The Iron Age 1917-04-19: Vol 99 Iss 16

, : i lata TA Sixt , os a New York, April 19, 1917 ESTABLISHED 1855 Re BRO MONE ee VOL. 99: No, 16 Transverse Fissures in Rails Fi Excessive Use of Water on Rolls 4 Ri = ‘ ‘ ; 5 and Charging Cold Ingots into Furnaces Too Hot Urged as Causes ; BY GEO. W. DRESS : F TER having read several very interesting ar head of the rail. On the other hand, the rail is 4 ticles pertaining to transverse fissures in rails, segregated and the carbon content is 0.80 per cent Sf a closer study of the subject prompts me to. or more, we have a brittle rail which breaks sud - write concerning several abnormal conditions which denly before the transverse fissure has been al quite frequently exist during the manufacture of a Of the transverse fissures investigated, I have rail. x l—Transverse Fissure in Shattered Rail Caused | pid Contraction of Metal The chemical analysis was rbon by combustion, 06.865 per cent phosphorus, 6.024 ulphur, 0.049 nanganese, 0.72 oted two kinds, the initial causes of which maj e traced back to abnormal rolling conditions. The characteristic appearance of transverse fis- sures in rails which were broken in service is gen erally that of an oval smooth surface. Under the microscope another characteristic marking is no- ticed in that the progressive growth of the oval smooth surface is plainly seen. The size and area vered by these smooth surfaces within the cross section of a broken rail are very indefinite. The depends almost entirely upon the physical strength of that portion of the rail which is normal is to its fracture. If the rail is free from segre- vation and the carbon content does not exceed 0.70 per cent, then we may expect to find the area cov- ered by a transverse fissure to be unusually large and affecting more than one-half the area of the $1Ze *Consulting metallurgist, Steelton, Pa to- ent due to wheel pres lowed to progress very far. Track conditions gether with excessive punish tresses also sure producing alternating have an influence upon the area covered by transverse fis sures. It is not to be inferred, however, that track conditions and wheel any manne! responsible for the first cause of transverse fissures. pressure are in Accepted Points in Rail Fissure Arguments There are a number of facts concerning trans fissures in rails to which metallurgists for the most part agree. Investigations have proved that these fissures occur only in the higher carbon rails; that they occur in rails practically free fron impurities and segregation, as well as in rails hav- ing an abnormal amount of impurities and segrega- tion; that the grain size, grain structure and micro constituent adjacent to the fissure are normal with no indication that the metallurgy of the steel or subsequent heat treatment is at fault; that there is no longitudinal depth to the fissure; that a rail ve rse 943 944 may have a number of transverse fissures although seldom more than one is found; that the surface of the fissure is smooth and generally oval in shape, and that there are markings which indicate that the fissures are of a progressive nature. Notwithstanding these facts as a basis on which to form a conclusion, metallurgists have failed to agree as to the first cause of these fissures. It has been argued that friction caused by sliding wheel pressure is responsible for fissures, then again that some abnormal condition in the manufacture of the rail is responsible. Both of the conclusions just cited may have an influence on the progressive na- ture of the fissures and may perchance be the first cause of a transverse fissure; but there are two other conditions which exist in rolling-mill practices which [ claim have a tendency to be the first cause of trans- verse fissures. In the rolling of an ingot into blooms and sub sequently the blooms into rails, it frequently hap- pens that surface flaws are produced. While the steel is going through the rolls a stream of water is playing on the rolls in order to keep the rolls from getting hot. It has already been said that trans- verse fissures are usually found in the higher car- bon rails and rightly so. By connecting the three sentences in this paragraph and going somewhat into detail we have the following argument for transverse fissures: The Matter of Excessive Water on Rolls The higher the carbon content in steel, the more susceptible it is to the transformation of cement carbon into hardening carbon. Now, since a stream of water is playing on the rolls, it is also playing on the steel as it is going through the rolls. If the steel has a surface flaw and the rail is receiving its final passes through the rolls, it is likewise approach- ing the dangerous critical point or AC, temperature on cooling. Now, since a rail in passing through the rolls will be subjected to a stream of water for a moment and if the rail is high in carbon and per- chance has a surface defect, it requires but a mo ment for the water to shatter the rail producing the initial cause of a transverse fissure. In certain mill practices there are times when a rail at rest prior to its being sawed to length is subjected to water. Here again there is a tendency for a rail to shatter and cause the beginning of a transverse fissure. Recognizing the fact that it is well-nigh impossible to roll rails without applying water to the rolls, yet at the same time it is equally true that the quantity of water used is oftentimes excessive. Fig. 1 shows the fracture of a rail which broke while handling before the rail could be put into service. Unlike the transverse fissures as found in rails after having been in service, the fracture of this rail showed within the fissure a display of colors (an oxidized grain structure) indicating that the rail was shattered while hot. In the absence of the smoothness of the faces in this fracture, we natur- ally conclude, therefore, that the smoothness of the fissures in rails broken in service is due to the rub- bing together of the two faces and that alternating stresses due to wheel pressure is responsible for the rubbing together of the faces prior to fracture. Charging Cold Ingots into Hot Furnace Another irregularity wherein the first cause of transverse fissures may be