The Iron Age 1909-04-08: Vol 83 Iss 14

THE IRON AGE Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co. 14-16 Park Place, New York. Vol. 83: No. 14. New York, Thursday, April 8, 1909 Single Copies, 10 cents Reading Matter Contents........ page 1172 ee Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘‘ 184 Classified List of Advertisers . 174 Advertising and Subscription Rates ‘“* 1179 REED F. BLAIR & CO. PRICK BUILDING, PITTSBURG, PA. STANDARD -‘ONNFLSVILLE COKE POUNDRY PURNACE CRUSHED The original and only Genuine **STILLSON WRENCH ”’ is manufactured by Our advertising aim is to create a demand—to make it only necessary for the dealer to stock up. We recently spoke of the big gun aimed at 10,000,000 Country newspaper readers. We now refer to the gun we fire at 1,710,504 readers of sportsmen’s publications—every man a hunter. Get your share of the demand which we create. Stock up with U.M.C, shells and cartridges. Window Hangers and Display Cards for the Asking. THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE COMPANY Bridgeport, Conn. Agency, 313 Broadway, New York City ral WALWoRTH MFG. CO., Besten, U. $. A. And bears their registered Trade-Mark WATER TUBE O%e Babcock @ Wilcox Co., BOILERS See page 50 “9 —. Ton | The Bristol Compeny, Waterbury, Ct. $ SPOT CORD Called for by al! architects and builders, because it is guaranteed free from imperfections. Samson Cordage Werks, Boston, Mass, THE MOST SERVICEABLE HORSESHOE NAIL No matter how severe the conditions “‘ Capewell’’ TURNBUCKLES nails can always be relied upon to HOLD THE —i, ff 2 SHOE and SAVE unnecessary EXPENSE. Cleveland City Forge and Iron Co., Cleveland, 0 runwsuc#z=-|| — [he Capewell” Nail is Always the Best =a n baaaoath : MADE BY New York, N. Y. FORGIN GS THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY Hartford, Conn., U. S. A. ., Phil PILLING & CRANE pee se Now vor. OFKIN |=. MADE IN AMERICA and THE BEST IN THE WORLD = UL, Mich., oo THE LUFKIN RB ee ee win Apollo Special "Electrical Sheets Highest electrical efficiency sheets produced anywhere Jenkins °96 Sheet Packing is the kind that will prevent loss of steam. Its great strength and durability give it maximum ef- fectiveness when used under pressure of steam, acids orammonia. It does not blow, burn or squeeze out. Jenkins ’96 is also made with wire insertion. JENKINS BROS., New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago “Swedoh” Cold Rolled Steel ‘s,.r* Drawing »« Stamping THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING COMPANY SEE (Water and Rail Delivery) BRIDGEPORT, Conn. PAGE 24 MAGNOLIA yeicrion METAL The Standard Babbitt of the World AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE everyining the ‘ COMPANY Babbitt Line. Frick Building, Pittsburgh, Pa. MAGHOLIA METAL C0. See d 16 oe eee New Vork- 11§ Bank St. Chicago: Fisher Building. Montreal 31 St. Nicholas St. THE IRON AGE OPEN HEARTH ONE PASS “AND THREE PASS COLD BR ASS (OD COPPER} #2 GERMAN(steer SILVER we RULLED LOW BRASS, SHEET BRONZE, STEEL SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER SHEETS TUBING, BRAZED BRASS AND FOR BRONZE TUBING : a oa a EARLY eee Waterbury Brass Co. BROTHERS BRIDGEPORT, CONN. COMPANY Phosphor and Deoxidized PITTSBURGH — num Castings, large and smal! Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co. LA SALLE, ILLINOIS SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS 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 Oard Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY /CRRMANI CIIVER LY ~ GERMAN SILVER w In Sheet, Wire, Rods, Blanks and Shells NICKEL ANODES BRASS, BRONZE, COPPER in all forms THE SEYMOUR MFG. CO., Seymour, Conn. HENDRICKS BROTHERS EManutacturers of Sheetand Bar Copper,Copper Fire Box Plates and Staybolts, Wire and Braziers Rivets Importers and Dealers in Ingot Copper, Block, Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, Bismuth, Nickel, ‘etc. 49 CLIFF STREET . ” SHIPMENT WATERBURY, CONN. Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze FOLLANSBEE & Metal Co. Cemposition, Yellow Brass and Alumi- | BRASS NEW YORK'™""- The Plume & Atwood Mig, Co, Mannfacturers of Sheet and Roll Brass, Wire, Rods, German Silver and Brass Goods In great variety Rolling Mill Thomaston, Conn. Factories Waterbury, Conn, Branch Offices Chicago St. Louis and San Francisco ANTIMONY ‘*‘A. S. P.** Brand (English Star) C. W. Leavitt a Co., Agents ew Y SCOVILL MFG. 60. BRASS, GERMAN SILVER, Sheets, Rolls, Wire, and New York Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods. Special Brass Goods to Order Factories WATERBURY, CONN. Depots: NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON HenrySouther Engineering Co. HARTFORD CONN. Censulting Chemists, Metallur- Bacto and Analysts. Testing Laboratery. mull Testimony in Court and Patent Cases. Arthur 1. Rutter & Go. 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. | | THE BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. | Postal Tees | Building, Broadway and M y St., New York ‘85-87 Pearl St., Boston . 7th St., Philadelphia inedianie of RIVERSIDE, N. d@' SHEET AND TUBING COPPER | WIRE Metal Goods made to order from Sheet, Rod, Wire and Tubing ge —, —_—-PHOSPHOR-BRONZE A 2 Ze heat tae" * THE IRON AGE New York, Thursday, April 8, 1909. A Variable Speed Air Controlled Transmission. A novel speed changing power transmission is that made by the Variable Speed Clutch Company, Milwaukee, Wis. Instead of cone pulleys, gears, or friction contacts at different diameters, this device has a contact surface of fixed or constant diameter, being the interior of a drum resembling such as is commonly employed in the expanding band type of clutch, and obtains the variable contact with the shoes d, which are turned to fit il. These shoes are pivotally supported at e on a spider /, which is keyed to the shaft. In one piece with each shoe is the counterweight g and the lever arm h. The in- wardly projecting ends of these arms engage the hub of a piston i, loosely mounted on the shaft and fitting the in- terior of the cylinder k, which is also keyed to the shaft. When air is admitted through the bore in the shaft and from the opening / into the interior of the cylinder, a pressure is exerted on the piston, forcing it in the di- rection which presses the shoes against the interior of Fig. 1.