows at light- ning speed,—a solid breech and safe safety,—a rifle that meets the requirements of big game hunters. List Price $30. For sale by all leading dealers, REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, Ilion, N. Y. SALES OFFICE AGERCY 8313 Broadway, New York City San Francisco, Cal. WATER TUBE Stirling Consolidated lll Broadway New York BOILERS Boiler Co., There is no Horse Nail to Compare With “The Capewell’’ It is the most Economical, the most Durable and the most Popular horse nail in the world. Made by The Capewell Horse Nail Company Hartford, Conn Jenkins °96 Packing is preferred by all engineers who have ever had the op- portunity to gain a full knowledge of its merits. It makes perfect joint instantly. It gives longest satisfactory ser- vice. Itis guaranteed. Write for booklet. JENKINS BROS., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, London. aoe eet etree THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING COMPA BRiperPort, Cox MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal forall Machinery Bearings Fac-Simile of Bar. leah ah Beware of : imitations MAGNOLIA METAL CO., 113-116 Bank Street, San Francisco, Montreal and Pt NEW YORK w e manufacture all grades of BabDiee Chicago, Fischer Bldg. Metals at competitive prices. It’s site 4 ltHas Always Been Easy— to get uniform marks ontheoutside of abox of Bright Charcoal Tin. The trick is to get a uni- form good quality IN the box that won’t shame the brand and the seller as well. Regular users of any of our five grades say we have made matters much smoother for them —are giving them what they want and are will- ing to pay for without argument or. protest of any kind. Follansbee Brothers Company Pittsburgh THE IRON AGE L SHOE mats BRASS PLAIN STRAIGHT FACTS lst. The best produced, A strong statement, but the goods rove it. rass cast and rolled on the premises. Care is taken in the stock, which is clean, ductile and the right temper. . Inspection rigid; packa contain perfect nails only. No splinters nor imperfect 2d. heads. . Packed in 2 oz, and 4 oz, metal boxes. 20z., 40z., 41b. and Ib. papers. One dozen packages in a carton. All goods full weight. Get our prices. RIVER COMPANY, FE, Waterbury, Conn. Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze & Metal Co. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Phosphor and Deoxidized Bronze Composition, Yellow Brass and Alumi- num Castings, large and <mal’ Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Be Werner Pee aH 105-109 So.Jefferson St., Chicago. Rest Bronze, Babbitt Metals Brass and Aluminum CASTINGS GERMAN SILVER The Seymour Mfg. Co., - <« HENDRICKS NICKEL ANODES BRASS, BRONZE, and GOPPER Seymour, Conn. BROTHERS #ROPRIETURS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS OF Brazxiers’ Bolt and Sheathing COPPER, CoOPrPrwER WwiRE AND RIVETS. Importers and Dealers in Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW Y_RK. THE Plume & ATwooo M6, Co, MAMUFACTURERES OF Sheet and Rall Brass WwiRes PRINTERS’: BRASS, ;JEWBLERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COP- PER RIVETS AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Kero- sene Burners, Lamps, Lemp Trimmings, &c. 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO. FACTORIES : ROLLING MILL: | WATERBURY, CONN, THOMASTON, CONN, SCOVILL MFG. CO. MANUFACTURERS OF BRASS, GERMAN SILVER, Sheets, Rolls, Wire Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp woods. Special Brass Goods to Order. FAOPORIES: WATERBURY, CONN. {Depors, NEW YORK. CHICAGO. HENTY Souther Engineering Co, HARTFORD, GONN, Consulting Chemists, Metallurgists and Analysts. Complete Physical Testing Laboratory. Expert Testimony in Court and Patent @ases. Arthur T. Rutter & C0. 256 Broadway NEW YORK Small tubing in Brass, Copper, Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire. Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Copper and Brass Rod. “ Search-Light”’ GAS Bicycle Lanterns Send for Circulars and Electrotypes. BOSTON. The BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Postal Telegraph Building, Broadway and Murray Street, NEW YORK PHOSPHOR-BRONZE GERMAN SILVER THE RIVERSIDE METAL CO. RIVERSIDE. N. J. THE IRON AGE New York, Thursday, November 29, 1906. The The Fox Machine Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., has recently made some marked improvements in its largest sizes of universal wood trimmers, designated as No. 6 F and No. 8 F. A view of the No. 8 F is herewith shown as Fig. 1. It is especially intended for pattern shops. This trimmer is built on the mechanical principle of a shearing cut. The cut is made by the knife shearing against the point of a gauge which is made to swing in Fox Universal Trimmer. bearing surfaces under the bed are in parallel lines on either side of the circular slot. As the gauge swings it is constantly held rigid by this style of construction. The pivot on the pivot block comes up with its center di- rectly under the spot where the cutting edge of the knife and the point of the gauge meet. The result is that in swinging the gauge the operator cannot help moving in the true are of a circle, with the gauge point always at the same exact spot. The construction of the gauge Is so rigid that it is possible to set it by the spring taper stop pins without locking it by the clamping lever, and make Te Iron Ace Fig. 1.