found is as follows: It frequently happens that cold and partly preheated ingots are charged into a hot reheating furnace. The average practical furnaceman, or heater, has experienced that ingots charged in the above man- ner very often crack with a loud report indicating THE IRON AGE April 19, 191 that the grain structure is ruptured. Sometin: these shattered ingots break into several pieces then again they remain intact. The ingots a: rolled and it is needless to say that the internal ru; ture thus produced cannot be welded together | subsequent reheating and rolling, and we natura!! have in the finished rail a physical weakness an a defect which gradually progresses when alterna’ ing stresses are applied. The fracture of a rail rolled from a shattere: ingot will be that of a transverse fissure having th: characteristic oval and smooth surface. In the pro gressive nature of the fracture which is clearly de fined under the microscope, we note that the initia! flaw was internal and that the fracture radiated and progressed in every direction. Fig. 2 illus trates a transverse fissure the first cause of which may be traced back to a shattered irot. In conclusion a summary of the facts hereir stated would define a transverse fissure as a pro gressive defect in a high carbon rail produced by abnormal conditions, which conditions are the re- sults of rapid expansion and contraction of the metal, thereby causing the metal to shatter. Machine for Testing Boiler Tubes A recent addition to the line of hydraulic machinery ! built by the Watson-Stillman Company, 190 Fulton , Street, New York City, is a machine for subjecting boiler and other tubing to an internal hydrostatic pres- sure test. A number of sizes of the machine are built so that it is adaptable for shops where testing is done only occasionally or for ones having a large output. Either hand or power driven pumps can be used in con- nection with the machine. The size illustrated is in- tended for testing boiler tubes up to a maximum outside diameter of 4% in. with a pressure of 1200 lb. per sq. in. The length of tubes that can be handled by this machine anges from 5 to 15 ft. The machine consists essentially of a frame with two rectangular tie bars having a stationary abutment at one end and a moving one at the other. The latte: consists of a carriage mounted on rollers that is capable of adjustment to the length of the tube to be tested and then being secured to the side frame by pins, the in : ternal hydraulic pressure being supplied by a pump. A pan under the machine bed catches the waste water and y also serves as a reservoir if the tube is initially filled by i pump. In operation, the tube to be tested is placed in the machine with one end bearing against the fixed abut ment. The moving abutment is then brought to hea! against the other end of the tube and fastened in place, the tube being made pressure tight by manipulating th handwheel. The tube is then filled from a water main, overhead tank or by a low-pressure pump and after filling a high-pressure hand or power pump js employed to produce the desired test pressure which is indicated on the gage. Two intermediate clamps operated by small handwheels are employed to prevent the tube f1om buckling while it is subjected to pressure. An Internal Other Hydrostatic Pressure Test Is Given Boiler Tubes by This Recently Developed Machine April 19, 1917 Treating Brass in a Neutral Atmosphere to Reduce Oxidation Not long ago, in discussing the corrosive effect of he atmosphere prevailing in certain forms of gas-fired urnaces, an explanation offered was that when metals such as steel containing a small proportion of carbon re heated to a high temperature in the presence of ordinary products of combustion, carbon dioxide nd water, the phenomenon of decarburization begins assert itself, followed by oxidation. Or, it was ointed out, at the surface of the metal the carbon is liminated and the virtue of the metal is impaired slight depth, while oxidation accounts for the yrmation of scale. These effects were the subject of research carried it by Prof. A. E. White, of Michigan University, {nn Arbor, Mich., who found that they could be suc- ssfully avoided by the employment of a specially de- igned furnace in which a neutral atmosphere was main- Having solved the problem in connection with teel, Professor White has lately turned his attention He points out that when brass billets are nnealed in a furnace there is invariably some loss in aterial, due partly to volatilization of the metal in the orm of a metallic vapor, and partly to oxidation of the irface, as a volume of the gases surrounding the metal Oo a Lined. to brass. is some considerable influence on volatilization, and he greater the volume the more severe will be the isification of the metal in a given time. Previous investigators have shown that volatilization the surface is theoretically independent of the com- the gases surrounding it, but Professor White finds that in practice such a statement by no ans holds good, for in the oxidizing atmosphere that sually obtains the metallic vapors are converted into ‘cides, so that when equilibrium is thus destroyed addi- onal quantities of the metal are affected. The only ay out of the difficulty is to employ a furnace in which neutral atmosphere, one having neither reducing nor dizing properties, prevails. Furthermore, the alloy heated for as brief a period in the smallest ume of gas practically possible. It may be remembered that for the treatment of steel i neutral atmosphere Professor White designed a nace operating on the principle of semi-direct com ion; that is to say, the gas is consumed in two dis stages with a supply of primary and secondary In the first instance a mixture of with a proportion of air is burnt within the muffle, a ther quantity of air being added to complete com tion at a later stage around the furnace walls. The iry mixture consists approximately of from two parts of air to part of gas, a mixture ch although theoretically incombustible will continue urn, once the walls of the furnace have attained ifficient temperature. The general method employed for dealing with brass in every respect similar to that used in connection