The Iron Age 1921-07-14: Vol 108 Iss 2

New York, July 14, 1921 ESTABLISHED 1855 Direct Routing in a VOL. 108: No. 2. Modern Brass Plant Electricity Used Almost Exclusively for Melt- ing in Detroit Copper and Brass Rolling Mills—Hand Labor Reduced to a Minimum - BY F. L. WO new plant units recently have been placed in operation by the Detroit Copper & Brass Rolling Mills, Detroit, equipped according to the latest developments in processes and practices in the brass meiting and manufacturing industry and arranged for economical production by the con- servation of manual labor, use of handling equip- ment, and the direct routing of material in the process of manufacturing. A predominating fea- ture is that electricity is used almost exclusively for the melting of brass. Pouring pits are virtually eliminated, thus economizing in labor. All mills | ELECTING FURNACES CASTING TABLES — BU LET SAMS ] \ CONCRETE ORIVEWAY \ 1 \ MN Brass Melting and Brass Manufacturing Plants Occupy Adjoining Connected Buildings and other manufacturing equipment are motor- driven. The plant extensions include a melting shop and brass manufacturing plant occupying adjoining connected buildings with a brick wall between. The casting shop supplies metal for the entire works in the form of flat slabs, known as bars, for the brass department, and billets for rods, seamless tube and wire. Its daily capacity is 180,000 to 200,000 lb. The operations in the plant have shown that a much more uniform mixture is secured by the use of the electric furnaces and that the production costs have been reduced considerably as compared with the use of pit furnaces. The brass manufacturing department is de- signed for large production of light, thin gage sheets, about one-half of the product being in 30 gage and lighter down to 0.001 in., and the re- mainder in heavier than 30 gage. In widths, the sheets are made up to 12 in. Material has a direct routing from the casting —— *Cleveland editor THE IRON AGE. 63 OC & AON OR CONE AN) ig PRENTISS* shop through an alcove to the brass manufacturing department. After passing through break-down rolls, annealing furnaces, scalping machines, run- down rolls, other annealing furnaces and a second set of run-down rolls, the material goes through another annealing furnace at the end of the build- :, ing, at right angles with the length of the building. Therefore the brass or copper charged into the furnace in the first bay is delivered from the oppo- site end of the annealing furnace into the second or middle bay, where all the finishing operations are performed. Two of the other annealing fur- T ny O00 go 0oocd aocw ~.¥ CAFS : \ Cy Be ro cud cy . 7 ANISIING MLL FSHING WUE Lo JOOHP 300° 400HP 8 ry OO QdU9 Ov i ACID AND WATER om TUBS aa | i : oe | i QUIGLEY FURNACE j - came 1 naces are similarly transversely arranged for con- ae venience in routing the material from the finishing a3 rolls to the adjoining bay for the operations that follow rolling. The sheets pass back down the center bay in the opposite direction from which the material was routed in the first bay, the various rolling oper- Tete ations being performed en route. Then they pass directly over to the third bay for the operations following rolling, provided they are in the heavier oe gages. The lighter gages are given the necessary passes for further reductions through additional rolls on the opposite side of the center bay before going to the final finishing department. a Each bay is equipped with a 5-ton Shaw electric traveling crane, used for supplying the mills with metal. Trucks carry the metal from the rolls to the annealing furnaces. Similar cranes are pro- vided in the casting shop for charging the furnaces, handling the bars and billets and for other service. The casting shop is 199 ft. long and the brass manufacturing department, 474 ft. long. Both are 64 THE IRON 183 ft. wide, of steel and reinforced concrete, with practically continuous glass sides set in Fenestra steel sash. The casting house has two monitors, the side walls being 32 ft. high and the top being 45 ft. from the floor. The monitor sash are sta- tionary, ventilation being provided through sixty- four 48-in. Swartwout ventilators in two rows, staggered. Continuous rolling steel doors are on each side of the building. Both buildings have wood block floors except in front of the furnaces. The roofs are of gypsum tile. The casting shop extends over the Detroit River, the building site having been filled in for 150 ft. out to the harbor line, and a concrete dock extends along the water. It is the intention eventually to bring refined copper by boat from the head of the lakes direct to the plant. Two railroad tracks extend along the west side of the two buildings. The brass manufacturing plant is of sawtooth construction, but differs in design from the usual building of this type. Instead of having equal column spacing in each direction, the distance be- Brass Is Melted in Electric Furnaces of the Oscillating Type sub-base is provided so that another table platform extends over the furnaces, tween columns across the building is 60 ft. and the column spacing lengthwise is 20 ft. In place of the usual steel roof trusses, supported on the girders and columns, this building has sloping I-beam purlins, supported on lateral trusses and cantilever- ing over the trusses at the top, a distance of 2 ft. 4 in., to bring the sash out far enough from the truss to allow the ventilating sash in the sawtooth roof to swing in the center instead of at the top, as in the usual arrangement. The sash swings 129 deg., affording much better ventilation than a top- hung sash. The casting shop is equipped with six 300 kw. melting furnaces of 2000 lb. capacity and two addi- tional furnaces will be installed. One spare furnace drum is provided. The furnaces are of the rocking type, built by the Detroit Electric Furnace Co. They are in a row in the east bay and stand on 314-ft. pedestals. The furnaces are fed from a charging floor that extends over the furnaces 2 ft. above the furnace tops and about 12 ft. above the floor of the casting shop. Above each furnace is a 14 x 22-in. hole in the charging floor, through which and Poured Directly can be