The Iron Age 1920-10-21: Vol 106 Iss 17

4 ery e oN _ ia% — i ¢ . = “A 4 = Ve é ' a j if ELD % onay New York, October 21, 1920 HED 1855 VOL. 106: No. 17 BFE TMC. a, ? Mea Labor-Saving Foundry Innovations Planned Carousel and Apron Conveyors and Monorail System to Facilitate Casting of Automobile Motors— Core- Oven Room Ventilation—Unusual Sandblast Cabinet BY EDWIN A. HUNGER N the new foundry which the Lycoming Motors new foundry the best in up-to-date and efficient con- Corporation, Williamsport, Pa., maker of auto- struction. mobile engines, is building to replace its presen| The new foundry is being built on a tract of land foundry, particular emphasis will be placed on the of 15 acres, four of which will be under roof. It selection of numerous labor-saving devices. Wher-_ will be designed to turn out castings for 1200 com ever possible conveyors of various types will be plete automobile motors a day for which there will used and efficient routing of work will receive spe- be a daily melt of 250 to 300 tons. There will be cial attention to reduce hand working toa minimum. four cupolas with provision for two additional In fact, it is figured that with the new foundry’ units to take care of future expansion. The big three times as much work will be possible with the foundry is to be of all steel and glass construction same number of foundrymen as now employed. and a total of 1800 tons of steel will be used in its Worthy of special note will be two large circular erection. This steel is being furnished by the or carousel type conveyors, 60 ft. in diameter, 5 ft. American Bridge Co. which is also erecting the steel wide and flush with the foundry floor which will part of the plant. The foundations and sand bins move at a speed of 31% to 5 ft. a minute (54 minutes are to be of reinforced concrete. Division walls to be required for one complete revolution at a and wing walls 6 ft. high around the building are to speed of 3'5 ft. per min.), and which will be used be of stuccoed terra cotta hollow tile. Aithough to expedite the making such large castings as cyl originally planned to be complete and in operation inders and crank cases. Two apron type conveyors by Sept. 1, because of construction delays the new leading from these circular conveyors and extending foundry will not be ready for occupation until Jan. 1. almost the full length of the main foundry build- The site for the new plant was selected both ing will be additional labor-saving innovations for railroad advantages and for future expansion. worthy of particular mention. A special sand-blast The main building will be 560 ft. long and 240 ft. cabinet through which castings are to be conveyed wide, exclusive of a 30-ft. extension at the southern on an endless ladder chain provided with suitable side where concrete bins for storage of core sand hooks foy suspending the castings as they pass will be built. The superstructure of the building through the cabinet and the scheme for ventilating will be supported by trusses. The roof will be of the core-oven building are other noteworthy fea the monitor and the ventilation system of the Pond tures that will help the new Lycoming Motors plant operating type. The pattern shops, millwright de to stand out in advanced foundry design and con- partment, laboratory, hospital, locker and wash struction rooms and general offices will be at the west end Credit for the design of the conveyor and sand of the main building, occupying a space 60 x 240 ft. blast arrangements are due especially to J. H. Mc- Directly east of this space will be the charging floor. Cormi k, general] manager and F. M. Bender, chief The cupola and coke and pig iron storage areas will engineer of the Lycoming Motors Corporation, and cover a section, 60 x 150 ft. which will be 60 ft. high, F. Arthu Rianhard, architect and industrial engi this height being necessary because of the space re- oa of Vi imsport who have collaborated and quired for the overhead coke and storage bunkers 0] “| t} ] } 1 . . eal } . - s Pooled ; i©Cas witn the purpose ot making the and overhead mor orail employed to supply the pig ?) A z b —--4 6 24 So | ' - a | mn. gp ry ———y Ee ‘ ee - er j c a \ ~_ —- — “so - ne / - — ad —— ee. sates / ‘- ae! ms oN ite eee ssiaiamiieeliiadti / — ee Ee rt 4 Ce = SeeEs dts s = < on -InALA rad STEEL ROLLY NG il PS 4 Vatic ming Motors Coporation Foundry, to Be Used for Making Aut bile Engines. To the left is shown ‘Ung arrangement over the core The f ' « re ndicated in the background 1 ( 13 1 et et er OE 1032 THE IRON AGE r October 1920) A "| — —* > |} <-/wo Ton Cranes © a _— Mornn> Bear” = + eos ele. | & x S J f ,~o Peturn and Belt Conveyor a . ; : Q~ P « a z\ 4 . 1A . 2-Two Ton Cranes Sf pee : < 5 ‘ . 71 Bi = Belt Conve x - — _ me | 2-Two Jon Cranes ‘ aH Return Sand Belt Conyevor ¢ e) c veye ss . — Aa 9! Rear wn < flu rar7es Overhe pouring by hand and scrap iron to the charging floor and core sand to the mixing room and bins. The charging floor will be 18 ft. above the foundry floor level and will extend the full width and length of the area men- tioned. No opportunity has been neglected in the design to designate belt conveyors, elec- trically operated trucks and overhead trolley systems wherever possible, for the movement of the mate- rials in place of hand operation. Efficient routing of the materials, both raw and semi-finished, will depend on these special conveyances which will be so worked into the general plan of operation thai there will be a quick and orderly process working from west that from the cupola end on through to the shipping platform at the opposite east end. Siding facilities for railroad cars will be provided for the unloading of raw materials and the shipping by railroad of the finished engines far as foundry work is concerned) to the company’s machine shop which will be on the other side of town where the present plant now is located. Three rail- road spurs will run along the north side and two of these will be on a 2 per cent grade to allow the moving of cars by gravity. The grade will be long enough for three cars to be thus moved on each track. Another track will run along the south side of the foundry. The inside track on the north side