The Iron Age 1910-04-28: Vol 85 Iss 17

oe THE IRON AGE New. York, Thursday, April 28, 1910. The Humphrey Wire Drawing Machine. Its Special Features Are Its Friction Clutch, Die Threading Device, Wire Block Construction and the Provisions for the Safety of the Operatér. The Humphrey wire drawing machine, which ‘has been. perfected. by Humphrey & Sons, Joliet, Lll., has been in sutcessful operation for the past three years in several of the important wire works of the country. It embodies improvements by which the workmar can obtain a larger daily production from each block, while each workman can keep a larger number of blocks in operation on the same product. There is a saving in scrap and “shorts,’’ owing to the high efficiency of the mechanism, and the safety devices have made pos- sible an unusual record in wire drawing, namely, that in one plant in a year’s operations nota workman has been injured. In the description that follows the ad- vantages of the friction clutch, the die threading de- vice, the Humphrey wire block construction and the shield ring provided in front of the die as a protection to workmen, and of other mechanical features of the machine are given in some detail: The wire drawing bench of 50 years ago and that in use in many mills to-day are practically identical in mechanical construction, differing chiefly in the ma- terials used. Up to a few years ago the wire drawer demanded a wood constructed frame, claiming that the wood in the lateral and cross sections gave a cushion to the impact when threading the die, and also when starting the wire, to such an extent that it relieved in part the pulling out of the die and the breaking of the teeth of the pinion and spindle gears. Various fric- tions have been in use in the industry but generally Fig. 1.—The Humphrey Improved Wire Drawing Bench. they have not be of sufficient.strength to draw the heavy sizes of wire... They have had a too intricate construction or the wear hag been excessive and re- placements an expensive item. In the Humphrey fric- tion the manufacturers have had ih mind, first, the necessity of-a friction that would permit of the starting of the wire stéadily though slowly; that. would have sufficient strength to pull the wire withéut trouble and in which the parts were so cheaply constructed as to admit of replacements if necessary, such replaceménts to be taken from a stock room and preferably parts cast in a chill or with a minimum amount of finish. The slow start of the wire through the die carries with it a number of advantages. The life of the hole, which is an important factor, is lengthened from 33 1-3 per cent. to 100 per cent., it is claimed. A lafge per- centage of the repairs is also eliminated. A No. 5 rod in its first draft requires 16 to 20 hp., which is suddenly brought into action through the medium of a pair of tooth gears without any means of cushion. In contrast is the effect on the whole mechanism resulting from the easy and steady movement of a practical fric- tion, which will allow slipping at will.. There is also the question of power. To thread a die by the ordi- nary plan a mechanism is employed that requires from 8 to 10 hp. for an eight-block frame, or a horsepower to a block, at a cost of $30 to $50 a year per block. Further, in. the Humphrey drawing mechanism each With a rotating line shaft, cutting the block is a unit. 974 bench on each side gives a complete wire mill as far as the drawing mechanism is concerned. In the older type of machines each block is dependent upon the threading mechanism in use in the mill. In operating an old-time clutch block the chipping of the lugs when they become worn oblique is a com- Fig. 2.—Humphrey Mechanical Friction. mon practice, This is done away with in the Hum- phrey friction block, as the driving mechanism is taken by friction plates exerting pressure internally against the walls of the block at the point of drawing the wire. Poorly cleaned or baked rods or short rods at times result from errors in various processes. The ordinary clutch block will not draw this inferior stock owing Fig. 3.—Details of the Mechanical Friction Wire Block. to the sudden pull of the clutch block when die thread- ing. Such wire, which has its uses, can be success- fully drawn by the use of the Humphrey friction block. The Wire Block. Fig. I is a view of the drawing bench, while Figs. 2 and 3 give details of the wire block. The construc- THE IRON AGE April 28, 1910 tion of the latter is briefly this: A plate 30 in. in di- ameter is keyed to an upright shaft which is known as a spindle shaft, this shaft being driven as in ordinary practice by a pair of bevel gears. On the driving plate are cast six projecting lugs which act as dogs or drivers to the six friction contact plates, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, removed from the driving plate. On the back of this frictional plate is a half-round recess be- tween two projecting lugs. On one lug is a coiled ex- tension spring. The object of these lugs and springs is to connect the various friction plates with one an- other so that when the six plates are raised above the center the springs will tend to collapse them, making the diameter % in. less than the interior diameter of. the drawing block. At the center of the cast plate is a half-round recess which forms the opposite fulcrum for the toggle lying in the foreground which forms the connection between the friction plate and the hub of the driving spider. The recessed casting at the shaft center abuts against a six-sided cone. This when raised throws the arms outwardly, which in turn will take any loss of diameter caused by the wear on the friction material. In practice it is found that this wear is very minute. Each friction plate is driven at its outer diameter by the upright lugs that are cast in- tegrally with the driving member. Referring to Fig. 3, the initial adjustment of the block is given in detail as follows: The cone c is first let down on the spider s as shown in the view given at A. Then the block 6} and the ring r are let down en the spider s as shown in the view at B. Then the hand nut » is turned to the right as far as it will go (in the third operation it is best to lift off the block