The Iron Age 1912-11-14: Vol 90 Iss 20

Established 1855 New York, November 14, 1912 Vol. 90: No. 20 Photography in a Pneumatic Tool Plant A Résume of Methods Used in Connec- tion with the Work of the Ingersoll- Rand Company's The presentation of the case of photography as an important auxiliary in manufacturing and selling which appeared in The Iron Age of August 22 can be augmented profitably by a brief description of the practice followed by the Ingersoll-Rand Company. This company main- tains an extensive photographic department as an adjunct of its publicity bureau at Easton, Pa., and its experiences and methods may be offered in further explanation of the facilities provided for utilizing photography in large industrial organizations. Like others which have a large and varied line of product, the Ingersoll-Rand Company finds the use of the camera by its own experts of almost indispensable value not only in connection with the preparation of its cata- logues and descriptive litera- ture, but in other directions as well. The output of -the photographic department of the company may be divided into five classes as follows: 1—Shop pictures. 2,—Re- productions of wash draw- ings, tracings, line drawings and retouched photographs. 3.—Bromide enlargements for framing. 4.—Outside views and installations. 5.— Lantern slides. In the execution of their work and in devising appara- tus to obtain the best results the photographers of the In- gersoll-Rand Company have exercised ingenuity as well, as skill. Taking up in their order the various classifica- tions alluded to, many inter- esting points may be touched on in even a sketch of the methods. When it has been de- termined in the preparation of a catalogue what illustra- tions are to be used, the photographic department is authorized to take the necessary pictures, the detail and arrangement of the subjects being made to conform with nstructions given with the order. Each particular line ot machinery is photographed in the department pro- ducing it, and the shop engineers assist in arranging the a and parts to insure the showing of all essential etails, PS v In all shop photography many difficulties are encoun- “a ec, and these are often accentuated in the case of. the ngcrsoll-Rand Company because its products include 1143 Fig. 1—Apparatus Used by Ingersoll-Rand Company for Making Duplicate Part Photographs Publicity Bureau large machines which are ‘too heavy to permit of easy rehandling. Consequently some machines must be photo- graphed on the erecting floor just as assembled under conditions which are anything but satisfactory because of poor light, close quarters, etc. Under such circumstances a good lens, equally good judgment and a correct use of flashlight powder are essential to good results. The company’s photégraphers also make use of a muslin or canvas, curtain fastened on a wire and supported at either end by wooden poles 10, or 12 ft. high for a background as shown, for example, in Fig. 9. Flashlight powder and flashlight. bags are located in such positions as will light up the dark recesses and bring out details. Here, it may be said, good shop pho- tography requires an assort- ment of high-grade lenses to prevent distortion and get correct perspective. In their work of making pictures at close range the Ingersoll- Rand photographers use lenses averaging from 7 3/16 to 23% in. in focal length. Figs. 5 and 6 show interiors of the Ingersoll-Rand plant reproduced for their excel- lent perspective effects. Duplicate part photo- graphs, used by some fitms in the making of what are called “renewal sheets,” in- volve another use of the camera in the making of shop pictures. In the pro- duction of these the Inger- soll-Rand Company uses an adjustable frame, Fig. 1, which has been found to work very successfully. The parts are arranged in proper rotation on platform a, and the camera is attached to support b on the platform c. To accommodate . the changing quantities of parts on various picturev, platform a is made adjustable and can be raised or lowered by means of the windlass d, to suit conditions. It is advisa- ble to locate a frame of this kind in the open so as to get the best light possible. The value of the camera in the copy room of the pub- licity bureau is great as it is regarded as indispensable in reproducing. After the air brush artist completes a wash drawing it is sent to the copy room and photographed in a convenient size for distribution. Line drawings, trac- ings and retouched photographs are given the same treat- A AE AL Ag LRP LOE OE ELL EIS or Se ee eR sg ee np eae oan 1144 THE IRON AGE November 1012 Figs. 2 and 3—Photographs Taken in a Tennessee Coal Mine ment. sufficient number of windows to afford good lighting and the windows must be equipped with shades in order that the light may be controlled. Fig. 4 shows a camera stand used in the copy room and for so-called process work is declared to be a necessity. The tracings or drawings are Fig. 4—Camera Stand Used for Reproducing Work mounted on frame a, which is constructed to permit its being moved in any direction by means of conveniently lo- cated handles, making it easy to bring the axis of the lens into correct relation with the position of the subject. The stand is strongly made of 2-in. material with steel springs for absorbing the building vibration and heavy casters to allow of its being moved about with ease. The grooves The room in which this work is done must have a in bed b are accurate in alignment so that the camera (which is mounted and fastened on frame c) and frame a can be moved back and forth with little effort. A specially designed apparatus’ for producing bromide enlargements with daylight is shown in Fig. 10, its con- struction being not dissimilar to that of Fig. 1. The stand a@ is made adjustable and can be moved back and forth on bed 6 by means of handwheel c. The camera is mounted on platform d so that the back fits tightly in aperture ¢. A reflector f is. constructed on a 45-deg. angle to reflect the light into aperture e, from which it passes through the negative, reflect- ing the image on _ sensitized paper mounted on board g. With the frame a adjustable, it is possible to produce any size enlargement, although