—A Belt Driven Ceiling Type of the Transmission Made by the Variable Speed Clutch Company, Milwaukee, Wis. Fig. 2.—A Motor Driven Floor Type Variable Speed Clutch. speeds by intermittent contact with this constant speed surface. This contact is secured through the application of air under pressure, ranging from 2 to 80 Ib., furnished by a small pump or taken from the shop supply system. The construction will be understood from Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which show, respectively, the belt driven ceiling type, motor driven floor type and a countershaft type applied to the drive of a planer. The line drawing, Fig. 4, perhaps best shows the mechanism and the principle of its action, this being a section of a belt driven countershaft type. The driven pulley @ is connected by belt to the line shaft. This pulley is secured to the extended hub of the drum 0d and the two revolve together freely on the shaft c. The in- . terlor of the drum is smooth bored, and adapted to make the drum. With all the parts revolving this would con- stitute the device simply a clutch engaging the driven and driving members to run at the same speed were it not for the counterweights. Their action by centrifugal force opposes the pressure of the shoes against the drum and together with the natural tendency of the shoes to rebound after each impact because of the different speeds of the shoes and drum, causes the shoes to release their grip on the drum as quick as it is made. Before there is any sensible retard in the speed of the spider the air pressure again produces momentary contact of the shoes with the drum, and this vibratory contact con- tinues at a frequency which depends on the air pressure and results in a corresponding rate of uniform trans- mitted speed. The air pressure furnishes an elastic Fig. 3.—A Variable Speed Clutch Countershaft Driving a Planer. cushion that makes this intermittent contact possible. It is to be distinctly emphasized that the action is not one of slipping under constant friction, as has been plainly proved in a countershaft that had been in service for a year. The wear was so slight that some of the original tool marks still remained on both the shoes and the drum. As before stated, the cylinder k is keyed to the shaft, or is secured to it by set screws, as is also the VY LLL ph ALLL IRON AGE April 8, 1909 chinery, and various machinery used in manufacturing processes. Advantages that will appeal are the sim- plicity of the device, there being but few parts; the elimination of tight and loose pulleys, step cones, &c., which conduces to compactness; the fact that the set speed is maintained regardless of the load (in instances of variable loads, such as on a planer when taking a cut that varies in force required due to different amoynts of metals removed, the counterweights act on the principle of a governor and maintain the required speed). Ease of control is another point in favor of the device; the air pipes can be led to any point where the valves may be most conveniently located. Shifting of belts and manipu- lating of gears are entirely done away with, and the de- vice is practically noiseless in operation. The motor driven type of variable speed transmission shown in Fig. 2 is one in which the motor and clutch are mounted on the same base connected by a flexible coup- ling, and in use this device may be shifted to take up slack in the belt to the machine driven. It may be operated as indicated as a floor stand or suspended over- head or from side walls, as occasion may require, in which case the only changes necessary are some slight ones in the hangers. The type of clutch shown in Fig. 3 is one for planers and provides a constant high speed return pulley mount- ed on an extension of the drum hub, which, as before explained, runs at a constant speed determined by the line shaft with which it is connected. There is, there- fore, obtained a constant return speed regardless of the speed of the planer on the cutting stroke, and the fa- cility for changing the speed for that stroke is such that the planer can be operated at its maximum capacity with the least trouble and attention. The compressed air for the control of the clutch may be obtained from a shop supply system, if there is one, or from a small pump which may be driven from the main shaft. Only 1 cu. ft. of free air per minute is the maximum requirement of air. —— >-+e____—_ The monthly meeting of the mechanical section of the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania was held VL Lae Fig. 4.—Zong._udinal Section of a Variable Speed Clutch of the Type Shown in Fig. 1. driving pulley m. The sectional view also shows the stuffing box at n for the air pipe and the controlling devices for the air pressure. The valve which controls the pressure is set to give the required speed. Without altering the setting of this valve the clutch can be started and stopped by the stop cock p, which cuts off or admits the graduated pressure to the cylinder k. A pressure gauge is also shown, which indicates what pres- sure is obtained, and may be calibrated to read directly in revolutions of the shaft. At the opposite end of the shaft is another stuffing box, g, through which oil is ad- mitted from the grease cup r to lubricate the interior of the loosely running parts on the shaft c, through the oil holes clearly indicated. The variable speed transmission is made in a num- ber of types and sizes suitable for application to almost all forms of machinery in which a variable speed drive is required, including machine tools, woodworking ma- in the Fulton Building, Pittsburgh, on the evening of April 6. C. B. Auel read a paper on arc welding, illus- trated by lantern slides. C. S. Proudfoot, chief elec- trician of the Carrie furnaces, gave a talk on the use of the electric arc to open the tap hole in furnaces when the metal has chilled. C. Pirtle, general manager of the Electric Controller & Mfg. Company, Cleveland, and H. D. James and C. E. Stevens of the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Company, were present and took part in the discussion. T. EB. Fieger, formerly connected with the engineering department of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company, and Alfred Tompkins, consulting engineer, have organized the Summit Engineering Company, with offices in the House Building, Pittsburgh. The company will engage in a general line of engineering, contracting and concrete work. April 8, 1909 Canada’s Trade Relations with France and Germany. Toronto, April 3, 1909.