The Iron Age 1921-05-05: Vol 107 Iss 18

VOL. 107: No. 18 Shop Well Planned for Material Handling Minimum Movement of Fuel, Raw Steel and Finished Forgings in .Kropp Plant—Waste Heat from Furnaces Used in Boilers BY GILBERT L. LACHER plant depends as much on the correlation of its various departments as on the equipment it contains. The plant of the Kropp Forge Co., Cicero,* Ill., is a striking example of what can be accomplished through the design of a shop to elimi- nate unnecessary material handling. The plan of the plant is so co-ordinated with the equipment that the problem of unloading fuel and steel stock and shipping finished products has been rendered sim- ple. Consisting of a central bay used as a receiving and shipping room, and two side bays in which the furnaces and forging hammers are located, the shop is 500 ft. long and, for most of the distance, 146 ft. wide. Two parallel elevated .railroad sidings, one on each side of the building, are’ used for un- loading coal for the furnaces. The coal is dropped either direct from hopper cars through the trestle or from the side of gondola cars; to’a concrete stor- age yard below, with capacity under the tracks for 5000 tons. From the yard the coal] is shoveled di- rectly into the adjacent feed hoppers of the heating furnace stokers, inside the shop. As a precaution against a possible paralysis of railroad transporta- tion, the storage on both sides of the plant is con- nected by concrete roadway with the street, and hence may be reached by automobile truck. A third railroad track, capable of handling six tars at once, extends through about three-quarters the length of the middle bay. Forging billets in () “rian depe economy in a manufacturing *Chicago suburb 90NHNH DW St 4 - pp Ho oO y carload lots, delivered on this track, are unloaded by overhead traveling crane and piled next to the hammers in which they are to be forged. Billets are taken by jib crane from the stock piles into the side bays, where they are heated in the furnaces, forged under the hammers anti con- veyed back: to the-central bay as forgings. Each hammer is served by three jib cranes. In the main bay the forgings are picked up by overhead travel- ing crane and carried to the machine shop. Finished products are shipped out either by railroad cars.switched inte the middle bay, or by automobile truck. The company has three Nelson & Le Moon trucks of five, three and one-ton capac- ity respectively, for the delivery of products in Chi- cago; and vicinity., To permit the trucks to be driven in fron’ the driveway, a concrete floor was provided over about @ne-quarter of the middle bay. In a sipping and receiving office, next to the door connecting with ‘the outside driveway, record is kept of all incoming and outgoing materials. A 6-ton Fairbanks scale weighs shipments. While*the Kropp shop was completed only in 1919. an addition, 100,x 140 ft., has already been built to provide more room for hammers and fur- naces; and a heat treating and annealing room, 42 x 50 ft., is now being equipped. The plant con- tains ten standard-type steam forging hammers Pp H 4 [5 G otto rts : Ee 38 PPh A sement of Tools in the Forge Plant B represents and receiving room; waste-heat boik BM, horizontal boring mill; D, drill press: ‘ung furnace; G, grinder; H, power hammer; HS, hacksaw; L, engine lathe; P, planer; PP, punch press; 8S, shipping T, thread miller 1159 wD he aS Pa meee ge 1160 and four steam drop hammers, all furnished by the Niles-Bement-Pond Co. The drop hammers were recently installed. Two additional steam hammers, now in storage, will be erected when business de- mands it. In the north bay there are now eight hammers of 3000 to 8000-Ib.. the south bay six of 2000 to 6000-lb. and Billets and blooms of various sizes are pur- chased for use in the shop, the maximum size forged being a bloom 20-in. square. Carbon and 1) alloy steels of varying analyses are used, depending yn the orders of istomers. Waste Heat from Furnaces Conserved An important duced in economy was _ intro- the heating furnaces. Hach hammer is served by a furnace and every two furnaces are connected with a 150-hp. Page-Burton watertube boiler, manufactured by the Page Boiler The unused heat in the furnaces, in- operating connection with Co., Chicago. Cel Was Heat Boiler Are a Feature, Each Receiving Gases nad in turn rece stead of passing up the stacks to the atmosphere, is utilized to generate steam for the operation of the hammers. All of the boilers are inter-connected, to insure uniform steam pressure at all times. Ex- haust steam from the hammers heats the plant in cold weather, passing to radiators situated in ap- propriated locations, the coils of a warm blast in the machine shop. The steam is also heat water for showers and wash and to blower used to basins. An incidental advantage of the scheme for the conservation of waste heat lies in the fact that it has reduced the number of stacks in the plant, there being only seven for the 16 furnaces. The boiler house was, of course, rendered unnecessary by the use of the Page waste heat boilers. The furnaces have an exterior covering of steel plates as a protection for the brick work. That the plates tend to prevent the brick from cracking, and thus lengthen their service, is evident from the fact that work is only now under way on the first of the smoke erection of a separate THE IRON from Two Heating Furnaces Each ives AGE May 5, furnaces to be rebuilt. in January, 1919. Each furnace has one Jones underfeed manufactured by the Under-Feed Stoker America, Detroit. Coal is shoveled by han the adjacent storage pile to the feed hoppe: stoker. Sixteen direct-connected motor-driv: one for each furnace, provide the required d; This furnace was in Special Design of Tote Box For small forgings the company has p: special design of tote box ‘which will not of shape through contact with the heated The bottom of the box is lined with a laye) ing tubes through which air passes from of the box to the other. The bottom itself rests on the floor, as the longitudinal sides ; tended to form legs. This provides ample air below the bottom, in addition to the circulat air through the cooling pipes above it. Th / se (| | a se tt ee aT