th steel, with the exception that the temperatures nvolved are not so high. This latter fact was re ponsible for a somewhat unlooked for difficulty in con- with the ignition of the mixture, and with asswork it was found necessary to insert a refractory ‘cker work over the gas inlet of the furnace. During he preliminary heating up of the muffle this checker vork stores up a certain amount of heat which suffices ignite the mixture during the subsequent operations. In the experiments the materials forming the test eces were rolled into a thin foil, about 0.008 in. thick, nd were afterwards formed into a spiral. The spirals ere placed in the neutral atmosphere of the furnace va period of an hour, and when withdrawn they ere chilled by being inclosed within a short cast-iron be. The relatively heavy mass of the cold iron chills e thin spiral so that it can be withdrawn without xidation. Changes due to the furnace treatment were termined by noting any difference in weight, and also careful examination of the surface of the foil, the itter enabling the presence of oxidation to be seen. Summarizing his results, Professor White concludes that a neutral atmosphere has certainly proved ad- antageous in the treatment of copper and brass. Cop- tion of be r ist be gas three one ection THE IRON AGE 445 per itself is not oxidized when exposed directly to the products yielded from the combustion of coal gas with a restricted air supply, the proportions of air and gas varying with the temperature desired. Up to 1200 deg Fahr. three volumes of air to one of gas may be used, but for higher temperatures the ratio must be smalle1 With commercial copper no appreciable oxidation occurs even when the metal is treated in the furnace for one hour, and the change in weight is negligible. As re gards brass, when the alloy consisted of 70 per cent copper and 30 per cent zinc and was heated almost t the melting point for an hour, the « took place to a depth from the surface of only 0.008 in With temperatures even more were obtained. White volatilization of zine from brass is e limination of ne lower favorable results clearly the . sentially a function of temperature, and that the effect car lessened by rapid heating in addition hows that Professor be considet ably to a neutral atmos phere. In this way the loss due to temperature is curtailed, while that due to oxidatior eliminated almost altogether. Examinations for Technical Government Posts The United States Civil Service Commissior an nounces competitive examinations open to all male citizens of the United States who meet the requirement for the following positions: / D ‘ ] \ M Laboratory assistant M $3.95 $3 4K° Mechanical drafts: \I ‘ ene Metallurgical eng M : . Radio draftsmar M t $4° Electrical assistant M Assistant inspector f (wood) constructio Om i tae ©Mechanical draftsma O neering fT te? ‘ . Subinspector of t ( ° Architectural d ! () $H° 1) itsman ‘ Vie + i! For ‘ t | For vacanci t W " ' ri } | ) renal Ww “} ir ’ ‘ W In the case of the examinations designated as “open applications will be in the foregoing table, received at any time and the competitors will not be report but will be according to the their Full information regarding the examinations can be ob req lired to for examination at any rated place statements made ir applications tained from the Civil Service Commission, Washington, or from the secretaries of the various United States Civil Service Boards throughout the country Henry Vogt, president Henry Vogt Machine Com pany; Charles F. Huhlein, president B. F. Avery & Sons Company; W. Hume Logan, president Dow Wire & Iron Works, ali of Louisville, Ky., and a number of other Louisville employers have incorporated the Em ployers’ Association of Louisville. It seek to in vestigate and adjust differences between employers and free employment members and will employees, will maintain a bureau, and otherwise undertake to serve both it their employees. All local industries are membership. eligible to In order to stimulate the British output of puddled iron a scheme is reported as having been inaugurated which offers inducements to operatives to make prac- tical suggestions for the improvement of present prac tice. The matter was first raised by the British Board of Education, and it has been passed on by the Iron- masters’ Association. Subcommittees have been ap- pointed in various parts of the country to promote the plan. reduced ‘e etched crographs of Bronzes Bearing Bronzes and the Microscope 0 diamet original magnification of 5 -third from chloride about in ferric an one Determining the Causes of the Difference in Static Properties of Same Composition BY C. H. BIERBAUM A HE value of microscopical examination in ad- 1 dition to chemical, physical and mechanical tests on metal alloys very interestingly shown in the study of the following three bronzes. In this investigation, two of the three bronzes were found to be almost identical in chemical composi- tion. This fact led to the presumptive conclusion that their physical properties were very much alike, if not identical; under tension test, however, it was shown that the one was more than 50 per cent stronger than the other. There exists here an apparent contradiction, that is, if we grant that a chemical analysis can contra- dict a static test. On the other hand, an equally unexpected condition existed in two of these bronzes whose principal difference in composition was that one contained 2.5 per cent lead and the other con- tained none. The conclusion that the one with the lead contents would be the weaker was perfectly natural; the opposite, however, proved to be the case, the one containing was 22 per cent stronger than the one containing no lead. The foregoing apparent anomalies become self evident and are reduced to consistent when investigated by the aid of the microscope in addition is lead facts lurgciet iu NN ¥ and met Ruffalo dent mpany are respect authors the Vice-presi Bearing *The ive lv of Lumet Alloys of Nearly the Lead in Bearing Metals ND VERNE SKILLMAN to chemical and physical tests as illustrated by the accompanying photomicrographs, This investigation was made to determine the relative value of three rather prominent bearing bronzes