The Iron Age 1922-10-05: Vol 110 Iss 14

ec. 4c. . Se. 9 9c. 25e. 3160. 044 ¢. cord: . The. . Bbc. , 25. to %. HE IRON AGE New York, October 5, 1922 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 110, No. 14 Basic Business Conditions Favorable Production Running at 1919 and 1920 Rate of Activity— [ron and Steel Far Below, Due Largely to Coal and Locomotive Shortage BY SIDNEY G. KOON shown by general productive activity in the United States to establish its inherent sound- ness. After business had climbed from the dol- irums of 1921 to a definite emergence, in March of this vear, from the effects of the protracted slump, the coal strike beginning April 1 gave it a heavy setback. But May showed such a pronounced recov- ery as to push production above the figures set in March, themselves the highest since June, 1920. Then, when the railroad strike beginning July 1 dropped the curve for a second time below par, the rebound of August once more re-established it above par—which in this case is the average for the cal- endar year 1919. While the curve of productive activity shown on | l needs nothing more than the buoyancy already , PER CENT Y this page is similar in general to that on page 69 of our issue for July 13, there are some outstand- ing differences, due mainly to the fact that the pres- ent study is based wholly on 1919. In the previous curve the base was mainly 1913; but some items, for which data so far back could not be obtained, were referred to 1917, 1919 and even, ir the case of silk, to 1920. Except for silk, which has now been omitted, the items are the same, and their groupings are the same, as before. Twenty-one sep- arate items have been used in ten groups, as shown below. The first four groups represent food, shel- ter, clothing and heat human life. the primal necessities of Food; beef, flour and sugar. Building construction. JFMAMJJASOND JFMAMUJJASONODJFMAMJJASOND “= 1920 ------ wane he ( irve Is the Story of Productive Activity in the United States fron 1921 _ 1922 4 e Beginning of 1920. This is tons, barrels, bales and square yards—not in dollars. The figures for each month are expressed as a percentage of the average month of 1919 Uon, also in tons, appears in the dotted curve, which shows how much more heavily the iron and steel industry was hit by the slump of 1921 than was industry in general SOCNDD LeRsOORONNONNLGseneeNeNDDONRET resasoneRr Serre aneeereneNeORROND 17 Vinrepeseenenseree brea PO as ao peeneeeent LENE OSOLS PION STEP EPOEEIONS SEREAETREDEEREG -POPODORDORSROET / 1E5D) "ON/FTERTTI : -¢QEDNRRROR APR, 855 <A me i ar ere tm cece no THE IRON AGE October 5. Textiles; cotton and wool. fell steadily from 112% in April to 49% in De 1 poms anthracite and bituminous coal and petro- Vehicles dropped, without o retarding Secienetinien seen paar een in December and reached low water at 19 ins 7—Lumber: yellow pine, Douglas fir and Northern 1921. Leather fell without pause from 110 in at ge 51% the following February. Lumber was 102 2 lauaaraee copper, lead and zing gust, 69 in December. Non-ferrous metals decli) 102 in September to 50 in February. Steel, the Because 1919 was a year of greater activity than pe affected, was then hit by an avalanche of . 1913 in every group of items, and in every single item, tions, and a steady fall was recorded, from 1: with the exception of coal and of lead, so far as 1913 Qetober to 51 in April and 34 in July. Food ha figures are obtainable, 1919 furnishes in many ways a _ produced; the people had to eat. But the 101% gave place to 70 in December, January and Feb 105,025,000 of population in mid-1919 was much closer After February, 1921, the situation began t. to the 109,325,000 of Oct. 1, 1922, than was the 97,200,- The sharp recovery in March was due to food. better present standard of comparison than 1913. Our 000 of mid-1913. The larger population of 1919 called jing construction, textiles, automobiles and lum): for a larger production than in 1913—and got it. And to a lesser extent to fuel and leather, all of conditions in 1922 are much nearer to those of 1919 showed marked gains during the month. Fro than to those of 1913—labor in certain lines is getting point there was slight change for a year a disproportionate share of the earnings of those lines March, 1922, another general advance took pla as in 1919; prices of commodities are higher now, and this case building construction, leaping to 112 f were higher in 1919, than in 1913, while at the same jn February, led the van. Automobiles, fuel (p time lower than the post-war peak reached in 1920; anticipation of the coal strike), lumber, pap both 1919 and 1922 have been years of unprecedented textiles, copper—all registered good gains. Ar building construction; both years have had strikes of jumping from 74 to 100, kept pace. major importance which in both cases have seriously To the beginning of the coal strike must be hampered the steel industry, in particular. the drop in April. Fuel fell off more than halt It may be emphasized that dollars do not enter the the heavy production of petroleum keeping it curve, which is a story of physical quantities, unaffected Only buildings, automobiles and leather advanc: by prices or markets, except in so far as these may in- the handsome recovery in May, in which every duce a larger or smaller productive activity. Thus, beef except leather participated, more than made up 1 is