The Iron Age 1916-05-18: Vol 97 Iss 20

UID? warm New York, May 18, 1916 TABLISHED 1855 New Housing Development at Worcester Norton Company’s Plan Under Which Its Employees May Own Homes in an Unusual En- vironment—Groups of 30 to Be Built Annually BY W. E. even to the grouchy old bachelor, has dreamed of having a little home of his own that nestles somewhere on a hillside, sheltered from the harsh winds of winter and blessed by perpetual sunshine all the year around. He wants it cozy, attractive, a credit to himself and his neighbors, and usually his imagination pictures it as being backed by tall trees, surrounded by a green and well-kept lawn, and o’er-twined by clinging vines 66 | T one time or another in his life every man, FREELAND taken form in but comparatively few instances. Rare, indeed, is it to find such a community founded solely on the idea of ownership by the occupant with all thought of renting eliminated. The holises, the environment, the plan of purchase and the lack of paternalism in the development here described help to make this one of the noteworthy industrial com- munities of the country. For the purpose of carrying out its plans, the Norton Company formed a subsidiary company, the The Indian Hill Development of the Norton Companies in December, 1915. In the Thirty Houses Erected in 1915, Diversity of Appearance Was Secured Not Only by Differences in Exterior Plans But Also by Varying Combinations ¢ yf Stucco, Shingle and Clapboard Fmish which give it the quaint air that lends distinction to what would otherwise be commonplace.” This is the opening paragraph in one of the first announcements of the proposed development of the Indian Hill community in the monthly shop paper of the Norton Company and Norton Grinding Com- pany, Worcester, Mass. It needs but a glance at the illustrations which accompany this article to see the progress made last year toward the ideal thus set forth. The wish to see his workmen properly housed is to-day in the mind of many a manager of a large industry, but the actual initiation and execution of comprehensive plan for adequate housing has Indian Hill Company, with the same ownership and officers. This was done largely to comply with the State corporation laws. One of the first steps was the selection of Grosvenor Atterbury of New York as the planner and consulting architect. Mr. Atterbury, among his other activities, is the con- sulting architect of Johns Hopkins University, a director of the National Housing Association, and the architect and designer of the famous com- munity development of the Russell Sage Foundation at Forest Hills, Long Island, N. Y. The location selected for the community was on the southern slope of-a_high hill, known locally as Mount Ararat, which lies just beyond the plant of 1187 iat : 1188 THE IRON AGE May 18, 1: 1CLOSEL LIVING Hat i CHAMBER the Norton Company. From this slope one gets 4 Every modern improvement was to be view over beautiful Indian Lake, a wide expanse in this development, so the first step was 0 includes the con- of low rolling hills dotted with fine homes, and, in struction of streets with good gutters and gra: the distance, the city of Worcester. In the laying lithic sidewalks, the laying of water mains and sew out of the streets, with their sweeping curves, the ers and the building of an electric lighting line fro finest arts of the town planner were called into play. the city circuits. One feature of the plans which Low grades were thus secured and the constant’ especially noteworthy is the community center, shifting of view as one walks along the streets is where eventually such stores as may be necessai distinctly an asset. Every opportunity was taken to the community will be found and possibly a to preserve or enhance the natural beauty of the building for community gatherings. Reservations site. By setting back the houses a good distance have been made for the erection of schools and from the street line, the effect of wide avenues churches and for public parks. These are funda- was obtained on the main thoroughfares. mental features of community building of the high- Group of Interior Views in One of the Larger Houses Selling for $3,800 18, 1916 THE IRON AGE 1189 type. While Indian will have all the intages that mark fe, it will retain of the character suburban village. point that will to add to its at- tiveness has been ooked. Trees, ibs and grass plots abound when the tracts already ned for this sum- ‘'s work have been ited. There will Interioi Views ir l e no objectionable fences, low hedges taking their e and adding in themselves a touch of beauty. Many of the lots are shaded by well-grown trees others will be planted on lots less favored. streets will be lined with trees carefully se- ted for the climate and location. Groups and lusters of flowering shrubs will be found, not only ndividual lots, but also about the communit) nter and the park spaces. lhere are no narrow lots and the houses are ated to the best possible advantage, particular tention having been given to two things: first. t as far as possible there be an unrestricted view ut the home, and, second, that the view of the ke and the city from these homes should be un- tructed. By building in a wholesale way a group of 30 es last vear, the cost was kept to a minimum. First and Second Floor oO « Thirty more houses are to be erected this year. There is none of the similarity of outline and general appearance which characterizes the usual construction of moderate cost homes There is much individ uality to each house without sacrificing utility or durability. It is needless to state that much care has been given to sanitation and domestic convenience. House Selling for 22.800 One of the things which interest every home owner is to know in what manner the activities of his neighbors will influence the future value of his own property Such restrictions as are imposed upon purchasers of Indian Hill homes have this ir view. It is essential in a community of this type that there be the utmost spirit of co-operation, and the company is making every effort to admit to the community only families of the type that will be unobjectionable to the other purchasers. The property is to be