The Iron Age 1917-09-06: Vol 100 Iss 10

THE IRON A New York, September 6, 1917 GE — ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 100: No. 10 ES ZI Et Results of Rolling from Green Ingots Premature Charging Into Hot Reheating Furnace and the Large Internal Steel Structure Produced of Brittle Character BY GEORGE W. DRESS It has often been asked what difference may be und in the physical properties of steel according ) the condition of the ingot when charged into a reheating furnace for subsequent rolling and forging. The general rolling-mill practice is to put ngots into the furnaces while hot soon after the metal has solidified, yet at the same time irregu- arities and abnormal conditions exist which neces- sitate the charging of cold ingots; then again it fre- juently occurs, perhaps through carelessness, that ingots are charged before the central portions have been solidified. In the charging of cold ingots and especially those of high carbon, there is much danger of shat- tering the structure because of the unequal expan- sion of the metal. We agree that the surface of a P| old ingot charged into a hot reheating furnace ex- pands very rapidly, producing tension on the struc- ture in the central portion of the ingot to which the heat has not had sufficient time to penetrate. Not to discuss the theory of expansion of metals ind the transformations which then take place, Fig. 2 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 a 9 t : = Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 7 hotographs may be compared in pairs. Figs. 2 and 5 are of blooms, from ingots properly solidified before rolling espectively Figs. 1 and 6 show rails rolled from corresponding blooms. Figs. 3 and 4 represent structure at a of head of rail respectively in the one case and Figs. 7 and 8 represent structure at surface and rail head other case 529 suffice to say that the power of expansion is un limited and we need not wonder that shattering takes place. To reheat cold ingots and to avoid the shattering it is essential that the ingots be heate« very slowly. The term green ingot is applied to one in whict when charged the interior or central portion has not had sufficient time to solidify. The temperature of the reheating furnace is generally high enough t keep the metal fluid within the ingot; in fact, the central portion of the larger ingots will remain fluid for several hours. The original surface grain of the solidified por tion of a green ingot while being rolled is reducec in size. The large structure of steel in the cast con dition is broken up and the grain represents norma rolling. The central portion being still fluid and ir motion during the rolling will show on cooling a very large grain structure, similar to that of an ingot which had not received any work—in other words, the structure will compare favorably with a casting cooled slowly and undisturbedly in the mold el ar 4 os 7 ‘ ¥ i ‘a } a Ing Jig he, 4 % cee a we a 4 1a roy. 7 ae ‘ i] “he s a tt. ia ¢ r i ‘ Be 3 vi ne 1 : 7 mh THE If a green ingot, say 22 in. square and approxi- mately 3 tons in weight, is rolled into blooms 8 in. square, an etching of the cross-section will show that the central portion of the bloom has a different appearance as to color from that of the outside portion. On the contrary, an ingot charged into a reheating furnace soon after the metal has been solidified and then rolled, or an ingot allowed to become cold and then charged and rolled, will show a uniform surface on etching, so far as grain size is concerned and provided the steel has no segrega- tion. This difference of appearance in color in the resulting product of a green ingot will be manifest regardless of the etching medium. The explanation is briefly the wide difference in grain size. The small grain of the outside portion, reduced in the rolling, will be light, whereas the large and irregu- lar grain of the central portion will be dark. Again, provided the steel is not segregated, the chemical analysis of the surface and central portion of the bloom rolled from a green ingot will be prac- tically the same; but as already stated there will be a vast difference under the microscope and a corresponding difference in the physical properties. As the charging of green ingots produces the un- equal structure and as a large-grained structure is, other things being equal, weak, we have the first cause of many failures in certain finished products. No better example may be cited than finished rails, as no heat treatment is given the rails after having left the rolls. The usual method to ascertain the first cause of trouble in a brittle rail is to have the rail analyzed for segregation, and if decided segregation is found, a conclusion is formed. If the chemical analysis shows no segregation, then a cross-section of the rail is polished and etched to determine soundness of the metal. Micro-sections are taken from the surface and center of the head. A com- parison of grain size and grain structure of surface and center of head is carefully noted. In brittle rails, the structure in the center of the head is abnormally large, whereas the structure at the sur- face may be normal. The first cause of this irregu- lar structure is generally attributed to initial re- heating temperatures, soaking too long at high tem- peratures, or finishing temperature much too high. Aside from the large and irregular grain structure, the surface of the head frequently shows an outer carbonless band which is indicative of too long soak- ing at rolling temperatures. While the conditions mentioned have an influence on grain size and the outer carbonless band promotes excessive flowing of the metal on the surface regardless of the carbon content, it is equally true that the influence of charg- ing green ingots is seldom considered and the first cause of much brittleness in steel is overlooked. It is comforting to know that thorough anneal- ing will refine the large and irregular grain struc- tures and will make the structure homogeneous and hence eliminate much of the brittleness. In the case of rails annealing is not done and only rails suffi- ciently strong to meet the drop test are put into service, but they have structures unfit to withstand the