an 18x 22-in. size has been found large enough for most requirements. With this ar- rangement it is understood, of course, that no light falls on the sensitized paper save that which forms the image, the room otherwise being in_ total darkness. In the production of catalogues for the company there is need for many power-house views showing installa- tions of air compressors and under- ground photographs showing drills and other machines in operation in tun- nels, subways and coal and metal mines. Underground photography presents many obstacles foreign to any other field, but while special apparatus: has sometimes been found necessary, in a general way the ‘only equipment needed is a good camera outfit and flashlight apparatus. In Figs 2 and 3 are shown flashlight pictures of coal cutters (the Radialaxe in Fig. 3) taken in the mines of the Tennessee Figs. 5 and 6—Views in Ingersoll-Rand Company’s Works, Indicating the Magnitude of Its Compressor Production 2 ‘ ompany, Briceville, Tenn. ern slides for use in lecture ch as the presentation of the f pneumatic tools in foun- ber 14, 1912 THE IRON AGE 1145 trie | other industries are made in the room on a camera frame il- lust! | in Fig. 7. Two cameras, Aa ; are placed on the frame with the its adjoining. The lens is mounted on camera A which is fitted with a special: detachable back for holding the lantern slide plate holder. The 8x Io-in. negative is placed in the back of camera B. Directly back of this and far enough away to be out Fig. 7—Arrangement of Cameras in Making Lantern Slides of the focal range the copy board- C reflects a uniform light on the negative from a white card- hoard tacked to it. By proper manipulation of the two ameras the negative image is reduced and converted into a positive lantern-slide transparency. In Fig. 8 is shown the washroom of the photographic department where prints are washed, dried and trimmed. [he washline apparatus mounted on the two poles will conveniently accommodate 200 8 x Io0-in. prints if they are ninned on the line back to back. t Fig. 8--Washing and Drying Equipment of Ingersoll-Rand Com- pany’s Photographic Department Summing up the matter of the camera in such pur- suits as have been referred to in this and the previous article it may be said that an authority on military sub- s said a dozen years ago that “photography is to play mportant part among the auxiliaries of war,” but ¢ as the observation may have been, the camera plays a h larger and more important part as an auxiliary of e arts and sciences of peace. Dr. Raymond C. Benner, chief fellow of the smoke investigation of the Department of Industrial Research, niversity of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. will deliver a ture on the smoke problem before the New York Sec- { the Society of Chemical Industry at Rumford Hall, © Kast Forty-first street, on Friday evening, November 22. The Winona Institute The National Metal Trades Association, which for several years has been sponsor for a metal trades school at the Technical Institute (formerly Winona Institute), Indianapolis, has closed the school temporarily, having made a proposition to the Indianapolis School Board to take it over and conduct it, giving the machinery and equipment to the board, which is to have complete super- Fig. 9—Arrangement of Background Sheet in Crowded Quarters, When Photographing Heavy Machine vision, supply the instructors and pay the expenses. Ac- tion will be taken by the board as soon as it completes a canvass of the high school pupils of the city to learn what proportion of them would take the course offered at this school. The board is now conducting high and manual training courses at the school while litigation is pending in the Supreme Court of the State to determine whether the Technical Institute property shall be turned over to the city of Indianapolis, It has been in the hands of a receiver for a year or two and the Metal Trades Associa- tion found it difficult to induce students to enter the school for a three-year term without definite knowledge that they would be able to complete the course. The association has been setting aside $3000 a year to aid students not finan- cially able to take the course and has furnished two in- structors. That the products of oxidation of sulphur, namely, sulphur dioxide and sulphur trioxide, in the fuels used by internal combustion engines, do not attack the iron of the engine unless they are dissolved in water and form sulphuric or sulphurous acid, was es- tablished in a recent article by E. Grafe in Braunkohle. According to a translation in the November Journal of the American Society of Mechani- cal Engineers, the iron is strongly at- tacked where there is condensation of water, as in exhaust piping, but this may be prevented either by making the exhaust piping short or by lining it Fig. 10—Device for Making Bromide Enlargements with lead. tl = - ~ ——_ “a =~ a > ee eS eres sac i Sm Ma ab lpi a et ite el NA li A AI Ra. IN i . Mg : Se . - eR 5 iQ . Son te piss K icici alt, ng nace to CNS ~ eget Lae enone : we. sc AG at ee b - A Cleveland Sheet Metal Working Plant Equipment and Shop Arrangement of a Modern Factory for the Manufacture of Light Sheet Metal Work and Stampings A new factory for the manufacture of light sheet metal work and stampings recently built by G. F. Mitchell & Son, Cleveland, Ohio, is of more than ordinary interest in that the owners in designing the plant aimed to make it as modern in every particular as possible and with shop arrangements and equipment which would enable them to bring out products of high quality at a minimum cost. With this end in view a number of original features were adopted. The plant was designed to make everything in the sheet metal line from sheet steel up to that % in. in thickness. The principal products at present are sheet metal automobile parts, such as tool and battery boxes, mufflers, gasoline tanks, stampings and re- inforced-concrete contractor sup- plies. The plant is located at Cedar avenue and East Sixty-fifth street. The building is two stories high and 7ox170 ft. A basement extends under a portion of the building in the rear. The structure was designed to allow the addition of tore stories if