The Iron Age 1921-08-11: Vol 108 Iss 6

ESTABLISHED 1855 oun ¥ wy wyyy iY VOL my ww Whi Ws L Electromagnets in a Plate Cooling Bed Features of a Plate Mill of Dorman, Long & Co., Eng- land, Notable for Its Size BY GEORGE F. PAUL” UNIQUE method of handling the plates on fitted between the rollers on the table and put up to A the cooling bed, which is done by means of the side shears. The alinement is quickly and a electro-magnetic skids is a feature of an elec- curately carried out by the table operator from the trically driven rolling mill at Redcar, England, not- switchboard during the actual operations of shear able otherwise for its size. The improved means ing. The plate is held in correct alinement by the for transferring and handling rolled steel plates on magnets under the plate. One side of the plate is cooling banks is a patent obtained by an official of thus sheared. the company, L. Ennis, general manager for Dor- Then the plate is turned for the shearing of man, Long & Co., Middlesborough, England. the other side. The machine is fitted with two ¥ The plates are delivered by live rolls to this sets of separately driven rollers. The plate is ro- plate-handling table at the end of the cooling banks tated by revolving the rollers in opposite dire : and delivered for side shearing to side shears. The tions; this is a very simple operation, the plate be . table installed in the Dorman-Long mills, is the first ing kept under perfect control by means of the ts kind to be built and is giving highly satis- magnets, and without the slightest difficulty the fc. factory results. Ina single shaft of 8 hr., 145 tons unsheared side of the plate is thus presented to the ‘ sheared plates have been handled by the machine. shears and the shearing is completed by a repetition The method is as follows: After the plates Of the first operation already described. By this de. eave the finishing rolls they are conveyed by roller ™eans a great saving In labor is effected. With the track to shears for end shearing and cutting to use of the table only three persons are needed ; ength. The side shearing of the plates is carried namely, one man on the table, another to operate t at two sets of shears, part of the output being the shears and a third to remove the shearings lealt with by a set of shears having castors, while rhe 9 ft. 6 in, electrically driven reversing plate of the output is delivered to shears fitted mill consists of two stands of 42-in. diameter rolls. the plate operating table, and the plates for This mill is capable of rolling plate from % in. to tter are conveyed in a straight line from the 2 in. thick and up to 9 ft. in width and any length ears by roller gear to the end of the cooling UP to 100 ft. A special feature of this mill is the vhere they are received by the operating motor for driving, which has a maximum peak load [he rolls on the operating table are on the Of 20,500 h.p. when running at 40 rpm. The evel as the mill roller track. The plate is speed can be increased up to 70 r.p.m. by weaken- isted by means of the electro magnets '!"& the motor field. The machine is designed to be reversed from 40 r.p.m. in one direction to 40 revo- Building, Chicago. lutions in the opposite direction in less than 3 sec. 321 t} August 11, 192] E THE IRON AG oe “oak Gs, ae ' SSSI “’ August 11, 192i THE IRON AGE 323 4 fhe flywheel of the motor generator is composed energy in the flywheel when running at 600 r.p.m. ‘wo separate 30-ton wheels mounted side by side _is 46,900 ft.-tons and the available energy that the the same shaft. Each of the wheels is built in flywheel is capable of giving out while decreasing ne ree parts consisting of a central disk and two in speed from 600 to 500 revolutions is approxi- ‘ : that are riveted to the central disk. The stored mately 85,000 hp.-sec. Trent Process for Cleaning Powdered Coal Agitation Method of Producing an Amalgam and Eliminating Ash from Low-Grade Fuels ——_—___—_—— BY 6,. P. HOOD? —.... D' RING the war certain suggestions concerning power production were made by Walter E. Trent to the War Inventions Board and, at the request of the War Department, facilities for experimental work were provided on the grounds of the Bureau of Stand- ards. The experiments were along the line of control- ing the conditions of combustion in a closed space. In order to reduce slag troubles, experiments were arried out for removing ash from powdered coal \fter the war, work along this line was continued, resulting in the Trent process, which agitates or beats together powdered coal, water and oil. A new technology had previously been given to ‘re preparation by the use of small quantities of oil in water with froth flotation, and although the methods, results and mixtures of the Trent process were quite different, yet the same physical phenomena of differ- ential wetting was used, and the possibility of there being interesting results in fuel technology was evident. A co-operative agreement was entered into, whereby FE the Bureau of Mines was to investigate the underlying physical and chemical facts and make them public, and the Trent Corporation was to pay the cost of the investigation. The several reports as made have been available to any one interested, and are now to be published. While the Bureau of Mines felt justified in investigat- ing the physical phenomena so far as might be done in a laboratory, and so far as public interest might reach, no attempt was made to discover the commercial possibilities which development might bring. The question of commercial possibilities must be left for ommercial enterprise to answer. What the Process Is and Does Briefly, the process consists in agitating together powdered coal, water and oil. This produces a partly ashed plastic fuel, called an amalgam, the oil select- the coal particles and largely excluding the water ash. The amalgam can be freed from water | BAF chanically held by working, much the same as butter worked. The amalgam can be burned in several ways; for example, it may be shoveled, or forced : gh pipes by pressure; it can also be stored, under th at if desired. noe aboratory results immediately suggest many ng possible applications. For pulverizing fuel, ‘rinding presents