The Iron Age 1918-09-19: Vol 102 Iss 12

Te Ship On a AGLE NO. 1 was launched July 11, 1918. 1) This brief statement is significant, not only of what is to come, but of what has been done. Among the great forces set at work by the war, the combination of energy, engineering skill and capital which put the Eagles afloat will take high rank when history is written. Built in the marine department of the Ford Motor Co., on the River Rouge, Detroit, Eagle No. 1 the forerunner of scores of other sub marine chasers eventually to be launched at the rate of one a day unless all plans go awry. In a broad way, the Ford organization is manufac turing ships under the same general plan used in making Ford automobiles, an undertaking involv- ing the creation of a tremendous plant, methods iipment unique in shipbuilding, and the soly ng of unusual engineering problems. The Eagles are not motor boats, as many have im- agined, but oil-burning, steam-turbine-driven Ships, 200 ft. in length and of 25-ft. beam. That and eg they are swift goes without saying. They are hii + ‘ : : oullt of steel throughout. No. 1 was launched two at ifter the laying of the keel. rhe great plant stands where less than five before was idle ground, much of it marsh, 4 creek winding its way through the site. The ours f the creek was changed, much driving of pues and filling was done, a main structure, 350 x 1700 ft., was built of steel and glass with compo- sition roof; a fabricating shop 155 x 450 ft. was erected, to which 150 ft. more is being added; a great fit-out building was built, as was a transfer New York, September 19, {S-Wheel Carriage Is Rolled Upor 679 1918 Manuf T ss Laps at lord Shipyard Submarine Chasers Assembled on Wheels and Dro ped into Wetter A Launching 4 Day rhe Aim Se =e table 202 ft. wide for the transverse movement of completed hulls; and a hydraulic launching ma chine which gently, and always under full control, lowers the ship into the water, was constructed The Government dredged a channel three-quarters of a mile long from the river to the launching dock lr Keeping with moder? ] ring method, all operations on the Eagles are in proper sequence; material, and vessels as they grow, fol low straight lines. In the great buildi L700 ft long, the boats are assembled, 21 being unde struction at one time. When they leave this build ing they are ready for the water, there to be towed to the bulkhead which adjoins the fit-out building material is stored in a great yard, material being classified and metal, which are held Raw piles of designated by markers made of sheet on standards thrust into the material, consisting most! the latter varying from '% to *% in. in th is taken to the fabricating building, where plates are sheared and bent on The templates are of steel. If heating is necessary it is done in holes it plates are punched with huge machines. At one end of the fabricating shop is a blacksmith shop, and at the equipped machine shop. From the fabricating shop the various shapes, taken into the huge Every piece goes to used. All material ground Thence, the and plates, ickness, oil-burning furnaces Rivet iltiple-punching other end a well- now ready for assembly, are structure where ships grow. the point where it is to be Se en as RIE he Se aS ee SS eo une ue ao eR corti + — PP ae 8s tee 2p -_ - TO. rarer St. 680 Ford tractors trucks rawn b 1€ plant tnese tractors are is carried o1 Throughout t they haul they pull the ships, as will haul dump wagons filled with earth, seem restless for a task, i ie ubiqui- department; tous; material in every despite all they are called At the end of the numerous racks for on to do. assembly building are holding supplies of parts, each ready to enter a ship. The unit system of construction is followed, that is, a bulkhead, or other integral part is assembled and then lowered into place by crane. The 1700-ft. building has three great bays, on each side of which are smaller ones, these being used for the transportation of material. Down each large bay stretches a line of railroad track constructed of standard T rails. Each boat is as- sembled on a carriage supported by carwheels, there being 12 trucks, each with four wheels, or 48 wheels in all, under each carriage. Laid longi- tudinally on the trucks are 12 x 18-in. timbers, 12 to 20 ft. long; and on top of these are laid, transversely, shorter timbers, 10 x 12 in., and on .* . ae) er Cents THE IRON AGE Ser ber at Pt Chasers Are Under Construction at 0 the latter the keel is laid. From tl frames, plates and bulkheads, deck | etc., are rapidly applied, and before one’s eyes. Each stretch of tra to can accommodate seven boats, the three tracks together therefore having room for twenty-one. a constituting practically a mile of ships under struction. The building of a boat comprises seven groups of operations, and they are so timed as to be fir- ished simultaneously. When a ship moves out! the transfer table on its way to launching, tho behind it move up in position for the next set of operations. Briefly outlined, these operations are as follows: No. 1—Keel laid and bulkhead collars placed, also some of the floor beams, part of the longi- tudinal bulkheads, center and inner bulkheads (Incidental riveting, of course, is a part of each series of operations, likewise reaming rivet holes and some welding.) No. 2—Floor built, and frames (of which there are 113) erected the entire length of the boat house, =e’ Vise. ¥ , cs aN. * hs When a Ship Is Completed Ready for the } 1e Fitting Out It Is Hauled Upon the Transfer Table and Then Carried Sic to t Launching Stage a » ‘ 1918 heads, liners, keelson and floor room, tank plating, platform fore and aft. deck plating, outside and gunwale bar and collars, main ns, engine and boiler room, der of platform deck plating; atform to main deck, windlass foundations, signal room. ars and fittings, scuttle and man- ht doors and caulking. ard and aft deck houses, break- rthouse, strut and stern bearings, bilge ‘1 drain piping, oil compartment tunnel. Xo 7—Seacock and strainer installation, na - gear and stuffing box, steering engine and nor ladder stairways, oil pumps, auxiliary 34 ir compressors. Installation of shaft ropeller Riveting, welding and caulking compartments