b). Next the foot lever is pushed down. If the plate p does not now stand at its ex- treme upper position, as in the views given at C and D, the nuts under the foot lever should be adjusted un- til it does. This will leave a small space be- tween the block b and the top of the plate #, which is very neces- sary. Finally. the foot lever is pushed down and the hand nut # turned to the right a small fraction of a turn. If the foot lever is now let up and the block fails to draw the wire the nut » should be turned a little more until it does. -The ar- row in the view D points to the lugs that should be in contact when the block is in its extreme upper po- sition. To operate this fric- tion a ring is provid- ed under the surface of the block that lifts the six friction mem- bers at the same time that it lifts the block. As soon as the fric- tion plates rise above a given center the springs act and collapse the friction members, permitting the block to stand stationary. To start the block the lower starting ring is lowered by means of a treadle or compressed air. The top of the inside bore of the block is lowered to the top of the friction plates, straightening the toggles, at the same time lengthening April 28, 1910 the arms so that the entire structure becomes a solid wheel readily adjusted for power by the conical nut at the top of the spindle shaft. It is not unusual in wire mills for 3 to 5 ft. of wire to be scrapped on every bundle drawn in a mill owing to the imperfections made by the nippers in threading the die. The scrap made by the Humphrey machine is about an inch that is contained in the nipper dies, In reference to the threading attachment it is stated that the Humphrey nipper is readily repaired and Fig. 4.—Humphrey Pointer Mounted on a Stand. the frame is practically permanent. The only replace- ment necessary would be to recut and retemper the jaws at a fraction of the cost of refitting the nipper in ordinary practice. Drawing in a straight line in- stead of at an angle, as in ordinary practice, is also emphasized, since this brings the strain against the front of the bench and does not tend to distort or shear the holding bolts of the framework. This arrangement offers two other advantages: It interferes less with the stripping of the block and allows the workmen to Fig. 6.—Construction of Framework of Humphrey Bench. THE IRON AGE 975 pass from block to block more readily than if the wires lay diagonally across the floor of the reel. It also al- lows ready access to the Humphrey continuous roll pointer, Fig. 4 (which shows the stand type) driven by heavy high grade automobile chain direct from the Fig. 5.—Safety Die Stand. line shaft. This pointer makes a point with a true taper free from objectionable shoulders. Safety Devices. In view of the liability to accident in connection with wire drawing the safety devices of the Humphrey mechanism are particularly important features. The safety die stand, Fig. 5, represents the only application of such devices to a drawing bench. The shutting off of steam from the engine has been resorted to, but momentum carries a heavy engine 20 to 30 revolutions at least. The safety die stand secures action at the point at which the accident occurs. The wire is sev- ered within a foot of the tangle and at a rate of speed of 1-134 part of a second providing the wire travels 500 ft. per minute. The safety die stand has a frame- work inclosing a pair of taper jaws which are con- nected in turn to a ring by the means of a bar of steel. In action any obstruction coming against the guard ring compresses the two taper jaws until they grip the wire; the faster the block revolves the more quickly the wire will be sev- ered and the work- man released. A wire mill manager employing several hundred men en- gaged in wire draw- ing reports three cases in which ac- cidents would have occurred but for this safety die stand, One man was caught above the ankle and pulled up to the stand, the wire cutting off. He kept on working and required no medical attention. Another man was caught around the arm, but owing to the safety die stand was uninjured, and he also kept at work. A third man THE IRON AGE Fig. 7.—Heavy Type of Bench for %-In. Rod, with was caught around the arm, but was not bruised. It is common practice, moreover, for wire drawers, against orders, to feel the wire as it leaves the die stand to test its smoothness or the condition of the die. A hand leather is a part of the equipment of the old- Fig. 8.—Driving Mechanism of the %-In. Air Driven Friction Block, time drawer. This leather is loose and is easily caught by the wire and drawn into the revolving block, with many chances of fatal results. With the safety die stand, upon which patents are pending, the moment the body of the operator is drawn against the bench the jaws of the die stand engage the wire and the danger is eliminated by the severing of the strand. Another safety feature is the stopping of the block when a tangle occurs at'the reel. When rods are re- ceived from the rolling mill they are delivered to a rod car in a red hot state. As they are lowered to the rod car water is poured on them and the kinks in the rod remain until taken out by the process of drawing. In case a reel of rods does not pay out properly and the workman is busily looking after. his finishing blocks with his back to the rod reel, the moment the reel has drawn 8 in. to 2 ft. toward the wire bench the block stops automatically by being thrown out of commission with compressed air. In construction a cylinder is placed back of the treadle guide. Should the block be stopped by the operator or by a tangle the air is ad- mitted to the top of this cylinder, which in turn forces the piston downward and the treadle engages in a notch formed in the treadle plate. Here a notch of April 28, 1910 m | a oe Re *, a ; Air Driven Friction and Bench Driven Pointers. ordinary practice is supplemented by a spring to hold the treadle in its place, and in addition compressed air on the top of the piston, making it impossible for the block to start without the workman’s assistance. To re-start the block after a tangle the workman first dis- entangles the rods, drags the reel back to its original position, throws