alternating stresses to which the rails are sub- jected. The accompanying prepared photographs serve to show the influence of normal and abnormal charg- ing of ingots on the structures in finished rails. Fig. 1 is an etched cross-section of an 8-in. square bloom rolled from an ingot soon after the metal was solidified and represents normal charging. It is to be noted that the etched surface shows a uniformity of structure with no indication of Fig. 2 segregation or unsoundness. is an etched cross-section of IRON AGE Septembe: 55, 1917 a rail rolled from a bloom which showed structure with no indication of segregat ~ soundness. Figs. 3 and 4 represent str res a surface and center of head of rail respecti, a little difference in grain size is to be not The photomicrographs represent structures at nagni fication of 50 diameters. The grain is pearlite gy, rounded by a net work or cell wall of ferrite. The chemical composition of steel in this series of pho. tographs is as follows: Carbon by co: ion 0.574 per cent; sulphur, 0.062 per cent; phosph - us, 0.058 per cent; manganese, 0.85 per c Fig. 5 is an etched cross-section of an 8-jp square bloom rolled from a green ingot. The cop. trast in color previously referred to is clearly ¢ fined. Fig. 6 is an etched cross-section of a raj rolled from such a bloom. Here again may be seen the contrast in color. Figs. 7 and 8 represent strue. tures at the surface and the center of the head of the rail respectively. The difference in grain size is readily seen. The photomicrographs represent structures at a magnification of 50 diameters. The chemical composition of steel in this series of pho- tographs is as follows: Carbon by combustion, 0.635 per cent; sulphur, 0.069 per cent; phosphorus, . 0.072 per cent; manganese, 0.91 per cent. TO MAKE OWN INGOTS FOR GUNS Tacony Ordnance Corporation Will Install Two Open Hearth Furnaces The Tacony Ordnance Corporation, which was re- cently incorporated with $100,000 capital stock, to con- struct a gun-forging plant at Tacony, Pa., near the plant of the Tacony Steel Co., with which it is affili- ated, has closed contracts for the purchase of a 22-acre site and will commence construction of buildings very soon. Two 50-ton open hearth oil-burning acid fur- naces will be built in addition to a forge shop and a machine shop. The capacity of the plant will be two gun sets per day. Rough machining only will be done The concern will make exclusively forgings with 9.5-in bore, having received the largest contract the United It will take four to five months to complete the plant ready for operations. Equipment will be purchased within the next two weeks. Twenty-one cranes, in- cluding a 60-ton ladle crane and a special crane for dipping forgings into an oil bath, will be required, as well as about 50 machines for the rough machining George Satterthwaite, formerly general superintendent of the Midvale Steel & Ordnance Corporation, has joined the Tacony Ordnance Corporation as vice-pres'- dent and general manager. J. B. Warren is president of the company. A New York office is maintained at 50 Church Street. The statement in THE IRON AGE that the Standaré Steel Castings Co., Cleveland, would forge guns for the Government should have read Standard Steel Works Co. The latter concern is completing additions to 1% plant at Burnham, Pa., and will forge 6-in. howitzers and also do the rough machining. New equipment has been purchased. The Taylor-Wharton Iron & Steel Co., High Briage N. J., has purchased equipment for its Tioga plant, Philadelphia, where gun forgings will be mad rough machined. Thus far five concerns have been given contracts by the Government for gun forgings. In additior the three above mentioned are the Heppenstal! Forge & Knife Co., Pittsburgh, and the Buckeye Steel Cast ings Co., Columbus, Ohio. Several new projects are under considerat the finishing of these guns. It is understood that some rough-bored forgings will be sent to France chining in plants in that country. ber 6, 1917 roved Elevating Industrial Truck circuit breaker are operated indeper dently so that the truck can be started on the e without fully re ' ew type of elevating platform storage battery easing the brake. The controller returns to the neutral use in manufacturing plants, having various position when the handle is released, affording the ents and improved features in its mechanical operator complete protection under both normal condi has been brought out by the Elwell-Parker ions and in emergencies Co., Cleveland, Ohio. In the place of the double The truck is steered through the fi wheels by a spur gear drive used on previous types for lever which is adjustable for the operator’s height ing, the driving motor is directly connected to The steering tierods and knuckles are located so that worm reduction on a four-pinion bevel differ- the difference in wheel angularity is nensated for minating loss in the power transmission. The giving concentric steering when turning to the right <le is of the full floating type. For the chain r le The ( re } har iously employed to elevate the platform, a dened and ground and h 3 orm and screw lifting device is provided. The eering knuckles a . er ng mechanism is operated by a separate lines to make the steering « ted close to the plat orm. The lift of the po the frame and 3 has been increased to 4% in. Attention is and the driving shaft a veight | are re the importance of this feature, as the higher movable the load up above floor obstructions and proves The truck is mad tw eigl equire tage in crossing door sills, rails and uneven ments. The lower one has whee x 21 n yards. The lifting mechanism runs at slow demountable rubber tires in front, and 5 x 10%-in oil and is said to need attention only once or rubber tires in the rear. The higher truck has larger year. The entire elevating mechanism can be wheels and is designed for yard work. The width of it if desired. In lifting, a switch is closed by the truck has been reduced 2 in. as compared with a > of ad ana LA / / / . eel” . » A TI ga Gearing Has Replaced Spur Gearing and the Cl I Tru ropu I New Storage Battery Ve e for | n Industrial Est ter the truck is driven beneath the separate former models, making it mors ( eration platform, the