The Iron Age 1921-09-29: Vol 108 Iss 13

New York, September 29, 1921 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 108: No. 13 * oe CELT EMT REL MER Si iO oko SS New Ford Foundry Plant at River Rouge Laid Out for Quantity Production—Uses Direct Blast Fur- nace Metal Mixed with Cupola Metal in Definite Propor- tions as Required—Conveyor Systems Highly Developed BY L. B. BREEDLOVE* OTEWORTHY for its especially developed N equipment, the new foundry of the Ford Motor Co. at the River Rouge plant has various fea- tures which represent decided departures from previous practice. The mechanical equipment for large vol- ume production of small castings is perhaps the most complete in existence, and requires a very small num- ber of skilled men. This foundry represents the re- sults of the development work and experience of the company over the last ten years. Its daily output when completed with be all the castings necessary for the production of 5000 cars and 2000 tractors, or ap- proximately 2500 tons of castings. The first unit of four cupolas has been in operation for approximately six months, while at the same time construction work on the remaining five units, making 24 cupolas in all, is being pushed. The foundry build- ings consist of two main groups—the cupola buildings and foundry building—joined together under one roof. The three cupola buildings are each 264 ft. long, 44 ft. wide, 78 ft. 6 in. high, spaced 132 ft. apart and at- tached to the west side of the foundry building. To the east of the cupola buildings a continuous crane run- way of 41 ft. 6 in. span is provided at 34 ft. above ground level. At the cupola buildings and 12 ft. below this run- way, on the charging floor level, are the bottoms of the storage bins, and below these the blowing equipment is housed. The walls are of brick at the first floor *407 West Cross Street, Ypsilanti, Micl Cross Section Through Cupola and Blower Buildir metal car bringing direct metal from the blast igs Along Line of Hot Metal Track. This view shows how the gantry crane tilts the ladle of the and stucco above, with continuous mechanically oper- ated steel sash windows, which represent in area of glass 40 per cent of the total wall surface. The foundry building consists of 18 bays, each bay 66 ft. wide, giving outside measurements of 1188 ft. long by 595 ft. wide, or a floor space of about 16 acres. The steel trusses are especially designed, each bay having a monitor the full length, 32 ft. wide at its base and 30 ft. high. The lower chord of the trusses is 28 ft. 6 in. above the floor line. Both north and south sides of each monitor are equipped with contin- uous mechanically operated ventilating steel sash win- dows for a height of 26 ft., which provides excellent ventilation and daylight conditions. Below the wall sash the walls are of brick, those above are of stucco, and the roofs tile. The glass sur- face in the side walls represents in area of glass nearly 60 per cent of the total surface. The weight of the structural steel work contained is: Foundry build- ing 8,000 tons, cupola buildings 9,000 tons, walkways, bins, conveyor supports, etc., 8,000 tons, or a total of 25,000 tons. All floors are of reinforced concrete con- struction. Use of Direct Metal While the making of castings directly from the fur- nace has been practiced more or less since the discov- ery of reducing iron from the ore, this foundry is probably the first to adopt the use of direct metal on a large scale. Close uniformity in the composition of the metal coming from the furnace is essential to the A ethetltheeettth anaheim furnace, and how metal | from the shuttle car ladle is poured into the foundry casting ladles — __.L Back Stock Floor i ps th emeiall i t t — Th, 20-7on 7: /fing Crane b Pat lS (i er eer FT " ’ s o Ct tea 25-Jon Gan ry b TAR. ladle Tilting al 2 4.) — ~~ an iy Charging Platform | qf] N71 a Se LadleCar ee oY aye i } ; : 788 THE IRON AGE THO im ear ew ie aay cnc peerrrice Ke 2 OSS CESS 6S OO © .O OS O8OEE © © OS OSEESS COSS OEES SE 6680 BHSKS 66 OSS 26 OOS 6 CEES © BOOS S occecces use of direct metal; in the past the variation in the furnace product has hindered its use. The Ford blast furnaces are producing foundry iron, remarkably uni- form in analysis, from Hanna and Carpenter ores. The following table taken from all analyses for one month shows in a general way the uniformity of product. Average Cast Average Maximum Analysis Daily Rang: Variation Silicon 3.04 2.72 to 3.32 2.44 to 3.54 Sulphu: 0.027 0.024 to 0.032 0.021 to 0.040 Phosphorus 0.50 0.48 to 0.60 0.46 to 0.60 Manganese 0.71 0.65 to 0.71 0.58 to0.78 Total carbon ,RO 575 to 3.90 3.72 to3.94 As the foundry at Highland Park is not yet using direct metal, the blast furnaces produce for it one or two casts each day, with 3.50 per cent or over in silicon. This accounts for the range in the maximum varia- tions shown above. The desired analysis of the cast- ings from the foundry is practically constant for any particular part, however, and all castings for cars and tractors will fall within the following ranges: Silicon 2.25 to 2.50 pe om recent Sulphur 0.060 to 0.095 per cent Phosphorus 0.45 to0.50 percent Manganese 0.65 to0.80 per cent Total carbon 3.40 to3.50 percent Brinnell test 187 to 212 The percentage of direct metal used with the cupola product varies with the particular castings to be made. In the case of the cylinder blocks for Ford cars—for which all castings are designated as “T’”’ parts—the ratio is practically 40 per cent direct metal to 60 per cent cupola metal, while for other “T” parts a 50 to 50 per cent mixture is used, and in some instances a 60 to 40 per cent mixture. For castings of the Ford- son tractor similar mixtures are used. In some of the large castings 80 per cent direct to 20 per cent cupola metal has been used with success, but in general the intention is to use a 50 to 50 per cent mixture, at least for the immediate future. Operations are so arranged that the variation in the composition of the particular cast from the fur- nace may be cared for by varying the cupola mixture correspondingly, to give the desired composition for the castings being made. It might be pointed out that the principal part of the scrap charged