air tested, painting tion completed. be understood that the foregoing is re outline of the work which goes into n Ai sfer table, 3144 x 202 ft., rests on a parallel concrete walls, on which even heavy T rails. The table is elec- erated. Emerging from the assembly ship is hauled over the table, then is ss the face of the building in which t until it comes opposite the launching slip in which there is 32 ft. of water is bridge-like structure of steel, sup- four arms connected with plungers in raulic cylinders, each 26-in. in diameter high. Near by is a pumphouse for sup- pressure to operate the plungers. Leav- ‘transfer table, a ship is again moved for- time running to and on the launching ridge, there to descend easily into its THE IRON AGE Stage or Bridge Is Operated Hydraulically with Viu: f Water and Towed t 681 proper element, as the water is released from the cylinders. Afloat, the vessel is towed down the canal and tied up adjoining the fitting-out shop for finishing touches and the installation of arma ment. It is jealously guarded by the United States Navy, whose officers and experts have watched every move made in the construction of the ship and have tested it repeatedly, inspection being continuous. Eight boats can be fitted out at once The vessels have a sharp bow, the bow plates being bent over a steel form, other plates being rolled About 200 tons of material enters each vessel before launching. They cont The sides of the boat are perpendicular, even the bow having no sheer. Every air-tight compartment and oil tank tested with 4 lb. of air before launching. Mar holes, windows and openings for water-tight doors in the bulkheads, there being 13 of the last-named, are cut with oxy-acetylene in the assembly build ail I wood ing, this naving been found the more practicabie procedure. Much of the machinery used in the fabricating shop and elsewhere around the plant was evolved at the Highland Park works of the Ford Motor Co the main factory of the company, where the tur bine engines which are to propel the Eagles are being built. The first boat constructed was experi mental, its parts being bolted together, so that it could be dismantled and reassembled permanently The first seven vessels built enabled a checking up on all drawings, and the working out of a proper assembly procedure, including the synchronizing of the operations. The first boat was started be fore the assembly building was completed. Boilers were installed and in operation before the boiler house was built. More should be said of the main building Each of the three bays in which boats are assem- bled is equipped with three 5-ton electric traveling cranes, and more are going in, to make four in each line. At the end where operation 1 is done, <3) Oo < Zz Oo m% — fy ic be 684 each steel pillar carries a wall crane. The keels are laid on the floor, then raised by overhead cranes to the carriage. Skylights give ample light by day, while at night the entire building is illumi- nated by a mercury vapor system. The exterior of the building is brilliantly lighted at night, for in every department, save the material storage, work goes on 24 hr., the employees working in three shifts. On a mezzanine floor extending across the operation 1 end of the assembly shop are the offices occupied by the shop managers and executives. The office walls, above the wainscoting, are en- tirely of glass and permit a clear view of the as- sembly building interior, and of the yard between that building and the fabricating shop. It is to be admitted that from this viewpoint, objects in the assembly structure are lost in the distance, so great is its length. Throughout the plant every known labor-sav- ing device is used in manufacture and assembly. An ingenious air jack supplies pressure for ream- ers, all holes being punched undersize and then reamed to size during assembly. Of no less importance than the buildings and equipment in the gigantic undertaking is the matter of labor. On July 18, 4800 men were em- ployed at the shipyard, and the number was then being increased at the rate of 150 a day, these men, of course, including all those on construction work around the plant, as well as those actually building boats. A spirit of enthusiasm prevails among the men, even the office boys being imbued with the spirit of hustle. Clever young engineers are much in evidence in all departments, and they are encouraged to think as well as to direct, as revealed by one little incident. With almost mili- tary precision and conciseness a young man stated a situation to his superior. The latter listened attentively. As soon as the younger man finished his statement his chief said “What is the solu- tion?” Without an instant’s hesitation the young man expressed himself as clearly and definitely as before. The quick response was: “Make out your order and I’ll sign it.” And, the question under discussion was no minor matter. Both men knew what should be done, the formality and official ap- proval was necessary, but it consumed a minimum of time. Men are being taken from the automobile plant at Highland Park, inasmuch as the work there is Motor Buses, Each with a A shipbuilding record which equals achievements in England and the United States was made at the yards of the Canadian Vickers, Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, when a 7000-ton cargo steamer, Samnanger, was completed 15 days after her empty hull had taken the water. Nine days after launching the machinery and boilers had been installed and were run under steam, and six days after that the vessel was ready for sea, THE IRON Trailer, Carry Employees from Car Lines to the Ship Factory AGE Sk letting down because of the pleasure cars being manufact meee the shipyard has his clearly. ae doing No. 1 work do that an: a becoming skilled specialists, supervision is minimized. Ther Leics for instance, making nothing | ae other for frames and another ve Throughout the ship, as may parts are standardized and are changeable. When a man is take) tioned as to what he has done, wha: } to do, and his experience is measured mine for what work he is best suited. all with th view of eliminating subsequent transfers. alth a these are provided for also. After a