substituted AGE July 14, 1921 a funnel reaching down into the furnace is placed when charging. The charge of refined copper, spelter end scrap, and sometimes a little lead, is made up in the stock room in a portion of the two adjoining bays back of the melting furnace. A standard size of charg- ing box is used, holding 2100 lb., the usual charge. This is placed on an electric truck which carries it to the furnace bay after being weighed. An electric traveling crane picks up the charging box and de- livers it to the charging floor. One of the interesting features of the casting shop is a specially designed turntable in front of each furnace on which the flat metal molds for casting brass sheet bars are carried. This turn- table is approximately 10 ft. in diameter, and con- sists of a cast iron base, a section of pipe in the center forming the axis for revolving, and angle iron structural members which support the molds. The molds are of cast iron and consist of two parts hinged together, a stationary part being clamped to the frame of the turntable and the front part swinging on hinges. Before pouring, the two sec- A standard required. <A charging into Molds Set on Turntables. if a change in the size of molds is the charging boxes being deposited on this platform by means of a traveling crane tions of the molds are clamped together at the top, bottom and center by three bands and wedges, the wedges being driven between the bands and the front of the molds, holding the two parts together firmly. Then a pouring box is placed over the top of the mold. The turntable revolves on ball bear- ings that support a sub-base 40 in. in diameter in which the turntable rests. The turntable is held in position by a cone cast to the sub-base into which the pipe axis of the turntable fits. At the top of this pipe is a hook for handling the turntable with the crane. Turntables are provided in different heights to hold molds of different sizes, and little time is re- quired in changing the table, should it be desired to pour molds of a different size. There is a mold capacity on the turntable for 2500 lb., but usually 20 molds are used for flat metal, these being suffi- cient for pouring one heat. The metal is poured directly from the furnace spout into a mold and then the turntable is moved until the next mold comes in line with the pouring spout. The turn- table revolves so easily on the ball bearings that sp maa» cumuuamumaauums mma aammacacaeamammemmmammmmaaaes 6 3 July 14, 1921 THE IRON AGE 65 pretend ne onli a Ys > An : eer) i Paty - a % a a | ~ os tos\i Fy The Break-down Rolls Are Arranged Tandem, the Bar Passing from One Side of the Rolls into the Second Rolls The tandem rolls save considerable one man can turn it. Turntables of similar design are used for handling billet molds, but as these are much larger, one turntable carries only three billet molds. The billets used for making rods and wire are cast 6 in. in diameter in 72 in. lengths, weighing approximately 750 lb. However, brass billets weighing as much as 5000 lb. have been cast in the plant. The billets are sawed into three 24-in. sec- tions. A Newton cold saw cuts the billets and moves the gates. In the center bay are 32 coke-fired, pit type, crucible furnaces, consisting of four floors with 8 furnaces to a floor. Adjoining these is a concrete pit for pouring the molds. The pit furnaces are used only as spare equipment for melting small quantities or special heats. Jib cranes handle the crucibles while pouring. At the lower end of the center bay is a Marcy For Removing Scale and the Rough Surface of Bars Up to labor in handling the bars mill and three Wilfley tables for recovering brass and copper from the ashes of the pit furnaces and from the sweepings around the mills. These sweepings are dumped into a pit from which an elevator raises them to the mill. In this, the ma- terial is rotated in a barrel containing steel balls and crushed, separating the metal and ash. A stream of water washes the small pieces out through openings in the barrel to an oscillating separating, or washing table, over which water flows. The metal moves lengthwise over the table and is deposited in a trough, and the lighter matter, known as tailings, passes over one side of the table. The scrap, or washings, from the table is passed through a magnetic separator and then sent back to the electric furnaces for re-melting. The fine ma- terial, or tailings, separated in the washing process, is sold to smelters. The reclaiming equipment was 10% In. Wide, Specially Designed Milling Machines Are Used. Two of these machines are shown at the right, and a straightening machine at the left er Te. 66 THE put in particularly for use with the pit furnaces, but with the departure from the original plan which has resulted in the almost exclusive use of the elec- tric instead of pit furnaces, it is expected that there will not be much need for the mill and washing equipment. Experiments are now being conducted on the recovery of copper from the scale by the electrolytic process, which will be continued if it is found profitable. The extrusion process will be used in the manu- facture of rods from billets and two extrusion presses are now being installed in the cast shop. These are 2000-ton presses, built by the Southwark Foundry & Machine Co. The brass manufacturing plant is equipped with 24 stands of rolls, located along the inner side of the east bay and on each side of the center bay, those in the center bay being finishing rolls. The first set is a tandem pair of 22-in. break-down rolls. The bar passes from the first set of rolls on to a guide and the roller pushes it along on the guide into the second set. Tandem rolls eliminate one trucking operation and the labor of two men is IRON AGE July 14, 1921 and rough surface are removed. Scalping machines, built by the Waterbury-Farrel Foundry & Machine Co., are used for the widest bars, but for widths up to 101% in. a milling machine, built by the Torrington Co., is employed for scalping. This ma- chine has a cutter 12 in. wide, similar to a milling cutter, and a capacity of milling both sides of 600 to 800 bars per day. After scalping, the bar is given another pass through each of the tandem