used for residence purposes only, and no building, fence, wall or other structure can be erected without the written consent of the company. The cost of the land unimproved averaged 4c. a foot. The expense of improvement brings the cost of the land up to 10c., at which price it is sold to the emplovees. The houses and land are sold at Cros : | CHAMBER he Fe CHAMBER C.0s . Sales") ADOF Feet 7 - . ‘ He ‘ = tee 4, 632 CoRagtoer er} mR Pe ae NET . Fal eluate a eich iie 1190 THE IRON AGE prices ranging from $2,800 to $3,800. Ten per cent, in a few cases 5 per cent, of the purchase price is paid to the company one week before the employee enters the new house. At the same time he is examined by the company’s physician, due to the insurance feature noted later. The purchaser gives a 12-year note to the company for $1,000 and a demand note for the balance of the purchase price. Both notes are secured by a mortgage on the prop- erty. To secure further the payment of the first note, there is a special agreement in which the purchaser covenants that he will purchase five shares in a co-operative bank approved by the com- pany and assign his bank holdings to the company. In the banks approved by the company, five shares will mature at 5 per cent in the sum of $1,000 in 12 years and 2 months. These banks, however, have always paid over 5 per cent and maturities have always been well within 12 years. The com- pany agrees that at any time during the twelve years, upon the death of the purchaser, it will ac- cept the surrender value of his bank holdings at the time of his death in full satisfaction of the time note of $1,000, and that the company will not make demand upon the demand note so long as the purchaser is not in default under the terms of his mortgage or under the terms of this agreement relative to co-operative bank investment. The Norton Company does not take from the wages of the purchasers of houses any payments May 18, 1916 due, either by way of interest or for purposes of bank deposit, but insists that the respective pur. chasers shall make their own payments direct to the cashier of the company. The co-operative bank feature was introduced to encourage saving on the part of the purchasers, to introduce to them the advantages of this method of investment and to avoid any suspicion on the part of the purchaser that the company was making any profit on the transaction. Accordingly, interest payments alone are made to the company until the entire amount of the time note is paid over at maturity. The company desires every man to, do his own business and will not exercise paternalism toward the purchaser. He must take care of taxes, water rates, insurance, etc. If circumstances should com- pel a man to move away and relinquish his owner- ship of the property and he is able and willing to satisfy the company that the initial purchase was not made as a speculative venture, it will assume a first option on the property and refund a portion of the sum paid in, reserving sufficient of it to pay a reasonable rent and the wear and tear during the period of occupancy. The company now holds 175 acres of land which it hopes ultimately to develop in the same manner as the section now developed or under way. The first 30 houses were sold promptly and there are now many prospective purchasers for the 30 houses t be built this year. View from Indian Hill Looking across Indian Lake toward the City of Worcester Preventing Boiler Corrosion by the Cumberland Process The Cumberland process for preventing the corro- sion of boilers, condensers and other metallic vessels and structures in contact with water or other corrosive liquids was discussed at a recent meeting of the Insti- tute of Marine Engineers (British). The process has been extensively adopted in England. It depends for ‘its action on the application of an electromotive force to overcome those produced by two dissimilar metals, or the same metal in different conditions, in contact with an electrolyte. This is accomplished by fitting one or more iron electrodes into the vessel to be protected and connecting them to the positive pole of a small dynamo, generating a continuous current at a pressure of about 8 volts. The iron electrodes are insulated from the vessel, to which the negative pole of the dynamo is electrically connected, so that a current flows from the iron elec- trode to the walls of the vessel while the apparatus is in use. This has the effect of confining the corrosion entirely to the iron electrodes, which are gradually eaten away, but which can be replaced at a trifling cost. The current is regulated by resistances and meas- ured by an ammeter. In the case of boilers it has been found that the system not only prevents corrosion, but also prevents the formulation of scale and removes any old-standing scale which may have been deposited before the apparatus was installed. The current necessary to afford complete protec- tion in the case of a condenser is about 1 ampere for each 500 sq. ft. of cooling surface, so that a condenser with 6000 sq. ft. of surface would require a current of 12 amperes. The energy required at 8 volts would therefore be 96 watts, and the cost at %d. per kilowatt- hour would be 35s. per annum, running continuously Six cast-iron electrodes, each weighing 20 lb., would b used in such a condenser and these would have to be renewed once a year, at a cost of about 15s. In boilers where the question of scale formation has to be considered a rather heavier current is necessary, and for ordinary marine boilers about 1 ampere is usually allowed to each 300 sq. ft. of heating surfac If corrosion only has to be guarded against, a smaller current density can be used. A case is mentioned of a vessel having twelve Yarrow boilers, each with 4125 sq. ft. of heating surface, which it was found in practice could be completely protected from corrosion, and kept quite free from scale, with a current of 5 amperes per boiler, though when installing the system it had been decided to supply 14 amperes per boiler. The electrodes in each of these boilers consisted of two 7-ft. lengths of %-in. by 3-in. bar iron fitted in the steam drum joint below the water level. Their life will be considerably