will run over of the new foundry to east, is, or (so side a track hopper into which coke will be dumped. A Rexall conveyor belt will carry the coke to belt bucket conveyors which in turn will carry it up and deliver to another Rexall conveyor belt that will distribute it evenly by means of a movable hand- operated tripper into coke bunkers of 600 tons ca- pacity above the charging platform. Eight hopper gates and chutes will be provided in the bottom of the bunkers for delivering the coke on the charging floor directly in front of the cupolas. The coke will be dropped into wooden baskets of 100 lb. ca- pacity for exact measurement of coke which will be emptied by hand into the cupolas. Pig and scrap iron will be unloaded from cars on the middle north siding (which will run under a big A frame) by means of a 1-ton 52-in. Cutler- Hammer magnet and then conveyed to any one of 25 bins provided for storage purposes on the loading platform by a 5-ton cab-operated Shepard monorail hoist. These bins will have a capacity of 2700 tons, the will ad trolleys in foundry to a minimum main sufficient for a two weeks’ supply. Provi also be made for storing outside in the yard tons of pig iron and also surplus sand and This extra material will be moved by means of 4 30-ton Orton & Steinbrenner locomotive crane with 50-ft. boom which will run around the plant on the north, east and south sides. The pig and scrap iron will be taken from the bins on the charging floor to conveniently located scales where the charges will be weighed and the hauled to the cupolas by electric elevating platforn trucks. The iron will be thrown in by hand in orde to get us even a charge as possible. Mechanica operated charges have been considered, but t Lycoming Motors Corporation has found that the type of high grade gray-iron castings requ in automobile-motor construction better result be obtained by hand charging. As already noted there will be four cupolas provisions for two additional units. Two will be 96 in. in diameter and two 84 In. overall height will be 68 ft. The cupolas wil ! the continuous melting Whiting type with a spevs windbox and tuyere arrangement which will obvia the clogging of the tuyeres with molten 1! S1¢ HU oKe slag. They will be equipped with chain hoists lifting the bottoms into place. Three No.‘ blowers of the positive type (one blower Is 4 res unit) each connected to a 50-hp. Genera! ™ motor will be utilized and the reserve 0! be so placed that it may be connected line from the other two blowers, eac! serves two cupolas. Beyond the cupola area (which Is . is to be located the extended molding roo! will occupy a space 150 ft. wide into four molding bays) by 3830 height of the molding department to of trusses will be 211% ft., this heignt , aaa mined by heights necessary for operation” e100 Beyond the big molding room will be a sPi*" " 150 ft., to be devoted to the cleaning ae of castings, sorting, inspection -_ Ba KI parts for shipment. Directly outs “4 re room on both the north and east sides © all platform will be provided from which as ma five railroad cars, exclusive of trucks, at one time, An elaborate system of over 91) x 1; A; + f+ +h ta ship! t q , may be ven lleve will head trolie}: October 21, 1920 stalled in the main foundry room and so ar- ved that the molds for the larger castings may ired on the two huge circular carousel con- platforms already mentioned or molds for iller castings poured out on the floor beyond. ouring thus will be reduced to a minimum. iley system will be equipped with a turntable vement consisting of four turntables so as to permit the transverse movement of means of this, molten iron can be moved th sides of the foundry. On the long runs of onorail lines of which there will be two in undry sectidn, there will be crossover sec- ocated to allow full and empty ladles to pass. \ separate trolley system will be utilized for pouring he metal into the molds on each carousel conveyor. 2-ton, hand-operated Shepard cranes with tric hoists equipped with controllers specially esigned for foundry use will be employed for pour- the smaller molds, which after being made on achines will be set up on the floor and will be ved along the monorail system described above on arate crane rails. The monorails will be so ar- nged as to over-lap these 2-ton cranes, thus per- ting the removal of the ladles from the monorail with the hoist on the cranes and then distributing them over the pouring area as desired. Use will be de of 1500-lb. Whiting ladles. Che Circular Continuous Pouring Tables What may be easily classed as the outstanding ture of the new Lycoming Motors foundry will e the two large circular or carousel type conveyors ready referred to several times in this article. sutside diameters of these circular conveyors arousels will be 60 ft. and the platform or table, h will be 5 ft. wide, will be flush with the iry floor. Each carousel will be driven by a 10- Klectro-Dynamic motor through worm gear which will be connected by belt to the by changing the size of the belt pulleys e possible to vary the peripheral speed of the arousel from 31% to 5 ft. per min. Fifty- ites will be required for one complete revo- 1 peripheral speed of 315 ft. per min. The be of steel plates supported on a steel rame, bent to conform to the diameters bles. They will rotate on steel rails a concrete foundation. The pit for the Y THE IRON AGE 1033 underconstruction will be 442 ft. deep. The carou- sels and all conveyor equipment will be furnished by the Lamson Co., Boston. These carousels, as already pointed out, will be used to make the larger castings, such as cylinders and crank cases, one carousel to be devoted ex- clusively to the making of each type. The north cr outside carousel will thus be used for the crank cases or soft iron castings. The entire molding area, by the way, will be divided into two parts, one to be devoted to the making of soft castings and the other, or south half, to hard castings. The molding machines for the making of crank cases and cylinders will be placed along the outside of the carousels. Molds will be placed on the carousel tables and cores will be set in place and molds made ready for pouring as they move around to the