—The Franco-Canadian treaty of commerce was this week approved by the French Sen- ate. Upon the exchange of ratifications it will come into effect. Under it Canada gets the benefit of the French minimum tariff on a long list of articles, and France gets the benefit of the Canadian intermediate tariff on a long list, as well as the benefit of still-lower duties on about a dozen classes of commodities. In a former letter the arti- cles mentioned in the treaty under the general head of iron, steel, metals and manufactures thereof were enu- merated. It is expected that the treaty will cause a marked increase in the trade between the two countries, with the advantage probably on the side of France. France knows what it is getting, inasmuch as it is rather certain that Canada’s intermediate tariff will remain for some years as it is, and as the other Canadian advantages conceded are specified in rates of duty. But Canada is not able to estimate the value of the French concessions, inasmuch as they are expressed in the treaty in the gen- eral terms, “the benefit of the French minimum tariff,” which tariff is even now in course of revision, the ten- dency of which is upward. Agricultural Machinery, One class of Canadian articles which the treaty was expected to promote the sale of in France was agricul- tural machinery. When the treaty was before the House of Commons one of the members for Hamilton, Ontario, made a speech in support of it. He stated that the Inter- national Harvester Company’s works in that city were to be enlarged, in order that the company might make there all the machines called for by its French trade. It would use its Canadian works for its French trade, he said, because thereby alone it could obtain entry to the French market at minimum tariff rates. It turns out, however, that the company will this year build a plant of its own in France, having, it is under- stood, already acquired a site at Lille for that purpose, and having obtained the incorporation of its French es- tablishment. Thus, it appears that, not only will the In- ternational Harvester Company’s Canadian plant not be the center of the company’s manufacturing on French account, but also that it will have a plant in France to increase there the internal competition other Canadian agricultural machinery makers will have to cope with in order to get any benefit out of the concession of the French minimum tariff to Canadian machinery. As Can- ada is to pay a large annual subsidy to a steamship line giving a direct service between French and Canadian ports, there is a strong likelihood that the British trade in Canada will be affected adversely in some lines by the competition of France, the duties at which the designated French goods are admissible being not much above those of the preferential rates granted to Great Britain. Chances for a German Treaty. The prospects for a reciprocity treaty between Ger- many and Canada seemed brighter some time ago than they do now. The belief that Germany is preparing to dispute the supremacy in naval power with Britain has not made Canadians more enthusiastic for closer trade relations with Germany. Of the intensity of Canadian feeling on the side of Britain in the race in Dreadnought construction no one can have any question who looks over the exchanges in a Canadian newspaper office. Edi- torials, letters, interviews, resolutions of local boards of trade, &c., are to be read in at least every second paper, all warmly advocating a Dominion contribution of the price of a Dreadnought to strengthen the British Em- pire’s navy. There is no doubt that popular sentiment is in advance of the resolution passed by the House of Commons on the subject, hearty though that resolution is in its expression of the country’s readiness to co- operate with Britain in naval defense. While the coun- try is in that temper, the Government would scarcely find it popular to undertake the negotiation of a treaty of commerce with Germany, especially as such a treaty as Germany is supposed to desire would put her on a footing THE IRON AGE 1117 in the Canadian market almost as favorable as that to which the preferential tariff admits Britain. Upward of two months ago Baron von Schoen, Ger- many’s Foreign Secretary, stated, in reply to a question asked in the Budget Committee of the Reichstag, that it was not impossible an opportunity would arise for the discussion of a commercial treaty with Canada after the conclusion of the Franco-Canadian negotiations. On the same day Sir Richard Cartwright, Minister of Trade and Commerce in the Laurier government, answered a ques- tion put to him in the Senate as to surtax on German dutiable goods. He said that while no formal negotia- tions were in progress with Germany in reference to new trade relations, communications had passed between Ger- man and Canadian officials on the subject, and that it appeared to him probable that Germany would give Can- ada the same tariff treatment it did before the present reprisal duties were applied by the one country upon im- ports from the other. It is regarded as a certainty that Germany would insist on most-favored-nation treatment in return, and would therefore be satisfied with, no less in the way of concession than Canada has granted to France. But to an industrial country like Germany, with its wonderful commercial enterprise, the conceding of Cana- dian market terms equivalent to those given to France would mean the opening up of a great German trade here. It would mean the displacement of large volumes of British and Canadian goods. At no time, therefore, was there much inclination on the part of Canadian people, save among the farmers, to form closer trade relations with Germany. At present it is believed the Canadian Government is more lukewarm on the subject than it was some time ago. A recent Canadian Associated Press