comes in the nature of back stock from previous casts of known constituents, thereby removing much uncertainty. The remaining part is composed of scrap from the various departments of the company, and is in general excel- lently balanced. Experience here has shown that a mixture containing 50 per cent or less of direct metal gives the most satisfactory results in the work of casting and in the castings. Operation has shown that the influence of the sili- con in imparting fluidity to the iron is greater than past experiments have indicated and that the rela- tion of temperature to fluidity is probably of less im- portance than fermer practice has shown. The tem- perature of the mixture is lower at the time of cast- ing. hence sand burning has been lessened consider- ably, and at the same time castings produced having clear and smooth surfaces. At this lower temperature the influence of silicon in producing desirable quali- ties in the castings is apparently slightly increased. Furnace iron, after standing 6 hr. in the furnace ladle, has béen successfully used in the lower mix- = a #] g September 29, 4 ' } Ho odcdions Oo SSR Ae awe se of LE ae) West Elevation of the Plant, Showing the Ti Cupola Buildings, Each 264 Ft. Long. with the Le Lofty Foundry Structure Beyond, Four of the 18 Fou: dry Monitors Appearing Between the Cupola Building tures; however, under ordinary operation the fu nace iron is not allowed to stand over 4 hr. in tl foundry mixer type ladles. At the end of that tinx the iron in the mixer ladle is either mixed with fresh hot metal from the furnaces or is sent to the smal] pig casting machine provided near the center of th foundry. At the end of the day’s pouring the hot metal remaining is also sent to the pig casting ma chine. Direct metal is also used in the jobbing castings Cupola Arrangement Symmetrical Twenty-four cupolas are arranged on a center line 224 ft. from the north-and-south center line connect- ing the two blast furnaces. Eight of these cupolas are placed symmetrically about the east-and-west center line of Furnace A, thereby bringing the south end of the foundry group in line with the end of the stove plat- form along the main driveway into the plant. The other two groups of cupolas are located with center lines 396 ft. and 792 ft. north of this south group. The cupolas are 78 in. in diameter, having drop bottom and outside air chamber of Whiting Foundry Co. design. There are eight cupolas in each of the three cupola buildings, four being uniformily spaced in a group each side of the building center line. The shafts of the cupolas pass up through the main charging floor and the back stock floor into a brick- lined breeching supported on the conveyor floor. This breeching is rectangular in shape with circular top in- creasing in height toward the stack. One 8-ft. stack, centrally located, is provided for each four cupolas. The top of this stack is 95 ft. above the tuyeres and has a double cone discharge top. The cupola shafts extend into the breeching about 4 ft. The bottom of the breeching is bricked in such a manifer that the cinders and dust particles thrown down by the change of direction and velocity of the gases is conducted to bins suspended under the floor, and thence by chutes to industrial cars on the lowe! floor. Apparently a negligible amount of cinders and dust is deposited on the building roof, while in the bins 1/3 cu. yd. of cinders per cupola is collected 1! 8 hrs. of operation. At the level of the main charging floor, 22 ft. abov' the foundry floor line, and above the blower rooms and the slag tracks and exposed to the weather, are the storage bins for yard scrap, etc. This storage plat: form, 44 ft. wide, is continuous over the hot meta tracks and blower rooms, or for the length of each the cupola buildings. A crane runway, 12 ft. abov' this platform, has the same space. This runway '* continuous for the length of the foundry and s the full length of the three cupola buildings. ©! is mounted a 5-ton, electric driven locomotive cra” 14+ r - with 50-ft. boom, arranged to use grab bucket ©! ing magnet. Directly below this storage platform and on eac” side of the hot metal tracks are the blower rooms, 4” of which houses four No. 11 Sturtevant high-press¥' “At ¢ er “Ff rf PFA mccoy tember 29, 1921 fete eee end At da from the blast three entrance: furnaces At B the lach direct il south elevation, is the location for tal ladle car and the gantry crane driven by direct current piping is so arranged that each blower is individ nnected to one cupola, and collectively to 1 in the group of four. Underneath the 1 between the blower room and cupola blowers, motors. any storage ms, an g, two passageways are provided for traffic, one bound and the other south and the east wall of the installed. 3etween building ; ¢ north bound. cupola are Handling Back Stock stock dump suilding has an independent back l-ton “V”-side an elevator : ma pola nt Bach K stock loaded i n lifted by al ars 1S located ay ment to a 12-ft. gallery. These galleries are located ae ve the roof between two monitors on the center line i the cupola buildings, and at the same level as the ' ‘ _ Stock floor of the cupola building. 'hese cars are pushed by trucks back to the cupola ng, weighed on special track scales and switched tracks running parallel to the cupola line. The rRO | f these cars is dumped into chutes leading from ‘ Hoor into the sides of the cupola shaft, slightly pig charging door. Two chutes for each are provided, and the opening of each is con- a hand-lever operated flap gate. These re designed so as to give uniform distribution on the shaft. The cars are returned on track through the same gallery. ‘U-ton bin, suspended from the conveyor floor, or limestone, is provided for each cupola. has two chutes arranged to discharge into lumping 1-ton industrial cars running paral- ‘upolas. The cars, after being weighed on rack scales, are discharged as needed into the chutes feeding the cupolas. These bins are system of 30-in. belt conveyors running in narge THE IRON AGE Fo: Ip oinicocoo ccconnn os The 789 coke and foundry. Li screening the by-product overhead galleries, which from coke in the coke group, a distance of 1500 ft. from the the