many advantages over dry grind- ovided the water can be eliminated afterwards. ble to reduce the ash in coal may make available juantities of 'ow-grade coals and material now sidered as waste at the mines. f oil is used which can be distilled at a tem- ay below the distilling temperature of the coal, i red fuel is reclaimed from the amalgam and may be reused. If a heavy oil be used and | to dryness, a coke product may be recovered, igh. the coal used may have had no coking quality. distillation proceed only to a heavy pitch, a suitable for briquetting may be made. In dis- oil mixed with a finely powdered material, the ites are similar to those obtained by distilling pressure, so that the distillation of an amalgam y + ( j es oy Se ae ' mechanical engineer, Bureau of Mines of coal and oil gives quantities often more favorable than the sum of the separate distillations of the coal and the oil. The amalgam can be used for a gas-making fuel, and gas-house tar emulsions can be dehydrated by mixing with powdered coal, the amalgam being retorted for further gas making. Graphite ore can be separated from its gangue, and coke can be separated from flue dust, by using the Trent process. Clean coal in anthra- cite sludge will make an amalgam if oil is added. A paper by G. St. J. Perrott and S. P. Kinney, of the Bureau of Mines, has presented the results of the laboratory-scale tests of the efficiency of the Trent process in cleaning coal. A noteworthy feature of the operation of the process is the cleanness of separation of mineral matter from combustible matter. Combus- tible recovery has averaged better than 95 per cent. High ash reduction has been obtained with the bitu- minous coals and anthracites. Sulphur reduction has been good in the case of anthracites but poor with the bituminous coals. It has not been found feasible to treat the lignites without preliminary carbonization, due to the difficulty of forming a coherent agglomerate of the raw lignite and oil. Finer pulverization than 200 mesh does not give a sufficient increase in ash reduction with most coals to warrant the added expense of the longer period of grinding. Any oil whose viscosity is not too great may be employed in the process. Oil losses in the refuse or water are apparently negligible. This brief sketch of possibilities revealed by small- scale laboratory work shows that the field for investi- gation and development is large. The general results show that real benefits are physically possible by treating coal in this manner. The Bureau has inter- ested itself more particularly in the ash separation phenomena or the cleaning of coal, and in the distilla- tion of the amalgam, which will be discussed in a future article. Apply for Charter for Temple Furnace Co. Noteholders of the Seaboard Steel & Manganese Co., who recently bid in the furnace of that company at Temple, Pa., have applied for a Pennsylvania charter under the name of Temple Furnace Co. This action was taken in order that there may be a formal corporate body to which title to the furnace may pass in the event of the confirmation by the United States Court of the receivers’ sale. First steps to stage a large exhibition of steel prod- ucts and those of allied industries in the Pittsburgh district were taken at a recent meeting of the general committee of the Pittsburgh Chapter, American Steel Treating Society. The exposition, the only one of its kind in America, will be held in Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh, in August or September, 1922, when the national convention of the association will convene in Pittsburgh. Dr. C. M. Johnson, president of the Pitts- burgh chapter, M. B. Hoffman and D. W. McDowell were chosen delegates to the 1921 national convention at Indianapolis, Sept. 19 to 26. ) > r Double Back-Geared Engine Lathe A 22-in. and a 24-in., 3-step cone, double back-geared engine lathe have been added to the line of the Lehmann Machine Co., St. Louis. The makers state that in de sign the aim has been to include liberality of dimensio1 without exaggeration and to include the most approved features, using best materials in eve ry detail. The bed has chilled ways and is deep and wide The cross section at end of bed is cut away to permit overhang to the tailstock or placing the steady rest at the extreme end. The inside front way is flat and a rack s cast in the center of the bed for engaging the pawl o1 the tailstock. The headstock casting is carried fron front to rear boxes on a line with center of the spindle, tieing the bearings rigidly together and protecting th¢ operator from the belt. Nine spindle speeds are pro vided. The tailstock is clamped to the bed DY four bolts brought up to the top of the barrel. The spindle is pro vided with a new and improved device for locking con float ng plug set in a bearing below the spindle. The plug is concaved to match the spindle and rests at one end on a shoulder of larger diameter, the other end exts nding beyond the back of the tailstock casting and fitting into an eyebolt suspended by an ove} hanging lug. The locking handle sets above this and threaded to the eyebolt. Movement of the handle draws the plug against the bottom of the spindle, a very light pressure securely locking the spindle. A handle is pro vided for moving the tailstock on the bed by a pinion engaging a feed rack The apron has a central oiling system and is tongued and grooved to the carriage. The front plate is remov able leaving the mechanism easily accessible. The lead screw and feed rod have bearings in the apron to pre vent sagging and undue wear on the half nut and re verse gears. A safety device prevents engagements of feed rod and lead screw at the same time and link con- nections are provided to the parts of the half nut. The half nut operating the handle has an easy motion, its leverage being slight at the beginning, preventing in jury on the top or edges of the thread. As the nut is thrown in further the leverage increases till at the finish the two halves of the nut are locked in position and cannot be spread apart by any internal pressure. The compound rest is graduated up to 90 deg. and is held to the bottom side by bolts placed at a large radius from the center. The quick change