i i | \ ae —< a eee) | |! mig} | } | mee |} | I meer 1 \_\\ epee | tT | lV eo Bice |} | — c i] He e \. ry) \ | P| hs & hammer is served | its steam from the boiler which has a capacity of 344 tons, is suspended from a hanger which is both collapsible and detachable, thereby facilitating loading and unloading. In the main bay of the plant is a 30-hp. motor- driven Buffalo Forge Co. bar shear, which will cut cold steel up to 4 in. square. To keep the shop as tidy as is practicable, large steel boxes have been provided into which all scrap is dumped. When filled, the boxes are lifted by overhead crane an¢ emptied into railroad cars for shipment. Machine Shop Well Lighted aa Continuous sash, mechanically operated the floor level, is supplied to the entire plant, in the side walls and in the monitors. The machine shop, 50 x 140 ft., has a particularly good location from the standpoint of light, being situated in the southeast corner of the building, with its long s!¢© facing the south. Because of the need of an over head crane in handling large work, a few of ‘© heavier tools are located on the concrete section “ the main bay. The size of some work handled in te THE IRON AGE indicated by the fact that shaftings weigh- as much as 16,000 lb. rough-turned, have been 1ufactured [he heavier machine shop equipment includes a x 20-ft. 9-in. Pittsburgh Lathe Co. engine the, a LeBlond heavy duty 42-in. x 31-ft. engine ithe, a 54-in. Gisholt boring mill, a Woodward & well 7-ft. x 30-ft. planer, and three Klemm band iws. All of these machines have individual motor rive. The machine shop proper has 16 engine 32-in. x 32-in. x 8 ft. Whitcomb-Blaisdell planer, a Smalley thread miller, a Lees-Bradner thread miller, three Klemm band saws, five drill presses, two hack saws and a grinding machine. Most of these are belt-driven. A feature of the machine shop is the scheme of neating and ventilation. In one corner is a Baetz ind Shipping Room A 1 use of motor trucks bar shear air heater, manufactured by the Skinner Bros. Mfg. Co. Cold air, drawn in at the bottom of the heater by a motor-driven fan, circulates through a series of steam-heated coils before passing out at the top through a pipe elbow. The coils of pipe are supplied with exhaust steam from the hammers by a Worthington motor-driven pump. By sucking in the cold air from the floor of the room, and passing it out at an elevation, the Baetz heater effects a steady circulation of the air in the room. For the movement of heavy material there are two 10-ton Whiting overhead traveling cranes in the main bay, and a 5-ton Whiting traveling crane in the side storage bay. Forgings are conveyed from the main bay into the machine shop by an elec- tric elevating truck. Water for the boilers is sup- plied by a Gardner 800-hp. pump and a Worthing- 2, Outside the Building, Is Immediately Adjacent to the Firing Side of the Furnaces. Hand-operated lift doors €ss to the coal pile, from which the fuel is shoveled by hand to the hoppers of the underfeed stokers In the background looms one of the waste-heat boilers Hee ae ee i a ton 1200-hp. pump, both motor-driven. The lubri- cation of the steam hammers is taken care of by an oil system furnished by the Madison-Kipp Cor- poration, Madison, Wis. The plant has both acety- lene and electric welding outfits. The shop contains a well-appointed locker and wash room for the employees, including a battery of shower baths with hot and cold water. In this This Tote Box tilation and Air Can Circulate in the Bottom by the Afford Ven Bottom, Tubes to Below the Has a Bottom of Open Sides Extend Cooling Warping of is the Both Preventing Forgings Directions, Hot room also ig an emergency coal-fired heater to heat water for lavat®ry purposes, when exhaust steam from the hammers is not @Vvailable. The forging plant, was planned by C. A. Kropp, president. The building was designed and built by the Austin Co., Cleveland. Hearing on Scrap Classification A hearing on scrap. classification was held in. New York, April 18, by representatives of the National Association of Waste Material Dealers and the Con- solidated Classification Committee of the railroads. The difficulty encountered by sellers of scrap by rea- son of the description of scrap as “scraps or pieces” was explained to the railroad committee and it was suggested that the change adopted at the March meet- ing of the association be accepted by the railroads. This states that: “The rating on iron and steel scrap applies on material that is of value only for remelting, rerolling and reheating purposes.” In the general discussion at the hearing, it was pointed out by the Classification Committee that old boiler tubes are being used for second-hand pipe, fence rails, etc.; that baling ties are riveted together and used again; that engines and dynamos are shipped as scrap and instead of being broken up are sold as second-hand after being repaired. Dealers using ma- terial in this way usually object to having the engine or machinery broken in* order to show their good faith. It was the consensus of opinion that if the material is to be used as scrap iron and remelted, the dealer should have no objection to breaking off part of the engine, wheel or destroying its usefulness in some way. A difference of opinion developed in the committee on the definition of the word “piece.” Some believed that a piece may be of any size and others did not. Representatives of the association contended that 98 or 99 per cent of the dealers should not be penalized because of the few who attempt to ship material that is to be used for purposes other than scrap. The only dissenting voice in the association repre- sentatives was from the representative of the Crucible Steel Co., who objected that any change that was made would seem to give advantage to the steel mills which are in a position to cut a large proportion of their scrap material. THE IRON AGE May 5, 19 MUST REDUCE COSTS Chairman Clark Explains Attitude of Intersta Commerce Commission as to Railroad Conditions WASHINGTON, May 2.