man has te at work a few days he receives a card (his y f meanwhile having been watched asking him ; he is satisfied and if there is any reason why } should be placed elsewhere. Transfers from op, cause are kept down to the minimum thread these means. Another feature is that the eens ization is so maintained that every place js {illo automatically should a man go elsewhere, Schoo: are maintained for teaching welding and caulking. An inspection of the plant revealed no may standing or sitting around waiting for somethin to do. At the same time, as pointed out by ay executive, there is no heart-breaking or nery racking work. The absence of lifting and car ing materials spells a lot. The plant has a first-aid department, equipped with pulmotor and other accessories, but accidents are few, largely through the efficacy of a safet organization composed of men whose sole duty it is to be constantly on the watch for infractions of the rules, and to see where bettered. The plant is some miles from the center Detroit, and to facilitate the movement of en ployees from the yard to the nearest street-car line the company has in service a line of buses, each of which pulls a trailer. No em ty TY) s+ Cette riveting, electr conditions can be can gain admittance to the yard with his | alone; he also must have his identificatior on which appears his photograph. The shipyard buildings are for permanence They stand not far from where the Ford blast furnace is being erected. The Department of Commerce reports that it nas received a dispatch from the American Consul — at Mexico City announcing the publication of a ie by the Mexican Government granting exemption fron import duty to all mining and industrial — 0.02 Sept. 1. Such machinery was formerly dutiable 4 os peso per kilo, or $0.45 per 100 Ib. in American ‘™ rency. 1¢ » ptember +¥ " g¢TRIC STEEL DEVELOPMENT* . a British Viewpoint — Less Need of Swedish Material NALD F. CAMPBELL es manufacturing steel in Eng- ng about 40 times the pre-war w possible to do without the large a ron and steel which were formerly to maintain our output of high- urthermore, the approaching ex- et gh-grade ores of Cumberland may equanimity, as electricity enables the inferior ores of Cleveland and nanufacture steel of great purity. the process is not yet appreciated aspect, but it is probable that it will ay h cae ( the basice-Bessemer process of Thomas n any oc , iwzhout the minette region of Lor- rougl “. and cause the enormous deposits of phosphoric rgan in Cleve and the Midlands to be a vast source lle, 5 ane ( possibly also phosphates for use Maximum Size of Electric Furnaces f steel is perhaps the most highly ia the electric furnace at the me, as the problems of constructing tilting ectrical apparatus suitable for the rough tee| works require considerable care and ex- [The large currents produce many phenomena and some considerable complexity. ' furnaces is already probably 10 per cent of the maximum which it will to obtain unless some radical alteration is the method of applying heat, and the efficiency irge-size furnaces does not increase substantially pared with those of medium capacity. The max- furnace is likely to be not much more and this size is only likely to be applied iid metal, or special purposes where are required. For the melting of cold 00-k.v.a. furnace is as efficient as any, and furnaces of a well-known make erected and 60 out of 116 in another ication of erest ‘ Oo steel y in 1917, try, were of this capacity. ee ige acid-lined furnace equipped for fast melt- re manufacture of castings and high-grade not been sufficiently applied, and the isic furnaces for refining large quantities st asic steel has been neglected in this country, s pared with other countries, where the output figures and furnaces of 25 to 30 regular operation. arge Cost and Supply of Power l€@SlloO ns of cost and supply of power are of uportance. The consumer and supplier of power t ts are not yet sufficiently alive to the e of close co-operation. The consumer is too nsiderate and does not appreciate the im- of maintaining a high load factor and rea- load. The supplier is frequently unrea- small fluctuations, which should have no effect on a properly protected and looped is provided with a reasonable margin \iter the war, manufacturers will have to maller margin of profit than at present, © method of reducing costs will be by the regu- batteries of furnaces to work with a “um demand far below the aggregate of the trans- es, which will result in great economy, ier and the supplier of power will co- should. ic regulator can be applied on the main ntering a consumer’s works to insure con- may be called a master regulator, as its ted by varying the resistance in the local nto a listrie + ry tT a ve recent issue of the London Jron and THE IRON AGE 685 adjusting circuit of the individua] regulators on the furnaces. Thus, for example, if 10 furnaces of 2000 k.v.a. capacity each be connected in a supply system by one consumer, the maximum load might be controlled so as not to exceed 15,000 k.v.a. instead of the 20,000 k.v.a. capacity of transformers installed, and no ap- preciable loss of production should result, as the cycle of: operation is such that the melting requires full load and the refining and teaming period an average of less than half load. It is desirable that furnaces should be emptied cor secutively at regular intervals to facilitate the work ing of cranes, ladle and general shop traffic. Thus the master regulator can be set to the total load at 12,000, 15,000, or any other total load that may be required to meet special circumstances, provided the furnaces have sufficient power for reasonable working This is of paramount importance, and the metallurgist must always control the electrical engineer to a great extent. Such a system, which can certail margin of power whenever it becomes available, wil! reduce the cost of the electric energy to a great degree control absorb a Water or Steam Generated Power It is probable that in many the actual of a kilowatt-hour of water power used in a steel fur nace having a load of about 45 per cent is little less than the cost of our best coal-fired generating stations The manufacture of aluminum, ferroalloys, carbide