coke and is transported by transport the screening building me- building into the stone is unloaded near a large track hop conveyor This system of per, same system. passing through the coal with main power plant with pulverized conveyors, building, which supplies the About 3 to be necessary to supply the cupola buildings with lime- palvorsiny supplies it coal, in turn coal. 5 hrs. operation of this system will stone and coke, and about 14 hrs. for the coal require- ments of the pulverizing building. This system of conveyors will be subject to an interlocking electrical te. ® Cupola Building Was Finished, and the Two Others Under Construction, When This View Was Taken. At the tppears the end of one of the eighteen long, high monitors spanning the foundry proper The traveling boon for handling stock appears over the blowing engine house, with the 125-ton hot-metal dumping gantry « ne immediately adjacent ( 1e knock-out platforms and the tumbler equip- control, and after each change of cargo the belts will be automatically swept by revolving brushes. How the Direct Metal Is Handled Hot metal is transported from the furnaces in 7 ton Pollock ladle cars. After being weighed on the track scales near the pig casting house, the cars are switched to the foundry track and spotted at the cupola hot metal tracks. Spanning this foundry track is a 125-ton Wellman-Seaver-Morgan gantry ladle tipping crane, which is self propelled and serves the three cupola buildings. The hot metal is discharged into a 30-ton top inlet, end outlet, Treadwell mixer-type ladle, mounted on a track at right angles. This track, the center line of the cupola building, extends from the outside hot metal track to the line of the pouring spouts of the cupola line. Transfer arrangement provided so that an empty ladle can be moved to one side while a loaded ladle is brought in. These mixer-type ladle cars, electrically driven, are controlled by an operator located in a balcony in full view of all operations. This operator also controls the 20-ton Pawling & Harnischfeger tipping crane, by which the hot metal is discharged into the 1-ton foun- 5- on is 790 THE IRON AGE September 29, 192 dry ladles. Monorail overhead tracks, with a liberal number of crossovers, are provided in front of the line of cupola pouring spouts, on which the 1-ton foundry ladies are conveyed. The crossovers are operated from the floor somewhat ahead of the progress of the 4-wheel pivot carriages. Large dial automatic scales are pro- vided at each cupola, and at the direct metal ladle posi- tion. From the cupolas the 1-ton ladles are conveyed to the pouring ‘positions along the mold conveyors. Eight systems of three conveyors each, of approxi- mately 270-ft. run, are provided for the pouring of the larger castings. The three platform conveyors are arranged parallel, with the return cooling conveyor in the middle. The mold conveyors move at a rate of 10 ft. per min. while the return cooling conveyor travels of various heights and mounted on overhead carriages, carry the cores through the oven. The speed of this conveyor is about 2 ft. per min., and the distance traveled approximately 120 ft. All ovens are fired on both sides by unenriched coke oven gas, produced in the coke plant as a by-prod The gas and the correct amount of air are mixed Sellack regulating set, and the mixture supplie the plain pipe burners under constant pressure. gases of combustion are exhausted above the roof a slight fan draft. The cores are sprayed in the stalls of a revo 9 four-quadrant shield, each stall having an independ ently revolving table of convenient height. This and the revolving tables were originally power di: 0 50 100 ' — x, Be/t Conveyor a — 4; foundry runway for Stoc ik foot * , Crane - Sack Sic 3706. nck Bridge |: . Crane_| . y ay A, 4 H t Track for { fh = = Gantry and f sft yet | Hot Mefa/ lar | FOUNDRY \Hot Metal trom last oe Inern irc | pry ttle | £ UDCrarors X |Lad/e and lUITIACE Platforin “% * ee F P pc / : c u 4No —s—-377y77" Wry y yt roomy rrretey 7 rteyy Hot Metal Track. i i | | ( - ‘ Plar All I g | ind W lovvers | \bove I ae H Me i i rrack, Loo Si Showing A j 4 ingement of Lad ting 7 ( =|Gnater 2 Be/t Conveyor Tracks for G: ( ne id He 5 Cather | * 5 . Metal Car, B St Brid UY { v Coke and Stone Bins Operator's 1] ( aa ‘Coke and Store Track and lar Above, at I ht, S mn J king Sou f ry Loaded Back Stock Track anda foward J t i Sta fapty * * Showi1 ( I " Over — T I Be S Ik Sout s A “ Ar nee n t of Cu FOUNDRY Monorai/ 4 Cold las? nA | : Bir OR VEL ONS ul a and hagers Passasewars| BLOWER — | womruiseurel| ApOM | DIITIII IT : ONTTATIT 1jfP7! 24 ft. per min. The 70 ft. of the mold conveyor run but this drive did not prove as satisfactory as hand nearest the cupola is used for the pouring stations, while the remaining 200 ft. serves as the mold assembly line. During this distance of travel the molds are as- sembled in the following manner, each operation be- ing done by different workmen; the iron bottom board and the rammed iron drag are placed, the cores, wires and supports are inserted, the iron cope put on and clamped, the risers and gates are covered with paper to protect the mold from dirt. Metal is poured into the moving molds in the pouring range, the ladle being supported on overhead monorails and moved by hand to correspond to the speed of the molds. Cores are made, mostly by hand, in metal core boxes away from the heat of the ovens. The cores after being made are placed on the trays of spring mounted pendulum type conveyors, power driven, on overhead tracks, which carry them to the spray tables at the core ovens. Sixteen core ovens, approximately 15 ft. by 60 ft. outside, are provided. Steel open-side cabinets about 4 ft. square by 6 ft. high, having shelves operation. The cores are taken from the penduiun conveyors on one side of the revolving spray stalls, sprayed, and removed from the opposite side and loaded onto the cabinet type conveyor within easy reach passage through the oven. Baked cores are removed at the loading end the return side of the oven conveyor, and are placed by hand on the dry core conveyor, which transports them to the rear of the ovens, to storage space. They fen are then loaded on cabinet type four-wheel trucks and pulled to the desired position along the mold assem)!Y conveyors. . Fe At the west end of the mold conveyors the molds are transferred by means of an overhead compr ssed air transfer arrangement, which skids them on 1ralls from each conveyor alternately to the central! retur cooling conveyor. This latter is covered for practic ally its entire length, thereby forming a smoke tunne! | from which the smoke is discharged above the roof by meals of a fan. This conveyor delivers the molds containing the cast- september 29, 1921 THE IRON AGE 791 i! | oN . 