expressed in thousands of pounds of inspected slaugh- ground. In July, once more, labor’s unwarrant ter; flour, in thousands of barrels of wheat-flour pro- mands took heavy toll from the nation’s outpu‘ duced; sugar, in gross tons of meltings; building con- recovery in August, while less complete and struction, in square feet of floor areas built; cotton and pressive than in May, once more brought producti wool, in the quantities consumed by textile mills as an activity up above its 1919 average. index to the amount of cloth produced, etc. All aver- Unemployment, so live a topic in 1921, is no longer ages of items into a group and of groups into the final a fact. Every man who can render worthy service index are direct, without giving any one a greater may have his opportunity. Shortage of labor is becom- weight than another. ing a problem—in particular, the common labor s And the curve indicates, in a way difficult of expres- necessary for the rougher work in all industri: But sion otherwise, that we are no longer “hibernating” on the question now simmers down to the adequac) the accumulated production of former years. We are transportation facilities. Hampered though the) again “on our own.” With stocks in most lines largely by the long-contested strike of shopmen, the rail and successively more largely depleted and retailers report that there were 20,000 fewer “bad order’ buying from hand to mouth, as has been the case for on their lines on Sept. 15 than on July 1, whe! some two years, since the so-called “buyers’ strike” of strike started. And the number Sept. 15 was 7 1920 commenced to paralyze production, we have now less than a year ago. Unfortunately, the samé reached, and probably passed, the point where produc- be said as to the more complicated locomotives. tion for current and future needs becomes an urgent a shortage of motive power is now the big obs! necessity. The huge accumulations of the past have the greatest activity. all but disappeared and production prospects for the immediate future—barring a renewal of labor troubles —appear unusually bright. Demand exists for goods During this same period of 32 months, Januar) and goods must be produced. 1920, to August, 1922, both inclusive, the curve of pig Intense activity through the first half of 1920 ac- iron production, as shown in the diagram, took quite counts for the high portion at the beginning of the different course. Similar, in that low followed high ane curve. There was heavy building construction; the was succeeded by high, yet the changes in pig iron were 1920 production of automobiles was more than 10 per so abrupt and so tremendous in their intensity that the cent in excess of the number built in any other year two curves differ totally in appearance. General : before or since; steel came within 7 per cent of the duction, including steel ingots but not pig iron, hac output of the three great war years, 1916, 1917 and maximum of 115.7 and a minimum of 66. The ‘arg’ 1918; the production of petroleum, to keep pace with exceeded the smaller by 75 per cent. But pig 170", the growing demand for gasoline and fuel oil, ad- with its maximum of 130, had a minimum as low 4 vanced rapidly, exceeding 1919 by 24 per cent; paper Here the larger exceeded the smaller by 294 pe! averaged 10 per cent above the previous year. Some or nearly four times as great a divergence as of these dove-tailed into each other. Thus, both build- general group. ings and automobiles called for steel; the increasing It has already been explained that steel | output of petroleum made necessary large quantities turn calls for pig iron) had been in such of steel tanks, pipe, tin plate and other “oil country” mand until late in 1920 that the productio! goods. And the transportation of all this vast produce year was the fourth largest in our history, a! demanded more railroad cars—again calling for more spite of the sharp shrinkage of the last thre steel. of the year. But the sudden stoppage of ord All this stopped sharply in early summer. Building cellations of hundreds of thousands of tons i construction, 110 per cent in April, was 80 per cent in which had been filed with two or more stee! prow'™ June, 60 per cent in July and 30 per cent in December —the latter, largely because of the season. Textiles (Concluded on page 902) 2 tae ee Ree woe ~— - - . oo x< maplien: Pig Iron Production ry) Y Cold Rolling Mill with Wedge Adjustment Continuous Strip Mill of Worcester Pressed Steel Co. Has Exceptional Control for Both Gage and Speed r inds of a continuous or tandem cold rolling for strip steel have been installed experi- ly by the Worcester Pressed Steel Co., W Mass. As soon as this experimental in- as “found itself,” in the sense that all of s are functioning as well as can be desired, stands are to be added, making a group of tandem, Of chief interest in connection ently by two adjustable speed, direct current, 70-hp. Westinghouse motors, through herringbone reduction gearing, adjustment of the speed of the one motor, to conform with that of the other, is all that is neces- sary. Finishing speeds run from 160 ft. per min. upward. The maximum being now about 350 ft. per min., or nearly double the usual practice. Such fine adjustment as is had on the top roll re sults in giving a coil of perfectly a a i | ‘| flat edge, thus avoiding the wavi- : a os theca am A ness in the edge of the strip, some- * +e SEY a