The Iron Age 1922-07-06: Vol 110 Iss 1

THE IRON AGE New York, July 6, 1922 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 110, No. } Physical Tests on High-Speed Steels Transverse and Tenstile Tests of Two Grades Compared— Effect of These Properties on the Service of the Tool BY A. H. D’ARCAMBAL* steel showed that very little information had work along these lines, the writer conducted a series ever been published on the strength of high- of tensile and transverse tests on the two classes of speed steel given different heat treatments. Believing high-speed steel finding the widest use in this country, *Chief metallurgist Pratt & Whitney Co., Hartford, Conn. namely, the 18 per cent tungsten, 1 per cent vanadium- \ RECENT search of the literature on high-speed that such information was of sufficient value to merit Annealed Condition; Longitudinal 2100 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Not 2100 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn Section Drawn; Cross Section to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section 2500 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Not 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched: Drawn 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Drawn Drawn; Cross Section to 450 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Quenched in Lead 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Quenched in Lead 23850 Deg. Fahr.; Quenched in Oil at 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Then Air Cooled ; at 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Air Cooled; Then Until Specimen Was Cooled to About nnn Not Drawn; Cross Section Drawn to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Then Air Cooled: Section Not Drawn; Cross Section Fig. 41.—Photomicrographs on Grade A Transverse Series Reduced About One-Fifth from an Original of 500 Diameters. Samples etched for 3 minutes in 5 per cent nital Composition of the Steel: Carbon, 0.63; Chromium, 3.55; Vanadium, 0.97, and Tungsten, 17.04 Per Cent 1 ae 2 THE IRON AGE type and the 14 per cent tungsten, 2 per cent vanadium grade. Transverse Tests Hot rolled and annealed bars % in. round were used for the transverse specimens, the analysis of the ma- terial running as follows: Grade A Grade B Per Cent Per Cent Carbon .... . cass ace cad 0.65 Chromium ; ; iy alee. 3.33 Vanadium .... laa coe 0.97 1.78 EL * Kniv'gs cla a otobaeodmes te aad 17.04 13.85 These bars were cut into seven inch lengths, cen- tered, and turned to 11/16 in. in diameter. They were given the different heat treatments shown in Table I, then carefully ground to 21/32 in. The transverse fig- ures obtained on these different specimens are shown Annealed Condition: Longitudinal 2100 Deg. Fahr. ; Section Drawn; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Not ai Drawn ; Cross Section Fig. 2.—Photomicrographs on Grade B Transverse Series, Reduced About One-Fifth from an Diameters. Samples etched for 3 min- utes in 5 per cent nital Composition of the steel: Carbon, 0.65; chromium, 3.33; vanadium, 1.78, and tungsten, 13.85 per cent. July 6, 1922 Fahr., gave almost as high results as the specimens quenched in the lead bath and given the high draw. On tests conducted several months ago, transverse specimens made from high-speed steel similar in anal- ysis to grade A steel, were quenched from 2300 deg. Fahr. in oil and drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr. These specimens gave a fiber stress of 550,000 lb. per sq. in., two and one-half times the strength of the samples from the same bar quenched from the same tempera- ture, but drawn to 450 deg. Fahr. only. I believe that if the A steel specimens, quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr., had been drawn to 1150 to 1175 deg. Fahr., the fiber stress figures obtained would have compared quite favor- ably with the samples given the 2300 to 1100 treat- ment. This higher drawing treatment would also have produced the requisite hardness because of the higher quenching temperature (2350 deg. Fahr.). 2.—Specimens of grade A steel, quenched from 2350 Oil Quenched; Not 2100 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section Original of 500 2350 Deg. Fahr. ; Oil Quenched ; Drawn to 450 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Drawn 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Quenched into Lead 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Quenched into Lead to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section Not Drawn; in Table I and the photomicrographs in Figs. 1 and 2. The fractures were also examined, and it was noted that on the specimens of grade B steel quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr. they showed a slight coarsening of the grain; the fractures on the grade B samples quenched from 2100 deg. Fahr. and all of the grade A specimens possessing a velvety appearance. All of these trans- verse samples were also tested for hardness, using flat temper testing Nicholson XF files. The only specimens too soft to the file were the samples of grade A and grade B steels quenched from 2100 deg. Fahr. and given the 1100 deg. Fahr. draw. One is led to draw the following conclusions from these tests: 1.—The heat treatment which produced the greatest fiber stress, together with the requisite hardness, was that of quenching from 2350 deg. Fahr. in the lead bath at 1100 deg. Fahr., cooling to room temperature and drawing to 1100 deg. Fahr. Quenching from the high temperature in an oil bath, and drawing to 1100 deg. at 1100 Deg. Fahr.: Then Air Cooled; at 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Air Cooled; Then Cross Section Drawn to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section deg. Fahr. in oil and not drawn and samples quenched from the same temperature in the lead bath at 1100 deg. Fahr., air cooled and not drawn, showed a fiber stress of only a little more than one- half that of specimens given the same quenching treat- ment but drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr. Some of the un- drawn specimens developed small cracks after grind- ing, due to the strains in the material. Every speci- men made from grade B steel, and quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr. in oil or lead and not drawn, developed so many grinding cracks that they could not be tested. The undrawn specimens of both grades of steel were ground with the utmost care, for from tests conducted in the past, we discovered that the specimens given the high quenching temperature (2300 deg. Fahr.) and not drawn all cracked in grinding. It was impossible, however, to grind all of the undrawn specimens from grade A steel without cracking a few, and we were not able to obtain an undrawn specimen of grade B steel ot ri a wit Slant. July 6; 1922 THE IRON AGE 3 that ame not full of grinding cracks. This high-draw- ing treatment, therefore, not only produces about double the transverse strength over that of undrawn speci- mens, but also gives a greater factor of safety in Speen Holder i aha grinding. ¥ =. NN Leather Washer 3.