pouring station. The monorails will be so arranged that pouring will have to be done at a definitely predetermined point and if the mold passes beyond this point it cannot be poured until it is conveyed completely around again. After the molds are poured, sufficient time (about 20 min.) will be taken to complete the revolution for cooling. When the castings reach a point just ahead of the molding machines, cranes will be used to remove the cast- ings, shake out the flasks over grates and place the castings on the apron conveyors on which they will be taken on down the foundry for subsequent work- ing. The flasks in turn will be returned to the carousel which will take them around to the mold- ing machines. The space inside the carousels will! be used for storing cores and flasks. Next to the carousels the two Lamson apron type conveyors which will extend from the carousels 295 ft. down either side of the main foundry room and on into the cleaning room deserve particular mention. Soft castings will go down one of these conveyors and hard castings down the other. Each conveyor will be 4 ft. wide and move at a speed of 4 ft. per min. Each will be operated by a 5-hp. elec- tro-dynamic motor in the cleaning room. Underneath each conveyor in a pit 8 ft. 3 in. deep will be Rexall Sahara conveyor belts which will return the sand to the cleaning room end where it will be raised to an overhead screen from which it will drop into a 200-ton storage bin. This screen- ing will cover all the revivifying done to the used ATFORM ‘ IQ9QYU90 a M p/-4 7 . 7h 7° + - arma - ¢ } x a et a re t co 7 SS ae 1h , ate —— asf ; y # A S 2" ‘sand r , Mo a 7x J y ‘ “T.. A@ a . Mac hin woo J = >A al | onal ¥ 5 hake Out Gra t —o44 . ! a 1 ’ a ; z : — — _ —__——_— — y ~ ~_—-—-—>— fp 2 _) aS as — a — J [So ———_; j aH rriar rT , Hi _ LL j = Molding yA2aaa 3 i aeilien ald ; 1ps you AQIE x 3 r Es - — - es s f PA 5’ 50' 75° 100 ag ~ j r i ’ 7 2 4 eT foe oven TTT TL LLL ee a — IL. i i. | j on - i i ud A LA m | New Lycoming Foundry This foundry will be distinctive for its conveyors, the two carousels 60 ft. nd the long apron-type conveyors standing out especially as important foundry innovations Oat Rte een mn FN mo } a i } ! - : : 1034 sand. After allowing sufficient time for cooling the sand will be returned by overhead belt conveyors going along the center and north and south walls to hoppers over the molding machines. These con- veyors will be provided with the necessary deflec- tors, reshaping plows and automatic tripping devices for the hoppers. The storage bins will be replen- ished by sand conveyed by wheelbarrow from three large storage bins, each of 400 tons capacity, located just beyond the cleaning room. The molding machines for the smaller castings such as pistons, cylinder heads, fly wheels, exhaust manifolds, bearing caps, etc., will be placed along the north wall, along the center columns and also along the columns separating the core room and molding room. These molds will be set and poured on the floor and the flasks later shaken out over grates that will be placed over the sand convey- ing belts already mentioned. Conveyor Type Sandblast Cabinet When the idea for the special conveyor type sandblast cabinet for sandblasting the heavy cyl- inders and crank cases as worked out by Messrs. Mc- Cleaning through Cormick and Bender was first submitted to various sandblast manufacturers, it was declared to be im- practical, but later, after further development and clarification, it was conceded to be one of the most schemes for the sandblasting of castings ever devised. Two of these cabinets 35 ft. long by 4 ft. wide by 6 ft. 6 in. high are now being made by the Mott Sand Blast Mfg. Co., Brooklyn. The cylinders and crank cases, after being de- livered into the cleaning room by the apron convey- ors, will first be roughly cleaned by hand over grates adjacent to the apron conveyors. The castings will then be picked up by hooks attached to a sort of endless ladder chain which will convey the castings through each cabinet at the rate of 4 ft. per min. and which will be operated by a 5 hp. motor. An operator will easily be able to push a casting over to a hook and steer the hook into a hole or corner of a casting. Both ends of each cabinet where the castings enter and leave will be provided with swinging doors and curtains to prevent the escape of dust. Four operators will work from the out- side of the cabinet and direct their sandblast noz- zles through curtained openings in the side. Each operator will work upon a certain definite part of each casting to facilitate production. One of the cabinets will be used for the sandblasting of crank case castings and the other for cylinders. The used sandblast sand will be automatically removed by screw and bucket conveyors and after being screened will be used again. An exhauster and dust arrestor, also to be furnished by the Mott company, will be used to remove the dust from these two cabinets; these will also serve other cleaning equipment in the cleaning room. Additional cleaning-room apparatus will include two Mott sandblast tables 8 ft. in diameter, two efficient THE IRON AGE October 21, 1929 Mott sandblast barrels 50 in. in diameter and long, a number of Whiting tumblers 42 in. in diam, ter and 72 in. long and a number of dou! d grinders. This equipment will be convenie % ranged so that little manual handling wil] } sary. After the cleaning, the castings will } on a roller type gravity operated conveyor h will take the castings to inspection bench: again by conveyors to various other operat finally to the shipping platform. After leaving the sandblast cabinets th: ders and crank cases will be placed on operated conveyors which will take them to tors who will do the necessary chipping and grind ing. The cylinders and cylinder heads will th: be taken to the testing department where eac} casting will be given a water test. In case of leaks developing the defective castings will be conveyed t the welding department where they will first placed in a preheating furnace through which the will be mechanically handled and then taken to t welders’ bench. After welding they will be mecha: ically delivered to a reheating furnace to