—The Nv. 8 F Universal Trimmer Manufactured by the Fox Machine Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. the are of a circle. The rest of the machine is simply designed to facilitate this shearing operation. It nat- urally follows that the gauge and knife are the most vital points in trimmer construction. The trimmer gauge construction is shown in the sectional view, Fig. 2. A pivot block is fitted to the bot- tom of the gauge by a milled slot and tongue and is then fastened by two heavy screws, thus practically making the gauge and pivot block one solid piece. The broad bottom of the gauge rests flat on top of the bed of the machine. The pivot block passes down through the cir- cular slot in the bed and presents four carefully scraped and fitted bearings to the under side of the bed. The a heavy cut without springing the gauge a hair’s breadth. It has been demonstrated that no amount of wear will impair its accuracy or rigidity. It is an impossibility for the point of the gauge to be sheared off by the knives. The construction of these trimmers, by which it is possible to adjust the machine to compensate for wear, is shown in Fig. 3. It will be observed that by simply loosening the bolts which attach the main frame to’the bed of the machine and turning the set screws in the bottom of the frame a trifle the frame is lowered to a tight bearing. The heavy bolts or screws holding the frame to the bed are again tightened up and the machine is as good as new, as far as the main bearing surface is 1434 concerned. It is essential] that this bearing should be tight. Accurate work from a loose bearing is impossible. This method of taking up the wear brings the knife head back to its original vertical position at the same time and by the same operation that the looseness is removed. It will be noticed that the upright frame and the bridge connecting the two upright positions are all cast in one solid piece. This eliminates any spring in the knife head, and together with the adjustability to compensate for wear it makes a perfect construction. The triangle gauge attachments iNustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are additions to the machine which largely increase its utility. They are shown in connection with the small No. 4 A bench trimmer to economize space. Fig. 4 represents the trimming of a shoulder on a half lap or tenon, sometimes spoken of as trimming into a check. The position of the knives and gauges, both standing at 45 degrees, make it possible to trim down completely to the bottom, leaving an absolutely square, smooth surface. Fig. 5 illustrates cutting a compound angle. A hopper shaped figure or any four-sided figure with the four corners fitted together at a miter and the sides sloping out at any desired angle can be cut. Fig. 6 illustrates the trimming of a wide miter. It is possible to miter a piece on edge as wide as the machine will cut instead of as high as the machine will cut, as is the case without the auxiliary gauge. Fig. 7 shows the easiest and most satisfactory way of trimming an outside miter on a crown or sprung molding. A reverse pattern of the piece of molding 4 or 5 in. long can be made in a few moments’ time. A pair of these auxiliary triangular gauges of a proportionately larger size accompanies each style of F Fox universal trimmer. Their utility on the larger machines is even more striking. The diagram, Fig. 8, shows the way in which every individual degree is laid out on the bed, so that the gauge can be instantly set at any desired angle. This is claimed to be done with a degree of accuracy never before attempted on a machine of this kind. One of the most useful and perhaps the most novel feature on the machine is the segment cutting device, also shown on Fig. 8. Degree lines for 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 sided figures are extended in length until they meet those radiating from the opposite side of the machine or reach the edge of the bed. On these lines appear graduations, which are at such angle to the radiating line that they will tn- dicate the proper angle at which to trim the ends of the’ Lenlliibeial SCREWS YW) Lela ES i: A N veo PERMANENT BEARINGS PIVOT BLOCK \ CENTER OF PivoT ‘THE IRON AGE Fig. 2.—Vertical Section of the Fox Universal Trimmer Gauge. designated number of segments in order to have them produce perfect joints between the ends—that is, they are complementary to the angle produced by the degree lines and the cut of the knife. These graduations are so spaced that in each case they indicate inches of diam- eter for finished circles of the designated number of seg- ments. The No. 8 F machines have a capacity for hand- ling the work up to 8 ft. in diameter, with 12 segments to the circle. Without the aid of the company’s patent segment stop rod or gauge the use of this diagram stamped on the bed ‘ THE IRON AGE November 29, 1906 would be comparatively unsatisfactory. For instance, to hold 12 pieces by hand or ordinary stop gauge so accu- rately that there will be no variations in length or angle would be almost impossible. In order to produce perfect glue joints it is necessary to have the 12 pieces the same length and at exactly the required angle at both ends. This stop rod or gauge is made of one piece of 5-in. square steel bar, with a sliding thumbscrew clamp at the back end and a patent head at the front. For the purpose of locating this securely a side brace is furnished, with a similar sliding thumbscrew clamp. The head of this WN D WW S WW S CARRIAGE 8To°e SS S y Y Y, Vd Yi LOWER Bearing OF CARRIAGE SS OW HOLE. U Ws 5 ever L/W SN N Yj AG CENTER oF ADJUSTING SCREWS—> \ . 8.—Vertical Section of the Universal Trimmer Frame," Showing the Adjustment to Compensate for Wear. stop rod gauge is fitted with a compression spring. It has a compression movement of a little over % in. At the extremity of the compression head is a floating mem- ber, which can be arranged to stand at any desired angle as called for by the different numbers of pieces which are to compose the finished circle. The gauge is located by simply fastening the two thumb screws. In connection with this segment cutting device the copyrighted plates, as shown in Fig. 9, are immensely valuable. They save head work in laying out as well as hand work in working out patterns. The plates are self-explanatory. On the machines these plates are of etched brass, and attached to the knife guard so that they are before the operator at all times. —_——_¢@-e____ In an address at the Hngineering and Machinery Exhibition at London on October 4, on “ Large Gas En- gines,” H. A. Humphrey. M. Inst. C. E., said that under favorable working