the air valve, turning off the com- pressed air, and starts his block slowly by raising the treadle as fast or slow as his work may require, but not instantly. The Humphrey bench is made practically self-oil- ing, Or as nearly so as is possible in this class of ma- chinery. The materials used are soft steel, steel cast- ings, manganese bronze, genuine babbitt, high-speed steel and charcoal iron. Care is taken that the various ioving parts are provided with a factor of 75 per cent. of overload; the gears are cast from machine planed patterns. The main line shaft gear is split and held together by four 14-in. bolts with double nuts, and all keys are locked to prevent their movement on the shaft. The rigidity furnished by the block frame, Fig. 6, is worthy of mention. The distance between blocks is varied by moving the block unit in its position on the longitudinal angles which form the skeleton frame- work With the friction clutch it has been found practi- cable to draw larger sizes of wire than are possible with the positive clutch. A heavy type of bench (Fig. Fig. 9.—Humphrey Baking Ovens. April 28, 1910 7) has been designed for this work, with a clutch thrown in as well as out by compressed air, the ten- sion on the drum being too heavy for the operator to use a foot lever. The driving mechanism is shown in Fig. 8. In case a wire breaks or runs out the block on which it is drawing stops automatically without in- terfering with other blocks in the same bench, so that one man can take care of as many blocks as he can strip and keep the dies threaded, the threading only taking a fraction of the time required on old- style machines, As is well known, the cleaning of wire rods in- volves first their immersion in acid, after which they are dipped in water, allowed to brown coat, and are then dipped in hot lime which tends to neutralize the remaining acid. In the wet state the rods are placed in a baker where the lime is. baked on the rod.. Com- monly the rods are pushed into the oven on trucks, the doors are closed and the evap- oration of the hot lime pro- ceeds. In the Humphrey baker, Fig. 9, the acid and other fumes are drawn out of the oven as soon as the truck enters the alley, through the creation of a natural draft of superheated air. This elim- inates the acid, as is often not effectively done in a tightly closed hot room, and increases the efficiency of the baker both as to speed and as to bak- ing qualities. The doors are counterweighted and when closed are self-seating against the jambs. Each alley is par- titioned from its neighbor and provision is made to discharge the trucks easily without the necessity of the workmen en tering the baker. Only within recent years has machinery been used in the cleaning room of wire mills for the handling of the entire product. At first com- mon labor was employed to get the rods in and out of the cleaning vat, sometimes by hand and again with the use of a sweep. Later hydraulic cranes were introduced. The Humphrey steam driven crane, Fig. 10, using steam at boiler pressure, eliminates the loss of conversion; that is, steam drives the crane direct instead of being used in an engine which in turn operates the pufmps of the hydraulic system. Further, the loss in leakage is a consideration in the use of the hydraulic crane. The Humphrey crane employs a balanced valve and pro- vision is made against the blowing out of cylinder heads in case of flooding. Top and bottom bearings are both ball and roller, running in oil. The crane framework is heavy section steel. In view of the cor- rosion to be expected in a cleaning room there has been objection to the use of steel, but with the heavy sections as shown the effect of corrosion is very slight. The operator of this crane grasps the handle below the vertical pipe with the left hand and with the right hand grasps a valve lever at right angles to the pipe just above the handle, but not clearly brought out in the cut. The movement of this lever to or from the oper- ator raises or lowers the load. The capacity of this crane ranges from 1000 Ib. to 5000 Ib. lift. —»+e—_____ The McCall Incinerator Company, Nashville, Tenn., has opened a branch office in New York City, which THE IRON AGE 977 will be in charge of Dr. Thomas Darlington, formerly Commissioner of Health for New York, and Martin Maas. The offices are located at the corner of Broad- way and Pearl street. A branch office has also been opened in the Evans Building, Washington, D. C., which will be in charge of Henry B. F. Macfarland, formerly Commissioner for the District of Columbia. oe A Large Motor Car Company at Lansing, Mich. The Clark Power Wagon Company, Lansing, Mich., a consolidation of the business of Clark & Co. and the Ferguson Motor Company, has been incor- porated with capital stock of $500,000. In addition to the plant now occupied by Clark & Co., which is 132 x 150 ft., with an available floor space of 90,500 sq. ft., the company also owns 150 x 398 ft. on River Fig. 10.—Humphrey Steam Driven Cleaning Crane. street, adjoining the factory, which will be utilized in the near future for new buildings. A machine shop, 65 x 300 ft., three stories, which will furnish an additional floor space of 58,500 sq. ft., will be erected, The company will begin operations with an output of 15 motor cars per day, but the additions to be made will increase the factory capacity to 30 per day for the season of 1912. Frank G. Clark, who owned all the stock in Clark & Co., is president of the new company, and will retain control. R. A. Radle, formerly con- nected with the Indianapolis Motor Car Company, the Rapid Vehicle Company and the Branowsky Power Wagon Company, will be factory manager, secretary and treasurer of the company. ad The Sharon Fire Brick Works, Sharon, Pa., has the contract for fire brick required in relining Claire Furnace of M. A, Hanna & Co., at Sharpsville, Pa. This and other contracts enable it to operate its plant full capacity. The Sharon Boiler Works, builder of Wheeler water tube boilers, plate construction, &c., is furnishing a 300-ton Mullin gas washer for the same furnace. 