remov strains and hard spots and then to a cooling fur Cylinders curtained JT IL ca x and Crankcases Operators work nozzles fron openings nace. The water test will be finally repeated and if any castings are still defective will be sent for retreatment and welding in the manner scribed above. The pattern shop will be 60 x 80 ft. and locate at the west end of the main building. Both w working and metal-working machinery for maki! the necessary pattern equipment will be installed in this department. Core-making Department Core sand will be unloaded from cars 11-yard electrically operated Hayward grab and conveyed on monorails to a_ three- V-shaped, 300-ton core-sand bunker located the core-sand mixing platform and equipped eight under-cut gates which will deliver sand t shaped overhead mixing or measuring trucks | built by the Lycoming Motors Corporation, W in turn will deliver sand to mixers built Bins for surplus core sand with a capacity tons will be outside the main building on te 5’ ern side. Sand of different compositions ™! contained in each section of the core-san@ and by means of the overhead trucks var! tures of sand will be made. There W core-sand mixing machines, one of wh spare unit. The mixing machines wi! em} hand-push trucks which will run out rectly over the core-making benches 4 a which will be in a room 380 x 60 ft. to extens © the entire south side of the molding ways for operators pushing the oor. * will be provided up in between the ; tracks will go the full length (380 It. making department. Chutes will be conveying the core sand directly October 21, 1920 s. Provision will be made in the cleaning r collecting the used core sand by a convey- em and delivering it to a bin outside the » room where it will be screened and a large ave of it reclaimed and used again. core oil which will be used in the core sand stored in two underground tanks with ca- of 10,500 gal. each, to be placed directly e core-sand mixing platform. The oil will red to the mixers by means of a hand | measuring pump which will be conveniently near the mixers. The mixers will be of pacity and made by the Standard Sand & Co., Cleveland, Ohio. The tanks and meas- imp will be supplied by S. F. Bowser & Co., ne, Ind. Steam coils will be provided inside for warming the oil. The oil will be run ravity from tank cars. r the cores have been made they will be n racks 5 ft. long by 4% ft. wide by 6 ft. ovided with shelves. When filled with cores racks will be picked up with electric elevating rm trucks and taken into the core ovens, 4 of 38 of which will be directly south and the core-making room. Special overhead onstruction with nine 48-in. Swartwout ven- will adequately remove all smoke and fumes he ovens and cores after they have been re- the Lycoming people declare, so that a wall ng core-making and core-oven rooms will necessary. \fter baking the racks will be removed a short e in front of the ovens where they will cool, ke and fumes be removed bv the ventilating described above. After being cooled the New Youngstown Policy as to Mill Operations NGSTOWN, OHIO, Oct. 19.—That a number of trict independent makers will adjust their chedules hereafter to conform to car sup- { stocking their output, is evidence of at iporary change in policy. Heretofore it has tim to maintain production whether the out- hipped or not and to allow the unshipped to accumulate. This resulted in a heavy back- reached in excess of 300,000 tons at one gged shipping wharves and warehouses and . large amount of capital. In the past two wever, this stocked tonnage has been largely the current hangover aggregating only 50,000 h was somewhat augmented during the week transportation due to coal priorities promul- Interstate Commerce Commission. Some turers feel that unnecessary restrictions on have been imposed by the commission, just when rail movement was righting itself and to normal. While announced operating ‘or this week have not been appreciably af- Ss a noticeable tendency to keep produc- the car-supply limit. vn makers ioined with Pittsburgh manu- terests in voicing emphatic protest against ment of the order requiring that all open- ides 38-in. high and over must be sent the coal mines, whether loaded or not, tion of special permits. Representatives lnstries asked that the ruling be modified ls to shiv their output in gondola cars nside height. tion has precipitated another temporary manufacturers have been quick to feel, that one large interest was forced for stock 1000 tons daily. With the end of } 6 movement. expected in from five to six imber of cars. estimated at from 4000 y THE IRON AGE 1035 cores will be returned to the core room for as- sembling, blacking and filing, where necessary. The heavy cylinder and crank cases will be conveyed by overhead trolley hoists to the molding floor in the same racks in which they were baked, the racks being provided with eye-bolts for the hoist hooks. The smaller cores will be conveyed to the molding room on hand trucks. The core ovens which will be of the Coleman type will be built by the Foundry Equipment Co., Cleve- land. The 38 ovens will be arranged in four bat- two batteries of 13 ovens and two batteries Each oven will be 7 ft. high and will accommodate two racks. There will be four firing boxes on each battery of firing boxes for each battery of six ovens. cores for veries, of six ovens each. 13 ovens and two Coke screenings from the cupolas will be used to fire the ovens. Each oven will be provided with sliding lift ] le 4 Steel pate doors. Separate Powerhouse Che powerhouse will be separate from the main building, in a steel, glass and concrete 10 x 100 ft. in size. 250-hp. inclosure In this building will be two boilers, two 1500-ft. Worthington twin air compressors operated by two 300-hp. Gen eral Electric motors. Transformer equipment wil! also be in this building. Arrangements will be made to unload fuel by gravity and exhaust ashes by steam pressure through a pipe out on to a dumping area to the rear of the powerhouse. The foundry will be heated by means of the unit system of foundry heating and heaters of either the Baetz or Ilg type will be employed. Showers and individual vitreous washbowls will be provided. Keeler to 5000 will be released for lower lake service. In view of the high rate of output which has been maintained, any curtailment in car supply is immedi- ately felt. Motor truck movement, too, has diminished as rail transportation has approached normal. Early Effect Expected UNIONTOWN, PA., Oct. 19.