times experienced with rolls less } well under control. This is of 2H. Threads Y \ 7 % prime importance for many uses of ee 1B eS r Se the steel, particularly when it is ] 5 } Hh for tubing, where a wavy edge is 7 - troublesome in the welding ma- a 2, cnine. Constru ’ Mill 1 Shown Clearly 1 e ( ‘ the Wedge ind) Their \ Being I ated Pla _— i \ How ¢ npactl W it H Been \ e |] I Lmit Ox I s Ab 7x1 It ll are the methods of adjustment f speed control. ‘th top and bottom, actuated by ! e 4 | by wheels, are used for roll ad- HS y 2 so closely has the design been —« [i bl , it the top roll moves only 0.0001 in. _ I St — Y the 60 spaces on the “micrometer + Fb even closer range may be obtained + ‘'p = I e spaces, which measure about 4% ~=———————F"* a = iphery of the wheel. These top Mi// : ependent, to permit correcting any | ts 7 1) . . * Motor rolls to produce a material thicker Li 1 han the other. The slope is only 7" , . . \ + : (0.042 in. per in.) and the screw “~~. per in. Hence, one complete turn es or lowers that end of the roll wedges operate in a direction parallel the material between the rolls. adjustment for the bottom roll is de- for use only when changing gage, it irser and both ends of the roll are together. The slope of this wedge, five times that for the top roll, and the screw which is 7 threads per in., the position of the roll 0.030 in. two wedges are on a single screw, las right-hand threads while the threads. These wedges operate in to the axis of the roll.. tween the two stands, now running, ins of a rheostat governed by hand tne second stand of the mill, and of the roller. Normally, he keeps running just fast enough to permit the af tly between stands, which are some ‘he two stands are driven independ- ¢ e 85 For the wedges, hardened steel is used against brass. The one feature, in this connection, which is not yet thoroughly satisfactory lies in the difficulty of tightening the wedges, and through them the rolls, while material is running through. There is so much binding, under full load, against the collar where the thrust is taken up (A, in the detail of the mill) that a ball bearing thrust is to be substituted. Ball bear- ings between wedges have been considered, also, but will probably not be used. To promote precision through lack of spring in the mill, cast iron housings of extra size have been in- stalled and, as the (chrome steel) rolls measure 6 in. in diameter by only 4 in. face, it has been found possible to get the two housing columns within 5 in. of each other. The mills were built by the United Engineer- ing & Foundry Co., Pittsburgh, from plans developed in the Worcester plant by H. A. Fisher,- works engineer. When large reductions are required, the metal is 7 t » $ it : t? : : ? ‘ : 3 A > &. i‘ * > : . . ‘ . “*. * ; > ‘ ' " . : « a ' be To, : . = : : : B. ))y * 4‘ \ . » ‘ > » r > e.° . ‘ _7 >» ee et a af ; + se 7 +2 5 % 5 ¢ ’ } : zi ; 8 £ * ' t . «4 : 7 t } : 't MD <cthhainaies Peta os fuse 108 Pee 4 <. ee ove 32 tt Se ey Xe Serngh ems 858 THE IRON AGE passed through the mill twice without intermediate annealing. This gives it four roll passes. When the two additional stands have been installed, a single operation will give the same four roll passes, with an added economy in labor, as the steel will then be handled only twice instead of four times. Near the delivery side of the second stand is a motor-driven reel designed and built at the Worcester ELECTRIC STRIP MILL DRIVE New Features Provide Closer Control of Relative Roll Speeds BY B. S. BEACH* PECIAL interest surrounds the recent installation of electrical equipment for a new 14-in. continu- ous hot strip mill of the Trumbull Steel Co., Warren, Ohio, described at page 1510, June 1. This equipment represents a totally new development in rolling mill drive and is the first installation of its type. Built by the Morgan Construction Co., Worcester, Mass., the mill consists of a roughing train of four stands of horizontal mills, an intermediate train of two stands, and a finishing train of four stands. The roughing mill is driven by a 600-volt, shunt wound, direct current motor which will develop 1250 hp. at 50 deg. C. (or 90 deg. Fahr.) temperature rise, at any speed between 175 and 350 r.p.m., through reducing gears. The intermediate mill is driven by a similar motor, direct connected to stand No. 6 and, through reduction gears, to stand No. 5. The four stands of the finishing mill are each driven on individual 800- hp. motors of similar design, but different speeds, which are directly connected to the rolls. Power to operate the whole mill is furnished by two synchronous motor generators, each consisting of a 2300-kw. 600-volt, compound wound direct current generator direct conneeted to a 3300-kva. 2200-volt, 60- cycle, 3-phase synchronous motor. The main shunt fields of the generators and direct current motors are separately excited from a 250-volt circuit. The elec- trical equipment was built by the General Electric Co. Principles of the Control The control which makes this drive possible does not work on the principle of maintaining a given ratio between stands, but maintains constant any speed at which a given motor is set; since each motor speed is constant, the ratio between stands must be constant. It is evident that this scheme is much simpler and more readily set up than one depending on change gears and cone pulleys. On the shaft of each direct