conditions a large gas engine develops a horsepower hour for 0.8 lb. of coal, while a steam en- gine takes about 2 lb. In Germany, with 24 makers in the field, competition has led to improvements in design. While German and Belgian firms have met heavy losses in their gas engine experiments, the possibilities of these engines have had better appreciation on the Con- tinent, where coal is dearer. The speaker had informa- tion to the effect that the use of gas engines and elec- trical equipment of the rolling mills has reduced the price of finished products 13s. to 18s. a ton. While the list was not complete he had obtained particulars of 531 large gas engines, having a total of 544,240 hp. November 29, 1906 The Uses of the Blower in the Foundry. No device is more vital to the operation of the mod- ern foundry than that by which air, under the requisite pressure, is supplied to the ignited fuel within the cu- pola. Cupolas may vary in their proportions, and coal, coke and iron in their quality, but under no conditions Fig. 4.—Trimming a Shoulder on a Half Lap or Tenon. can successful melting be accomplished without the em- ployment of some device partaking of the nature of a blower. Although most important, this is by no means Fig. 6.—Trimming a Wide Miter. THE IRON AGE 1435 3. The so-called rotary blower with close fitting re- volving propellers, and, 4. The blowing engine, acting upon the principle of the plunger pump, and capable of producing pressures several pounds to the square inch. Of these four types, the second, or propeller type, is absolutely valueless for cupola work, because of its ina- Fig. 5.—Cutting a Compound Angle. Fig. 7.—Trimming an Outside Miter on a Crown Molding. How the Triangle Gauge Attachments to the Fox Universal Trimmer Are Used. Fig. 8.—The Bed of a Fox Universal Trimmer, Showing the Manner in Which Every Degree from 30 to 150 Is Laid Out on the Bed. the sole purpose for which a blower is, or may be, em- ployed in a foundry. Under the broad term “ blower” may be classed four types of machines, differing widely in their construction and operation: 1. The peripheral discharge fan wheel with enclosing case. 2. The propeller or disk wheel, discharging its air in lines practically parallel to its axis. bility to produce the required air pressure; while the fourth, or blowing engine type, is too complicated and expensive for use in the ordinary foundry. For all pur- poses, except blowing cupolas, the fan blower is. the only type which is adaptable. Volume and Pressure. According to the purpose for which they are designed, fan blowers may be classed either as volume blowers or Saree or ce 1436 pressure blowers, although one type naturally merges into the other. In either type the fan blower, proper, consists in its simplest form of a number of blades ex- tending radially, or nearly so, from its axis and present- ing practically flat surfaces to the air as they revolve. By the action of the wheel the air is drawn in axially at the centre and delivered from the tips of the blades in a tangential direction. It is therefore designated as a centrifugal fan, or, more properly, as a peripheral dis- charge fan. If volume alone, regardless of pressure, is the requis- ite, the larger the fan the less the power required. There is a strong temptation, however, for a purchaser to buy a smaller fan and run it at a higher speed; for he sees only the first cost and does not realize the entailed ex- penditure for extra power. If possible, a fan should never be made so small that it is necessary to run it above the required pressure in order to deliver the neces- sary volume. To double the volume under such condi- tions requires eight times the power; three times the volume demands 27 times the power. For certain purposes, such as the blowing of cupola THE FOX MACHINE CO. TRA REGULAR POLYGONS L_ 40 | b4 30 | 150 | 5176] 1.866 | 75 _| 3 ‘4 5 6 7 —S 4 a“ ott GRAPHIC SOLUTION OF FINDING. LENGTHS OF SEGMENTS IN A 4 |CIRCLE COPYRIGHTED Fig. 9.—Instruction Plates Attached to Every F Fox Universal Trimmer to Save the Time of Workmen.—They Are Copyrighted by the Fox Machine Company. furnaces, a comparatively small volume of air is re quired, but under high pressure. For exhausting, blow- ing boiler fires, and the like, the volume required is greater and the pressure relatively less. The former wheel requires to be narrow at the circumference, thus providing for the escape of only a small amount of air. When a fan is employed for exhausting hot air or gases, the speed required to maintain a given pressure differ- ence is evidently greater than that necessary when cold air is handled, the difference being due, and inversely proportional, to the absolute temperature. The Fan Blower, First of all among the different types of fan blowers employed in the foundry is the pressure blower for blow- ing the cupola. The fan wheel is narrow, with tapering sides, reducing to the minimum width at the outer cir- cumference, where the air escapes from the wheel into the surrounding case. Numerous curved blades or floats serve by their continuous action to prevent the return of this air to the wheel center and thereby maintain the pressure due to their tip velocity. There are many other uses of the fan blower in the foundry—uses in which it has no practical competitor. Employed as an exhaust fan and properly designed for its wo"? \t has found an extended application fot remov- THE IRON EP GEC se SPS” NY RAPIDS, MIGKULS.L 60" 11.732 TO FIND LENGTH OF A CHORD OF A GIVEN 1.4142).5 | 45 | seomewr, mucriuy ms axons AGE November 29, 1906 ing the dust from tumbling barrels, from emery wheels, and, in fact, for exhausting dust, smoke or objectionable gases from any machine or apartment in which they are generated. For such work the fan is driven at com- paratively low speed, and proper connéction made to the space or spaces from which the objectionable matter is to be drawn. This passes through the fan and thence to any desired place of deposit and is discharged into