dispatch from Berlin contains the advice that the German-Canadian Economie Association will send delegates to Canada this summer for the purpose of promoting closer trade rela- tions. Also special commissioners are to be sent to Can- ada by German newspapers. Besides discussing with Canadian Ministers the advantages of greater commer- cial intercourse between the two countries, the delegates, who are to be representative German business men, will inform the Canadian public of plans for systematically working up a German demand for Canadian products, the Economic Association aiming to be of mutual service to German and Canadian mercantile interests. C. A. Co Fe — Om Identifying Smiths. Statistics show that 1.1 per cent. of electrical engi- neers are named Smith; that is, out of every 100 there will be a little more than one Smith. In the office force of a large corporation it often happens that there are so many Smiths holding positions of responsibility that some special means must be taken to identify them. The Crocker-Wheeler Company has had considerable trouble at its main office, at Ampere, N. J., owing to the im- possibility of getting its delivery boys to distinguish be- tween the many Smiths there employed. Almost in- variably one Smith would receive papers intended for another. This difficulty has been satisfactorily solved by posting on its various bulletin boards the following: Identification Table of Smiths at Ampere. Initials. Departm’t. Complexion. Stature. Characteristics. J. M. S....Engineering Dark...... Short..... Snappy but smil- ing. V. T. S.... Engineering Dark...... Ri Sa 65m Handsome and ke PB. Bs ccs DOIN cE. svc Tall and melancholy. stout....Chubby and an- gelic. R. W. U. 8. Drafting. ..Light...... Short..... Unshaved and F. W. S...Laboratory.Dark...... Short and grumpy. slender. . Very nervous. Ee, eS ae on cae Sparse. mixed... TMi cc Wide-eyed and serious. N. B.—Shop Smiths will hereafter be numbered, —_—_~+-e____ Wickes Brothers, Saginaw, Mich., and Pittsburgh, Pa., have moved their office and showrooms from Fourth avenue to Forty-fifth street and Allegheny Valley Rail- way, Pittsburgh, where they maintain a large warehouse. 1118 THE IRON Armington Electric Hoists. The distinctive feature of the hoists made by the Armington Electric Hoist Company, Wickliffe, Ohio, is the load brake which .is of the coil type and a radical departure from anything heretofore used on cranes or hoists. The arrangement is such that the pawls or re- taining band used with the ordinary coil and disk brakes are not required, the one coil, by means of a simple and peculiar device serving the functions of both braking and retaining. The brake is thus virtually a one-piece brake, whereas the ordinary disk and coil brakes have numerous parts, making them more or less complicated. This sim- plicity contributes to the reliability and durability of these hoists. The compact design permits an unusually high hook travel; on most of the sizes manufactured by this company the minimum distance from the top of the hoist to the hook is about the same as on ordinary chain hoists. Fig. 1 shows a type E hoist, with a plain trolley as used for handling a ladle in a foundry, and Fig. 2 the type F hoist, which has power travel. The casings are so designed as to form a framework Fig. ia Foundry Installation of the Type E Hoist with Plain Trolley Made by the Armington Electric Hoist Company, Wickliffe, Ohio. for the hoist and a housing and protection for the hoist- ing mechanism. The main casing also serves aS a reser- voir for the lubricant for the brake and journal bearings. These casings, however, leave all the mechanism thor- oughly accessible, and a few minutes suffices to take out all the working parts and put them together again. The machining is done with the aid of jigs and special tools, which make all the parts interchangeable. The journal bearings are lined with phosphor bronze. The gearing is spur toothed, with teeth cut from the solid metal, and consists of a single train of gears in three reductions. No ‘worm or differential gearing is used. The arrangement of the gearing is such that the pressure on the journal bearings is a minimum. The matter of interchangeability and liberal provision for wear in the working details is given special considera- tion, as they are matters of vital importance in machinery of this character. The entire mechanism is located in two casings; the drum, drum gear and its pinion are located in one and the first two reductions of gearing and the brake are in the main casing, as shown in Fig. 3. April 8, 1909 AGE Fig. 2.—The Armington Type F Hoist with Power Travel. This latter is oil tight and the mechanism therefore re- ceives continuous lubrication. The lubricant used con- sists of a mixture of machine oil and graphite. Another feature of the brake is that in addition to its action as a load brake one coil of it serves the function of motor brake. This, the first coil, sets the brake for all loads whether hoisting or lowering, thus controlling the motor whether running with or without load. The other coils depend on the load and the heavier it is the greater is the braking effect. Liberal provision is made for wear and the wearing surface is such that the pressure per square inch is less than usual on crane brakes. One de- fect of the usual coil brake lies in the tendency of the last coil to wear more than the others. This is overcome in the Armington brake by increasing the amount of sur- Fig. 3.