longer than two years. The Aeroplane Industry’s Great Growth The remarkable growth of the aeroplane industry of the United States is indicated by the exports of 39° aeroplanes for 1915 against 40 in 1914 and 19 in 1919. The value of the 1915 exports was $2,960,814 or an average of $7,439 per machine, against $6,337 in 1914 and $3,227 in 19138. The exports of aeroplane parts were also very large, amounting to $2,457,782 as com: pared with only $145,997 in 1914 and $25,606 in 191». Imports of aeroplanes into the United States decreased from 16 and 18 in the fiscal years of 1912 and 1913, respectively to only 1 each in the fiscal years of 1914 and 1915. “a . . ip ‘ An Improvement in Open-Hearth Practice A Movable Port of German Design, Built as a Cage, and Applicable to Furnaces So As to Increase the Number of Heats An article in a recent issue of Stahl und Eisen, is covered with an arch 1, 2, 3, 4. The part above A kK. Kniepert, describes an improvement in open- B was always so covered. Openings are made in . hearth practice introduced at the Resicza plant in \ystria-Hungary, by Adolf Zdanowicz, and now in in several plants in that country. It is intended e applied when the ports are burned back so the end wall at A and B to correspond with the ports in the cage, which is complete except for its end wall D-D,. By means of the overhead crane, which is available in all modern open-hearth plants, the cage is placed in position. For a 35-ton fur- nace each cage weighs nearly three tons. In order to get tight joints it is well bedded in mortar. It is best fastened by hanging from the upper end of the upright end girder E, and bolting the angles F-G to this girder, Fig. 2. Further support has QQ G been found to be unnecessary. All joints and rough- » RT SS ness are smoothed over through the open end wall eS NS ~ D-D,, which is afterward bricked up, and the gas LR QQBDPAG_E™E vy can be again admitted to the furnace. All four e yi \ \ cages can be installed in 12 hr., if work is car- re 6 i ih N \ ried on at both ends of the furnace at the same a ING \ A time, and at the most the furnace can be started : N N ? aan again at the end of 24 hr. is, LES N Yyy . The length of the gas port before the repair may : Ss N Wj, Q5)www,; Uj be about 40 in.; and after the repair this is in- i S WV = Middle creased by the width of the uptake, the thickness oth NS Wy — of the end wall, and the length in the cage, giving a SX V4, y - a total of about 100 in. This is a good length and Fs) SS Yy exceeds that found in many new furnaces. The te SX Ve conditions in the furnace are improved because the oh Clddeeeceeeeeii} end of the port no longer projects into the ex- a SY WY tremely heated portion of the furnace, and is, there- a VW fore, protected against further burning back. Also, e . WV if proper attention has been given to the fire bridge, - V the gas enters the furnace as it should and gives a ay . boon \V 3 \ Qe , - r An Open-Hearth Furnace Port with the Cage in al ¥ Place ; : a SNL F that there is danger to the roof, and the furnace 5 | | ia not working well. When this time comes, the pen-hearth superintendent must choose between Be shutting down and rebuilding the ports, or adopt- cr ng some method that will help the gas to enter bi ne furnace properly. Among these methods may 1. e mentioned the narrowing of the enlarged gas oi de ports, and raising the level of the back part of the % ee ras ports, but none of them gives very great satis- action. The best practice is to shut down, and roperly repair the ports, which entails a delay of e than a week, as well as the cost of fuel for ting up again. lhe patented Zdanowicz port construction can be plied during the week-end shut-down, which is tomary in European plants, and allows the usual mption of operation Monday morning with per introduction of gas to the furnace due to mproved port. Fig. 1 is a sketch of the end truction with the device or cage in position. 2 shows the ironwork of the cage, and Fig. 3 vs a cage ready to be applied. The irregular 5-6, in Fig. 1, shows the outline of the burned- k port, and 3 shows how the original sharp cor- nas been burned away. ‘he port is prepared to receive the cage as ows: The end wall of the vertical gas flue is cut ’ from the outside from A to B, and the flue Fig. 2—Iron Work Used in the Cage normal flame. There is no longer danger to the furnace as the gas flows along the bath, far re- moved from the roof. The writer then goes into details of the cost of these cages and the results obtained. At Resicza a 34-ton furnace had made 371 heats; the cages were applied and 275 more were obtained. Another time after 344 heats the cages were used and 202 heats 1191 Fr ph te. ere Gt ST eto r : 7” be Braces F eae dil yen iar Dace Poa 1192 obtained, the stoppage then being due to the check- ers. On another occasion after 378 heats the cages were used and 328 heats more taken off, this time also the checkers causing the shut down. On a 10- ton furnace at the same plant the heats obtained on different runs with the cages in position were 348, 385, 471, 517 and 434. In considering the cost it must be remembered that the ironwork of the cages will certainly last ten times. The total weight of a full set for a 34-ton furnace, with all bolts, etc., is 3.4 tons. This means 102 marks per furnace for each application. The total weight of the silica brick work for a full set is about 8 tons, costing, under Austrian conditions, 320 marks. Not all of this brickwork will have to be replaced before the cages can be used again. Labor is taken at 210 marks and royalty for one campaign 250 marks. Assuming an extra 250 heats for a 34-ton furnace the cost is 10.6 pf. per ton (about 2.5c.). Counting the other necessary re- pairs, and subtracting the total from what would otherwise be necessary, a saving 19c.) per ton. The total for the year on this size therefore, 13,430 marks, and when the fuel is added, due to the furnace not cold, it gives 14,500 to 15,000 marks $3,600). This estimate is undoubtedly low, for cer- tainly one set of cages can be used for more than is found of 79 pt. furnace is, saving in becoming $3,480 to one furnace. A further great advantage is the Faeroe entitles nities { ( } | | { Fig. 