—Observers in the Con- nellsville region are watching closely developments in the English mine strike situation, inasmuch as they he- lieve it will have an immediate and direct bearing on the American fuel situation if the English walkout is complete. Export demand has maintained coal prices for many months, and while few export shipments are going from this region now because of the scarcity of permits, a probable change in this situation is seen if the English strike assumes a critical phase. Railroads entered the market during the week, buy- ing large quantities of coal, which is being stored, it is reported. Some observers are of the cpinion that export permits will be much more liberal within the next few days, probably during the week. British Iron and Steel Output in September LONDON, ENGLAND, Oct. 20. (By Cable) Production of pig iron in Great Britain in Septem- ber amounted to 741,000 gross tons and that of steel was 883,900 tons, compared with 752,400 tons of pig iron and 709,200 tons of steel in August and with 750,400 tons of pig iron and 800,000 tons of steel in July. The September pig iron output compares with an average of about 690,000 tons per month for the first six months of this year and with the monthly average for 1919 of 617,000 tons. The September steel output compares with an average of 821,000 for the first six months of this year and with the monthly aver- age for 1919 of 658,000 tons. The September steel pro- duction was the largest for any month this year. a ottteee een ci Maine tineine nese tthe: 1036 Contract for Ballantyne Pier Awarded SEATTLE, WASH., Oct. 12.—The Northern Construc- tion Co., of Vancouver, has been awarded a contract by the Harbor Commission of Vancouver, for the building of what will be known as the Ballantyne pier in that city, which will be by far the largest pier at any of the ports in Canada. The pier will have the most modern construction, and will be equipped with the latest type argo handling equipment. The superstructure wil) rest on reinforced concrete cylinders in a sand and gravel fill, on a solid foundation. The pier will be 12U0 ft. in length, 340 ft. wide, and there will be a shore quay 936 ft. long by 350 ft. The pier and super- structure will be of fire proof steel and concrete con- struction throughout, and will be of a substantial type. The outer berths will be dredged to a minimum of 45 ft. below ordinary low water. There will be three sheds, each 500 ft. long, and one 400 ft. long, two stories each, equipped with adequate electric elevators and cargo handling appliances. Each shed will be 100 ft. wide. In the center of the pier, between the sheds, will be a roadway for vehicles and three railroad tracks, and on the outer will be two railroad tracks. Large electric traveling cranes will be installed on the outer sides. The total cost of the pier is now estimated at about $6,000,000, and it will require two years or more to build. It is stated that before this pier is fin- ished, work will be started on a duplicate pier. Close to 6000 tons of structural steel will be used in building the pier, and there will also be several thousand tons or more of other forms of steel used. No contracts for any part of the construction have yet been placed, but a large Eastern structural mill has been asked by its Seattle representative to reserve 6000 tons of shapes for the pier for delivery next year. Negotiations are under way for the building by the Canadian Government of what will be known as the Esquimault dry dock at Victoria, B. C. The estimated cost of this dock is $6,000,000 to $8,000,000, and some definite announcement about its building is expected to come out in a short time. Several Seattle representa- tives of Eastern steel companies are in Victoria this week, getting what information they can about the building of this new dock, and also to get a line on what steel will be used in case the dock is built. J. Coughlan & Sons, Ltd., Vancouver, B. C., are figuring on the building of a new dry dock at Van- couver, but no details about it are available. It is said the company is to receive a large subsidy for 35 years from the Canadian Government, in case it decides to go ahead. The company operates two plants at Van- couver for the building of steel ships, these plants be- ing known as Nos. 1 and 2, and each has ua capacity for building 16, 8100 d.w. tons of shipping per year. Dur- ing the war, the company built for the English Govern- ment nine, 8100 d.w. steel ships, and four, 8190 d.w. steel ships for the Canadian Government. ¢ ot Cc + L sides Purchasing Agents to Eliminate Middle Men With the idea of eliminating middlemen who take a profit without giving returns, the National Association of Purchasing Agents at its fifth annual convention at Chicago, Oct. 11 to 13, inclusive, took preliminary steps towards the formation of seven commodity committees which will study basic raw materials. The committees will meet periodically and assemble reliable data on production and consumption, thereby forestalling as far as possible market manipulation through the dis- semination of erroneous information as to the relation of supply to demand. The step is taken es a result of lessons learned in the sellers’ market which prevailed during and subsequent to the war, when many middle- men came into existence and through their efforts en- couraged price advances to a point far beyond what was actually justified by the existing supply and de- mand. The seven committees are to deal with coal lumber, textiles, steel, oils, non-ferrous metals, and pig iron and coke. A co-ordinate development will be the segregation of the 3600 purchasing agents who are members of the association, into seven groups which will meet when necessary to advise the corresponding commodity committees. It is hoped through this plan THE IRON AGE October 21, 1920 to bring the producer and consumer of ray more closely together, without, however. ej intermediaries performing a real service. The next annual meeting of the associatio; heid at Indianapolis in October, 1921. Officers coming year include: President, W. |. Dodge Sales & Engineering Co., Mishawka. vice-president, A. H. Reinhardt, Poole Broth “ago; second vice-president, T. P. Webster, M Que.; third vice-president, A. V. Howland, Tj! Hillingsworth, Boston; fourth vice-president, S. | Woodbury, Wilamette Iron & Steel Co., Portland. Oy fifth vice-president, D. E. Ferguson, H. K. Porter ( Pittsburgh; treasurer, W. J. Gamble, Vulcan Steg Forging Co., Buffalo; secretary, L. F. Boffey, \ York. \ é Progress on the Safety Code Program The comprehensive program of safety codes being undertaken by a large number of organizations und& the auspices and rules of procedure of the A Engineering Standards Committee has already noted in these pages.’ Each code is being formulat by a sectional committee, broadly representative of the interests concerned, and composed primarily of repre- sentatives designated by the various bodies interested in the particular code. The sectional committee is organized by one or more bodies designated for th purpose by the American Engineering Standards Com mittee and known as sponsors. Sponsorships for th additional safety codes have been arranged as follows Machine Tools.—National Machine Too! Builders’ Association and the National Workmen’s Compensatior Service Bureau. Mechanical Transmission of Power.—National Workmen’s Compensation Service Bureau, the Inter- national Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Abrasive Wheels —The Grinding Wheel Manufac- turers of the United States and Canada, and the In- ternational Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions. Foundries.—American Foundrymen’s and the National Founders’ Association. Head and Eye Protection.—Bureau of Standards. The head and eye protection code has been com- pleted, and the sponsor, the Bureau of Standards, has submitted the code to the main committee for approva Association Easier Conditions in Coal and Coke n- UNIONTOWN, Pa., Oct. 19.—A decidedly softer ten dency was shown during the week in the coa! market and to a less degree in the coke market. However, coke quotations in the Connellsville region are con tinuing around $17 to $17.50 with a lessened demand. So far price reductions in the steel trade generally have not been reflected in this basic fuel here, but ‘t 's s°™ erally believed that price dropping on pig iron Wi! ™ followed soon by similar reductions in the price © coke. s The car situation continues to be the crux ol production situation in the region. The Pennsylvania division here had been notified that 1500 extra care daily had been ordered diverted to this region from ™& East, but so far this week they have failed to appea in any material numbers. Placements the — sylvania for the week will average ap, -vximately , the per cent. The Monongahela railroad, however, 1s P:4 ing 100 per cent coke and 87 per cent coal cars. r The labor supply is equal to the car supply at pre” ent and observers believe this situation will ‘ — Despite the fact that it is reported tha’ daily, few ™ the until spring. 3000 aliens are reaching Eastern ports . these immigrants have made their appearance © coal fields. Foreign bankers here say they are = into the Eastern textile and farming regions and the observers believe the influx of alien workmen pe coal and coke region will not be felt until spring—P ably March or April. (et 21, 1920 BALTIMORE PLANT ADDITION ike Iron Works Increases Capacity by Expansion and Labor Performance the Chesapeake Iron Works of Baltimore, of steel structures, bridges and electric ines, increased the capacity of its stru epartment 100 per cent by the addition of ne of steel and concrete construction 210 size. With this addition the plant of the Iron Works at Westport, Baltimore, covers es. Operating throughout the new build gth is a Chesapeake electric traveling ns capacity and 58-ft. span. There are 20-ft.-span Chesapeake gantry cranes itilized to handle “bull riveters.” will also be equipped with other latest handling devices, including a number of pneumatic riveters, portable electric and for smaller operations. ng and The addition of equipment to the Chesapeak« give it a capacity of about 1000 tons output r 12,000 tons per year, and the works wil! ent to about 300 yn with this expansion in it, F. S. men. building and Chavannes, president of the aunched a campaign to reduce costs and efficiency of his plant. Already excellent attained, he and on reduction of labor costs of one-fourth to effected, without in the least cut the quality of output, but rather, he adds 1 of output has been increased. s reorganization campaign emphasis is ner peing asserts, some a peen } aiso gy placed on the addition of new special machines thoroughly modernize the plant and enable to get a maximum output without undue strain. se, for instance, it was found that to finish work 1143 hr. of labor were required new method of operation employed as a result vestigation, and after an appliance was in lar work was turned out in 734 hr., a sav ob of 409 hr., or over 33 per cent in labor With more experience on this particular job pected the cut in labor costs will amount to as 0 per cent over the former method used. pany is now working out a scheme by which ¢ iece oT x 200 Ft. in Size Will Increase ral Steel Department, Works, 100 Per Cent nment THE IRON AGE 1037 it intends to divide with the employees on a particula: job the difference in estimate labor costs saved over the origina! of the work. If it is estimated that 1000 are required to do a certain piece of work, for example, and the men turn it out in 500 hr., those on the job will receive their lal proportion of the saving in lab > te costs Plans of Electric Alloy Steel Co. Louis J. ¢ im pbe president ) he F.ectric \ Steel ( Youngstown, O) states that construct f the proposed Niles, Ohio, plant of the ‘company w e deferred until next year The company has juired a sit Niles for its property. Meanwhil Charle Pa., plant is bei improved and its capacit enlarged \ second elect furnace is being add which will increase the daily capacity from 20 to 40 