break-down rolls, and on leaving the second set of rolls is coiled on a coiler attached to the mill stand. All of the larger rolling units, after the break- down rolls, consist of two sets of rolls with a single drive. After the second pass through the break- down rolls, the next rolling operation is through 20-in. run-out rolls, and from there to another pair of annealing furnaces. Much of the metal is pickled after annealing by placing the brass on a truck and putting the truck and its load in a large pickling tank with an overhead crane. After the 20-in. run-out rolls, the bar passes through a set of 18-in. run-out rolls. There are two sets of 18-in. rolls, one a finishing set having rolls Has 18 appears Center Bay Department in the The Finishing Mill saved, as compared with the use of two separate single stands. Only four men are required to handle the bars through the tandem stands. The bars, on entering the brass rolling depart- ment from the casting shop through an alcove, go to two motor-driven alligator where the gates are cut off and additional metal is removed, should the ends of the bars not be solid metal, and then go to the break-down rolls, each set reducing the thickness of the bars approximately 25 per cent. After the two passes in the break-down rolls the bars are annealed in double-end annealing furnaces. There are 10 of these furnaces set in pairs, of the same size and generally similar in construction. They are of the under-fired type with chambers, 7 x 28 ft. The furnaces are oil-fired but they are so arranged that coal or coke can be substituted. The metal is charged into the annealing furnaces on long steel plates, or pans, placed on trucks that bring the pans to a level with the furnace floor. The pans are coupled and are pulled through the furnace with a winch, one charge being drawn in while the other is drawn out. The furnaces are Quigley and Rockwell makes and some designed in the plant. After the first annealing the bars go to the oppo- site side of the bay where they are straightened on a five-roll straightening machine. Then the scale shears Stands of Rolls, All at the left Parallel. One of the annealing furnaces 30 in. in width. The finishing rolls include six 16-in. rolls, arranged in pairs, and 10 smaller sets, six with 9-in. rolls and four with 10-in. rolls, both 16 in. in width. A separate drive is provided for each of the smaller finishing rolls. All of the rolls except the break-down rolls and the first run-out set are located in a line parallel to the length of the building. Unless sheets are to be rolled in very light gages the material, after pass- ing through the larger finishing mills on the east side of the center bay, goes directly across to the west bay for the finishing operations that follow rolling. Some of the finishing rolls are so arranged that, if it is desired, the metal is given a pass through one set of rolls and back through the rolls of the adjoining mill that are running in the oppo- site direction. The mills were built by the Mestu Machine Co., Waterbury-Farrel Foundry & Machine Co., and the A. Garrison Foundry Co. An interesting feature of the mill equipment is that the coilers are so designed that the motor that drives the coiler is attached to the bottom of the coiler table, and swings with the coiler to which it is directly geared, thus eliminating all belting. The motors for the coilers have push-button controls. In the west bay are drying-out, shearing, slitting and straightening machines, and the packing and shipping department. July 14, 192] run on the lower flange of the crane runway 4 Both rolls of the tandem break-down mill have 2 an 800 hp. herringbone type of drive, furnished by the Mesta Machine Co. The speed of the first break- down roll is 19 r.p.m. and that of the second break- down roll 24 r.p.m. The drive is from a 750 hp. Allis-Chalmers motor. The other mills have the 4 Falk drive and General Electric phase-wound in- duction motors. The 20-in. run-out mill is driven by a 500 hp. motor with a speed reduction from 435 a to 29 r.p.m. The 18-in. run-out rolls are driven by sy a 400 hp. motor with a speed reduction from 450 to a 39 r.p.m. The 18-in. finishing mill, with rolls 30 in. wide, is driven by a 400 hp. motor with a speed reduction from 450 to 39 r.p.m. For driving the six sets of 16-in. finishing rolls there are three 300 hp. motors with a speed reduction from 600 to 48 r.p.m. The smaller 9-in. and 10-in. finishing rolls have double reduction drives and are driven by 59 THE IRON The Motor That Drives the Coiler Is Attached to the Bottom of the Coiler Table, with Which It Swings AGE 67 and serve pickling tables between the bays and 75 hp. motors at a speed reduction of from 1200 to approximately 75 r.p.m. Electric current is received from a commercial station at 4600 volts and is stepped down to 440 volts for the rolling mill equipment, and to 110 volts for the electric furnaces. For emergency purposes current is also supplied at 440 volts from the power station. For the melting furnaces the current is stepped down at each. furnace. A brick trans- former house extends along the back of the melting furnaces. The mill motors up to 500 hp. are handled with relatively small drum control with only one lever.’ The controller rooms will be totally inclosed with a drum controller located in alcoves, connected to these rooms. Uniform artificial illumination is provided in the brass manufacturing department with 500 watt Mazda lamps furnishing an intensity of 5 or 6 ft. The Finishing Mill Has an Efficient Arrangement of Rolls, Drive, Control Et A ne ge mmm 68 candles at the working plane. Most of the pickling tanks are between the columns and convenient to the adjoining finishing roll, a tank serving each set of rolls. Each of these tanks is served by an electric hoist that has as its runway the lower flange of the traveling crane runway, making a convenient and economical arrangement. Oil is stored in a 100,000- gallon concrete oil-proof tank located in the base- ment, from which it is pumped underground to the furnaces. Well equipped physical and chemical laboratories and physical testing rooms are on the second floor at the front of the building. The physical testing room has equipment for testing temper, hardness and tensile strength. A sample of every heat when poured is taken for the laboratory. A labor-saving method has been adopted for the delivery of sheet brass to Detroit consumers. The coils of brass are placed in a shipping box 3 ft. wide, 5 ft. long and 12 in. deep, having a capacity of 3600 lb. This is constructed of wood, with POWER IN SUPERPOWER ZONE Census Bureau Summary of Industrial Power and Fuel Consumption WASHINGTON, July 9.