The Iron Age 1915-08-26: Vol 96 Iss 9

ABLISHE! 1915 VOL. 96: No. ? ~“<—r . toreroom Organization and Management Continuous Inventory—Mnemonic Symbo- lizing—Notes on Meth« ids to Be Followed in Planning, Equipping and Caring for Stores BY WILFRED Is your ] t actually getting the materials it tts? What kind of inventory do you actually ntain? Are your storerooms of the right size properly arranged; what are the lighting ar- rements How is your material actually ob- ed? Of course, it is known that the purchasing nt buys it, but > really handles inspects it, ghs it, and pass- on it? Where how is your erial stored? at are the real ils of the issu- of material; D authorizes is- ; what is the He in such au- ization; where the material go and what bunt is kept of What are the ilities for han- bg the material, ring periodical over, avoiding pe and so on? these are de- of one of the } ary services plant must e, and none is Bmall as not to Worthy of and stud The storeroom n ‘Silent fical] anized and ma C becon Ee, ne the most a f . . irom a profit- Valu- View n the Storeroom of the Yale G. ASTLE to have work done on it in the shop is usually desig nated as “stores,” and the records dealing with this class of material are called “stores records.” Part which have all the work done on them necessary to make them ready for assembling into machines or into assembly groups of machines are usually desig nated as “finished parts,” though sometime desig nated as “stock.” The term stoc} general! ised to designate finished product ready for shipment. Perhaps the most definite way of designating all materials a show! in Hugo Diemer’s book, e1 titled “Facto Organization and Administration,” covering stores purchased finished parts, manutac tured finished parts, finished prod uct and supplies. THE rOREKEEPER Che storekeepe ! should have full au thority in the store room. He must render receipts to the accounting de partment tor tne entire intake and output of all ma- terial and supplies. He should be sole & Towne Mfg. ‘ ' 3 ving \ responsible for Ing standpoint Steel Equipment and Shelf Numbering System the maintenance of Without the ber orgar tion rate int t depart; depend .) aW mats and management it may de- of the most useless. Like every of a business, the organization upon the nature of the business. purchased outside and which has OTEK eer a. t Electric Light Company, Ltd., = ut ~ a perpetual stores inventory system, and for keeping it posted. A storekeeper must, above all things, be exacting. He should be familiar with the materials and know their uses, but it is not necessary that he should be a skilled mechanic. On the other hand, he should not be simply a bookkeeper, or he may be unable to suggest uses for certain material, and, 458 as a result, a lot of dead stock will accumulate, much of which might be employed for some purpose if brought to the attention of the proper persons. Aside from the storeroom proper, the store- keeper should have charge of all material which is stored outside. Lumber, fuel and heavy cast- ings are examples of material which comes under this head, and his records should include all of this material. LOCATING AND EQUIPPING A STOREROOM Two points need to be borne in mind in the locating of a storeroom and the storage facilities; namely, convenience in serving the shop and accessi- bility in receiving or shipping. It is well, when possible, to consolidate all mate- rials in one place, housing them in a special build- ing, as this concentrates the keeping force. This is particularly desirable in case any of the material is of an inflammable or explosive nature. Savings in insurance can very often be effected and several other advantages gained by storing paints, varnish, glue, etc., in a fireproof building isolated from the main factory building. To obtain the best location in relation to the other parts of the building, the elevators, aisles and runaways should be given careful consideration, and as far as possible the movement of material should be in direct lines as determined by the general routing of the product through the plant. A care- ful study of this one point alone will very often reduce expenses considerably. The location as re- gards the different departments should be deter- mined by the kind and the quantity of material that one department may use compared with the requirements of some other department. If one de- partment uses an amount much larger than an- other, the location should be as near as possible to the department using the greater quantity. The physical arrangement should be such that all material can be easily received and distributed when required. It should also have the proper facilities for preserving the condition of the material and it should also be kept safe from dis- turbance by outside parties. A space should be laid out near the entrance of the storeroom for incoming material and there should also be a space in which outgoing material may be temporarily placed. The provision of these two spaces will facilitate the work and allow the material called for by requisitions to be got ready in advance of the time that it is actually required. In laying out the space required for any particu- lar material, the needs of the different departments should be studied, and standards of maximum and minimum quantities established. From these fig- ures of maxima and minima, the necessary space may be readily established. The storeroom should then be arranged, according to the kind of classifi- tion used, so that all of one kind will be together, and those of similar kinds next to one another. As to artificial light, there is but one kind to be considered, and that is electric light. A factory manager in Massachusetts saw the value of sub- divided circuits and easy control in the storeroom, and installed tungsten lamps in the aisles between the tiers of shelves, with a pair of switches on the end panel of every rack. By this simple method the cost of lighting was greatly reduced without the slightest delay in “working” the aisles. Standard size bins are the most satisfactory, with provision for subdividing and re-subdividing on the unit principle. By this arrangement a large or small bin can be had by simply slipping