The Iron Age 1916-09-21: Vol 98 Iss 12

New York, September 21, 1916 ESTABLISHED 1855 ‘ite a ey gre Meee. Two Fundamentals in Purchasing Establishing and Visualizing Definitions, Particularly of Small Articles Classifying Suppliers in Exact Terms of Products Obtainable BY H. B. In a recent number of this journal an article of mine was published containing some suggestions and recommendations concerning purchasing, and several letters have been received requesting more information governing the actual operation of this department of a business. While it is not possible to give specific rules and forms which could be adopted by every establish- ment, nevertheless helpful suggestions may be ob- tained by some and others may be able to apply to their own uses the methods illustrated, modified to suit their particular requirements or conditions. i ¥ D+ } » \Ba os A _ TAPER PIN PLAIN DEPT. DATE OF ; |B NO. ORDER NO. SELLER ORDER/NG | EG MO ORDER FIG. All orders for taper pins should be recorded on this sheet or card shown, as it shows the correct method of specifying dimensions By the constant visualization of these illustrations and definitions in the daily routine For instance, a requisition comes into the purchasing department for “10 gross of that everybody knows the size always used. Instance hundreds of others are Somebody may There are two great fundamentals to be deter- mined in making every purchase. One is the ques- tion of buying the right article and the other is the question of buying from the right source. If these two essentials are properly taken care of the subse- quent work of the department will proceed smoothly and easily. This means that the physical and me- chanical work of the department will be conducted ata high percentage of efficiency. Quotations will be obtained quickly and goods will be bought at lowest market prices. Deliveries will be made at 4pproximately exact dates promised and following up shipments facilitated. Invoices will be received and checked promptly. Useless and superfluous cor- York rchasing department Otis Elevator Company, New ork City, and author of the book, “Purchasing, Its_Eco- els Aspects and Proper Methods,” and of “Buying Mate- a Scientific Basis," in THe IRON AGE, July 6 know added it becomes a positive necessity to have standard d TW YFORD* respondence regarding and in voices will be avoided. However ably conducted a purchasing depart ment may be it is no exaggeration to say that at times every phase of its work mentioned above suffers as a consequence of insufficient attention being given to one or both of the two fundamentals named. In those cases where they are neglected or treated as of no importance, the conditions under which the department operates are laborious and sometimes almost chaotic. A little additional care and work is necessary at first, but this is offset prices, shipments 1—RECORD OF PURCHASE ORDERS STANDARD PINS ARE TAPERED “g" TO THE FOOT AND | MUST BE SPEC/FIED BY NUMBER DIA. EACH END AND LENGTH MUST BE SPEC.FOR SPECIA FS j TO WE/GHT OR MATERIA CHARGE TO PRICE | QUANTITY | | | Whenever possible, the article should be illustrated Standard definitions are thus enforced for every purchase clerical worl mistakes are avoided hack blades, 14 saw blades the Ippo teeth, are ition being that 12-in. required, but if to this efinitions enforced many times over by the advantages and benefits se cured by starting right. BUYING THE RIGHT MATERIALS The buying of right materials depends mainly on correct definitions and specifications. The actual decision as to the specific article or materia] does not always come within the jurisdiction of the pur chasing agent. In practically all our large manu- facturing establishments, railroads and public serv ice corporations, exhaustive tests and experiments have predetermined the question of the most suit- able material and a complete specification covering it should be furnished the purchasing agent. For the purpose of canvassing the market for prices and placing orders a sufficient number of these speci- fications should be kept on file properly indexed 629 Mat 630 THE IRON AGE ready for reference and use at a moment’s notice. It may seem from this that the work of the purchasing agent is largely confined to specializing on price and delivery, but a great deal more than this is involved, for he should know something of the previous history of the material he is buying and its antecedent manufacturing processes. It is often useful to have some general knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of the ma- terial. The average buyer is commercially rather than technically trained and it is not to be assumed that a man buying a wide variety of materials can be thoroughly informed technically regarding all his purchases. But he can have a superficial knowl- edge of technical and mechanical subjects which he will find of inestimable value. Having a well arranged filing system with fold- ers containing a sufficient number of the specifica- tions furnished by the engineering staff or those which embody detailed technical terms, there re- mains an enormous number of small articles for which standard definitions should be established. This can well be done by the purchasing department, as it is familiar with the practice of the manufac- turers. This applies to such things as bolts, nuts, screws, washers, all kinds of small tools such as | September 21, i9j¢ into uniform and intelligent shape befor into the market. Probably every busines: could recite instances of receiving from buy: intelligible descriptions and definitions, or, f) quently happens, the inquiry or order is worded jy such a way as to be applicable to more tha), o, article. What this means to the business world be calculated, but that it is a serious econon is undeniable and practically every busines: would testify to this effect. There are no valid reasons why a foreman should describe an article one way, the storekeeper another way and the purchasing agent still another. The purchasing department can be largely instrumental] in securing the adoption of uniform and standard definitions. In fact, that department is best fitted to do it because it is in constant touch with the manufacturers and vendors and should be convers. ant with their standard practices. Some large manufacturers have compiled in book form standard definitions and illustrations. These are excellent in their way, but do not fit every case. and cannot be made comprehensive enough to cover many articles in the nature of supplies. They are purely reference data and are naturally only re- | a | PESCRIPTION oo tiie ae ARTICLE oe n.d as - Se L - 2 j | ‘eieee eee | . FRCTORT | REPUTATION AND SERVICE CAT.