the open atmosphere. In the case of the pattern shop, which usually forms an adjunct of the foundry, a fan of this type in the form of a planing mill exhauster is usually of advantage for the removal of shavings and sawdust. The width of the wheel in such a fan is far greater, both at inlet and out- let, than that of a pressure blower wheel. A large vol- ume of air at comparatively low pressure is thus passed through the fan with a minimum expenditure of power. For Heating and Drying. A similar type of fan on a larger scale is used in connection with a steam pipe heater, for the heating and ventilation of the model foundry. By the concentration of all the pipe in a single heater, across which large volumes of air are caused to pass, the amount of pipe is reduced to from one-third to one-fifth of that which would be required if it were strung around the foundry, as in the case of direct radiation. This concentration of the heating surface also serves to reduce to a minimum all possibility of freezing, renders the regulation of temperature as simple as is possible, and presents numerous other advantages. The heated air is distributed by means of the fan through a more or less extended system of underground ducts, with vertical wall flues or of overhead galvanized iron piping. The large quantity of air thus sup- plied secures adequate ventilation, causes all air leakage to be out- ward and serves to keep the foun- dry comfortable and clear of gas and steam during the heat, if cool or slightly tempered air be then supplied. A similar form of apparatus, de- signed to deliver air at high tem- perature, may be employed for dry- ing flask and pattern lumber, when the quantity is sufficient to warrant the arrangement. Forced Draft, Although the boiler plant in connection with an _ independent foundry is usually of somewhat limited size, nev- ertheless the fact should not be overlooked that the fan blower is rapidly usurping the place of the chimney in the production of draft, or serving as its assistant in securing desired results. Applied to force the air into a closed ashpit it creates a pressure which makes possi- ble a high combustion rate, the burning of cheap fuel and the attainment of the maximum capacity of the boilers. Employed as an exhauster, through which the gases are drawn, it, in addition, does away with the necessity of a high chimney. Under either form of appli- cation perfect contro] may be maintained over the draft pressure, and it may be automatically increased or de- creased coincidentally with a slight fall or rise in the steam pressure, which thus remains almost absolutely constant. Either as a convenience or as a necessity the fan blower is ever in demand in the foundry, and its forms of application are constantly increasing. It therefore stands to-day as a specific type of machine, whose gen- eral advantages and peculiar adaptability are becoming more and more familiar to every manufacturer and engl- neer. —————— It is stated that 231 municipal acetylene plants are now In use in this country. November 29, 1906 lAutogenous Welding with the Oxy- Acetylene Flame. BY S. D. V. BURR. In The Iron Age of November 1 brief mention was made of the use of the oxy-acetylene blowpipe for the welding of metals. The great heat of this flame, 3500 degrees C., or 1500 degrees above that of the oxy-hydrogen flame, renders it applicable for a wide range of work. The flame can be directed wherever needed without trouble, can be maintained as long as may be desirable, and can be readily regulated according to the requirements of the work. Owing to the interest which the article referred to has aroused, we present in the following a more com- plete account of the apparatus and method of handling it, and of the work to which the process has been suc- cessfully applied. The one characteristic which has done most to make this process of welding commercially available and which has overcome the objections existing in the case of the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe, has been the introduction of so- called “ epurite.” This substance when brought into con- tact with water liberates oxygen, the action being analo- gous in every respect with that caused by water on cal- cium carbide, except of course that the one releases oxygen and the other acetylene gas. The oxygen thus obtained is chemically pure and is produced at a cost very much less than the present price of the gas in tanks. Further than this it can be generated wherever and when- ever required and in any desired volume; this, as just stated, widens the field of application and does away with the troublesome and expensive handling of cumbersome receivers. The oxygen part of the equipment is by this means brought within reach of all industries having need of it, and the epurite, being absolutely without dangerous properties, is carried by transportation companies at the lowest freight rate granted chemical compounds. One kilogram of epurite yields about 55 liters of oxygen at a temperature of from 59 to 68 degrees F. Description of the Generating Apparatus, The acetylene part of the equipment consists of a generator and receiver of the usual form and of such size aS may be required by the work in hand. The pres- sure of both gases at the blowpipe should be about 60 in. of water. The oxygen generator is charged with epurite and water. A solution of stlphate of iron flows into this generator and acts purely as a catalytic agent for the pro- duction of the oxygen. Acting in this manner it facill- tates the generation of the gas, and of course has no ef- fect upon the purity of the product. From the generator the oxygen passes to a holder from which it is compressed to a pressure of 10 atmospheres by a compressor which delivers the gas to a third tank, from which it is led to the blowpipe, first passing through a gas regulator which reduces the pressure to 60 in. of water. For some kinds of work a higher pressure than this is required. This is particularly true in the cutting