into the larger one or more smaller units, which allows the mate- THE IRON AGE rial to occupy only the space actuaiiy required more space is required for a parti ae can readily be obtained by simply 1 subdivision. The storage capacity will depend vreatly o, ws system of storing is to be used. The doy system of storing supplies will require provision than the ordinary system. require less space than wooden ones. The question of the size and weight of the mg rial, and the frequency with which it wil] pe needed should be the first consideration. Extremely he articles should not be stored on the floor, but shod be raised in about the height of a truck, which gy save labor in loading and unloading. Materiaj whic is constantly called for should be kept on shel within easy reach. The top shelves and inaccgss: corners should be reserved for the articles which seldom called for. iJ Uar material g LOVING the “HE The ung Ug ? double. a diffe CTO Steel racks 9 PERPETUAL INVENTORIES For maintaining a perpetual inventory, wher a certain number of items are taken every day. ty stock record clerk each morning fills out a stock» port containing a list of items to be counted thy day, as no stock records are of any value unleg correct. Constant verification is the only way 4 establish their reliability. The most economj time, obviously, to check up the balances with physical count is when it reaches a minimum. By it is a good plan systematically to check up a certaig number of records each day. In this way the taking of a physical inventory is distributed throughod the vear and there is no necessity for the costly an laborious annual or semi-annual inventory perio The result of this method will be that no extra effo will be required, and the work can be done by th storeroom staff, who are thoroughly familiar wit the different materials handled almost daily in filling orders. There is no real reason why an actual inventory should be required at any one time. If the stor keeper has a check from time to time of the actud stock on hand to compare with his stock records, is just as practical as though all his information’ supplied to him at one time. The plan has maqj advantages in that it does not interfere with i routine filling of orders. Perpetual inventories require perpetual tion. The difficulties in handling them have 0 largely due to lack of attention on the part 0! @ ployees. There are some very simple rules ti attel to leave the storeroom without a requisition, sign on behalf of the department where it is to be ust 2. All requisitions must be checked up each nigt before closing, and for that purpose an hour shoul be established in the afternoon, after which all req sitions of the day should be held over and filled ss first thing in the morning. 3. Low-limit marks should be established by which the storekeeper @ be protected, and the purchasing agent can ™ warned of the possible exhaustion of the supply. 4 A large low-limit mark should be placed 0 ° kind of raw material so that the purchasing agett may have sufficient time to get new estimates berare ordering a new stock of material. 5. Perpetual ventory records should be treated as cash 1s trea ed Cash is verified often, or should be, so the inventa should have regular periods for verification. MNEMONIC SYMBOLIZING OF MATERIAL The object of a symbol system in the an tion of material is to furnish a shorthand ™ sug of designation. The symbols should contal? * to remembering the names of the ake it as easy as possible for a thing about the system to locate classification as quickly as pos- ng a few minutes in receiving ex- ing the primal elements of such the classifications are such that egestion of the material classified, ent entirely upon the memorizing n by the person using it, which and unnecessary task. ; considering the installation of ha syste map out in advance all the general it will be required to insure a ree points that should always be working out a symbol system for classification should be as far as memory, by representing the rr prominent letter of the article 2. It should be an aid to enable con- cat f material in the storeroom by 3. The classification should be e perpetual inventories in the con- ; to be kept. ised to denote any particular article the classification should primarily be f the name of such article or divi- reading the symbol the thought the letter shown as the initial of the rd. In cases where the initial letter has en used for another article or division, secondary letter should be used. This second- tter should be the letter which, aside from the etter, has the most prominent sound and juently would be second most prominent in hought of the person reading the symbol. If | and secondary letters have both been used or other items, the next most prominent ild be taken. If it is found impossible to which would indicate the word itself, leave the interpretation to the tter used for all material symbols is res, and this letter as the initial | should be omitted from all other that any symbol beginning with that it relates to stores. The second e, as explained, the initial letter of the particular work or article that ! ised for. +4 er should signify the nature of e fourth letter of the classifica- | subdivision of the three letter ple, STCB would mean Brass Cast- ‘formers in Stores. The fifth letter should be the particular kind of subdivision shown by the fourth r example, SVBBH may mean Hexagonal ‘or Various Purposes in Stores. ery rare cases where all other letters , the letters I, J, O, Q and U should r the reason that I, O and Q might r figures, and J and U might be mis- €ach other or for V. letter needed should be given the le. In giving size, absolute uni- be followed as to dimensions indi- itive position of the figures. When used in giving dimensions, they the order of thickness, breadth 1 one dimension only is given, it ca nickness or diameter. If two fig- ithe 1... “he thickness should be given first “th last. In the case of cylindrical t figure should be the diameter, } re 5 y er anct Df THE IRON AGE 459 and the last figure the length, and with tubing the first figure will be the outside diameter, the second the gage or inside diameter and the third the length. Whether this