—Grade B specimens quenched from 2350 deg. “Specimen Holder Fahr. and drawn to 450 deg. Fahr. and 1100 deg. Fahr., a ---Transite Board did not possess as high a transverse strength as grade # * a A specimens given the same hardening treatments. It would appear that grade B steel does not stand as high nay Tensile Test Specimen, COST J a quenching temperature as grade A steel, for the : ee fracture on the grade B specimens, quenched from the Sheet Metal Shell-s 4 fe..-—-5 | en le high temperature, showed a slight coarsening of the We Y | tsonal Earth grain. I believe that grade B specimens quenched from j , Bracket 2300 deg. Fahr. and drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr. would + an) | 4 - show at least as great a strength as grade A specimens SAM | 4 -Transite Boards given the 2350 to 1100 treatment. Fyrometer, tess 0 eS 90 4.—The micrographs, Figs. 1 and 2, showed that Sats ey the material as received in the annealed condition was satisfactory. Specimens of both grades of steel quenched from 2100 deg. Fahr. and not drawn possessed ~_ a fine grained martensitic structure with free carbides ! p= ly and tungstides. Drawing to 1100 deg. Fahr. produced Heating Element a small amount of troostite with its corresponding soft- Q505.. : a sy ness. Specimens of both types of steel quenched from [ eerie g 2350 deg. Fahr. in oil or lead and not drawn possessed ir ee sk. 2, _ the polyhedral structure of austenite with only a few undissolved carbides and tungstides. Drawing to 450 Tensile Test Specimen Fig. 3 (Above).—Electric Heater and Test Specimen. ‘Heating element contains 2 coils each containing 56 ft. of No. 22 chromel A wire, connected in parallel, wound around an alundum tube, then covered with alundum cement Fig. 4 (Left).—Blectric Heater in Posi- tion on a Standard Testing Machine Be Fig. 5 (Below.)—Tensile Test Curves. All specimens were quenched in oil from 2350 deg. Fahr. and drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr. before being tested. Additional ten- sile tests were: Grade A High-Speed Steel Temp. at Tensile Which Strength, Heat Treatment, Tested, Lb. per Deg. Fahr. Deg. Fahr. Sq. In. 2350, oil quenched, not drawn ...... Room temp. 175,000 2350, oil quenched, not GFAWE « .+6é 800 272,000 2350, oil quenched, not Gage «.v«<. 1100 225,000 2350, oil quenched, 450 deg. drawn..Roomtemp. 185,000 Carbon Tool Steel 1460, brine quenched, 400 deg. drawn..Roomtemp. 183,500 1460, brine quenched, 400 deg. drawn.. 1100 65,000 deg. Fahr., in case of the A grade, left only a trace of the polyhedral structure, while the B specimens still showed the well developed grain. It would thus seem that the B type of steel requires a higher drawing tem- perature to produce the same changes in microstructure than is required by the A grade. It is also interesting to note the extremely low fiber stress on the B grade drawn to 450 deg. Fahr. in comparison with the A grade given the same heat treatment. Photomicro- graphs of both grades of steel, drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr., showed a complete disappearance of the poly- hedral structure of austenite, and the development of f a full martensitic structure. This structure is the steel. 3 Sertorl CP | $88 most desirable one, for material possessing this micro- : | Vanadium 095% | 168% structure has the greatest strength, proper hardness, | Zungsters es a % and greatest degree of red hardness. | Bate Ben | Tensile Tests ooo Lh. 60-508 565 _ 705 300 O80 05 Hot rolled and annealed bars of high-speed steel Temperature at which Specimen wos tested deg. Fahr. | | | } | | | | | @Raoe'a \GRaveB Tensile Strength, Ib.per sq.in THE IRON AGE July 6, 1922 Annealed Condition: Longitudinal Section to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Temperature; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.;: Quenched; Drawn to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section Fig. 6.— Photomicrographs on Tensile Test Series, Grade A Steel, Reduced About One-Fifth from an Original of 500 Diam- eters. All specimens etched for - 3 minutes in 5 per cent nital 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Drawn Tested at Room to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at 600 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at 1200 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Not 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Not to 450 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at Room Drawn; Tested at Cross Section Temperature ; Cross Section 1 3/16 in., were obtained for the tensile test specimens. These bars analyzed as follows: Grade A Grade B Per Cent Per Cent Carbon _ . ° See Ceoseeesensseces 0.65 0.69 Chromium ead ~- 8.62 3.31 Vanadium errr ee eee re eC 1.68 EE Cenk ss 6 warns Rates owen. 17.80 13.96 The test specimens were made with shoulders in- stead of threaded ends, for past experience had shown that it was impossible to obtain accurate tensile test results on hardened high speed steel with the standard United States threaded end test pieces, due to the speci- mens usually failing in the threads. A large number of these specimens were to be tested at elevated temperatures, so the test specimens were made 11 in. in length in order to allow a sufficient length on each end of the test specimen to extend through the electric heater so as to fit into the espe- cially designed holders. The electric heater, shown in Fig. 3, is quite similar in design to that used by R. S. MacPherran.