—Efforts toward immed horizontal reduction in railroad freight rates ap; to be altogether in vain. While there is a well de! conviction that movement of traffic on a norma! | is dependent upon a_ general -decrease in carry charges, it apparently is recognized by most ship, that the attitude of the railroad executives on the ject is well taken, though there are exceptions, some have set forth good arguments for lower ; including the agricultural interests. The Administ tion is showing a deep concern in the matter, but point made by the railroad officials that costs of op: tion must first come down evidently has been built up a strong basis. In brief, it is held that wages m first come down before rates can follow and this question which is being worked out by the Wage Board. Indicative of the high costs of railroad operati: are statements 1 e in a letter from Chairman FE. Clark of the Interstate Commerce Commission to Se: ator Frank B. Willis of Ohio in reply to a communi tion from the*latter inquiring about prospects of creases in freight rates. ; “The commission,” he says, “is as anxious as th shipper and the carrier to find a solution of the trans- portation problem. We are well aware and I think fully advised of the unfortunate conditions that exist at the present time. We eannot, however, look at the situation from one side alone. It is not a question to- day whether or not the rates shall produce 5% or 6 per cent upon thé value of the carriers’ properties. The unfortunate conditions in commerce and industry generally and the unfortunate plight of individuals and individual industries cannot be worse than the present plight of the railroads. More than one-half of the car- riers are earning less than their operating expenses and taxes. A very few individual roads are earning their interest charges. Some of them are not even earning their operating expenses. It is obvious that the present condition cannot long continue without gen- eral.and widespread bankruptcy of the railroads. “We have participated in some instances in arrang- ing and encouraging readjustments of rates where it has been made clear that such readjustments would move a substantial volume of traffic at rates that would yield some profit, which traffic “would not otherwise move at all, but, in view of the facts above stated, it is difficult to see how the commission could urge any re- ductions in rates that would result in reductions in the revenues of the carriers which, as stated. are insuffi- cient now to pay the interest on their bonds, to say nothing of any return to the stockholders.” Railr To Study Railroad Car Wheel Failures WASHINGTON, May 3.—For several months the Bureau of Standards has been investigating the causes of failures of chilled iron and rolled steel car wheels. The breaking of these wheels, the Bureau states, !s5 a serious problem and has probably caused a large number of derailments and wrecks. The Bureau 4s- sumes that the failure of the wheels is due to the heating of the rim by the application of the brake- shoes on the long descending grades, the web and hu of the wheel remaining comparatively cool. Special apparatus has been set up for duplicating service conditions and for measuring the temperatures and stresses developed in the wheels. During the past week several conferences have been held with repre- sentatives from the Manufacturers’ Association Chilled Car Wheels for the purpose of putting inte shape a forthcoming paper on the stresses developed in wheels of this type through the heating of the rim. A representative of the association has been spencins a week at the Bureau going over the data which have already been obtained. ay 5, 1921 Universal Flue Welder \n improved type of flue welder built to meet the rements of railroad shops and embodying features tial to meet the conditions that have arisen since veneral adoption of the locomotive superheater has developed recently by the Southwark Foundry & ine Co., Philadelphia. The distinctive feature of the machine is that it ; the flue on the inside, thus making the inside eter at the weld the same as throughout the flue. is made possible by an arrangement in which the is clamped on the outside by four jaws and is rolled eans of an expanding and collapsible mandrel. [he clamping head at the front and the driving anism at the rear are the two main parts. inted in the clamping head are four air cylinders th piston rods the front end of which are equipped sectional dies. These clamp the outside of the at the weld. The welding mandrel runs through enter of the head and fits the inside of the flue. ss Flues Are Welded on the In- -_ side, Making the Inside Diam- As eter the Same Throughout the Flue oy wt - The body of this mandrel is hollow and contains three tapered rollers which can be moved radially by insert- ing the taper mandrel that reaches through the middle of the spindle from the back of the machine. This mandrel is operated by an air cylinder controlled by the foot valve and the main’ mandrel is driven from a } hp. motor through gearing. For deflecting the heat f the furnace from the welding head a triple baffle of asbestos pressed board is used. The four clamping cylinders operate simultaneously with the opening of the single foot valve, which con- trols all operations. The timing of the different opera- tions is controlled by the piping to the foot valve, so arranged that the clamping head first comes in on the outside of the weld, the jaw clutch which rotates the nandrel is next engaged and last, the expanding arbor forced into the center of the three rolls which being rotation as part of the mandrel, work the weld out against the clamping dies or anvil. The time required for the actual rolling of the weld s from six to eight seconds, the total time varying with the size of flue, type of furnace used and other ‘actors. The standard machine accommodates safe ends ‘rom 6 in. to 4 ft. 6 in. long, but it can be arranged, extension of the base plate, to handle safe ends of iter length. Frederick J. Crolius, steam engineer, Homestead ks of Carnegie Steel Co., will present a paper at ie regular monthly meeting of the Pittsburgh section ' the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engi- neers, May 14, at Hotel Chatham, the subject of which ‘ill be “Powdered Coal and Its Application to Boilers.” ‘his meeting will be under the auspices of the com- tion section