motor starts and the platform around corners and in nar? Lisle tors ipward. When the platform reaches its upper It can be used as a trac ve a trucl \ push mit a tripping device opens the motor switch, button bell alarm or hanical horn pI led the motor. Another improvement in the lift- All parts are of ste¢ d interchange Lead or chanism is that the upper or downward movement i nicke! steel batteries of inda pe furnished platform may be stopped at any point. This with a capacity to perform a vork whe iveling provided to prevent damage, should the plat- 10 to 20 miles contents catch an obstruction while being wered, Table of Tap Drill Sizes propelling and elevating motors are specially ) perform their respective functions, and both The Lufkin Rule ‘ Sag M is brought d. The storage battery is carried in a covered ut a reference tap dy! achine N nt on top, close to the controller and above taps It a fl Y 7 ng motor. A spring. brake is located between wide and 6% g. O tl : r and axle, being operated by the driver re hine screw ta LA it ze weight on one pedal forming half of th number and its d al equiv: aT : : ond platform. It is stated that the bral is ing body drill r and A con stopping the truck in its own length under plete set of decir silent 64t) i h is s of load and speed. The circuit breaker en on the othe ie a ch between the controller and battery is graduat« to 64t! y the weight of the operator on a se d rcuit breaker is interlocked with the cor The Metal Produ ( n t ps | will not close except when the latter is and reamers and brass, copper and alun roduct Therefore, no fuse is required and the has removed from the K vy B r, Ne N. J., take the full battery power. The brake and to 32 Broadwa THE IRON AGE i Child Labor Law a Radical Departure Federal Judge Declared It Unconstitutional, but New Act Is in Force in All Other Districts— Federal Officials Believe It Will Be Sustained WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.—Very careful examination should be given by manufacturers and dealers in all parts of the country to the statute which became effec- tive on the first instant “to prevent interstate commerce in the products of child labor” and to the regulations thereunder which have just been promulgated by a board consisting of the Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor. The new law is an extraordinary statute which seeks in a manner never heretofore attempted to utilize the power of Con- gress to regulate interstate commerce for the purpose of exerting a form of police control over a subiect which heretofore has been regarded as wholly within the “urisdiction of the several States. The constitutionality of the new law has _ been seriously questioned by some of the ablest lawyers in and out of Congress, and last Friday at Greensboro, N. C., Federal Judge James E. Boyd of the western dis- trict of North Carolina held the act unconstitutional, enjoining the United States district attorney from en- forcing its provisions in that district. The decision was in a case brought to restrain a cotton mill company from discharging two minors. Judge Boyd held that Congress had exceeded its power in attempting the regulation of local conditions. Congress, he said, could regulate trade among the states but not the internal conditions of labor. The case will, of course, be taken to the Supreme Court of the United States and unless other courts should take similar action, the statute will continue in force in all districts except the western dis- trict of North Carolina. The Federal officials at Wash- ington regard the decision merely as a vehicle for getting the law before the Supreme Court and they are entirely confident that the action of Congress will be sustained. Provisions of the Law The new statute, known as the Keating-Owen act, provides that “no producer, manufacturer, or dealer shall ship or deliver for shipment in interstate or foreign commerce any article or commodity the product of any mine or quarry, situated in the United States, in which within 30 days prior to the time of the removal of such product therefrom, children under the age of 16 years have been employed or permitted to work, or any article or commodity the product of any mill, can- nery, workshop, factory, or manufacturing establish- ment, situated in the United States, in which within 30 days prior to the removal of such product therefrom children under the age of 14 years have been employed or permitted to work, or children between the ages of 14 years and 16 years have been employed or permitted to work more than eight hours in any day, or more than six days in any week, or after the hours of seven o’clock postmeridian, or before the hour of six o’clock antemeridian.” For the purpose of securing the en- forcement of the act the Secretary of Labor or anyone duly appointed by him is authorized to enter and in- spect at any time mines, quarries, mills, workshops, factories, manufacturing establishments and _ other places in which goods are produced or held for inter- state commerce, and it is made the duty of each dis- trict attorney to whom the Secretary of Labor shall report any violation of the act to cause appropriate proceedings to be commenced and prosecuted in the United States courts. Anyone violating the provisions of the act is liable to a fine upon first conviction of not more than $200, which is increased for each subsequent offense to not more than $1,000, or to imprisonment for not more than three months, or both. Guaranty Required Inasmuch as the letter of the law renders a dealer equally liable with the manufacturer for the interstate shipment of goods made by child labor, the framers 9; the statute have provided for the protection of th, former by stipulating that he shall procure from th, producer a guaranty “issued by the person by whon the goods are delivered for shipment or transportatioy were manufactured or produced, resident in the Unites States, to the effect that such goods were produced or manufactured in a mine or quarry in which within 3 days prior to their removal therefrom no children under the age of 16 years were employed or permitted ¢ work, or in a mill, cannery, workshop, factory, or manu facturing establishment, in which within 