7 } oe . * ' ys $ . * 7s 4 id NY FF 0 50 00 86150 kti“‘é lt sg ——a ‘ a ' ' , g & ip! c..143 a * ' i a7) ona : ' ' ‘ 4 tes A x y # , ; tf oe ee ' —— a ' = — | F ' ' ' ’ C A i x 1 ' ' ‘ ' F eve } I ' B ' m Ni i ‘ ' oe Lu H H ' Xe! Vv Mi ‘x Hod —-- ine a 3 \ MW ( \ \ ; F . Y—1 F } A x \ rs fl 4 2 4 F mM P ° t o> — oe S R : j mm w : | ' — 7 U M - i } §xX = Y ‘ — A l j 7 Vv a U A 5 ' ' C ( / | 8! ; p : ' ' ' ' . iPr Oe i : ' ' r D 5S | {hd te p } - 3) N ( we . ' ' D us } ' ' €. E -_ \ a 1 ' iv C°— c ' , 8} “3 ; ' ' Vv Ww y — U ' j W Xu i b X W Y v= U re W M P T = — Cin-b A D 5 “ , p /) 2 ee < 7 A: 4 y ~ - f P ‘ T os = _ apace 9 ' p ’ ae Ww Re l 6 o MM v an U M , Ww ! f BX W ! Vv o—-. ! ' Ww U i i ' 1 Bs C., ° - ' ' a <aat ' ' IT + D E ' ' "ie rl onc D 5 ; — —L! " P H K ' ; ee — i; P Br. ' ' > D =— ’ Pe i ' C T €-- ! ' , oe S ‘ ! i Pp 1 5B, ‘ ' aa. Ww a V Ww v Y BX ” W ' - ~_+ 4 mM Vv W i ” New Foundry Plant, Showing Relation to Exis ting Blast Furnace from Which Direct Metal Will Be Taken, Ung How the Transfer of This Metal Is Accomp! ished, from the Hot Metal Ladle Car to the Shuttle Ladle nee to the Foundry Pouring Ladles Arrange ments of monorail system, of mold and core conveyors, uf blowing systems, etc., are made clear 792 ings onto the knock-down grating platform, where the clamps and flasks are taken apart by means of hand hooks, the molding sand dropping below and the castings swung, by means of specially designed clamps attached to a monorail carriage, onto a flight conveyor, which carries them up to an overhead cooling balcony. To avoid distribution of dust, a strong down draft is maintained on this knock-down grating. The air, coming from this grating, passes through a settling chamber and is exhausted roof. This set- tling chamber has a 30-ton capacity for recovered sand. At first practically all the bits of charred and burning paper from the molds were forced out of the exhaust stack, but the installation of a series of baffles in the settling chamber prevented this. The sand falls through the knock-down grating onto a conveyor which elevates it to equipment, supported foundry floor, where it is crushed and above the above the While the Plant Is Called a Foundry, the Machine Shop De- partment, Under the Same Roof, and Occupying Nearly One Quarter of the Space, Is of Great Magnitude, The conveyor in the foreground handles material he length of the plant screened twice and the iron removed by magnets. From this equipment the sand is returned by flight convey- ors to the bins above the molders’ tables, which are conveniently located along the mold assembly conveyors. The openings of the bins above the molders’ tables have specially designed quick opening gates. A small grat- ing, in front of each molder’s table, permits the re- turn of sand falling over the tables, by means of a flight conveyor, to the crushing and screening equip- ment. It was the intention to make this grating quite large in order to avoid any shoveling; but it was found that, with a large grating, much sand was al- lowed to fall from the tables unnecessarily, while with the smaller opening the workman is more careful in the operation of the bin gates, in order to avoid the shoveling. After the castings have cooled sufficiently, they are conveyed to the knock-out grating, where the are removed by hand. A down draft, maintained over this grating, passes through a settling chamber and is exhausted The sand falls through the grating onto a belt conveyor and is put through a crushing, screening, cores above the roof. mixing process, the iron is re- moved, and the sand is delivered back by conveyors to the bins in the core departments ready for use. This system actually recovers 90 per cent of the sand. From the clean-out, the castings are transported to the tumbler department, thence to the chipping plat- forms, and from there by trucks to the conveyor lead- THE IRON AGE September 29, 192] ing to the machining department in the foundry ing, or to the loading platform for shipment t Highland Park plant. From 300 to 400 large zontal back-geared tumblers of special design, dr by belts from overhead shafting, are to be insta As standard mills on the market have not given ; factory results in continuous service, these units built from designs by the Ford organization. In ping, the air hammer is used whenever possible. Fo; all necessary grinding of fins, gates, spouts, etc., able emery wheels driven by flexible shafts ar ployed. Twelve mold conveyor systems for small cast are provided. These vary in overall centerline len; from about 60 ft. to approximately 100 ft., according to the type and weight of the particular castings to be made, in order to provide a return run of suffi length for cooling. These conveyors are of the pe) lum type without springs, equipped with one or more bracket trays carried on four-wheel trucks, running 0! overhead tracks and around 12 ft. diameter sprocket wheels. The traveling speed varies from 8 to 20 ft per min. Two conveyors are arranged parallel, se that the return sides are about 12 ft. apart. The Pridemore electric jar ram molding machines a! located in two lines parallel to the conveyor centel lines, between the groups of the conveyors. About twelve molding machines are to be provided for each mold conveyor. This number was determined from the experience of the foundry at the Highland Park plant with much different conveyor equipment However, with the new equipment, the production ha: considerably exceeded the expected output. The molds are made up, clamped and placed on the convey travel past the pouring station and are removed hand to the knock-down gratings located at the en of the return cooling run. Similar and equipment, cooling balconies and the same finishing equipment are to be installed, with thes conveyors, as described in previous paragraphs patterns are used for all production work, but 4 wood patterns are in use in jobbing work. The met patterns are mostly made hollow and plated a tached to plates. A jobbing foundry of 40 tons daily capacity © ‘ated in the main foundry building. The jobbing cast DY <5 sand conveyor conditioning proce tune Metal nd at lo ‘eptember 29, 1921 cover a wide range in weights and analyses, and required for replacements, new additions and de- ment work, primarily for the main foundry equip- In addition, the requirements of the coke plant the blast furnace department and the sedan uilding departments will be cared for as far as e. This jobbing foundry is served for its en- ength by a 25-ton overhead electric crane of 60 % nan. A 8-ton electric furnace of the single-phase with two electrodes, is now being moved to this » foundry, and in the immediate future a sec- electric furnace of larger capacity is to be in- ; ed. This furnace will probably be of 15 tons capac- ae _ but operations have not yet become extensive x re Each eonveyor drive throughout the foundry is Bee pped with one or more breaking pins, and electrical ad relays, as a protection against overloading emergencies. A large number of the conveyors are en by a especially designed Ford gear reduction , which has proved very satisfactory. It is interesting to note that a large amount of the joor and industrial track haulage is done by a so-called Ginny,” which consists of the mechanical equipment of the Ford car, mounted on solid rubber tired wheels having a narrow gage and a 48-in. wheel base. The hannel body frames of these units are semi-circular the ends, so that no coupling is necessary for han- lling the industrial track cars. The fuel used is motor fuel of 50 per cent benzol and 50 per cent gasoline, vhich is made at the plant and is, also, retailed to the public from a service station at the coke plant group. fhese units have proved quite satisfactory for heavy haulage. Storage battery platform trucks are also sed extensively. A portion of the floor space at the east side of the nain foundry building, 124 ft. x 1100 ft., is occupied by the machining department. Here all machine work the cylinder blocks for the cars and tractors, trac- r crank cases, housings, etc., or in general the heavier istings, is completed. All the equipment of this de- artment is arranged for large scale quantity produc- 7 nm, and consists essentially of specially designed ma- ines, fixtures and jigs for the operations accom- shed. The machines are designed in general to use ial heads or fixtures holding a number of castings, are grouped according to the sequence of the erations. \ll machines have unit drive. During the progress ugh this department the castings are carried on ver-driven platform conveyors, or pushed by hand i n roller type runways, provided to each machine, x ‘hereby requiring a minimum of lifting by each ma- E nine operator. A power-driven platform conveyor rries the castings, after the machine work is finished, the loading platform directly to the north of the in foundry building. This department can handle n day the complete daily output of the foundry, in ‘iinder blocks of both classes, and the heavier type ' other castings such as housings, tractor crank ases, ete, Maintenance and operation of the mechanical equip- , will require continuously from 400 to 500 men. “nder the maintenance department the following shops be grouped: blacksmith, tinsmith, structural, ma- nd electric repair shop. The blacksmith shop wer hammers, and will employ from 15 to 20 "he tinshop has power machines, and will em- ut 25 men. The structural fabricating shop l “julpped to handle steel plates up to 72 in. and ip to 16 in. and will employ about 30 men. The ne shop is fully equipped to handle all operations “material up to 5 ft. diameter and will employ about “| men. The electrical repair shop will employ about entilating and heating system is of the hot ch to forecast the demand on the jobbing foundry. THE IRON AGE 793 blast type, through galvanized iron ducts placed above the lower chord of the trusses. The duct outlets are brought down to approximately head level. Two fans of the multi-blade type, each handling about 60,000 cu. ft. per min., with the necessary heating stacks, are placed overhead in each bay, and feed into independent ducts. The direct heat loss is approximately 70,000,000 B.t.u. per hr., while the air change loss is approxi- mately 140,000,000 B.t.u. per hr. Two electric traction elevators, 6 ft. x 8 ft., run- ning to the top floor, are provided in each cupola build- ing. Four similar elevators are placed in the main foundry building for elevating the back stock. Ample walkways and stairs are provided around all conveyors and other equipment. Safeguards around all equip- ment have been very carefully designed. In the foun- dry and cupola, the connected power in motors will be, when fully complete, approximately 12,000 hp., and in the machine department 2000 hp. The factory demand is around 90 per cent. Moderate Improvement in Coke Region UNIONTOWN, PA., Sept. 24.—There are indications that September may definitely mark the turning point in the furnace coke industry in the Fayette county or Connellsville bituminous region. There is a firmer de- mand and tone to market inquiries and a noticeable in- crease in coke production this week. Price has been advanced to a minimum of $3.25 and ranges upward by various stages to $3.60. One inquiry for 5000 tons of furnace coke monthly resulted in keen bidding, but so far as is known no one quoted a price which was less than $3.25. Observers are watching the next step to be made by the H. C. Frick Coke Co. Coal production at the Frick mines is gradually being increased, the big Lei- senring No. 1 plant at Connellsville having resumed work in coal output last Monday. It is understood that other Frick superintendents have had orders to pre- pare for resumption, although official announcement is still lacking. So far the Frick company has put no ovens in operation. Operations in the region are now on a uniform wage scale, all companies paying the Frick scale, which is that of November, 1917. Prizes for Employees The National Cash Register Co., Dayton, Ohio, re- cently distributed $8,000 to employees who had sub- mitted the most valuable suggestions for improvement of their product during the first six months of this year. The first prize, which consisted of $150 and an edu- cational trip to Cleveland, Dunkirk, Buffalo and Syra- cuse, was won by two tool makers, their suggestion being the adoption of a ball-bearing parallel in sensi- tized drilling. Ten of the leading prize winners were also awarded the educational trip. One hundred dollars in prizes was also distributed to the winners of a spe- cial suggestion contest for slogans to be used in the company’s advertising. A. M. Wise won first prize with the slogan, “National in Name, Universal in Use.” The banner given by. the company in each contest to the department contributing the most valuable sugges- tion was presented to the tool supply department. Frederick B. Patterson, the new president of the com- pany, made the distribution. A protest against House Bill 7456, paragraph 386, wherein a duty of two cents per pound is imposed on pig tin, while tin ore would come into the United States duty free, was passed at the meeting of the metal division of the National Association of Waste Material Dealers, which held quarterly meetings at the Hotel Astor, New York, last week. Members of the association claim that such an arrangement would discourage and destroy those industries devoted to the reclaiming of tin in the United States. No meeting of the iron and steel scrap division was held. +e eg RAH * 4 s 794 KROM SINTERING SYSTEM Retaining Walls of Pan Form Motor Driven Ram for Discharging The method of discharging the product is the novel feature of the Krom sintering system, invented and developed by S. A. Krom, Sintering Engineering Co., 25 Beaver Street, New York. The retaining walls of the cast iron pan holding the charge on the grate form a motor-driven ram for pushing off the finished sinter. The rim or the retaining wall of the pan is mounted on wheels and is provided with a cast steel plow, which travels clear of the grate and rips the sinter cleanly from the grate, at the same time breaking it into de- sirable sizes. It is claimed that this discharging oper- ation is automatic, fast and positive in its results; that for a very large tonnage but two men are re- quired in the pan room, an operator and helper. This system of sintering is based on the unit oven principle, such as employed at modern by-product coke ovens. To obtain a material with a certain porosity and strength and with as much sulphur eliminated as possible, the heat treatment period must be under con- trol and independent of all other steps, such as charg- ing, igniting and discharging. Unit charges allow this ideal condition. The Krom system employs a battery of circular cast iron pans from 12 to 25 ft. in diameter. The bottom or grate portion of the pan is adapted to a cone shaped sheet iron extension, from the apex of which the suc- tion draught is drawn down. It is pointed out that this construction insures an even draught of air through all portions of the charge. A rotary distributor spreads the water-sprayed charge of ore, flue dust, coke or coal, evenly about the circular pan without compression or packing. A motor-driven traveling igniter equipped with burners for gas or oil, which cover the entire surface sinter of the pan, is used. A pivoted gas pipe is connected rr} Retair z W Cast-lIror Pa Holding tl Charge on tl G Forn Motor-Driven Ra f Pusl in Off ul I hed Sint The bro} the plat forn ( tl é and one third 7 ym tl botto ( of he Ss l n) I ent I ram’ pe nmediately ifte i ad I m= le TT) : f ypper underneatl thence has glided dow 1 chute to ¢ dumping bit permanently with the traveling igniter. In a two-pan battery the charging distributor and the igniter travel over the pan by motor power on semi-circular tracks; in the case of three or more pan units the tracks are laid in a straight line over the extent of the battery and the igniter receives its gas supply from an automatic valve at each pan location. Though the sintered material may drop slightly into the openings of the grate, its porosity allows the air to pass through. It is wedged in the openings so lightly that the plow has no difficulty in dislodging and removing. As the rim moves outward in the discharg- ing operation the sinter falls into a hopper and thence into a sheet iron dumping bin where it is immediately quenched to protect the bin. The 12 ft. diameter pan has a capacity of from 250 to 500 tons per day; the 25 ft. pan, 1000 to 2000 tons, THE IRON AGE September 29, 19%) according to the nature of the charge to be treat Unit additions may be made at rates as low as 1( 20 tons a day. For the Krom system in use a low pair and labor cost is claimed and no royalty charges are made. The system was recently installed for the comn cial sintering of Clinton hematite ore of the Birming- ham, Ala., district at the plant owned by J. D. Lacey, 350 Madison Avenue, New York. The capacity wil! increased, results so far having proved satisfactor With the Clinton hematite ore about 4 or 5 cent of coke breeze, or 8 per cent of coal dust is n before charging; also 10 to 15 per cent of water. An Error Corrected In the communication of Frank Samuel, Philad phia, which appeared on page 749 of THE IRON Aq of Sept. 22, a quotation was made from the repo the trial examiner of the Federal Trade Comm in the complaint filed against American importers ©! ferromanganese from England. By an error of th printer the word “no” was omitted. The sentence shoule have read: “There was no evidence that the imporune and selling of ferromanganese by the respondents 0! their principals into the United States was done wit! any intent to injure the manufacture of ferromangé nese in the United States, and there are no fact and circumstances proved from which such intent ¢4 logically or legally be inferred.” enjoins an Safety irp a> them inist “Use a hook to clear away cuttings” illustrated poster published by the National Council. “Steel chips curl up and are as shi razor blades. You’re sure to get cut if you pu! away by hand.” using the hook. The illustration depicts a ma‘ President Farrell Testifies at Washington 5 Appears in Rehearing of Application of United States Steel Products Co. to Operate Ships Through Panama Canal—Says Jobs of 30,000 Men Are in Danger _ EA ig ® ® a WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.—President James A. Farrell eam e United States Steel Corporation appeared yes- a lay as a witness before Examiner Fuller of the In- ea ate Commerce Commission in connection with the Z ng of testimony at a rehearing on the application Rei . ‘ ‘ ‘ . tai ne nited states stee oaucts 0. to operate snips ip United States Steel Products Co. to operate shit a . ‘ ‘ i igh the Panama Canal. In May, 1920, the com- ap on authorized the Steel Products company, ex- ng subsidiary of the Steel Corporation, to con- the operation of its ships through the canal. months ago, the commission ordered a rehearing allegation of shipping interests using the canal competition between ships passing through the and the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad, operat- it of Gary, Ind., to northern Illinois points and Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad, operating in Penn- ia, exists in violation of the Panama Canal Act. senting counsel for the Steel Products company three of its most prominent attorneys, R. V. y ibury, Charles S. MacVeagh and Charles S. Bel ng, while Louis Pfeiff, traffic manager for the Steel Products company submitted statistical exhibits ng to show that the Steel company engaged in twise trade through the canal so as to assure serv- for the parent company at a time when the lines had been operating through the canal had sent their boats to more profitable business across the At- lantic Ocean. Frank Lyon, counsel for the Luckenbach mpanies, conducted the cross-examination of Mr. Pfeiff with a view to bringing out the nature of the E competition between the Steel Products company line and the lines not affiliated with any large shipper, E which he called independent lines. ips MM a i oe Reason for the Service. Mr. Farrell said that the steamship service of the cel Corporation was established to enable the cor- ration to meet competition anywhere in the world nd so it could send its products to ports to which regu- : r service was not maintained and where facilities I oading or unloading heavy articles might not be \ilable. The steamships of the corporation frequent- p iy carry lighters knocked down, to be set up and used Where steel is to be delivered. In the same way, they facilities for loading and unloading heavy com- ties. Cy ; “The Luckenbach company entered the Pacific Coast ‘e in 1920,” said Mr. Farrell. “It was in the gen- : e! teamship service long before that, but it did . not enter the coast-to-coast service until long after the : States Steel Products Co. had entered it.” believed that this testimony was offered with npression that the Luckenbach company was rais- ne question whether the commission should allow | Products company to operate ships through anal. No evidence was given that the Lucken- mpany was opposing a continuance of that per- other than the fact that Mr. Lyon was present a ross-examine witnesses introduced by the Steel cts company to show that there had been no sub- change in conditions since the commission is- permission other than a reduction in the f business to be done. Mr. Farrell Amused. ment was expressed by Mr. Farrell at the there is or could be such competition between ids operated by the United States Steel Cor- or its subsidiaries as to bring the operations Steel Products line within the provision in- ‘¢ to keep ralroad-owned ships out of the canal. ‘arrell said that even if the Elgin, Joliet & East- nd the Bessemer & Lake Erie were lines not controlled or influenced by the Steel Corporation, they could not be factors in the making of transcontinental rates, or rates from the Pittsburgh district to New York. He declared that they are in a pocket so far as rate making is concerned. “The competition that is to be feared,” said Mr. Farrell, “is not the competition between the rail and water lines and the rail lines involved in this proceed ing, but the competition from European steel makers and European steamship lines to the west coast of the United States, especially the United American or Harri- man line and the Hamburg-American. The combina- tion between the Harriman and Hamburg-American makes possible the spectacle of American ships carry ing German steel to American ports. It is possible to use the Luckenbach lines to Hamburg and back to San Francisco at a rate on steel of $3 a ton less than from New York to San Francisco. I do not say that that is being done now, but it is possible. The rates are so made that the steel could be shipped to Hamburg by the Luckenbach line and then back to San Francisco for less than from New York to San Francisco. That is the kind of competition that is to be feared Employs 30,000 Men. “Our Pacific Coast business gives employment to about 30,000 men, with the services of whom we will have to dispense if the foreign competition continues to grow as it has been growing. In time of unemploy- ment such as the present, that, it seems to me, is a serious matter.” Among the facts brought out by the testimony of Mr. Pfeiff was that the competition from Europe for the steel business of the American Pacific Coast is such that, in a commercial sense, it may be said that the western part of the United States has. been “an- nexed to western Europe.” Germany and Belgium, it was stated, are dominating that market and England is getting into it because the water rate from the ports of western Europe to Pacific Coast ports is only a little more than $7 a ton, which is less than the in- land rate from Pittsburgh to New York. American steel makers, it was stated, are obtaining a little of the business because time of delivery is a factor. Mr. Pfeiff said that the customs duties and cost of transfer from the boat to destinations away from the water front of the Pacific ports enable Americans to take a little of the business, but Europeans control the mar- ket, even in competition with the mills in Colorado. The situation, owing to the low value of