and nitrates gives an exceedingly high load factor, and is consequently suitable for cases cost water-generated electricity, but the average steel furnace does not exceed 40 per cent. This militates against water-power owing to its high capital expenditure and low running cost, and fa vors steam-generated power with its comparatively low first cost and high running charge. As in the case of most metallurgical processes, such as the Bessemer, Siemens-Martin, and blast fur nace, a limiting size is reached beyond which no econ- omy results and great difficulties begin and increase rapidly. These limits are now fairly well established, and future improvements in electric furnaces are to be sought principally in mechanical and electrical de- tails. The future development of the industry depends largely on a broader viewpoint on the part of the power-producing companies, with a resulting reduction in the cost of current, and a wider appreciation on the part of our chemists and metallurgists of vast poss bilities of intense heat in a neutral atmosphere Electric Steel After the War The question of utilizing electric furnaces after the war is giving great anxiety to some manufacturers, as the large supplies of turnings from the shell will no longer be available. There is no, doubt, how ever, that many electric furnaces will compete suc- cessfully with basic open-hearth furnaces inthe mar- ket for miscellaneous scrap collected throughout the country, which will be refined and replace Swedish im ported steel. The principal competitors of the scrap- melting electric furnaces in the Midlands will probably be found in those refining liquid steel on the North- east Coast. In any Scandinavian imports will practically cease and the high-class steel industry in Britain will be self-supporting factories case, A process for spraying metals upon any kind of sur face, using metal melted in an electric arc and blown by means of gas jets to the surface to be covered, ac- cording to The Engineer, London, was described in the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie. The metal to be sprayed forms one of the electrodes of the arc, and the gas jets are directed so as to strike the sides of the metal electrodes without impinging on the are and blowing it out. If the are is produced between two electrodes, one being metallic, and a stream of non- oxidizable gas is directed onto the electrode, portions of the electrode that are melted will be carried away in the form of a fine spray, and may be deposited on any surface on which they impinge, thus forming a metallic skin on it. Suitable control apparatus is provided to allow for the wear of the electrodes. Exemption for Indispensable Key Mey Employers Urged Not to Ask That Others Be Ex- cused from Military Service—General Crowder Explains Application of “Work or Fight” Order WASHINGTON, Sept. 17.—The important work of exempting for the. industries of the United States the millions of registrants under the new draft ages, whose presence in the factories is as important as their work in the trenches, is now under way. For the registrants between 32 and 45 years of age, this task is a monu- mental one, for Provost Marshal General Crowder has estimated that only about 6 per cent of these will be put into the Army. There has been some conflict in the various state- ments that have been issued in Washington concerning “essential occupations.” It had even been reported, and that on good authority, that the War Industries Board’s preference list would be used in interpreting the “work or fight” order. If that had been done, it would have caused a serious situation for all of the industries not in that list. General Crowder, however, has definitely declared that this will not be done. As the situation now stands, the deferments in classification will be made about as follows: Men with dependents will be given deferred classification for such dependents unless they are in the five “‘non-productive” occupations to which the “work or fight” order of last May specifically applied. If they are in an essential industry, however, so much the better for them. Men without dependents will be given de- ferred classification if they are in war-essential indus- tries and can demonstrate—or it can be demonstrated for them—that they are essential to these industries. Men without dependents, however, will find it more dif- ficult to demonstrate this essentiality than those who have families to support. Both General Crowder and Chairman Baruch of the War Industries Board have appealed to the employers of labor to take an active part in aiding in this important work of exemption. Chairman Baruch has appealed to the employers, how- ever to ask exemption for no worker who is not indis- pensable. First Duty of Industry “The first duty of the industrial establishment,” he said, “is to bring about the needed increment of man- power in the Army. The second duty is to protect the industrial establishments which are essential to supply- ing the soldiers with the tools of war. The War In- dustries Board directs the attention of industrial America to the fact that it has a highly important part in making the operation of the draft law successful. The first thing to do is for each employer of labor to thoroughly familiarize himself with the details of the law. The next is to make it a matter of honor to ask for industrial exemption for the lowest possible number and only for the indispensable key men. By observing these two points the duty to the Army and the duty to the Army’s supply source will be discharged.” General Crowder issued an important statement to clear up the misunderstanding that had been created by the discussion of “non-productive” occupations and ‘“‘non-priority” industries, as follows: “An erroneous impression is current that the ‘non- productive’ list of occupations contained in the Provost Marshal General’s ‘work or fight’ regulation of last May corresponds to the group of industries omitted from the ‘preference list’ announced by the chairman of the War Industries Board on Sept. 9. Because the former list was brief, only five classes of occupations, while the latter group is very large, including all industries ex- cept the 70 