tons \ heat treating and annealing plant, scrap, billet and ingot yard and additional r: allroad connections a among the improvements being carried out at an i} proximate st of $300,000. Barton R. Shover, Pitt urgh, is msulting engineer on this project. T harleroi plant produces fine tool steel, ball bearing steel and the like, while present plans contemplate that the Niles works will produce steel f automobil springs. Absorbed by Hercules Mfg. Co. The Hercules Mfg. Co., recently organized in I lianapolis with a capital of $400,000, has acquired the the Hercules irer of Wizard magnetos The Hercules Mfg. Co i'rank I. Remy, Charles G The Remy entire business of Electric Co., manufa is headed by B. Perry Re my, McCutchen and C. D. Meie have had years of brothers experience 1! the design and manufacture of magnetos Mr. Me Cutchen is an experienced manufacturer and Mr. Mer has for vears been with the Hercules Electric Co The first efforts of the voted to improving Wizar new company ure being de 1 magnetos, but the eng: neer work in the development ig? ition on small already at ideas for reliabl ing department is of new stationary farm and marine engines The Bearings Co. of America, Lancaster, Pa., thrust ball bearings and ball retainers, has increased produc- tion capacity by about 75 per cent with the completion of a new concrete and steel building. cpa Community Spirit in Small Industrial Town Development of One-Big-Family Idea Among Employees by Moving to Village Black & Decker Plant Suy- rounded by Workers’ Residences — Stock-sharing Pian BY EDWIN A. “HERE and how to get steady, conscientious W and contented workpeople is an ever present industrial problem. Numerous are the plans promulgated to solve it. One of these plans is to take the factory, plant it out in open country, so to speak, and let a working community, its work- ing community, in fact, grow around it. That is how the great shoe-making center was established near Binghamton, N. Y., by Endicott Johnson & Co. and that also is the plan followed by the Black & Decker Mfg. Co., maker of portable electric drills, automobile air compressors and valve grinders and subject of this article. Fifteen miles out from Baltimore, Md., is a pleasant little country village called Towson Heights and on the edge of this village is a tract of 166 acres that contains the Black & Decker plant and a number of well built residences owned by Black & Decker employees. Even though the complete roll of workpeople numbers only 350, the Black & Decker company looms big in the eyes of the village inhabitants, for it is the one manufac- turing concern therein; all its employees live in the village or nearby; it is in truth one of the biggest things in Towson Heights. When people in Towson Heights, therefore, want to work, they think right off of the Black & Decker establish- ment and once connected therewith wanderlust does not frequently figure in their desires. Home and family ties coupled with employment in a concern that is on the qui vive to provide itself with numer- ous industrial-relations helps (if we may call them such) go much to keep the labor turnover down to a minimum. There is, in fact, only one notable labor diffi- culty met by the Black & Decker Mfg. Co. and that occurs several weeks in the spring and again in the fall when many of the employees take time off to spell their folks in the arduous duties of plough- ing and planting and later in harvesting. But knowing in advance, as they do, that a certain large percentage of their help will be missing during these periods, it is easy enough for the employ- ment heads to plan in advance and readjust the factory routine accordingly. Prior to coming to Towson Heights in 1917, the Black & Decker plant was in Baltimore where, of course, the company had to compete with all sorts of manufacturing concerns for help; and those workers it finally did get were often for- eigners and others without home ties or close family affiliations. In Towson Heights on the other hand, the employees are all Americans, many of them of families. that for generations back have been domiciled in the environs of Towson Heights. Trouble from radical agitators and sympathizers within the ranks as well as outside is unknown. People of the wholesome type born in and about a thoroughly American village such as Towson Heights have no time for the nonsense that the syndicalists and Bolshevists are continually hand- ing out. Naturally men and women of the mold now in 1038 HUNGER — the employ of the Black & Decker company since it moved to Towson Heights are keen for the com- munity idea; in fact, it was theirs long before the company came to Towson Heights and it is the latter really that is cashing in on that idea. As a result the big family idea has been made dominant and always an effort is put forth to include the villagers in this family. Thus, for instance, resi- dents of Towson Heights are permitted to a certain extent to partake in the company’s home-building and stock-sharing activities and are always in- cluded in its social programs. To further the democratic spirit that naturally follows the community idea, private offices for the heads of the company have been eliminated. The office building, which, by the way, during the war was a portable Y. M. C. A. hut; is a one-room inclosure and the desks of the president and vice- president are located out in the open among the twenty-five or more office employees. There is nothing like a central eating place to promote the get-together spirit and so a cafeteria has been established. In spite of the fact that the majority of the employees live close by, this cafeteria is crowded each noon and a noisy session (with lots of music) is always in order. Of course, at this time all the officials make a special effort to be on hand and mingle in the conversations and impromptu jollifications. Mention has already been made of the housing scheme. Some thirty modern residences have been built on the 166-acre plot on which the plant itself is lecated and the building of others is contem- plated. For the management of construction 4 building and loan association has been formed which is subscribed to not only by employees, but many