needed and the erection of two additional stories in the near fu- ture is planned. All the first floor, with the exception of an office on the street front, is used for the stamping department. On the secorid floor is’the sheet metal department. The heating plant and a room for the storage of dies are located in the basement. Ex- pense was not spared in erecting the plant that would be ornamental as well as substantial and prac- tical. The building is of brick, wood and steel construction. The street facings are of Hamburg shale brick laid in Flemish bond with a 5-in. raked joint and black Pecora cement. The entrance is of white sandstone with columns and capitals of Doric design. All windows, arch cappings, keystones and copings are also of white sandstone. The factory floors are divided into three bays by two rows of steel columns spaced 20 ft. each way. The 16-in. steel girders employed are supported by T’s attached to the columns. The girders support 12x6-in. wooden sleepers running lengthwise and carrying the floors. The floors are of 8-in. reinforced concrete with a 4-in. layer of cinder concrete and this is covered with 2-in. matched maple flooring. High ceilings aid in securifg light and ventilation. The ceilings are 15 ft. high on the first floor and 12 ft. high on the second floor. ‘The third and fourth floors are to have 12-ft. ceilings. The maximum amount of light is admitted by having the windows extend the full length of each side of the building from the top of the benches to the ceiling, with the exception of a space 4 ft. wide occupied by the pilasters between each light bay. The windows, which are of ordi- nary glass, are 16 ft. wide, 12 ft. 6 in. high on the first floor and 9 ft. 6 in. high on the second floor. The window sashes are of special design with narrow trunnions and with counterweights on the end of the sash instead of at the center. Wood instead of metal sashes were used because it was feared that the acid used in the plant might prove injurious to the metal sash. In order to make the building as light as possible, the walls and ceilings were painted white. .The only dark color in the room is on the steel columns, which are painted black. The benches that extend the full length of each side wall are of interest because they are different in design from those usually used. They are of 3-in. maple laid in 16-ft. lengths and supported by double pedestal cast-iron legs that give a continuous bearing along their faces. These legs, which are unusually heavy, weighing 56 Jp, each, are placed 8 ft. apart. To save time taken by work. men in going back and forth to a locker room a wooden locker is placed every 16 ft. against the pilasters at a con- venient distance above the bench. Boxes fitted with locks are provided beneath the benches for small tools. The ceilings are kept entirely free of wiring and pip- ing. All wire and pipes are placed along the wall under the benches where they are practically out of sight. The View in Stamping Room on First Floor Showing Machines plant is served by an Otis 8x 10-ft. 3-ton elevator. Mate- rial is unloaded at a rear entrance with a hand hoist. Placed in a row on one side of the stamping depart- ment on the first floor and arranged to facilitate the handling of work is a complete stamping equipment of draw, stamping and toggle presses. The work done in this department ranges from the finest stampings, as fine as needles, to 4-in. drawn ware % in. in thickness and 60 in. square. The stamping machinery is ail driven from one line shaft direct belt connected to the engine in the basement. The machinery in the stamping department includes a 97-in. shear weighing 14 tons for 3-in. cold rolled stock, with micrometer attachments for blades and gauges; 4 draw press with 6-in. stroke and 48 x 36-in. bed plate; a toggle press with a capacity of 14 in. draw on stock 10 in. in diameter; four blanking presses, one 22x 30 in., one 18 x 36 in., one 12x18 in. and one 12x12 in. All of the foregoing were furnished by the Toledo Machine & Tool Company, Toledo, Ohio. In this department there are also a 12-ft. 6-in. cornice brake weighing 14 tons for draw- ing, shearing, bending, braking, etc., and one 2%4-ft. power brake, both furnished by Geo. A. Ohl & Co., and a Horning press for trimming covers. On the first floor in connection with the press depart- ment is a machine shop in which all dies and tools for the plant are made. This department is of sufficient capacity to allow the taking-in of outside die and tool work. The machine shop equipment includes six drilling machines, 4 Cincinnati universal milling machine, two Hendey lathes, three Van Wyk shaping machines and two universal grind- ing machines. At present stocks are stored on the floor, but a mezzanine floor is to be built shortly above the press 1146 ber 14, I9I2 m. In this will be arranged storage racks for sheet metal department on the second floor there ets of Toledo shearing machines ranging from a LES a8 View in Shéet Metal Department on Second power machine capable of cutting %-in, stock 97 in. one stroke and other shearing machines for lighter gauges have a range of 60 to 28 in. In the forming de- partment there are Niagara power rolls 56 in. long and n diameter, a Niagara power seaming machine with ipacity of 40 in, and the usual hand-power tools. No | riveting is done in the plant. All riveting of un- oated sheets is done by 15-kw. spot-welding machines the National Welding. Company, Warren, Ohio. Swaine power magazine riveting machines are used rk on galvanized and wet finished steel. - each bench is supplied from a 2-in. air line also furnishes air for gas furnaces equipped with Grimm burners. Air is mixed with gas outside of the e pots, the heat being intensified by combining air The air supply is obtained from an Ameri- wer Company’s positive blower. power equipment consists of a 150-hp. Elyria hori- gas engine direct connected to a 60-kva. 110-volt Vestern Electric generator with an 8-hp. exciter. The r produces alternating current for the high power and for the spot welder. With an exciter from the 1%-hp. size which would usually be sed to the 8-hp. size, sufficient direct current is generated light the factory and furnish power for the