—Interior of the Main Casing, Showing the First Two Reducing Gears and the Brake. Be Ng er April 8, 1909 face and amount of metal in the coil enough to fully make up for this tendency. The results of continuous service under severe conditions, day and night, have demonstrated the reliability of the brake. The minimum distance from the hook to the top of the hoist varies from 18 in. on the 1000-lb. hoist to 4 ft. 2 in. on the 10-ton hoist. Automatic limit attachments are provided on all hoists to prevent the hook from trav- eling too far and also when required to stop the load at any desired point. Two types of limit attachments are used, one in which the controller is reversed by a lever operated by the hook block and the other in which the controller is reversed by means of mechanism connected with the hoist gearing. The hook block casings are made of steel and the hooks are drop forged from soft steel. The hoists are especially well adapted to alternating current and a large proportion of the hoists thus far manufactured have been furnished with such equipment. As a rule the hoists are operated from the floor and the controllers used are of the spring return type with ropes or chains suspended so as to be within easy reach of the operator on the floor. The motors used are of standard crane type, made by various manufacturers. These hoists are manufactured in standard sizes of 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 lb. ca- pacity. —_——__—--- oe ————__—- The Eclipse Concrete Mixer. Especially prominent as novel features in the Eclipse concrete mixer, made by the Standard Scale & Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., are the large opening in the drum and the low charging point. It will be noticed in Fig. 1.—The Hclipse: Concrete Mixer Made by the Standard Scale & Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., Showing the Manner of Charging. Fig. 1 that the material charged has only to be brought up a short incline by a wheelbarrow, which eliminates the necessity of a charging elevator of any sort, doing away with such an additional power consuming factor and its frequent necessity of additional attendance. This illustration, and, better, Fig. 2, show the large opening in the drum which enables the operator to see the mix from the time it is charged until it is discharged and also makes it accessible for cleaning. This is said to be the only mixer having this feature. The Eclipse mixer is of the batch type, as distin- guished from the continuous mixer. Its product is claimed to be always uniform, and because the mixer is simple in construction and operation and is devoid of parts which are likely to clog or get out of order, the machine is offered as one which can be readily under- stood and operated by unskilled labor. The material is dumped into the low charging end and is carried into the drum by blades in front, as shown in Fig. 2, which extend in 8 to 10 in. In spite of the large opening a considerable quantity of material can be charged without any of it falling out, because the blades in the drum are inclined so as to continually throw it toward the center. At the center is a V-shaped plow, which throws the material to the sides, where it is again acted upon by the blades and returned to be divided by the plow. This action of the plow and blades combined with the revolving of the drum effectively and THE IRON AGE 17S Fig. 2.—The Eclipse Concrete Mixer Ready for Transporting. thoroughly mixes the material in a very short time. The drum is made of steel and is surrounded by two gear bands provided with flares for the supporting wheels. These wheels, four in number, take the weight of the drum, and the power for revolving is supplied by two gear wheels on one shaft meshing with the gear band. Power is applied to this shaft from an electric motor, or gasoline or steam engine, as may be desired. The gasoline engine is generally preferred as being the least expensive and most convenient under ordinary con- ditions. When a gasoline engine is used a friction clutch is placed between the engine and the drum, as may be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. When the concrete is thoroughly mixed it is dis- charged by opening the discharge chute, which is oper- ated by a handle at either end of the drum. The chute is ordinarily kept covered by a door that is operated semiautomatically by this lever. When the lever is thrown a strong spring completes ‘the movement and holds the door open. The discharge is rapid and rela- tively high, so that the concrete can be loaded into bar- rels, aS indicated in Fig. 3. In the discharging, the door, being drawn back across the wall of the drum, acts to lift and facilitates the discharge of the contents through the chute. It is claimed that by this combina- tion of low charging and high and rapid discharging the mixer is capable of making as many as 75 complete finished batches of concrete in an hour. One batch every 45 sec. was obtained in street work in Chicago. The outfit, as the illustrations indicate, can be mount- ed on a truck, so that it may be easily hauled from point to point by one horse, enabling the contractor to work on more than one contract at a time. Ordinarily the mixer is mounted to discharge at the rear end of the truck, as these views indicate, which is an advantage when used for street or sidewalk construction. It can, however, be mounted to discharge on one side of the truck if desired. On street work it can be quickly moved by the men on the job using the horse only for the longer hauls. The five sizes of this mixer now on the market have a batch capacity of 7, 10, 15, 20 and 30 cu. ft. each, respectively, or an output of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 36 cu. yd. of concrete per hour, respectively. The power required is respectively 214, 3%4, 5, 7 and 10 hp. Fig. 3.—The Discharging Side of the Eclipse Concrete Mixer. SSeS ==: 2 SiS a — 2: SE 2 EE: ee meets eens. meescEe cee =—- Se eee | Tae 1120 Preliminary Tests from the Open Hearth Steel Furnace.* Practice in the Laboratory. BY C. W. DANFORTH,} SHARON, PA. In the manufacture of open hearth steel it is necessary to know the chemical composition of the bath before tap ping. Since silicon is eliminated by the time the heat begins to “ work,” there remain manganese, sulphur, phos- phorus and carbon, on which the melter must be satisfied before he can take out his heat. It is obvious that the closer his opinion is to the exact analysis the closer he will come to hitting his specifications. He is not entirely dependent on the laboratory to furnish him with the analyses, but on certain classes of steel he is largely de- pendent. When laboratory work is required speed has just as much importance as accuracy. It is the purpose of this paper to show how these two necessities can be brought together. A laboratory determination of manganese is not re- quired, for that constituent may be safely estimated from the working of the heat. It is a