current motor is mounted a small alternating current “pilot” generator. The field of these generators is controlled through a voltage regu- lator which maintains constant excitation. Therefore the delivered voltage of any generator will be strictly proportional to its speed, which is that of its motor. Adjustments of the speed on any individual motor are made from the pulpit of the mill by means of three rheostats, one being motor driven. The latter changes the resistance in the motor field and adjusts the voltage regulator coil circuit simultaneously. The second makes small changes in the resistance of the pilot generator field. The third is used as a “range finder” in connection with a meter in the operator’s pulpit, to keep the regulator operating in approximately the middle of its range. The combination of the three gives what practically amounts to an infinite number of points, or a continuous curve between the maximum and minimum speeds of the motor, the regulator auto- matically maintaining any speed at which the motor is set. In addition there is mounted in the pulpit a special voltmeter for each motor, calibrated in r.p.m., and actuated by the voltage of a tachometer gener- ator. These meters are particularly useful when a *General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y. October 5, 1999 plant. Control of the speed of this machir, as to permit the roller to maintain in the st; is being coiled, any desired tension. A_ sep: similar reel, which may be installed later, larger tonnage, for trip coiling could be star: reel during the time required for unloading ; the two thus being used alternately from rolls. new set up of the mill is being made, and a as speed indicators while the set is in operation. That this control will hold the motor speeds eon. stant under changing load conditions, and wil! pot allow the speed ratio to vary enough to cause loops or to pull the strip, was demonstrated in preliminary tests at the factory before the order was placed. Ex- perience with the apparatus in actual product has fulfilled expectations. The mill may be set up for ; different product in 15 or 20 minutes and the first piece is put through at full speed. The control is so simple and easy to operate the regular operators experienced no difficulty handling the equipment. In fact, the first day of operation, in spite of the numerous delays for mino: adjustments such as are always necessary when break- ing in new machinery, the mill produced 130 tons of strip for shipment. How Earlier Mill Speeds Were Controlled Previous Morgan continuous strip mills have b driven from two or more sources of power and the ratio of roll speeds fixed by gears on the roughing and intermediate stands and by belts and pulleys on the finishing stands. It is evident, therefore, that, since the gears and pulleys were almost never changed, the only possible way to change the draft in any stand was to change the size of the roll. In other words, starting with a given sized billet, the reductions mad in the various stands of a continuous mill were fixed and built into the mill. These can not be the drafts best suited to all the products to be rolled on that mil The ideal continuous mill would have individua drive for each stand, at least on the finishing end, thus allowing the use of any desirable combination of speed and draft. This has been done for many years on cold strip mills, where the speeds are very low and the distance between stands comparatively large, s that a change in the speed ratio of any two stands does not quickly stretch the metal or form a loop to large to handle. But a high speed hot mill such as that at Trumbull, finishes at speeds around -UUl ft. per min., and the distance between stands Is 9 ft.; therefore the speed ratio between stands mus! be maintained with an accuracy closely approximating that of gearing. that mR on? Cornell Pittsburgh Reunion A “flying squadron” of members of the University Association of Western Pennsylvania visit Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Buffalo, Baltimore and Philadelphia to invite Cornell graduates personet to go to Pittsburgh for the approaching Corne!! reun" Oct. 13 and 14. A. W. Wyckoff, president Wyekor Drawn Steel Co.; William Metcalf, formerly preside! Braeburn Steel Co.; William K. Frank, Damascls Bronze Co.; C. M. Yohe, Pittsburgh & Lake Erle Ral road; Thomas Fleming, Oil Well Supply Co. and ka W. Gass, Fort Pitt Engineering Co., the comm" each will spend a day in one of the cities —_ Graduates more distant are being invited by ma” Corne Wi Sheet Shipments Delayed ) anorts YOUNGSTOWN, Oct. 3.