small direct- rré ower machinery. plant is heated by a sectional boiler made by the Xay Mfg. Company. It is located in the basement and supplies 5800 sq. ft. of radiation. The heating pipes re placed along the walls under the benches. The heat- g-plant is intended to keep the factory at a temperature I deg. in zero weather. .The boiler and piping are ed with asbestos. \rtificial lighting is furnished by one row of 100-watt lamps with reflectors, suspended from the ceilings enter bays and spaced 20 ft. apart and rows of lamps in the side bays suspended over the s 8 ft. apart. As a protection against fire the fac- ‘ equipped with two 4-in. water standpipes and 3oo ft. on each floor. Well equipped toilet rooms are on md floor. business is conducted by G. R. and H. W. Mitchell. ‘thers, who founded it after graduating from Har- ind Dartmouth six years ago. Without previous ence they made a modest start in a downtown block. ‘ant application and attention to the needs of the have rewarded them with success and the growth of usiness, that requires a much greater capacity than previously had, has enabled them to build the new nto which the business was recently moved. made € gas. reased Sun ] tt THE IRON Floor 1147 AGE High Speed Motor-Driven Buffing Lathe A high-speed, motor-driven buffing lathe has been brought out by the Northampton Emery Wheel Company, Leeds, Mass., for very rapid and accurate buffing and polishing work. The motor which is totally inclosed in the base is bolted to an adjustable bed having a vertical adjustment of 4 in. so that when the bed is lowered by an adjusting screw any slack in the belt is taken out. In this way idler pulleys are done away with. The spindle which is of cru- cible steel is ground to a fit in the bearings. Special spindles are furnished for any particular kind of work such as tap and reamer flute grinding, etc. The bearings are bored and fitted with babbitt liners and are of the ring- oiling, reservoir take-up type, which is said to insure absence of heating under high speeds, the maximum permissible speed be- ing 5800 r.p.m. A 2-hp. motor is recommended for driving the lathe and by changing the pulley on the motor the speed of the spindle can be varied. The bab- bitt liners are of a somewhat un- usual design. The box and cap are bored and into them are sunk vertical holes, which act as anchors for corresponding lugs on the liners, When A New High Speed Motor-Driven Buffing Lathe Built by the North- ampton Emery Wheel Company, Leeds, Mass. they have become worn beyond the permitted limits, the liners are pried out easily and new ones slipped in, no chipping being required. The following table gives the principal dimensions and specifications of the lathe: Biser GOOG, Bhi seis ss ewan eioees fs Eijghe to: outer of: Gia g Bis coho icc cc cassctscvcevesetvenves 30% Over-all length of arbor, im... 1... 0.60.00 cece ceeceeccereeeees 40 Distance between wheels, im, ....-6-6-cccececeeseccreeeeeenes 31% Length of bearings, ims... ccc. cccccesesecesceuneeeereneenes aly Diameter of arbor in bearings, in............0ssseeeescereees 1% Dilemiseter OF B0RGr Th BANG, Theos cc cc kc cc cccsvcccceacess 4 Size of pulley om arbor, im... .-ce-ccscecsescrcncccecsceees 4x4 Diameter of vertical adjusting screw, iM........6ssseeeeesnees % Shipping weight, exclasive of motor, Ib.......0.00ecsceveses 600 The equipment of the machine includes dustproof collars at both ends of each bearing. Lead to Avoidabl Microscopical Analysis of Steel Sheets How Shortcomings in Mill Operations e Defects of Which the Microscope Serves as the Telltale ———iticonsinhenanin a tg ee BUA WENSY oe (With Supplement.) Steel for the manufacture of sheets should be of the highest possible grade of soft steel; a fact, I fear, not fully appreciated or acquiesced in by the average maker of steel for this purpose. A better understanding and fuller appreciation of this fact will no doubt result from careful consideration of only a few important features. Commercial steel sheets vary in thickness from 0.0061 in. (which is No. 38 gauge) up to and including, we may say for our present purpose, 0.14 in. or No. 10 gauge, and the surface area varies from 6 to 50 sq. ft. These sheets are, of course, used for various purposes, and ignoring the quantity used for roofing and siding and various covering purposes, the product enters into many diversified chan- nels and is subjected to extremely hard physical tests. It is drawn, stamped, pressed and distorted into every con- ceivable form and shape, the wonder being that more failures or failures in larger quantities are not in evidence. In addition to the severe service requirements for pur- poses just enumerated, which represent a large tonnage, another large tonnage enters into the manufacture of highly surfaced and polished products, wherein almost the slightest surface defect or irregularity will condemn the product. This class includes stock for automobile manufacture, metallic furniture and various other kindred requirements. In view, therefore, of the diversified uses and severe physical strains and stresses to which sheets as a rule are subjected on the one hand, and the almost perfect surface condition demanded on the other, the statement made a few moments ago, namely, that steel for the manufacture of sheets should be of the highest possible grade, is fully warranted. Value of Microscopic and Chemical Analyses Inherent physical defects are not protected to the same extent as they would be in heavier sections, but all are practically brought to the surface; and as every square inch of the sheets is subject to inspection for physical surface defects or to mechanical working and distortion, this statement I think will not be found too strong. Fail- ures in the character of product, when studied from a chemical standpoint, have not been satisfactorily accounted for, but for some time efforts directed to this end by the use of the microscope and the microscopical study of steel sheets generally have thrown much light on the subject and promise considerable advancement and im- provement in the future. By a study of steel sheets microscopically, inherent defects are quite readily discernible, and the distribution of the various metalloids