of thick plates with the blowpipe when it is necessary to carry the flame down into the kerf as the cutting pro- ceeds. This will be understood when the statement is made that the flame can be used at a distance of 15 to 18 in. from the outlet of the blowpipe, and the high pressure is required in order to obtain this carrying power. The pressure of 60 in. of water has been determined so as to be assured that the speed of the mixture at the outlet of the blowpipe would be sufficient to counteract the pos- sibility of the gases burning back before reaching the exit. The Flame, When starting the blowpipe the acetylene valve is first turned on full and then the oxygen is admitted until the flame has only a single cone. An excess of acetylene is indicated by the flame assuming a white color and by the appearance of two cones; the flame is then a carbureting one, and if the metal heated is steel sparks will be emitted, thereby indicating the formation of cast iron. An excess of oxygen is shown by the flame having a vio- let tint and the heated metal being very bright. THE IRON AGE 1437 No flux is required for the welding of any metal and the joint is formed by the perfect metallic union of the parts, which are actually fused together. Oxidation of the metal heated is impossible, and it is to this fact that the success of this process is mainly due. This will be perfectly understood when the temperature of the flame is considered. At 3500 degrees C. the dissociation point is passed and the water and carbonic acid resulting from the reaction are dissipated; their formation cannot take place within the direct influence of the flame. The molten metal is protected by the hydrogen and carbonic oxide generated, and neither oxidation nor carburation is pos sible within the flame. These two gases, escaping from the flame, are burned into water and carbonic acid by the surrounding atmosphere. The gases are consumed in nearly equal volumes, the acetylene being 1 to 1.1 of oxygen, the excess of the latter being principally due to the consumption during the regu- lation trials. Welding steel sheets from 1-25 to 3-25 in thick requires from 100 liters to 250 liters of both gases per hour, and for plates 3-5 in. thick the consumption is 1150 liters. Sheets 3-25 in. thick can be welded at the rate of 60 in. per hour, and sheets 3-5 in. can be welded at the rate of 15 in. per hour. During the process of welding the apex of the cone is kept about 2-25 in. from the metal. The edges of the metal are fused and at the same time the joint is slightly overloaded by melting a rod of the same metal in the flame. In appearance the joints made in this way bear a very strong resemblance to the ordinary burned joint made in lead—there is the same flowing or wavy appear- ance of the metal. The unfinished joint is stronger than the body of the metal, and the finished joint has 95 per cent. of the strength of the original metal. Application of the Process The process has been successfully applied to the weld- ing of steel and composition plates, in the making of tanks and boilers, for much of the automobile work that was formerly done by brazing, and for the making of angles, T’s and Y’s in pipe. Iron, steel, copper, brass and cast iron have been effectively welded. In welding thick pieces it is necessary to bevel the edges, and in brass and some other alloys the joint is filled with borax moistened with water; this is done not as a flux but to prevent the zinc, which is volatilized, from being deposited on the welded part. This flame has been. used to cut metals, and for this purpose it has been found to have many advantages, since the flame, owing to the pressure at which it issues from the blowpipe, can be greatly elongated. It can therefore be made to penetrate to the bottom of the cut as the work proceeds. In cutting steel 5 in. thick the kerf is only about 4 in. wide. The action in no sense resembles that of the oxy-hydrogen flame which has been perfected recently by a Belgian engineer, as was described in The Iron Age of November 1. In that process the iron was first reduced to an oxide and the oxide was then melted, the success of the method depending upon the fact that the oxide melts at a lower temperature than the pure metal. In the oxy-acetylene process the metal itself is melted by the tremendous heat of the flame and it flows from the cut as a pure metal. The oxy-acetylene process is handled in this country by the Industrial Oxygen Company, Hanover Bank Build- ing, New York City. oe Gas cleansing fans of the centrifugal water spray type, made by the Buffalo Forge Company, Buffalo, N. Y., are meeting with success, as evidenced by the fact that the Carnegie Steel Company has placed an order for 10 full housing right hand bottom horizontal discharge fans, with two inlets arranged for suction from above, to be used at the Carrie furnaces. These fans are eaeh to handle 15,000 cu. ft. of gas per minute, and are almost exact duplicates of those recently installed at the Edgar Thomson furnaces. The Southern Pacific Company’s purchasing depart- ment’s address will be Flood Building, San Francisco, Cal, commencing November 30. - tance between the shafts 1438 THE An Extra Heavy Newton Slotter. A new extra heavy all geared slotting machine, which is probably the heaviest of its type on the market, has been designed and built by the Newton Machine Tool Works, Philadelphia, for one of the large shops in the Pittsburgh District. It is also believed to be the first arranged with pneumatic clutch drive. The ram has a full stroke of 33 in. and is driven through compound gearing by a 10-hp. variable speed motor, the reversing being effected by the pneumatic clutches. The rack of the ram is steel, 5 in. face, and is operated by a steel bull wheel. The ram is counterbalanced by a weight running at the back of the machine and is fitted in a hood which is adjustable vertically on the bar, being used in a low position for heavy cutting. The ram is also fitted with a relief tool block. The