of the association and F. J. Leahy, fuel nd ¢ xperimental engineer, Duquesne Works, Carnegie Co., who is chairman, will preside at the meeting. Wor THE IRON AGE 1163 New Oil Fuel Control Valve for Open Hearth Furnaces A combination three-way and proportional discharge valve has been designed by S. A. Gabriel & Co., Cleve- land, to secure proper mixtures at all ranges of fur- nace operations and to produce at will a different vol- ume of atomized fuel at one furnace burner from that at the other for that portion of the heat after reversal. Cleaning can be effected quickly, it is emphasized, with- out affecting the accyracy of original set opening should this be necessary. One object of the valve is to give to the open hearth superintendent a unit of equipment which will reduce fuel consumption from 6 to 10 per cent. The expense of installation is that of the piping at the stand. A special burner is designed to work with the valve, and can be inserted after the valve is in commission. The valve is designed to secure proportional dis- charges at the will of the operator, according as experi- ence with the oil or tar and steam or air proves what is the best quantity for mixture. Its claims for saving fuel oil lie in the elimination of the excess heat wasted in raising the excess agent of combustion to the tem- perature of the furnace, also to fine adjustments of the valve port openings of oil and air and reduction of time of heats. The valve when once set for pressure is claimed to give the proper proportions recessary to atomize the oil at any discharge volume passed. By charting the numbers on the stems of the adjusting screws, port openings can be set to suit the particular furnace heat required and can, it is added, always be duplicated. Bethlehem Awarded Contract WASHINGTON, May 3.—The Bethlehem Steel Co., the lowest bidder, last week was awarded the contract by the Navy Department for 446 tons of acid open hearth pig iron, the price being $39.96, delivered to Washington Navy Yard. The exports of Swedish iron ore increased from 244,000 tons in January to 289,000 tons in February of the present year, the latter contrasting with 354,000 tons in February, 1913. The quantity of pig iron ex- ported in January and February amounted to 15,973 tons, as against 8719 tons in the equivalent months of last year. The increase in the latter is attributed to purchases made for the account of the Japanese Gov- ernment. Announcement has been made that an agreement has been reached between the Mexican Government and an engineer covering a concession for the construction of a steamship pier and wharf at Vera Cruz. The wharf will be operated as a private enterprise for 20 years, after which it will pass to Government ownership. eee 2 MOO NE Sat — 4D ee TR ran eset a <n ee 1164 Heavy Duty Upright Drill The 21-in. heavy duty upright drill press illustrated is a recent addition to the line of drilling and tapping machines manufactured by the Fosdick Machine Tool Co., Cincinnati, and is rated as driving a 2%-in. high- speed drill through steel and a 3-in. pipe tap in cast iron. The machine as regularly supplied is driven by a constant speed belt to tight and loose pulleys on the speed box. The spindle speeds are 49 to 550 r.p.m., in geometrical progression, a range suitable for drills from 3/16 in. to 5 in. in diameter. Large numerals over each position of the speed changing lever indi- cate the r.p.m. of the spindle, while a corresponding metal plate on the head indicates the proper speeds and feeds for various size drills for high speed drilling in iron or The machine has an improved tapping attachment controlled by a lever on the spindle head, steel. Heavy 550 rop.m. and the five Duty Drill Press. The spindle speeds are 49 to geared feeds range geometrically from 0.004 to 0.028 per revolution of the spindle which instantly starts, stops or reverses the spindle. There are five geared feeds ranging geometrically from 0.004 to 0.028 per revolution of the spindle. An automatic trip and depth gage may be set to the graduated scale to stop the feed at any desired depth. This is accomplished without dropping or disengaging the feed worm, which permits continuation of the hand wheel feed after the power feed has been tripped. The hand wheel feed may also be fed ahead of the power feed without disengaging the latter, which is particularly advantageous in starting large drills. The spindle quick return is of the expanding ring friction type and operates also without disengaging the feed worm. It serves as a hand lever for sensitive drilling, for tapping, for rapid raising or lowering of the spindle and for engaging and disengaging the power and hand feeds. The machine may be driven by a constant speed motor geared or belted to the speed box or by a 3 to 1 variable speed motor which eliminates the speed box. All styles of drive are inter- changeable. The principal dimensions are as follows: column to center of drill, 21 in.; base to spindle, 49% in.; work- ing surface of base, 19 x 20 in.; diameter of table, 17 in.; table to spindle, 33 in.; Morse taper, No. 4; spindle traverse, 11 in.; sliding head traverse, 22 in., and column diameter, 7 in. The net weight is 2100 THE IRON AGE May 5, lb. The machines are also furnished as gang d) from 2 to 6 spindles and various types of tables and drives. Surplus Steel Sold WASHINGTON, May 3.