is made quite plain and clear. In addition to this the physical structure and relative pro- portions of constituents present; grain size and the influ- ence of various heat treatments are_all brought into the open and clearly defined, and can be made to return valu- able results. Some of these features and peculiarities I hope to show in the microphotographs of certain speci- mens. [Reproduced on accompanying supplemental plate. ] The application of the microscope to steel sheets proper has probably not yet progressed to any great extent, and if this short paper and the photographs will stimulate efforts in this direction it will have probably accomplished all that can be expected. It has been my privilege to be associated with a sheet steel manufacturing plant having an open-hearth depart- ment devoted entirely to the manufacture of steel for sheet purposes. What is of supreme importance in the application of the microscope is to show the chief con- stituents of the metal, how combined, the relative size and mode of arrangement in the steel. It is admitted that metallography has its limits and can never be made to . ; : ‘ din tebs st On Aen Teen tAmerican Sheet & Tin Plate Company, Vandergrift, Pa. replace chemical analysis, and in this view I acquiesce. It is, however, the only means at hand whereby the in. ternal irregularities, such as rupture, physical atrangement of crystals, etc, can be determined. Chemical analysis does not disclose these, nor does it disclose cleavage lines and physical imperfections readily discernible by the mi- croscope; and while chemical analysis is of prime impor- tance, we believe we approach nearer to the actual cond)- tions by combining with chemistry the science of metal- lography. Clean, Selid Ingots for Sheet Manufacture The chief aim of the steel makér should be to produce clean, solid ingots, as free from segregation as is possible under the best and most approved methods. Oxidized steel, such as is regularly produced from very many causes, is extremely objectionable from every standpoint for the manufacture of sheets, it being physically weak, carrying a maximum amount of surface defects in its finished form and being peculiarly susceptible to injury when exposed to certain finishing treatments. One cause frequently contributing to the production of oxidized steel is its manufacture with a slag covering of too thin consistency, or of a depth too shallow to properly protect the metal, in which event the temperature through- out the process, particularly at the end of the process, is too high, causing the slag to carry a high oxygen con- tent, which contributes to the oxidation of the metal in contact with it. Another prolific cause of trouble is the improper feed- ing of ore which is added from time to time for reducing purposes, particularly the last additions, which are some- times made in too great quantities, or after which suff- cient time is not allowed to work out thoroughly all the impregnated gases and oxides. Such heats will not pro- duce sheets of good quality, which will be in evidence more as light gauges are produced. Desirability of Ingots with Heavy Protecting Skin The best made low-carbon steels under proper furnace practice and manipulation will undoubtedly occlude certain gases which form blow-holes, and the casting tempera- ture is unquestionably an important factor governing their position, size and extent throughout the ingot. Steel cast at a very high temperature usually shows these blow-holes near the surface and only protected from oxidation by a very thin skin of metal. While steel cast at too low a temperature solidifies too quickly, there is the probability of occluding considerable quantities of gas due to the rapid solidification, these gases being sealed in the steel and their escape made impossible. There is in this, as in all operations, however, a happy medium; when the steel is properly made and casting done at the proper tempera- ture it is possible, by the segregation of the impurities and gases, to localize these cavities in a pipe near the top, which, if eliminated, as should be the case, by proper cropping, leaves highly satisfactory material. Low-carbon steels, highly oxidized due to improper furnace treatment, are certain to carry blow-holes and a honey-combed structure near thé surface which are only protected by a very thin skin of metal. The ideal condi tion is to produce ingots having a skin as heavy as possible to protect against further oxidation. The use of various elements, such as aluminum, silicon, etc., to correct evils of this character can probably be seriously questioned. The thought which should be uppermost in the minds ° the steel makers, and which is probably too often neglected. is the aim to produce well made steel, properly treated throughout the various operations, rather than to depend on a deoxidizer to overcome or correct bad results whic would never have been in evidence under proper practi® 1148 My ement to eet ets 18-in from an e lron Age, November low-carbon steel ingot, split a properly made heat and of good quality. low-carbon steel ingot, split oxidized heat that re- uality sheets. rse section of an ingot, showing ed portion and the skin that pro- oxidation, ingot can be an ri If properly heated and r finished into sheets physical qualities. section of an ingot, showing thin skin ingot in weak with a very This type of variably produces a bad surface and is physically when finished into sheets. 5—An edge view of a %-in. thick sheet bar, rolled from a well-made and properly cast ingot— a clean and homogeneous structure. 6—An edge view of a %-in. thick sheet bar, rolled from an ingot of oxidized steel, showing seams and oxides. 7—An edge view of a 29-gauge sheet rolled from a heat of steel that gave good surface and the honey-combed section of metal on the surface. physical Unannealed, showing strains. &—An edge from an oxidized steel. Unannealed, rolling strains and imbedded oxides. 