978 THE IRON AGE Customs Decisions. Fishhooks, The United States Board of General Appraisers partially sustained a claim filed by the American Ex- press Company and R. Ogilvy regarding the classifica- tion of fish hooks made from round iron or steel wire. The collector assessed the hooks at the rate of 40 per cent. ad valorem and 14 cents, whereas the importers set up the contention that, as the merchandise is not valued at more than 4 cents a pound, the duty should be at the specific rates provided in the proper para- graph, plus 1% cents a pound prescribed in the second proviso of paragraph 137 of the tariff. Nickel Coated Wire. The board has handed down a decision regarding the classification of coated wire imported by Hermann Boker & Co., New York, favorable to the contention of the importers. The merchandise consists of wire composed of iron and nickel. It is produced by forc- ing an iron core into a nickel tube and then drawing the combined article down to the required size. Duty was assessed at the rate of 45 per cent. under the pro- visions of paragraph 137, act of 1897, as iron or. steel wire not specially provided for, whether covered or uncovered with metal. The importers’ claim is that the wire should be allowed to enter under the same paragraph as assessed, but as iron or steel wire “ coated” with metal at the appropriate rate provided for the wire from which the article is made with two- tenths of a cent per pound in addition. General Appraiser Fischer, who writes the deci- sion, says that the classification of this wire, not coated with a nickel deposit by galvanizing, dipping or some similar method, but covered with an outer surfacing of nickel welded thereto, turns upon the latitude taken in the final clause in paragraph 137. The general appraiser reaches the conclusion that the interpretation to be given the final clause of the paragraph is of a character to warrant sustaining the contention of the importers for the imposition of the lower duty. The collector is ordered to make a reliquidation at the lower rate of duty. Solder Ash. The board has refused to reverse the classification made by Collector Loeb on importations of solder ash, a dross composed of tin and lead. Upon analysis the merchandise was shown to contain 46.40 per cent. of lead. Duty was assessed at the rate of 2% cents a pound as “lead dross,” whereas B. Lissberger & Co., the importers, claimed the article dutiable either di- rectly or by similitude to lead-bearing ores at the rate of 1% cents per pound on the lead content, or at the same rate either directly or by similitude to type-metal. General Appraiser Fischer, who writes the decision, says that he is unable to sustain either of the conten- tions raised by the importers for rates of duty lower than those assessed. The decision says that the article is a dross from melted metal, and that the claim that it is an “ore” is without merit. The General Ap- praiser also denies the allegation that the commodity is dutiable by similitude to type-metal. Qe The Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory, with general offices at 325 Water street, Pittsburgh, Pa., announces that on account of the rapid growth in its cement test- ing department, it has opened cement laboratories, with full facilities, in charge of competent cement chemists and cement testers, at 511 Omaha Building, Chicago, and 309-310 Praetorian Building, Dallas, Texas. It also has cement laboratories at Easton, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Birmingham, and San Francisco, as well as cement chemists located at a large number of the differ- ent cement mills. It is prepared to test cement in its laboratories, or to make mill inspection of cement at any of the leading cement mills. April 28, 1910 Heroult Electric Furnace Installations. R. H. Wolff of New York, American representa- tive of the Heroult electric furnace and process, has closed with the Crucible Steel Company of America for the installation of two Heroult furnaces. One of 5 tons capacity is now under construction at the Atha Works, Harrison, N. J., while another of the same capacity will be put down at the Park Works, Pitts- burgh. Plans are now under way for the installation of a number of additional Heroult furnaces of large size, including 15 and 20 ton furnaces for a large steel works in England. The further introduction of this furnace has made rapid progress in England in the past six months. Below is given a list of the Heroult licenses in Europe, the United States and Mexico, there being a total of 44 furnaces in operation or under construction: Europe. Works of August Thyssen: Deutscher Kaiser Stahlwerke, Bruch- hausen, Germany; Deutscher Kaiser Stahlwerke, Muhlheim, Germany. ‘ Stahlwerke Richard Lindenberg, Remscheid-Hasten, Germany. Bismarckhiitte, Upper Silesia, Germany, Mannesmann-Réhren Werke, Saarbrucken, Burbach, Germany. Kaernthner Bisen & Stahl Werke, Austria. Gebr. Biéhler & Cie., A. G. Kapfenberg, Austria. Georg Fischer, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Soc. Electromet. Francaise, La Praz, Savoie, France. Acieries du Saut du Tarn, St. Juery, France. Aktiebolaget Heroults Electriska Stal, Kortfors, Sweden. Societa Tubi Mannesmann, Dalmine, Italy. Briider Lapp Rottenmann, works Steiermark, Austria. Imperial Steel Works, Obuchow, St, Petersburg, Russia. Usine Metallurgique de la Basse Loire, Trignac, France. Soc. des Usine Metallurgiques du Hainault, Couillet, Belgique. Edgar Allen & Co., Sheffield, England, Thos. Firth & Sons, Ltd., Sheffield, England. Skinningrove Iron Company, Ltd., works Carlin How, Yorkshire, England. Vickers Sons & Maxim, Ltd., works Sheffield, Barrow, Birming- ham, England. United States. United States Steel Corporation, Halcomb Steel Company, Syracuse, N. Y. Firth-Sterling Steel Company, McKeesport, Pa. Crucible Steel Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa. Mezico. Cia, Mexicana di Acero y Productos Chemicos, Mexico. Another Russian installation is also practically under contract. At the Skinningrove Iron Company’s plant the Heroult furnace will be used, as at South Chicago, for the refining of rail steel. —_—_—_—_~9+-@——__—_—_ Koppers By-Product Ovens at Wylam. With the 280 Koppers by-product coke ovens which the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company is about to build at Wylam, near Ensley, Ala., the