—A_ sheet maker re] has between two and three weeks’ output 1” houses awaiting shipment, and predicts operating suspension until rail situation cee Co., sot Eight sheet mills of the Trumbull Stee! \» * pended for three weeks because of break: drive, have resumed. its W are temporal? clears. jown in mot sitter lron the Main-Stay of Present Day Life Fundamentals in the Metallurgy of Steel Stated in Terms of Familiar Speech—What Electrical Development Owes to Iron—Steel the Modern Supplanter BY J. S. UNGER ip of one or more of the 80 odd elements dis- vered by scientists up to the present time. I nfine my remarks to but one element, iron, KE RYTHING this world of ours contains is made ahi n my opinion is the most important metal of all. persons do not understand that the term n’ is a general word describing the three common rms of iron, but believe that steel is something en- y different from iron. There is a slight difference three forms, but all are made from the element , varying from 92 per cent to more than 99 per cent f pure iron. When we speak of a hat we may refer aw hat, a stiff derby or a soft brown hat, but ire hats. In the same way, when we refer to iron, may mean wrought iron, steel, or cast iron. When Thales, the Grecian philosopher, about the eginning of the Christian era, found that after rub- ng a piece of amber with a silk cloth it would attract pieces of paper or cotton, he gave this effect the name electricity, from the Greek word electron, or amber. Doctor Gilbert, during the reign of Queen abeth, produced the same effect by rubbing glass, wax, shellac and other substances. If you will rub your fountain pen on your coat sleeve you can duplicate these xperiments. About the middle of the 18th Century, Galvani, an ltalian anatomist, found that by touching different parts of the body of a dead frog with separate pieces vire and bringing the ends together, the legs of the frog twitched violently. During the 18th century, our wn Benjamin Franklin, without knowing that he was king his life, showed that electricity was present in m cloud. From such humble beginnings to the lern 50,000 hp. electric generator, is a giant stride. rther, this amazing development has taken place hin the last 60 years. The middle aged members of y audience can recall when the only commercial use ade of electricity was the telegraph. Then came the arly telephones, and the are lighting of large build- ngs and streets, and later incandescent lighting. As the electric motor was perfected, it was followed by the tric street car, this being an electric development the history of almost everyone present. Electricity Made Effective by Iron + + 0 say that if it were not for iron, a strong, metal, from which you construct your electric nes, and from one single property possessed only ery slight extent by a few other metals, and by ‘most alone, electric machinery, as we know it to- would not exist. This particular property is that magnetized. This very banquet hall could efficiently lighted, the elevators would prob- é wer moving mechanical devices, the ventilat- 'g Tans cumbersome, the street cars on which you came, steam drawn, while your automobiles would be imber, probably propelled by steam. Why this ation and your exhibition, together with all ociations, would not be in existence. You the fact that iron and practically iron e magnetized. I am bringing this out as ngly ! ean to show the electrical engineer that Te ne far \ the well known head of the research bureau Steel Co., gave this address at the convention \ssociation of Iron and Steel Electrical Engi- ind, on Sept. 14. The address is reproduced f Dr. Unger’s success in putting succinctly, e time investing with new interest and sig- facts in iron and steel manufacture and his very art depends on the production and magnetism of iron. I am aware that certain alloys composed of metals which alone are not magnetic, such as copper, aluminum and manganese can be magnetized, but not as strongly as iron. The cost of such alloys, their brit- tleness and difficulty of fabrication would almost pro- hibit their use. Beginnings Little is known about the early history of iron. It is probable that gold and silver, being found by the ancients in the metallic state, were first discovered. After primitive man discovered how to make and use fire, the four common metals, copper, lead, iron and tin, were discovered. Some historical writers are unwilling to admit iron was made by primitive man. One writer calls attention to the many legends of the ancients, claiming iron came from heaven and attempts to show that meteorites fall- ing from the sky with a rush of fire and a loud noise would so impress primitive man as to cause him to be- lieve it was an act of some god they worshipped who lived in the sky. He further tries to show that the peculiar markings, figures, or striations on the famed Damascus sword blades were simply the Widmanstiatten figures ob- served in all meteorites, caused by the difference in ap- pearance of the two metals, nickel and iron, of which they are composed. I might add that the estimated weight of all known meteorites has been computed to be about 400,000 lb.; the largest one, of over 100,000 Ib., lies in the Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico. Most of these meteorites are lying where they fell and could not account for the ancient iron articles found. Iron has been found in the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt, whose age is estimated at over 5,000 years. According to this authority, iron used before 1200 B. C. was obtained from these sources, meteorites, by chance production of a camp fire, a flash of lightning, or a forest fire. However, we have at Delhi in India a wrought iron column which, from the inscription cut into the metal, archaeologists have determined dates from 900 B. C. As an example of early iron it is remarkable, being a piece which is considered quite large even at the present day. This column, which is almost 3000 years old, is 24 ft. long, 21 ft. above the foundation, 16 in. in diameter and weighs over 13,000 lb. This column is in a fair state of preservation, showing that the iron workers of India possessed great skill