mechanism is designed for sim plicity and doubles the range with the addition of only two gears. A cone of gears with sliding rocker arm is employed, the rocker having two central driving gears of different ratios, each with an intermediate which engage the cone of gears. By dropping the rocker arm and sliding it on the rocker shaft one of the inter mediates is thrown into mesh and by raising the rocker the other intermediate is thrown into use and the next progressive set of changes are obtained. Thus all changes commonly used are made by a movement of the rocker arm alone. For uncommonly fine or coarse threads or feeds another handle is used. For cutting odd threads and worms a swinging quadrant permits THE IRON AGE August 11, 192] the use of special and compound gears. A central « ng system lubricates the bearings in the quick-chan; gear box and rocker. The feed rod does not run when thread cutting a the lead screw is inoperative when the feed rod is e: ployed. The lead screw is of high carbon steel wit} 2 pitch Acme thread and has ball thrust bearings both ends. A thread indicator attached to the carriay ‘an be disengaged when not in use and a micometi ‘arriage stop can be furnished when desired. T! steady rest has alloy steel plugs and all adjustme: and locking, except to the bed, are accomplished means of star handles. It can be reversed on the be The weight on skids is given as 7500 lb. and 7800 ‘or the 22-in. and 24-in. sizes respectively. Metal Trades Exhibition in Indianapolis Metal trade manufacturers in Indianapolis ar planning to take part in the Indianapolis Indust Exposition to be held Oct. 10 to 15 at the Indiana Stat: fair Grounds, under the auspices of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. The convention of the Nationa Purchasing Agents’ Association will be held the sam« week in Indianapolis. Space has been taken by some 400 of the 781 differ ent lines of manufacturing in Indianapolis. One ol the features of the Exposition will be that the hug Manufacturers’ Building will be laid out in replica of the retail district of Indianapolis, with the world-famed Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument towering in the cente! of the network of streets named after those in dow! town Indianapolis. Gain in Pittsburgh Industries Pittsburgh in 1920 had 2253 industries reporting t the Pennsylvania Department of Internal Affairs. I 1919 reports were received from 1775. The industries last year gave employment to 118,954 persons and in 1919 to 90,254. The persons employed in the city last year in industry included 107,922 males and 11,082 females. There were paid a total wage of $210,224,110, as compared with $117.602,200 in 1919. The capital invested in the industries of the city last yea! amounted to $469,286,200, against $354,042,800 in 1919 Industrial products turned out in the city last yea! were valued at $889,531,900, an increase of 47.6 pe} ent over 1919, when the value was $602,582,800. Pitts burgh’s metal products were worth $536,359,800. New Standard Samples A new standard sample of lead-base bearing meta No. 53 is now being issued by the Bureau of Standards with a provisional certificate. This sample has t! approximate composition: lead 79 per cent, tin 11 Pp cent and antimony 10 per cent, and contains in addi- tion small amounts of bismuth, copper, iron and arsenic. The price of this sample is $2 per 150 grams, prepa) or parcel post C.O.D. Renewal No. 33a of nickel steel No. 33 is also reacy for distribution at the price of $2.50 per 150 grams ner Analysis of Costs of Drop-Forging Comparison of Steam and Board Drop Hammers —Rate of Production Studied as Well as Costs —Dividing Line Established Between Types BY R. T. HERDEGEN y » manufacturing line one finds differences | nion regarding the relative merits of differ achines or methods for accomplishing a given In the drop forging industry one of the most ial points is the relative merits of steam ners and board drop hammers. In consider relative merits of these two types of machinery int in the final analysis is, which will pro- es the more cheaply, assuming of course factory forgings will be produced in either generally accepted that for very small work ammer is the more feasible unit, while for rge work the steam hammer is the better. The to locate properly the dividing line between types. It is also true that certain jobs which y be made in a steam hammer cannot, due peculiar shape, be made satisfactorily in a immer; the converse is not true Definite Sizes of Hammers Compared his paper we will consider a 1500-lb. steam ner vs. a 1600-lb. board hammer. In a few in s a job which can be handled satisfactorily in a ) steam hammer may require a 2000-lb. board mer, but as the difference in the investment and ng expenses between the 1600-lb. and the 2000-lb. rd hammer equipment is not great we will use the mer for comparison. Usually a job that requires a have board hammers. The problem is whether, for most of the 1500-lb. class of work—which is liable t be the bulk of the work of most forging companies board hammers or steam hammers should be used. Relative Hourly and Monthly Output of the Two Types It is particularly difficult to convince the average I J shop man that the board hammer can produce as much work per hour as the steam hammer. The writer has found, however, after a very thorough study involving the forging of millions of pieces, such as connecting rods, pedals, gears, spring hangers, spindles and othe common forgings, that from the two classes o the production results obtained f equipment show the average output per hour in the steam hammer ran 70 pieces against an average of 80 pieces per hour in the case of the board hammer. A comparison based on the production per month is even more favorable to the board hammer, due to th fact that shut-downs, necessitated by break-downs, are of much shorter duration in the case of the board ham mer than they are in the case of the steam hammer. This means that one can expect more actual monthly hours of operation from a board hammer than from the corresponding steam hammer. Average steam hammer shop men will not be- lieve that the board hammer production will exceed the steam hammer production, due to the