function of the follow- ing: Basicity of the slag, temperature and time the charge has been melted. The amount of manganese in the cold charge may have a very small influence. In com- mon scrap heats making low carbon low phosphorus steel, manganese is generally down to 17 points as soon as the charge is melted, and will lie between 12 and 6 points when the heat is tapped. In acid practice the manganese is down to three points when the charge is melted. The Test Pieces. To determine sulphur, phosphorus and carbon tests must be taken from the furnace. The size and shape of the test piece and the method of cooling have an impor- tant bearing on the appearance of the fracture and on the laboratory results. On many open hearth floors are found test molds of different sizes and shapes, and little atten- tion is paid to regularity in taking the test, removing the piece from the mold and cooling. The test mold I find most suitable for both fracture and laboratory fur- nishes a test piece 5% x 2 in. at the top, tapering to 5 x 1% in. at the bottom, and when nearly full 1% in. deep. Such a mold should never be poured quite full, as that would hinder in removing the test piece and delay a de- termination. It is poor practice to pour twice from the spoon in order to get enough sample, as this has an in- fluence on the fracture, and, through carelessness at the laboratory, might have an influence on the analysis. In order to have comparative fracture tests, the sam- ple should be poured, removed from the mold and cooled every time in the same manner as nearly as possible. Laboratory tests should always be received hot, as in no other way can the chemist be sure of the treatment it will have received. If the test be chilled rapidly in water, drills will be an expensive item and color carbons will be worthless. It cannot be allowed to cool of its own accord because the analysis must be reported in a very few minutes; hence some regular method of cooling must be adopted. In some laboratories an air blast is used, but considerable time is consumed in such treat- ment and color carbons are not even then made perfect. Probably the best way is to cool with water, always in the same manner and avoiding chilling. Take the test piece from the water while still hot enough to dry itselr, and drill with a %-in. drill at 200 rev. per min. All steel segregates, and in pfeliminary test pieces worst of all. It may be contended that it is not neces- sary to furnish the true analysis of the preliminary test as long as the error is always the same from day to day. It may not be always necessary, but it is desirable to be exact. To arrive at the true analysis with due regard for speed, divide the test roughly into four equal parts and drill in the center of one of them till enough drillings are obtained to amount to 8 or 10 g. From the number of analyses on acid furnace bath * Read at the March meeting of the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society. + Chief chemist of the Sharon Steel Hoop Compeny THE IRON AGE April 8, 1909 tests and their corresponding heat tests, it has been found that, after obtaining a sample as above, 10 per cent. of the sulphur and phosphorus found should be added in order tu check closely the heat test. A preliminary test was taken just before tapping an acid heat. Seventeen sam- ples were taken at different depths with a %-in. drill from two holes. The sulphur varied from 0.038 to 0.051; hence the impertance of regular drilling. Sulphur seg- regates most; phosphorus to a less degree, and carbon least of the three. The Sulphur Determination, Knowledge of the sulphur content of the bath is the least important. The fracture is useless in this case. and in general there should be no need for a laboratory de- termination. Close watch should be kept of the sulphur in the pig iron, scrap and coal (when producer gas is the fuel). In acid practice, using good coal, it can be prop- erly assumed that the sulphur in the steel will be a very little higher than in the charge, say, 15 per cent., or about six points; while in the basic furnace, using good gas, the sulphur will be no higher than in the charge. In making pig iron and ore heats the steel sometimes an- alyses much higher in sulphur than the reported analysis of the pig iron would warrant. I believe that 99 times out of 100 if the true sulphur in the pig iron was de- termined it would show proper agreement with the sul- phur in the steel. The evolution method of determining sulphur in ali kinds of pig iron by the use of cold HCl is in many cases very misleading. For the laboratory determination of preliminary sul- phur evolution methods are used entirely, being almost, if not quite, similar to the procedure for regular work The steel is dissolved in HCl acid of various dilutions, and the evolved H.S caught in an alkaline solution. The absorbing solution is made acid and titrated with iodine. In the Pittsburgh District the use of an am- moniacal solution of CdCl, is common; also a solution of KOH with ammonia. Thickness of drillings has almost everything to do with the speed of solution. Method of cooling has no effect on the result, but care in cooling enables one to make faster time in drilling. To report sulphur accurately and in short time, cool the test piece carefully and drill slowly with a fast run- ning drill. A half minute extra spent in drilling may save several minutes in dissolving. Weigh 2% g. into a 250 Erlenmeyer flask. The stopper holds a straight thistle tube and glass tubing leading into a 9-in. test tube. An absorbing solution of KOH and ammonia con- taining sufficient starch fills the tube two-thirds full. Pour into the flask enough (1:1) HCl at temperature of 65 degrees C. to make % in. in the bottom. Having the delivery tube in the absorption tube, place the flask on a medium sized argand flame, so as to evolve gas rapidly. The heat must be regulated so as to keep the acid just under the boiling point till the steel is nearly in solu- tion, when the contents of the flask are brought to a vigorous boil, till the horizontal part of the delivery tube is hot. Disconnect; pour the contents of the tube into a dish; fill the tube full of water and pour into the dish; fill the tube one-third full