of to-day. The three bronzes are desig- nated as A, B and C, a widely advertised bronze being represented by A, a section of which was used in this study. This particular piece was a round bar *4 in. in diameter and 12 in. long, cast in sand with the name of the brand upon it and still in the original package when purchased. The other two bronzes, B and C respectively, are Auto Bronze and Machine Bronze, standard composition of the Lumen Bearing Company, a test bar of each being used in this comparative study. They were likewise sand castings, care having been taken to make their size and proportions identical with those of the former piece, Chemical analysis was made of bronze A, and the results are given in the following tabulation, where as the bronzes B and C are given by formula ac- cording to which they are regularly made up: Per Cent Per Cent Per ¢ Bronze Bronze Bror B Cc Coppe 86.75 86.0 86.0 Tin 10.79 11.0 9.5 Lead ai 0.5 2.5 Zine 2.40 2.5 2.f Photomicrographs of Bronzes A, B and C, Reduced About One *-Third from an Original Magnification of 200 Diameters etching medium was ferric chloride 946 April 19, 1917 Standard 2-in. test bars were cut from the three \ifferent bronzes and subjected to tension test, giv- ng the following results: Bronze Bronz } \ B ‘ ngation, per cent 1.5 5.6 6.0 Yield point, Ib. per sq. in 16,000 17,500 17,000 Tensile strength, Ib. per sq. in. 20,500 32,500 25,00/ Brinell hardness tests were also made on these hree bronzes, using the standard 10 m.m. ball and 00 kg. load. Testing both the hardness of the sur- ace or the outside skin and also the internal hard ess on the surfaces of sections of the different : yieces, the following are the results: \ BK Surface or skin S6 6 rnal 14 74 ternal 0 7 65 From each of the three bronzes, sections were it at right angle to their length. A surface of ach was polished and etched in the usual manner, ising ferric chloride with a slight addition of nitric icid for etching. This work was done with extreme are, particularly with a view of treating all sur- aces alike. In the same manner photomicrographs vere made of the different sections showing their haracteristic crystallization in terms of both 50 and 200 magnifications. A casual glance at the photo yraphs shows a characteristic difference between hose of A and B, showing why B has a greater : ensile strength by 12,000 Ib. per sq. in. than A. In ; ke manner comparing A and C, one can see why C an contain 2.5 per cent of lead and still be stronger by 4500 Ib. per sq. in. than A, and also why C has i. higher yield point than A by an amount of 1000 lb. per sq. in. These characteristic differences are ill due to the improper metallurgy and defective foundry practice used in the making up of bronze A. The bearing value of lead in a bronze is well <nown, also its weakening effect. It has, therefore, ilways been a matter of compromise in the making if leaded bronzes to sacrifice some strength for the earing qualities affected by the presence of the ead; therefore, if the strength of a bronze can be nereased by scientific and skillful foundry methods he bearing value of that bronze can be greatly in reased by the presence of lead. This to a remark ible degree has been done in the production of ronze C, the presence of the lead enhancing its earing value greatly and its strength still remain ng much in excess of that of bronze A. To conclude: Bronze B on the one hand repre ents the strength and physical properties which A hould have had, had it been made up under strictl) ip-to-date foundry practice; on tne other hand, the lifference in strength between 2» and C is tantially due to the weakening effect caused by a yreater amount of lead in C than in B. This shows that the amount of lead could have been as much as )» per cent in C, still leaving it as strong as bronze all due to proper foundry practice. sub Spanish Ore Shipments in 1916 lron-ore exports from Spain in 1916 were larger an in 1915, despite shipping conditions. The 1916 hipments were 5,148,127 tons, against 4,509,214 tons ne year before. Manganese ore exported in 1916 was ‘15 tons, as compared with 9136 tons in 1915. Ship- ents of iron pyrites were 2,743,487 tons in 1916 and tons in 1915. It is stated that phosphoric on ores, which before the war went largely to Ger- any, have been bought in larger amounts by England nd France, particularly England. Such mines which osed down after the war started have resumed opera- ns, fa 990 -03,225 THE IRON AGE 947 Hubbard & Co. Buy Shovel Plants Hubbard & Co., shovels, spades, scoops, rai Pittsburgh, manufacture lroad track tools and othe: steel specialties, have purchased the shovel plants of Beall Brothers, Alton, Ill., and the Jackson Tool Company, Montpelier, Ind. Thes¢ ye operated as branch works of the Pitts! Shovel & two plants wi irgh factor under the former titles of Beall Brothers and the Jack son Shovel & Tool Company. Hubbard & purchased the Ohio Shovel & Stamping Company, Cana Dover, Ohio, and the shovel works of the Hussey-Bin Company, Charleroi, Pa. The « these tw plants will be moved to the purchasers’ other wot largely to the Pittsburgh factory, to increase their capacity. At the be erected to be Co. have a Pittsburgh plant new buildings w equipped with machinery for maki rolled or one-piece shovels It is the intention of Hubbard & ( put of their Pittsburgh plant larger than to have the out that of any United States, while th: total output of their three main works—at Pittsburgh, Montpelier and Alton—will be larger than that other company organization of other single shovel works in the | he Working the Ohio Shovel & Stamping Company and the Hussey-Binns Company w care of in the Pittsburgh works, the and work men offered Hubbard & Co. have also acquired the plant of the Beall Tool Work at East Alton, Ill., which is equipped to make railroad track tools, hammers, sledgers and other products All the above-named plants have been acquired by Hubbard & Co. in order to take care business, both with other classes of trade. To that end the finishing and polishing departments in all of their factories have be reorganized and will be equipped to turn out highly fin ished products. firm or making shovels be largely taker