| SPECIAL 7 \capaciry| LOCAT/ON |TRANSPTN) ouyay pry BUSINESS | FINANL | KEEPG.| SH/PPG.| WO.\| REMARKS | | FACILITIES || | METHODS \STAND'G | PROMS.\ PROMPY. a —= =< — T = a —= = —= | a SS Se = | i | | | | | | | | | | | | | ead | 1] i —— at ——— peasants bam ! ee ee ie | t | FIG. 2—RECORD OF SOURCES OF SUPPLY By keeping a record as indicated by this form a purchasing agent creates for himself a market of exactly those concerns who are best fitted to supply anything he buys. As explained in the text, this is a positive insurance against high prices ang poor deliveries. If an article cannot be properly described in the space allotted, it should have a numbered specification in the files. It is important to know where the factory is located of those articles which are purchased through supply houses Some of the information on this record can be indicated by code signs, words or figures hack-saw blades, drills, files, etc., also supplies of every description, such as brushes, brooms, waste, packing materials, etc. To those not actually engaged in the work of purchasing, it may seem inconceivable that so many petty questions could arise, as frequently happens, in connection with the correct specifying of these small articles. The writer has had to handle large batches of requisitions as they arrived in the pur- chasing department from various sources and the same article has often been described in varying ways. For instance, one man will give the thickness first and the length second, while another will re- verse this, or perhaps give the length of oval head and countersunk head rivets including length of head in both cases, whereas the length of the former should be given from under the head. Such things as these are a source of constant annoyance and entail a large amount of work on the purchasing staff in unraveling the ambiguous descriptions and straightening out the kinks. This must be done before prices can be obtained or orders placed. This is a serious handicap to the economic administration of the department and the estab- lishment, but can be rectified by better methods. There are many purchasing departments who look upon this feature of the work of buying as a necessary evil and there are far too many which do not exercise sufficient care to beat the requisitions ferred to when in doubt. A man frequently thinks he knows the correct definition of an article and does not refer to his standard practice book—quite often he is wrong. A good scheme is to have the definitions visual- ized so that the daily routine work cannot be ac- complished without being brought into contact with them. In the storekeeping and purchasing depart- ments several forms are used which can be utilized for this purpose. There are the following: Stores record, record of sources of supply, quotation rec- ord, purchase order record; and we will take the last named for purpose of illustration, as in Fig. |. If standard methods are put in force for defining each article and printed on one or all of these forms as necessity dictates, the men using and referring to them cannot get away from the daily visualization of them and it becomes second nature to correctly specify each item. These definitions or specifications may consist of only two or three words or figures. They should be short and concise, but at the same time com- plete. Brevity and clarity are essential. Having in good working order a system such as outlined, the buyer is always sure of getting the exact article and material needed; he is positively certain when he asks for prices that bids are based on his actual requirements, and he knows that there will be no “come backs” and no questions asked to September 21, 1916 THE IRON up moot points and ambiguous meanings. He has the positive assurance that all bidders are ting for exactly the same article. BUYING FROM THE RIGHT SOURCES ‘his is the second great fundamental alluded to and is of equal importance with the first. A reg- ister should be kept; either card index or loose-leaf ledger system can be used. See Fig. 2. Owing to the constant changes in manufacturing methods and to the fact that suppliers are frequently adding to the lines which they handle, this list can never be considered permanent. It is really the buyer’s market and he can make it largely what he wills. if this phase of purchasing is closely and assidu- ously followed up very valuable results will be achieved. To get the best prices, a purchasing agent must go to those concerns who are best fitted to supply his actual requirements. Invitations to quote for material cannot be sent out on a hit or miss principle. At the present time there is an enormous demand for nuts and all manufacturers are booked far ahead with orders. They naturally do not want to be put to the trouble and incon- venience of answering superfluous inquiries. Yet specifications are sent to them promiscuously by many purchasing departments. Some of these manufacturers make only nuts for machine bolts, some for machine screws, some make only punched nuts and others only milled nuts. Now these and manufacturers of all other materials and articles can be segregated into those who are able to supply the purchaser’s requirements and those who are not. The economic administration of the business world would be very favorably affected if a closer and more direct connection were established be- tween buyer and seller and loose and promiscuous shopping and bidding avoided. These better condi- tions can be largely established by the buyer. If he is not accurate in specifying his requirements or if he approaches houses which are unable to fur- nish his requirements, the loss in efficiency is not only his, but has a distinct effect over a very wide area. The seller is placed at a disadvantage