of (1:1) HCl, and add to the dish; titrate with iodine, which gives one point of sulphur per one-tenth cc. Add 10 per cent. to the titrated sulphur and report. The total length of time required from the moment the test piece enters the laboratory need not be more than 12 min. Acid steel will dissolve much faster than very low phosphorus basic, so that in the case of acid steel a report can be guaranteed in less than 10 min. The caustic solution is 2 lb. of Babbit’s lye, 1000 cc. of ammonia and 17 g. of wheat starch per large carboy. The Phosphorus Determination. When the melter is held to any certain specifications as to phosphorus it becomes the duty of the laboratory to furnish him with the exact analysis of his bath, as his fracture will only indicate whether the phosphorus is un- usually high or unusually low. In acid practice it is only guesswork. There are in use several methods for so-called rapid phosphorus determination—measuring the yellow precipi- tate in Goetz bulbs, weighing in tarred papers, guessing April 8, 1909 the precipitate, titrating with KMn0O,, and titrating by Handy’s method. In all cases the wet oxidation of the phosphorus with KMn0O, is employed. The accuracy of all phosphorus determinations by estimation of the yellow precipitate hinges on the solution of molybdic acid used; much more so in the case of very rapid analysis. Where phosphorus is finished by transferring the yellow precip- itate to the pyrophosphate, it is possible to arrive at a pretty fair result when using an unstable molybdic rea- gent, provided a large excess be used. Such a procedure is impracticable in a steel works laboratory. The method of cooling has no influence on the analysis. Taking into consideration both speed and accuracy, I have found the best results to be attained through the following method: After obtaining thin drillings, weigh 2% g. into a 250 Erlenmeyer ; add 50 cc, 1.20 HNO,. After first froth- ing, place on a strong heat till in solution. Add a little KMnO, solution and in % min. clear up with a solutiou vf sugar. (If KMn0O, is allowed to act longer than neces- sary to oxidize the phosphorus the reaction with sugar will likewise consume unnecessary time.) Take boiling hot from the heat; squirt in about 10 cc. cold water from a water bottle fitted wih a large tip and a hand pres- sure bulb; pour in immediately 50 cc. of molybdic, shake vigorously 1 min. and filter on suction; wash rapidly with cold water and titrate paper and all in the original flask by Handy’s method; have acid and alkali match, and give a direct reading. Add 10 per cent. to the result to allow for segregation of the test. The total length of time required is never more than 10 min. The KMnO, solution for oxidization of the phosphorus is 2144 per cent.; sugar, about 15 per cent. The molybdic, on which the whole success of the determination de- pends is made in a 3-gal. crock; 3000 strong HNO, 3300 H,O, and 750 strong ammonia are mixed and allowed to cool. A solution consisting of 500 g. MoO, (85 per cent.), 450 H,O, and 1000 strong ammonia is poured into the first solution while stirring; 3 ce. of 10 per cent. micro- cosmic salt is added, and the whole allowed to settle 24 hr. The steel solution, being strongly acid, allows a high precipitating temperature (90 degrees) to be safely used. Furthermore, the yellow precipitate formed iu this way comes down granular and requires no digestion nor the addition of pulp to be filtered on a paper of com- mon texture. No more precipitate will be deposited after standing 1 hr. The Carbon Petermipation, In making soft steel no laboratory determination of carbon is necessary, as the fracture test and the appear: ance of the bath may be relied upon. In making the fracture test for carbon it is extremely necessary to use a regular procedure in pouring and cooling. Further- more, if the phosphorus or sulphur varies much from heat to heat the fracture is misleading. The laboratory determination of carbon is oftenest asked for and is the hardest to give correctly. In the case of carbon, greater care must be exercised that the laboratory receives the test hot, as the least variation in cooling affects the color test. The preliminary color carbons can be at best only comparative results, being so dependent on the standard and the rate of cooling. There are three general methods for color carbons: 1, weighing standard and sample into test tubes and cook- ing in a water bath; 2, weighing into tubes and baking in a sand bath; 3, weighing into flasks and boiling on the hot plate. The first method is too slow. The second and third deal with small weights and entail much care in comparing. The second method is apt to be inaccu- rate, owing to the difficulty in furnishing both standari and sample equal amounts of heat. If the tubes are narrow, they require constant watching to prevent loss of contents, while, if the tubes are wide, danger of un- equal temperature is increased. The third method is the best both for speed and accuracy. A good method for color carbons is as follows: Weigh % to 1 g. of standard and sample into 250 ce. boiling flasks of similar size and shape. Use 25 or 30 cc. of 1.20 HNO, to dissolve. Place at once on hot plate side by side, where each will receive nearly the same amount of heat, and boil gently. After the steel is in solution THE IRON AGE 1121 boil 1 to 2 min. longer and cool quickly by shaking under the tap. Large comparing tubes with bent ends, 100 to 150 ce. capacity, are used. Low carbons, starting with 1 g. sample, are diluted so that 5 cc. equals one point of carbon. Higher carbons are diluted as much as the ca- pacity of the tubes will allow. A color carbon of 30 or 40 points may be properly made in less than 8 min, from receipt of the test piece. While it is an easy matter to get very close checks by the color method, one may never be sure of reporting the correct carbon, unless he uses the combustion method. Till recently it has been impossible to get out a reliable combustion in the short time allowed for preliminary an- alysis, but by direct combustion of the steel drillings the time has been shortened that it is feasible to make use of the more accurate method. Three years ago the American Chemical Society pub- lished