priority classes enumerated, and because the announcement of Sept. 9 stated that the ‘preference list’ is the ‘basis for industrial exemption from the draft,’ some persons have formed the impression that the small list of five ‘non-productive’ occupations has suddenly been enlarged by the Provost Marshal General to in- 686 clude the extensive group of indu chairman of the War Industries B Non-Productive List Not En}; “The impression that the ‘non-producti been enlarged at all, and particula: identical with ‘non-priority’ industries. and misleading that it calls for prompt The ‘non-productive’ list of five classi has not been enlarged, and it will not be out the amplest and most explicit service boards are expressly directed. y notice, to bring no other occupation under ¢} fight’ order, except those expressly listed “What, then, is the distinction betwee; groups? The War Industries Board is determining the principles upon which f transportation, materials, capital and labor allocated to the several industries most es , war program. An industry omitted from that therefore, in the position of not being entit priority privilege. The relation of that list Selective Service System is that an industry { in it is thereby recommended to the district boards being a “necessary” industry; and the district boy may take advantage of that recommendation in dew mining whether an indispensable man in such an iniy try should be placed in a deferred class on that ¢ Many Not Essential “But there are, of course, many hundreds of industries not positively essential to th war program nor to the maintenance of national intereg during the emergency. In those industries are, or wi be, millions of registrants deferred on grounds of ¢ pendency and many others in class I without def At this point the ‘work or fight’ order comes int but to only a very few classes of occupations—fi' -expressly enumerated in that order and toar small number of individuals. Among this extens unlisted group of ‘non-priority’ industries, it very few which it designates as ‘non-productive, ! ing in general those occupations in which the man-| within draft age could better, during the emerge replaced by woman’s work or by older men The policy involved is that those men of draft would serve the country best by getting out occupations, either into the military forces or int other occupation. Now, this other occupatior in a priority industry or in a non-priority industr ‘work or fight’ order does not prescribe any 0 for them to get into. There are plenty of non-p! industries to get into; though naturally they wo well to seek out a priority industry, if one Is ava But the ‘work or fight’ order does not attempt t on that point; it merely gives them the option o! gett out of the ‘non-productive’ occupation or o! benefit of their deferred classification or the order number. Top and Bettom of Scale “Thus the War Industries Board is concerned mer) with strengthening the priority position of a ¥"™ number of industries at the top of the scale, so to spe in relation to war needs; while the Provost are General’s regulation is concerned mainly with strengt ening the Army by taking the registrants who | ° to stay in a small number of occupations at the ” of the scale. The whole range of occupations 10 betwees the two lists remains open to receive those who | Se leave the five occupations named in the ‘work or Ng® order. “Lawyers, for example, ‘preference list’; hence a lawyer could presum scores, | - : +h are not mentioned 1 = ably not contember nect that point of intersection with the lition. The belt widths include every- 19, 1918 oat rder for the transportation of a set havail Nor are lawyers mentioned in the _ st: hence, a lawyer deferred on dency does not have to give up his to retain his deferment. On the ems are not on the ‘preference list,’ ear in the ‘non-productive’ list; hence room keeper not only could not obtain or the transportation of his poolroom nust either go into some other occupa- ferment, if any. ;, ‘non-priority’ and ‘non-productive,’ y are directed to different purposes identical and presumably never will Certainly the public is entitled to + no additions will be made to the ‘non- vithout ample and explicit notice.” W. L. C. Horsepower Pull of Belts* BY W. F. SCHAPHORST writer developed a belt chart that was ‘ue IRON AGE of Sept. 6, 1917. The chart mplified. All one has to do is to measure ameter, take its speed, decide on or ply of belt, and the horse- nediately determined. drawn the chart } zig-zag across from left to right right to left, the may What horsepower may be trans- single leather belt whose width a 20-in. pulley making 300 r.p.m.? 5 (column A) with the 300 (col- locate the intersection of the with column C. From that point ction run through the 20 (column D) the intersection with column E. tted line across as case be. gle’ in column G, and the point where sses column F gives the horse answer, as may be readily ob- about 9.8 hp. that the nough to care lhe by lous range of the chart for every ordinary WIDTH OF BELT, INCHES m 1 to 60 in. Speed ranges from 3 Diameters include everything in. Horse power ranges from belt thickness varies from single (000) suppose, now, that it is thought “light double” belt in the above rather than a single. What would ith then be? with the words “light double” hand side, one would zig-zag known points to the left and find gives 3.8 in. as the answer \. Therefore, a 4-in. belt would Cha is based on well-known and much-used advocated by manufacturers of belts he buyers. Iron Ore in Bavaria luction of iron ore in Bavaria was very the middle ages, but later was driven out an and other pig iron. Lately the in- een revived, and Bavaria now ranks fourth ron ore producing states of Germany. Ac- recent report, the output rose in the 10 to 1913 from 180,342 to 485,254 tons, of ‘JS tons were smelted in Bavaria. The sup- on ore which will be available within a period of time, and which are chiefly in Palatinate and Upper Franconia, are esti- 150 to 200 million tons. 1918, by W. F. Schaphorst. THE IRON AGE 687 How British Hollow Shafting Is Made For the drum mounted free upon the shaft, the idler pulley, the ball race and for similar purposes hollow shafting, it is