* Fig. 4 shows the heater in position on the Tinius Olsen universal testing machine. All specimens were held at temperature for 30 min. before being tested. The results obtained with the various heat treatments, and at the different temperatures tested are shown in Fig. 5. The fractures of the grade A specimens pulled at room temperature all had the usual velvety appear- ance, but the fractures of the specimens made from grade B steel all showed a coarse, fairly crystalline structure. I believe that this coarseness was due not only to the high quenching temperature but also to the fact that the material as received in the annealed condition had large lumps of carbide present, which, of course, *“Comparative Tests of Steel at High Temperatures,” R. S. MacPherran, A. 8S. T.. M. 1921 proceedings. 800 Deg. Fahr.; Drawn; Tested at 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section would not go into solution upon hardening (See Fig. 7). The fractures on the specimens tested at temperatures higher than room temperature presented an interesting range of colors, as is shown in the following chart: Fracture Colors Deg. Fahr. at Which Specimen Grade A Steel Grade B Steel Was Tested Color Color Room temp. Steel gray Steel gray 400 Steel gray Steel gray 600 Very dark gray Very dark gray 800 Chocolate brown Medium brown 1000 Dark blue Dark blue 1100 Greenish blue treenish blue 1200 Dull purple Brownish purple These specimens, after being pulled, were also tested with the flat temper testing files, all of these pieces being hard to the file with the exception of the grade A and B specimens tested at 1200 deg. Fahr., these being filed with difficulty, and the grade A speci- mens quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr., not drawn, and tested at 800 deg, Fahr. test. The specimens which were drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr., before being tested were file hard after each temperature tested from room temperature to 1100 deg. Fahr. This illustrates another advantage of the high drawing treatment, for tools in service which have not been drawn quite often attain a temperature of 600 to 1000 deg. Fahr. These tools will, therefore, be very soft, after being cooled to room temperature in com- parison with their original hardness, whereas tools drawn to 1100 to 1150 deg. Fahr. before being placed into service will maintain their hardness when cooled to room temperature from any temperature up to the original drawing heat. Photomicrographs were taken from some of these tensile test specimens and are shown in Figs. 6 and 7. As stated in a previous part of this article, the micro- ae. retin mate 2 te a ak A le A Nl IR ts amt —— July 6, 1922 structure of the grade B steel was in a very unfavor- able condition as received, due to the presence of large carbide lumps. The structure on the grade A material as received is satisfactory. Specimens drawn to 1100 deg, Fahr. after quenching, and then tested at elevated temperatures, showed the same microstructures as sam- ples given the same treatment but tested at room tem- perature. This is to be expected for a temperature higher than the original drawing temperature must be exceeded before the martensitic matrix is changed into troostite. Photomicrographs of the samples of carbon tool steel tested at room temperature and 1100 deg. Fahr. are also shown in Fig. 7. The sample tested at room temperature shows a martensitic matrix with free cementite present, while the samples tested at 1100 deg. Fahr. show a sorbitic matrix with a large amount of free cementite present. Referring again to Fig. 5, we note that both grades of steel attained their maximum tensile strength at 600 deg. Fahr. The slope of the curve would indicate that the maximum physical properties would have been reached at around 700 deg. Fahr. Unfortunately, we did not have sufficient specimens to run tests at tem- peratures between 600 and 800 deg. Fahr. Hardened high-speed steel therefore gives the same characteris- tic curves when tested at elevated temperatures as do plain carbon and alloy steels. The grade B specimens gave lower reading than the type A samples, as would be expected from an examination of the fractures. I believe that drawing specimens of both grades of steel to 1150 to 1175 deg. Fahr., would have produced higher tensile strengths, without sacrificing the hardness to any extent. Grade A test specimens quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr. and not drawn showed a tensile strength of only 175,000 lb. per sq. in., about 70 per cent of the value obtained on specimens quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr. and drawn to 1100 deg. Fahr. Specimens drawn to 450 deg. Fahr. after being quenched from the high temperature, showed a tensile strength of 185,000 Ib. per sq. in. Very little increase in strength is obtained by drawing to only 450 deg. Fahr. Carbon tool steel, given its usual heat treatment, gave a tensile strength of 183,500 lb. per sq. in., tested at room temperature, and 65,000 lb. per sq. in., tested at 1100 deg. Fahr. Carbon tool steel shows a higher tensile strength at room temperature than high-speed steel quenched from 2350 deg. Fahr. and not drawn. All of the high-speed test specimens were measured Annealed Condition; Longitudinal THE IRON AGE or for elongation and reduction of area and none was ob- tained, even on samples pulled at the high tempera- tures. Hardened high-speed steel therefore possesses zero ductility, even when tested at a red heat. The following precautions were taken in conducting these tests: Table I—Transverse Tests of High-Speed Steel ANALYSIS OF MATERIAL USED Grade A Grade B Per Cent Per Cent CE * onc ute chaae dad a tee 0.63 0.65 CoE. cca cepesearudedwadvhawas 3.55 3.33 VRE cds cds ecb eer eh vattaatna 0.97 1.78 TUM di Vi vceeevaebbuccsaae 17.04 13.85 Specimens 0.656 in. in diameter x 7 in. long Approximate Fiber Stress _iocianicceclpeiaaillinisittiasigtinainty Grade A GradeB Lb. per Sq. In. Heat Treatment re 2100 deg. Fahr. Oil quenched; not drawn 302,000 330,000 2100 deg. Fahr. Oil quenched; drawn to R200 Dee: VOR aie cttiviadecntedoawe ess 460,000 520,000 2350 deg. Fahr. Oil quenched; not drawn 250,0007 : 2350 deg. Fahr. Oil quenched; drawn to SR OPP err, eer 308,000 222,000 2350 deg. Fahr. Oil quenched; drawn to Beee GG. DC iit cakind o~ ccacnrpicnctoas 401,000 378,000 2350 deg. Fahr. Quenched in lead at 1100 deg. Fahr.; then air cooled; not GROMN aio a di cecus cditbdedbess-causnebdeeee 243,000 ° 2350 deg. Fahr. Quenched in lead at 1100 deg. Fahr; air cooled; then drawn Oe RS re 432,000 396,000 2350 deg. Fahr. Quenched in oil until specimen was cooled to about 1100 deg. Fahr.; then air cooled; not drawn..... 