—Power equipment and fuel consumption of plants in the superpower zone are shown by a statement prepared by the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the Superpower Survey of the United States Geological Survey. The superpower pro- ject contemplates the development of available water Establishments THE IRON A Q ‘ ‘ 9 Using Power1 Total TUE vavcixs 76,227 9 069,47 Iron and steel...... 6,362 1,745,755 Metals, non-ferrous 3,423 405,24 Railroad repair shops 316 119,906 OO. a does we ae 30 e 3,862 95,380 Mines and quarries..... 939 1,010,75 Above five classes. . 14,902 3,377.04 Per cent Of total... .0s2ce. 19.5 37. *Tons of 2240 lb. Tons of 2000 Ib §34,669,324 tons of powers to supplement and equalize the power require- ments of public service, manufacturing and other enter- prises, and effect economies in fuel consumption. The superpower zone embraces the North Atlantic area from Maryland to New Hampshire and includes all of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia; the southern por- aurea ‘ Hineuaaneeaeenennennanense ‘ Average Power equipment Units Horsepower Power Ageregate : 9,069,471 Prime movers : 6,247,002 Steam engines 33,379 4.255,868 127.5 Steam turbines 2.115 1,171,061 53.7 Internal combustion engines 5,246 279,040 $4.7 Water wheels ; TOS 941,033 114.9 Operated Electric Other and by purchased energy motors (mainly compressed shaft power ilr) ° rl,aod motors, total Run by current in establishment Run by purchased curr Electric venerated mecsvnenvveneerennnnen tions of New Hampshire and Vermont, Kent and New Castle counties in Delaware; the central counties in Maryland; the eastern portion of Pennsylvania and the southeastern portion of New York. Power and fuel statistics for the manufacturing establishments and mines and quarries in this area are given in the statement. The figures are based upon AGE July 14, 1921 corners bound with angles and with steel straps and lugs at each end for handling with a crane. The material is delivered in the box and the empty boxes are brought back when the next delivery is made to the same plant. The Detroit Copper & Brass Rolling Mills estab- lished a small plant in 1881 which has been extended from time to time and is one of the largest plants in this industry. Its products include brass and copper sheets and rods, seamless and brazed tubes and copper wire and various bronze products. It is stated that the plant is equipped to roll larger brass plates than are made in any other American plant and that during the war 80 per cent of the con- densor plates for the Navy and Emergency Fleet Corporation were produced in these works. The plant has made brass plates up to 11 ft. 6 in. in diameter and 1 in. in thickness. The new casting shop and brass manufacturing plant were designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, engineers, Detroit. returns from 95,984 establishments. Of these 76,227, or 79.4 per cent, used power, the same including 73 694 manufacturers, 1563 laundries, 939 mines and quarries and 31 governmental institutions. The net total - is 9,069,471 hp. of rated power equipment, primary and purchased, of which 5,336,627 hp., or 58.8 per cent, is represented as utilized, by electric motor equipment. Canadian Steel Industry TORONTO, ONT., July 9.—Stopping in‘ Toronto for a day or two on his way to New York, Roy M. Wolvin, Horsepower Used, 1919 - ca F uel Used, 1919——, Purchased Coke and Prime Movers Energy Anthracite* Bituminoust 6,247,002 2,822,469 20,909,865 $40,330,352 1,175,504 570,251 1,311,943 10,224,543 245.774 159,475 S83, 861 1,545,733 68,549 51,357 435,866 $35,468 28,222 67,158 107,669 238,864 857,273 153.484 8,598,467 266,118 2,375,322 1,001,725 11,337,806 13,110,726 338.0 35.5 54.2 $2.5 bituminous coal and 5,661,028 tons of coke. president British Empire Steel Corporation, Montreal, in an interview outlined the various promising features in the outlook of the Canadian steel industry. “The strongest hope for betterment,” he said, “rests on the prospect of a revival in the domestic trade of Canada. A bumper grain crop, which now appears a probability, will add greatly to the purchasing power of the whole Dominion. If, in addition to this, the national railway situation improves so that the railways, our biggest consumers of steel, are in a financial position to under- take the work of replacements and extensions which are so sorely needed, the demand for steel products will increase substantially . . .” As to the British Empire Steel Corporation, Mr. Wolvin said that it had now seen its worst quarter, that of the first three months of this year, and that there had been a steady improve- ment since. “Coal production costs are being reduced _ to some extent, owing to the greater efficiency of labor. and the benefit which is being derived from expenditures made last year on power plants and other improve- ments. The same applies generally to the steel plants. The Dominion Steel plants are to-day running about 70 per cent of last year’s operations at this time.” While in England lately Mr. Wolvin was impressed by the seriousness of the financial situation there. The last week or two, however, had witnessed a number of favorable developments, including the termination of the strike. Still, England did not promise to become a buyer of Canadian steel products for some time. = July 14, 1921 ; LOCKERS IN STEEL PLANT Clothes Airing and Locking Device of Youngs- $ town Wire & Iron Co. A sanitary and space saving locker system has been a installed by the Youngstown Wire & Iron Co., Youngs- 5 town, Ohio, which consists of individual garment hang- * ers, provided with locks, forming in effect an open locker for each workman. 