off C1lais having been positions thers of their constant increasing hardware jobbers and They have contracted heavily for raw material of all kinds, sufficient to run the various plant for close to a year, in an endeavor to anticipate hand caps that may come through difficulties in getting sup plies. The officers of Hubbard & Co. are: John W Hubbard, president; S. A. Rankin, treasurer; Joseph V Smith, manager of the shovel department; A. F. Zins manager of the washer and stampir department; William H. Remmel, manager of the rai road and tool department; C. P. Seyler and C. L. Pei departm: nt master, special Ir.. managers of the electrical material Poisoning from Blast-Furnace Gas “Asphyxiation from Blast-Furnace Gas” is the tith of Technical Paper 106, by Frederick H. Willcox, Bureau »f Mines, Department of the Interior. This report is issued- by the Bureau in endeavors safety metallurgical ir pursuance of its to increase and efficiency in dustries. It blast-furnace gas, discusse the nature and causes of poison ing from itemizes the places where gas may be expected to be encountered, suggests safe guards and points out the precautions to be taken it working about gaseous places. Blast-furnace gas 1 peculiar in that it is very poisonous and under certain conditions, as when it has been cleaned, is without color or odor by which it may be detected. Though the poisoning usually results in nothing more seriou and severe headache, it and even than illness may cause ur onsciousness death German Iron and Steel Shipments from French Districts Particulars as to the shipments of iron and steel from the French iron districts in German occupation (Briey and Longwy) to Germany and Belgium before and since the war are given as follows in metric tons by the London Jronmonger as reported in the Berliner Boérsen Courier: Iron ore to German Iron ore to Belgiun (including Antwerp) .. 1,108,152 696,721 112,34 . Pig iron to Belgium DSS 288 215 105 es Belgium 288,2 Steel to GUIDE FOR ROLLING MILLS New Form Used at Steelton Blooming Mill of Bethlehem Steel Company NEW form of side guards has been in use on th roller tables of the 44-in. mill at the Steelton plant of the Bethlehem Steel Company since February, 1916. They represent guides on which a patent was granted on Feb. 27, 1917, to W. W. superintendent of the rolling mills of the company at Steelton. The rail and structural mill of which the blooming mill is a part was described in THE IRON AGE of Dec. 16, 1915, but the accompanying illustration is a reproduction of the photograph since the patent side guards were installed. The feature is the use of what be called plow shape ends, so that if perchance in the manipulation of the guides they are not brought into correct register with respect to the groove in the roll through which the steel is being passed, the steel will not be forced against an obstruction and resultant damage ensue. Instead, if the steel should be delivered by the rolls against one of the guides, it simply rides on the slop blooming Leck, may avoid breakage ing end of the guide, and no breakage results. In the photograph a timber is shown resting on the bot tom roll and touching the guide at the same elevatior as would be the case with a misdirected bloom. Steel rolled on two-high blooming mills is deflected from the straight line of passage, back and forth, through the rolls for various such as a cold side, sidewise pressure on the bloom entering the rolls, pieces entering the pass too small from the preceding reasons, pass and from cobbles and bad ends. Breakage is sometimes caused in addition by the failure of the manipulated guards to respond to the operator con trolling the levers, and also due to negligent operators. Damage, of course, as well causes a delay. An important item is that the sidewise the machinery may be reduced 40 per cent able to keep the side guards in close connection with the steel at all times, while with the ordinary blunt end the guard must be returned to the rest position or far enough away to keep it from getting struck with the bloom. The Trumbull Steel Company, Warren, Ohio, has, it is understood, arranged to put in a set of these guards on its 34-in. blooming mill now being built by the United Engineering & Foundry Company, Pitts- burgh. travel of by being THE IRON rd should happen not to register properly with the rolls, the bloom will ride on the tapered end and thu and resultant delay taminated with the iron burnt from the mold. Defect: AGE April 19, 1917 [It may be noted that the ends of the bars are vided with terminal lips at the end of the tapered | tion, which lips fit down over one of the feed rol! By this construction the guides are provided wit skid portion over which the ingot will ride without terference in the event of an accidental lack of rx try and the retaining lips restrain the guide again ongitudinal movement. The patent also covers shaping of the underside of the guides to fit the ro losely. Use of Strainer in Pouring Iron Molds When metal to be used for rolling mill work is be poured into an iron mold care must be taken, accord to the Waterbury Book of Alloys, published by R Wood, Cheshire, Conn., to have the stream drop it the mold as nearly straight as possible. If the strea strikes the side of the mold the casting generally h a rough or pitted surface at that particular point, th being particularly true with alloys that are rich copper and sterling silver. High-copper alloys whi contain tin and phosphorus will burn away some the iron if allowed to strike the side of the mold an damage it, as well as causing the alloy to become cor of this nature in a cast bar, it is pointed out, are v likely to develop into cracks when the metal is rolled Pouring may be done by the use of a strainer basin before the metal enters the mold. The basi! a V-shaped receptacle containing one or more holes in. in diameter through which the metal ru: It is fitted to the top of the mold so that it centers streams of metal and causes them to drop into the n without striking the edges. Hinges may be employed fit the basin to the back of the mold so that as soon as the pouring ceases the basin may be thrown back emptied of any dross or charcoal that it may conta If the holes are too large, the metal will enter the m too rapidly and cause a defective casting, while if the) are cone-shaped or not in the right direction the streams of metal will flare as they leave the basin, thus nu ing any benefit that may be derived from its use. A coating of oil and black lead should be give! basin before the metal is poured into it, and i! case of alloys containing phosphorus or those which quire pouring at a high heat, the basin may be g°ve! a coat of clay. All of the moisture should be expe! from this coating before any metal is poured into ¥ basin or an explosion is likely to occur. 