243,000¢ *Full of grinding cracks, so not tested. +Few small grinding cracks present. tFew small grinding cracks present in one of the specimens. The specimens were all time hardened, so as to insure the heat treatment being a constant. All pyrometers were carefully calibrated before being used. The accuracy of the testing machine was determined The writer does not wish to convey the impression that the physical strength of high-speed steel is an in- dication of its cutting qualities, but does believe that tools possessing the proper analysis, hardness and red hardness, together with the highest possible physical strength, will give the most satisfactory service. 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched ; Drawn Section to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at Room to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at 600 Deg. Temperature; Cross Section 2350 Deg. Fahr.; Oil Quenched; Drawn Carbon Tool Steel: to 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at 1200 Brine Quenched ; Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section Fahr.; Cross Section 1440 Deg. Fahr.; Carbon Tool Steel: 1440 Deg. Fahr.; Drawn to 400 Deg. Brine Quenched; Drawn to 400 Deg. Fahr.; Tested at Room Temperature; Fahr.; Tested at 1100 Deg. Fahr.; Cross Section Cross Section Fig. 7.—Photomicrographs in Tensile Test Series, Grade B Steel, Reduced About One-Fifth from an Original of 500 Diameters. All specimens etched 3 minutes in 5 per cent nital 6 THE IRON AGE LARGE AUTOMOTIVE MERGER Associated Motor Industries, With $80,000,000 Capital, Takes Over 14 Plants A consolidation of manufacturers of automobiles, trucks and automobile parts, taking in 14 plants in seven states, with capitalization of $80,000,000, has been effected at Dayton, Ohio. The name of the consolidated company is the Associated Motor Indus- tries. Main offices will be in Dayton. All of the plants are owned outright by the new corporation, the merger having been the result of actual purchase rather than transfer of property to a holding com- pany. Included in the new company are the following companies and plants: National Motor Car & Vehicle corporation, Lockport, N. Y.; Covert Gear Co., Lock- port, N. Y., transmission and clutch manufacturer; Recording & Computing Machines Co., Dayton, Ohio, ignition, magneto, starter, battery and generator manu- facturer; Jackson Motors Corporation, Jackson, Mich.; Kentucky Wagon Mfg. Co., Louisville, Ky.; Saginaw Sheet Metal Works, Saginaw, Mich.; Traffic Motor Truck Corporation, St. Louis, Mo.; Murray-Tregurtha Corporation, Boston, gasoline engines; H. F. Holbrook Co., New York, automobile bodies. Officers of the corporation are: Will I. Ohmer, Day- ton, Ohio, chairman of the board of directors; Louis Ruthenburg, Dayton, Ohio, president; A. A. Gloetzner, Lockport, N. Y.; Robert V. Board, Louisville, Ky.; T. C. Brandle, St. Louis, Mo., and George M. Dickson, Indianapolis, Ind., vice-presidents. Directors include the above and the following: James R. Duffin, Louisville, Ky.; H. G. Stoddard, Wor- cester, Mass.; H. V. Hale, Saginaw, Mich.; H. J. Linkert, Dayton, Ohio; C. L. Halladay, Jackson, Mich.; W. W. Sterling, Jackson; C. L. V. Exselsen, Chicago; Guy Wilson, St. Louis; Buell Hollister, New York; H. F. Holbrook, New York; M. D. Flattery, Boston. PROMPT REPLIES Independent Steel Companies Answer Question- naire of Commission WASHINGTON, July 4.—Replies in good-sized num- bers are being received by the Federal Trade Commis- sion from independent steel companies to the question- naire it has sent out to all steel makers of the coun- try in connection with its investigation regarding proposed mergers. The companies proposing to con- solidate, including the Bethlehem Steel Co. and the Lackawanna Steel Co., and the Midvale Steel & Ord- nance Co., the Republic Iron & Steel Co., and the In- land Steel Co., were the first to make response to the questionnaire. The freedom with which companies not involved in the proposed mergers have replied to the questionnaires apparently is a source of gratification to the commission. The replies, it was stated at the commission, are made complete wherever it is possible to do so. Reports that the commission in asking for responses from companies not associated with the merger plans is actually attempting, without direction from Congress, to inquire into the entire industry of the country are strongly denied. It is insisted by the commission that, as stated in THE IRON AGE last week, the only purpose of sending out the questionnaire to all of the producers is to ascertain the effect of the contemplated consolida- tions on competition. The questionnaire, aside from that portion of it in- quiring as to the tonnage the producers sell in the United States and foreign countries, is largely formal and deals with matters that for the most part are al- ready of public record through annual statements, trade papers, commercial publications, etc. The other information sought also is a matter of current knowl- edge, such as whether products of some companies are sold in the open market or to the parent company and, if both, the percentage of each. July 6, 1922 Mr. Ohmer, chairman of the board, made the fol- lowing announcement regarding the new corporation: This merger is unique in that it has purchased outright all its plants, instead of being a holding company. The usual thing in such mergers has been a holding corporation and separate operating corporations, the holding corporation own- ing a majority of the stock, with a full set of officers and each operating corporation having a full set of officers and staff. Associated Motor Industries eliminates all that dupli- cation. The executive officers of the consolidation are the only executive officers of the merger. All the plants will be operated as a unit from the central offices. It is not an imi- tation of any organization that has gone before it. As to prosperity, it is here now. We have only to accept it and go ahead with business. So much pessimism has been spread over the country that many people have lost belief in themselves. Associated Motor Industries believes that