9—A 16-gauge box-annealed sheet, sho large grain and the carbon existing as cé collected between the junction lines of the 10—A 16-gauge open-annealed sheet shad small grain and the carbon existing as pear uniformly distributed throughout the stru¢ 1] ae 28-gauge sh qualities. view of a 29-gauge sheet surface view of a PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF STEEL SHEETS PRESENTED BEFORE THE AMERICAN IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE BY €. Ten ds : i | te d a i a < fos ine oly SP se ys cates fee OR ee Ee Se a NS 1 ee AAD ig Ta Tape FI i nealed showing oxides and very soluble in the pickle bath. 12—Surface view of the sheet after pickling, showing blisters. 13—A surface view of a 30-gauge sheet used for electrical purposes having a high permeability and low iron loss. 14—An edge view of the sheet shown in 13. 15—A surface view of a 30-gauge electrical sheet having a low permeability and a high iron loss, due to oxides. 16—An edge view of the sheet shown in 15. 17—An edge view of a 26-gauge sheet, box annealed, showing a uniform structure free from oxides and very ductile. 18—Slag imbedded in the surface of a _ box- annealed sheet. 19—A surface view of a very brittle piece of steel showing portions highly carburized. The white parts are pure iron with manganese sul- phide inclusions. 20—Edge view of a 16-gauge open-annealed sheet, HUR WHITE, AMERICAN SHEET & TIN PLATE COMPANY, VANDERGRIFT, PA. Vovember 14, 1912 Use of Deoxidizers Not Viewed with Favor : is undoubtedly better for all concerned to have the | properly made, rather than to carry on this opera- in a more or less careless manner, feeling secure in belief that some element will be added at the finish hé operation to overcome a condition which should er have been present. And I believe it is a safe posi- to take, and one that cannot be seriously questioned, hat material or steel produced without the necessity for additions of aluminum, silicon or other deoxidizers, is -astly superior to steel obtained by their use, having in nind that furnace operators feel that the addition of a leoxidizer at the end of the operation will correct all jurnace irregularities. Such a mistaken impression un- oubtedly tends to many irregularities in the finished nreduct and probably gives rise to the belief that we are jystified in hurrying or forcing the production of furnaces n the interest of tonnage. This I personally believe to be absolutely wrong, and one of the fatal mistakes daily nade in some of the large steel producing plants. Nor 'o we feel that quality can be maintained and the produc- n forced beyond a reasonable point. Treatment of Ingots in the Soaking Pits lmportance should be attached to the complete solidifi- cation of the metal in the molds prior to stripping and delivering to the soaking pits. This in a measure prevents hot cracks. in stripping and overcomes shrinkage cracks to a large extent if performed at the proper time. Care should be taken to soak the ingots to the desired tempera- ture and in a reducing atmosphere, and the practice of using soaking pits as heating furnaces under oxidizing conditions should be avoided, since in oxidizing atmos- pheres the skin of the ingot will be destroyed, exposing the honey-combed cells, which will in later operations be further oxidized and in contact with the rolls will absorb dirt and oxide to the future detriment of the product. Ingots which have been wasted to this extent will never produce a satisfactory product in sheet form and while the cracks and rough scabby surface may in a measure be healed over in’ the future bar mill operations, these will all again be disclosed as the material is reduced to the thinness of sheets, and they will be in evidence as lamina- tions and scabby surface conditions. not susceptible to a satisfactory finish in sheet form. And aside from general surface appearance, the material is far from being physi- ally up to the proper standard, interfering with drawing and stamping operations, as well as future coating opera- tions, if such are desired. Removal of Loose Scale in Sheet Mills Sheet mill practices as carried on at various points may be susceptible to some criticism, principally, I feel after careful study, due to the lack of cleanliness in the removal of such loose seale as is produced more or less under the best practice. The loose scale results at times in surface defects which may be unfairly attributed to the steel proper. The various operations in this line of work are ‘{ course important, proper heating to prevent excess scaling being of paramount importance. The probability of overheating is, I feel, very remote, and almost negli- vible, due to the maintenance of reducing atmospheres and the short duration of the heating period. In the manufacture of sheets two methods of annealing are followed. These are known as box or tight annealing nd open annealing. In the former the sheets are pro- tected from direct contact with the flame by being enclosed n air-tight steel lids resting on flat bottoms and carefully sealed with sand. In open annealing, which is carried on ilmost entirely on heavy gauge sheets, the sheets are placed in the furnace and are subjected to direct and inti- inate contact with the flame itself. This method is pur- sued largely in the manufacture of heavy gauge sheets overcome the danger of crystallization which takes place quite frequently in heavy gauges when box annealed. “roper temperatures for this part of the operation are ctermined by gauge, size and volume of the sheets enter- ng into the operation, as well as the peculiar needs or cquirements of the various customers. The equipment should be kept in good condition to prevent air entering r coming in contact with the material during the heating ind cooling periods, as this causes oxidation on the edges of the sheets to their future detriment. THE IRON AGE 1149 The Pickling Bath as an Exhibitor of Defects In the process of pickling, which is carried on in a weak solution of sulphuric acid, probably more than in any other are the inherent weaknesses of the steel in evi- dence. All laminations and physical defects are stripped of their covering of oxide, and what was apparently a minute defect becomes glaring after this operation. It is here also that oxidized steel is readily discernible. Sheets produced from a thoroughly good quality of steel are but slightly soluble in acid in this operation, whereas those highly oxidized are shown to be distinctly soluble. The