and every business concern would testify to the fact that their expenses are largely increased by the time, work and outlay they incur in answering and at- tending to such inquiries and from which they have no hope of securing orders. This expense must be added to the cost of the goods and is eventually paid by some buyer. It is incumbent, therefore, on the purchaser to confine his activities in canvassing the market to those houses which can supply exactly what he wants. This can be accomplished by research work and information derived from various sources. The trade papers can be referred to to great advantage; the commercial registers are useful, but for one’s particular necessities the lists given in them fre- quently need further subdivision with the useful names culled and useless ones eliminated. This subject could be elaborated on almost in- definitely, but enough has been said to emphasize its importance to the business world in general. The advantages to the buyer are positive and obvi- The right kind of competition will have been ted beeause the firms bidding will be those Insurance re best able to supply the goods required. against wasted energy will be secured. The dan- ger of getting inferior quality will be practically eliminated and uncertain and irregular deliveries avo} led. "his is an outline of the work of purchasing up e actual placing of the orders, and if this has AGE 631 been properly done the subsequent routine work should be almost wholly clerical. By the compe- tent and efficient handling of the various problems up to the point named, the purchasing agent has practically secured for his department the absolute assurance of the best results in the matter of price, quality and delivery. Armor Plant Site Hearing WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 16, 1916.—Secretary of the Navy Daniels conducted a public hearing Sept. 13 and 14 in connection with the act of Congress provid- ing for the establishment of a Government armor plate factory, listening to representatives of commercial or- ganizations urging the advantages of sites in 23 States. Department officials and others awaited the hearings with considerable interest to learn whether the Beth- lehem, the Carnegie and the Midvale Steel companies would offer their properties to the Government. Rep- resentatives of all three companies were present, but only as spectators, making no statement. Previous to the hearings the three companies had been sent an invi- tation to make proposals. The next step to be taken by Secretary Daniels will be to appoint a naval board to which will be referred the sites offered and the briefs filed in support of them. More than 50 printed briefs with maps and drawings were filed, and there were numerous typewritten briefs concerning the advantages of the sites they described. It was plain to see that the offers of sites were backed in most instances by commercial organizations of the unmistakable “booster” type, and that the promoters lacked in a marked degree knowledge of the require- ments of a satisfactory site and environment of a highly specialized factory such as an armor plant. Places isolated from a fuel supply, without industrial activities of any kind, and with apparently nothing to offer but vacant land, filed elaborate briefs and maps. There is a strong impression here that if the Gov- ernment does actually embark in the erection of an armor plant, politics will play a strong part in the selection of the site. It is intimated that the plant will be located in the South, probably in the Birming- ham district of Alabama. Senator Underwood and members of the Alabama delegation in the House, ap- peared before the Secretary in favor of sites in Birmingham, Gadsden, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Sen- ator Chilton introduced a delegation which offered a site at Huntington, W. Va. Senator Swanson and Rep- resentative Carlson of Virginia introduced a delegation which offered sites in Norfolk, Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, and Alexandria. Senator James also ap- peared with a delegation offering Wickliffe, Paducah, Middlesboro and Cadiz, Kentucky. R. B. Beach, in- dustrial commissioner of the Chicago Association of Commerce, presented an argument, not only for Chi- cago, but for the manufacturing district extending from Gary, Ind., to Waukegan, Ill. Breaker Island, in the Hudson River at Troy, cover- ing 175 acres, 100 miles north of West Point, and 150 miles north of New York City, was offered. It was argued that it would be advantageous to the Govern- ment to place the plant on this island because it would be within a mile of the Watervliet arsenal. Congress- man Vare was at the head of a delegation which urged the Philadelphia Navy Yard as the ideal place for the plant, laying considerable stress on the fact that the report of the Tillman committee made such an asser- tion in favor of Philadelphia. Numerous Ohio cities presented claims for the plant and all filed voluminous briefs. The belief prevails that when the whole matter is threshed out, armor will continue to be made at the plants of the Bethlehem, the Carnegie and the Midvale companies, on terms that will be advantageous to the Government and also to the companies. w. L. Cc. The Secretary of the Navy will resume hearings on Friday of this week to decide where to locate the Gov- ernment armor plant. Many additional towns and cities have asked to be heard. Se eb ok The Human Factor in Foundry Production Luther D. Burlingame, Industrial Superintendent of the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Company, De- scribes Its Methods to New England Foundrymen The first fall meeting of the New England Foun drymen’s Association, held at the Exchange Club, Boston, Sept. 13, was made unusually interesting by a talk on “The Human Element in Foundry Production” which provoked a long and animated discussion of the problems confronting foundry- men—the scarcity of skilled labor, the influx of untrained foreign workers brought about by this condition, the wisdom of various types of welfare work, and yet more striking as an evidence of present prosperity, the problem of housing the automobiles and motor cycles of employees. There was keen