—Disposal of all of Department’s surplus steel which it had on har made last Saturday when the Director of Sal 25,550 tons of high carbon forging billets to the Trading Corporation, Chicago, at $15.696 per ton, f.o.b. cars, This company bid on the six items, representing the surplus steel at as many and also struck an average of these bids which fered to pay for the entire lot, this average pri ing accepted. The largest single lot is at Neville | storage depot, Pittsburgh, and consists of approxi ly 11019 gross tons. Other bidders for this lot the Carnegie Steel Co., at a figure of $13, a: Jones & Laughlin Steel Co., at a level of $14.30. © points where the steel is located are at the pla the Curtis Mfg. Co., St. Louis, 2689 tons; the | land Crane & Engineering Co., Wikliffe, Ohio, tons; McKinney Steel Co., Cleveland, 179 tons: Myler Interstate Co., Bedford, Ohio, 9433 ton: the Toledo Ordnance Reserve depot, Toledo, 0 1246 tons. Readjustment of contracts may dey more surplus steel for.the War Department, but, if it is not expected to be much. Welding Society Elects Officers At the annual meeting of the American Weldins Society held at the Engineering Societies Building, N« York, April 27-30, S. W. Miller, Rochester Welding Works, was elected president and C. A. McCune, Pag: Steel & Wire Co., vice-president. The eight new di rectors elected to hold office for three years are A. $ Kinsev, Stevens Institute of Technology; E. M. 1 Ryder, Third Avenue Railway Co., New York; I Wanamaker, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R.; J C. Lincoln, Lincoln Electric Co.; W. T. Bonner, New York Shipbuilding Co.; H. R. Swartley, Davis Bournon ville Co.; D. B. Rushmore, General Electric Co., and H. L. Nicholson, Westinghouse Airbrake Co. At the open meeting, April 28, papers were read | P. O. Noble, General Electric Co., on “Applications the Automatic Welding Machine”; R. D. Malm, Standa! Parts “Production Welding With the Ga Flame,” H. Deppeler, Metal & Thermit Corpo ration, on Recent Thermit Welding R« search.” The American Bureau of Welding, a joint adviso: body of the American Welding Society and the divisio! of engineering of the National Research Council, r‘ elected its officers. Co., on and J. “Results of Rates from East Not Unreasonable WASHINGTON, May 3.—Existing and immediate!) prospective competition through the Panama canal }s such that the Interstate Commerce Commission, in 4! opinion handed down last Wednesday, dismissed the complaint of the Intermediate Rate Association, which some iron and steel and allied interests joined It was held by the commission that the class and com modity rates from points of origin east of the Rock) Mountains to so-called intermountain territory were and are not unreasonable, unduly prejudicial or other- wise unlawful. The effect of the finding means that rats will continue to be blanketed and not graded from the intermountain country to Pacific coast terminals as was requested by the complaint. There will be no change in the rate situation until and unless the rail- roads themselves think there should be changes. For the present, the opinion disposes of the long-existing Spokane case. Operation of the Girard, Ohio, plant of the A. . Byers Co., Pittsburgh, was increased this week, wher all of the 88 puddling furnaces, the muck mill and on finishing mill were placed in commission. For the pas* few weeks, but 44 furnaces have been in production, following suspension of the blast furnace. Numerous Safeguards Model Pattern Shop and Storage Building gainst Fire and Excellent System of Storing and Recording Location of Patterns Are Features of Whiting Structure : BY GILBERT L. LACHER ry arge foundry which uses many thousands of i g i fro. ie flo Che grating is i terns, the problem of providing suitable stor- fastened to the angle on which it rests by a notched ‘ ve facilities is important. Not only must heed fixture which fits on to the angk \s the entire net to the principles of convenience and system height of each story is 14 ft., the height from mezza ¢ patterns, but also to the protection of th nine grating to th elling is 6% ft The racks and from destruction by fire. Ease in conveying mezzanine gratings in easily be taken apart and re om storage to foundry is also a considera move the necessity of keeping an accurate record Each storage floo is one main central aisle and ¥ ition of patterns, to prevent delay and cor two end cross aisles, s ed by ceiling lights, and two finding them when needed, i espe lally side aisles equipped with drop cords The di »p light : a plant where the number stored is large when not in use, are hung by hook on wires strung ‘ the desirable features mentioned are embodied in ilong e top of the pattern racks. The bottom and ; attern storage of the Whiting Corporation, Ill. It is a four-story and basement building vf construction, 56 x 96 ft. Floors and col- of reinforced concrete, the interior walls of e and the exterior of brick The roof of the e, also of reinforced concrete, is covered wit prepared paper roofing with a coating of ta When the transfer of patterns to the new ] juilding has been completed, fully 18,000 live ently used patterns will be housed in it, while 1ezzanine floors have separate lighting switchboards, although most of the wiring is carried on the ceiling Each storage floor has eight separate lighting divisions, so that a minimum of lights may be used when pat terns are brought to the floor for storage, or are to be removed for ust The switch panel, at the end of each floor, is adjacent to the stairway and elevator shaft. The storage stories are provided with sufficient win lows to be used for shop purposes, if desired Recording the Locations of Thousands of Patterns 4()( r 5000 obsolete patterns will be kept in old storag a: lo keep accurate record of the location of the pat ' \rrangement of Pattern Storage terns, a card system furnished by the Acme Card Sy , tem Co., Chicago, has been provided. The cards con J pattern storage is located in the asament, tain spaces for all necessary date, sedi ee the drawtae ; ; ‘on padlvaprny op en a a See number, the material, the date the pattern was made, : ’ V < J. ‘ A ut ++ 2 na wasicht ee € altawe . tha ot <S on each floor, furnished DY the Lyon Meta le ree be -~ git en m ches ee on dp : : ~ yn which the pattern went to the foundry and was r« \u von Hl. Each rack is divided into four tO SIX turned, or was shipped to and returned from an outside and eacn section has four to five adjust ible foundry on contract work. As the same core box is _ ene erie of ea = os ae ag ““ sometimes used for a number of patterns, or different ‘ ‘ g to the size of the patterns to be stored ore boxes are used with one pattern, their location is a M inine floors were provided in both stories by obem tansied ai) tin ane: subway grating, made by the Irving Iron W s, Long Island City, N. Y., on 2 in. x 2 in. angles inged out from the racks, to which they are bolted Perforations in the top of cards permit clips to be inserted to hold them on racks, of which the Whiting Corporation