machine shown in the illustra- tions, Figs. 1 and 2, is driven by a Ridgeway motor hav- ing a feed variation of 5 to 1. The circular carriage is 48 in. in diameter over the tee slots and 56 in. in diam- eter over all, and has an in-and-out and a cross feed of 40 in. The circular table is furnished with quick acting variable feed motion in all directions, the in-and-out, cross and circular motions being all controlled from the carriage, so that the operator can stand in one position and direct all three movements. The distance from the face of the ram to the frame is 36 in. and the machine will admit work 34 in. high above the circular table. Its approximate weight is 35,000 lb. The driving bull wheel is 24% in. in diameter and has 47 teeth. A detail of the pneumatic clutch, which is the in- vention of John Riddell, is given in Fig. 3. The position it occupies on the machine is shown in Fig. 1. The pin- ion on the motor meshes directly with the rawhide gear a, through which the intermediate shaft b is driven by the gear c, The other gear d on the shaft b and the gear ¢ provide the two driving speeds for the up and down motions of the ram, each gear meshing with a gear free to revolve on the shaft g when the double clutch is in its central position. The gear e gives’ the slower speed for the cutting stroke, and the gear f the quick return. As the gears c and e fix the dis- b and g, it is necessary to use an intermediate gear between d and f (not shown in the line draw- ing, Fig. 3) to transmit the drive. This is made clear in Fig. 1. With the clutch in one or the other of its positions to the left or right, the shaft g is driven in forward or re- verse directions, and through a pinion at its left hand end drives the ram actuating gearing in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The operation of the clutch is as follows: Air is admitted by a two-way valve, which may be seen in Fig. 2, to either of the inlets h and i. The latter con- nects through a small pipe j with ports in a piston which is a part of the shaft g. Admitting air to the left hand face of it causes the clutch to travel in that direction, engaging the part of the clutch associated with the gear e. This is the movement which produces the down stroke of the ram. The ram having reached the lower limit of its stroke, as determined by an adjustable dog, a lever connected with the two-way valve is thrown, re- versing the flow of air so that it enters at h. This open- ing connects through an annular passage surrounding the tube j with ports leading to the right face of the piston. Pressure in this space causes the clutch to be thrown to the opposite side, engaging the gear f with the shaft g, and operating the ram for the quick return. In the intermediate positions both members of the clutch are disengaged, allowing the spindle g to stand IRON AGE November 29, 1906 still while the motor continues to run. This corresponds to a condition when either no air is admitted to the clutch or when the pressure on both sides of the piston is balanced, and the manipulation of the actuating lever by means of the handle shown in Fig. 2 accomplishes this result. The construction of the clutch is well brought out in the line drawings, showing the attachment of the segments of apple wood for the friction surfaces of the clutch. The speed is designed so that the intermediate shaft runs at about 840 rev. per min., corresponding with a cutting speed of 30 ft. per min. on the down stroke of the ram. The return is faster in the ratio of 1 9-10 to 1. —_—_9--e——______- Surface condenser tests on an elaborate scale have shown that it is conductive to efficiency to intercept and Fig. 1.—The Operator’s Side of the New Extra Heavy Slotter Built by the Newton Machine Tool Works, Philadelphia. remove the water of condensation from the condenser as soon as possible after it-is formed; also that the con- denser capacity should be a minimum consistent with the accommodation of the necessary surface, and that the design should be such as to secure a pervading and uni- form flow of vapor throughout the condenser section, thus utilizing the whole of the condensing surface pro- vided, as well as obviating stagnant recesses in which air might be retained; further, that the condensing water should travel at a fairly high speed through the tubes and that it should enter at the bottom and leave at the top of the condenser. With suitable condenser design and proportions, and in conjunction with dry air pumps, a condensation rate of 20 lb. of steam per square foot of surface per hour will be maintained in associa- tion with 28%-in. vacuum, and a quantity of condensing water equal to 24 times the feed water, at an inlet tem- perature of 50 degrees F. Under the above conditions and in conjunction with dry air pumps a condensation rate of 35 lb. of steam per square foot of surface per hour will be maintained in association with a vacuum of November 29, 1906 28% in., and a quantity of condensing water equal to 28 times the feed water, at an inlet temperature of 50 de- grees F. Undue importance has been given in some published statements recently to discoveries of manganese ores in Fig, 2.— RAW HIDE CEAR s2T, 4 P. THE IRON AGE 1439 discovery of manganese in large quantities” is subject to a very heavy discount. A powerful rotating tower crane, operated by elec- tricity and dealing with normal loads up to 160 tons, has recently been erected for the Port and Docks Board of Dub- lin, Ireland.