United States Steel Corporation will have a total of 1120 Koppers ovens. The first of this type built in the United States were the 280 for the Illinois Steel Company’s Joliet, Ill., blast furnaces, these being erected in 1907. In addition, 560 are now under construction at Gary, Ind. The new ovens to be built at Wylam, Ala., will be 37 ft. long between doors, 9 ft. 10% in. high, and will have an average width of 193% in. Each corm ot produce 11.25 tons of coke every 24 hours. with a coal containing 30 per cent. of volatile matter, the daily output of the plant will be 3145 tons of coke, be- sides 22,000,000 cu. ft. of 500 b.t.u. gas, 35,000 gal. of tar and 44 tons of sulphate of ammonia. The ammonia will be recovered from the gas by the Koppers direct process. A block of Koppers by-product ovens is also being installed by the Algoma Steel Company, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. ——3@+e——____— It is interesting to note that one important works in Germany is putting in equipment to manufacture soil pipe in iron molds, this being presumably the first installation of the kind in that country. Sabet » f April 28, 1910 The Reed Quick Change Feed Lathe. The engine lathe illustrated in Fig. 1 embodies a quick change feed mechanism by means of which 60 changes of speed of the feed rod and lead screw are obtained. The machine is otherwise of the standard type of its builder, the F. E. Reed Company, Worcester, Mass., but with refinements of design. Of the changes 30 are obtained in the gear box at the front of the bed, which is clearly shown in Fig. 2. On a shaft is mounted a cone of gears, any one of which can be en- gaged by the movement of the lower lever. The shaft above the cone is in line with and clutches to the lead screw, and carries a double clutch gear operated by a lever, the three positions of which multiplies the 10 Fig. 1—A 16-In. Engine Lathe with Quick-Change Feed Gear, Built by the F. B. Reed Company, Worcester, Mass. changes of the cone to 30. A further multiplication by two is obtained by the sliding gear at the end of the machine, which may be operated while the machine is running. All gears in the case are of bar steel, cut coarse pitch. The range of standard threads is from 2 to 128, including 11%, and of feeds 10 to 640 per inch of travel. As already stated, the upper shaft of the gear box and the lead screw are engaged by a clutch. Its release, by means of the handle shown at the right of the gear box, brings a gear into mesh with one on the feed rod, the mechanism being so designed that the screw and rod cannot operate the same time. The whole arrangement is such that it is impossible to lock the mechanism and cause damage. This lathe is built in 14, 16, 18 and 20 in. sizes. The dimensions of the various sizes follow: 14 in. 16 in. 18 in. 20 in. x 6 ft. x 6 ft. x 8 ft. x 8 ft. Distance between centers, ft. and in. 30 2.4% 41 39 Swing over bed, in.. 16 18 20 22 Swing over plain COR, Mev eee sss 10%, 11 11% 13 Swing over elevat- ing rest, in..... 8 9 Swing over com- pound rest, in... 10% 11% 12% 14% Swing over plain taper rest, in... 9% 10 11 11% Swing over elevat- ing taper rest, in. 6% 7% Swing over com- pound taper rest, Oia: nis aareneiee 9% 10% 12 13% THE IRON AGE 979 14 in, 16 in, 18 in. 20 in. x 6 ft. x 6 ft x8 ft. x 8 ft. Floor space over all, ft. and in...7 0x2 7 611x29 90O0x211 90x81 Weight, skidded, Ib. 1,800 2,300 3,2 8,800 Weight, extra per BORE Wes dat hae 100 125 175 200 Weight, boxed, Ib. 2,125 2,800 3,800 4,500 Cubic feet, boxed. 47 64 88 108 Weight extra, taper attachment, Ib... 75 100 150 175 Weight extra, tur- ret attach., Ib... 225 340 500 560 Weight extra, oil ee errr 335 350 450 450 Friction pulleys, di- ameter and width OR: WE WES. cas 12x3 138 x 3% 14x 3% 16x4 Countershaft speed, rev. per min.... 180 160 150 140 All sizes have large spindles and bearings, four- step cones of large diameters for wide belts and are strongly back geared. The three smaller sizes can be equipped with special head- stocks for draw-in col- let attachments. The 14 and 16 in. machines are made with either compound, _ elevating or plain rest, and the 18 and 20 in. with either compound or plain rest. ——_—_.-- Lack of Milling Ma- chine Safeguards in England. referred to as the first case of its kind was brought before a Birmingham, What is England, magistrate recently at the insti- gation of the chief factory inspector. The Armstrong Tri- plex Three-speed Gear Company was charged with failing to have the dan- gerous parts of a milling machine safeguarded, and Fig. 2.—Phantom View Showing the Feed Gearing. a boy had been so seriously injured that his arm and part of his shoulder had been amputated. It was stated that in the years 1906-1908 244 accidents arising from unprotected parts of milling machines had occurred. The defense claimed that the mishap was due to the want of proper caution on the part of the boy. The magistrate fined the defendant £50 and costs, ——__--+~»-e————— At Sparrows Point, Md., the first cargo of steel rails was loaded this week, on the Queensland Government Railway’s order for 11,000 tons. 980 THE IRON A NEW TILTED TURRET SCREW MACHINE. AGE April 28, 1910 The No. 3 Machine with Friction-Geared Head and Geared Automatic Feed to the Turret Slide. An addition to the line of tilted turret screw ma- chines built by the Wood Turret Machine Company, Brazil, Ind., is the No. 3 size (1% in. capacity), with friction-geared head and geared automatic feed to the turret slide. A general view of this machine is given in Fig. 1. This machine embodies in its design many improve- ments and new features which are necessary for the The No. Company, Brazil, Ind. rapid and accurate production of duplicate parts. It will be noticed that head and the lower half of the geared guards are cast solid with the bed, insuring strength and rigidity. The machine is equipped with a friction-geared head and a three-step cone pulley of large diameter and wide face, giving a powerful drive. The friction-geared head gives two spindle speeds for any one speed of the cone, enabling the operator to use two speeds without stopping the machine to throw in the back gears. By moving the handle at the side of the cone to the right or left, the