in making iron in large masses and forging it into shape. Such a feat is envied by many of the modern iron manufacturers. Common Forms of Iron The metal iron exists in the arts in three common varieties, cast iron, wrought iron and steel. Absolutely chemically pure iron is unknown, as it is practically impossible to produce such material. Iron is usually found combined with many other elements, the principal and the one affecting its properties most strongly being carbon. When iron contains very little carbon, it is soft and ductile and can be easily bent and welded and is called wrought iron. Iron containing one ounce car- bon to 100 lb. of iron is a soft, ductile material, almost like wrought iron, while that containing from 1 to 1% lb. is hard steel, such as can be tempered and made into springs, files or knives. When the carbon is raised to from 2% to 4 lb. for every 100 Ib. of iron, the metal can not be forged, but must be cast in a mold from a molten condition to obtain the desired shape. This va- 859 cate co nee rere stte ear noe ames EE —— scence on . ee vo mar esamnatie = geen sagem ites) wa & - Pemecorey Saegr enn ce ? a or Sy pnts ge ~~ 7 a TEI GT OT ~ te + ~ : ea oe rn eee eee ee Sw Tarbes enn Oa va ==. Peete oop = ees eee . : = oe Fas ont ore - - - 2 _* ome a re ~- - Sing Sa eae SU - wie & Soowh o5 ta er shns 5 ona ye Na madden Semaieios ars a ihe ent OE see aad et cote pete wenn = = tne te : ~- > > < Bi. 5, Peet lie f aa :" an oa > ny te & a, dy my, ft? my hse 9. a it ig tr* | ae - he, a. mr 5 a , ey | : » “>t oa § > ve cat ae y* . . are Ss ma ’ 4th Baal 4 et ' Pile . . yoo w > aan 2 meat ae SRR tat aoe Se cath ca ce Ee ee ae wie Sl a ae Se ea tigen canoe 2 . - 860 THE IRON AGE riety is called cast iron, which is the raw material used in the iron foundries. Special Properties of Alloy Steels In addition to the ordinary elements found in steel, other elements are purposely added to give certain qualities. If but % lb. of copper is added to 100 lb. of molten steel, the finished steel product will not rust nearly so fast as steel without copper. When 12 lb. of manganese are added to 88 lb. of steel the resulting alloy is very hard and resistant to wear, and in addition very tough. Such steel is called manganese .steel and is used in all frogs, switches and crossings of street car tracks, in many of the safes or vaults used in banks, and for many other purposes for which a hard, tough material is desirable. When nickel up to 5 per cent is added to steel it in- creases the strength without seriously affecting the toughness. Such nickel steel is used where great strength and a reasonable toughness are necessary, as in guns, armor and large shafts. If the nickel be in- creased to 36 per cent an alloy called invar is obtained, which has the least expansion and contraction for each degree of heat at normal atmospheric temperatures of any metal known. Such material is used in making clock pendulums, measures, tape lines and other scien- tific instruments in which the least possible change in length as the temperature changes is essential. Platinite, a nickel steel with 46 per cent of nickel, has the same expansion as platinum and has taken the place of platinum in the sealing-in wires of electric light bulbs with a great reduction in cost. When 3 to 4 per cent of silicon, an element only one- fourth as heavy as iron, is added to steel it produces a very valuable alloy used in the manufacture of steels having certain magnetic and electric properties, and is employed in electric generators, motors and transform- ers, resulting in a very marked decrease in their weight. This steel is of particular interest to the electrical en- gineer. Our magazines and newspapers contain articles re- lating to rust-resisting steels, sold under the trade names of stainless, flameless and resisto steels. Such steels are made by adding a high percentage, about 14 per cent of chrofhium, or chromium and nickel, to steel, which prevents rusting. Kitchen utensils, cutlery and other implements of such steels are coming into com- mon use. Physical Properties of Iron An average piece of cast iron 1 in. square will break when a load of 20,000 lb. is applied. A similar piece ef wrought iron has about twice this strength, or 40,000 lb. One square inch of soft steel will break at 50,000 lb. By adding carbon and other elements and heating and quenching the steel, its strength can be raised to over 300,000 lb., or a 1-in. square piece of such steel is as strong as a bar of soft steel 6-in. wide by 1-in. thick. Steel is furnished in sizes from large masses weigh- ing over 100 tons, such as the modern 16-in. gun or large armor plate, down to the smallest needle, or the small screw used in a watch, hardly visible to the eye. New Uses for Steel Steel is rapidly replacing wood, stone and bricks for many purposes. Your sky-scrapers, large bridges, large ocean steamships, and modern war materials are made possible by the use of steel. Without steel they could not exist. Wood is becoming scarcer and more expensive, and the principal substitute is steel. Before many years the wooden railroad tie will disappear and be replaced by the steel tie. At this time this is true in some Euro- pean countries. Steel furniture, steel packing boxes, steel telephone and telegraph poles and many other arti- cles will replace wood. Very few railroad cars are now made of wood. Your street cars and automobiles are made of steel. These new uses for steel, together with the increase in size and weight of many articles now made of iron or steel, and the increased use of steel in such countries as India or China, which use very little steel in proportion to October 5. 