has two, each with a capacity of 20,000 burb cards. When hung on the rack the cards show only ‘tacks for Storage of Patterns Are Arranged in Two Tiers on Each of Two Floors zanine floor is supported by clips on the storage racks 1165 The grating forming the mez- 1166 the lips projecting from the bottom, and on these lips the most important data are recorded—the number of the pattern and its location in the pattern storage. Pattern locations are indicated by a unique system. Each storage floor has been given a letter—A, B, C, a — oli —— §—_—<l- Behan | LJ ca¢ & * ———, oo 2 a s ) 20 ~ 40 50 a jos freee The Upper Diagram - —* Gives the Layout | of the Pattern Shop C on the Second Floor, with an Indi A cation of the Stand <4 * ardized Arrange ment of the Several [ Stories of Metal as * yetor Pattern Racks. In 1. the center the rela < 4 =} tion of the carpen | 2 Ll ? ter shop, flask shop & Timnin and pattern layout Ser room to the sup 3 enon weeds plies of lumber, and maa ‘= to the foundry and Rane the shipping facil } 1 t ies, are made cleat =—— - tt 5 The lower view of x OT ib MW the building indi TT] cates its solidity || and its physical de tachment from its |} neighbors | F | | | 1 Ah rw } ete. Likewise each rack is given a number, each rack section a letter and each shelf a number. Hence if a pattern should have a location designation of A-2-B-4, it would mean that it could be found on floor A, in rack No. 2, in rack section B, on shelf No. 4. The cards also have space at the top for the pattern number and location, so that, if desired, the cards may be kept in an ordinary vertical box file. Pattern and Flask Shops in Same Building The same building which contains the pattern stor- age also contains the pattern and flask shops. These are locatéd on the first and second floors, which are provided with continuous sash and are hence excep- tionally well lighted. The first floor contains the pat- tern layout department and carpenter shop, a flask shop and a pattern lumber storage. The portion of the floor carrying the lumber has been especially reinforced to earry 500 lb. per sq. ft., as compared with 150 lb. per ft. for the remainder. The flask shop is equipped with a motor-driven swing saw. Completed flasks are carried by overhead monorail out of the building and lowered to cars on an industrial track, by which they are conveyed to the foundry or to the storage yard. The carpenter shop contains a band saw, a rip saw, a jointer, an emery stand and a drilling machine—all belt-driven. The sawdust from all machines is drawn off by a clarage system. Each is equipped with an automatic stop, made by the Industrial Controller Co., Milwaukee, and with safety guards. sq. THE IRON AGE May 5, On the second floor is the pattern shop. Alo: north windows are nine pattern benches, with frames and heavy wooden tops. Each bench ha trical connections for lights and small motors. is sufficient space next the wall to permit easy p around the benches. Electrically heated glue p situated at convenient points between the wall benches. Here also is a numbering machine for ing out the numbers which are attached to the pat The location of the woodworking machines is ind in the drawing. Concrete bases have been provided for two duty lathes, one for 14-in. diameter stock and th: for 9-in. stock, which have not yet been set up of the machines have individual motor drive ar have safety control, in most cases that of the [) trial Controller Co., Milwaukee, while a few ma are equipped with General Electric Co. starting pensators. All belts are protected with guards of netting. Rubber matting adjacent to some ma gives the operators sure footing. The south side of the shop is reserved for \ + ' soacmendill —_— | ali «| ie Band a Dy \ | Stand | ARPENTER = ae th eh bh ob ob SHoP Rip Daw @ vor & | Monord: | Tack Pa ERN ~ LA JuUT Room & e OR FouNoORY ap ee FOUNORY for ens pattern work. Here also is located a repair bench minor repairs and alterations. It frequently hapP that the same pattern is used for different jobs 4! nd that minor changes, such as the attaching or removal of hubs, must be made. There is also a num ering 5, 1921 THE IRON AGE 1167 ne in this department, to stamp out numbers for ed patterns. In the northwest corner of the floor metal pattern-making shop, the equipment of . includes an 18-in. engine lathe, a sensitive drill in emery stand. A shaper will also be installed. mpressed air is available at convenient points on eond floor. As in the carpenter shop, all sawdust the woodworking machines is drawn off by a ve fan. On this floor also are located the main ms panel for the inbound circuit, by means of h all current may be shut off, or one or more floors be cut off, the main power panel for the alternat- irrent which is distributed throughout the main -s and also operates the motor for the clarage fan e basement, and a panel for direct current, which een provided for machine operation, when desired. How Patterns Are Handled In and Out When the patterns are laid out on the first floor for opening onto a concrete ramp on which flat wheel trucks may be moved to the covered passage between the foundry and the pattern storage building. Fire Fighting Equipment and Escapes All floors have overhead automatic sprinklers. At one end, an escape stairway has been separated from the rest of the structure by concrete walls and auto- matically closing steel safety doors. In the stairway hall, next to the doors opening into each story, are fire hose and water connections ready for instant use. At the other end of the building also, fire hose has been provided on each floor, next to the fire escape. In both cases locations were selected which would give the fire fighter a quick:avenue of escape in case a fire got be- yond control. Foamite fire extinguishers have also been placed on all floors near the stairway entrances. As a further precaution, the time clocks are placed at the fire escape ; Ary er Foune : To Out In | w-4208 2. a ms te Out ~ Ons Side of the ns . a P Out + { Card (at Left) Re shipped Patter ce | Date} out) | | pre ina gear Mors ead } In 4 } s e ments of the Pat To . £ - tern ! — t ° — Pattern Location = Ng. oes = See , ‘ Name Drawing No. 4 ma : Size Matérial Date Made 5 ——— —— a+ oe a Casting— Metal Wt. Cores and Core Boxes __ Alterations ce : BexNo., Cores Mat’l Location Date Order Description Cost 8 by ol Original Cost 2 =e 10 aon oe 11 ne EY Cd es : 12 Gott #aaaaee, t 1 Each Pattern Is De- « ed a Card, Whi Gives Also von ives iso Faffern No. | Location 8 967F foundry use, the general foundry clerk attaches pro- duction tickets for the guidance of the foundry fore- man, who comes to the layout department to get the patterns, and who later returns them when he has fin- ished using them. The more valuable patterns are gen- erally returned to the layout floor every night for safe keeping. As an aid to the employees in returning the patterns to storage, and to reduce the possibility of their being misplaced, each pattern has, im.addition to its number, a location label either painted on the pat- tern or printed on a sticker which is shellacked over. ' Sliding steel doors on the north side of the first Noor adjoin a roadway where trucks may be driven up to deliver lumber or other materials, or to receive out- going shipments. Just beyond is a railroad switch on which cars may be spotted when desired, the distance cetween the door and the car being bridged by planks. n the layout department patterns are taken by in- al track to the elevator, thence to the ground and into the foundry. The U-shaped rails of the ‘trial track in the layout room were cast into the r, depressed rails being used to offer the least in- ence with flat wheel truck movements across the As an emergency exit for shipments to the y, a jack-knife folding door has been provided, ‘oor Rack Sectin Shelf -A'2 +B +4 end of each floor, so that the watchman must walk the length of the building to punch them. It was also in the interests of fire control that the electric lighting in the stairway was placed on a separate circuit from that serving the building proper. Tile walls and steel fire doors separate the elevator shaft from the rest of the building. On most of the floors the door is of the Meeker double horizontal! dividing type, the bottom half lowering and the upper half rising when the door is opened. The doors are equipped with electric interlocks, furnished by the Peelle Co., Chicago, to prevent the elevator from mov- ing until the doors are completely closed. For the mezzanine floors, because of space restrictions, jack- knife folding steel doors have been provided, folding outward rather than inward into the elevator shaft. Both the dividing-type and jack-knife doors, and all the other doors in the building, were furnished by the Harris-Preble Door Co., Chicago. Dust from the clarage fans is carried from the basement, over the industrial track and roadway lead- ing to the flask storage yard, to a dust catcher situated on top of a toilet building for foundry employees. A patent trip on the catcher bottom permits the dust and shavings to be discharged periodically into a refuse a : x A Se em 7 ’ ” & : 1168 the Power Saws wagon or truck driven underneath it. Adjacent to the is a fire station with a hydrant and 200 a hydrant indicator for the auto- building. To reduce lust catcher ft f hose, as well as matic sprinkler system serving the to a minimum the damaging effects of flooding the yuilding by water, each floor of the pattern storage building has scuppers through which the water may flow directly out of the structure, instead of all being the basement. ‘arried to Drainage and Heating of the Building All drainage from the building in each corner of and one in the elevator pit. These sumps, in drain to final sump, from which automatically pumped into the municipal sewerage system by an automatic sewer and bilge pump, made by the Economy Pumping Machinery Co., Chicago. The building is heated by steam. Through passes to sumps, one the basement, turn, one sewage 15S control stations in the basement temperatures of 50 deg. Fahr. on the storage floors and of 70 deg. on the working floors are maintained. The general plan of the pattern shop and storage uilding was worked out by S. E. Stout, betterment manager, the Whiting Corporation, who had ‘tharge of the selection of equipment. Chatten & Ham- mond, Chicago, were the architects, while construction le aiso THE IRON iling-h AGE May 5 Planers and Jointers in the Pattern Shop Excelle igh window work was done by the Wells Brothers Const: Co., Chicago, under the supervision of Mr. St May Readjustment Is Retarded WASHINGTON, May 3. isiness and financial conditions throughout the Federal ki serve Districts during April, the Federal Res Board, in a statement given out yesterday, to bé tained in its May Bulletin, says that, among the fact that are retarding readjustments are retail prices, high transportation charges, wages, and relatively hig! prices of such highly important requisites of product as coal and steel. The most immediate point at w! the readjustment process appears to be “sticking,” says the statement, is the retail price situation. declared to proving slow by many observers at thi -Reviewing general rve Complete business be than was of 1920. recovery is predicted The Electric Alloy Steel Co., Youngstown, O} received an order for several carloads of spring from a northern Ohio consumer. This is the first load order received by the company for some tim« is taken as an indication of the improved trend business. Patterns Are Transported Horizontally in the Building on Narrow-Gage Cars Running Over Grooved Tracks; Vertica Elevators Fitted with Similar Tracks lay 5, 1921 Straddle Milling Machine \ straddle milling machine for facing with cups re- ed the main bearings for automotive crank shafts 1 at the same time milling the oil slinger groove << been developed by the Newton Machine Tool rks, Ine., Philadelphia. The machine illustrated is known as model C-70 is of the rise and fall table type, the loading and ading being done at the top of the stroke which n line with the conveyor system. The table is pro- ied with hardened steel jig plates and with locating ns which are raised and lowered by the lever shown the front of the machine, an arrangement which erymits of the unobstructed placing and removal of the i ddle Milling Machine for Facing Crankshaft Main Bear- The production on casting shown is 25 pieces per all three bearing faces being machined, the oil slinger groove cut and its bore finished vork. The clamping is done by the two hand-wheel lamps over the table. The cutter mandrel is driven from both ends and bearings, located between the cut- ters, are intended to prevent springing. The table is raised and lowered by a cam designed to provide slow feed and quick return. ast iron or aluminum. The casting illustrated requires eight cutters, all three bearing faces being machined on both sides, and ne each for cutting the oil slinger groove and for fin- shing the bore of the oil slinger groove. The pro iction obtained from the machine is 25 pieces per nour, A larger machine of the same general construction s designed for the same operation on crank shaft bear- ngs with caps in place. Better Outlook for Machinery SEATTLE, WASH., April 25.—The market in sheets as stabilized in so far as North Coast prices and ovement are concerned, and the jobbing trade is able report that investigators feel the bottom has been sunded and that buying activity will start in a lim- ted degree. Similar market conditions prevail as to ipe with a general reduction of 5 per cent. The gen- ral business situation has improved but jobbers cannot onscientiously report that the volume is any larger han that of any pre-war April. Some heavy machinery business, however, is on the e of passing from the inquiry stage to the order files f jobbers and manufacturers. Lumber mill and log- ng camp and garage activity is showing definite symp- ms of an awakening, and while the situation does t justify any great optimism, yet the outlook is in- easingly bright. As soon as there is a definite re- very of the lumber demand, plans for heavy machin- recuperation will be completed. It is apparent om the lumber mill enquiries that a general installa- n of their own welding outfits is in contemplation om the number of enquiries now being received. One ‘ the unusual features of the annual lumber mill ma- THE IRON Provision is also made for irying the rate of feed to suit the requirements of AGE 1169 chinery demand, however, is the lack of enquiry for cross-cut saws. The machinery for the vocational training depart- ments of the University of Washingten and many high schools of the state, ordered as a result of careful and judicious demonstrations in these schools carried on over a period of six months will be shipped as soon as the state appropriations become available. It is planned to get delivery of this machinery and effect installation during the summer vacations in order to be ready for the fall semesters. Repairs on numerous deepsea vessels and fisheries craft of the Puget Sound salmon, halibut and codfishing units are keeping shipbuilding plants fairly busy. At the Elliott Bay plant the entire force is busy repair- ing and overhauling a small fleet of the mosquito grade. Reamer Grinding Attachment G. L. Wood, 61 Stafford Street, Worcester, Mass., has patented and is placing on the market a grinding attachment called the Common Sense adaptable par- ticularly to hand expansion reamers with pilots, but applicable as well to machine reamers, pin cutter bars or boring bars, machine and hand taps. The attach- ment has been in use at the Norton Co.’s Worcester plant during the past two years. It is claimed that by their use the efficiency and the life of machine reamers can be greatly increased. The attachment consists of nine major parts: two V-standards, one tooth rest and three sets of parallel blocks. The standards are made in two sizes, 4 x 3% x 3% in. and5x 3% x 3% in., machined to fit the angle of any standard grinding table. A stop or bell friction, ad- justable to either standard, is provided. Stands are held to the table by a set screw and gib and will hold 16-in. to 3-in. diameter reamers for grinding. The tooth rest also is machined to fit the angle on Reamers on Shafts 2 ft. or Longer Can Be Ground Without Removing the Shafts a table and is held in place by a set screw and gib. It is adjusted by a thumb screw. It does not project, consequently the grinding wheel can run by the reamer up to center. Parallel blocks, with 9/16, 1% and 1 11/16-in. raises, are for bringing work up to the front edge of the V-standards and are held in place by a screw. In grinding expansion reamers the common prac- tice is to remove the expander and grind cutting edges sharp, 0.001 in. to 0.002 in. as required. The expander is then replaced and the reamer set in size. The ten- dency is to barrel the reamer, so to speak. With the Wood attachment the reamer is expanded 0.001 in. to 0.002 in. according to dullness, and ground to size. The cutting efficiency of the reamer is maintained through- out its length. Three section reamers with nine flutes are ground to advantage. With three flutes in one section expan- sion is unequal, the middle coming ahead of the others. Machine reamers With the center hole lost on the reamer end of the tool are ground by transposing the standards and allowing the reamer end to extend over one standard. Reamers on shafts 2 ft. or longer can be ground without removing from the shaft by allowing the ends of the shaft to rest on the standards with the reamer between. es BENE EE IE OOo Be SATE OTe | 1170 TARIFF PROPOSALS Secretary Logan, Alan Wood Iron & Steel Co. Gives Views to Committee on Ways and Means John W. Logan, secretary Alan Wood Iron & Steel Co., Philadelphia, has informed the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives of the needs of the steel industry for duties on iron ore, scrap iron and steel and steel billets, plates and sheets. Foreign Competition “Due to domestic competition which centers in Pitts- burgh, the market for our products lies largely on the Atlantic seaboard,” said Mr. Logan. “Because, there- fore, of our geographical location and because of the existence of large producers whose plants lie only a short distance to the west of us, we would feel foreign competition more quickly and more severely than would the plants located further inland. Another condition brought about by freight advances during and follow- ing the war is the fact that to-day we have, through high freight rates, more actual protection from