- The rotating part consists of a vertical crane post, with a horizontal braced truss over it. The lower part of the crane post rests on a cylindrical bearing, while the upper horizontal thrust is borne by rollers on a ring bearing fixed to the trestle surrounding the crane post. The machinery for hoisting and traversing is housed in a room which, together with the counterweight, is erected on the short arm of the truss. The greatest hight of the load hook above the quay wall is 70 ft. The hoisting hight is 100 ft. The radius for the auxiliary lift of 20 tons is 80 ft., that for the main lift of 160 tons being 75 ft. ‘The crane will lift 150 tons at the rate of 3 ft. per minute, 50 tons at 10 ft. per minute, 20 tons at 20 ft. per minute. The main and auxiliary lifting motors are of 60 and 40 hp., respectively; the traversing motor 130 and the slewing motor 15 hp. They operate on 500-volt direct current circuits. As an example of the saving in room occasioned by the use of steam turbines, the case of the Kent avenue power station of the Brooklyn (N. Y.) Rapid Transit Company has been cited. The 5500-kw. turbo generator installed there takes up in itself a much smaller space than would be required for a reciprocating unit of similar capacity. Not only this, but the decrease in the neces- sary size of foundations is noteworthy. The ma- chine is supported upon concrete piers about 3 ft. square, upon which rest steel and concrete gir- ders, to which the ma- chine is bolted. The con- denser is directly be- neath the low pressure end, and the room avail- able around and between the piers gives sufficient space for all the auxill- aries, without encroach- ing at all upon the main View of the Opposite Side of the Newton Slotter. APPLE WOOD FRICTION FREE FIT WHEN CENTRAL West Virginia. Fig. 3.—Cross Section of the Riddel! Pneumatic Clutch Used on the Newton Slotter. From what has long been known of the thin and unprofitable veins of these ores occasionally met with in that State, the recent announcement of “the THE (RON AGE floor. The saving effected affects floor space, cubical con- tents, cost of foundation and wall construction of the power station. 1440 The Woods Improved Knife Grinder. The new automatic knife grinder, No. 226, built by the S. A. Woods Machine Company, Boston, Mass., for grinding wood planer and other machine knives, embodies a number of important changes and improvements. The general design of the machine has been materially altered and a number of features have been introduced to in- crease its efficiency and the scope and the excellence of its product. The grinder, of which Fig. 1 shows the general appearance, is built in two sizes, taking knives of a maximum length of 30 and 42 in., respectively. An important addition to the machine is a device which provides for the exact duplication of knife bevels, as shown in Fig. 2. On the end of the knife bar, or rest, 4 f * * *eseaes ae ta THE IRON AGE November 29, 1906 cone pulleys has been substituted for a chain drive, the second steps being used to speed up the grinding wheel when it becomes reduced in size. A swinging tightener pulley takes up the slack and permits the use of an end- less belt. The hood has been made adjustable trans- versely on planed ways, so that it may be retracted with respect to the decreasing diameter of the wheel as it The water tanks are removable for cleaning, and are hung on the back of the machine. The whee] and stand are automatically fed to the knife by a cross feed device, consisting of a pawl and ratchet mechanism actuated by dogs on the knife car- riage, one of the dogs depressing the roll stud on the arm containing the pawl at each movement of the car- riage to the right or left, causing the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel, turning it and the screw on which it is wears. F‘g. 1.—The No. 226 New Automatic Knife Grinder Built by the 8. A. Woods Machine Company, Boston, Mass. to which the knife is clamped while being ground, is cast a plate, D, notched to engage the head of the adjustable threaded stop C. A notch gives approximately the angle desired, and screwing or unscrewing the stop permits of exact adjustment, this operation being assisted by a grad- uated scale on the plate D. The stop is hinged so that it may be thrown back while the knife is being clamped to the rest or removed from it. After the adjustment of an angle is once obtained knife after knife can be ground to the exact angle, the replacing of the stop in the correct notch always giving the same angle to the knife rest, when it is returned to working position after having been thrown over for replacing the work. Extending the length of the knife rest is a pivot shaft, between the sup- ports of which the rest is clamped when in grinding posi- tion. The shaft is threaded on one end, and on the thread is loosely mounted a handle nut, A, which when turned draws the shaft to the right, binding to it the supporting standards. The rest is operated by the handle B. ‘ A belt drive for the grinding wheel with two-step mounted, and feeding the wheel to the work. The amount to be ground is determined by a graduated index having a disengaging stop, which can be set to stop the feed automatically when a predetermined amount has been re noved in the grinding. The amount of feed can be set from zero to any desired feed. The travel of the carriage is automatic in both directions, and is controlled by a@ justable dogs which act upon the reversing lever. The top of the supporting way of the bed is protected by a cap or covering which constitutes a part of the guide to retain the carriage in proper position and prevents grit from reaching the guiding surfaces. A feature of the work of this machine is the grinding of planer knives, a special knife bar being provided for the purpose. A number of knives are clamped to this bar, which in turn is clamped to the regular knife bar. The wheel stand and countershaft boxes are of a pat- ent side wing clamp type with ring oiler. The cap of the box, instead of being forced down upon the shaft, finds its own position and is there locked from the side November 29, 1906 THE The Holding Power of Railroad Spikes. In Bulletin No. 6 of the University of Illinois Engi- meering Experiment Station, Roy I. Webber, instructor in civil engineering, gives the results of experiments to de- termine the resistance to withdrawal offered by the same type of spike in different timbers and -by different forms ef spikes in the same timber, and to determine whether timber preservative has any influence upon the resist- amee. The conclusions of the author are summarized as follows: 1. The maximum resistance to direct pull varies from 6000 f 14,000 Ib. for screw spikes, from 3000 to 8000 Ib. for ordl- @ary spikes, when driven into untreated timbers, and from 4000 te 9000 Ib. for ordinary spikes when driven into treated timbers. 