method of designating dimensions is used or the opposite, does not mat- ter, as there are good points in favor of both, but it is most essential that some one method be adopted for general use. It is better, except in possibly very rare in- stances, to make the general classification by the shape of the material; for example, under SVB, meaning Bars for Various Purposes in Stores, all bars should be given in this group, no matter what the material, whether hollow bars, such as pipe and tubing, or iron bars. It is most convenient to store all these articles in one section of the storeroom, in racks built for bars, which makes it easier to locate the material by the symbol when all such material is stored in one place. The storage is properly sec- tioned off according to subdivisions of the general class. Sometimes this method is not practical. Under the _ subdivision SVA, for abrasives used for various purposes in stores, should be in- cluded the various forms of abrasives from discs and wheels, lump and powdered material to sheets, because these are used for the same general pur pose of grinding, polishing or buffing, and it is most convenient to have them all together in one section of the storeroom. Thus it will be seen that the best method of general classification is according to the nature or shape of the material. STOCK RECORD SYSTEMS A practical test is always advisable before de cision is made upon a stock record system for any business. The record may be either in ledger or card form. There are good points in favor of each, but a list of items which ought to be a part of every stock record, are: Name of article, description, part number, aisle number, bin number, unit of stock, date of receipt of material, name of concern from whom purchased, cost per unit, amount received, amount drawn from stock, order number on which withdrawal is made. So far as an actual record of the stock received is concerned and the balance on hand, the above will suffice, but the real value of a record of this kind lies in the possibility of being able automatically to keep at the proper level, which can be done by the addition of a few more items—normal stock, minimum stock, maxi- mum stock, amount ordered, balance due. The stock record clerk is then responsible for the order- ing of stock at the proper time. All items posted to stock records, both receipts and disbursements, should be taken from forms made out by responsible employees and checked; otherwise they will not reflect the true status of the stock on hand and in case of discrepancies between the records and actual stock on hand, they cannot be accurately corrected. All material, whether checked and counted in the receiving department or not, eventually has to be handled by the storeroom receiving clerk. In the first place, the storeroom should contain a section devoted exclusively to receiving. All mate- rial delivered to the storeroom receiving clerk should be counted, weighed, gaged or measured by him and the date noted on the receiving report, together with a proper description of the material. This verifying should be done, where practicable, the same day the material is received, and in no case should it be delayed to such an extent that the non-receipt of the receiving report by the purchas- ing department will cause the loss of discount on bills. The most efficient plan of delivering material AB apart PRenatstiot SMe Tae Stas 460 THE IRON AGE A is accomplished by having all requisitions for material or manufactured parts delivered a day in advance of the time required. The storekeeper can then arrange to have orders filled and tele- phone the foreman to send a boy, instead of having a dozen boys waiting at one time at a storeroom delivering window to have their orders filled. Whenever any material is not used on the job for which it was originally intended, or is diverted to another department, your system should pro- vide means by which the storekeeper receives a record of the fact, in order that no job may be charged with more material than has actually en- tered into it. Waste can generally be sold and will bring in a small amount to offset the loss. A Recent Heavy Disk Grinding Machine The Gardner Machine Company, Beloit, Wis., has developed a heavy disk grinding machine. The advantages claimed for this new machine, aside from its unusual weight, 5000 lb., and rigidity, are the broadening of the possibilities of the disk wheel and the handling of a number of operations heretofore not suited to this class of machine. Each machine is equipped with a dust exhauster, water cooling system and cast-iron hood for the grinding wheel. The table column is 5 in. in diameter and when raised or lowered works within the counterweight directly over the center of the rockershaft. Two locking screws passing through the left side of the counterweight are relied upon to hold the table in any desired position, while a graduated clamp collar located on the column just above the counterweight is used to regulate the setting of the table at an angle with the wheel. The finished top of the table measures 10 in. in width and 18 in. in length and there are three 1%-in. T-slots cut in the surface. A depressed channel with the bottom cast on a slope to drain the water into the basin below surrounds the table. The table can be rocked back and forth across the grinding wheel on a rockershaft which is 4 in. in diameter. This shaft and the counterweight are a single casting. Bearings are provided for the rockershaft at each end, this style of construction, it is pointed out, resulting in an increased stiffness and rigidity. A heavy clamp outside of the left bearing of the rockershaft is relied upon to resist the tendency of the shaft to move to the right in its A New Disk Grinding Machine Weighing 5000 Lb. Equipped with Mechanism for Rocking the Table Across the Wheel Face. The Chain and Belt Drives for the Water Pump and Dust Exhauster Can Be Seen at the Left End of the Machine St 26, 195 bearings when work being ground js forced ., the grinding wheel. A collar to the right bearing tends to prevent the shaft from yoy. to the left while a projection on the under tideg the collar has a curved slot passiny around a te screw. By