fact that if they have any board hammers they are usually tucked away 00-lb. steam hammer would require about a 4000-lb somewhere in a corner. One may consider axiomatic COMPARATIVE HAMMER-H¢ R tATES H Ra 5 Be ) \ f Materia i iding I rd } y I 5 ran |} ad ( . . Inspec Hot and Inter ‘ rough \ Fue ( D I S f ¢ Fur ict stea I charges and overhea Fu ce pairs I i ng imbe nd wages l Foremer ind n eT ) er Compensation S f py } Iving cost of stean to ] Coal at $ ) De vered hammer and electri Proporticr bo har LI erhe operate board hammer Electric powe i < vy. } nd overhead ‘ rred I operatjon of 1 Upkeep, ham: Labor charges f 5 Upkeep, hammer ar press Repair purchases ; t Upkeep buildings, grounds and equipment 15 Depreciation buildings, equipment and machiner ince and taxes Administra Die blocks ier. ‘There would be no object in using a mer for most jobs of this size, for the in- suld probably be about the same; and the might very likely be less in the larger board n in the smaller steam hammer. appear, therefore, that for work requiring team hammer or heavier, it is desirable to E hammers. For work requiring less than a ES team hammer it is admittedly desirable to e : 7 forge & Stamping Co., Walkerville, Ont. Paper : re American Drop Forge Association at Chi- VE gener offic es nad commere ex é ‘ nw nw that board hammers give satisfaction only when they are removed from the vicinity of the steam hammers, and when they have a separate foreman and a separate repair gang, and are otherwise completely segregated from the steam hammers. When this geographical separation is accomplished, then and then only will one obtain really comparable results. Three Factors of Cost Involved in Study In figuring the cost of a forging, there are three factors to be considered: viz: material, labor and over- head. 326 THE IRON AGE We will of course assume that the same weight of steel is required for a job, whether it is made in a steam hammer or in a board hammer. The same piece work rate should be paid for a given piece, whether it is run in a steam hammer or a board hammer. We will, therefore, assume that the productive or directly chargeable labor per piece is the same in both cases. It is evident, inasmuch as the material and labor costs for a given forging are the same, whether it is made in a steam hammer or a board hammer, that the only difference will be in the overhead cost. The only method of computing this cost, which will give a correct basis for comparison, is the machine rate system. Any conclusion reached from a comparison of these over- head costs obtained by the percentage system would be incorrect and misleading. Assumption of Equality in Hourly Productivity Although results obtained from a test involving the making of ten million pieces clearly demonstrate the superiority of board hammers in production, we will assume the production per hour to be the same in both cases. If the machine rates were the same for both classes of equipment, the entire manufacturing cost of a forging would therefore be the same, whether it was made in a board hammer or a steam hammer. To solve the problem correctly it is therefore necessary to determine the hourly machine rate for each class of equipment. In determining the machine rate, consider a pro- duction center consisting of the hammer with a press and furnace. The main units will be a 1500-lb. steam hammer in the one case and a 1600-lb. board hammer in the other. We will use a 55% Toledo geared press and a furnace with a 36-in. opening, with each hammer. Due to the fact that a steam hammer is a unit requir- ing considerable heavy dismantling, it should be placed in a building equipped with an overhead crane, whereas, in the case of the board hammer, a building having proper arrangements for a chain fall is all that is nec- essary. This means that the cost of the building per sq. ft. is greater for the steam hammer than for the board hammer shop. A complete analysis of the com- parative hammer-hour rates for these two production centers follows: In tabulating these hammer-hour rates the various charges have been segregated into seven main groups. In the first three groups the hourly charges are the same for both types of production centers, because the production per hour is considered the same for both types of hammer and because it is customary to pay the same piece price for a forging, whether it is made under a steam hammer or a board hammer. It will be noted in the above tabulation that the phrase ‘and overhead” has been added in several in stances. This is possible, because the actual overhead has been determined for such non-productive depart- ments as the material-handling department, the oil tanks and furnace equipment, the boiler room, and th electrical department. It is very necessary that this be done, particularly in the case of the oiler room, for if this department’s depreciation and other over- head expenses are charged to the general plant account, instead of being segregated against the boiler room, machinery which has no connection whatsoever with the boiler room will be charged with a large overhead resulting from boiler operation. Power Charges for the Two Hammers Charges under group “D” represent the cost of pro ducing steam for the steam hammer and electric power for the board hammer. The electric power charged to the steam hammer is the cost of the amount required to run the trimming press. It might appear that the boiler room overhead charges are heavy, but a careful analysis of any boiler plant will show that the invest- ment is great, with a resultant large depreciation charge, and that such costs, together with items of re- pairs and labor, are much higher per hour of operation than is usually estimated, particularly when the plant is running only one shift. Charges under group “E” are those incidental to keeping the equipment in operation. The cost of oper- August 11, 192] ating the steam hammer is much greater than the cost of operating the board hammer, due to the fact that the actual breakage and the cost of dismantling and reassembling hammers after break-downs are more jn the case of the steam unit. These figures are based on data collected over several years, and should not much in different