back gears are thrown in or out while the machine is in motion, thus securing the necessary speeds for changing from boring to tap- ping, and for turning different diameters in the same piece without stopping the machine. In Fig. 2 the head is shown with the casings re- moved, revealing the constructon and the arrange- ment of the gearing. This engraving also shows the general layout of the geared automatic feed to the turret slide. As will be noticed, this taken from a sprocket secured to the spindle and is transmit- ted through a roller chain to a shaft located in the bed of the machine. The fact that this shaft, which trans- mits the automatic feed to the turret slide is located within the bed of the machine itself, is brought out clearly in Fig. 3. Here may be séen the general de- sign of the rear of the machine, showing the friction- geared head, the oil pump and tank and the feed gear box. The shaft to which the feed is transmitted from the spindle is located in the bed of the machine and feed is 3 14-In. Tilted Turret Screw Machine Built extends to the rear end to a gear box, the gears of which run in a bath of oil, The details of the geared automatic feed are shown in Fig. 4. The necessary reduction in the speed trans- mitted by the shaft A is obtained through the four gears B, C, D, and E. Gear B is keyed to the shaft A, while gear C and the three gears mounted on the same shaft with it are secured together, but run free on their shaft. Gears D and E are likewise secured together and run free on_ their shaft. The power is therefore transmitted from gear B to gear D and from gear E back to gear C. The pull-pin F operates a sliding key, which en- gages in turn any one of the three gears mounted on the same shaft with the gears D and E, and as these three gears are al- ways in mesh with the three gears on the shaft A, three differ- ent rates of feed may be obtained. In Fig. 5 are shown further details of the geared automatic feed, the position of the gears which are interchanged to double up the number ef feeds to give six changes in all, and the automatic trip for disengaging the automatic feed which operates in conjunction with the independent adjustable stops for each hole of the turret. The auto- matic feed is transmitted from the spur gear on the pull-pin shaft at F through two spur gears and the shaft G to the gears H and I. The latter are so ar- ranged that instantly interchanged to Aouble the feeds, giving six positively driven changes of automatic feed to the turret slide. by the Wood Turret Machine they can be number of Fig, 2.—The Casings Removed, Showing the Arrangement of the Friction-Geared Head. ry April 28, 1910 On the same shaft with the gear I is a worm mesh- ing with a worm gear. The worm is held in a rocker arm, which throws the worm in and out of mesh with the worm gear by the operation of the lever. The worm is keyed to the same shaft that carries the turn- stile. This shaft has mounted on its other end a spur pinion meshing with a rack secured to the under side of the turret slide, resulting in the automatic move ment of the turret slide. The small lever J, shown in Fig. 5, passes up through the under side ofthe turret saddle, and automatically trips or disengages the feed in connection with the independent adjustable stops for each hole of the turret. As in previous models the tilting of the turret is of advantage, as it makes it possible to use extra large box tools and die heads, as when swung around to the rear position they are thrown up at an angle of ap proximately 30 degrees, entirely clear of the turret slide. The tilt of the turret also minimizes the strain on the center bolt of the turret head, and applies part of the thrust directly on the slide. This also causes a full bearing on the slide and prevents tipping. Stock may be passed into or directly through the tilted tur- ret, since the center bolt has a hole through it. This allow.the use of a short, stiff box tool and avoids the necessity of the box tool rest guide. Thus it is pos- Fig. 3.—Rear View of the Machine. sible to obtain the benefit of the long effective motion of the slide. The turret also being hexagonal allows the box tool to be bolted to the face, leaving the tur- ret hole open to let the work pass through. Work when machined is passed into or directly through the turret, coming out at the rear through one of the auxiliary holes in the lower half without interfering with a tool in the rear position. Lever tor engaging and disengaging feed Fig. 4.—Details of the Geared Automatic Feed and Interior of the Box. THE IRON AGE 981 Fig, 5.—The Automatic Trip and Details of the Feed The machine is equipped with an automatic bar feed for automatically feeding the stock through the spin- dle. Four gears and a scroll deliver power to two rollers, while a second scroll is used to fit the adjusting jaws to the stock. Provision has been made on the stock adjusting jaws to take round, square, hexagon or any other shaped bar stock. The lever on the left of the machine, which operates the auto- matic bar, also oper- ates the automatic chuck, opening it be- fore the feed is thrown into action, when the lever is thrown to the left, and closing it after the stopping, when the lever is thrown to the right. This one lever controls two op- erations, and at the same time prevents trying to roll stock into the machine when it is gripped by the collet. The turret slide, which rests and moves in the sad- dle, is furnished with a taper gib fitted the whole length of the saddle on either side, providing means of ad- justing the slide sideways. The saddle is gibbed to the outer edges of the bed by flat gibs throughout its entire length. There is a supplementary taper base to the saddle by which the turret holes can be adjusted to the exact hight of the center of the spindle. Thus it is never necessary to rebore the turret holes. Auto- matic stops for each hole in the turret are furnished with the machine and are instantly adjustable to dif- ferent lengths. The tilted turret screw machine is sold by Hill, Clarke & Co., Inc. Peat Exhibition—The New York Section of the American Peat Society will hold an exhibition of peat products, peat machinery, samples of peat, drawings, photographs and anything pertaining to peat, at the rooms of the Chemists’ Club, 108 West Fifty-fifth street, New York, May 16 and 17. Contributions of peat samples, peat products, drawings and photographs with full description are solicited, The chairman of the New York Section is Dr. Charles F. McKenna, 50 Church street, New York. On the evening of May 17 Prof. Chas. A. Davis of the United States Geological Survey will read a paper on “ Our Peat Bogs a Valua- ble Asset.” 