3 The system provides a lock-controlled clothes 4 hanger for each individual on which the clothes are sus- e pended under the ceiling, where they are aired and dried. The garments and toilet articles are held in security and are still easily accessible to the holder of the key. The system is arranged in a large room PO ene orm On 6 SO OK KSEE dee PSL OO AR ORM LO OLCOTT | _ PTT ee Ka | TT fee tallation of the Locker System in Plant Shows Racks in that a maximum number of men are accommodated individual safe storage of their clothing, together th toilet and bathing facilities, leaving the larger art of the space, however, available for gymnasium s or other purposes. The unit hanger consists of a pan for storing soap, ib and brush, to which are attached four hooks on uch the garments are suspended. The detail of the rrangement may be seen from the illustrations. Each the hangers is suspended from a small chain, ses over a pulley depending from the ceiling, then issing over a guide pulley, also attached to the ceil- n a position approximately over the rack to which hain is fastened and locked. [he pulleys are provided with chain guides to pre- nt the chains from slipping out of the grooves. They are suitably spaced to permit circulation of air and are fastened partly to ceiling beams and partly to tubes THE IRON ! =r) © AGE One of the illustrations shows the location of racks at the plant of the Youngstown Wire & Iron Co., al- lowing use of almost the entire floor space, with ample provision for bathing, washing and dressing. The lock- ing racks are formed of vertical tubes, fastened by means of a strap bar, resting upon horizontal angle bars and supported by tubular end posts and columns of the building. The upper part of the tube is open and provides for locking of the chain by means of padlock and ring. The chain is long enough to allow the hanger to be lowered to within easy reaching distance and when pulled up to the ceiling, the excess chain is neat- ly and compactly stowed in the tube. When a workman arrives at the plant in the morn- ing, he unlocks the particular chain assigned to him, lowers it, takes off his street clothes and puts on shop clothing. He then pulls the hanger up to ceiling, and : 1 Foreground and Background, Also Showers and Wash Basins and Illustrates Space Saving locks the chain in the rack. In the evening he reverses the process. The janitor carries a master key, in case loss of an employee’s key The Penns ing 34 bituminous mines in the ania Coal & Coke Corporation, operat- Central Pennsylvania field, announced July 5 that it has made a complete re- vision and reduction in all salaries, averaging about 20 per cent. The reduction, the officials state, applies to all officers, superintendents, foremen, monthly men, erks, and stenographers, all operating departments New York are affected. A officials says that and the general office statement by only nine of the 34 operating owing to the impossibility of in other fields operating on the 1917 seale of wages. The nine mines operating are mines are meeting competition working only from one to four days a week. Fe See 0 THE IRON AGE Railroad Boring Mill To meet the requirements of locomotive building and railroad shops in performing turning and boring operations on engine wheels, the Colburn Machine Tool Co., Cleveland, and the Dale Machinery Co., New York and Chicago, co-operated in the development of a 90-in. machine, front and side views of which are shown in the accompanying line drawings. The first six machines were built on order for the American Locomotive Co., whose standard specifications for a heavy duty wheel boring and turning mill of the mova- ble cross-rail type were adopted as a general guide for the designers. In design the established practice in the construc- tion of boring mills of the movable cross-rail type is followed. The following details, however, may be em- phasized: Power is delivered to a single pulley from a 42%-hp. 3 to 1 variable speed motor which runs on 220-volt, direct current. The driving pulley on the machine is 44 x 12 in., carries a 10-in. belt, and runs free on its shaft, connection to the gearing being by means of an Edgemont clutch which is of the disk type and will transmit something over 100 hp. The ad- vantage claimed for this arrangement is that the clutch is disengaged and the brakes applied with the same lever, making it unnecessary to overcome the momentum of the high-speed motor armature, the pulley and tke belt. This allows the operator to stop 4 — N | ik CM AA AREAL IEE. Sis SAN aw NS the table instantly or to move it around slightly when setting tools or work. From the driving pulley power is transmitted through gears which are inclosed in the bed of the machine and run in oil. Feed lubricators are used to deliver oil to the spindle drive gears and feed change- gears. All gears are of steel with cut teeth and heat treated, so that they possess ample strength and dura- bility, and in this connection it is of interest to know that the full back gear ratio is 104 to 1 with a maxi- mum gear speed of only 1064 ft. per min. The table is driven by a pinion meshing with an internal gear. The machine is said to have demonstrated its capac- ity for taking a maximum feed of % by % in. in steel, with a cutting speed of 60 ft. per min. The bed is of box form, reinforced with ribs and flanges. A cast- steel trough surrounds the bed to provide for catching cutting compound as it drips from the table. Large fitted bolts connect the bed and housings, which are also of box form and reinforced with ribs and flanges. The spindle is mounted on the table and has a suitable tapered bushing in the bed, which is provided with July 14, 1921 means of adjustment to compensate for wear. A powerful built-in independent 4-jaw chuck is provided on the table, and in common with other gears in the drive, the table gear and pinion run in oil. A 5-hp. independent motor is provided for elevating and lowering the cross-rail, which is equipped w:th two independent saddles that are made right and left hand to adapt them for working close together. Either saddle may be moved to the center of the table for use in the performance of boring operations. All wear between the cross-rail and saddles, except on the face of the