interest in every phase of the pressing questions of instructing, protecting, and increas- ing the efficiency of foundry workers, the talk ranging over such widely dissimilar sub- jects as compulsory use of proper shoes and leg- gings, adequate instal- lations of shower baths, formation of rifle clubs, and noon-day concerts and “movie” shows. Following the dinner, which is always a fea- ture of these monthly meetings, President Ste- ea, phen E. French introduced as the speaker of the evening Luther D. Burlingame, industrial superip tendent of the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Compa Providence, R. I., who said in part: There are three important factors in production the equipment, the systems employed, and the humar element. While in the past greater weight has bee; given to the first two factors and the human element has been left to take care of itself, a radical change is now taking place in the relative importance given t these factors and it is more and more being appreciated that the human element is, in the last analysis, the one most important in securing the results desired. Andrew Carnegie said when he was actively con nected with the steel in dustry that if some great catastrophe destroyed al! his steel plants and equip ment but left the pe sonnel of his organization he would have courage t start anew; but if all his vast equipment remained and he had to build up a new organization from the beginning with a new force of men, he would not feel that life was long enough to accomplish the task. It is not believed that any apologies are One of the Naturalization Classes of the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Company. The company provides the teaching of English oan civies to foreign-born workmen Guards are provided on the handles of wheelbarrows used on the charging floor, 45 owe n the upper picture. The buckle leggings shown on this workman have been discarded because of the difficulty of rem them quickly in case of necessity. 632 tember 21, 1916 Types of the Boys Found Among the Apprentices in the Brown & Sharpe Foundry. standard rates of 14, 16 and 18 cents per hour, but are frequently given piece work so that they earn materially stablished rates. THE IRON In molding they serve for three years at more thar They pay $25 at the completion of a trial period as an evidence of good faith and are paid a bonus of $100 at the successful completion of their term necessary in making the man and dealings with him the subject of this address. APPRENTICESHIP At this time, when foundrymen as well as those having the management of other lines of industry are asking, “Where are the skilled workmen? How can we supply the need?” it is well pointedly to inquire, “What are you doing to-day to provide for this need in the future?” I believe that there is only one answer to this question and that is that every foundryman should be training young men through apprenticeship to learn the various branches of the business as dis- tinguished from men who are hired as operatives simply to perform one operation in which in a short time they ‘an become reasonably skillful, but which does not fit This View of the Brown & Sharpe Foundry Shows the Type of them for responsibility in the trade. | know the thought which comes into the minds of many: “It costs more than the returns we get. It takes the time of experi- enced men to instruct ‘green’ boys, and as soon as we have one trained he leaves and goes somewhere else.” It is believed that a systematic plan of apprentice ship, entered into seriously, with terms just to both the employer and the apprentice, and with sufficient guid ance and backing from the management, will bring re sults which will offset the objections just pointed out and that, as a consequence, the whole trade will profit from the results obtained. A conference board on ap prenticeship composed of representatives from several] of the leading national organizations is now working on this problem. At the foundry of the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Com Metal Flasks in 634 THE IRON AGE pany the course of apprenticeship for molders occupies three years, the ages at which boys are taken to learn this trade being 17 to 20 years. They are paid 14, 16 and 18c. per hour during the apprenticeship years. The apprentice pays $25 at the close of the trial period as a guarantee of good faith, or it might be considered as a payment for the privilege of learning the trade. At the successful completion of his term of apprenticeship he is paid a bonus of $100. These apprentices are given experience in bench work, floor work and in the core room. They also have, during working time, two hours per week of school work, devoted to subjects related to their trade and tending to increase their efficiency. This school work consists of simple mathematics, based en- tirely on foundry problems and having to do with the sizes of flasks, weight of iron poured, etc. The course also includes reading lessons in connection with foundry practice and methods. Apprentices are also taken in the core-making de partment for a period of one and one-half years, the rates of pay-for the successive periods of six months being 14, 15 and 16c. per hour. In this case $25 is paid by the apprentice at the close of the trial period and a September 21, 191¢ upon them that the future managers and skilled men of that business were to be selected from , them and that it was worth their best efforts to fit thom selves for such positions. SANITATION AND HEALTH After securing and training our men, an imp: duty of the management is to see that proper pro are made for their comfort, health and safety. 1 matters often become factors in determining w} men will stay or leave, and sometimes have a cd influence rather than the question of pay. Among the most important matters to consider ar the provisions for an ample and pure water supp]; clean and ample wash and toilet rooms, with lock: or other suitable provision for clothing, so separated from the smoke and grime of the foundry as to preserve the workmen’s self-respect when he changes his c!othes to go on the street. Shower baths in connection with this equipment are important adjuncts. [It was brought out later by questions from the audi- ence that at the Brown & Sharpe foundry the men’s Core Room of the Brown & Sharpe Foundry bonus of $50 is paid to him at the successful completion of his apprenticeship. In both these forms of appren- ticeship the boys have piece work or job work during a considerable portion of their time, so that those who are efficient can earn materially higher wages than the scheduled rates. Pattern-making, so closely allied with foundry work, also has its apprentice system, these apprentices serv- ing for four years and being given some experience in the foundry during the course of their apprenticeship. While a fair proportion of these apprentices remain after completing their time, it is not felt to be wholly to the disadvantage of the company to have good men go out to other foundries because, as in the case of machinist apprentices they often become missionaries to make the name of the company widely and favorably known in a way to turn business later to the home shop. In many cases these boys, even when they leave for a time, return later to become valued workers for the company. Some time ago I heard Clarence H. Howard of the Commonwealth Steel Company say that when he went to take charge of that plant the first thing he did was to give attention to the boys, getting them together, becoming acquainted with them, and putting the stamp of his personality upon them. He took pains to impress clothing is dried by steam pipes under the lockers and during the winter by direct circulation of hot air; that there is one shower bath for each 20 workmen an¢ that they are generally used, and that the men are not permitted to leave the foundry with unwashed faces and hands, under penalty of dismissal. ] sd Securing adequate light and pure air are especia!') difficult problems in the foundry and require considera- tion at the time of the construction of the buildings Successful provision along these lines, with er method of properly controlling the temperature, should have much to do with comfortable working conditions. While the important consideration is to keep men well, provision for caring for them when ill also get ' place. Here the service of a first aid department and a shop dispensary, where a skilled physician and exper!” enced assistants are in attendance, can help cases © acute illness arising in the foundry and keep men at work who might otherwise be out on Secount © sickness. Such a service can also diagnose cases = , may threaten to become more serious and so help = as to avoid the consequences which might follow ee For many years a relief association conducted ; the workmen with the co-operation of the oy de Sharpe Mfg. Company has paid sick and death bene which have been of material aid in “bridging oveT tember 21, 1916 mM ‘imes of greatest need. A co-operative investment and insurance pian is also being put into effect. SAFEGUARDING he first aid and dispensary equipments are also of direct help in case of accidents. The important con- sideration here, however, is to prevent accidents by the safeguarding of all points of danger and the in- structing of the men in safe methods of work. in the Brown & Sharpe foundry much attention has been given to this matter of accident prevention. At times the company has felt that it was making great cains in reducing such accidents, but with the present congested condition of business and the necessity of hiring a large number of inexperienced men there have been periods of relapse when it has seemed impossible to keep down the accidents. It was thought at one time that the combination of wearing congress shoes, inspected periodically to see that they were in good repair, together with leggings ‘coming over the tops of the shoes, would almost elim- inate burning accidents to the feet. An early form of legging which was used proved quite efficient in this respect but, owing to its being attached by buckles, the process of removing it was found to be too slow when a burning accident did occur. The N. A. S. O. legging was then substituted, a form with which foundrymen are now becoming familiar through the fact that the National Founders’ Association is represented on the board which is working to standardize matters of safe- guarding. This style of legging snaps on the leg in such a way that it can be readily. removed in case of burning. It has, however, the objections that it easily rises above the shoe tops, especially after becoming a little worn, or when used by a long-legged man, and burning accidents then occur, the hot iron entering at the top of the shoe. The use of a chain passing under the foot to hold the legging down in place is being experimented with, also the making of leggings of varying lengths to suit the workmen. It is hoped that some still better method than any so far suggested may be brought to light, one which will entirely prevent these painful and slow-healing burns. THE DRINK QUESTION The encouragement of sobriety and the securing of a sober class of foundrymen are direct factors in the promoting of health and the avoiding of accidents. A remarkable movement is now going on throughout the industries to eliminate the drink evil and I believe it will be found that, when normal conditions are restored —following the present situation where the demand for labor is so great that it is felt that some things must be “winked at” which ordinarily would not be tolerated -it will mean a still further elimination from the in- lustries of those who are subject to the drink habit— this as a protection to the manufacturer against the enactment of compensation legislation, etc., and because of a growing conviction that the drink evil is a menace to efficiency. Following strong resolutions along these lines passed by the National Safety Council at its annual conven- tion, the efficiency journal 100 Per Cent said editorially: “We congratulate the National Safety Council on its stand and trust that these resolutions will develop into a real campaign. Liquor does not mate with clear thinking, presence of mind, keen perception, careful or skillful manipulation of machinery, nor does it pro- mote prosperity and self-respect. Either liquor or effi- ‘ency must go, and efficiency is here to stay.” TEACHING ENGLISH \ new labor problem comes from the bringing to- gether of many nationalities, a much larger proportion workmen than in the earlier days coming from coun- ‘tries where English is not the native tongue. This roduces not only misunderstandings resulting in spoiled work and lowered efficiency, but also in an in- onan accident rate and loss of time from sickness. nder these circumstances there is not the common ground of interest which formerly existed. One step toward bringing about a better condition in respect, which the foundryman can well consider + r THE IRON AGE 635 a part of his legitimate work, is in taking such measures as are possible to teach the rudiments of English to workmen who need such instruction. The fact that it is often the workmen who need it the most who are least responsive and require the most pressure to make them get the benefit of such teaching, makes the prob- lem the more difficult. Coupled with this, it is desirable to have these foreign-born workmen interested in be- coming American citizens and in identifying them- selves with our institutions if, as is usually the case, they are to make their homes and bring up their fam ilies here. It very easily becomes a habit, however, for fore- men and fellow-workmen to treat this class of em- ployees as mere numbered units in factory production, without giving any thought to the fact that they are human beings, and it is believed that this is one of the important reasons for some of the serious labor troubles which have occurred. A little pains taken to get the workman’s point of view and make him feel that there is a human interest taken in him and his welfare will, it is believed, largely overcome this feeling. It is im- portant, however, that such dealings shall not be along paternal lines in a way to make the workman feel that he is being exploited, PRESENT ABNORMAL CONDITIONS The whole labor question is seriously complicated in these days by abnormal conditions, starting with the rush for munition work where, in such centers as Bridgeport, the need of workmen became so great that many concessions were made to build up new industries and to keep others going, regardless of the influence on the future, and thus paving the way for the serious labor troubles which have been affecting not only New England but the whole country. A recent illustration is found in the threatened strike on the great railroad systems and the stepping in of the National Executive and Congress to legislate so as to avert the strike, but in a way such as many of us believe will not permanently solve the problem but will simply encourage more seri- ous disturbances as time goes on. In recent times some investigations have been made to ascertain the cost of “hiring and firing” employees. All such investigations have shown that the cost is much greater than is commonly believed. Also, that when the figures are worked out it is found that a much larger number of new employees are hired to maintain the force in a given year than should be neces- sary. With a true appreciation of the cost of this constant shifting of force and an earnest effort to remedy the difficulty, it is believed that not only the workmen themselves will be better off but that the standard of efficiency in our American foundries will be materially raised. Time Required for Steam-Hydraulic Forging The time required for forging billets in the steam- hydraulic press is given in an article by A. Myslin in the Uralian Engineer, abstracted in the Journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers of Septem- ber, 1916. The steam-hydraulic process of forging is compared with the purely hydraulic process from the point of view of power consumption per unit weight of output. The investigation upon which it is based was made on a 90-ton hydraulic press, working with an accumulator, and having a daily output of about 17 tons of plates, and on a 5000-ton steam-hydraulic press whose daily output was 35 tons of 6-in. shells. The shells were made from a billet forged to an octo- gon section from an 1800-lb. ingot. The time study given below was made on this latter operation. Min 1. Withdrawing ingot from furnace, conveying it to the press and locating it for t ora. fA 1.5 yee arr rt ere 10.75 3. Straightening > a ans 3.5 4. Time lost between completion ‘of (3) and the be- ginning of (1) on the next succeeding ingot...... 1.5 NoTEe.—During this time some of the men remove the billet from the press and convey it to the sand bath. 5. Changing hammer heads and falls and tightening them up (average per forging). 5 6. Time lost due to crane trouble (average per forging) 0.8 no Total time for forging one ingot under normal conditions 22.75 636 THE NEW ANNEALING FURNACE Employs Surface Combustion with 580 B.t.u. Gas—Articles Treated Uncovered Two annealing furnaces are now in operation at the plant of the Remington Arms Company, Eddystone, Pa., employing the surface combustion principle and giving a neutral or reducing atmosphere which makes it pos- sible to treat the forgings without packing or otherwise protecting them against possible oxidation. The sur- face combustion system of utilizing gaseous fuel, dis- cussed in THE IRON AGE of Dev. 7, 1911, and of Feb. 8, 1912, involves the delivery of the gas against or through refractory material, with the result that the surface of the incombustible material becomes and remains incan- descent. The present installation was designed and in- stalled, under patents granted to Prof. Charles E. Lucke of Columbia University, by the Surface Com- bustion Company, 30 East Forty-second Street, New York. The furnaces were provided for annealing rifle parts immediately after forging. The furnaces, two in num ber, are of the car-bottom type. They are 20 ft. long, 12 ft. wide and 9 ft. high. The charge to each fur- nace varies from 20,000 Ib. to 40,000 lb., depending upon parts handled. The surface combustion high pressure system, it is claimed, inspirates all the air necessary for complete combustion and maintains automatically constant mix- ture proportions without motors, blowers or air piping It is controlled from a central pulpit. A mixture of water and coal gas, averaging 580 B.t.u. per cu. ft., is supplied by the Philadelphia Sub- urban Gas & Electric Company, Chester, Pa. The gas is delivered and metered under a pressure of 25 lb The gas is metered by a rotary pressure meter and a Bailey flow meter. During the heating up period, each furnace con sumes about 10,000 cu. ft. of gas per hour. When tem- perature has been reached, this is dropped to about 5000 cu. ft. per hour. For a maximum weight charge, approximately 72,(00 cu. ft. of gas is used by each fur- nace. Two charges per furnace can be secured per 24-hr. day. Cost of gas in this case is based on a slid- ing scale rate. The approximate average rate for this work is 43 cents per 1000 cu. ft. The temperature of the anneal is 1550 deg. Fahr. The time of the operation is as follows: The charge is placed in the cold furnace, fuel is turned on full until the furnace has reached correct temperature. The time it takes to reach the temperature varies with the TRON AGE September 21, 1916 weight of charge. For a 40,000-lb. charge, it es about 5 hr. After the temperature has been reached it is held for 4 hr. to allow the heat to soak int» th work. After this 4-hr. soak, the fuel is turned off and furnace is allowed to cool slowly, the work not r taken out until a temperature of 400 or 500 deg. Fah has been reached. A flat car, with a fire-brick top, serves as th tom of the furnace when in place. This car affects a seal with the furnace walls by means of a sand sea| Two cars are used in each furnace, meeting at the cen ter. Each furnace has two doors which, when closed. rest on top of the cars, the cars themselves extending out beyond the furnace walls about 6 in. The cars ride on rails which run right through each furnace and ex- tend about 20 ft. beyond in both directions. The cars are handled by winches, and the doors are operated by air hoists. The furnaces are of the heavy-rail-buck-stave type with red brick outside. The firebrick lining is backed up by cork-brick insulation. Heavy tie rods tie the buck staves both across and end to end. To prevent leakage of cold air in, giving an oxidizing atmosphere and lowering the furnace efficiency, a furnace back pres- sure is carried, the flue openings being adjusted to a size to get this condition. The furnaces are designed to develop and utilize the maximum possible amount of radiant heat, and the flues are arranged to distrib ute the hot gases uniformly and to release them at the lowest possible temperature. Each furnace is equipped with 20 surface combustion high-pressure burners. Both furnaces are controlled from a central control point by a single valve which regulates the pressure supplied. By raising or lowering the pressure, the gas supplied is increased or decreased, thereby raising or lowering the temperature. All pyrometer readings are also taken at this point from a multiple point indicat- ing instrument. Four couples are located in each fur- nace, one in the center on each side of each car. A small amount of a man’s time suffices to hold the fur- naces to the exact temperature called for. The temper- ature control is found to be accurate. Readings on an orsat apparatus have shown neither oxygen nor carbon monoxide and an average of 15.2 per cent carbon dioxide. This shows that there is no excess air and no unburned gases. When the furnaces were first put into operation, it was planned to pack the rifle parts in large steel boxes with covers sealed with clay. This was to prevent oxidation. Believing that an absolutely reducing atmosphere could be main- tained, which would produce a minimum of scale, a tria! was made, simply stacking the parts, uncovered, on the ear top. The trial was successful and the operation Fo | |KAe eZ IPI, ) LILI LILIT IDOL ODOT, The Refractory Material in the Trough at Each Side, Kept Surface Combustion High Pressure = Burner 4\| | Pyrometer \\.4--* Hole Pe ee ee | rh ph Ah ge nt oh ohh 4 | 4 iLL A tof IIIT, IFPI IIS II TS. at Incandescence by the Series of High-Pressure Gas Burners Radiates Heat to the Furnace Roof and Thence to the Material on the Car, Which Forms the Furnace Floor. The mater treated is not covered September 21, 1916 Angle View of Two Surface Combustion Furnaces in Works of right. Bottom of door rests on top of car. placed over opening ter or The high-pressure has since been handled in this way. To maintain this ducing atmosphere the mixture is adjusted to give flue gas reading of about 1.2 per cent carbon noxide. The furnaces were installed in competition with il costing 4% cents per gallon. Several oil-fired furnaces of practically the same size and doing the same were in operation prior to the installation of the face combustion furnaces. SAFETY IN STEEL WAREHOUSES joseph T. Ryerson & Son Conducting Contest— Method of Rating and Making Awards lo promote interest in safety and keep accident ntion foremost in the minds of their employees, eph T. Ryerson & Son, Chicago, New York and St. are conducting a safety-first contest modeled the Dodge plan. The plan is as follows: rds are based on fewest number of accidents whicl lost after the day on which the accident occur the fewest number of days lost after the day or cident occurs rd of 1000 points is set for perfect record To this record, workmen or department must have ausing the loss of full days ch accident causing full day’s absence after day of number of points is deducted from 1000, equal to ne man to the total number of men in the de For instance, in a department with 100 men, th 1/100 1000 10 points h day lost on account of accident after the day of nt, a number of points is deducted from 1000 the ratio of one day's time to the total number of men work in the department. For instance, in a nt of 100 men working days per month, or a ) working days, this will equal 1/2500 1000 rtment, however, will be penalized for more thar time on any one accident. tal accidents, or accidents causing loss of fingers bs, eyes, or permanent disability, a penalty of 30 st time is charged in the month the accident occurs | penalties for accidents have been deducted from ill penalties for days lost have been deducted from THE IRON To keep cold burners « AGE Remington Arms Company Control point can be seen ir draught from circulating under cars, metal shields re in be seen on the side of the near furnace 1000, the two remainder “A In idded and divided by A After the results have been considers the rewards, ba the records ire made as follows The department having the highe cord ir given the guardianship of a prize pennant, hur hibitior some suitable place. to be held by it All men who have worked the partment which for the year maintains the highest record are ré warded by 16 hours’ time off vith fu pay, equal to a Fr day and Saturday‘ All men who have vorked in that department k ¢) one year, but nine mont! or more, are ewarded with hours’ time off, with fu pa All men not working the wi department, but whx have a record of 1000 points for the year, not having ha in accident which caused full da loss of time, will be rewarded by 16 hours’ time off, with full pay The rewards are made | either time off, as described ibove, or ts equivalent wages, whichever the manage nent decid Foremen of the Ww rf | rtment te is month ar warded t n ack t th montl t i } h } t « t? ti wages The forema of tl lep whict N th ' Zz S war} 1 } 7 t h x lasts fo the of The contest, which is open to all workmen, one year, ending May 31, 1917. In addition to ordinary methods of accident prevention by means safety guards on machinery, warning and instructior signs, safety bulletin boards telling of accidents and how to avoid them, letters inclosed in pay envelopes, etc., the company has created committees to supervise, suggest and assist in making the plants safe. There are three committees—executive, central and depart mental. Each departmental committee is composed of a foreman, a Betterment Department representative and two members of the department, the last two be ing changed every month so that all employees have a chance to machinery every week serve. Inspections of are made The Atlantic Steel Company, Atlanta, Ga., reports its net profit in August, $116,921. Gross earnings for eight months were $574,718; reserve interest dividend and replacements, $191,750; net, $382,968 ee ee (Juebec Bridge Disaster Charged to Casting One of the Four Cast-Steel Bearings Sup- porting the 5000-ton Span While Being Lifted Into Place Believed to Have Collapsed which the weight of the 5000-ton span of the Quebec bridge was transmitted to the lifting gird- ers in the operation of raising the member from float- ing scows to its permanent position is given as the cause of the disaster which befell that structure on Sept. 11. The scheme of erection comprehended lifting by means of hydraulic jacks. The span was carried at each end by a cross or lifting girder to which were at- tached the heavy so-called chains made up of 30-ft. articulating lengths of steel plates. As the bearing r | HE failure of one of the cast-steel bearings through Fig. 1—Rocker Joint Bearing Transmitting Load of Span to Lifting Girder for the span on each girder were two groups of steel castings, one group toward each end of the girder. Each group was designed as a rocker joint to allow movement about the transverse and longitudinal axes of the bearing. The detaii of the rocker-joint bearing is indicated in Fig. 1. The main features are three steel castings and two forged pins. The latter are at right angles to each othe: and, with the castings, form a universal joint. The photograph does not represent the detail as it was when the span was being hoisted. Previous to floating, and after this photograph was taken, two hitch connections were added. These hitch connections carried the lifting girder when the span was being floated up the river to the site of the bridge. Then when the span was on the barges, centering plates were added to insure the absolute centering of the lifting girder on the bearing when the load of the span was transferred to the hoisting chains. These plates were shop-fitted and bore against a chipped surface on the arm C of the intermediate casting. A black streak at D shows where the chipping was done in one of the angles of the casting. The plates and castings were match-marked to make it impossible to put tl place until the girders were accurately centered o1 the intermediate casting. Once in place they prevented movement in a direction parallel with the length of the span. That the rocker-joint bearing of the southwest cor- ner of the span was responsible for the failure is the firm conviction of the Engineering Record, which finds that the span did not slip from the hanger, and that the conditions of damage on the lifting girders point to a collapse in the bearing. Fig. 2—The Southwest Bearing of the Span After the Failure The condition at the southwest corner after the span had fallen is shown in Fig. 2. The picture was taken looking in a southwesterly direction. In other words, the face of the girder shown is toward the chan- nel, while the hanger is the westerly, or upstream, one of the pair. It will be noted that the centering plate that had been bolted on at M has been sheared off. The plate attached at N is ripped loose and lies twisted in front of its former position. The plate that was at O has disappeared, while the remaining plate P lies crushed against the pin, with the hitch connection of that side lying over it. The pin is scored in a diagonal direction, and has been rotated through a circumfer- ential distance of 1% in. toward the reader. _ It is certain from this photograph, the Engineering Record holds, that the span did not “dip” off the pm. If it had, the plate P would have disappeared, the scoring of the pin would not have been diagonal, the pin would not have been rotated, and the damage © the angles at Q would not have occurred. In no way, ™* believes, except by the falling of the span through the breakage of one of the castings or of a pin above, coul the damage have been wrought. The failure of a pin 'S 638 Sey ber 21, 1916 Something broke and precipitated the span toward the river and toward the longitudinal the structure. The angle of movement was deg. with the bridge axis, as is indicated by - at Q, the scoring of the pins and the position tch connection resting on the plate P. ‘| southeast lifting girder is shown in Fig. 3. The wv is taken from the channel side looking east- - downstream. It will be noted that the center- ng plates are, all four, still bolted to the lower cast- - All o