claimed, offers attractive possibilities because it renders lubrication from within the shaft a simple proposition, it being merely necessary to supply the lubricant under pressure to the hollow por- tion and deliver it through holes to the bearings. Briefly, the British method of production at the plant of Dunford & Elliott, Ltd., Sheffield, England, is as follows: Assuming the finished article required to be a 1% in. shaft 22 ft. long, with a % in. hole bored throughout its length, a billet 17 in. long by 4-in. square section is drilled through its length with a 1% in. hole. A piece of steel is then electrically welded into one end, the bore filled solid with cement, and the top hole closed with a further piece of steel welded in, the billet being then sent to the mill to be rolled down to required section. After rolling, the ends of the are cut off and the cement cleaned out on a special machine. Upon this machine the shaft is rigidly held, and a metal tube, delivering compressed air at a sure of 1200 lb. per sq. in., is automatically fed down the hole, the time required to clean such a shaft about two minutes. As the the bar pres being the cement is cut out i +> a e—dnecedecesheeeedetet-tereenemeinersinertt+etetetee tet e ttt ttt ttt h tt tn ot > . b ’ “ rer ere tee form of a fine dust and delivered at the front end of the hole, it is caught up by a suction fan and delivered into a hopper below the shop floor, to be afterwards carted to the tip. This arrangement is thoroughly efficient, the shop being entirely free from dust. Within very wide limits almost size of shaft can be produced by this process. On a broad basis the amount of steel to be removed to form the hole is 10 per cent. of the total weight of the shaft, while it is not advisable to exceed it, this amount, especially in the case of large shafts, can be consider- ably reduced, if necessary. The process is being em- ployed to manufacture bars from % in. in diameter with a 3-16 in. hole up to 6 in. in diameter and with holes of varying sizes. There are no limitations to the length other than those of rolling. any and Freyn, Brassert & Co., Peoples Gas Building, Chicago, have been retained as consulting engineers by the Belfont Iron Works Co., Ironton, Ohio. ‘ Des iia " rel ips ne te ae La. ” tye ie ty: yarn | me ; ; 7 © ieee er i ia}. eh : a ae FY - a Pig & d re Y Peon Ae eames an é eth ———a Sapte iia 5 al Portable Arc Welding Machine A new type of portable arc welding machine that is gasoline driven has been brought out by the Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland. The welder is designed for use in shipbuilding and ship repair work for oil pipe general line work, for commercial work or in any place where electrical current is not available. The machine is mounted on a skid for convenience in moving around, and can be placed on a motor truck, shop truck or other vehicle for another. The complete welding unit consists of a Winton gasoline engine, a standard Lincoln motor, generator, an are stabilizer and a control panel. The photograph shows the arrangement of the machine, the radiator being at one end and the gasoline tank directly above the engine. The engine is started by a crank in front of the transfer from one location to radiator. The control panel on which knife switches are located is placed above the motor. The engine motor and generator are direct con nected. This is a veriable voltage machine, its voltage ranging from 20 volts no load to 50 volts with load, and it provides 150 amp. welding current. The stabil izer is a highly inductive low resistance coil connected to the welding circuit. This serves to correct tary fluctuations in the current. The welder virtually similar to the standard Lincoln ar designed for general use electrical available. momen- itself is welder where current is A New Tool Holder with Spring Head For taking finishing cuts on metal parts, the Cleve land National Machine Co., 1366 West Seventieth Street, Cleveland, has brought out a tool holder with a spring head. The:‘holder in appearance resembles a forged goose-neck finishing tool, but it is pointed out possesses the feature of adjustability to angles on either side of the center line of the holder and pro- vision for using various forms of tool steel bits. Among the operations which the holder is designed to The Enables the Tool to Be Set at Varying Angles with the Body Use of a Spring Head and an Adjustable Tool Clamp of the Holder for Performing Different Finishing and Operations Eliminates Chatter THE IRON AGE Se} handle are broaching, cutting-off 7 cutting keyways, tapping, turning : The holder consists of the hold Re goose neck and an interchangeabk aig. which the inserted steel cutter js of the swivel goose-neck connection proper and the tool clamp enables justed at any angle up to 90 deg. . oe holder and since the clamps for the 1 ae it is possible to place the tool on holder as well. Three tool clamps handling flat stock measuring \& & + from 3/16 to 5/16 in. in diameter 4 re 7 measuring 5/16 in. on a side. a A Floating Head Type of Water Heate; A water heater of the instantaneou the elimination of tube breakage is ¢lai; brought out by the Alberger Pump & Condenser 140 Cedar Street, New York. This heater js deci, for use wherever hot water is required in large quan- tities and exhaust or live steam is available for heating purposes. It is of the water tube type in which the water flows through the several passes of tubes while the steam surrounds the tubes. A so-called floating head is provided to take care of the expansion of the tubes due to intermittent service and is relied upon to elimi- nate the likelihood of the tubes. breaking. . 