cross-rail, may be taken up with gibs made of cast-iron. The cross-rail is of the narrow guide type. It is made of cast-iron and the saddles of steel. The rams are of steel with cut rack teeth, and both swivels have adjustment up to 30 deg. on each side of the verti- cal position. Swiveling is accomplished by a worm and ratchet adjustment. Rapid hand movement is provided for the rams, and they are equipped w:th counterbal- ances that are arranged to exert a direct pull on the Driving Pulley Runs Free on Its Shaft, Connecting to Gearing by Disk Clutch. The clutch is disengaged and brakes applied by the same lever rams in any angular position. Feeds are reversible, changes of feed being accomplished by sliding gears and clutches. Among the important dimensions may be mentioned: Maximum swing, 91% in.; maximum distance between table and cross-rail, 46 in.; spindle travel, 42 in.; diam- eter of table, 87 in.; diameter of track, 52 in.; width of track, 6 in.; diameter of spindle, 18 in.; length of spindle in bearing, 28 in.; table-speed with back gears in 1% to 4% r.p.m.; table-speed with back gears out, 6 to 18 r.p.m.; number of available table speeds, 32; minimum vertical feed, 1% in.; minimum horizontal feed, 0.022 in.; maximum horizontal feed, 0.672 in.; number of available vertical and horizontal reversible feeds, 8. The approximate weight of the machine, in- cluding the motor, is 67,000 lb. After a two-months’ layoff, about 1200 machinists and helpers returned to work this week in the shops at Meadville, Pa., Kent, Cleveland and Galion, operated under juricdiction of the Ohio region of the Erie rail- road. = on ie sl ol oe, es gh July 14, 1921 Ring and Circle Shear A deep-throat ring and circle shear, designated as the No. 13-B, for light material, has been placed upon the market by the Niagara Machine & Tool Works, Buf- falo, N. Y. The machine is shown in the accompanying illustra- tion and is regularly furnished for bench use, although high legs can be furnished if desired. Owing to the inclined position of the lower shaft and cutter internal cireles or holes as well as outside circles can be cut. It is also suitable for cutting reverse curves within certain limits. Cutters are 1% in. in diameter, of tool steel, ground and hardened, and adjustment is provided for taking Upper Cutter Can Be Raised and Lowered to Penetrate the Stock This enables the cut to be started in the sheet, not only on the edge up wear and for thickness of material to be cut. The upper cutter can be raised and lowered to penetrate the stock so that the cut can be started in the sheet, and not only on the edge. The slitting gage applied to the cutting head is accurate and readily adjustable fcr strips of various widths. The circle arm can be con- veniently moved and fastened to proper distance from the cutters, according to the diameter to be cut. A scale graduated in 1/16 in. is marked on the circle arm support, and the proper position of the blank between the clamping disks is determined by a swinging gage and the cutters. An eccentric device is used for clamp- ing. The clutch is actuated by a hand lever, per- mitting stopping the motion quickly at any point. The machine will cut No. 20 gage soft steel and will circle from a square blank 3% to 42 in. The distance from throat of cutting head to frame is 18 in. and to the gage, 9 in. The throat of circle arm is 30 in. The weight is 430 lb. More Readjustment Necessary WASHINGTON, July 12.—Mid-year statistical study of financial conditions has convinced the Federal Re- serve Board “there are many factors which seem to make it sure that still further work in the direction of readjustment must be accomplished before even approximate stability can be arrived at. “Encourage- ment is found in the statement that the board believes that the facts now available indicate that the main elements in business and the industrial recession have made their effects manifest, and that there have been in the majority of lines fairly extensive realinements of relationships. It believes the spring months of 1921 were a period of approach to equilibrium in cer- tain lines of business and of preparation for recovery from the depressed conditions that have developed. “The board stated that the year 1920-21 has been a period of reorganization.” This reorganization, with its effects, has, like all other great business changes, been directly reflected in our banking position and the ‘orresponding position of banking systems the world over. As to financial and economic tendencies of the re- adjustment period, the board stated that on the bank- ing side, the characteristics have been “reduction of loans and bills held, retirement of note circulation gain in gold, and liquidation of investments; while on the business side they have been lowering of produc- tion, growth of unemployment, falling off of foreign trade and reaction of prices.” THE IRON AGE 71 Rolling Mill Leased The newly erected rolling mill of the Capital City Iron & Steel Co., Harrisburg, Pa., has been leased to Joseph K. White and A. Leigh Ensinger, who wil! operate it as the Harrisburg Bar Mill Co. There are at present 9 and 12-in. Belgian mills in operation and a 16-in. mill is under way. The heating furnaces will be operated with oil for fuel and the power equipment is all electrical. The product will te rerolled iron and steel bars in all commercial shapes and sizes. The purchases and sales will be in charge of Mr White, who was formerly general sales agent of the Harrisburg Pipe & Pipe Bending Co. and retired at the time that the former owners withdrew. The oper ation of the plant will be in charge of Mr. Ensinger, also formerly connected with Harrisburg Pipe & Pin: Bending Co., lastly as chief engineer. New Size Simpson Sand Mixer The National Engineering Co., Chicago, is adding to its line of Simpson sand mixers a No. 3 size, with an 8 ft. diameter pan. The new machine is said to have been developed particularly for steel foundry pur- poses, although conveniently used where large capaci- ties are required in gray-iron, malleable, brass and alu- minum foundries. The mixer will hold an average charge of 20 cu. ft., which, figuring 100 lb. of sand to the cubic foot, gives a capacity of 