Towson Heights people as well. All building is superintended by a company official and pur- chases for all building materials are made through the compeny’s purchasing department. Recently a plan for distributing a block of $250,000 preferred 8 per cent cumulative stock to the employees on long payments was aren Residents of Towson Heights will also be include in this plan to a limited extent. Thus again the idea of the community or one big partnership ; again put to the front. Another block of em will be sold later, the plan being to issue new a to the value of $1,000,000 within the next year. The first block carries with it a 25 per cent ees of common stock, one share to be given with se shares of preferred stock. In other words, ~ value of the new preferred stock will be $29 Se deemable at $27) and for each four shares, : a worth purchased, one share of common stock, The having a par value of $25, will be given. re- following statement published by the SS garding this stock-sharing plan is self-explana a In line with our policy of encouragins the interes and e : e work of all every member of our organization in th quitable rovide an @ the business in general, and in order to prov with the de means of sharing the profits of the — , arrange © make serving of our employees, we are going ' it easy for them to become stockholders First, we wil 1920 Two-Family Houses Occupied by Black &« built on the 166-acre ot on Ww - XN vP ia > F213 $ : ee ee erior of Main Manufacturing Building Fe) take re Where Black & Decker Products Are Machined and Assembled, Showing Clean, Ft) i te nn ~~ wend nici ell-Lighted Working Area yf Lt. Yn hi fee BY on LO rom the Manufacturing Plant, This Splendid Six-Room Cottage Is for One of the Employees mnlov 2 " ‘ployee Homes. For the management of construction of these homes a building and loan association has been formed 1040 THE IRON is large a cash subscription as each one can arrange pay for within 30 days, in sums, however, of not less ian $100 and multiples thereof Second, in addition to the further depend on h subscription, we will allow time to pay for a will will be ibseription. The amount of time allowed length of service of each employee, and worked on the basis of allowing one year's time for every yeat ‘rvice with the ompany up to a total of two years which six montl Will be lowed for each additional r of service However, everyone wi be given a minimun ir, evel the have bee with u mnliy one week one will lowed more than five year as a im time } next | ( ‘ ! ad ( o 1 ssued b the pany will not carr is large i per ntage ot commorl k as a bonus as tl first block, probably only 20 per cent hare ! ( 0 1 evel five share of pr | nd th lird percentage, per day per cent i I ur mp ee to get first | | os i ) ba nd get ! i is tl ) qt t ire llowit October 21, | A AGE The plant takes up 400,000 sq. ft. of floor s; The main building, which is 100 x 200 ft. in siz of all steel daylight construction. Since al] chines are electrically operated there is an absen of smoke and dirt and, therefore, the fact that th, plant is in the midst of the Black & Decker housing area does not mar the community idea with |} within such a close radius as it might wer conditions otherwise. As an indication of the company’s growth following figures of its business for the past years are interesting: 1915, $87,398.72; 1916. $197,831.63; 1917, $231,537.18; 1918, $513,505.98: 1919, $1,105,710.16; six months, 1920, $1,02s 935.99. That the development of the one-big-fan spirit made especially successful by moving the f: tory to Towson Heights helped to bring about increases named may readily be assumed. Developments in Electro-Percussive Welding Quantity Production of Duplicate Parts—Dissimilar Metals Joined and JYECENT developments in electro-percussive welding \ were discussed by Douglas F. Miner, research en- evineer Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., East Pitts- surgh, in a paper presented at a recent meeting of the Pittsburgh section of the American Welding Society. “Electro-percussive welding,” Mr. Miner said, “is a proc- ess which is primarily intended for manufacturing appli- ations, where large quantities of duplicate parts are . © e \ ae « > YW Fig. 1 Circuit Diagram of Condenser Type Welder to be produced. One size of machine will handle a large variety of pieces over quite a range of size, but it will be appreciated that more or less special holding fixtures must be designed to attach to a given machine. If only a small number of parts of each particular de- sign and size is to be made, the necessary investment in fixtures may be excessive. Thus it will be apparent that repair work is not the most suitable field. “There is unlimited opportunity for development of automatic machines utilizing this process. Inasmuch is the time of welding is negligible, the only limitation of speed of production is speed of feeding and gripping the pieces. This permits a heretofore impossible out put. Furthermore, unskilled In discussing the type of applications determined labor can be used.”’ suitable, the speaker said that a study of parts a prominent parts decided ad tering into the construction of make of 1utomobile, showed over 50 important where percussive welding would demonstrate a costs antage over present methods; manufacturing iny types of tools using a special cutting portion a cheaper grade shank would be reduced the manufacture of union ned to | better results obtained, and in irdware many items, especially those involving inlike metals or unequal sections offered interesting “1 27m: S1d1iities. “The underlying principles utilized in percussive Cutting Tools Attached to Low Grade Shanks welding,” Mr. Miner said, “were discovered in 1905 by L. W. Chubb, of the Westinghouse company. Follow ing his original: experiments Mr. Chubb developed machines for welding metals in wire form of rathe small cross-section. With this equipment very satis- factory welds were made between wires of various metals. Widely different physical properties of wires to be welded offered no obstacle and perfectly ductile welds were made with platinum and lead, tungsten and aluminum, copper and aluminum. “The apparatus consists essentially of a de