4 to Handling Ashes at Steel Plants IX Conditions Leading to Development of the Skip Hoist—Methods of In- stallation—Two Typical Applications BY HERBERT E. BIRCH* n\ skip The flexibility of the skip ho and a bi and changing the angle of the out in the ing a coal bunker points is : brought the right. portions, especially where forced draft stokers are used and operated in excess of nominal rating. In general, three methods have been advo- ated to dispose of this boiler house product, the ‘ar and skip hoist system, the chain conveyor and ‘levator method and the suction system. The pur- pose of this article is to describe a few applications f the first-mentioned system at steel mill boiler houses and enumerate the reasons responsible for ts selection. The skip hoist consists essentially of a steel yucket running on inclined or vertical tracks and oisted by a steel cable attached to an automatic winding drum, which is usually directly connected to an electric motor, although pneumatic, steam or nydraulic power may be applied to the drum in vari- ‘us ways. The ash skip hoist is not the product of 1 factory confronted with the problem of finding an uutlet for their foundry, nor is it the exploitation f a patented idea. Rather, it is really the poor lowntrodden users’ own solution of the serious roblem of ash disposal. Some years ago, when a arge Eastern city electrified its horse-car lines, a iumber of power houses were built and equipped vith all the up-to-date devices then known, among ch was complete coal and ash handling equip- ent. The builders of this machinery attempted to coal conveyors to remove the ashes from the lers and deliver them to an overhead bunker. course, the equipment lasted only a few short nths, for no one had attempted to handle ashes echanically previous to that. The plant opera- rs were forced to solve their own problem and ‘ve consideration to the following points: 1. The T x handling of ashes is a problem of large pro- *Mechanical engineer, R. H jeaumont Phila- phia, Pa Company >, ft » ¥| 1 \} ! AN | | ' AP | | \\ Hi IN = \\ es - LA \| | i } = ——— — Sapa oe \ ~~ ' 1} Eh ae — 1) | BA | ~ 1, 77a . ; Ly , : . ’ nv A NANI RT DN IZA \ | LWWARY =i | i / ' | 4 In the typical skip hoist installation at ~] aN the left th iower set ot wheels on the >| ‘ AN Skip run between the left and middk a ue. &1 a Suide rails while the uppe1 pair are . brought forward by a curve at the top of } v the right guide rail, thus dumping the | oa eal ding truss run at two A III IIA | ru a \ =} 4 drawing at Ai 791) FAT 178 ‘ machinery must not be affected by grit, heat o1 water to any great extent. 2. The capacity must be high, for it was, even then, apparent that the size of the power houses would increase rapidly in a very few years. 3. It must be capable of lifting the ashes to a great height. 4. The operating cost must be low. 5. The cost of the equipment must not be prohibitive. 6. It must be free from the serious breakdowns which the present systems were subject to and must have a low repair cost. The Development of the Skip Hoist These points, and possibly many others, were carefully examined and all the known devices scru tinized, but these were found wanting, if not in one feature, in another. Finally, the skip hoist was conceived and tried out in service. It stood up so well and its fame spread so rapidly among sorely tried plant operators, that it was adopted by prac tically all large Eastern power houses, including many railroad systems, in one form or another That is, the ashes were put in a tub and hoisted to the storage bunker. It was stated and proved that the ashes, once in the bucket, were dormant with relation to the bucket, the only wear occurring when the bucket discharged its load. The original winding machine was an ordinary belted freight elevator hoist with crossed belts and tight and loose pulleys. The present day direct connected machine was unknown in the early days of the skip hoist, but even now the principle re mains the same, the improvements being in refine- ments of detail and in the controlling equipment, which is entirely automatic so that no dependence whatever is placed on the operator. Let us examine the salient features mentioned as being necessary to the successful operation of ash- 949 950 handling equipment 20 years ago, and let us fur- ther remember that ashes are to-day, the same as then, a gritty, abrasive material that is either drip- ping wet or red hot. The first has already been touched upon. Aside from the bucket, there are no parts that come into contact with the ashes, and the bucket, being merely a steel box with a few wheels, can easily be replaced after 6 to 10 years’ service, for a very small amount. The hoisting rope and head sheaves are subject to no more wear than an ordinary freight elevator neither are the steel tracks. Heat and water have little effect on the bucket as there are no wearing parts to get out of gear through distortion by heat and no chain joints, etc., to wear out. The only piece of machinery which was subject to the action of the ash grit was the winding machine, and this was placed away from the equipment and the rope led to it. As to high capacity, it is apparent that the size of the skip bucket can be made anything desired, within reasonable limits, and two buckets could be run together, one going up and the other coming down on separate tracks and balancing each other. It is also easy to see that the height to which the ashes are elevated does not affect the equip- ment further than that it takes the bucket longer to complete the cycle, unless the hoisting