plants, providing that the equip: is kept in really first class operating condition at times. The charges under group “F” are based on th vestment involved in the production center, and ar naturally higher for the steam hammer than for th board hammer. Under the subdivision (3) has beer grouped all administrative, general office, sales and commercial expense. In certain plants where this runs high it is customary to add this as a fixed percentag: on the total manufacturing cost. It is assumed, how- ever, that this is the average jobbing forge shop, where these expenses do not run very high, as they might the plant which carries a standard line of goods suc} as wrenches, pliers, and other hand tools. Final Rate Per Hour, With and Without Dies The final analysis indicates that the hourly rate for the steam hammer production center, without dies, is $9 per hour against $5.25 per hour for the correspond- ing board hammer. For the steam hammer the die charge is $3 per hour, against $2 per hour for the board hammer, which charge includes the cost of die blocks, the labor re- quired in their sinking and the proportionate die room overhead. In other words, it represents the cost of dies, should a forging company be obliged to purchase them from an outside concern. The cost per hour is 50 per cent greater in the case of the steam hammer than for the board hammer, due to the fact that a steam hammer is harder on dies than a board hammer. An investigation was made involving about twenty pieces which were run in both classes of equipment. Data collected from this experiment indicated that i general the life of a die was at least 50 per cent longer under the board hammer than under the steam ham- mer. Adding the die expense to the other expenses brings the final overhead rate to $12 per hour in th case of the steam hammer, compared with $7.25 in the case of the board hammer. As we have developed both machine rates, it is possible for us to determine the cost of making a cer- tain forging in either type of equipment. An exampl of such a cost per 100 forgings is given below: 1500-Lhb. 1600-L Steam Board Material. 205 Ib. at Sig¢c.....iccc BER $7.18 Direct labor e% 3.50 BE Overhead. 60 pieces per hr... 15.00 s Die charges . Sneian j 5.00 rotal forging cost ; saw SSCS $22.7 It will be noted that the material and direct lab charges are considered the same in both instances, + accordance with the conclusion developed early in paper. The difference in the cost is due entirely t difference in the overhead cost of producing the ings in the two different types of equipment. Fryy Profit in One Case; Loss in the Other It is apparent from the above example that, wh as a manufacturer who was planning on forging particular piece in a board hammer could satisfactor! ell it for 27¢., the forge shop which attempted to mas his piece in a steam hammer could certainly not t for this figure without suffering a severe loss Finally, the result of this investigation would cate that in general it would not be desirable to insta! steam drop hammers smaller than 2500 lb. There are of course, exceptions to this statement, but the excel tions are not so numerous as those unfamiliar with ™ excellent results obtainable on board hammers think. Keep in mind the fact that the production 0 tained on board hammers, when they are installed in the same shop with a number of steam hammers, 'S never equal to the production which might be obtained on those hammers if they were installed in a separate shop removed from the vicinity of the steam hammers. 1) Ad t i may BY A. S. encouraging possibilities than the welding of metals by fusion. The welded joint is not of lern conception, and the forge weld undoubtedly ; back to the earliest working of metals. However, ther kinds of welds have been in use less than ‘ars. All welding is done by either one of two ples, plasticity or fusion. The forge, the electric tance and the thermit compression welds depend plasticity, while the electric arc, the thermit cast the oxyacetylene welds employ the principle of The respective merits of these two methods aking welds are rapidly becoming well understood. Welding by plasticity has accomplished much. We but to consider the manufacture of ordinary ight iron and steel pipe to appreciate the value of forge plastic weld. The speed and non-oxidizing tures of the electric resistance weld also have proved to the greatest advantage, as in the making of | chain for example. But the plastic weld is limited in its application and is confined almost entirely to mild steel. The fusion weld however has a broader range of usefulness among the metals. Especially is this true of the oxyacetylene weld which is applicable to mild steel, tool steel, high speed steel, the new alloy steels, cast iron, wrought ron, aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, lead, tin, zine, in fact all of the commercial metals may be welded ' the oxyacetylene torch. Now the possibilities of a good fusion weld depend high tensile strength, ductility, density, control of e welders, and a proper method of testing welds. N° modern mechanical process possesses more p Tensile Strength Che tensile efficiency of a weld is based on its thick- ing the same as that of the base metal. This ency is of first importance but it must not be ob- ned at the expense of ductility, that is the bending stretching qualities of the metal. In the welding f steel, for example, the ductility is of much import- Again to secure the proper tensile efficiency led metal must be thoroughly fused to the sides vee of the base metal. One of the best ways ‘a high tensile efficiency, say in mild steel, 3 to a welding rod of nickel steel having a tensile : nearly double that of the base metal. The likely to be a weld of higher tensile strength se metal. Of course the simple reinforcing ; common practice. Ductility tility of a fusion weld, particularly of steel, nsidered, although there now are some who that a weld does not need to have bending One of the best illustrations of the value in a steel weld is to be found in the manu- welded steel tubing, which can be made the ‘seamless drawn tubing. In order to size tubing the practice is to weld the steel] rs of from 1 to 2 in. and then