adjusting this collar on the shaft ” locking it in position the limits of the rocking tion of the table can be regulated. o- Lever, screw or spring feed is provided to mom the table toward the wheel. The screw feed jc trolled by the handwheel mounted at the end of thy table. When the lever feed is desired the whe s disengaged by removing a taper pin extend; d through its hub and the travel is obtained throug a pinion on the inner end of the lever shaft Work. ing in a rack attached to the under side of th table top. By lifting on the lever, a leverage of 56 to 5 is available. The screw feed js seca by replacing the taper pin and turning the hang wheel to the right. A spring pressure of from lt 300 Ib. can be secured by turning the screw hang wheel when the latter is disengaged and when this feed is being used the hand feed lever is employe to give any additional pressure wanted and t lock the table away from the grinding wheel. 4 yi crometer stop screw governs the forward travel ¢ the table irrespective of the feed that is beiy used. A handle projecting from the under side ¢ the table directly in front of the grinding whe assists in securing the rocking motion of the tabi The machine is equipped with either a steel dig wheel 30 in. in diameter and 114 in. thick o 20-in. ring wheel chuck. The former is used fy dry grinding and the latter for wet. The cast-ing hood covers practically all of the face of the whed There are two openings in the bottom of the hoo one for water and the other for dust, and whe one is in use the other is closed by a hinged cove When water is employed it falls into the main bas from which it overflows into the removable rest voir at the rear of the machine. A gear typed pump, which is driven from the machine spind by chain and sprockets, pumps the water throug the machine base and out on the work at the pl of grinding contact through an adjustable nom The dust exhauster is contained within the machi base and is driven by a belt, a connection ve made to the bottom of the hood to receive the a while it is discharged at the back of the machi near the floor. The belt drive for the exhaust and the chain drive for the water pump ares closed by a cast-iron guard, having a hinged at the left end of the machine as may be seél the accompanying engraving. Cast-iron secti are provided for the front of the hood and ott more of these can be removed or inserted 04 just the opening for different sizes of work. An interesting test of the possibilities 0! m removal was recently made by the builder. bottoms of electric sad irons having an area 0! a" 21 sq. in. to be surfaced were ground at the ral of six per minute on this machine, while ™ P of the standard machines having the same® wheel the rate of output was but two in thes” time. The amount of material removed per ™ ute by the two machines was 20 and 4°: spectively. ng more! The Minnesota ranges are still produc! a ore than is produced in the rest of the States SUS having furnished 52.96 per cent of the total for‘ l ed States in 1914, as compared with 62.37 per &" 1913. The Lake Superior district, COMprISINE 4 mines in Minnesota and Michigan and those 1) © Wisconsin, mined 33,540,403 tons in 1914, cent of the total production. or 80.48 Boring and Turning Mill a ment-Pond Company, 111 Broad- is City, has recently placed on the y ee boring and turning mill. The { ae ed are centralized control, a self- ) Faas iction and the provision of rapid | hand adjustment for the saddles are of broad-face box-girder con- ible webs and no openings in the cross-rail elevating screws are lo- he housings which are fastened to and are tied together at the top The cross-rail is of the three- narrow guide at the bottom, the screw being located between the s. The construction of the cross- as that of the housing, its depth to resist the thrust due to heavy adjustment is furnished for the an be clamped to the housings have wide bearings on the cross- to take up wear. Bolts are pro- ng the saddle when the bar is feed- ing of the saddles is controlled by the top, the amount being indicated The boring bars are forgings, scraped to a bearing on relied upon to enable wear to | directions. Continuous caps are the bars and a binder bolt in the bot- ap provides for locking the bar when s feeding. Rapid power traverse is either direction for the saddles and bars adjustment is secured by automatic hets located at the sides of the saddles. eight feeds which are positive, continu- rsible. They are independent, both rection, for down, cross and angu- h head. The tool holders are steel for clamping tools for nd facing operations. The shanks the holders are readily removable red to insert special boring bars. interweights for each bar are at- me chain, it is pointed out that ndently and will not pull the swings fere with the movement of the saddles. preventing interference from over- vhen placing work on the table or the counterweight chain is placed at bars. To guard against accidents ls or bars meet with an obstruction or fast traversing, safety friction ited on the vertical spline shafts. ' deep and reinforced by ribbing. A sets ! eter annular bearing running in an oil the table which is driven by a wide- bevel gear. Four pairs of parallel [-slots are cut in the surface of table spindle, which is long and of has two bearings which are relied in alignment. The upper one is ‘ solid bed and is fitted with an ad- ish to take up wear while the a bronze bushing. An adjustable located on the end of the spindle lifting. ‘-hanges and their reversal, rapid or hand adjustment of saddles and adjustment and table control are from the operator’s position. One disengages the fine and coarse tes the fast power traverse in either raduations. ' 1s ovision = = THE IRON AGE 461 The extending below the floor The mill is driven by an adjustable-speed direction. machine is self-contained, no part line. having a range of 4 to 1, drive plate located the back. A double cha n of clutch gears gives tw mechanical speed changes and these in conjunctio1 with the sixteen or more speeds furnished by the controller, give a minimum number of table speed of thirty-two. Push-button control the motor as well as a dynamic the table. If desired, the machine can