speed is increased, and this means merely a larger motor. All other considerations do not affect this feature, for it is just as easy to hoist the bucket 140 ft. as 40 ft., simply more rope is required and a wider drum. Operating cost is a graver consideration than is usually imagined. First, a man is required in any system, either to hoe the ashes into a pipe or to rake them into a conveyor. It was said, why not let him push a small car, as he must be paid in any event. If the capacity is increased, give him an electric hopper car. In large plants the ash cars are run in trains and are hauled by a small electric locomotive. Power consumption is where the saving is effected, for the big feature that was recognized, years ago, was that the skip consumed power only when actually hoisting the load. It did not have to run idle even for an instant. The power it con- sumed was very small, something like 5 hp., for an equipment to handle 8 tons per hr. The prevailing systems frequently ran empty or only partly loaded and frictional losses were very high. Cost of equipment was considered very carefully but viewed from any angle, the skip seemed more economical than anything else. A bucket, a piece of rope, a winding machine and the tracks consti- tuted the equipment. The receiving bunker could be as simple or elaborate as desired, and, of course, was necessary in any system. Breakdowns were dismissed as remote possibili- ties, for the skip was practically a form of freight elevator, the reliability of which was well known. It was also conceded that the few parts subject to wear, such as the bucket and ash car, could be re- paired by the local forces, as there was nothing mys- terious about a tub having wheels. The wire rope was easily open to inspection, as was all of the equipment, and, therefore, plenty of warning was given when any part needed attention. It certainly is not to the credit of the conveyor houses that they failed in the solution of the ash- handling problem, but this was probably due to their intense desire to sell something they made in their own foundry and, therefore, it fell to the lot of contracting engineers engaged in the conveyor busi- ness to father the skip. There is nothing mysteri- ous about it. The skip bucket, when ascending, is guided by three wheels and three rails on each side. THE IRON AGE April 19, 191° The bottom pair of wheels are restrained in a pure); vertical path, while the upper pairs are forced b their guides to follow a vertical path until th dumping point is reached, when they run forward and come to a stop before the bottom pair have reached their maximum height and this action tip the skip bucket, thus effecting the discharge a shown by the dotted lines. A traveling nut, actu ated by a worm shaft attached to the drum, now engages the switch wheel and throws it into th reverse position, when the bucket will descend and come to rest in the pit. Means are applied to securs this bottom stop, otherwise the hoist would be pumping up and down continually. In fact, this idea has been applied in connection with large bal- anced skip installations, where automatic measur- ing loaders are employed to fill the buckets. The motors.used are standard elevator types, with high- resistance end rings, and are thrown on the line without the use of external resistance. Handling Clinkers and Other Refuse With the advent of the modern forced-draft stoker and the consequent high overloads, the ash skip hoist was called upon to prove that its advocates had not been mistaken. Very large and hard clink ers were turned out of the stoker pits and herculean effort was required to break them at plants where the skip, like many other pioneer devices, had not been accepted. The only change necessary at plants having the skip hoist was that the bunker gates had to be made larger to discharge the large clinkers which the skip easily handled. This latter feature was the cause of a new era in the life of the skip. for many plants were changed over for this reason alone that would probably have limped along in some way on their old equipment rather than admit their original mistake, which, perhaps, was the fault of their builders rather than that of the operators. A few other factors which had much to do wit! the popularity of the skip were its ability to handle soot, flue dust, firebrick and any type of boiler roon refuse and the wonderful feature that the opera- tor was practically free from dependence on the factory for repair parts and their consequent fanc) prices. Before describing a few typical installations, a word of caution may not be out of place regarding ash bunkers, which certainly is of interest to stee! mills. A steel plate bunker, having a conical botton and a circular body similar to a water tank, is far better than one of concrete. This type of bunker is the only one from which the ashes will discharge easily. Concrete is too rough and the ashes clog at the discharge opening. The steel plate bottom should be made heavier than the circular body to resist abrasion. The writer knows of one concrete bunker which was torn out for this very reason after being in service for only six months. The skip hoist bucket at the Worth Brothers plant of the Midvale Steel Company, Coatesville, Pa., as cends an inclined track and discharges into a bunk: over the railroad tracks outside of the boiler hous The bunker, which holds 3000 cu. ft. of ashes, made of steel plates 34 in. on the sides and % in. on the bottom. It is supported by rolled H-columns securely braced and designed according to the Amer ican Bridge specifications. The bunker is fitte with a 24 x 24-in. cast-iron duplex undercut gate, which is arranged with levers and hand ropes for operation from the ground. The space between the skip tracks is covered with No. 12 sheets * protect the workmen from the possibility of falling clinkers. A safety ladder in the corner of the build- pril 19, 1917 erside of the Skip Hoist Track Is Covered with Sheet Protect the Workmen from Falling Ashes and a Ladder Gives Access to the Overhead Sheaves gives access to the head sheaves for inspection ion, a platform being provided inside head house to enable the workmen to perform e necessary duties. \t