2000 lb. or 1 ton of sand. Smaller or larger batches may be mixed, depending on the par ticular mixture and the conditions of operation. The drive is from line shaft, or from counter shaft by an in- The Cross Head Runs on a Ball Thrust Bearing All bushings are remoy ible dividual motor or by direct-connected gearing to a motor. The power in all cases is 25 hp. excepting wher« a bucket loader is attached, in which case 30 hp. is necessary. The parts subject to wear are of cast steel and the crosshead runs on a ball thrust bearing. The vertical shaft bushings are of bronze. All bushings are re- movable. The microchanges which occur during the temper- ing of hardened steels is now under investigation by the Bureau of Standards, Washington, through its metallurgical division. it is necessary to take hard- ness measurements and make microscopic examination of all the specimens of each type of steel for each tem- pering treatment. Over 800 specimens are involved in the investigation and the time necessary for the mere polishing for examination is of course consider- able. Complaint has been filed with the Interstate Com- merce Commission by the Brier Hill Steel Co., Youngs- town Sheet & Tube Co. and Republic Iron & Steel Co. against the freight rates on limestone from quarries at Hillsville, Pa., to the companies’ plants at Youngstown, Ohio. The complaint cites that the rate is discrimina- tory and unfair, not only to Youngstown, but to all iron and steel producers in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys. ia 45% 12 THE IRON AGE Turbine Driven Return Line Heating Pump The Nash Engineering Co., South Norwalk, Conn., is placing on the market the Jennings steam turbine driven return line heating pump, a cross section view of which is shown in the accompanying illustration. This unit is designed for use with heating or drying sys- tems where the pump is called upon to maintain both a vacuum on the heating system and to return the hot water and condensation against pressure. The unit consists of two independent turbine pumps built in one casing; one pump handling the air, the other the condensation, the air and condensation being separated in a receiver under vacuum before entering the unit. This arrangement makes possible a saving in power, because the condensation, which is only one- eighth of the volume handled, is alone delivered against Two Independent Turbine Pumps Are Built in One Casing One pump handles air, the other condensation, the air and condensation being separated in a receiver under vacuum The Three Rotors Are Mounted on One Shaft discharge pressure, the air being delivered to the at- mosphere. The air end is a development of the Hytor vacuum pump in which the rotor, the only moving part, re- volves in an elliptical casing filled with water. The water turns with the rotor, but follows the casing, due to centrifugal force. The water end of the machine is a centrifugal pump with an enclosed type impeller de- signed to give high efficiency when handling hot water. t unloads when not handling condensation, and is said to require little increased power when delivering against low heads. Provision has been made to vent the cen- trifugal inlet back to the receiving tank, which is un- der vacuum, to eliminate air binding. All interior parts of the pump are of bronze except- ing the steam turbine rotor. No lubricant is required in the interior of the pump and no oil or grease can be introduced by the pump into the condensate. The shaft upon which the impeller, rotor and steam tur- bine wheel are mounted is supported by annular ball bearings mounted outside of the casing, in an adjusta- ble housing. The steam turbine rotating element con- sists of a solid steel forging with blades milled out of the rim. A centrifugal throttling governor is furnished to maintain a constant steam turbine speed, auto- matically shutting off steam if the steam pressure rises July 14, 1921 or if the pump unloads when not handling condensation, preventing increase in speed. The turbines are designed to operate at 75 lb. steam pressure, although the turbine casing is suitable for pressures up to 200 lb. If it is desirable to operate at pressures lower than 75 lb., a satisfactory operation can be secured on pressures as low as 40 lb. The pumps are furnished in sizes up to 300,000 sq. ft., of equiva- lent direct radiation. Fluorspar in 1920 The total quantity of fluorspar reported as shipped from domestic mines in 1920, according to figures com- piled by Hubert W. Davis of the United States Geo- logical Survey was 186,778 net tons, valued at $4,- 718,547, which shows an increase of 35 per cent in quantity and 34 per cent in value as compared with the figures for 1919. The general average price per ton f.o.b. mines or shipping points for all grades of spar in 1920 was $25.26; in 1919 it was $25.49. The imports of flurospar into the United States in 1920 were 24,612 short tons, valued at $265,630, an in- crease over 1919 of 254 per cent in quantity and of 147 per cent in value. The exports of fluorspar from the United States in 1920 amounted to 2764 short tons, valued at $65,475. All the fluorspar exported was sent to Canada. The imports of fluorspar during the first four months of 1921, the greater part of which was brought from Canada, amounted to 4049 short tons, valued at $39,990. Figures furnished by steel manufacturers who pro- duce about 75 per cent of the output of basic open- hearth steel show that the steel industry consumed about 117,000 short tons of fluorspar in 1920 and that the stocks on hand Jan. 1, 1921, at all steel plants were about 66,600 short tons. From Jan. 1 to April 30, 1921, about 22,600 tons was consumed by basic open-hearth steel plants. Figures showing the shipments of do- mestic fluorspar to steel plants during this four-month period are not available, but the total was evidently small, and of the 4000 tons imported practically all has been taken by steel manufacturers. Statistics of shipments of fluorspar by States, by grades, and by uses are now available and may be had on application to the Director, United States Geo- logical Survey, Washington. , . New Steel Plant in New South Wales WASHINGTON, July 12.