be driver by a belt through a single pulley or a constant alternating-current motor. In either of these cases the power is transmitted through a speed box and back gear located at the the mill to give twelve speed changes. The speed box is fitted with a hand-operated friction clutch for starting stopping the table and the lever controlling thi also controls the dynamic brake for the table. A separate motor located on the top brace of the mill provides for the elevation of the cross-rail and the rapid power traverse to the bars and saddles. The belt-driven machines are built on the convertible plan and, if desired, cari be changed to motor drive which mounted between nousings at the is provided for brake for stopping speed rear ot and A New Aluminum Alloy A non-sweating and non-corrosive aluminum alloy is the subject of a patent (U. S. 1,146,185—July 13 1915) granted to William A. McAdams of Bay Shore, N. Y. Consisting of aluminum, silver, copper and cadmium, it is claimed to be peculiarly adapted to cast ing purposes. The metals are combined in the propor tion of eighty-two parts aluminum by weight, one part of silver, twelve parts of parts of cadmium, mixed in a special manner. By careful tests for more than a year, it is claimed that this alloy will withstand the action of spring or lake water without corrosion or stain, that, while brass or faucets and fixtures have been found to sweat under an internal pressure of 65 lb. per square inch, the new alloy has withstood 200 lb. internal pressure per square inch without such sweating. It is much lighter than bronze or copper. copper and five pronze and at aiso ‘| oO | : EF > 5 4 Russian Idea on Steel Specifications The Proportional Limit as a Proper Basis for Rail Purchases—Wear Independent of Tensile Strength, Hardness Number, Elongation, Ete. The Russian railroads have introduced into their specifications the requirement of the proportional limit, that is, the point at which deformation ceases to be proportional to the load. In explanation of this stand, A. N. Mitinsky, chief engineer Depart- ment of Tests, Russian State Railways, Petrograd, Russia, has prepared a paper for presentation at the San Francisco meeting in September of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. The stress-strain diagrams of steel, he suggests, can be divided into two groups, of which Figs. 1 and 2 are typical. In these AB is the line repre- senting proportionality between stress and strain, P is the proportional limit and R the yield point. Fig. 1 corresponds to a good steel which has been correctly treated both mechanically and thermally. This steel has the proportional limit and the yield point close together. Fig. 2 represents a steel of poor quality. The proportional limit P is low, and beyond this point, P, the stress-strain line departs but little from the proportional line AB, until the vield point, R, is reached. The steel with a diagram y Fig. 1 Fig. 2 The Two Groups of Stress-Strain Diagrams of this character may show good elongation and reduction of area and a high ultimate strength, but is extremely undesirable for railroad service. From a physical point of view, the proportional limit, the author maintains, is the load at which the shearing stresses produced by a tension or com- pression load become sufficiently large to break down the metal. At the moment when this occurs, Hartmann’s lines appear on the surface of the test specimen, which becomes dulled, and at the same time the temperature rises. After a stress of this magnitude has been applied the metal is not in the same condition as before, its internal structure hav- ing been deformed. By gradually loading and unloading a test speci- men the proportional limit can be raised, and in many cases where the stress-strain diagram is of the type shown in Fig. 2, the increase is a sub- stantial one. The proportional limit cannot, how- ever, be carried above the yield point, and any blow or shock, he says, will reduce the artificially raised limit. This artificial raising of the proportional limit in tension, he adds, is accompanied by a corre- sponding reduction in the proportional limit in com- pression, and inversely. NO FAILURE BY FATIGUE WITH STRESSES BELOW PROPORTIONAL LIMIT Mr. Mitinsky holds that by subjecting metal to repeated and alternating tension and compression it can be destroyed by so-called fatigue by loads very much below the ultimate strength. The resistance to fatigue, he maintains, depends solely op portional limit of the metal and is pot dn, other special property. If the stress under renoas loads is less than the tional lim; “peat proportional! limit occurs in the metal and no repetition of stress will cause injury, since the interna] of the metal remains undisturbed. On the o - Other’ hand, if the repeated stress exceeds the proporti ee ‘ Orton) limit the metal will be deformed and eventual ruptured. On the first application of the load a ducing such a stress, say in tension, a permaail ' e Nanent deformation is produced, the shearing Stresses dy internal work, and the elastic limit in tension i increased. When the load is reversed on the feb lowing alternation the previously extended fiber are compressed and permanent deformation jp coal pression is produced. This is the greater because the elastic limit in compression has been lowered by the previous deformation under tension. Thi process repeats itself, the metal being increasingly changed internally at each alternation. In the Russian railway material inspection tess determinations of the proportional limit are cm. rently made and do not occupy more than 15 to min. each. Marten’s mirror apparatus and th Ewing and the Cambridge Scientific Company's « tensometers are used. In this inspection testing it is not of importance to determine the exact vale of the proportional limit, but rather to make sr that it is not less than 20 or 25 kg. per squat millimeter (28,400 or 35,500 Ib. per square inch), as the case may be. In case the proportional limi is found to be less than the specified value, the tirs represented are rejected. By using the proportional limit in rail specifice tions the Russian railways feel that it is feasiblet reduce the number of tests, provided the tests