reaction between the acid and sheets unquestion- ably generates large volumes of hydrogen gas which the sheet absorbs. This in turn reduces the oxides present, forming spongy iron and water vapor and develops blis- ters. The sheet is left in a correspondingly weak porous condition due primarily to these inherent defects. Very many internal defects which would never become apparent in the-black sheet proper are brought decidedly in evi- dence by the pickling operation. It is recognized by sheet makers generally that all steel! is predisposed to blister and will dissolve on exposure to sulphuric acid. The constant aim in this operation is, and should be, a minimum exposure to the action of the acid consistent with the proper cleansing of the surface. New York City’s Industrial Upbuilding The Merchants’ Association, 54 Lafayette street, New York, Las established an industrial bureau which will de- vote its time and energy to the industrial upbuilding of New York City. The members of the association have at last decided to make a vigorous effort to counteract the so-called raids made on New York by other cities. Manu- facturers, wholesalers and practically all other classes of business men have been coaxed from New York by cities offering free docks, free sites for factories, free power or the remission of taxes for a number of years. Within the limits of the city of New York are thousands of acres of unoccupied land suitable for factory sites or for ware- house purposes, having advantages of both water and rail transportation. Correction.—On page 1070 of the issue of The /ron Age of October 31 a paragraph was printed stating that the Calumet Foundry Equipment Company, Harvey, IIl., had been sold to James Pettigrew. The company informs us that this statement is incorrect. Mr. Pettigrew pur- chased only the foundry and pattern shop. The remainder of the plant will continue to be operated as heretofore under the name of Calumet Foundry Equipment Com- pany, manufacturing a complete line of foundry equip- ment as well as electric and hand power traveling cranes. The National Industrial Traffic League will hold its annual meeting at the La Salle Hotel, Chicago, November 14 at to a. m. At this meeting officers will be elected, reports from officers will be received and such subjects will be considered as bills of lading, uniform classification, interpretation of demurrage rules, railroad rules as to storage of freight, etc. The president of this association is J. M. Belleville, general freight agent of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. The vice-president is H. G. Wil- son, commissioner of the Transportation Bureau of the Commercial Club, Kansas City, Mo. The secretary-treas- urer is W. D. Hurlbut, 28 Jackson boulevard, Chicago. The association is composed of representatives of traffic departments of manufacturers and merchants and repre- sentatives of commercial clubs and other trade associations. The Bessemer Gas Engine Company, Grove City, Pa., has purchased the gas engine business of the Middleditch Engine Company, Detroit, Mich., including its stock of engines, patterns, jigs and patents. In addition it has bought the patents of John and F. O. Peterson, covering the Universal fuel feed, which enables small engines to operate successfully on ——s naphtha and low grade distillates. The Bessemer Gas Engine Company has felt the need for some time of a line of small engines to make its line more complete, and this purchase gives ita full range of gas engines from 2 to 350 hp. So SS aa A ‘ t ; The Talbot Process Benjamin Talbot of Middlesbrough, England, best known as the inventor of the Talbot continuous open- hearth steel process, gave further details in New York on November 7 of his discovery of the advantages of passing the fresh ingot a few times through the bloom- ing mill while the ingot interior is still fluid and of the promise of rails rolled from such ingots after the usual stay in the soaking pits. The information was given in the form of a brief paper, presented before an informal meeting of the iron and steel section of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, attended by prominent rep- resentatives of steel companies and important railroad systems of the country. The main points of the discovery and an explanation of the phenomena were given in The Iron Age of October 17, through an announcement made by Dr. J. E. Stead, at the Leeds, England, meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute, on October 1. Through the meeting of last Thursday evening, however, which was held in the rooms of the American Institute of Mining Engineers in the Engineering Societies Building, it is pos- sible to add considerable to the information already printed and to give a line on the way the discovery is received in this coun- try. The meeting was made possible through the activities of William R. Webster, consulting engineer, Philadelphia, who felt that an used. early opportunity should be made for Mr. Talbot to explain the dis- covery before a gathering of those most vitally interested in it, and it is understood that Mr. Talbot’s pa- per is to be amplified and printed with the numerous interesting pho- tographs which he displayed at the meeting, in an early issue of the proper surface .compression. The Talbot Procedure An ingot at least 20 x 24 in. is Aluminum, 2 oz. per ton of steel, is added as ingot is be- ing poured. The ingot can be stripped early and it is put into the soaking pit to allow envelope to become. thicker and have a temperature for A 20 * 24-in. in- of Improving Ingots The Promise with Fluid Compression in the Blooming Mill of Producing Pipeless Rails with Minimum Cropping of the Metal here are as good as those made in other countries, byt the conditions of service and the extremes of climate are more severe and consequently more breakages occur. Various reasons have been advanced as to why rails may not be as good in quality today as in the past. Some engineers consider that modern methods of manufactur- ing, designed chiefly to obtain large output, tend to re- duce the standard of excellence of more deliberate meth- ods. Others think that 4-ton ingots are worse than those of 2 tons. Again, it is stated