—A new steel works is to be established at Port Kembla, New South Wales, a new port 60 miles south of Sydney, according to a report re- ceived by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- merce. A large breakwater is nearing completion, which will considerably enhance the natural facilities of the port and provide the required accommodation for the largest vessels trading to Australia. The port is in the center of a large coal mining district, and it is believed that when the works are in operation, many sub- sidiary industries, depending upon the free supply of iron and steel, will be established. It is stated that the outlay on the works will be in the neighborhood of £2,000,000. The same company is now operating iron and steel works at Lithgow, which is 100 miles inland from Sydney. Suits for the recovery of $75,000 and a reasonable attorney fee recently were instituted against James C. Davis, Federal director-general of railroads, by the Cen- tral Iron & Steel Co., Harrisburg, Pa., in Federal court at Scranton, Pa. It is alleged that while the Govern- ment was in control of the Philadelphia & Reading and the Pennsylvania railroads, the plaintiff was com- pelled to do considerable shifting of cars into and out of its plant at its own expense in connection with ship- ments made over the roads mentioned, and that the shifting complained of should have been done by the railroads without cost to the plaintiff. Because of this, the plaintiff seeks to recover $40,000 for the shifting done on the Pennsylvania and $35,000 for the shifting done on the Philadelphia & Reading. Repeated Shut Downs of Coke Ovens Twenty Years’ Experience With By-Prod- uct Plant Near Wheeling, W. Va., With Floods and Stoppage for Other Reasons — — BY J. M. HASTINGS, JR. —————— : HE impression seems to have gained considerable credence that a by-product coke oven plant cannot be allowed to become cold without serious conse- quences and more or less complete rebuilding before it can be started again. Some owners are even going to heavy expense to keep their oven plants hot, or are selling coke at a serious loss to avoid a shut-down. A report recently received from a plant of by-product ovens near Wheeling, W. Va., shows that a correctly designed plant may be shut down completely without serious injury. In 1898 a plant of 60 Semet-Solvay ovens was built for the Riverside Iron Works, now owned by the Na- tional Tube Co. at Benwood, W. Va., just outside of Wheeling. Two years later 60 more ovens were added. The plant was built on the flat land along the Ohio Oven in Operation 17 Years and Out of Running 20 Times for i Total of 5 Years and Yet Requiring No Replacements of Lining River, and although the records of high water were carefully studied for a long period, the progressive denudation of the forests made these records of little value, and three years after the first ovens were started the plant was put out of operation by high water. During the twenty years from April 24, 1901, when this first shut-down occurred, to March 16, 1921, the date of the most recent shut-down, the Benwood coke oven plant has been closed down and started up again twenty distinct times. _ Seven times in that period the Ohio has flooded the district and effectively put the ovens out of commis- sion. Most of these interruptions were for relatively short periods, although in each case the plant was kept in operation until water entered the waste heat flues. In March, 1907. however, flood water was high enough to enter the sole flues and reach the oven floors proper, causing an 18-day shut-down, and in April, 1913, the worst flood in the history of the river brought the water into the lower heating flues 15 in. above the floor of the ovens. On this latter occasion a shut-down of 25 days resulted, largely because natural gas for starting 73 up again was not available for some time after the flood subsided. In addition to interruptions caused by floods, the plant has been down four times on account of coal shortage, twice for repairs to the hydraulic mains and seven times on account of business conditions. Dura- tion of shut-downs from this last cause has ranged from one month in 1914 to a year and seven months in 1907 to 1909. During its entire twenty-two and a half years’ existence, the Benwood plant has been shut down 1958 days, or a total of 5-1/3 years up to March 16 of this year, since which date it has again been cold. Several other Semet-Solvay plants have been shut down for varying periods, but none has approached this record and probably none ever will, due to the pe- culiar circumstances at Benwood. Notwithstanding this rather remarkable record of shut-downs, the present condition of the plant shows that it has suffered no serious damage. Of course these extraordinary and repeated stresses on such a large amount of brickwork cannot be encountered with- out some injury and expense for repairs. But the constrution of this type of oven, with the well-known strong division wall between the ovens, was so substan- tial that any injury occasioned by these vicissitudes has been of a minor nature, as is shown by the following records. Of all the ovens built in the United States, No. 30 oven in block No. 1 at Benwood, illustrated in the ac- companying cut, holds the record for low repair costs. This oven has been in operation 17 years and out of run- ning 20 times for a total of over five years, and to date has required no replacements whatever in its lining or brickwork. No. 60 oven in block No. 2 is a close sec- ond, having required less than $20:‘expense for brick- work repairs. It should be further noted that the two ovens mentioned at Benwood are both end ovens, which is the point where injury to the structure of the blocks often first appears. The repair records of these two ovens are of course exceptional, but the record of the entire plant has been remarkable, despite the numerous interruptions. In addition to these repair records on the ovens, the yields obtained at the Benwood plant have been very satisfactory and compare favorably with those from the best modern plants. For the five-year period from Jan. 1, 1915, to Jan. 1, 1920, during which time the plant enjoyed fairly continuous operation, the