har a real significance. By a brief mathematical demo stration, Mr. Mitinsky shows that the work absortel in deformation is proportional to the square of tit value of the proportional limit. Accordingly, pieces of tire steel both having 65 kg. per squar millimeter ultimate may have proportional limit of respectively 10 and 25 kg. if the one is pooti and the other properly annealed. In this case ti resistances of the two tires would be in the propa tion of 1 to 6, while if it be remembered that ttt shrinkage which holds the tire on the wheel sets ® an initial stress of say 8 kg. per square millimett the difference will be found to be still greater, 4 1 to 70. WEAR BY FLOW OF METAL NO RELATION TO HARDNES OR ULTIMATE STRENGTH Tt . he Dre! t due to song NO Chane Nang SUCH g Structurs A special committee appointed by the Russia Government to investigate the causes of rail wear and to work out means for securing satisfactot service from rails was unable to establish aly definite relation between the wear obtained from the rails in service and the ultimate streng Brinell hardness, yield point, elongation, reductioa of area, chemical analysis, or deflection on dr0p test. As a consequence little attention 1s now pal in Russia to ultimate strength and chem! analysis. 462 THE IRON AGE 165 a rail is finished at a high ue of the proportional limit will says, so that a measurement of t will show whether or not the done. Again, tires will show limit if improperly annealed; | temperature of say 875 deg. ached, or if the internal critical t been passed rapidly enough \n unannealed tire rolled at too will also show a low value for it. ‘ing, a steel with a medium d having a fine regular internal a high value for the proportional however, two cases in which a limit does not correspond to a are: (1) overheated steel, Wid- ture; (2) high phosphorus or ich manganese in combination vely high percentage of carbon. metal with a high proportional tle, but this condition will be dis- test. . re be concluded that if a rail or . gh proportional limit and sustains 7 lrop test, the steel is of as good a 7 desired, and no attention need be ate strength or Brinell hardness suthor holds, being practically the r to the elongation, reduction of n, manganese, etc. x) : ; ied at the regoing has dealt with wear of rails and a w of metal. The wear by abrasion, he a has not yet been studied as closely as it she Practically, all that can be said at pres- a that sulphur in steel tends to increase a it segregates sharply and may be pres- rv the wearing surfaces in considerably higher oi than in the average analysis of the ingot. Ire CONCLUSIONS fica. ithor formulates the following suggestions le te the quality of metal generally: ht portional limit is the proper basis of Nol engineering calculations. rhed 2. The proportional limit is independent of the the point and of the tensile strength. mw portional limit is the most important iar oper should be as high as possible, espe- mit subjected to repeated loads, shocks, ony ng, etc. - ar of metals of all kinds is independent Y ite strength, yield point, and Brinell w of metal or crushing depends 7 the proportional limit. Wear by abrasion hot studied and it can only be said s a deleterious influence. NESS € proportional limit can and should be a rineering inspection of materials. able working stress of any mate- ixed as a proportion of proportional asia weal ‘ . 7 ; nee to fatigue is directly de- aul ‘he proportional limit and provided this a number of repeated stresses will VW. ne Tool Builders’ Meeting ng of the National Machine Tool will be held at the Hotel Astor, 8-29, 1915. A Hyperboloid Hob for Generating Gears The Lees-Bradner Company, Cleveland, Ohio, has produced a new type of generating tool or hob for gears. The hob is the result of experimental research work on the part of the maker and _ con- sists of a _ series of high-speed steel racks, which are ground for lead side relief, top re- lief and cutting edges. These racks can be renewed al- most indefinitely, it is emphasized, the housing is hard- ened and the bore —— is ground to fit a . \ Hyperboloid Hob for Produ plug gage. This Gears Consisting of a Series . Renewablk nserted h-Sp type of hob is Steel R known as the hy- perboloid hob and the cutting edges of each series of teeth simultaneously enter and depart on a the retical line known as the generating plane. It is pointed out that in a hob of the cylindrical solid type which is fluted at right angles to the lead this helical flute presents a warped surface with one end of the flute stubbed and the other raked, as far as the generating plane is concerned, and that the row of teeth that are generating present an elliptical outline to the gear that is being worked on. It is thus apparent that when the hob is set at its working angle an elliptical outline will be presented to the work to be cut. With a view to securing a generating tool that would produce a rectangle under these conditions, it is emphasized that the tool should have a slightly outline known as an hyperboloid. These hobs are being regularly furnished i: number of sizes which it is emphasized will ger erate gears that are theoretically and mechanical] correct. It is also possible to duplicate these hobs easily. spool-shaped Psychrometric Tables for Cooling Tower Work The Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company, Carteret, N. J., is about to publish a book entitled “Psychrometric Tables for Cooling Tower Work.” companion to its book on “Steam Tables fo: Work.” Advance pages show that it in unusually clear exposition of the relations among dry and wet bulb temperatures, the dew point and percentage humidity, and a highly utilizable set of tables has | compiled for use in engineering work involving evap oration in the air, cooling air, drying air, so called, etc. Among the interesting features is a psychrometri chart prepared for the company by Prof. H. L. Par: of Columbia University, giving graphically the rel tions among dry bulb, wet bulb, dew point and per cent humidity, so that any two may readily be obtained knowing the other two. { onder 3e7 ee] The Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Company, Seattle, Wash., has received a contract