the time to start up is now. Business is ready right now for people who can make the right kind of goods at the right price. It is the purpose of Associated Motor Industries to stand- ardize and produce in such quantities as will get the cost of ears of quality within the reach of the people. There is no question but that a reduction in cost so that prices will come within reach of the consumers’ pocketbook must be brought about before there can be a return to “old- time prosperity.” The manufacturer must be satisfied with smaller profits. And to be able to reduce the cost and work on smaller profits it is necessary to increase production by the most efficient methods. As to my employment policies, they are well known and I shall have more to say about them later. I believe in pay- ing people all they can earn, and making it possible for them to enjoy their work. Women should receive the same pay as men for the same work. I want employees to feel that they are partners in the business and share in the success of the business. The interests of the employees of Associated Motor In- dustries shall have my personal care, and everything pos- sible will be done to make them satisfied and happy. Production in all of the plants will be started at full speed at once, Mr. Ohmer said. The commission has not as yet taken any action re- garding the issuance of a complaint against the Mid- vale, Republic and Inland companies and has not in- dicated whether it will or will not issue one. It also has done nothing as to the suggestion of the Bethlehem and Lackawanna companies to the effect that the hear- ing be set for an early date. It has been stated by the commission that no actual date for the hearing has been set. The fact remains, however, that it was an- nounced in the notice appended to the Bethlehem- Lackawanna complaint that “on the 24th day of July, 1922, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon, is hereby fixed as the time, and the offices of the Federal Trade Com- mission * * * when and where a hearing will be had on the charges set forth in this complaint.” It was stated at the offices of the commission that this was intended to mean only that the two companies had until July 24 to make answer to the complaint. Clay Pipe as Substitute for Cast Iron As a result of laboratory tests made in the College of Industries of Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, the claim is made by the institute that it has finally been established that bituminous clay pipe for drainage and sewerage use is in every way the equal of the more expensive cast iron pipe which has been employed heretofore. Details can be obtained by ad- dressing R. S. Clark, office of the secretary, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh. Charles Close, Bureau of Sanitation and Safety, United States Steel Corporation; Major William M. Hoag, National Tube Co., Charles Woolridge, Carnegie Land Co., and R. J. Young, Safety Department Illinois Steel Co., recently visited Gary, Ind., for the purpose of working out a plan for the construction of several hundred additional houses to take care of the em- ployees of the tube plant to be erected there. Trade Status of Some Minor Steel Products Facts and Figures Collected by the Tariff Commission Relating to Production and Markets, Also the Export and Import Trade NFORMATION concerning methods of manufactur- ing various iron and steel products, and their uses in manufacture and trade, together with data as to im- ports and exports, also the countries which compete with the United States in the manufacture of these products, is given in a volume of more than 1600 pages. The material in this book was prepared by the United States Tariff Commission for the use of the Senate Committee on Finance in making up the schedules in the pending tariff bill. All the articles in the vari- ous schedules are covered, the title of the book being “Summary of Tariff Information, 1921, Relative to the Bill HR 7456.” From the sections devoted to the metal schedule the following paragraphs are taken relating to various manufactured forms of iron and steel: Hoops and Bands Cut to Lengths—Cotton Ties, Etc. This paragraph applies particularly to the standard cotton tie, a strip of steel 15/16 in. wide by 35/1000 in. thick (20 gage) and 11% ft. long, chiefly used in tying bales of cotton. Once used,-they are rerolled and used again. Production is part of the output of rolling mills making also hoops, wire nails, smooth wire, barbed wire, woven wire fence, bars, spikes, and similar products. Four plants are located in Penn- sylvania, one in Georgia, and one in Alabama. The an- nual production is estimated at 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 bundles of 45 lb. each, approximately two-thirds of the world’s output. England and Germany are the prin- cipal foreign producers. Imports of hoop or band iron, etc., in 1915 were 1,416,538 lb., valued at $22,552. In 1920 they were 131,370 lb., valued at $5,952, and in the first nine months of 1921 they were 1,055,- 366 lb., valued at $32,883. Exports are irregular; they depend almost entirely upon the cotton crop and English competition. It is roughly estimated that in recent years they have ranged somewhat over 1,- 500,000 lb. annually. Galvanized Wire for Fencing and Wire for Baling Hay Wire provided for in this paragraph is that used for fencing purposes and for baling hay and other commodities. The fencing wire is limited to galva- nized, while the baling wire may or may not be galva- nized. Barbed wire is provided for in paragraph 1680, and hence is not included in this paragraph. The coun- try’s output of woven wire fencing and poultry net- ting, plain and coated, in 1919, amounted to 312,150 tons, valued at $30,527,000. In 1914 the corresponding figures were 411,460 tons and $19,795,800. Exports of woven wire fencing since 1917 by calendar years have been as follows: 1918, $1,036,730; 1919, $933,- 143; 1920, $903,272; 1921 (9 months), $451,823. The principal destinations of this exported material were Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and New Zealand. Woven Wire Cloth Woven wire cloth consists of gauze fabrics, screens, etc., composed of wire with fine meshes and is used largely for straining and for protection against in- sects and the like. “Fourdrinier wires,” or wire cloth used in paper