European money in comparison with the dollar, was described as being as unsatisfactory from an American point of view as it was in 1914 just prior to the outbreak of war when European steel makers were taking prac- tically all the business. It was brought eut that the Steel Products steam ship line does not participate in the various steam ship conferences, but observes the rates and rules put out by the conference. One of the exhibits submitted by Mr. Pfeiff showed that while the Isthmian Line in the 13 months ending July 31, 1921, paid out $304,000 in canal tolls on traffic it carried through the canal to Pacific Coast ports of the United States and Vancouver, B. C., it transported only 10 per cent of the westbound traffic and 12 per cent of the eastbound. Frank T. Bentley, traffic manager for the Illinois Steel Co.; Louis C. Bihler, traffic manager for the Carnegie Steel Co., and J. E. Steyers, general freight agent of the Bessemer & Lake Erie, gave testimony similar to that given by them a little more than one year ago when the commission gave permission to the Steel Products company to continue the operation of ships through the Panama Canal. 795 t 4 Ako eee oc ee” 4 : j : <a ab Reconstruction of French Steel Plants Rebuilding Permits Adopting Advanced Practise—Hot Drawing, Mechanical Properties at High Temperatures and Heat Treatment Discussed by Iron and Steel Institute ( Special ( ‘orrespondence) PARIS, FRANCE, Sept. 10.—The final session of the Iron and Steel Institute’s autumn meeting, held on Sept. 6, was largely occupied with the question of devastations and the progress of reconstruction in the plants of the war area, visible evidence of which was afforded in the excursions which occupied the remainder of the week. War Issues to the Front It is evident that there is very strong resentment at the systematic destruction of metallurgical plants by the Germans. This would be better understood by visitors from England if the whole of the Midlands and the Cleveland district had been put out of action, as well as half the coal mines and plants in Durham. Perhaps the average Englishman is too ready, after any and every kind of fight, to say, “Well, let’s shake and forget it.” But it certainly does seem that an attitude of this kind is the only policy which can save Europe. This attitude is naturally distasteful to those who have suffered so much; but it seems rather a pity that there has been a tendency to develop heart-to- heart talks on differences in points of view regarding purely political matters at a purely technical congress. If we may judge by some of their informal con- versation, the French hosts of the British members know exactly what is in Lloyd George’s mind and what are his inflexible intentions. In this respect they cer- tainly have the advantage over their guests, and prob- ably over Lloyd George as well. In spite of the war damage and devastations, the French metallurgical industry seems to have come fairly well out of the war. Much of the plant which was removed to Germany has been recovered and re placed, while the metallurgical wealth of the restored territory is not an asset to be ignored. There ar some fine plants in full going order in the restored territory. The Thyssen interests completed the wor! at Hagondange just before the war, and this plant one of the most up-to-date in Europe—is now in Frenc} hands entirely undamaged. The Lorraine works are turning out the cheapest steel in the world and are not yet working at full capacity, so the fact that other works are not in commission is not likely to affect France’s position as a producer in the present state of the world’s trade. The English maker, undersold ir his own country, cannot altogether see that the Frenc! have very much to complain about under present condi tions. In three or four years’ time, when all the devastated plants have been reorganized and equipped in accordance with the: most up-to-date practice, the devastations will probably be regarded as a blessing in disguise. Some of the English plants, which have been trying to keep going under adverse conditions, may be wishing before long that they had been devastated, too, and start a cry on their own account. The reconstruction which has already taken place is really remarkable, and further activity on the same lines should assure a brilliant future for France in the iron and steel industry. At any rate, neither the state of mind of Lloyd George nor the state of Europe is likely to be materially affected by the heart-to-heart talks which took place during the various entertain- ments so kindly provided by the hosts of the Iron and Steel Institute. Destruction and Rebuilding of French Works HE first paper read at the second session was by Prof, Léon Guillet, of Paris, on the “Position of the Metallurgical Industries of Northern and Eastern France: Their Destruction and Reconstruction.” Nearly in full, the paper is as follows: It is of interest to note, in the first instance, the situation in which France found herself as the result of the invasion, so far as her metallurgical needs were concerned. The French production of coal in 1913 was 40,- $44,000 tons, and 50 per cent of this production was from the occupied regions. The iron ore production in 1913 had risen to 21,918,000 tons. Of this amount 83 per cent was mined in the invaded regions. The pig iron production was 5,207,000 tons, of which 2,560,190 tons were produced in the East and 933,089 in the North. Of the total, 64 per cent of the productive capacity passed into enemy hands. Finally, of a total steel pro- duction amounting to 4,934,000 tons, 2,528,630 tons were made in the East and 1,165,888 tons in the North. By reason of the situation of the works, 63 per cent were on the side of the battle-front farthest removed from France. The list on the opposite page enumerates the principal tron works destroyed, but it should be noted that this list comprises only works making pig iron and steel, and does not include foundries, some of which, like those of Muller & Roger at Noyon, were exceedingly important. Nor does it include engineering works hav- ing subsidiary metallurgical shops, although, as in the case of the Société Francaise de Constructions M