982 THE IRON AGE MODERN METHODS OF SHOP MANAGEMENT.” Details of a System Taken from Actual Practice. BY FREDERICK A. WALDRON, CONSULTING ENGINEER, NEW YORK. Producing consists of manufacturing and deliver- ing a complete article of maximum quality in a profit- able quantity with reasonable profit at lowest cost and selling price. The ideal organization for the manufacturer is to carry it all in his head—money received in the left- hand pocket, money to be paid out in the right-hand pocket, pay in cash, then what is left is the profit, plus or minus the mental estimate of gain or loss from work in process or stock. This method eliminates non- producers, clerks, selling force, cost department, draftsmen, promotion charges, high finance, &c. For- tunately for the employed, a man’s capacity is limited and where his business exceeds a certain amount it is necessary for him to unload and organize to handle large problems. How can this be done with maximum profit ? The answer in part is the subject of this paper. Having worked my way from a machinist’s apprentice through drafting and engineering departments to the position of superintendent and manager, with a tech- nical knowledge obtained by lamplight, after an ex- perience of 32 years I feel qualified to discuss the phases and details of this problem, not as a mentor to those assembled but to suggest what can be done with many plants that are running on the principle of 1885 or 1886 with a few fashionable so-called system frills on the outside. It would be unbecoming for me to deprecate in any way the immense amount of good work which you as individuals, manufacturers and an association have ac- complished, and far be it from me to criticise, severely or unjustly, any of the efforts made to improve shop conditions. I beg, therefore, that what I say will be taken in the spirit of suggestion as to how your in- dustries can have their earning capacity increased, labor fully rewarded and burdens lightened without investing too heavily in plant which in dull times is the millstone around the industrial neck. The Principal Point in Shop Management. Having been asked by many of what the principal point in shop management consists, I was at a loss at first to find an answer. After analyzing in detail and by a process of elimination it boils down to “ knowing where you are at.” The organization and methods hereafter described will tell you this with reasonable accuracy and expense and economic results: The symbol method localizes expenditures. The stock cards, stores or worked materials. The time tickets, the efficiency of men and the cost of labor and machine hours. The payroll, the expense and classification of labor. The operation cards, sequence of work. The instruction cards, how to do work and what to do it with. The route cards, location of work in shop and a means of valuation of work in process. Time study and operation analysis establish basic con- ditions. Functionalizing of duties, an increase of machine output. Bonus for superintendent and foremen gives co-operation. Study of weakness in shop organization and meth- ods develops an astonishing lack of basic detail and truth, with a desire to play to the galleries, local and shop politics, on the part of many who desire to hold their jobs, combined with the following: A. Incapacity for those in charge to. give clear and ex-* plicit orders and instruct those under them. B. Corresponding lack in those receiving orders to carry * Address before the National Metal Trades April 14, 1910. Jamnelathen: New York, them out, spending more energy and time in thinking of some other way to do the work than doing it. C. Too many minds for the orders to filter through be- fore reaching the man behind the lathe. D. Disregard of promises of completion of work in shop and the shipment of the same. E. Lack of conception of the meaning of the words “thorough”’ and “ complete.” F. Trying on of new ideas without knowing how to make them fit. G. Patent medicine ideas. of new systems, such as high- prices, cost systems, Doolittle time system, P. T’s. premium system, &c. H. Expecting too much from managers, superintendents, and foremen and getting too little. I. Humanity on the part of managers, superintendents and foremen in holding on to the job and protecting them- selves. ‘‘ Self-preservation is the first law of nature.” J. Lack of specific knowledge of capacity of speeds and feeds of machines by men and foremen. K. Lack of detail, instructions and systematic methods of seeing them carried out. L. No system of routing work through shop. M. Extravagant and injudicious advertising. N. Jealousy. O. Lack of team work. P. Too much brain work in proportion to hand work. Q. Too much unused and useless information, R. Overcultivation of the inventive mind in proportion to capital invested. S. No method for the training of the workmen. From observation and experience covering a num- ber of years has been evolved a method of organization for industrial work which, while it is not perfect, has shown such improvement in results over the regulation methods that I believe its description would be of in- terest to you. There is nothing new in it, except the results, other than the co-ordinating of the best ob- tainable into an elastic organization which obtains the most direct results with the minimum number of forms and red tape. Thus is increased the efficiency not only of the hands but the brains of an organization by mak- ing the brain work more complete and thorough and compelling the machines to work harder and more con- stantly, thereby cutting down the time elapsing be- tween the receiving of an order and shipping of the goods, which will necessarily reduce the value of the work in process and increase the volume of output. The