the Nicetown plant of the Midvale Company iplicate of this outfit is working, the only dif- nce being that it is operated by a push but- while the Coatesville skip is started by the pulling a rope. The layout is shown in one the drawings, and attention is called to the diffi- situation which existed here. The railroad ks were very close together and the existing bunker and a truss between the building col- s, both of which had to be cleared, provide an llent illustration of the versatility of the skip t. The tracks can be on practically any angle een about 35 deg. and the vertical and can nge direction very easily, although there are ain features in making a change of direction h necessitates an intimate knowledge of the 1IDTIcat \ vastly different installation is at the Republic & Steel Company, Youngstown, Ohio, where a tical skip discharges directly into a railroad car. wivel chute is used to direct the flow of ashes the car which enables the operator to fill quite ge portion of the car without shifting it. This el arrangement also permits of the maintenance » standard railroad clearance when the appara- s not in use, as it can be swung completely out- f the prescribed space which must be kept from permanent obstructions. all of these plants collection of ashes is made small push car, which is equipped with dust- roller bearing wheels of large diameter and ites on standard industrial tracks. ne more point may be of interest to power plant ners and that is to make the ash pits under THE IRON AGE 951 ' the stokers large enough to take care ash so that all the ashes produced in 24 hr. can be handled in one shift. German Methods of Producing Sulphuric Acid The production of sulphuric acid o1 hydride ilph liric an in Germany from plaster of Paris in an electri furnace is vouched for by the eminent French chemist, M. Cazeneuve. It is also stated that the Germans are ‘arrying on a process of treating plaster of Paris with sand, producing silicate of lime and cement at the same time as sulphurous acid. Since th Germany has had to look about for sulphur with which make sul phuric acid, which partly explai: sefore the war Germany imported each year about 1 tre new proces 900,000 tons of iron pyrites from Spain for making sulphuric acid, about 300,000 tons being mined in Ger many. In 1912 and 1913 it is stated that 1,200,000 tons was imported each year from Spai imports about 400,000 tons per year came from Norway, but this supply is not now available. Small quantities are probably now obtainable from Poland, Greece and Turkey Besides thes The Texa Stee | Cx mpany, Be aumont, lex W i com mence in the present month the building of a rai road connection to extend tracks int plant rt company does not expect to accomplish much in May but beginning June 1 plar continuous work upon construction with the prospect of completion of the plant within 9 or 10 months from the date of actual 1 aying of the foundation. The New Britain Machine Company, New Britain, Conn., has opened an office at 46 Garfield Building, 870 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. The company manufac tures multiple spindle screw machines, multiple spindle chucking machines, polishing machinery, shop furni ture and pressed metal work. Thomas C. Stirling is district manager in charge of service and sales 952 THE IRON AUTOGENOUS WELDING SCHOOL Institute Gives Instruction in Acetylene Work in All Metals LTHOUGH the demand for operators skilled in A autogenous welding is widespread, and is steadily growing with the development of the proc- ess and as its application expands, men who are proficient in the art are none too plentiful. In fact, it may be said that there is a dearth of good all- round workmen. So thoroughly convinced is the management of the Imperial Brass Mfg. Company, Chicago, of the future need and opportunity for experts in the manipulation of oxy-acetylene welding and cutting apparatus that it has estab- lished a practical training school, known as the Chicago Welding Institute. The school is housed in a one-story brick struc- ture, 50 x 125 ft., in Racine Avenue, near Harri- son Street, and will be managed by Foster F. Hillix, formerly an instructor in shop and foundry prac- tice at Stout Institute, Menominee, Wis., and at Purdue University. The fees to be charged will vary with the extent and character of the course which the student undertakes, and takes into con- sideration the expensive materials used in practical class work. The building has been so constructed that a second story can be added when the need arises. The equipment of the school consists in part of 20 benches for as many students, equipped with oxy-acetylene outfits, whereon a class can do actual work with the welding torch. In addition to the large shop wherein actual work is done, there are class rooms for instruction in the theory of auto- genous welding, in which lectures are given bearing Chicago Oxy- AGE April 19, 1917 on the theoretical side of the practical work is to follow. A textbook has been especially | pared for the school, and study of the book is « ried along with the shop training. With reg to the latter a course of exercises has been arrar so that the student obtains sufficient drill to en him to accomplish successfully the more diffi work that comes near the end of his course. addition to the exercises referred to, it is plan to have a varied assortment of practical work progress in the shop at all times, this work, course, coming from outside. Due attention be given to the time which a student consumes his exercises and in his practical work, and standards of time in which a stated operation n be completed will be as exacting as exist under ma ufacturing conditions. By practice the student expected to develop adequate speed in the perforn ance of all operations. The school offers a number of courses. There a complete one for those who would undertake acquire a knowledge of welding in all its branches and also gain experience in the various kinds ot work. For those who do not desire, or possibly do not need, the full course of instruction, a modified one has been arranged. For instance, a student may take up aluminum welding alone, or steel weld ing. Again, a man may