making, are one of the most important items. In the figures of the Federal Census, the coun- try’s output of woven wire cloth is included with that of other woven wire products. Excluding woven wire fencing and poultry nettings, the output of woven wire products in the United States in 1919 amounted to 26,610 net tons, valued at $4,274,200. In 1914 the country’s output was 22,720 tons, valued at $2,822,700. Anti-Friction Balls and Bearings Anti-friction bearings consist of metal balls or roll- ers fitted between two metal cases in such a way that a shaft may be inserted into the inner case, and the 7 outer case into the bearing frame, the contact between the two cases being through balls or rollers. This arrangement substitutes a rolling contact for the slid- ing contact of the ordinary bearing and thus reduces friction. The automobile industry is the largest con- sumer of ball and roller bearings; the bicycle affords examples of the use of ball bearings. Some anti-fric- tion bearings are used in screw jacks, many machine tools, elevators, etc. The domestic industry has gone extensively into both types of bearing—roller and ball. The European industry has given attention chiefly to the ball bearings. Wheels for Railroad Purposes The car wheels in general domestic use are either of chilled cast iron, cast steel, or rolled steel. A car wheel made with a cast or forged center piece, about which a steel tire is shrunk, is used to some extent. Locomotive drive wheels are of this type. It has been estimated that 3,000,000 chilled cast iron wheels, valued at $40,000,000, were produced in 1917. Accord- ing to the 1920 census there were produced in 1919 117,700 gross tons of car and locomotive wheels, rolled or forged, valued at $17,044,700. Pennsylvania has a larger number of manufacturers than any other State; Michigan, New York and Ohio follow. European con- cerns have not developed the chilled cast iron or rolled steel wheels, which are the predominant types here. The bulk of foreign production has been the steel-tired wheel. Such wheels are likewise made here, and (ac- cording to report) before the war could be produced as cheaply as in Europe. Chains Structurally, chains made of iron or steel may be divided into (1) those with each link a single piece of metal, and (2) those with each link made of sev- eral pieces of metal. The first are used generally for fastening objects together or supporting or lifting weights. Such chains, if small, are chiefly made by machinery, but larger sizes are usually hand-made. Chains for cranes, ships’ cables, dredges, etc., have each link welded by hand, often both formed and welded from the rolled bar iron. Those of the second class are known as sprocket or driving chains and are used for transmitting power. In certain of these each link is made of several pieces of metal connected by rivets, bolts, or steel screws, and so formed as to en- gage with the teeth of a sprocket wheel. The bicycle chain is a familiar example. Stud-like chains are those with a bar or rod across the width of the link. The United States is a large producer of chains made of iron or steel, but statistics are not available. A repre- sentative of an important producer estimated the in- vestment in the chain industry in 1918 at $5,000,000 and the country’s normal output at $10,000,000. Bolts, Nuts and Washers Iron and steel nuts, bolts, washers, spiral nut locks, etc., and their uses are for the most part well known. The word “blank” used in connection with nuts and bolts signifies a piece of metal that has been prepared for manufacture into these various forms. The term “washer” denotes a ring of metal or per- forated plate used to distribute pressure to prevent motion or play. Spiral nut locks are special devices for locking a nut, as on a bolt, so that it may not be loosened by jarring. In 1914 the output of bolts, nuts, rivets and washers was valued at $23,403,000, in addi- tion to that of builders’ hardware which was valued at $24,280,000. Horseshoe Nails The tariff classification embraces horseshoe nails, the product of a distinct industry (the horseshoe nail 8 THE IRON manufacturers generally make no other nail product), hobnails and shoe nails to a great extent made in tack mills. Production of horseshoe nails in 1914 was valued at $2,345,762. In 1918 there were six factories located in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The raw material used is nail rods or wire of soft steel or iron. One company has imported nail rods from Sweden, an important producer of horse- shoe nails. Wire Staples The census heretofore did not specify wire staples separately. In 1914 the production of wire tacks, brads and staples, made in establishments drawing wire, was valued at $1,324,948. A portion of the pro- duct of wire staples is manufactured in the tack mills. In the 1920 Census wire staples figures were sepa- rated from those of wire tacks and brads and the 1919 output was shown as 68,221,300 lb., valued at $2,745,000. Cut Tacks, Brads and Sprigs Tacks and brads are of two kinds, cut and wire. Cut tacks and brads fall under this designation; those of wire (if of iron or steel) are included under “all other wrought iron and steel nails.” “Sprig” is an obsolete word in the trade, formerly applied to sharp- pointed shoe-heel nails. Production of cut tacks and small nails in 1918 was estimated at from 50,000,000 to 60,000,000 lb., valued at approximately $6,600,000. The establishments making cut tacks also manufacture small nails cut from sheets, and to some extent wire tacks. Massachusetts leads in production of cut tacks. Horse, Mule and Ox Shoes The factory horse or mule shoe usually requires further working by the horseshoer to fit it to the hoof. Formerly he made the entire shoe from a bar; some shoes are still so produced. Production of horse and mule shoes by rolling mills, etc., was valued at about $9,000,000 in 1914. Hand production from bar iron (not recorded) was very small. In 1917 horse and mule shoes were produced by nine establishments, lo- cated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Illinois, and other States, as their principal or only product. Two large companies (one iron and one steel) are included in this number. orse and mule shoes are formed by a series of rolling, bending and pressing operations, and, to a lesser extent and at a higher