cold draw these smaller sizes desired, some of them being 52 in. outside diameter with 1/12 in. hole. noted that this tubing has an oxyacetylene 1 along its full length of many feet, which ipable of withstanding the strain of repeated ng as the large tube is reduced to the smallest The weld not only withstands this treatment found to be ductile enough successfully to address delivered to the Cleveland Section of Welding Society May 6. The author is profes- practice at Stevens Institute of Technology, 327 The Possibilities of Fusion Welding” Conditions for This Type of Weld —Control of Welders—Test of Welds—Success with Alloy Steels KINSEY — — stand being flattened, crushed, knurled or bent. The welding of the larger size tube is done at the rate of from 3 to 5 ft. per minute with multiple tips in an automatic machine. Porosity One trouble with welds has been the lack of homo- geneity of the welded metal, and usually the trouble is due to oxides, This applies to all methods of weld- ing but probably less trouble is experienced with the oxyacetylene weld. In most cases the weld must be absolutely nonporous and the density of its metal should be equal to that of the base metal. A fine illustration of what may be accomplished in this direction may be found in some recent designs of electric sterilizing transformers. In this type of transformer a high volt- age terminal is filled with a combination of helium and nitrogen gases held at a constant pressure of about 150 Ib. to serve as a gaseous dielectric. Of course it is necessary for the pressure of the gas to be main- tained constant and therefore the welded joints of the transformers must not allow the gas to leak away. Many attempts were made to weld these transformers, but the welds proved to be so porous that the gas pressure could not be maintained until the oxyacetylene process was brought into use. Oxyacetylene welding in this case has proved highly satisfactory and the elimination of oxides has been so complete that the weld is absolutely nonporous so far as the use of gas at high pressures is concerned. Other evidences of the nonporosity of the fusion weld may be found in its use in refrigerating systems where anhydrous ammonia plays an important part. In this case the weld must withstand high pungent gas pres- sures and be absolutely tight. The oxyacetylene weld has been very successful in this regard. Control of Welders There must be a better control of welders. We must know more exactly what these men are doing in all of their work. Much attention is being given to this problem at the present time by the American Welding Society. One plan discussed is to require the shop foreman employing welders to have a thorough knowl- edge of the possibilities of the art so that he may be capable of inspecting the work of the welders from time to time just as he is familiar with and can pass on the work of other mechanics in his shop. The welders themselves should be trained thoroughly to inderstand the principles of their work by giving them say an evening course in the practical metallurgy of the subject. With these precautions, and assuming them to be of average intelligence and dependability, the danger of poor welds should be greatly diminished. Many oxyacetylene welding schools are springing up over the country and they will undoubtedly accomplish much good in this direction. There is another plan for controlling welders which is being considered care- fully and undoubtedly will meet with much success. We speak of the testing of welds Testing of Welds A number of ideas have been suggested for the testing of welds. Some shops require their welders to make sample welds each month which are tested and the results posted on a blackboard for all the shop men to read. This has both its advantages and dis- advantages. Another plan is to cut out a section of a weld, where it is practicable, and examine it for fusion and porosity. If the welder does not know just when his work is to be tested, he is likely to be forced to constant care. We know of some cases where ~<a <email sc Suita) wage itl d28 THE IRON AGE welders are being required, after making a good sized weld, to stamp their initials and the date alongside of the job so that there can be no question as to responsibility of workmanship, if the weld fails. The testing of welds is of vital importance and it will be of interest to many to learn that a special committee of the American Welding Society is devoting consid- erable attention to the question at the present time. The fusion weld made its debut in the repair shop. During the past 5 years however it has been gradually expanding to the manufacturing plant, where now it is of the greatest value. Its application to the auto mobile industry is well known. There was a time when nearly all steel tanks were riveted. Now there SAVING ELECTRIC CURRENT Automatic Device for Steel Furnaces for Which Large Economies Are Claimed An automatic fuel saving device for electric fur- naces has been invented and patent applied for by Edward T. Moore, electrical engineer Halcomb Steel Co., Syracuse, N. Y. The inventor states that the The Moore Automatic Fuel-Saving Device for Electrik Steel Furnaces use of this device by his company, which produces electric steel on a large scale in several different types of furnaces, has saved about $1,500 each month since they were installed or from October, 1919, to Jan. 1, 1921. A description of the apparatus furnished by the inventor follows: The device is known as a maximum demand regula- tor, in connection with which is also a device known as a maximum demand meter. The regulator when properly connected in the main power circuit will be actuated according to the variaticns of power. The device has one element which rises at a rate depending upon the rate of consumption of energy, another ele- ment operating independent of the first element, but located so ss to co-act with same under proper con- ditions, responding only to a time basis. In other August 11, 192 are millions of them being made each year with welded joints. The all-riveted locomotive fire box now being welded. Intricate castings which form it was impossible to make are now cast in parts the parts welded together. Fine success has been obtained in the experime: welding of steels such as nickel, chromium, tungs cobalt and vanadium. The depositing of alloyed on cheaper base metals where intense heat and w are concerned has been successfully accomplished the oxyacetylene torch, This is opening up a fine field for fusion welding and making available cer applications of alloyed steels which were not pra able before. words, it is actuated by a contact closer which m: contact every 15 min. or half hour, depending up the basis upon which the power is purchased. Assuming, therefore, the contact to be in its nor position of the time element, with the contact of energy element somewhat below it, it will be appreciat that as the contacting energy element rises, it w eventually come into contact with the time eleme: provided the rate of energy consumption is great enou to cause this action. When contact is made, relays interposed in the circuit are actuated, causing a defi: fixed resistance to be inserted across one of the cuits of the furnace regulator panel located at electric furnace. This amount of resistance w) can be inserted automatically, can be so adjusted to cause a load reduction on any one furnace or furnaces in an installation, and causing a load redu tion on each furnace of a predetermined amount Therefore, when a maximum demand occurs for whic! the .regulator is set, the load is automatically cut on the furnaces at a predetermined amount, said amount being adjusted to a value which will not slow down production or increase the length of th heat being made in the furnace. Operating coincidentally with the energy element is a pen device which will trace upon a chart driven by a suitable clock, the progress of rise of the energy element during the demand period, about 15 mi At the end of the 15-min. period, suitable contact 1s made by a clock restoring both the energy element and the time element to their normal position ready to begin another operation. It will thus be seen that the pen will trace upon the chart the maximum d mand during any demand period, which can be read off directly in kilowatts if desired, thus eliminating some of the objections of some of the present demand meters. ¢ At the works of our company we have had one 0! these regulators installed since Oct. 1, 1919, and up to Jan. 1, 1921, we have saved conservatively $1,60! per month. There have been months when we have saved over $2,000 by the use of this device, simply because the demand had been kept down some months over 2000 kw., and, as we pay a demand charge of 3! per kw., the apparent savings will result. Since Jan. 1, 1921, we have been operating only one furnace part of the time, so, naturally the savings can only be in proportion. The power bills during normal pro- duction run as high as $25,000 per month, and even greater savings than those indicated might be effected, it being possible to cut the load on the furnace a greater amount than we are doing at present. On a 6-ton Heroult furnace drawing a normal load of 150 kw., the amount of cutting at the time of peas load can be conservatively fixed at about 400 kw., Dut during refining, when the normal load is only abou! 400 to 500 kw., the amount of cutting can not be much greater than 75 to 100 kw. Otherwise, the input into the furnace would be so reduced during the cutting period as to seriously affect the temperature withl! the furnace, having a deleterious effect upon the stee!. The device inherently takes care of this load varla- tion, that is, cutting a relatively large amount we! large consumption obtains during melting, but cutting only a small amount relatively when a small load being taken during refining. Electrical Cleaning of Blast Furnace Gases: What the Problem Is — Why Present Methods Fall Short of Desired Results— How the Electrical Screen Does Its Duty BY N. Hi. ber, 1919, a paper was read by the wr:te1 neeting of the Philadelphia section of the tion of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers ral subject of “Electrical Cleaning of Gases Blast Furnaces.” Since that paper was 1ave been several changes in the electrical the two plants where they have been in- Dunbar, Pa., and at Sheridan, causing a iprovement in the operation of both plants. er. of fact, Sheridan has been put into e the last paper was read. Naturally, , a great deal is learned that is new. ind apparatus are therefore developed to e art of electrical precipitation. It is with v that the writer will endeavor to discuss, ich the actual physical plants now operating irnaces with electrical cleaning apparatus, ind features which enter into the general vestigation and adaptation of electrical es Ol ast furnace gases. General Gas Cleaning Problem al the problem, including that of other ( es those that issue from a blast furnace, plit into two parts: on ; A y 4 x3 tric Rings of Equal Area Within a Pipe \B lay off the diameter of pipe to scale rresponding to the pipe and through the ‘ radius CD At intersection D drop line to line AB With intersection E as cen Cp Divide radius CD of large circle of equal parts Project these points to el to DE, intersecting at 1’, 2’, 3’, 9 draw circles of radii, Cl’, C2’, C3’, et between these circles will be of equal areas ements the Pitot tube should be located radius of each ring These radii are ng off on radius CD the points midway ind 3, 3 and 4, ete These are projected ire CD. This point of intersection, with enter, fixes the radius aning of non-combustible gases, eaning of combustible gases. stible gases usually issue from furnaces which gas either has been utilized for irposes or the non-combustible gases are neat primarily as inert gases. gases, in the second part of the general ide gases used for industrial purposes, oe producers, in coal gas and water gas ay 0 gases issuing from the blast furnace. is Dlast furnace gases contain 2 to 10 i t per cu. ft. of gas at standard condi- read before Cleveland section of Asso- Steel Electrical Engineers, Cleveland Engineering Co., Philadelphia 329 GELLERT? tions of temperature and pressure, namely at 62 deg Fahr. and 29.92 in. of mercury, which atmospheric pressure. This dust exists in the form of both dust and fume. The fume is so finely subdivided, however, hat in a great many respects it acts as a perfect gas ['o determine how to apply a cleaner to the blast fur nace gas, there are at least four things which must be investigated: 1. Temperature, 2. Velocity and volume, 3. Dust content, 1. Moisture content. It is evident that, since the measurements are made under the most difficult conditions, usually out in the open air and under a varying condition of load with variations in temperature, velocities, dust content and moisture content, the data must e taken over a iong period of time if they are to be of any real valu In addition, inaccuracies will be encountered in the actua neasurements, due to the fact that it : it as a rule possible to take them under the nditions necessary for extreme accuracy. Nevertheless, the measurements btained give sufficient information t nake it possible ecan | BUSHING nelle Ses eee.eesrePsneeee i i} 4 T 7 ‘4 ey cererreltcos | AY eer) | i ceaacaias ; U \ ‘4 j 7 - " w 1 Wa ter , \) | shaust Wi —— —~ > ol Taser = ‘ bate | \ e — | Ty ‘ 4A = / 4 Ty} Gas Sampling and Measuring S$ iment for a blast furnace operator to get a fairly good indi- . . . cation of what he is doing, and how to correct any conditions that need correction. Determining Velocity and Volume of Gas To make a volume determination a Pitot tube of a standard type, a manometer tube, rubber tubing, some boards and nails, measuring rule and a few tools are necessary. A gas measuring station location should be selected in the gas main where the most uniform gas flow conditions are approximated. The conditions are always adversely affected by bends, connections, offtakes, explosion doors, manholes, etc. It is seldom that a station can be selected in blast furnace gas main systems which will give the ideal flow conditions Son THE assumed in theoretical discussions. If a straight por- tion of main can be found, four to ten times the diameter in length and without valves, offtakes or some other interfering object, the conditions may be assumed to be good for gas measurements. After this station has been located, it is necessary to determine the inside dimensions of the main in which the flow of gas is to be measured. If the main is horizontal, care should be used in sounding the in- side bottom of the main for any deposits of flue dust which may reduce the total cross-sectional area. The area of the circular main should then be calculated. Velocity of gas flowing through the main is greater at the center than near the walls. Therefore, to the average gas velocity, it is necessary to large number of velocity readings across one or (pref- erably) two diameters of the main. By dividing the main into equal areas it is possible to get the average main velocity in the simplest way, and with the least expenditure of time. The average velocity of the total gas flow will be | get take a the average of the velocities obtained at the mean velocity points of the equal area zones. If the main is very large and great accuracy is required in the measurements, twenty equal area zones should be used instead of ten. If less accuracy is Table l Ten lrea Pe ntade Table I il é and radii ot concentr rings fo qual vr Me veiocit points located both as radii percentage and percentage distance from side of pipe Areas numbered out lro? cente Inside diameter of pipe equals 100 per Radiias Percentage Mean Velocity Po f Pipe Percentage of Pipe Diamet 41 Diameter Diameter Radi Distance from Side 1.6 15.8 11.2 38.8 and 61 44 22.4 19.4 30.6 and 69.4 4 27.4 25.0 25.0 and 7 4 t 31.¢ Gf ‘O.4 and 79.6 Tf 35.4 30.) 16.5 and 8 t 7 38.7 37.1 jand si 4 4] 10.3 i ‘i ‘ S9.4 i4 } } t nd 9 1.9 47.4 16.1 Jand 96.1 ‘) ¢ j and 4 permissible, and for ordinary sized mains up to 3 or 4 ft. diameter, only five equal A graphical method of laying out any number of equal concentric areas in a section of a circular main is shown. The directions for doing this are given in the caption. areas need be used. Tables 1 and 2 give the data for laying off a cir cular main into ten equal areas, and also into five equal areas, and also show the distance of the mean velocity point for each concentric area from a given Demonstration Experimental Apparatus Set Up for Purposes IRON AGE August 11, 192) ~ View of Experimental Apparatus, with Screer Which Normally Guards the High-Tension Cor point inside of the main. In all this discussion, tl! point inside of the main, when used in making measure- ments, is the inner edge of the lining at the point where the Pitot tube is introduced into the main. The central area of the main will have the cross section of a circle, while all the other areas will annular cross sections of varying widths. The out most ring, closest to the pipe, has the smallest w while the innermost ring, closest to the center, the greatest width. This, of course, results from requirement of having equal areas. When acc measurements are required and nearby bends or con- nections cause swirls and eddies in the main, traverses should be made in the main at right a) to each other, one vertical and one horizonta! this purpose two holes are made in the main eters at right angles to one another. The Pitot is inserted first through one of the holes a1 through the other. Under normal conditions of blast furnace tion, the following simple formula, which has bee! with sufficient accuracy for air measurement be found to apply without appreciable errot furnace gases. ft. per sec. in deg. Fahr (more closely 459.6) inches of locity in temperature head in water. H velo ity This holds true ‘ because the density of blast gases is almost identical with that of air. Ord Table < Five 1rea Percentage Tabli Dian er and rad of concentric rings for Me I velocit point located both as radii pel per nta istal tron ide of pipe Area trom center I le diameter of pi equals R 11 as Per ntage Mean Velo if Pipe Percentage of Pil os Area Dian Diameter Radii Distar n l 14.7 $ 15.8 54.2 ; 63 1.6 97.4 9 ° 77 dS. é oo.4 l4 t So.4 $4.7 41.8 S.6 100.0 0.0 47.4 t ().0807 air at 32 deg. Fahr. and 29.9 in. mercury weighs lb. per cu. ft., and blast furnace gas under the sam conditions will weigh between 0.0794 and 0.0819 Ib., ae pending upon the kind of ore used and the furnace practice. Furthermore, the pressures found in