3—The Port Iron Cage with the Bi ) Extension Ready to Be Applir to the I greater yearly output per furnace, for under Euro- pean conditions at least 14 more working days per year can be obtained, which means an yearly tonnage of about 5 per cent. The invention is particularly valuable in the case of furnaces that have been altered to give heats than they were designed for. In such the hearth is usually lengthened at the expense of the ports. The application of the cages to such furnaces gives at once a good working length for the ports. The results given above on the 10-ton furnace were obtained with a furnace so equipped, and making nothing but special steels. G. B. W. Increased larger Cases Through a typographical error the elevating truck of the Lewis-Shepard Company, Boston, Mass., was illustrated in THE IRON AGE, May 4, on which page ft. This should have been 2% to 3 in THE IRON 1079, was stated as being capable of lifting a load 2% to 3 AGE May 18, 1916 REJUVENATED TURRET LATHE Details of Remodeling an Old Machine Under the Spur cf Necessity BY W. A. HYDE The steel weight described below could not obtained satisfactorily on the outside either as gards price, finish or time of delivery, and the lowing solution shows what may be done un ] A Turret In rn Hand ind the Saw fo Lathe Changed to Produce a Slotted W. Diameter and Approximately Half as Long. Levers for Closing the Clutch Are Shown at th \ Work at the Right at / Slotting th pressure of circumstances. The piece was to be 0.750 in. in diameter, 0.382 in. long, chamfered on both edges, and must have a slot in the side 0.030 in. wide and 0.250 in. deep. A turret machine would do it, but none was available, and those had no transverse milling attachment After a search, however, an old machine was found for $40, so old that the manufacturer had gone out of business, but in splendid condition as regard bearings and steadiness. There was no automat! rod feed, and although there was a hole through the spindle it was too small. The first step was to bore out the spindle. A Rivett *,-in. split chuck was obtained and the sub sequent work built around this. A piece of 1-in No. 13 seamless steel tubing was procured and the end swaged out large enough to enable a thread to be cut to fit the chuck as is shown in Fig. 2. (he swaging was done by heating the tube red ho! and driving in a tapered plug of the proper size. A thread was then cut in the enlarged end in the lathe so that the chuck fitted in nicely. A slot was cut, as shown at a, to engage the driving pin from the spindle. Lock nuts having 32 threads per inch were fitted to the opposite end. The reamer was made by using %4-in. stock accessible nT ANE = li | i) wl . eed : a S = ! The Spind Mad rom a Piece of No. 13 Gage Sea! St fubing Swaged to Fit the Chuck and Slotted tingage the Driving Pin and driving tool steel pins in four spiral rows, 2 illustrated in Fig. 2. The rod was centered and th« pins turned to a maximum diameter of 1 1/16 in and a minimum diameter of 11/16 in., this beings just a little smaller than the hole through th spindle. These pins extended a distance of 2 it (ay 18, 1916 Finished Hole A Home-Made Reamer Consisting of a Piece of %-In. Drill Stock and a Series of Tool Steel Pins ong the axis, giving an easy taper, were backed to give clearance and ground off in front to give _ cutting edge, and then hardened. The spiral twist , the cutting edges not only enabled the pins to .e staggered and provide a continuous cutting edge, suit gave the reamer some of the characteristics o! irill, and it was found that it cut very freely. If . great a spiral was made there was a tendency to g,” and if there was no twist it cut very slowly. he pins were not annealed, and while a few broke e succeeded in getting a smooth, true hole. The her end of the reamer was fastened in the turret ind thus the lathe was made to bore itself out. Automatic rod feed was essential and the next thing was a study of the succession of motions re quired. It was decided to release the chuck by « motion away from the operator and close by draw- ng toward him. This, combined well with the mo- tions of the turret and the tool carriage levers. Ac- cordingly the chuck closing device was made as in Fig. 4. Here a is the projecting end of the lathe spindle, 6 the collar that carries the two fingers _ d is a sleeve, one end of which transmits the pressure exerted by the fingers to the adjusting nuts e, and f is the cone, which, when sliding to the right, raises the fingers and closes the chuck and to the left releases them. The next step was to make the feed automatic \ 20-lb. weight, two pulleys and some wire rope ufficed for this when arranged as in Fig. 5. The front end of the spindle had to be bored to a diameter of 1 7/16 in. to take the chuck, which was accomplished by the same reamer with longer Fig. 4—The Chuck Closing Device ins. When the front end of the spindle was namtered to the requisite 15-deg. angle and the nuck attached, all parts were found to fit nicely. The weight required a slot in the side 0.03 in. de and 0.25 in. deep. A thin saw, 3 in. in diam- ter and 1/32 in. thick, fastened to the tool carriage nd moved transversely would do this, and it was ly a step to the idea of cutting off the previous ‘eight with a saw of larger diameter on the same naft. Hence the layout as shown in Fig. 1. Here ' is the chamfering tool moving away from the perator and D is the cut-off saw, which is 4 in. in ameter and 3/64 in. thick. These diameters were ich that when one saw had just cut off a weight e other had cut the required slot, 1% in. deep, the ithe, of course, being stopped during this opera- on. A positive jaw clutch came with the lathe, THE IRON AGE 1193 so that there was no tendency to turn by friction when not in engagement and the friction of the spindle in its bearings held the stock sufficiently tight. The shaft carrying the saws is driven through the 2-in. belt E from the countershaft above. An idler pulley serves to take up the stretch in the belt and the variations due to the different positions. The spring on the idler pulley shaft is about 2 in. long, 144 in. in diameter and is made of 3 16-in. wire . A longer one was used at first, but the period was so slow that annoying vibrations were set up in the belt. About 25 lb. is used against the idler shaft and the belt is run quite tight. ; Wa ‘ ¥ a 7 q } Y ' Se ee —o_— Se jp ——— ; “olla ‘ j Wasers - iv } bX 4 y? oe rig [hye Ar gement Em} ‘ to Ss ire Automatii At first the large saw was of carbon steel, 1/32 in. thick, but it cut too slowly at 165 r.p.m. The speed was later increased to 240 r.p.m., but the saw dulled quickly and it was replaced by a high-speed saw 3/64 in. thick. At the prevailing prices this was $2.15 less than one 1 32 in. thick; besides, it was thought that such a thin saw might bend and produce variations in the thickness of the weight, and flanges 34, in. in diameter were provided to stiffen the blade as much as possible. Then, too, it was highly desirable that the faces of the weights be as smooth as possible and a thicker saw would help this. Also, as a last resort, it was contemplated to taper the cutting edges of the teeth, if neces- sary, which should produce a smooth surface. At all events, the 3/64-in. saw is perfectly satisfactory without alteration, giving a smooth cut at 240 r.p.m This might be improved somewhat at a higher speed. It is thought that the performance of this ma- chine is superior to the usual cut-off tool method in speed, small waste stock and uniformity. A too! has one cutting edge; the saw has 36. A 3/64-in. tool will break if forced too hard and the finished surface is full of ridges, requiring a subsequent hand operation if a good finish is desired. With the above method a small lip is left on one side only to be smoothed off. The most interesting part, however, is the time—10 sec. for cutting off and slotting—a performance which a cut-off tool can hardly meet. On test two weights were made per minute, which was entirely satisfactory. A Recent Type of Slip Ring Induction Motor The Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Company’s slip ring induction motors for intermittent service are sup- plied in units ranging from 1% to 200 hp. for opera- tion on two or three phase, 25 and 60 cycle circuits, delivering either 220 or 440 volts. These motors are designed for use on cranes, hoists, draw and roller lift bridges, railroad turntables and transfer tables. Steel laminations riveted between forged steel end shields are employed for the frames of the smaller sizes, while those of the larger units are made of rolled open-hearth steel. The rotor is of small diameter, which reduces the flywheel effect and tends to make the motors par- ticularly adapted for frequent starting, stopping and reversing. In the design and construction an effort has been made to facilitate repairs in case of accident and combine maximum strength with a reduction in weight and over-all dimensions. Bethlehem’s New Electric Steel Plant Its Girod Furnace in Operation— Hot Metal to Be Refined and High Carbon and Alloy Steels Produced The Bethlehem Steel Company has just taken out the first heat from the 10-ton Girod electric steel furnace at its plant at South Bethlehem, Pa. The furnace is the largest of its type in this country and is expected to become a valuable adjunct of the Bessemer converter and the open-hearth fur- naces as a means of refining the molten steel. Plans call for three such furnaces in the completed Looking Down on Bethlehem’s 10-Ton Girod Electric Steel Furnace Showing the Three Electrodes and the Electrical Connections. plant, which will make it one of the largest in this country. An article by Paul Girod, the inventor of the furnace, appeared in THE IRON AGE of May 27, 1909, descriptive of the furnace and its advantages. The following description of the electric furnace department at South Bethlehem is furnished by the company’s engineering department: The electric furnace department of the Bethlehem Steel Company was planned in 1912, in connection with new open-hearth department No. 3 and other extensions. When completely equipped it will con- tain three furnaces of 10 gross tons capacity each per charge, or 36,000 gross tons capacity per year. At present, however, only one furnace has been constructed and installed. Among the several types of electric furnaces which were in use in 1912, the Girod furnace as perfected by Paul Girod, Ugine, France, was considered the most satisfactory with regard to economy and reliability. The electric furnace building is 168 ft. long and 58 ft. wide, served by a 30-ton crane. The charging platform, which is elevated 12 ft. 3 in. above floor and yard level, extends 14 ft. 6 in. be- yond building columns along the outside of buildin; wall. On this extension there are covered bins for refractory materials, flux, ore, alloys and scak these materials being unloaded from railroad cars and stored. The furnace proper, which is located abo\ charging platform, is cylindrical in form and mac: of %4-in. steel plate, approximately 15 ft. in diam- eter and 5 ft. outside depth, with laminated outsicd: plates *4 in. thick. It is equipped with one heavil) lined, counterbalanced charging door, sliding in ; water-cooled frame. The pouring spout is direct}, opposite. On the side of the shell heavy coppe: angles are attached to which are electrically con- nected laminated copper bars conveying current from transformers. The furnace proper rests on heavy cast-iron rockers running on rollers supported by rocker frames anchored to concrete foundation. The tilt- ing of furnace is accomplished by means of worm drive, actuated by a 15-hp. reversing motor. The furnace can be tilted toward the charging side to discharge the slag through a notch in charging door, or toward the pouring side to pour the molten metal into a 12'5-ton ladle located in the pit in front of the furnace, as shown by an illustration. The lining of the furnace can be either acid or basic. The bottom, 20 in. in thickness, will be made of double shrunk magnesite or dolomite well rammed in, the latter material being also used to patch up holes and make repairs to the bottom. The metal bath is approximately 16 in. deep. Fourteen soft steel electrcdes approximately 3'5 in. in diameter are connected electrically to the bottom of the furnace shell, the lower ends of which are water-cooled. The roof construction, which is arched, consists of 9-in. silica brick, insulated from ° the magnesite brick of the hearth walls by means of asbestos plates, with provision for reception of three 18-in. electrodes with working length of ap- proximately 6 ft. The electrode holders are made of copper and are water-cooled. Ample provision has been made for adjustment so that electrodes can be adjusted and centered firmly and speedily. Two laminated copper bars carry the current from the transformer to the con- tact pieces extending from the electrode carrier. The lowest point of an electrode during operation of the furnace will be approximately 4 in. above the surface of the metal bath. The electrodes are raised and lowered by means of a revolving screw spindle centered in the struc- tural column, which is driven by a 5-hp. motor, mounted at the foot of the column, or, if neces- sary, it can be operated by means of a hand crank. The total weight of one electrode-carrying column and arm is approximately 2600 lIb., the weight of an electrode proper being about 1000 Ib. The motors employed for this work are rever- sible, interpole type, using direct current at 230 volts, equipped with automatic speed regulation. The total weight of the furnace is approximately 90 gross tons, which includes about 35 gross tons of refractories. About 1500 kva. per hour of 3-phase alternat- ing current, 25 cycles, 65 to 80 volts, are furnished 1194 the electric furnace, each carbon electrode receiv- one phase of a 3-phase current, the conduct- » hearth of the shell acting as the neutral point. ecial care has been taken to prevent the forma- on of induced currents in the shell and the roof ime, and to prevent sparking in the bus bars the lower end of the electrode-carrying column, that column in electrical contact with the shell. The current is conveyed to the furnace from ree oil-cooled single-phase transformers of 700 each. It is generated by Bethlehem gas en- es driving 2500-kw. generators, producing 3- se alternating current of 6600 volts and 25 es. One reactance coil of 106 kva. capacity has n provided for the protection of each trans- rmer. A special controller for each electrode is inted in front of the switchboard, and one con- ller near pouring side for the operation of the ting motor. The transformers are sheltered in mms underneath the charging floor on both sides the furnace, while the reactance coils and oil itches are. in another room. The high-tension nductors are well insulated cables, the low-ten- conductors are heavy bus bars laminated only ere flexibility is required. Of the 700 kva. leaving the three transformers, ut 620 kva. actually reach the electrode holder, balance beting lost in the form of heat through ater-cooling, ete. The consumption of cooling iter at the furnace is not expected to exceed 20 per minute. The yield from cold charge to finished product be from 93 to 95 per cent. These men will e required for the operation, including the trans- former man. Ladle drying facilities have been pro- ded, also a casting pit 9 ft. wide by 20 ft. long. The slag will be dumped into a 60-cu. ft. slag car special construction, 3-ft. gage. \ thoroughly equipped laboratory erected for the en-hearth department, which is adjacent to the tric furnace department, will take care of the essary testing of steei, etc. The electric fur- e will become a valuable adjunct of the Bessemer iverter and the open-hearth furnaces as a means refining the molten product they yield. The ectric method is to supersede the more expensive — Tapping Side of the Girod Electric Steel Furnace at the ehem Steel Company’s Plant, Showing Its Elevation Above the Floor and the Pit for the Ladle. THE IRON AGE 1195 The Charging Side f the Ton Girod FElectric 1} Bethiehel Steel ny crucible method in the production of high carbon and alloy steel. The electric furnaces are located in line with six 50-ton open-hearth furnaces, a 400- ton mixer, a proposed 10-ton converter and spiegel cupolas. It will be possible to transfer metal from either the open-hearth, hot metal mixer, converters or cupolas to the electric furnaces, thus giving a very flexible operation and wide variation of product. A Convenient Hardness Measuring Instrument Under a license agreement granted by the metal- lurgical department of the Standard Roller Bearing Company, Herman A. Holz, 50 Church Street, New York, is manufacturing a portable instrument to deter mine the Brinell hardness of metals and metal products The instrument, which is known as the Brinell meter, is designed to give accurate results independent of the dimensions, shape and location of the material tested The main portions of the instrument are a housing with a removable steel ball 10 mm. in diameter and a detachable standard bar corresponding to a certain Brinell hardness number, which has a smooth surface in contact with the ball. These standard bars are supplied for any desired range of hardness, irrespective of whether steel, alloy steels, cast iron, brass, copper, aluminum, etc., are to be investigated. They are of square cross-section % in. on a side and 6 in. long. The four surfaces are machined, thus enabling them to be utilized, ground off and used again, the process being repeated several times, so that each bar can be used for several hundred tests. In determining the hardness of the material unde: test the housing containing the standard bar and the metal section being investigated are placed so that when pressure is applied a spherically shaped impre sion is produced in both. The diameters of the indenta tions produced simultaneously in the two pieces of metal are measured by special scales and the hardness of the two metals, which is in direct relation to the proportion of the two indentations, is determined from direct-reading tables supplied. It is pointed out that as the test used is a comparative one, the pressure applied may be varied without impairing the accuracy; of the results. The outfit consists of the housing, standard bars, twelve steel balls, measuring scales and a set of tables giving the Brinell hardness numbers In addition the meter can be used as a hardness gage for checking the hardness of metal purchased under specifications. Outlook for the Steel Industry of France Labor Is Inefficient but the War Has Brought an Awakening and French Exports May Become a Larger Factor BY H. H. France does not possess any beds of rich and pure iron ore that can be compared with the ores of Lake Superior or the West Coast of England, and no coal deposits equal to those of Connellsville or Durham; but in olden times ironmakers did not re- quire large supplies of raw material, for pig iron was made with charcoal, while almost any kind of coal would serve for a puddling or a heating fur- nace. Thus, we find old iron plants at many places throughout France, from the hills of Lorraine to the slopes of the Pyrenees, and from the plains of Normandy to the valley of the Rhone, the best known of these being at Creusot. THE CREUSOT STEEL WORKS The coal around Creusot contains 14 per cent of ash, and will not give a coke fit for use in the blast furnace unless it is mixed with better coal. The nearest good ore is in the minette field, and that is 200 miles away as the crow flies, while it is really much farther, because the railroads run east and west on account of the configuration of the land. Foreign ore has been used, but this must come by water from Spain or Algeria and then by railroad. Two years ago we would have said that there was no justification for a steel works being in such a situation, but we do not think so to-day, for French cannon and other munitions of war are made at Creusot, and it is the safest place in France. If this plant had been situated in the steel district of the east or in the industrial center in the north, it would now be in the hands of the Germans. The United States may profit by this ex- ample. ACID AND BASIC 250 miles BESSEMER PROCESSES We may take the year 1870 as the starting point for the steel industry as we now know it, for the acid Bessemer process had just come into use, and France adopted the converter very quickly; but as there was no pure ore in the whole country, it was necessary to bring it from Spain or Algeria. For many years there were acid converters in operation near Valenciennes in the north and at Creusot in the center; but the use of the acid Bessemer has almost ceased in France, and to-day it produces less than 2 per cent of the total output of steel. The basic Bessemer process was started in Eng- land in 1878, and it was immediately taken up by Germany and Belgium; but several years elapsed before France put the basic converter on a com- mercial basis, for there were several unfavorable conditions. Germany had shown that the ore in the newly annexed province of Lorrainc was well adapted to the new process, but, unfortunately, there were no important steel works in that neigh- borhood which were on French soil, the large plants in France being in the south and southeast. Moreover it was supposed thirty years ago that Germany had the cream of the iron ore and that in French territory the beds were smaller and thinner, lower in iron and lime and higher in silica. To-day it is believed that France has as much and as good ore as Germany possesses, and perhaps has the bet- ter of the bargain, for it was found about the vear CAMPBELL 1900 that there were enormous deposits deep dow: in the ground. Shafts have been sunk, and the out put has steadily increased, so that the whole situa tion has changed within the last ten or fifteen years In 1870 France made 16.2 per cent of all th steel produced in the world; in 1880 only 9.1 pe: cent; ten years later 6.7 per cent; while in 1900 th: proportion was 5.6 per cent. But the tide changed and in 1910 France made 5.8 per cent of the stee output of the world, and although this may seem small gain, we must remember that the Unite States is about the only nation that is increasing its proportion. During the ten years from 1900 to 1910 Great Britain, Germany, Russia and Aus tria showed a loss in percentage, although thet i: creased their actual output. So, in trying to forecast the future, we should not put much weight on old conditions, but should consider the situation as it stands to-day. Th spurt in the French steel industry during the last decade was caused by the development of the ore beds in what is known as the minette district, whic! was described by the writer in THE IRON AGE of July 15, 1915. We will take a look at this ore sup- ply and then see how much coal is available. THE ORE SUPPLY Almost all the iron ore in France is in the prov- ince of Meurthe et Moselle, which is situated on the extreme eastern frontier. There are three sep- arate ore fields: Longwy in the north, Nancy in the south, and Briey in the center, this latter district being only a few miles northwest of Metz. In most places the ore is near the surface, but in the Brie) field there are large mines which are raising the mineral from a depth of from 500 to 800 ft. The Briey field is much the largest of the three and pro- duces two-thirds of the output of the province, the whole district raising about 15,000,000 tons per vear, or over 90 per cent of the total ore output of France. Large amounts of this mineral are exported to Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium, but in 1913 the ore used at home accounted for three-quarters of ail the pig iron and two-thirds of all the steel made in France. It is stated that there is sufficient ore to last a hundred years at the present rate of pro- duction, counting only the good ore, while in addi- tion there are large reserves of inferior quality. CHARACTER OF BRIEY ORE This ore from the Briey field is of fairly reg- ular composition, but it may be divided into two grades, the rich and the poor, as shown in Table A. Both of these grades contain a considerable propor- tion of combined water and carbonic acid, and it has been proposed to roast the ore that is to be ex- ported to England; the poor ore, however, is s0 rich in lime that the calcined product is too friable to withstand handling, and so this will be used at home. If we suppose the lime is taken away, there will be considerably over 50 per cent of iron in the roasted ore, and since the lime is valuable as a flux it is plain that we have a desirable ore. Phosphoric acid is present in such proportion 1196 lay 18, 1916 it the pig iron contains about 1.70 per cent of osphorus and the iron is used almost altogether the basic Bessemer converter. Table A—Composition of Briey Ore he ore as mined contains about 10 per cent. of mois- ture. Loss on Ignition Silica Lime Iron at 212 deg. F re cose cose 6.50 16.00 40.00 20.00 6.50 18.00 33.00 re mines ere rs 1.50 1Z.00 {S.00 ot "oO.an $7 0 THE COAL SUPPLY fhe only reasonably good coal in France is in e most northerly province where Valenciennes is tuated, but even here the coke made is of inferior ality, while the supply is not equal to the demand. The coal beds have been disturbed by geologic con- ilsions and in one place the older Devonian and <ilurian strata are folded and thrust over the coal easures with a horizontal displacement of nearly vo miles, so that mining operations are difficult and dangerous. It is not surprising, therefore, to nd that large quantities of English coal are im- rted into this very province of Pas de Calais and hat fuel is expensive throughout France. In order to reach the ore district, coal must be iled 150 miles from Valenciennes, but Belgian oal is much nearer, while. the mines of Saarbrucken } Germany are only 50 miles away in a straight ne, or about 75 miles by railroad, so that a large proportion of the fuel is imported. There is a tariff on coal, which increases the cost ‘f iron in France and therefore the cost of steel; and just that much her manufacturers are handi- apped in seeking for export trade. France is griev- isly tax-ridden; but as far as known no one has et proposed a direct tax on pig iron smelted, or on ails rolled; so they have something yet to learn rom the United States. THE STEEL DISTRICT Most of the steel made in France is manufac- ‘ured near the ore mines in the province of Meurthe Moselle, about two-thirds being made by the isic Bessemer process and the rest in the open- earth furnace. This province is crowded into a ' de sac formed by Germany, Luxemburg and Bel- zium, and this limits the available market. To the ith is the mountainous area of southeastern ‘rance; to the southeast is Switzerland, which is earer to the steel works of Germany; to the east a line of German steel works extending from ~aarbrucken to Aix-la-Chappelle; while on the north : Belgium which, instead of offering a market, ex- rts a large proportion of its steel output. As a result of these conditions, nearly all the iron | steel made in eastern France must be carried estward right past the coal mines at Valenciennes. these coal fields could supply cheap coal we would ‘ very favorable transportation conditions, be- ise there would be practically the same weight of ‘terial shipped from the coal mines to the steel rks as would come back from the steel works to e coal mines; but this relation is upset by the use oal from Belgium and Germany. A glance at the map will show that France is ' as well situated as Germany, as far as railroad lage is concerned, for Belgian and German coal ‘ both within 100 miles of the ore mines; while it nly 250 miles from the steel works on the eastern ntier to the docks of Havre, and a less distance to ilogne. THE IRON AGE 1197 RAILROADS The distances through which material must be carried would be considered very moderate in Amer- ica, but the French railroads are managed most lamentably. The American tourist who travels from Cherbourg to Paris finds that there are trains in France equal to any that we have here, and it would be natural to suppose that ordinary trains in that country differ from these special trains, just as our accommodation trains differ from our limiteds. A very slight experience, however, will prove that just as soon as we leave the trains de luxe we enter a new physical and mental world. This is not the place to enter into a discussion of the railroad sys- tem of France, but it must be said that if the steel works in the east have to do business under the same conditions that obtain in the rest of the coun- trv they are under a great handicap LABOR CONDITIONS The French steel makers have also to contend with the peculiar psychology of their workmen. France turns out some of the finest qualities of steel, while the very best scientific instruments are made in that country; but the men will not work hard. It is a marvel to an American engineer how the French steel works can operate at all, when there are so many men waiking aimlessly around with nobody doing a day’s work. The answer is that the wages are low, while man- ufacturers of every kind are protected by high tariffs. Wages would be raised voluntarily by em ployers if the workmen would increase their output ; but they refuse to do more, no matter what chances are given them on piece work, for they aim to earn just so much a day and have no ambition to earn more. In THE IRON AGE of Dec. 2, 1915, there was an account of the experience of William F. Car- mody of Chicago in a French workshop and the article states that the French mechanic knows nothing about working under pressure and that ap- parently he is unfit for it temperamentally. All this was true not long ago, but we read that during the last year the rate of production in some munition factories has been increased anywhere from 10 to 100 fold, which would hardly seem possi- ble unless former conditions are taken into consid- eration. It is said that this war is waking up the French people, and so it may be that in the future we may face competition from a nation which thus far has not taken a leading part in the international iron trade. FOREIGN INVESTMENTS France has about $10,000,000,000 invested abroad which brings in something less than $500,- 000,000 per year, overcoming an unfavorable trade balance, which in 1912 amounted to $293,000,000. In addition to these dividends on foreign invest- ments, there is an invisible credit item coming from the money spent by visitors from England, America and all the world, so that France has been getting richer every year in spite of the imports exceeding the exports. It was stated in a former article that the foreign investments of Great Britain were in mines, rail- roads and industrial enterprises of all kinds; but the French investments are of a different character, be- ing composed mainly of government bonds, the