time which work is operated upon is oftentimes less than one-half the time that the work lies round the shop. Data Needed for Shaping a Policy. To gauge the management of a factory intelligently the following information is necessary: Capital invested. Productive and betterment labor. Productive and betterment materials. Expense, al] kinds. Average annual business, past. . Average annual business, estimates for future. These facts are necessary as a guide for the most efficient policy to follow in shop management. The successful manager must know them to guide him in his work. The factory should then have the divisions as called for later and each should have apportioned to it, as nearly as possible, the expense burden it has to carry; next an estimate or record of the amount of productive labor and materials used in these groups or sections of the divisions. We now have data on which to shape the policy for the first year and will proceed to apply the following: SOU 99 BO pt 1. Functionalizing duties. 2. Forming an Advisory Committee, 3. Control of expenditures. 4. Time study for piece rates. April 28, 1910 April 28, 1910 5. Distribution of information. 6. Determination of premium or bonus. 7. Machine hours. 8. Routing. a. Operation lists, stores and worked material cards. . Production orders. Standing orders. . Instruction card and drawings. . Requisition on stores. - Time card, clocks, and production department. . Inspection ticket. . Move orders. - Route card or schedule of work. 9. Payroll. 10. Analysis sheet. 11. Accounting. a. Symbol sheet. b. Proper use of symbo] sheet with analysis sheet, time tickets and requisitions. > QO aoe 12. Costs. 13. Tickler. 14. Bonus system for superintendents and foremen. 15. Decision as to whether goods are to be made on special order or from stock. Nos. 1, 4, 6, 7 and 10 are the vital points of this type of organization, and concentration on these will develop the necessity of the others and show gain even if carried out in a somewhat crude and amateur man- ner. Time will permit me to talk on these points only. The essential difference in this type of organization from the ordinary type is the arrangement of duties and the dividing of the technical and mechanical work from the business or hustling end of the factory more definitely than is usually done. All designing of product and tools, issuing of lists of machines on which the work is to be done, &c., are the function of the engineering division, while the chief of the producing division pushes it along the different lines by means of the routing system, and looks ahead, anticipating where the work is to be done and that all is ready to do with at the proper time. This insures greater rapidity in the work passing through the shop. The High Importance of a Routing System, My observations in this have shown that a well arranged method for routing work through the fac- tory with duties properly funtionalized increases its productive efficiency more than any premium, piece rate or bonus system, and, given the choice of only one, I should take a logical and consistent routing system to any of the others. Take two factories exactly alike with an oversold product—one with a good piece rate or bonus system and a happy-go-lucky routing system, the other with a day work system and a first-class routing system— there is no question in my mind as to the latter show- ing a greater profit than the former, while a combina- tion of the two will show results far beyond the most sanguine expectations. A good routing system auto- matically results in the following: . Gives basic cost information. . Locates a fall-down in output at once. . Locates all work and its conditions. . Relieves chiefs of divisions of “ still hunts.” Compels chief and assistants to “ watch out.” Records machine hours. Insures accurate time charges. . Insures accurate account charges. . Shows up delays and their causes at once. : . Shows work ahead for each machine and allows for rearrangement and redistribution. 11. Allows of most minute cost anaylsis if required; and if not, no unnecessary expense is insured for use- less or passé information. 12. Compels closer attention to details all along the line. 13. Reduces amount of wasted energy and materials. SO WARD OUP COND In conjunction with the above a tickler system is most important, and a shop can be run on this system alone better than on no system at all. The tickler form is a 4 x 6 in. slip of paper or card, provided with a blank space for the name of the party to whom it is to be delivered, with the subject THE IRON AGE 983 and remarks. Below is a ruled space for dates on which the card is to be returned to the party whose name is on it. These cards are collected at night from a receptacle provided at desks and distributed in a filing cabinet by date; early the next morning all cards in folios of that date are taken out and distributed by a boy to those whose names appear on the card. This system is flexible and memoranda can be sent up and down the line. When once used, it becomes an indis- pensable adjunct to the factory. Machine Hours. The value of an accurate record of machine hours for computing costs approaches more accurately the ideal than any other method, and is of far more im- portance to the factory than is generally admitted or recognized, A machine, bench or vise should carry with it its exact proportion of the overhead expenses, and it is much more important that these overhead charges should be distributed by the machine hours than charged as an aggregate per cent. to the item of labor. This is especially true where a factory oper- ates a large variety of machines. of extremely low and high valuations. Illustration: A machine costing $10,000 would have an annual overhead charge against it for depreciation, rental, power, &c., of $1500, based on 3000 hours a year, or 50 cents per hour. This would be as much if not more than the hourly rate paid the man who runs it. If the machine was run 1500 machine hours, the hourly charge would be $1.04, or double the man’s time. The universal practice of adding a certain per- centage to flat labor costs for overhead charges handicaps the actual cost of the work on smaller ma- chines and at times causes