1999 their populations, makes the question of the f ply a serious problem. In passing, it may be well to refer to the steel consumed annually in the ordinary crow; to close bottles containing mineral waters, gi; soft drinks of various kinds. The annual « is more than 500,000 boxes of tin plate or o tons. It may surprise you to learn that the won United States carry around every year about of wire in their hats and 7000 tons of stee corset stays. When this is translated into fig all may comprehend, it means this tonnag would fill 7 freight trains of 33 cars each, eac} ! taining 50 tons of steel. The amount of stee!| ; med in small tacks, shoe nails and carpet tacks is about 30. 000 tons annually or sufficient to fill a string o| rht cars 7 miles long. One-third of the world’s population, or 500 million people, consume annually over 75 million tons l, or at the rate of one ton for every 7 people. When the entire world’s population of 1% billions consume stee| at the same rate, which must be the result as civilizatio; advances, the world must produce 2/3 million tons of steel every day. This enormous consumption wil! soon exhaust the rich iron ore beds of Central Europe, Nor- way, Russia, China, India, the United States, and Cuba and Chili. Beds of iron ore now considered entirely too poor to be worked will be worked before the middle of this century. The progress of civilization, in fact the future of the world, will largely depend on the ability of posterity to find an adequate supply of iron ore and of fuel, from which iron, the most important meta the world, can be made. Outing of New England Iron and Hardware Association The New England Iron and Hardware Association held its annual fall outing at the Tedesco Country Club, Swampscott, Mass., Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 19. Considerably more than 100 members attended and the outing was one of the most successful ever experienced. The afternoon was given over to a golf tournament, the number participating being large. Play continued until late in the evening, following which dinner was served. Myron B. Damon, Fitchburg Hardware Co., Fitch burg, Mass., president, presided. He introduced Austu H. Decatur, Decatur & Hopkins Co., Boston, president of the national body of hardware jobbers, who spoke briefly on the good fellowship evident at the gat! ing. Mr. Damon then called upon Harry |. Doten, chairman of the golf committee, to award the prizes. A. Perley Chase, Chase, Parker & Co., Boston, having the best gross score, won the distinction of having his name engraved on the president’s cup, which must be won three times before it becomes the persona! prop erty of a contestant. Mr. Chase also was awarded a large silver platter. Paul Avery, Avery & Saul, Bos- ton, with the best net score, was awarded the Loomis Cup for 1922. 1eT Program of Farm Equipment Manufacturers Convention The program of the twenty-ninth annual eas Manu- of the National Association of Farm Equipment * facturers, which will be held at the Congress hotel Chicago, Oct. 18 to 20, has been announced, Among the speakers will be C. H. Markham, president ve Central R. R., Chicago; F. R. Todd, vic fhagete Deere & Co., Moline, Ill., who will talk on “T he I ree and Future of the Implement Industry”; T. F. W ~ ton, secretary and controller, Deere & Co., Moline, ni will speak on “Depreciation”; W. H. Stackhouse, gen eral manager French & Hecht, Davenport, Iowa, whoss address will be on “Industrial Freedom. T The McMyler Interstate Co., Bedford, Oh' come engaged in locomotive repair work on ce scale and will install some additional equipmem handle this work. has 0 a limited 0 Forming Gear Teeth by Hot Rolling Improved Machine Finishes Teeth Complete in One Operation—Accuracy and Increased Output Features—Construction Outlined rHE IRON AGE of Nov. 3, 1910, the | ing machine built by H. N. bed, and in the issue of April 10, first gear Anderson was de- 1913, im- changes and improvements were announced. i to have been Mr. Anderson’s original intention the tooth-rolling operation simply as a gashing operation in gear cutting, nished by a light generating cut or by ilts obtained by the pioneer machine substitute the teeth grinding. were said ite, however, that a gear rolling machine could tructed to e in one operation ' extreme uracy. ne of three ing ma- r the pro- f a wide spur and sand de- finish the npletely in ration, ly the ip of the back by the 1utomatic e opera- w being by the | Rolled : Cleve- d process are . » . oo a Anderson Machine for Making sy ae Held a erating \ hardened and accurately ground master-gear eaves the tooth surface highly polished and 5 ale. 1imed that the hot-rolled teeth are superior in it nish, accuracy of form and wearing qual- hic my and rapid production are naturally iy lhe rolled gear blanks can be proportioned 7 4 ° . . 