2 pointed out that the rate of heat transmission is higher with this type of heater than in one where the steam flows through the tubes, thus permitting the use of a smaller heater with corresponding reduc- tions in the amount of space required and the ini- tial and installation costs. The shell, tube heads, water channel and covers are castings, thus assuring The Use of a So-t ‘ ing Head to Take Expansion of the Tut Thus Eliminat } Characterizes the elimination of corro- taneous Wate sion to a great extent, while the tubes are straight pieces of brass which tends to reduce th tion loss. The use of straight tubes, it is explal avoids the necessity of removing any but the damag one when replacements are necessary. This is furt! facilitated by the use of a separate water which also provides ready access for cleaning wit breaking any pipe connections. Farm Gas Engine Eliminations At the request of the conservation division, Wa Industries Board, the National Implement & Ve! Association brought the manufacturers of far ternal combustion engines together at the Auditor Hotel, Chicago, on Monday, Sept. 9, to consider wha! eliminations might be made as a war con measure. A representative attendance of the industry ¥* present and agreed upon recommendations as to ‘“* number of sizes to which each manufacturer will !m" his production. The meeting suggested also the at when the eliminations should become effective. The . port of the meeting will be filed with the conservate® division. Details of the farm-engine manufacturine schedule will probably be announced when the War Industries Poard hands down its rulings to be observeé by every manufacturer. servat Fuel Economy in British Practice . al ve Iron Co.’s blast-furnace plant 7 | ve furnaces, each 82 ft. high, 23 ft. hroat, and 26-ft. bosh,-and six blow- two original furnaces have 8-ft. t and 5 have 10-ft. hearths. Nos. by the Loftus Iron Co. and blown in he 17, 1874. Both furnaces were damped _ Mi _ 1877, when the Loftus company went i? These two furnaces were acquired by _ th e Iron Co. in 1880, and were blown in 4+ vinal lining in September, 1880. ~ ‘vo. | furnace was blown continuously by the Skin- npany from September, 1880, until Dec. 31, the original lining. No. 2 was blown in in 1874. and continued blowing to May, 1877, and , rom September, 1880, until April 14, 1903, . further period of 22 yr. and 1 mo. on the original 1] life of one lining of 25 yr. and 2 mo. Nos. were built by the Skinningrove Iron Co. hearths. No. 4 was lighted up Oct. 6, 1895, | blowing on the original lining, after a period ) yr. and 3 mo. No. 3 was lighted up on Jan. 22, 8, and is still blowing on the original lining, a period » yr. No. 5 was lighted up on Nov. 9, 1901, and was Jown out on July 10, 1915, and is now being relined. The furnaces blowing at this date are Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The following is the life of each furnace lining, and | make of iron on original lining: } No. 1 Furnace | May, 1877, 2 yr. 7 mon.; make in ; Sedcekkebtehenees cee 49.162 | December, 1900, 20 yr. 3 mon 562.81 611 977 May, 1877, 2 yr. 7 mon make in ; os ‘ awe i aba 50.524 to April, 1903, 22 yr. 7 mon make 625,362 2 mon G75.R86 No. 3 Furnace Ta I 1918 still 1} wing I origina 8 769.900 s N 4 Fo ace J ary 1918, still 1 ving ! rig T47.674 S No. 5 Furnace July 1915 r. 7 mor 918,257 tons meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute nted a paper on the “Mechanical Clean- ‘and the fuel economy resulting there- tf the Tron and Steel Institute, No. ITI, Cleaning Iron Ore at the Belt paper I propose later to consider the ne blast furnaces that secure such long ning, and the fuel economy resulting it the moment I will confine my remarks ‘e of effectually cleaning the iron ore at this question is altogether apart from that to the life of furnace linings, and by either momy can be effected independent of the ave elapsed since 1908, when I presented . presented at the spring meeting of the stitute in London, England, May 2, 1918. aging director, Skinningrove Iron Co., Ltd., Cleaning the Ore and S Larger Output and Lower Coke Consumption in Long Life of Furnace Walls Blast Furnaces’ ize of Bell Factors in BY T. C. HUTCHINSON the paper referred to. The experience of these 10 yea has confirmed the figures | reported in 1908. From that date, careful attention has been given to secure the jection at the belt of all impurities that could mechanically treated. A check sorting bench was established near the fu naces quite apart from the cleaning belt at the heap stead. Each week two cars of iron ore have been taken from the trains, after leaving the cleaning belt, and these have been re-sorted by hand, putting impurities aside that had passed the belt. The clean ore from the sorting bench was then analyzed, and the percentage of metallic iron in the clean ore ascertained and the con- sumption of iron ore per ton of pig iron produced in the blast furnaces, compared with the report from the cleaning belt. These comparisons were made each month. The metallic iron in the pig iron as received from the blast furnaces was taken at 92 per cent., this being based on average analyses entered in the laboratory report. Samples of No. 3 Foundry and Forge Pig 1 , Analysis Per Cent Par ('s Graphitic carbor 2 950 Mane : 0 Combined carbon 0.473 Arseni , 09 Silicon 2.320 Chromium Sulphur 0.049 Metallic iron 1 Phosphorus 1.570 The comparison instituted was as below If 20 cwrt f pig ron ore contali g 27 per é t re } ' 8.14 wts rf r to produce wrt f pig Thus +2 pe ! . ) vt ‘ iron ron ¢ Ss yt or nad ‘ or ; per cent * 20 1840 68.14 7 per ent f T T ore The actual consumption of iron ore in the furnace for the last 10 years has been: Iron €) eT ere if ‘ ' ' p tal ] } i ne as Iron Or 1908 ‘ 9 6.99 19on90 ¢ ) 7 ' ; *t ; 1 €9 . 6.36 } r¢ 1 6.54 > > ’ : ‘ 6.11 916 () , ¢ } 6.1 For more than 20 years we have analyzed every cast of pig iron produced at the blast furnaces. The low sulphur content has proved that the sulphur band tnalyases of Blaast-furnace and Mia Weta und the Res Steel Hot Metal Charged Mixer Met Steel Made Sul- Sul- Su Phos Manga Silicor phur, Silicor phur Carbon phur phoru nese Per Per Per P Per Per Per Per Cent Cent Cent Cent Cent Cent Cent Cent 29 0.024 0.56 0.0234 0.45 0.050 O70 2.10 0.030 44 m0 9.046 0.69 2.30 0.044 42 1.045 0.037 0.74 5.39 0.025 0.87 0) 053 045 0.69 3.1 0.024 - » 045 » O40 7 3.01 0.028 2 49 0.028 0.56 2.87 0.036 2 of 0.050 2.72 0.023 2.77 0.036 9.47 2.91 0.033 0.47 é< 3.01 0.041 0.42 9.035 ; Average of sulphur 0.033 in molten iro Average of silicon 2.91 in molten iron brought with the iron ore from the mines can be me- chanically removed at the cleaning belt. The average analyses for silicon and sulphur from 1895 to 1906 were: Silicon 2.80 per cent and sulphur 