30 days prior to the removal of such goods therefrom no childrer under the age of 14 years were employed or permitted to work, nor children between the ages of 14 and 1 years employed or permitted to work more than eight hours in any day or more than six days in any week or after the hour of seven o’clock postmeridian or ly fore the hour of six o’clock antemeridian; and in suct event, if the guaranty contains any false statement of ; material fact, the guarantor shall be amenable to pros cution and to the fine or imprisonment provided by this section for violation of the provisions of this act.” The guaranty provision of the new law has already beer fully tested in connection with the pure food and drug statute which contains a similar proviso for the protec tion of wholesalers and retailers. Troublesome Feature In view of the broad scope of the new law, which covers every possible line of production or manufacture it is probable that at the outset there will be a very general demand on the part of dealers for guarantees covering goods produced in mines or factories in which minors are employed in any capacity, whether withir the prohibition of the statute or not. In this connec tion a vexatious feature of the regulations for the en forcement of the act provides that the guaranty t protect the dealer from prosecution “shall be specific covering the particular goods shipped or delivered for shipment or transportation, and shall not be a genera guaranty covering all goods manufactured or produced or to be manufactured or produced by the guarantor.’ The guaranty may be incorporated in or attached t or stamped or printed on the bill of sale, bill of lading or other schedule that contains a list of the goods whict the manufacturer or producer intends to guarantee Under the pure food and drug law, manufacturers are permitted to file with the Secretary of Agriculture a single general guaranty under which all dealers are automatically protected against prosecution, but for some unknown reason the departmental board which has drafted the regulations has rejected this plan ir favor of the drastic regulation of a special guaranty) to accompany each lot of goods. This will make necessary for the complete protection of the dealer that he shall preserve indefinitely a large volume of bills of lading, invoices or separate guaranties received by hin from producers. Form of Guaranty As the law does not require manufacturers to fur nish guaranties but imposes upon dealers the duty 0! procuring them for their own protection, it has bee! deemed advisable by the departmental board to pro vide forms which comply with the requirements of the act, as follows: For products of mines or puarries (I or we), the undersigned, do hereby guarantee tl articles or commodities listed herein (or specify the were produced by (me or us) in a mine or quarry in ¥ n within 30 days prior to removal of such product therefro! children under the age of 16 years were employed or pert to work (Name and place of business of producer or manufactu (Date of removal.) e, nber 6, 1917 oducts of a mill, cannery, workshop, factory or ing establishment: we), the undersigned, do hereby guarantee that the 1 commodities listed herein (or specify the same) juced or manufactured by (me or us) in a (mill, workshop, factory, or manufacturing establishment) within 30 days prior to the removal of such product no children under the age of 14 years were em- permitted to work, nor children between the ages ind 16 years were employed or permitted to work ight hours in any day or more than six days in r after the hour of 7 o’clock p. m. or before the clock a. m nd place of business of producer or manufacturer. ) of removal.) ducers and manufacturers may protect them- by requiring minor employees to produce certifi- f age. In States having child labor laws requir- ployment, age or working certificates or permits issued, such documents given under State author- ll be recognized as meeting the requirements of w Federal statute. In other States, Federal age ates must be procured from officials hereafter to esignated by the departmental board for children 16 and 17 years of age when employment in or quarry is contemplated and for childyven be- 14 and 16 years of age when the employment is n mill, workshop, factory or manufacturing shment. nufacturers are required to keep time records ng the hours of employment for all children be- 14 and 16 years of age, whether employed on a or a piece-rate basis. Children of the ages covered he statute may not be employed for more than six ive days. W. L. ¢ Dead Front Type of Plug Switch Safety in making or breaking circuits carrying irrents at comparatively high voltage is the e emphasized by the General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y., for a line of dead front plug es which it has brought out. The switches are rovement on the older design. In the new type h the current carrying leads are attached to + iter ends of the receptacle and the parts ac- from the front of the panel are dead when ig is not in place, a feature of design which e switches their name. In the older type the ections ran to the inner end of the receptacle parts protruding through the panel were alive. hange in design is supplemented by the use insulation and a larger handle on the plug. he switch has opened sufficiently to break the there is only a slight chance of touching parts e switch which carry current. In general the plug switch follows the design of the single ne as regards the use of tube installation and parts, etc., but each complete switch consists tubular receptacles and a two-plug double-break h per pole. These switches also have thick, wide bars which are designed to act as a guard and additional protection. Both single and double types can be supplied, the special fields for which ire used being on both the primary and second- ies of constant current transformers in connec- with series lighting circuits and occasionally on capacity feeder circuits where the voltage does eed 2500 volts. ny “J the Swedish Crucible Steel Co., Detroit, Mich., inces that it will shortly begin an addition to its ry that will more than double its present capacity. w 2-ton converter will be installed. The company