cost, by drop forging. The latter method is used chiefly in France, Belgium and Great Britian. Germany and Canada manufacture by a process similar to ours. Steel Wool and Shavings Steel wool consists of long steel fibers resembling curled hair. The fibers are of triangular cross section, and are graded according to fineness from coarse shav- ings to wool. Steel wool is used as an abrasive, and is a substitute for sandpaper and emery cloth or pumice stone, being regarded as superior to them for certain purposes. It is used in shipbuilding, in other build- ing, in factories, and in the household. No accurate figures of production are available. In 1917 the yearly consumption was estimated at between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 lb., which (imports being cut off) virtually represented domestic production. Germany and Swit- zerland are also producers. Grit, Shot and Sand of Iron and Steel Grit, shot and iron sand are chilled iron shot made by heating scrap or pig iron to a fluid state and spray- ing it with steam as it runs into a large vat of water. The grit is used in grinding rough surfaces of granite, marble and other stones. Production figures are not available. Before the war domestic consumption was estimated at 3200 tons. England is an important pro- ducer of these abrasives. Wood Screws Screws known in the trade as “wood screws,” be- cause intended for use in wood, are of mild steel or iron; or of brass, copper, and zinc when protection from rust is desirable. In 1914 wood screws, includ- ing those made of brass and bronze, were valued at $6,217,000, the output of twelve establishments. In AGE July 6, 1922 1919 the value was $16,462,000, the output of the same number of establishments. Umbrella Ribs and Tubes The United States is a large producer of umbrella and parasol ribs and tubes. The value of the annual production is estimated at from $1,250,000 to $2,000,000. Although figures regarding the extent of the out- put of parts are not available, the production of umbrellas, parasols and canes in 1914 was valued at $13,813,353, and in 1919 at $22,199,000. Saddlery and Harness Hardware The phrase “saddlery and harness hardware” is applied to buckles, rings, etc., made of metal and used on bridles, saddles and harness. In 1914 there were 58 establishments in the United States manufactur- ing saddlery hardware, with an output valued at $4,- 040,000. In 1919 the number of establishments had declined to 37, but the value of the product had in- creased to $14,137,000. Snap Fasteners and Clasps These articles are fastening devices chiefly for clothing, and are used as a substitute for buttons, hooks and eyes, buckles and pins. In 1914 snap fast- eners and clasps, or parts of, amounted to 91,957 great gross, valued at $714,492. Production was esti- mated by a well-informed manufacturer in July, 1919, to be at the rate of about 1,500,000 great gross annu- ally, valued at approximately $6,000,000. Metal Buttons The industry includes practically every kind of metal button, from the most ordinary button of sheet iron, made automatically, to the expensive gold button, made by hand. There are sew-on trouser buttons; tack buttons, put on by machine; bachelor buttons, put on by hand; uniform buttons, and buttons for women’s and children’s clothing. Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are the lead- ing States in the manufacture of metal buttons. Pro- duction in 1914 of steel trouser buttons amounted to 535,207 gross, valued at $307,802; other metal trouser buttons, to 252,248 gross; metal buttons, not including trouser or collar or cuff buttons, to 872,563 gross, at $455,485. Pins Production of common or toilet pins in 1914 amounted to 641,121 lb. plus 1,825,673 packs of 3360 pins of steel wire, and 1,186,397 lb. plus 1,638,035 packs of 3600 pins of brass wire, with a combined value of $1,248,757. Some firms report output in pounds and others in packs. Production of hairpins was 9,242,- 012 gross, valued at $528,362, and of safety pins, 4,- 744,303 gross, valued at $936,663. Production of com- mon or toilet pins in 1919 amounted to 2,799,000 Ib. plus 1,342,000 packs of 3360 pins of steel wire, valued at $1,521,000; and 741,000 lb. plus 1,089,000 packs of 3600 pins of brass wire, valued at $1,269,000. Pro- duction of hairpins was 24,310 gross, valued at $1,- 481,000; and of safety pins, 8,428,000 gross, valued at $2,977,000. The total value of common pins, hairpins and safety pins produced in 1914 was $2,713,782, and in 1919 was $7,248,000. Connecticut leads in the manu- facture of articles covered by this paragraph. The leading foreign producers are France, Germany and England. Pens The domestic manufacture of steel pens began in 1860, when the knowledge of the quality of metal best adapted for their manufacture was acquired. Most of the steel used has been imported from England and Sweden. Five establishments, with a capital of $870,- 601 and 573 wage earners, manufactured steel pens in 1914. Materials used were worth $117,113, wages amounted to $243,043, and the value of the product was $513,498. Steel pens valued at $160,068 were also produced by establishments classified under other in- dustries. The value of the product of five establish- ments in 1919 was $1,706,000. A pre-war estimate credited domestic production with 2,500,000 gross. July 6, 1922 CUTTING CRUISER INTO SCRAP Ten Feet Per Hour Speed of Advance on Armor Plate with Oxy-acetylene Blowpipe With the cutting up into junk of the United States armored cruiser Brooklyn, famous as the fighting flag- ship of Admiral Schley at Santiago, there passes into the limbo of things departed a symbol of the new America. The Brooklyn, constructed at a cost of more than $4,370,000, was sold for $40,000 to a Cali- fornia dealer in scrap metals. It is estimated that the ship will yield 6500 tons of steel, and many tons of copper and brass, besides the miles of copper wire that were used in the electric signalling system. The four main engines, 18,000 hp. in all, will also afford valuable salvage in the form of parts that can be removed without injury and sold for other construction. The major part of the demolition work, including Below is Seen a Section of the Mast after Being Cut Away at the Base. Forward Military Toppling At upper right an operator is at work on the barbette of one of the 8-in. turrets, At