689 ~~ ~~ a ee * - & 4 hae . ae f t aoe 3 é 1 f | r hee | ii 7 | ti i * aD f | ¥ & ee Y , ! sat NE Se Se Eeria * Due 690 0.033 per cent in the No. 3 iron, and silicon 2.53 per cent and sulphur 0.051 per cent in the foundry No. 4 iron. In 1908, the date of my paper, we haJ no steel works. Nearly our entire make of pig iron was sold to Scotland. In 1911 we used part of the iron as molten iron for manufacture of steel, and then realized the importance of low-sulphur iron for that purpose. At this date, Jan. 15, 1918, I have before me the analyses of molten iron sent to the steel-melting shop that day, which is as TN H i RSQys RYXYSs RY i i ) S SS Wk! Z i) wep hil SS FSG 2S MS a Vis Y =~ Reccd) Poe GES WAY) EE pe = NN Ae Fig i—Section of the Up Model of a Blast Furnace YY Used Experimentally. The Uy ™ section where the furnace was full was as shown at A to A and when the furnace was lowered. The model opened, the section of the lowered materia was as B to B below. Out of 1 3 consecutive casts from the blast fur- naces that day, 13 ladles of molten iron of about 30 tons each, or a total weight of metal of 390 analyzed as shown in the accompanying table. Such low-sulphur pig iron could not have been pro- duced if the sulphur band in the iron ore had not been mechanically removed at the cleaning belt. tons, Factors in Fuel Economy Fuel economy results partly from rejection of im- purities before the iron ore is charged into the furnace and partly by equal distribution and admixture of the mine, coke and limestone in the furnace itself. The working of Nos. 1 and 2 furnaces in 1881 (the first full year of the Skinningrove Iron Co.’s operations) was not satisfactory to the management. The respective makes were: 1881, No. 1, 22,799 tons; 1881, No. 2, 23,472 tons; as compared with 24,985, the average make for that year of all Cleveland furnaces. The iron produced was mainly forge. Neither the works chemist nor the furnace manager could suggest a remedy. It was imperative that one should be found, and for that purpose a model of the furnace was prepared and made exactly to scale (1 to 48). The charging bell was made to the same scale (13 ft.). A slide was fixed at the bottom of the model so that charges could be withdrawn during the time the model was being filled. This model was cut vertically into two equal portions and each half sheeted with glass so as to give two closed compartments when opened for examination. Experimental Model of a Furnace The material to be charged into the model was broken to the same scale as the model. The iron ore was broken into cubes % in. and below of varying sizes THE IRON - and large mine. down to dead small so as to represe; large and small calcined iron ore ac >}. t furnace. The limestone was broken + reed into the . . Cubes of 1" in. so as to represent the raw limesion, char me A/1e the furnace, mountain limestone being yeca set ™% to be broken by hand on arriving at the ¢, wnich had therefore no small limestone was cha naces. The coke to the same proport to dead small. The experiments with this mod February, 1882, and extended over seve, model was charged with small buck: 1/48 the « pacity of the furnace mine and coke barrows Then were tipped into the hopper of the mode! in the see manner as the mine and coke barrows were tipped inn the blast furnaces. Eighty rounds were thus filled a the model and then a portion drawn from the elhiie a get a clear section of the material as it descended m the furnace. Refilling was proceeded with until the model was filled, and it was then opened and there wae found in the center of the section a column equal jy the blast furnaces to 7 to 8 ft., composed of coke, limestone Similar conditions existed at ; the Proportion 0 f, ‘urnace, and , 3s “se 4 Into the fur. ’ l 12 Ir ; <s “ 44. GOW} mmenced r i W eeks. The a ihe the walls of the model. The iron ore, limestone and coke could be easily distinguished by the color—calcined iron ore being rej raw limestone being gray, and coke black. On eitho: side of the center column a distinct region of smal! sad ore and coke existed, and outside the column of small material a further region of large material existe; similar to that shown in the center column. The material charged into the model had formed two distinct cones, the apex of each being 5 ft. from the wall of the furnace, corresponding with the size of bel (13 ft.). The depression of each cone was 4 ft. 6 in.» 4 ft. 9 in., large material being very marked at the fe of each cone, so that the section across the modd showed large material at each wall and in the center, but two cones of small material in a direct vertical line from the apex to the bottom of the model. The section when the furnace was full was as shown in Fig. 1 a A to A. When the furnace was lowered and the model opened, the section of the lowered material was a B to B. Use of a Larger Bell The bell, equal to 13 ft. diameter in the furnace, was taken out of the model and another bell, equal to 15 ft. 6 in. diameter, was inserted, and material charged as in the previous experiment. When the model was opened the section was found to consist of lumpy material in the center, the whole of the small iron ore and small coke being thrown against the wall. There was a much deeper inverted cone in the center corresponding with the increased diameter of the bell. Material equal to 3 charges was then drawn from the bottom of the model and the burden fell 12 ft. It was found that the small coke and iron ore had descended close to the walls of the model to the entire depth down into the well of the furnace, the larger material descending in the center of the cone, the material becoming smaller as it approached the walls of the model. ; Experiments were made with various sizes of and deeper hoppers, the throat of the model being con- tracted to correspond with a smaller bell, filling being continued and drawing at the same time. These se- tions proved unsatisfactory. The contracted throats were removed and the mod restored to the original dimensions, the 15 ft. 6 in. & being applied and the model re-charged and drawing from the bottom at the same time. When opened the small was again found close to the walls down to te well of the furnace and la