that the 100-ton heat in one ladle is too large and is a step in the wrong direc- tion in casting. . The Size of the Ingot My experience on the question of the size of the ingot is that in rolling rails of 85 to 100 Ib. sections, the range of ingot is only practically such that the difference in the size does not help in the question of segregation, cavities or blow-holes. At Pencoyd, Pa., some 16 years ago, two ingots were bottom poured, cast at the same time from the same center runner. One was 20x 24 in. and the other 13 x 16 in. in size. The steel was acid open-hearth, the carbon being 0.43, phosphorus 0.062, sulphur 0.060. At the same place in each ingot where segregation generally con- centrates I found 0.67 carbon, phos- phorus 0.13, sulphur 0.18 in the larger ingot, and 0.74 carbon, phos- phorus 0.16, sulphur 0.27 in the smaller one. Bottom pouring at that time was considered better for surface defects, but there were blow-holes all up the surface of the ingot, and the smaller ingot in my journal of the Institute. Charles Kirchhoff presided as chairman of the meeting, and Bradley Stough- ton served as secretary. Immedi- ately following will be found Mr. Talbot’s paper, and succeeding this a report of the discussion, and also some tables, one giving the chemi- cal analyses of rails rolled from different parts of an ingot treated in accordance with the Talbot got is then reduced in the bloom- ing mill to about 18 x 18 in. It is returned to the soaking pit for a proper heating and solidify- ing of the mass. It is finally rolled into a bloom which is then cropped and the bloom is ready, for ex- ample, for the rail mills. The final rolled product has the same opinion was worse in every respect than its larger neighbor. Large Ladle Heats Not Favored The question of 100-ton ladle heats is an important matter. In my Opinion this is distinctly a step in the wrong direction, as it puts a premium on careless and slovenly , casting work. We find that in or- method, and, finally, a table of ten- sile tests made of material taken from the rails. Mr. Kirchhoff in introducing Mr. Talbot referred felicitously to his first meeting Mr. Talbot in Chattanooga about 22 years ago, when Mr. Talbot was engaged in attempting to manu- facture steel from the then refractory Southern metal, and he mentioned how later, at Pencoyd, Mr. Talbot’s efforts had been crowned ‘with success, earning both fame and fortune, and leading to a return to England to retire, though the retirement did not last long. He was now about to speak, Mr. Kirchhoff added, of another epoch- making invention. Mr. Talbot’s Paper The problem of segregation and cavities in steel in- gots is a subject which has given and is still giving metal- lurgists, engineers and operators matter for serious con-. sideration. This question has come more into prominence lately in this country, due largely from the desire of railroad engineers to secure a better rail than they have obtained in the past, as the service they now demand is increasing in severity, and no doubt manufacturers will be able to meet what is required of them. The rails center. characteristic formation as the squeezed ingot—hard working face, harder ring back of this and softer der to empty a 100-ton ladle in the necessary time to prevent skulling very large nozzles are used, prob- ably as large as 2.5 in. in diameter. The pressure of this large quantity of steel rapidly enlarges the noz- zle and it would be interesting to know what size the nozzle is when the last portion of the heat is poured. Anyway, large nozzles cause heavy washing up the sides of the molds and this gives surface defects. There is no doubt smaller ladle heats, poured with as small a nozzle as the heat will per- mit, give the most satisfactory results. We now come to the question of producing sound steel ingots for the heavy trades. There are various methods but we are forced to rule out the old and well-known Whitworth & Harmet press, because of the cost of the process. Others, among whom is Sir Robert Hadfield, suggest the use of a sink head to feed the pipe which forms by the shrinkage of metal from its liquid to ‘ts solid state. To do this effectively some system of keeping the surface fluid must be adopted. There is no doubt that if this is carried out the sink head will feed the ingot and the cavity will be. in the head. The question to be decided with this method is whether it is commercially applicable to the large output required from a modern rail-mill. 1150 ae | ember 14, 1912 Amounts of Deoxidizer to Eliminate Blow-holes sound ingots as regards the elimination of blow-holes roduced by means of the well-known powerful de- ers, aluminum, silicon and ferrotitanium. All these xidizers have the same effect, when used in the nec- varying quantities to produce this. They all pro- ‘solid steel except for the large central cavity. They diminish segregation. In my experience I have found , well-made steel that an addition of 2 oz. to the ton luminum is equal to 0.25 per cent. of added silicon, | an addition of 0.10 per cent. of metallic titanium in form of ferrotitanium. These additions will all pro- e the same characteristic central pipe, and if they are sed this piped portion should be discarded in each case. [f the rails are milled at each end, which gives a bright rface, as is the practice in England, the pipe is dis- sed and the rail rejected by the inspectors. The cost i the aluminum addition is very small; with silicon it is nsiderable, and with ferrotitanium it is large, to obtain same result. If it were not for this large cavity, ch may affect as much as 33 per cent. of the ingot, the use of these deoxidizers would improve the quality of finished rail; but owing to this, they are not used to h an extent as to create this. It occurred to me that if we were to use a deoxidizer | as aluminum to eliminate blow-holes in the outer elope of the ingot and then reduce the area of the ingot r the top portion, while the center was liquid, the pipe uld not form and a solid mass would be found in the ody of the squeezed ingot. Peculiar Segregation Resulting from Squeezing Ingots In analyzing. and taking sulphur prints off the face of the compressed ingot, which was cut longitudin