2. The direct pull required to withdraw ordinary spikes \ im varies from 2000 to 3500 Ib. for untreated timbers, and from 2500 to 3500 lb. for treated timbers. 3. The direct pull required to withdraw ordinary spikes % in, waries from 3000 to 5400 Ib. for untreated timbers, and from 3808 to 5900 Ib. for treated timbers. 4. Timbers having loose fiber structures have lower resist- gmces to direct pull than timbers having compact fiber structures. 5. The amount of withdrawal which must occur for ordinary THE IRON AGE Pig. 2.—End Elevation of the Knife Grinder. New 8S. A. Woods Automatic spikes to develop the maximum resistance is less for soft woods than for hard woods. 6. Spikes driven into treated timber offer a greater resist- gece to direct pull than spikes in untreated timbers, and the @@erence between this resistance for treated and untreated tim- bers is greater for soft woods than for hard woods. 7. The difference in the resistance to direct pull @@erent sized spikes in use (9-16-in, very small. 8. The resistance of ordinary spikes to direct pull varies @rectily as the depth of penetration, neglecting the tapering point. 9. Blunt pointed and bevel pointed spikes have a slightly greater resistance to direct pull than chisel pointed spikes. 10. For withdrawals less than \% in., ordinary spikes which are driven into bored holes have a little greater resistance to @rect pull than spikes driven in the ordinary way. 11. The resistance to direct pull for redriven spikes is from @ to 80 per cent. of the resistance of newly driven spikes. 12. The efficiency of screw spikes to resist withdrawal is g@early twice as great as that of common spikes. 13. The resistance of %-in. spikes to lateral displacement is SMightly greater than that of 9-16-in. spikes. 14. The resistance to lateral displacement Increases with the depth of penetration, but the increase is negligible for depths ef penetration greater than 4 in. 15. Screw spikes are more efficient than ordinary spikes in resisting lateral displacement. Of the 90 screw spikes used in making these tests only two were broken. One was broken under a tension of for the 19-32-in. and %-in.) is IRON AGE 1441 14,000 Ib., the break being caused by an incipient crack just under the head of the spike. The other spike broke under the fourth blow of the hammer, this break being due to uncombined graphite in the metal. As the spikes were obtained from different sources, and were of dif- ferent manufacture, it is thought that the test was suffi- ciently severe to show that the screw spike, as manu- factured at present, will successfully withstand the shocks of passing trains. ~~». e—_—_—_ — The Robertson No. 7 Rapid Cut Power Saw. The accompanying illustration shows the Robertson No. 7 rapid cut power saw, having a cutting capacity of 12 x 17 in., just brought out by the Robertson Mfg. Com- pany, Buffalo, N. Y. Owing to the very large capacity of this machine the design is varied somewhat from the reg- ular machines made by the company. The base is of the box pattern, on which the head casting is bolted, both surfaces being planed. On the head is a large hub forming the support or bearing for the slide bar bearings, connecting the saw frame and having a guide bar extended at the top. A forked open- ing engages the frame to keep it in alignment. The crank The Robertson No. 7 Rapid Cut Power Saw. wheel is mounted on a shaft extending through the head bearing on which the drive gear is secured, engaging with a pinion on the pulley shaft. The gears are cut from the solid metal, with tight and loose pulley for a 2-in. belt, with a speed of 120 rev. per min. The knee for holding the work is planed and has ways provided to run in bearings planed on the face of the base, thus providing for large work and keeping the angle of the frame in position to get the benefit of gravity feed. The knee is secured to the base by a bolt in a slot in front of it. In cutting beams, angles and large work bolts and straps are used, the knee having holes at equal distances. A vise is also furnished that will hold work up to 12 in. A special knee is also made for this machine at a small additional eost in the form of a holder for sawing the openings in crank shafts, for which work this machine is specially suited. The feed is gravity and is variable by the coun- terweight. ————+-e—___ The Lukens Iron & Steel Company, Coatesville, Pa., has enlarged its steel making capacity by the addition of three 50-ton open hearth furnaces. The company has further recently completed its new flanging department, which enables twice as much machine flanged work to be turned out as formerly and of a heavier character. Some very heavy machine flanging of marine boiler plates and other such work has recently been done. The output of the company’s plant is larger now than ever before, hav- ing amounted to over 200,000 tons of plates for the busi- ness year ending October 31. 1442 The Leather Belting Manufacturers’ Association. A representative gathering of leather belting manu- facturers attended the annual meeting of the Leather ~ Belting Manufacturers’ Association, held in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, on Wednesday, November 21. The session began early in the afternoon and a large part of it was given up to a discussion of the price list, which was finally revised, and the new schedule which went into effect the following day shows a general in- crease of 12% per cent. This, coupled with the advance of 10 per cent. made last year, has increased the price of leather belting nearly 25 per cent. more than it was two years ago. The Executive Committee, which had the advance under consideration, reported