for the cor struction of a steel steamship for the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company, operating the Ward Line. The vessel will be 368 ft. in length, of about 6000 gross tonnage, and will be modern in every respect as to freight-handling equipment, boilers and engines Magnesite is reported to have been found in con- siderable quantities along the shore of Lake Atlin in northwestern British Columbia. It is shown by analysis to run as high as 98 per cent in MgCO,. b> Pardo ed ~ Sen nS mate: Se SF a en > CRN, Sere nee te ne ene ova ib ll ap a Eile lle beac aE oe THE IRON AGE COKE IN GAS PRODUCERS German Experience in Substituting It for Coal— More Steam Required—Analysis of the Gas A paper on the use of coke in gas producers, by Dr. H. Margraf, published in Stahl und Eisen, in- dicates that there is some difficulty in Germany in getting the necessary amounts of gas-producer coal. The reasons given are that the output of the mines is not so great as in times of peace, due to their being worked by unskilled men, and the usual im- ports from England and Belgium have been very greatly reduced. Also much more coal is being coked than formerly, because of the need for the valuable by-products. The result is a larger supply of coke, and constant effort is urged to replace coal by coke as much as possible. Many boiler plants have already adopted coke firing with good success, and recently experiments have been made in ordinary gas-producer practice. At a plant in Lorraine, coke has been used since the beginning of January with complete satisfac- tion. Unfortunately coke alone has not been tried extensively, owing to the difficulty in getting sup- plies. The average mixture was |» to %4 coke, and ly to 44 coal (nut coal from the Saar, 15 x 35 mm.). The gas from this mixture was used in the heating furnaces for the rolling mills. Ordinary revolving grate producers were used, with shaft lined with firebrick and not water-cooled. No changes in the producers were necessary. The largest pieces of coke must be broken so that the size is not more than about 80 mm. This is either done by a crushing machine, or else the coke is bought already crushed at a small extra cost per ton. The ordinary fork coke cannot be directly used in gas producers as the pile must be very high, which is not possible with the limited height of shaft. The work of poking is somewhat less than when coal is used alone. The coke settles down uniformly and does not form hollow places, for it does not swell and become soft when heated like the coal. The ash appears to be somewhat heavier and more solid than that from coal, but its removal offers no difficulties. The coke contains practically no volatile matter so that no heat is taken up for distillation. The producer therefore showed a tendency to run hot, and it was found that about 10 per cent more steam than usual had to be mixed with the air. Also the producers were found to gasify the same amounts of material as formerly. It is evident that the gas will be different in composition from ordinary producer gas. Average results of carefully taken samples from the plant mentioned before gave: With Coke With Coal Carbon dioxide, per cent. ox’ 2.0 4.1 Oxygen, per cent <aere ee 0.0 0.3 Carbon monoxide, per cent..... 29 to 30 226 Hydrogen, per cent....... § to 7 13.4 Methane, per cent .0.5 to 1.0 26 Heat value, calories pe um. m.. 1,130 1,285 The ordinary producer gas, at the first glance, appears to be the best. It must be remembered, however, that the hydrogen requires double the amount of air that the carbon monoxide needs, and that the nitrogen has to be raised to the tempera- ture of combustion. There are at present no exact results as to the comparison of the two materials for gas-producer work, but from a_ theoretical standpoint the coke would appear to be the best. At the plant already mentioned only 15 to 20 per cent coke has been mixed with the coal for open- UST 26, Ig hearth work, and no difference been noticed. As a conclusion a little is sa kind of flame given by the gas. |; lieved that the gas burns with flame. This is not the case. In ihe heating ¢ naces it shows an extremely long flame aa more transparent than the ordinar a clearly seen. Also the tests with ers show that the flame is not short flames are therefore only to be fea, excess of air. Operat.un hag regard . Earding th “neral it jg oe shorter flame. } ater tut : e bol Sharp sh ed with a Creag G. B. W. Steel Over 2000 Years Old At a recent meeting of the Faraday Society « England, Sir Robert A. Hadfield, the president gf the Society, in speaking on the subject of « Hardening of Metals,” which was the general topie of the meeting, showed a specimen of ste! Which he offered as probably the first to be exhihite; modern times of an ancient piece of high carb steel which had been hardened by quenching analysis was as follows: ras Carbon Silica Sulphur Phosphorus Manganese It was possible to obtain a fracture of the specimg which weighed about 8 0z., was 3 in. in length, 24% in breadth, % in. in thickness. This showed fine crys line but rather brittle structure. After removing scale the Brinell ball hardness number was found} be 146. On sawing the specimen in two there found to be a quite fair proportion of the original me still unoxidized. I received this specimen a few mont ago from the superintendent of archzology in West India, Mr. Bhandarkar. One of the special points is that, notwithstandir the large number of specimens of ancient iron anda posed steel I have examined during the last few ye none of them have contained sufficient carbon tot termed steel in our modern-time meaning. This spe men, as will be seen from the above analysis, conta as much as 0.70 per cent carbon, which indicd that it can be readily hardened by heating and quen ing in water. In other words, this material has & in its present condition for probably more than 2 years, and now, after being heated and quence hardens exactly as if it had been made only % terday, thus showing that in this long interval and) yond surface oxidation, this specimen has undergone secular change of structure, or alteration in the ¥@ known capacity of an alloy of iron with carbon! become suddenly possessed of glass-scratching han ness after heing heated and quenched in water or 0# cooling medium. The photomicrograph of the material in the orig condition shows that though variable in structure, ranging in carbon from about 0.30 to 0.75 per ces this is of pearlitic type, existing in both lamellar # sorbitic form. The crystallization varies from Me coarse. In places the structure is blued, as 2 = probably of mechanical work. There are seams 0! ® in certain portions, but apart from these the mater appears to be of similar type to ordinary modern oo“ steel. After quenching from 850 deg. C. in water® steel readily scratches glass and under the micros reveals the expected martensitic structure. 4 Mr. Bhandarkar assures me there is not the sip est doubt about the antiquity of this specime’ |” the bars found beneath the stone pillar of Heli at Besnagar, India. It was found at the bottom ®® pillar, dating back to about 125 B. C. . . : 4 a., has The Columbia Pipe Mills, Columbia, can ad sumed operations after an idleness of about se‘""- manufacturing wrought-iron pipe. Works Union Statement Works Union, at a meeting held y, July 22, made the following ¢ business conditions: tee| domestic consumers are well to their decreased capacity. an keep up to the levels hitherto ntage of workmen does not make necessary. Export busi- ntries is taking its usual course. luctions naterial, the government railroads tary order for 1915 account, so that of these lines reach the average With neutral iken and some is still rolled products, such s is generally quiet, but with neu t year. countries under con- as grooved insignificant volume was done. ails were somewhat less in June went beyond the average of the iral material, domestic demands ansion in June over both the two d in response to this the trans- better. In general, business is market. ably e of the building ar building quiet are not rood, proportionately buoyant. Business €s is invariably quiet. is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. ied by the Allis-Chalmers Mfg. sales billed in the June quarter pared with $2,751,119 for the pre- ths, but the net profits were $194,813 1,/56 in the corresponding quarter of orders of June 30 were $7,657,185, 1914, and since that date many received. In July the on its books amounting to $7,000,- nave peen 00,000 Jan. 1, and more war orders pending from the Bethlehem Steel sent the company is working on a received from the Bethlehem Com- for 10,000 daily to Sept. 1. imports of iron ore were 23.5 per an in 1915, being 7,230,605 and 5,- respectively. THE IRON 165 AGE Double-Head Horizontal Boring Machine drilling and A double-head horizontal boring, tapping machine has been developed by the Rock ford Drilling Machine Company, Rockford, Ill. A number of different combinations built, one having a right and a left hand head located at right angles to each other, as will be noticed from accompanying illustration, with the heads arranged for a lateral adjustment of 36 in. and a vertical adjustment of 18 in. In another the heads are ar ranged with a vertical adjustment only or with one head having both vertical and lateral adjustments while the other has a vertical adj The other two combinations are the same as those just described except that the heads are arranged at the ends of the table which measures 24 x 72 in. The machine is designed to drive drills up to a maximum diameter of 3 in. tools up to 8 in. iron. There are eight rates of speed the spindle which is 2 1/16 in, a travel of 25 in. The motor drive. two, three or are tne ustment only. high speed and boring for boring out cored holes in cast le for available in diameter and has belt or either a tight and machine is arranged for either The belt four step cone pulley or a drive can employ | loose pulley with a gear box to provide eight dif ferent speeds. The motor drive uses either a co! stant-speed motor and a gear box 1 direct connected, adjustable-speed motor Coke-Oven Gas for Town Lighting The first use on a large scale of coke-oven ga town lighting in England is at Middlesbrough and is stated that the confidence of the promoters has beer fully justified. Mention of the installation was made | THE IRON AGE of April 2, 1914. An aspect of th problem emphasized lately is that most of the pal gas companies have raised the price of gas by 8c to 12c. per 1000 cu. ft., due to the cost of coal, but at Middlesbrough no advance ha munk increased pee}! made Pa., will insta Nos. l alr i company a The Thomas Iron Company, Easton, the Croxton slag handling system at its blast furnaces at Hokendauqua, Pa. The plans the erection of a large capacity, blast stove for the No. 3 furnace. ip to-date not i ae Hi HH) “ lags é : ee aide MTR ooo ae ty een an SEIN SNES ES TK hy asl a att de Ni am 466 THE IRON AGE BANDING PROJECTILES One Development in Process of Pressing Copper Rifling Bands in Place An instance of the developments being made in equipment for manufacturing war munitions is to be had in the experience of Richard Dudgeon, New York City. In one of the accompanying illustra- tions is shown a hydraulic press which this manu- facturer has supplied for forcing the copper rifling bands on projectiles as large as 9.2 in. in diameter, while the drawing shows a later development which involves higher pressures, and therefore smaller size parts and provides for hand operation without the need of a separate power pumping plant. The rapid transition in design is exemplified further in de- signs under way for still another machine, also of small size, which however has not been tested and is not yet a commercial article. The press shown in the reproduced photograph is of heavy proportions. The frame is a single steel casting, while the cylinders are solid steel forgings, as are also the plungers, which are fitted with bronze wearing parts and bronze glands. The frame is bored at the one setting for each pair of cylinders and is turned 60 deg. successively for boring the other pairs of cylinders. In operating the press, the shell is placed on a table adjusted to the desired height, which also holds the dies shown. The press is operated by throwing to one side the handle shown on the valve block, which is a steel forging, and throwing to the