a method by James A. Aupperle for titration of BaO.H, with HCl in the presence of BaCO,, as applied to the estimation of carbon in steel. The electric com- bustion furnace, with Aupperle’s method for finishing affords a simple, accurate and rapid means for doing earbon in steel. The modifications I find advantageous are included in the following method : Weigh 1 g. of thin drillings into a platinum boat which has been lined with white alundum. Draw from a 100 cc. burrette 90 to 95 cc. BaO,H, solution into a 10-bulb Meyer tube and connect the latter into the com- bustion train. -Enter the boat into the quartz tube of a Johnson’s electric furnace. Wait % min. for boat and contents to become heated through. Turn on the oxygen as fast as the steel will take it up. When the steel is burned, as shown by a more rapid bubbling in the ab- sorption tube, the carbonate will begin to be deposited and the current of oxygen must be carefully slowed down. Practice soon shows where the oxygen may safely be increased again to sweep out speedily the last traces of carbon. Shut off the oxygen, rinse contents of bulb into a tall 400 ce. beaker with boiled water only; add phen- olphtalein; run in a small excess of a solution of HCl and finish with BaO,H, from the first burette. The dif- ference between the BaO,H, used and the HCl corre- sponds to the carbon. A table showing the percentage of carbon on a 1-g. sample corresponding to each % cc. of HC! shortens the computation. A combustion carbon may thus be reported in 10 min. from the receipt of the test, as follows: n Min Cooling test, drilling, weighting and putting in tube....... 2 Se ee oo ub Ue Sh whe ON Ad Owed a sac ccccccce 2 SIC ES ko ah ewe dada AAR ABA Se cccece coe 4 PER oe db Kc dg nS one se en ehde clecasesesesececcoecese » 2 UR Sy 6 00d wage Olle COE w Od Ar die WOd CRM ORO COCO KS oo, 10 If through careless drilling a sample fails to ignite, the operator knows it at once and not more than 3 min. need be lost. BaO.H, is 6 g. per liter; HCl is made to match; about 3 ce. per liter is required. Such solutions will equal about 0.0002 carbon per cc., but had best be standardized by a steel of known content. The BaO,H, must be properly protected from the air, and so also must the burette. The foregoing methods are reliable enough to be used for regular work. In the laboratory with which I am con- nected the regular methods differ very little from the methods for preliminaries. In the case of sulphur, the dissolving acid is not warmed and nothing is added to the titrated result. For phosphorus, after precipitating, the flask and contents are required to set 5 min. and not more than 10 in order to allow for an occasional poorly made molybdic solution, and afford time to carry on at the same time a complete steel analysis. Here also noth- ing is added to the titrated result. With the carbon de- termination by color, there is no difference. In running combustions the BaCO, is filtered, burned and weighed. When the melter misses his specifications it is often- times an expensive failure. The open hearth furnace may be left with a heat of steel of odd analysis on its hands, or the lack of a heat of certain expected analysis may mean a delay in the blooming mill. Many such troubles may be avoided by a proper co-operation between the open hearth furnace and the laboratory and insist- ence on rapid and accurate preliminary analyses, 1122 THE The Carrier Air Conditioning Process. The Carrier Air Conditioning Company, which was recently organized with offices in New York City, controls patents on an improved system of air conditioning and purifying, which provides for automatic control of tem- perature and humidity conditions. The apparatus em- ployed maintains the air in a building at constant tem- perature and constant humidity regardless of external conditions, or at a constant percentage of relative humid- ity under variable temperature conditions, in other words, it is equally adapted in humidifying or dehumidifying, as occasion may demand, with conditions always under au- tomatic control. It is possible to maintain any desired percentage of humidity from 20 per cent. as a minimum to 100 per cent. maximum. To accomplish the object the air is saturated by means of an atomized water spray, and then all free moisture is removed by means of an eliminator of spe- cial design. The temperature of the saturated air de- termines the amount of moisture which will be taken up, and may be placed either above or below the normal dew point of the air entering the apparatus, as desired, IRON AGE April 8, 1909 plication to textile mills is particularly advantageous Previous systems of humidifying in’ textile mills have depended upon atomizing water directly in the room and have provided no positive means for ventilation Owing to the great amount of heat liberated by the spin ning and weaving machinery, the mills were often over heated to an unhealthy degree and the distribution of humidity was very unequal, Neither has there previous- ly been provided any suitable means for automatic con- trol, and the degree of humidity depended entirely upon hand regulation, and varied greatly from day to day as soon as conditions changed. The Carrier system has been designed in special reference to obviating these difficulties in a practical manner and is based on scientific prin- ciples. The great amount of heat generated by the machinery in the mill may be dissipated by radiation, by ventilation and by the evaporation of moisture. Frequently in spin- ning mills, when the windows and doors are tightly closed, the temperature will rise 45 degrees above the outside temperature, so that it is only through the com bined effect of evaporation and ventilation that it is possible to obtain satisfactory mill conditions. The Car- rier system accomplishes this by introducing saturated Fig. 1.—Installation of Air Conditioning Equipment in the Huguet Silk Mills. through control of the temperature of the recirculating spray water. The control of both relative and absolute humidity is effected by patented automatic devices known as the differential thermostat and the differential hygro- stat. The first of these devices depends for its operation upon the relationship between