ther extensions well under way, including an addi- » its machine department and a new finishing and ng department. he Superior Tool Co., Dayton, Ohio, recently granted er, with a capital of $10,000 will engage in the ifacture of tools and special machinery. H. W. is president and general manager, and W. E. Is secretary and treasurer. yt r y THE IRON AGE 033 REQUIREMENTS OF SILICA BRICK Strength and Spalling Losses Related to Size of Ganister—Causes of Failure The influence on the physical properties of silicon bricks of pressure and degree of fineness of material used in their manufacture was studied by C. E. Nesbitt and M. L. Bell. The results of this study and of re lated tests were described in a paper presented before the American Society for Testing Materials at Atlantic City, June 26, of which the following is a summary: Two very important properties of first-class silica brick are mechanical strength and resistance to spall ing. The strength as indicaved by impact tests 1s greatest when finely ground ganister is used while the loss by spalling increases with fineness of mesh. Hence a mesh must be selected at the expense of one of these properties. As more is gained by a coarse mesh a coarsely ground material is advocated The average spalling loss for hand-made silica brick is about 30 per cent. Power-pressed silica bricks were made with the same spalling loss from 4-mesh ma terial pressed at 1500 lb. per square inch. These bricks were true to shape, sharp-cornered, dense and had smooth, marble-like surfaces. Molding defects such as soft corners, sponginess, improper slicking and lack of cohesion were all eliminated The prospect of the adoptior of power pressing as a step towards better and more uniform silica brick was clearly brought out The idea of power pressing is not entirely new, yet little has been done in a commercial way. One of the large concerns is now manufacturing brick this way on a commercial basis. The average spalling loss of these bricks is 25 per cent. In actual service, although well guarded as far a practice and construction will permit, silica brick fa from three primary causes: spalling, crushing, and slagging. These cannot be entirely eliminated, but by a deeper study of the manufacturing of brick they car be reduced to a minimum An ideal brick must be well molded, true to shape, thoroughly bonded, and of good mechanical strength. A visual inspection of almost any shipment will show at least 20 per cent of defective bric! Six ship ments of brick of different brands brought out the fact that 60 per cent of the defect were due to molding. 5oU per cent to fire cracks, and 10 per cent to improper setting and irregular shapes These defects can be largely overcome in the present n ethod of manufac ture by careful inspection and rejection of the im properly made bricks at certain points in the manu facture. The ganister must be carefully selected, and sorted, all rock that is soft or which carries considerable iron, clay, sandstone or other foreign matter should be re jected. The ganister selected should be ground to just pass a 4-mesh screen, care being taken to avoid an excessive amount of finely ground material. To in sure uniformity, frequent sieve tests of the mud should be made. To secure a sufficient bond, 1.75 to 2 per cent of lime should be used. To avoid irregular shapes and molding defects, 9 to 11 per cent of water should be used for hand-made bricks and the material should be pounded into the mold. The bricks should be thor oughly dried so as to avoid fire cracks when placed in the kiln. Great care should be used when heating, especially during the first part of the burn. to prevent fire cracking. This applies also to the cooling. The bricks as they are removed from the kiln should be carefully inspected, and all bricks showing molding defects, fire cracks and irregular shapes should be rejected. The consumer should be allowed to inspect the bricks before they are loaded on the car and a place should be provided for storage of such brick as he may desire to test. The Thew Automatic Shovel Co., Lorain, Ohio, is filline war orders for shovels and unloading cranes for the French and British Governments Boiler Design for Multiple Bunsen I Bafiling Insure Gas-Fuel Economy 3urners and Special Complete Combus- tion and High Operating Efficiencies N a paper which he read before the Engineers’ So- ciety of Western Pennsylvania, and which is sum- marized below, J. C. Hobbs, assistant to the superintendent of power stations, Duquesne Light Co., Pittsburgh, described salient features of a boiler plant using gas fuel. He claims high efficiencies which he attributes to a burner giving correct mixtures of air and gas under all conditions of operation and to baffling to reduce the draft loss through the damper and to provide a long path for the gases. The plant, which is designed for heating purposes, is located under the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, and has a capacity of 4000 to 5000 boiler horsepower. Service is maintained 24 hr. of the day and 12 months of the year to take care of buildings which, in addition to heat, require hot water or have ice machines. The load factor, ratio of the the maximum demand, 25 per service only. or demand for heating average cent to is Baffles The first two installed were of the longi- tudinal type and were baffled with a special vertical baffle built of a high temperature cement. The econ- omy obtained was good at first, but it was soon found that the cement was falling out and the stack tempera tures were going up. The that the standard three-pass baffling was not used is that with gas fuel a very small intensity Horizontal and Vertical boilers reason in the furnace is required. Instead of reducing the draft intensity by damper regulation, it was decided to draw the gas over a longer path and to impinge it against the tubes at a higher velocit so more heat would be extracted from the products of combustio and a higher efficiency obtained. Later two boilers of the cross-drum type with hori- ty] zontal baffles were installed. of the chances of forming a dirt pocket at the rear of the On account second pass their settings are not recommended fi coal, but hori zontal baffling has been used quite successfully with and without the addition of some device or arrange ment for the removal of dust from the pockets. The simplicity and ease of installation and renewals make this type particularly attractive Burner Design for Economy The design of the furnace fo1 was determined almost entirely by the conditions present in this par- ticular installation. The tant to combustion, most of the investig on it. Pittsburgh designs we) only the basic principle of the West The reasons why the mercial burners now on the market as hammer thal + t impor was spent nd found in mos - i01 discarded a design Virginia was used. com- were not used are: The all in fas could t 4 4 degree ot certa At low rating or with low eg pres “burning back’”’ experiences When the burne! shut off é r cannot 1} hut off, most of th I ers h g ol sul to prevent the the bur } g | I The ida princi error f j the mixing feature of the burners themselves, by the u Oo smoke ind bridge wall temperaturs sh that the Li through the center of the burner was reall ld cor ul the stream lines were not broken up The initial cost of the commercial type prohil 1 the cost of renewals is high In the design an endeavor was made overcome all of the above objections and, up to date, the results have shown that it is a success. The points on which stress was laid were the control of and air and the thoroughness of their mixing before entering the furnace without allowing the flame to flare back. Both the air and gas are under the operator’s control, and though the gas and air are kept separate to within to gas a few inches of the furnace an intimate obtained. mix Control of Combustion Mixture No attempt was made to make the gas and trol entirely automatic, for it has been found tl! time required for gas and air adjustments is sma it is believed the advantage of simplicity is suffici offset the cost of hand operation. The adjustments for the correct ratio of gas and air are determined by use of a single “U” tube. T is connected to the gas chamber between the control valve and the mixing nozzles. The correct positior of the air damper has been determined by special and operating tests and for the sake of simplicity th: damper is marked so its position is indicated by the same figure which represents the gas pressure. Th: air supply is determined by the position of the air damper, as the drop in pressure from the boiler roon to the furnace is maintained constant at 0.10 in. of water. This figure was a compromise between a hig! draft loss through the burner with the disadvantage of increased leakage loss through the setting, and a very low draft loss which changing slightly would cause excessive changes in the air supply. The Combustion Chamber The brick work is simple. The side wails are plain, but contain insulating brick between the fire brick and the red brick and no checker work is used. With verti- cal baffles the bridge wall, which was pushed back t give more combustion space, was reinforced by a series of V-shaped pilasters, giving more contact surface to the flame and assisting the mixture of gases. With the horizontal baffling medium height bridge wall slightly raised in front of each burner is used. It would seem with gas fuel that usual figures of cubic feet of combustion space per horsepower for com- plete combustion are all too high, and it is doubtful whether the question of volume very important The two controlling factors of combustion are tem perature and mixture. Mixture is the one which must be given most consideration. If a gas pipe two or three inches in diameter were opened directly into the fur- it likely that the flame would extend almost entirely through the different passes of the setting because the mixing would be very poor. If, on the other hand, the whole front of the furnace were composed of Bunsen burners, it is likely that the combustion would be completed within a few inches and certainly within two or three feet of the burners. These are extremes but illustrate the principle. The burner adopted is in reality a multiple Bunsen burner. a 1S is nace ’ Economy of Operation The plant is not very old, but regular operating performance has proved there is merit in the installa- tion. The average monthly efficiency obtained in actua! operation from October, 1916, to and including April, 1917, follow. These data are in one sense the result of a continuous test. A statement is made up every eight hours showing the essential facts for that period Every pound of water to the boilers is weighed, every pound of water blown or allowed to leak through the blow-down is weighed and deducted, and every cubi foot of gas is metered. Even the radiation from the pipe lines within the plant is charged to the boilers and every pound of this is deducted from the output. Average Average efficienc y efficiency Vonths Per cent Months Per cent October, 1916. “Toe February 5 November 0442 March is December -78.4 April (5.6 January, 1917 85.2 534 er 6, 1917 alvses are not made continuously or even because with the positive burner arrange- io not seem necessary. In tests to determine irner arrangement the analysis was: CO,, CO, 0.0 per cent; O., 0.9 per cent; N, When an attempt was made to further air CO began to form. The percentage of ow but the theoretical maximum is only a 12 per cent. the months of October to April, inclusive, monthly efficiencies were never lower than and some times as high as 85 per cent. iencies do not appear very high when com- guarantee figures for coal (which allow for sses) of 73, 75 or 76 per cent at the most load, but neither do they represent a few even a day but are the averages covering a th. They are what has actually been accom- the regular operators who attend to other side economy. th Safety Goggle with Special Lenses ial form of crystal which can be cracked but, phasized, will not splinter, is a special feature ty goggle that has been placed on the market ; & Buereleisen, 37 Warren Street, New York. igned for use by machinists, welders ind a number of orders have been es are d artisans Pulley over W the Speed reasing the Diameter of the for use in aviation goggles for the military gas masks. Aside from tering feature, clouding up due to moisture on is claimed to be eliminated. used in the goggles are made up of two with an interposed layel of . — rystais o tor optical glass a Recently Developed Safety Pieces of Glass with M Being Welded Whole ‘ n Be Cracked but Goggle Con- a Strip of Celluloid Inter- nto a Solid Mass Which Will Not Break THE IRON AGE 55 ' celluloid, all of which is welded into a solid mass. In ‘ this way, it is claimed, the crystal possesses the virtues of ordinary glass with none of the drawbacks, while at the same time it has the strength and safety features of the celluloid goggles, in addition to being rigid fireproof. The celluloid layer provides a heat insulating medium which serves to prevent the clouding up due to moisture condensation. It is stated that even though the lens may be broken by a hammer blo no flying of splinters to jeopardize the eyesight of the wearer and the crystal remains perfectly gas and water tight. and A New Type of Variable Speed Pulley A variable speed pulley in which gearing has be« eliminated has been developed by W. B. Dunbar, Sydney Australia, and Charles M. Terry, Inc., 25 Broad Street, ‘ New York, is acting as the American representative Among the advantages claimed for the pulley ar reduction in the number of parts employed to provide the speed variation and the adaptability of the pu for governing the speed of a heavy stamping press 01 delicate mechanisms. It is also possible to vary the velocity ratios between the driving and driven shafts ‘ £ powel t at will without interrupting the transmission of A flat belt is employed, which fact is The pulley consists essentially of a pair of a set of segments and six notched van T lso emphasized 3 + a ¥ z ve, - are of two types, one whicl pr ‘ egments forming the first o1 mailer diameter, with the master segments located underneatl The latter ; work between fixed flanges, the vans ding through f them. The vanes have guide slot in which a roller * engaging in the body of the segments travels to producs the expansion or contraction. In tl va pointed out, the pulley retai a true circumference at any diameter. While the vanes in the pulley illustrated have notches in the slots these can be dispensed with ar the slots given a per y straight outline I pre ror minute variations in spe¢ wher ire desirabts At the ame time ne ote! enable ae te change ‘ e secured readily While the lle llilustrated ope! ‘ 1 lever nd notched quad t, other peratir r? ement At prov ded i a na wne¢ or rt ‘ In one installati that has been made in Austr la a chain running over a set of sprocke hee he i employed. The National Safety Council, which will hold its annual meeting in New York in the week of Sept. 10, has had, according to W. H. Cameron, general man ager, an increase in membership of 68 per cent in the past year. There are now 3293 members, with 15,400 representatives and 4,500,000 workmen. Starting four years ago with one salaried official, it now has a staff of 20. Over 5,000,000 bulletins on safety subjects were mailed in the year. There have now been established 33 State and local organizations f ‘oes ‘ ZT a i 53 THE NEEDS ARE STUPENDOUS Estimates of Appropriations Rapidly Increasing— The Liberty Loans WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.—New estimates raising the cost of the war and the maintenance of the Government for the current fiscal year to the stupendous total of $21,000,000,000, the framing of a new bond and certif- icate bill authorizing new issues aggregating $11,538,- 000,000, the announcement of a new $3,000,000,000 lib- erty loan, the recasting on a much higher scale of the excess profits tax by the Senate Finance Committee in deference to sentiment aroused by the radical wing of the Senate, and the serving of notice on behalf of a large contingent of House members that a last ditch fight will be made to secure the authorization of a joint committee to supervise the colossal current expendi- tures, have been the salient developments of the past week in the financing of the war. Taken together they foreshadow a practically continuous session of Con- gress far into next summer with a possible short recess of a few weeks beginning early in the coming Novem- ber. The new estimates of expenditures for the year end- ing June 30, next, as presented by Secretary McAdoo to the Ways and Means Committee, have been accepted without a question notwithstanding the fact that they are several billion dollars in excess of figures laid before the committee less than a fortnight ago. The extent to which the Treasury is planning to finance the Allies is disclosed in Mr. McAdoo’s memorandum, showing loans past and prospective for the current year aggregating $7,000,000,000, a full third of the nation’s total expenditures. Disbursements on account of the war are figured at $10,750,000,000, current main- tenance of the Government at $1,300,000,000, and mar- gin of safety to meet unforseen emergencies, $2,000,- 000,000. Treasury officials and Congressional leaders agree that this margin of safety is none too great and point to such enormous unexpected supplemental esti- mates as $1,000,000,000 for the Shipping Board, $640,- 000,000 for airplanes, and $350,000,000 for additional destroyers, all of which have been presented to Con- rress without warning during the past 60 days. The project of the House leaders, who are closely following the suggestions of the Treasury Department, contemplates the raising of the revenue to meet these fabulous disbursements from the following sources: Sale of bonds for the Allies, $7,000,000,000; pending war revenue bill, $3,000,000,000; war certificates $4,- 000,000,000; war certificates, $2,000,000,000; bonds for domestic purposes already authorized, $2,- 000,000,000, and regular revenue receipts, $1,300,000,- 000. It will be noted that the estimate of the revenue producing capacity of the war revenue measure is increased $1,000,000,000 above the House draft and a substantially larger amount above the original Finance Committee draft, but changes recently made in the Sen- ate are counted upon to close the gap and produce not far from $3,000,000,000. The Ways and Means Committee has promptly framed and reported the war bond and certificate bill recommended by the Treasury Department and carry- ing $11,538,000,000. The bonds authorized by this meas- ure are to bear 4 per cent interest and together with certificates of indebtedness and war savings certificates are to be subject at least to income supertaxes but not to normal income or war profits tax. The interest rates on the certificates of indebtedness and war savings cer- tificates are to be fixed by the Secretary of the Treas- ury and are likely to fluctuate in accordance with the money market. The Treasury Department is prohib- ited from selling foreign bonds taken in exchange for loans at less than their purchase price and the Secre- tary of the Treasury is required to exact interest from banks in which deposits are made of moneys accruing from the sale of bonds or certificates. Approximately $20,000,000 will be allowed the Treasury Depart- ment to be expended in floating all bonds and certifi- eates authorized by the new measure savings IRON AGE September 5, 19)7 The decision to increase the interest rate on the ney bonds, which will include the forthcoming second “1, erty” loan, and to subject them to income surtaxes ei been reached as the result of an exhaustive investiga. tion made by Treasury experts to determine the extom to which the first issue of bonds has been utilized jy wealthy individuals and by corporations to escape os ation. It is said to have been discovered that a number of large corporations having a part of their surply: invested in municipal, public utility, railroad and othe, bonds sold those securities and purchased large blocks of “Liberty” bonds and that many individuals of : wealth disposed of preferred stocks and other i; ments paying as high as 7 per cent and purchased bonds with the proceeds, one person investing in th manner as much as $60,000,000. As the income ¢ schedule of the war revenue bill as passed by the Hous and accepted by the Senate imposes a tax of 45 per cent on incomes in excess of $1,000,000, it is obvious that 3% per cent bond, free of all taxation, is a more attr tive proposition than a 7 per cent preferred stock ject to the 45 per cent income tax and to persona in the various States ranging from 1% to 2 per cent Under the new plan adopted by the Treasury | partment the first “Liberty” loan of $2,000,000,00 paying 3% per cent, will be retired and replaced per cent bonds subject to income supertaxes. In the hands of persons having moderate incomes the new bonds will be free of tax and this fact yw no doubt materially assist in giving them a wide d tribution, although it will make them less attractiv: large investors and financial institutions. The second “Liberty” loan will be launched about October 1, it is said that its flotation will be accompanied by less spectacular features than marked the first bond sak The radical element in the Senate led by LaFollette, of Wisconsin, Johnson, of California, and Norris, of Nebraska, has developed such strength that the Finance Committee has been completely stampeded and has been forced to abandon certain important features of its excess profits tax plan in favor of higher rates and more drastic requirements. It is true the Senate rejected Senator LaFollette’s proposition for a maxi mum tax of 80 per cent, but on the other hand Chair man Simmons has been forced to bring in a compre hensive amendment fixing a maximum of 60 per cent accompanied by an entirely new provision designed t tax a great many corporations with large earnings which would pay no profits taxes under the original Senate bill. iarve ivest- i excess How Railroad Spikes Are Made Track spikes, according to Charles E. Slyke, super intendent bolt and rivet department, Inland Steel Com- pany, in one of that company’s safety bulletins, ar made from basic open-hearth steel containing from 0.15 to 0.24 per cent carbon; 0.45 to 0.50 per cent mar ganese; 0.05 per cent phosphorus and 0.06 per cent sul- phur, which resists the weather better than Bessemer steel, and containing less phosphorus is less liable t crystalization. Spikes, he explains, are made from square bars cut in 23%-ft. lengths, the rough size being 1/64 larger than the shank diameter of the finished spike to meet the reduction in forging. These bars, though heated to a higher temperature than rivet and traci bolt bars, are charged into similar continuous heating furnaces. As the bars are heated they are pushec through the furnace by the charger to the feeder, whe grasps them with a pair of tongs and feeds them int the rolls of the automatic machine which shears, points and heads the spike. The spike is then dropped upon an endless conveyor and carried to the cooling bins. The essential features of a good spike as outline¢ by Mr. Slyke are: A short, square point; freedom 0 fins, especially large ones; full, well-formed heads co centric with the shank of the spike, and the proper angle under the heads to conform to the number © degrees outlined in the specifications and blue prints so that the spike will fit the flange of the rail. Th spikes must also be true to size. ’ lanning Department in Modern Shops’ Man- Production Heads and the Qualifications Essential BY COOPER— Duties agerial and the ginal planning department as developed by rick Winslow Taylor is composed of eight ' tions, with the work equally divided between he and the management. The four managerial are 1. Routing Instruction T.me and cost records; and $+. Discipline ; shop or productive division supports 1. The gang boss 2. The machine speed boss The repair boss; and The inspector Routing nection of routing embraces (1) the production 2) the route clerk; (3) the order-of-work clerk, {) the recording clerk. The routing function or determines the “when,” the “who” and “where” of the work. iction Clerk.—The production clerk determines en” of an order in point of time. It is his duty s the mediary between the production division ales division. He is the “program maker” in letermines the relative importance of the vari- us on hand, and decides the order in which the arious orders shall be finished. From the production sales department receives its promises of lelivery, and from him the order-of-work clerk re- eives his general order of work; more properly, per- haps, the sequence of orders. The production clerk is isually the head of the planning departme