lower right an operator is cutting around one of the 5-in. casemates. all cutting of iron and steel, is being done with oxy- acetylene, Oxweld C-6 cutting blow-pipes being used ( on the work. First to go were the funnels, each of which weighed approximately 18 tons. the work was shown recently in the news films at moving picture theaters. More recently the 6-in. and 8-in. armor plate on the turrets and barbettes was cut and it is interesting to note that the man average per hour on this kind of cutting was approximately 10 lineal feet. This cutting speed was attained with an oxygen pressure of 85 lbs. In a general way the cutting that is being done on the Brooklyn is typical of the work that is being done not only in the newly created ship-breaking yards in this country, but in those of England and Japan, in the undertaking set on foot at Washington early this year. One picture of the work in progress on the Brooklyn shows a part of the foremast, atilt and about to fall after having been cut at the base of the section. This picture shows also a large supply of oxygen cylinders in the foreground. Federal Trade Commission Personnel WASHINGTON, July 4.—Judge W. Vernon Van Fleet, of South Bend, Ind., was sworn in last Friday for a term of seven years as a member of the Federal Trade Commission and has assumed his duties. Judge Van Fleet until recently has been special assistant to the Attorney General, giving his attention particularly to re-organization work. He became associated with the Department of Justice in March, 1921. His appoint- ment as a member of the Federal Trade Commission completes the personnel of that organization and is im- This step oz | THE IRON AGE 9 portant to the iron and steel industry because of the activities of the commission as they relate to the in- dustry. These include the Pittsburgh base and cost reporting cases as well as the investigation regarding proposed mergers of independent steel companies. MECHANICAL PUDDLING Ground Broken for First Unit of a Large Plant of Youngstown Steel Co. Ground was broken last week by the Youngstown Steel Co., Youngstown, Ohio, for a mechanical pud- dling plant on a 415-acre site two miles north of Warren in Trumbull county. The initial unit in an extensive construction program, will consist of four machines, with a capacity of 250 tons of puddled iron per 24-hr., and rolling mill complement. The rolling mill will consist of two stands of 3-high rolls, arranged tandem, and will be furnished by the United Engineering & Foundry Co., Pittsburgh. Reoll- ing mill machinery to be installed at this time will handle up to 1000 tons of iron per day. A rotary furnace will be installed for mixing the iron. From the time it enters the cupola furnace for melting until it emerges from the rolling mill, all operations will be mechanical. The plant will be fully electrified and will produce its own power. After the puddling operation, the iron will be removed in the form of a ball weighing from 2000 to 2500 lb., and will be pressed into ingot form by a hydraulic press. In this form it will be sent to the heating furnaces and rolled direct into billets, sheet bar or muck bar. The present installation is merely the beginning of an extensive plant, plans for which have been drawn, to include a total of 16 mechanical puddle furnaces, two 500-ton blast furnaces and auxiliary by product coke ovens. Pig iron will be purchased on the market until blast furnaces are built later. It is planned to operate the initial installation for at least a year before under- taking extensions on any large scale. The plant will produce a ton of puddled iron every 20 minutes. This compares with an average produc- 10 THE IRON AGE tion of 2500 to 2700 lb. by a puddler and helper, work- ing five heats per day. Production costs by the mechanical process are therefore considerably less costly than by the hand-puddled methods now in effect in the majority of plants, and it is claimed the product is of a superior grade. It will be similar to the old- time hand puddled iron. Its corrosive resistance prop- erties are said to be greater than those of steel. The structure of puddled iron is fibrous, instead of crystal- line, as is the case with steel. Present plans do not contemplate any finishing units and the company proposes to market its product in the semi-finished forms mentioned, making the product available for a diversity of uses in pipe, sheets, bar iron for railroad uses and the like. It is expected the first installation will be completed and ready for opera- tion by the first of next year. Construction will be conducted under direction of the company’s own organization. Plans to proceed follow years of intensive experi- mentation by E. L. Ford, who is a director of the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. and a member of the executive committee of the Brier Hill Steel Co. The puddling machines are designed after plans patented by him. One of the machines was built a number of years ago at the Brier Hill company’s plant and has pro- duced some tonnage in trial runs, which has proved July 6, 1922 satisfactory upon conversion into finished product. This equipment will be transferred to the Warren site and will form part of the new plant. An office building will be erected at the plant to house the operating departments. At present, the company’s principal office is located at 513 Stambaugh building, Youngstown. The company’s name is to be changed to more properly conform to its product, while details of capitalization and reincorporation are still to be worked out. Contracts for buildings and electri- cal equipment for the plant will be awarded in a short time. Associated with Mr. Ford in the enterprise are T. M. Phillips, general manager of the company, and H. Z. Bixler, chief engineer. Mr. Phillips has been identified with the iron and steel industry in the Mahoning Valley for many years, and previously had charge of blast furnaces and the washed metal plant of the Brier Hill company. Mr. Bixler was formerly chief engineer of the Brier Hill company, but has been with the Youngstown Steel Co. for the past two years. J. P. Suter, formerly accountant with the Republic Rubber Corporation, Youngstown, is secretary-treasurer. The company’s site at Warren has rail connections with the Erie, Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania