The Iron Age 1916-08-10: Vol 98 Iss 6

New York, August 10, 1916 ESTABLISHED 1855 Advance in Cost of Farm Machinery As Illustration, the 1916 and 1915 Costs of Materials for a Farm a an Engine and Boiler Are Compared BY H. A. RUSSELI lul F we take the 1915 cost of a certain farm a few of t $1ze engine and boiler, based on the contracts in force at that time, and add 50 per cent to the figures, we will have a very close approximation to the pres Yanced approximately 1500 per cent. These are only cent. 289 ent total cost of the same outfit. And even at this tems f1 t} ( e] excessive advance in the cost, it will require from six we w that terial ne. il to eight months to secure the boiler plate, boiler 915. v $921.94 ' pion his ; tubes, cold-rolled steel, etc. If, however, the cus mater : al of $492.22 tomer is in urgent need of the equipment and de If we co) e} ( ercentagé sires quick shipment, which under present condi the present er tl 915 idvance in Cost of al Engine and B Wi Per Pound Indicate the Diff Be ‘ ; » Quoted for the Last Half of the Pres } Whi Vany Months Afte the Orders Are Pl D Q ) ‘ We } } Mater ‘ W c Qn , B plate Sheet steel ld rolled stee Bronze (for bearings) Crankshaft forging Boiler tubes Babbitt metal Pipe and pipe fittings Fittings (valves, gages, etc.) Studs and bolts and spoke ler rivets Tongue, chains, et nts and varnishes tions would require from five to seven weeks (pro- cost ne o1 viding the size he orders is not in stock), the total the su ng wait cost of the outfit would advance over 60 per cent over ha ré he outfit beyond the 1915 cost figure. called quick s! t require it [hese percentages take into consideration only seven weeks, the advance ¢ he iter imp the advances in the cost cf the different materials to $250.99 (in place of $210 nd the percentag« entering into the engine and boiler and do not take of advance in the cost 89 per cent over th any account of approximately 20 per cent advance 1915 cost of the me mater in the cost of labor, or the very much higher prices We will now e in st oO that are being paid for supplies of all kinds which the material, item by iter : the weight and are constantly wearing out through daily service. rate of advancs grade material As a few instances of the enormous advances that where possibl tne stance of have taken effect in the cost of certain supplies, we bolts and studs, ete. might state that white waste has advanced over 50 As stated before, this to ndicates an advances per cent, high-speed steel and high-speed twist drills of 74 per cent over the 19 st of material on have gone up from 350 to 400 per cent. Borax If we pick out the items el bars, plates, tube used for welding) has jumped over 100 per cent sheets, rivets and cold-rolled steel, we will find that and pr issiate of potash (for case hardening ) ad- these six items advance the st $149.98, or 53 per 290 It must be remembered that these figures repre- sent actual net cost advance in material only and the total cost to the customer will be further advanced by the percentage of profit which must be added, not only to the normal but to the advanced cost of material also, if the manufacturer is to continue to operate his factory successfully. If he does not in- clude a profit on the excess cost of material, he will automatically reduce his percentage of profit and the average percentage of profit on farm machinery and implements will not permit of a reduction. The margin is too close. So far we have used prices that are in effect for slow deliveries of material. Should the customer want quick shipment and the factory stock is ex- hausted, owing to the slow deliveries, it would be necessary to buy the tubes from warehouse stock. And there would probably be a certain amount of waste from each tube, owing to the fact that the warehouse length would not be the same as the re quired length. The cold-rolled steel would have t be purchased from warehouse stock also and in ran- dom lengths. here also. The bar steel and sheet steel would also come from the same source, or if from some mill, there would be a premium price to pay for prompt shipment. As far as possible these prices have been figured close to the average that is being asked. No account has been taken of the extra freight charges that should be added to the price of material when ordered from warehouse stocks. We will find that the percentage of advance jumps to 89 per cent. It is needless to state that only in isolated instances, where the need is urgent, will a customer pay the excessive price. It will be noted that for this con- dition a number of the articles will not change in value from the figures already given. A certain percentage of the items will be taken from the stock on hand. Now let us presume that the high prices have been in effect for one year and the factory has on hand at the end of that period 100 engines and boilers made up complete and enough material in stock, rough, partly finished and finished, to com- plete another hundred outfits of the same size (on the basis of a general average) as the one on which this article is based. The stock must be kept up or the factory must close down. wait half a year for equipment. The season would be over long before the outfit would be received. With enough material on hand to complete 200 out- fits, the manufacturer would face a over $40,000 on this one line alone, if prices should sud- denly drop to a normal level again. And it must be also remembered that boilers and engines are usually only a part of the factory output. The total loss would approximate $300,000 for every million dollars of output. While the percentages will vary according to the size and style of machine or implement and accord- ing to the proportion of steel parts to cast iron, etc., the foregoing will give a fair idea of what the man- ufacturer must face, if the high prices continue much longer. So far the consumer has only paid a very small part of the advance, as the manufacturer has not advanced the price of the finished product in proportion to the present prices of material, but has given the consumer the advantage of what ma- terial was on hand purchased under the previous contracts. There would be a percentage of waste Customers cannot loss of A rich vein of lead ore has been found on the north shore of Lake Superior in McTavish Township, accord- ing to a report from the Ontario Bureau of Mines. The vein appears to average about 10 ft. wide and contains 8 to 10 per cent copper and about 35 per cent lead, THE IRON AGE August 1( 916 Riveting Machine for Limited Spa Several changes have been made by the Han neering Works, 2059 Elston Avenue, Chicago, pneumatic riveting machine that was illust: THE IRON AGE, Feb. 10, 1916. The earlier forn be recalled, was intended for use in the rivet lattice columns where the space was limited, ar the one illustrated is likewise intended for wor confined quarters, it is intended for automobile and ilar riveted work of close dimensions. The pri: change made in the design of the machine is in t} stake, which is removable and can be shaped form best adapted to the work that is being hand! The form of the lower portion of the machine has aq] been changed to care for this feature. As was the case with the machine previously de. scribed, a combination of toggles, levers and guide links is employed to give the large opening of the toggle joint movement with a gradual increase in the amount of pressure applied until the desired amount is ge. cured, followed by a simple lever movement through a considerable space under approximately the maximum pressure of the machine. This toggle action takes place while the piston is traveling through the first half of its stroke and the die covers the greater portion of its travel in that time. The die completes its stroke jr the time required for the piston to travel the rest of the way, this amount being relatively quite small, but enough, it is pointed out, to eliminate any uncer- tainty regarding the pressure applied to the rivets The change in the mechanism from that of a toggle t that of a lever is accomplished automatically without a critical point. As the rated maximum pressure is exerted through a relatively large space, it is em phasized that necessity for adjustment to take care of ordinary variations in rivet length, diameter of hole or thickness of plate is done away with after the machine has been once set. This slow movement, it is explained. also gives the metal in the rivet time to flow and filt the hole, in addition to giving an opportunity for the rivet to set prior to the release of the pressure on the retur? of the die. stroke for Riveting Machine, Which Was Specially Designed > n Places Where the Space is Limited, as in Automobil Riveting, Has a Removable Lower Stake. 1916 10, THE DIESEL ENGINE ld in Comparison with the Steam Turbine in Good-Size Plants paper by Herbert Hass, to be presented before erican Institute of Mining Engineers at the meeting in September, 1916, a chart, repro- erewith, is given, which shows whether it will economical to install the steam turbine or the ngine under given conditions of coal and oil While the paper is based on conditions at mine plants, much of it, however, is applicable to power conditions. author states that about twelve times as much vill be required for condensing with the steam as will be needed for jacket cooling of two ycle Diesel engines and twenty times as much \ for four-stroke-cycle Diesel engines. Based iel cost of $1.25 per barrel of 320 lb. and a ng oil of 35 per gal., the table was presented as showing the cost power with four 3000 brake-horsepower Diesel engines, direct-connected with alternators The table is also based upon furnishing ree-quarters, half or one-quarter load by oper ir, three, two and unit respectively. At id 70,000,000 kw.-hr. are generated per year and cost cents accom of A no ters. one ywatt-year is figured at 8760 kw-hr. The cost ymplete plant is estimated at $720,000, mai: s figured at one per -cent and interest and ation at 6 per cent each. Powe ith Fo \ s LD) ) ( é ed G I t Load 4% Load , 1 10 hp 1,000 hp } 8.000 kw 6,000 kw \ 70.000.00 » 140.000 105.000 70 Cost Cost ( t Cost Per Year Per Year Per Year Per Ye 0.66 9 74 86.41 R 6 f f . LS Lé >. 7 . ' e II shows the cost of operation under the onditions, the power being generated with two The turbines are to operate at 180 pressure, 620 deg. Fahr. steam temperature, boiler efficiency, 60 deg. Fahr. inlet tempe! » deg. Fahr. discharge temperature of condenser ng water; quantity of cooling water per 6000 74,000 cu. ft. per hour. Commercial generator One unit operates continuously at is a standby. w. turbines. es full load, Generating Power with 7 f Ku Stea Turbines Full Load ¥. Load 4, Load 8 000 kw 6.000 kw 4,000 kw 2 0 00.000 : 000.0 7 0 210,000 l Cost Cost ‘ Cost I Year Per Year y r Year $375.000 $262/ } S187 4 62 25 000 25. } 7.206 00 7 ) 7.200 $407.20 TOK $719 : 6.82 SH. 401 S64 } S64 86 40 } 600 £28 oo 3% ‘ 9 t a " 76.60 eral selection of either type of prime mover verned by the following economical consid- vhnere the cost of a given number of B.t.u. is gt to high fuel cost and the load factor also is ; itions favor the use of the Diesel engine. er B.t.u. price and low load factor conditions steam turbine due to the influence of inter- This applies particularly nortization costs. THE IRON AGE >< 291 al Ve Dial VI y is Lilly I e sup} 5. | lit ; demand ) ind instar service avor tl ) é é e Agains difference of te t } Dic S¢ engine nd ne é \ i } ‘ ilanced he ‘ } y n continuously 4 ‘ 1. If the power pla ' es 0 Tuel, either in ne é é S } irbine will be : ed as : : nerel le ex pe lres \ ’ nar terest d am at I (s¢ atlo? p i! = ( Ljie ‘ or plying tinuous 1 ne s is j y ) } ‘ 1 : y j fis j y f - / / / j / i. J att f r x J / / / f , a / 4 J $1 I “ . : ring pe 1 é e oT oh roe vate as I pace al Cal € p! ible r} h pe i i j ne ST *. V ‘ tne ne and of ing pal f é iné { Where \ t nea vase ar power Wil p e c € a : i Up i i LUUY I mpe W n Diese ) is supplying exha m fe For sucn li I sia nign rh de re nro ting ary el ‘ ‘ red De Vee! 1000 1 } 10,000 N i ft ireful S oO I t t ntages of the engine I irbir I I ! oad fact ‘ vate ond must be cor sidered. For pows of ree } 000 kw ising units from 6000 N ipw i. preferal { we ' . ¢ . al ise steam turbin« ¥ sa f high load factor, high fue t and po ter nditio1 avor , ’ i Diese plant a ‘ L 5 . « The Granby Mining & S ng Company, § : So aT Mo., announces the removal of its New York Sa ffice . - ; ; 9s from 165 Broadway to the Equitable Building, 120 Broadway. THE IRON THE RADICAL SCREW MACHINE The Fitchburg Company’s Automatic Machine Measures Up to Its Name BY W. E. FREELAND After a development and testing period of three years the Fitchburg Automatic Machine Works, an outgrowth of the Fitchburg Machine Works, Fitch- burg, Mass., has placed on the market a multi- spindle automatic screw machine in which is incor- porated many new and novel features. In the selection of the name Radical for this machine, the designers were guided not so much by the fact that the machine is different and unusual as by the thought that they had attacked the very roots of the mechanical principles and problems involved in turning out screw-machine products and had built a machine for a specific purpose, which machine in conception and construction could not be subject to an accusation that it was a existing machines for the same purpose. The fundamental principle of the machine is found in the bringing of the work to the tools. The original automatic designed upon this prin- ciple was developed by John J. Grant and sold to the Flanders Mfg. Company, from which the Fitch- burg Automatic Machine Works secured the origi- nal patents. It is the perfection of the principle of bringing the work to the tools which has made possible the present machine. The designers were equipped through long years of experience in the automatic field to know what the trade was demand- ing in a multiple spindle screw machine, the defects which designers had been striving to overcome, the ranges of speeds most required, the tooling com- binations and methods necessary for accuracy and production, and they had learned well the lesson of designing for the convenience of the operator, a point too frequently overlooked in machine tool design. Designing of this kind is not the work of copy of AGE August 1( a moment; some of the most interesting things that the writer saw at the factory were several fea- tures which had been discarded or redesigned solely to aid the operator. Simplicity is a predominant characteristic; the illustrations emphasize this statement. The vari- ous movements of the mechanism are simple and easily adjusted. Whatever adjustments are re- quired are made with the operator in a position where he can see what he is doing, an important factor in securing output. The manufacturers do not claim for the machine excessive speeds nor that it is sold for anything but accurate machine screw work. They do claim that it can be set up very quickly, that there is little opportunity for any of its mechanism to get out of order, that it is designed for the elimination of broken parts and that careful study of the machine and the work produced by it gives credence to these claims. The design of the pan and bed, the latter shown in Fig. 1, is intended to give the utmost rigidity and consequent close working. The pan has an oil capacity up to 25 gal. and a chip capacity of 318 |b. The striking feature of the bed is the integral tool head, shown in both Figs. 1 and 4, in place of the usual sliding tool head. In previous designs of automatics, the problem has always existed of keep- ing two opposed and movable sets of surfaces in proper relation to each other and to a fixed center. In this machine it is only necessary to keep one set of surfaces in proper relation to a set of fixed surfaces and a fixed center. If space did not forbid, it would be interesting to describe the design and the extensive use of jigs and fixtures, the grinding operations and some of the assembling features. These can be only briefly sketched to show how accurate working has been made a point of prime importance. The planing and boring operations for the car riage are all taken care of with one fixture for each and the carriage is then transferred to a grinding fixture which holds it for all grinding operations. For this operation the carriage is rough scraped i ster bed and later finished scraped to the ways of its individual bed. After the cyl- d spindles are assembled in the carriage, | hole is finished from a finishing bar in the spindle. The possibilities for accu- 10, 1916 THE IRON AGE 293 rate and permanent alignment are apparent wher it is recalled that the tool head or knee is a part of the bed and not subject to any movement. Th turner slide ways are lined and finished from the carriage ways, which ways present the stock to the SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THE RADICAL AUTOMATIC SCREW MACHINE Che integral tool head and the turner slide E and the carriage ways FF The lead cam is composed of a hub and a shell. Two shells are provided with the machine Stock feed cam, showing the longitudinal adjustm et From this view may be noted the absence of brac ke bed of the machine is G The feed tube collar ‘)y | taper bearing, and at O the rear bearing. The indexing shaft and the stock reel; the extra gear is in the housing J and at K is the sector e of the spindles; at L is the end thrust collar bearing; at M the taper bearing; at N the straight bear screw arms ana ievers The chuck slide j marke \ TY seen at P. the stock feed slide at H, and the stock fee THE IRON AGE August the operator while standing upright being only to shift two dogs. The machine has h trol from either side. The illustrations show the noticeable a} brackets, arms and levers. Chuck and fi operating arms are eliminated. A roll on tom of the chuck slide X, Fig. 4, acts dir the cam. A bracket G on the bed of the engages the feed tube collar P as the carr; vances, doing away with arms or levers operation. A roll on the bottom of the st: slide H operates in a groove on the fac: cam J, eliminating arms and levers at this | As no adjustment or cam changing is requi) any of these points, the advantages of the « tion of arms and levers is clear. The cylinder and cylinder carriage are of ‘i- steel and the carriage moves on chilled ways. Ther is no overhang to the carriage as the ways car the full length of the travel; there is, of course. overhang to the solid tool head. The elimination of all indexing strain upon the spindle and cylinde bearings is made possible by the continuatio; the indexing shaft, Fig. 5, back to the stock The indexing shaft carries an extra gear end, which gear J automatically and without a strain on the stock indexes the reel just as the . inder itself is indexed. The shaft is rotated }y sector gear K. The cylinder locking is of a posi- tive type, which aims for correct alignment wit! each indexing movement and is of a design whic! insures completion of the indexing when the locking Fig. 7—The Turner Slide Has Micrometer Adjustment tools when the machine is in operation. All bosses and holes are jig drilled and finished. The design and operation of the cams are notable features of the machine, especially that point of convenience which has led the designers to speak of them as “stay put” cams. The chuck and chuck release cam, the indexing, the lock bolt and the die cams are never changed. The lead cam hub, Fig. 2, is permanent on the shaft and is provided with two shells to cover the entire range of the machine; the “forming and cut-off cam is adjustable for depth of cut. The stock feed cam, Fig. 3, is adjustable longi- tudinally of the cam shaft for length of feed, but is never changed or adjusted otherwise. All the cams are of steel or semi-steel. pin is seated. Two straight and four taper su Selective tooling is a feature in that not only faces must wear out before the cylinder can be can cross slide tools, shank-held end tools and jocked “out of line’ The fit is so exceedingly turner slide tools be used but any desired combi- ¢lose that it was found necessary to provide an air nation of these tools may be employed. This gives yent before the locking pin would seat. the operator unusual scope and freedom in plan- The spindles, Fig. 6, are ground inside and out ning his tooling for convenience and best results. The spindle bearings have had particular attention, The turner slides, Fig. 4, are adjustable longitudi- 4 Jarge end thrust collar bearing in front, a ball nally for any length of cut desired in either the thrust bearing in back and a taper bearing in front first or second positions and are used alone or in aj] working together to take care of the end thrust any combination with forming slide or shank-held tools. In addition, micrometer adjustment is provided for the in and out movement of the cutting blades, a point of convenience in setting up. In Fig. 7, A represents the micrometer adjustment. The gradu- ations are 0.001 in. The operation of the adjust- ment is to loosen slightly the clamping screw G and raise and lower the blade holder with the microm- eter adjustment A. The operator is thus enabled easily and conveniently to get his diameters as he wants them. The letters BB represent the steady rest roll holder and rolls. Provision is made for adjusting and locating the rolls and for having the rolls and holders held solid after they are located. What- ever the diameter of stock being used, the rolls are always in the proper position for supporting the stock. These roll holders are adjusted by loosening the locking screws D. The accessibility of the entire mechanism ig noteworthy. The longitudinal slides S are scraped to the turner slide ways. The photograph does not give a good idea of the length of the longitu- dinal slides. From one end to the other the length is 9 15/16 in. on one slide and 97% in. on the other. The threading is another distinctive feature, for the machine is designed to permit of any com- bination of threading and tapping in either the third or fourth position or both, or the threading mechanism may be removed entirely, thus making the machine a plain machine. No changing of , ‘ . . : Fig Gear Drive for Both Spi os ¢£ Cam Shaft cams or strips 1S necessary in threading operations, T. T we the Suiftinn Laverne PF ne he advantages of 10, 1916 e side thrust is taken care of by the taper a straight bearing behind the taper and bearing. Three years’ actual test indi- t the bearing proportions are well selected. dies are steel forgings. Bronze is earings. nvenient method of gripping the stock aster chuck with sleeves is a particularly ture, replacing the older method of using crews and eliminating the troubles which common to their use. The new method master chuck for each spindle, which ick will take sleeves for handling stock capacity of the machine. The inside of used ter chuck has a ground tapered surface and de of the sleeve has a corresponding taper events the sleeves from becoming longi- displaced even though there is no stock ve. For changing over to a different if stock it is only necessary to give the slight rap to release the taper, slide the t and slide in a sleeve of the required this method are obvious. Automatic Mace hine age stop is positive and rigid, yet is easily or setting up. Individual gage stops re- ng tool variation to a minimum. The oil s notably simple, a minimum of piping juired between the strainer and the reser he cored tool head. machine is of the single-belt gear-driven (he transmission of power to the camshaft n through a compact and substantial gear wide-faced steel gears. The transmission to the spindles is through steel gears, ng member meshing directly with the nember gears on the spindles. At both provision for change of speeds seems to n accordance with the requirements of ne with simple, positive shifting methods, ted at points 7, Figs. 4 and 8. care has been exercised in the selection High-grade steel and steel castings are e cheaper metals could have been used. | (0.40 per cent steel) is found where a t-iron construction would not have been criticism. es, 1 in. hee and 114 in., being sizes will soon be added. are now Y eastern Pennsylvania rolling mills had lvanced Aug. 1 to $7 per ton, the highest in that part of the country. The former per ton. i THE IRON AGE 295 Basic and Acid Castings in the United States and Germany The greater extent to which basic steel castings are used in Germany rather than acid steel castings is ind cated by the following table, showing the percentage « acid castings in the total open-hearth castings output of the United States and Germany for the last 15 years: \ \ Ve 1902 é ‘ " » i) ’ Q 414 While the total casting itput (it ny early every year has been much Ik than that of this count the acid steel casting percentage has in no one yea been as high as in the United States in the percentages of acid and bas astings has beer greater from year to year in Germany while in th United States the change has been a gradual increase for the basic. The highest acid percentag n Ger many, 42.5 per cent in 1910, is less than thi west il this country, at 44.7 per cent in 1914. In h cour tries the growth of ba steel for castings has beer the whole progressive. The very large increase in the total Germa it put of castings in 1915 is striking—694,515 metric tor against a previous high of 362,916 tons in 191 \ only 27.8 per cent of the total last year was acid cast ings, the sudder expansion in Dasic output 1s note worthy. It is probably due to the large stocks of scrap steel as well as to the abnormal demand for castings for motor truck and other uses. The jump in the relative output of acid steel cast ings in the United States in 1915 is rather surprising from 44.7 per cent of the total in 1914 to 54.7 per cent or the largest since 1906, the totals for 1915 and 1906 being nearly the same. This may be partly ex plained by the large demand for castings for machine tools and to a lesser extent for locomotives as well as the small 1 imber oO! cat ult in 19] Blow Cock for Cleaning Purposes For use connectior with theecompressed air sys tems found in machine shops and foundries, Stevens & Co., 375 Broadway, New York, have developed a special blow-off valve This is known as the Ste vens auto blow cock and is intended for removing chips and borings from machine tools, work benches and grinding machines, as we a for cleaning machine parts before assembling It is intended for attach ment at the end of an air hose and the amount of air discharged is regulated pressing a handle on the side of the valve The valve fitted with a tapered metal to metal seat and is held in position by a coil spring. This arrangement relied upon to pre vent accidental opening or leakage under high pres sure. Other uses to which the device may be put are for cleaning down automobile engines and frames in garages and reaching ina cessible places around axles, wheels and the steering gear. The Seattle Car & Foundry Company, Seattle, has received orders the Alaskan Railway sion for about $12,000 worth of clamps, blocks, forgings and other material to be used in constructing the Gov ernment railroad in Alaska. The company reports an unusually busy season in forgings and castings besides its carbuilding operations. Commis frory 296 MAKING COPPER CLAD STEEL Methods of Producing Commercial Shapes with a Protective Coating A great variety of steel products to which a coating of copper has been welded are being placed on the market by the Copper Clad Steel Company, Rankin, Pa. It is planned to furnish copper clad steel for all purposes for which pure copper is now used at a price, it is stated, approximately 30 per cent less than that of copper. The use of the steel secures increased tensile strength and higher elastic limit than obtainable with the all-copper article. Open-hearth steel rounds, 4 and 414 in. in diam- eter, with a carbon content of 0.08 to 0.30 per cent are used. The material is delivered in 15 to 18 ft. lengths and is first cut into pieces about 30 in. long. These are taken to a pickling machine where they are immersed in sulphuric acid to remove the dirt and scale. The bars are next scrubbed and washed and covered with a specially prepared flux which, it is explained, prevents oxidation of the surface of the bars. The next step in the process is to place the bars in plumbago molds, which are 5’ in. in diameter and about 30 in. long. The underside of the cap of the mold contains a recess which is relied upon to center the bar in the mold. A pouring spout is also employed on the top of the mold to keep the bar from floating when the molten copper is cast around it. The molds are loaded on buggies and taken on a narrow-gage track into a special heat- ing furnace, designed by the company. They re- main in the furnace until the desired temperature is reached, electric pyrometers being used to meas- ure the heat. Copper, heated to a temperature of 1980 deg., is poured over the steel bar. The bars meanwhile go through a special treatment which, it is claimed, adds approximately 30 per cent to the strength. The molds are then taken out of the furnace and after they have been removed the bar with its copper coating is placed in a Tate-Jones gas-fired heating furnace. The bar now goes to a roughing mill, where it is reduced to 324 in. in diameter and its length is increased to 6 ft. in six passes. After a second reheating, the bar goes to a 12-in. rough- ing mill and then to a 10-in. finishing mill, the finished product having the diameter of *4 in. In the finishing passes the bar is rolled into various shapes, such rounds, flats, angles and ovals, which process tests the bars severely and insures that the copper has adhered rigidly to the steel. as Some Copper Clad Products That THE IRON AGE August 1 1916 Close The Covering Contact Secured Between the Steel and the ¢ (The Cut Is a One-Third Reduction fron micrograph at 100 Diameters) The *,-in. rod is then drawn cold for any commer. ‘ial size of wire desired. One of the accompanying illustrations is a r duction two-thirds the original size of a photo- micrograph at 100 diameters and is offered to show the entire absence of alloy and the complete welding of copper and steel. After the rods have been rolled, a piece 30 in. long is cut from each and tested for conductivity. When the material is placed in acid the steel dissolves throughout the entire section without accelerated action at any point, thus showing apparently that there is no electro- lytic action. When exposed to the corroding action of acids or atmosphere, it is explained, that while the ends corrode slightly a protecting film is formed on the steel which prevents further corrosion. The larger halftone shows some of the products made by the company subjected to tests. No. | at the left is a view of a piece of copper clad steel after the original passes through the finishing rolls The next is a wire rod which was given four cir- cular twists to show the elongation and then filed to show the uniformity of the steel and copper weld throughout. The piece in the center is a wire rod which after being given 16 twists when cold was heated and plunged in cold water. A portion of this rod was also filed to show the uniformity of the weld. No. 4 is a rod which after being heated to a high temperature was plunged in cold water and hammered 20 times on each end. The view at the extreme right is the same piece after being cut in two and the two ends of the piece hammered together when cold. The Copper Clad Steel Company was formed in May, 1914, at Pittsburgh and was incorporated Have Been Subjected to ist 10, 1916 the laws of the State of Pennsylvania a year with a capital stock of $250,000, which was ised about two months ago to $350,000. A f about four acres was leased at Rankin, Pa., miles from Pittsburgh. The plant, which ts of two buildings, one 120 x 240 ft. and ther 120 x 150 ft., has direct switch connec- with Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny he Baltimore & Ohio railroads. The smaller e two buildings was recently completed and » present time an 18-in. mill is being installed. will increase the output from 10 to 50 tons per nd enable sheets and plates to be supplied as is wire rods, which the company is furnishing Page Woven Wire Fence Company. Three new electric furnaces are being installed for melt- the electrolytic copper ingots which the com- uses, and a new electric heating furnace is installed to heat the steel bars. With this furnace the bars will be heated in 15 min. id of from 2 to 2% hr. he officers of the company are J. M. Roth, dent; William Smith, vice-president; S. E. Bramer, second vice-president; S. F. Loeb, treas- and F. R. S. Kaplan, secretary. Mr. Roth is a chemist, began the development of the ess, which is covered by patents, about 10 years He was assisted in this work by J. W. Reisz, hanical and electrical engineer. Double Reversible Screw Plate Dies \ die made to cut from both faces is being fur- hed in all the screw plates made by the Russell Mfg. Company, Greenfield, Mass. In addition to this fea- oa ture it is also pos- | sible to turn the die over in the | holder when one set of cutting edges becomes worn and bring the other into action. This combination of the two features has given the dies their name of double re- versible. te Die Capable of Cutting from Both Faces “ With this type of die it is pointed out that work formerly could not be done easily can be readily mplished. When a thread is to be cut close up to a or a very short piece is to be threaded, the nade from the front face of the die. In this way nted out the space which the thickness of the vents from being utilized when the cutting ed g done from the guide side of the die can be led and the thread cut directly up to the shoulder in the work holder, It is also possible to use the lie for either hand or machine work without The ability to turn the die over o ng the other set of cutting edges into play when ecome worn doubles the life of the die. no : lb pre the die over. David Ranken School of Mechanical Trades at s, Mo., which has completed its seventh scholas- , at the graduating exercises July 19 granted to 95 graduates, the largest number since ool was established. Its total enrollment for the ( vas 867, of which 275 were in the regular day , 526 in the evening classes and 66 in co-opera- e apprentice classes. The diplomas granted were ‘ollows: .Plumbing, 16; carpentry, 5; painting, 3; makers, 4; steam engineers, 7; machinists, 15; ians, 23; bricklayers, 1; metal trades appren- 1. The school has become recognized as thor- practical in its instruction and is encountering sition from the trades unions in the various ight. It is conducted under an endowment by der, which provides not only the buildings and of most modern type, but ample funds for the g expenses. THE IRON AGE 297 Charging Bell for Blast Furnaces An improvement in charging bells furnaces is covered by a patent (U. S. 1,178,522, April 11, 1916) granted to Julian Kennedy of Pittsburgh. It has been designed for guiding or controlling the charge and maintaining the bell in for blast Charging Bell for Blast Furnaces its proper position, so that each charge will be approximately equally distributed around the fur- nace—a feat usually difficult to accomplish. The illustration shows part of the details, in which a designates a blast-furnace feed hopper and b the discharge bell with a supporting and oper- ating stem, c. There are radial wings, d, so am ranged as to retain the bell centrally within the hopper and also to provide guides for the charge so that the material will move in a radial direc. tion and be restrained from moving at a tangent with relation to the center of the hopper. The wings d do not extend to the upper face of the bell at their outer edges, permitting the material passing through one section to spread out and meet that passing through adjacent sections. These wings are cast as part of the hub e, mounted on the boss f. Monarch Machinery Company’s New Building The Monarch Machinery Company, now at 249 North Third Street, Philadelphia, has purchased the granite building on the northwest corner of Third and Vine streets, formerly occupied by the National Bank of Northern Liberties. When the architect and builders get through with their work, the company expects to have one of the largest and best equipped machinery stores in the country. After the Monarch company moves, its present store will be occupied by the Advance Machine Company (Joseph A. Wolle, proprietor), now at 911 Vine Street, in the same city, builder of magnetic separators, special tools, dies and jigs. 298 A HEAVY CARWHEEL LATHE Hinged Driving Pinion Segment Acts as Auto- matic Wheel Locking Arrangement An unusually heavy carwheel lathe has been brought out recently by the Niles Tool Works Com- pany, Hamilton, Ohio, and has passed final tests in outside shops. As will be noted, the machine provided with central driving gears and pinion of is ‘ery Heavy Lathe for Carwheels Having a Hinged Segment to Admit and the double herringbone type. It is claimed by the builder that for transmitting heavy torque, as re- quired in this class of work, the herringbone gear offers several advantages: first, its construction eliminates all end thrust, and, second, this type of gearing is very smooth in operation, due to the spiral action of the teeth. The central driving gear is mounted on a so- called driving spool, which revolves in large bear- ings in the bed. This spool has two faceplates that carry the drivers and an opening of 10 in. to receive the axle. The driving gear has a patented hinged segment which works automatically. It closes and locks as the wheels are rolled into the lathe, and The Tailstocks Are Adjusted to the Wheel and Clamped in Place by Compressed Air and All the Gears Are Gu irded THE IRON AGE Release the August 1( 10 J1b unlocks and opens as they are rolled out. Th: tion of the segment requires no manipulat the workman. The wheels are rolled into the lathe on hinged track that connects with the shop trac aligning the wheels with the center of t} i] stocks, an elevating device driven by a 5-} on- stant-speed motor is provided. The wheels a: tered by tailstocks which are moved on and « ped to the bed by powerful air cylinders. The taj). en- Herringbone Driving Wheels of the Pinion That Works Automat stocks are controlled by air valves within easy reach of the operator, as shown. For wheels on axles with outside journals col- lapsible bushings fitting over the journals and tapered to fit the tailstock spindle are furnished. This method is relied upon to insure the treads of the wheels being concentric with the journals. All gears are of steel and are fully covered with guards. Wipers are attached to the tailstocks t keep the track free from dirt and chips. Each face- plate of the driving spool is equipped with three drivers, that engage the inside of the wheels near the circumference. These drivers are tightened by hand and exert a uniform pressure on the wheels. 7 10, 1916 lstock faceplates are provided with inde- chuck jaws that engage the outside of the and support them against the thrust of the Thus the wheels are held with absolute The tendency to chatter is said to be ted and the axles are relieved of all deflect- torsional strains. tool rests are equipped with pneumatic that enable the operator to change and clamp ls in a few seconds without the use of a The tools are clamped by a wedge action forms a positive lock independent of the air e. The tool slides have in and out adjust- r setting depths of cuts and also hand longi- traverse. The tool slide screws are fitted ll thrust bearings. The rests can be swiveled de for the taper of the wheel treads. power feed is obtained by direct gearing, positive in action. The range is from 1% to per revolution of the faceplates. There are 6.4 feeding strokes per revolution of the faceplates, practically a continuous feed. machine is gear driven by a 50-hp. motor. When direct current is used the speed variation is , and when the lathe is driven by direct-cur- notors they are equipped for dynamic break- This last feature enables the operator to stop ving spool in any desired position, and also iin a fine adjustment’ when elevating the to the center of the tailstocks. lhe lathe will turn wheels from 26 to 42 in. in diameter on the tread. It will take the largest C. B. axles with outside journals up to 6%% in. diameter, and will take axles up to 942 in. in The maximum dis- tance between centers is 94 in., and 96 in. between ilstock faceplates. Hollow Axles and Alloy Steels for Locomotives That hollow axles and crank pins of alloy steels are saving of dead weight in locomotives is the f L. R. Pomeroy in a paper on “Alloy Steels in otive Design,” presented at the annual meeting Railway Master Mechanics’ Association at Atlan- y, N. J., June 19 to 23. In addition, there is great in hollow forgings for purposes of inspection. nerease in outside diameter is so small, to produce as strong as the equivalent solid axles, that for ilipment a hollow axle can be substituted without ng the size of boxes. Commenting on the paper, ‘Railway Age Gazette said: iction in the weights of finished parts in a 2-10-2 tive, accomplished by the use of special steels, isily be made to exceed 4000 Ib. and in a Pacific itive 2000 Ib., both of these figures including the by reducing the weight of the counterbalances hollow axles alone in a 2-10-2 type locomotive the neighborhood of 1000 Ib. Aside from other ns the value in a direct way of the saving effected stitution of alloy steel for carbon steel in the piston leads and pins, side rods, crank pins and valve use of hollow driving axles, will be readily seen considered that the resultant reduction in weight in additional weight in the boiler which would in. to its diameter. Moreover, the increases in are being made in American locomotives should gners to look into the future, when it mal be use these special steels in other parts than those ler to keep the weight within reasonable limits. r erguson Steel & Iron Company, Buffalo, be- hat in order to produce the greatest efficiency ployee some recreation is necessary, has con- the ample grounds at its works tennis and urts, besides providing for facilities for base- general appearance of the grounds has been proved by the installation of these recreation THE IRON AGE 299 Improved Lifter for Oil Tank Switches The line of tank lifting arrar of various for switches t by the General Electric Company, Schenectady, N. Y., has been increased by the addition of one designed for switches having a capacity up to 1500 amp. The first of these devices, designed for comparatively small switches, trated in THE IRON AGE, July 22, 1915. by a lever gements f ms and sizes buil which was was illus- This is operated one that has just arrangement, while the proved Form of Lifting Device for Oil Switch Tank gular Supt ts Contr ‘ Cables and Worm G red Handle been developed uses a lift the tank the entire distance frame and the floor or to lower it. When it is desired to remove a tank, the lifting device is placed on the frame of the switch and fastened in place by turning two wing nuts. When the operating handle is turned it operates through a worm and worm gear to turn the bar on which the lifting cables are wound. The movement of these cables causes the two triangular supports for the tank, which ordinarily are a short distance below it, to bear against the botton of the tank so that it can be easily lowered to the floor or any desired intermediate position as soon as the fastenings are loosened. By moving the pulleys over which the cables run slightly forward or back it is possible to adapt the lifter for various sizes of the switch. When the tank that is to be handled is smaller than the one previously put in place, the pulleys are moved forward while for a larger tank the motion is, of course, reversed. worm gear and two cable { between the switcl New Boiler Wall Coating A new boiler wall coating has been placed on the market by the H. W. Johns-Manville Company, Madi son Avenue and Forty-first Street, New York. This covering, which is known as J-M Aertite, forms a tough rubbery coating or blanket over the entire boiler setting, which, it is explained, remains tight on account of its adhesive and ductile qualities, thus preventing air infil- tration. The material is applied by troweling and the thickness of coating recommended is 1/16 in., from 25 to 40 lb. being required to cover 100 sq. ft., depending on the number and variety of cracks and the manner in which the wall has been pointed up. In a test made at a large boiler plant in New York it was found that by the application of this coating the amount of CO, was increased 2% per cent after the flue gases had passed the first baffle and 16.4 per cent after they had passed the second baffle. THE IRON AGE August 1' 191¢ The Proposed San Francisco-Oakland Bridge Cost: $22,000,000. Length: 5% miles, in 87 spans, 60 of them 250 ft. long and two of them 600 long. Two Decks: Three roadways on upper, two for slow-moving trucks and one for high-speed automobiles; four electrified railroad tracks on lower, two for overland trains and two for interurban trains. Provision made for the passage of ships by high spans near the San Francisco shore, which ships will go under, and by two movable spans. Maximum grade on the bridge is 2% per cent. It is proposed to organize a bridge district of the counties of San Francisco and Alameda, which would build the bridge and charge a toll for its use sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds and to maintain it. 40,000,000 persons are carried across the bay every year by the ferries. shallow and is said to be beyond 95 per cent of the present shipping. Over The site of the bridge is generally xe Quicker transportation across the bay without danger due to the daily fogs is a factor in the demand for the bridge. Plans have been under preparation one year. Chambers of Commerce of the Bay Cities have been investi- gating project over four months. Plans are now in hands of Federal Government for approval; a board of Army engineers has been appointed by Secretary of War to investigate the plans, and a public hearing by Army engineers will be held in San Francisco and Oakland Aug. 15 to 18. The engineers are Wilbur J. Watson & Co., Cleveland; William Russell Davis, Albany, N. Y., and Harlan D. Miller, Néw York. BRITISH SHELL FACTORY Typical of Several Plants, Privately Managed but Government Owned Great Britain has provided for several large-scale projectile-making factories, built with government money but designed, equipped and operated each by a private company which has achieved distinction as a manufacturer. These plants are supplementary to the government arsenals and the old-established private munitions works. They receive steel in the form of billets and forge and machine shells therefrom. They are not concerned with the loading of the shells nor with the making of the fuses, but do make the steel noses, which are screwed into the ends of the shells. One of the plants is described in a general way in The Engineer, of London, which says that nine-tenths of the battle in the manufacture of modern artillery pro- jectiles is the production of the steel shells. From this article are taken the following notes: There is no reason why a shell should not be com- pletely machined on a single lathe. Such a lathe, however, would not be a simple machine, for it would require to have as many adjustments as there are oper ations to perform on the shell. None but a skilled workman with long training could readily learn to operate it. The machine tool makers and other engi- neering firms set to work to produce specialized shell lathes. Instead of designing and making a lathe capable of performing the fourteen or so operations required on a shell they constructed fourteen different types of machine, each of which was specialized to do a single one of the operations and no more. The simplification of the mechanism in each case was car- ried to a truly remarkable degree, and as a result girls and others with no previous acquaintance with the in- side of an engineering factory could be taught to use the machines efficiently in anything from a fortnight to a month. The factory is really in two parts. At one place the shells are rough-shaped by forging. They are then taken on railroad cars to the second part of the factory about a mile or so away, where they are machined to shape and size, bored internally, screwed at one end for the nose pieces, varnished inside and painted outside. The factory wher visited was engaged on the pro- duction of 60-pounder high-explosive shells. The raw material as received consists of billets of steel some 4% in. square, 15 in. long, and weighing about 80 |b, The steel has a breaking load of about 90,000 lb. per square inch. The billets arrive on a siding shown in the general plan of the shop. Three overhead electric traveling cranes command the billet yard and powerful electric magnets are used for handling, sometimes five billets at one time by each crane. The billets are deposited on steel plate tables at the furnaces, which are of the continuous type with hy- draulic pushers. The fuel used is coal and the coal is gasified within the furnace itself, the billets being heated by the combustion of the gas and not by the actual combustion of the coal. THE FORGE SHOP A row of hydraulic forging presses is arranged down the center of the forge shop. Each furnace serves a separate press. From a point above the furnace out- let door to a point on t