1” ' to 40 per cent saving in material, and are ja simple to forge. The operation requires one 2g nachine operator, and one as a heater, intel- vain ers being qualified to do the work. prs The Gear ne Holder @ te the die to nong cated, and nos timing geé ese out bac Vha wi At the ge Shown whost a Bevel G for a Beve a> mits kept in mesh with- Bevel Gears by Rolling Teeth in a Blank ; at C in mesh, so that Blank F Is Clamped in the be dupli- ars, are k lash eft Are Blanks for ear and The output of one machine is found to be 60 to 90 gears an hour, which is calculated to be a saving in time of 90 to 95 per cent and a saving in labor cost of 25 to 80 per cent as compared to cutting methods of making. The accompanying illustrations show the bevel gear machines. Both the die shaft and the blank shaft are positively driven through timing gears separate from the blank and die, and held continually in full mesh. The timing gears constrain the forming gear or die and the plastic blank to roll on one an- other in positive synchronized con- tact without trans- mitting driving power and thus eliminating the slippage and tooth distortion of early designs. The component elements of the machine include two quills, one of which receives power from the motor through a pair of bevel gears, shown at A, and transmits it, through the heavy timing gears at B, to the other quill. Means are pro- vided for adjusting the timing gears there is no back lash between them. In the bevel gear machines one quill may be swung around the pitch cone center, C, for various gear settings, the angular adjustment over- lapping to provide the full range from 0 to 90 deg. A “blank shaft,” seen at D, is slidably mounted in one quill, and keyed to it. A pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, EF, mounted on the end of this shaft, actuates a piston, which extends through the shaft to clamp the gear blank, F’,, in the blank holder, G, on the other end of the shaft. The “blank shaft” may be adjusted end- wise in its quill to accommodate blanks and blank hold- At P is BB, the | Pinion is ney Neen ee i me Te ah oe ta Ne ae ee oat pag ay Bow ml eee «) %e ey 7 4 ve ‘ - Foe Airs Rhett wet he a ao -—~ ae 3 tis — , ea 862 THE IRON AGE October 5, }::20 Hot Rolled Gears of Various Types and the Dies Used in Rolling Them ers, which may be of various thicknesses, as required. At H is shown the die shaft, which is slidably mounted in the other quill, and keyed to it. This shaft may also be adjusted endwise for dies of various thick- nesses. To advance the die shaft gradually in its quill and with a smooth, positive motion, a cam and roller, shown at J, are provided. The drive for the cam seen at O is taken from an oscillating shaft at N, and passed through a ratchet mechanism seen at M in the rear view, that changes it to one-way motion. The advance of the cam is pro- portional to the movement of the main shafts, so that when they slow down and stop during reversals, the cam does likewise. The action of the cam is to advance the die rapidly to contact with the blank; to advance it gradually and to hold it at full depth while the tooth is taking permanent form and is cooling below its critical temperature; to step the die back slightly for one revolution: and to. with- draw it quick- ly. The with- drawal is by a spring or by a return cam, The total cam cycle for roll- ing one gear is about 20 sec. End thrust on both shafts is taken on roller thrust bearings. To build up the struc- ture and pro- file symmetri- cally on both sides of the teeth, oscillat- ing the two main shafts by repeated re- versals inthe direction of ro- tation was found neces- sary. This motion was previously effected by mechan- ical means but in the new machine is accomplished elec- trically by special motor equipment designed by the General Electric Co., and an adaptation of its planer- drive device. The total time of rolling a gear has been decreased by this equipment. At J in the rear-view illustration may be seen the control board with three push-button boxes which pro- vide the necessary flexible control. From one box the machine can be controlled to drive continuously forward or reverse and may be stopped at will, another box con- trolling the jogging of the machine slowly either for- ward or in reverse to provide small movements of the shafts during die set-ups, etc. The third box controls the automatic operation with its oscillating Pushing the start button causes the motor automatically a pre-determined number of revolut in one direction, stop, turn in the opposite dir I stop, reverse, and so on until the stop button is pu 1. A limit switch, seen at K, driven by a one-way moving part of the machine, controls these automatic reversals Its segments are arranged so that the die makes oné and a fraction revolutions on the blank in each dir tion, but one of these overlaps is longer than the other so that the point of reversal on the blank moves around the blank as it is rolled. This distributes uniformly thi slight cooling effect of the reversals around the blank The starting of the motor, bringing it up to speed, and stopping it, is accomplished in % to 1 sec. The motor rating is 12% hp. at 150 r.p.m. The correspond- ing shaft speeds are 100 to 150 r.p.m. The operating panel with the solenoid contactors which effect the rarious opera tions, shown at Q, and the motor, seen at R, are entirely inclosed and equipped wit! forced venti lation and lu brication as shown at / The blank holde. s cooled witl water during the brief space between roll- ings, and while rolling a baffle plate is inter- posed between the die and the blank, and water is rected on th face of the dle, which serves ; ; . “ool it. Th Oscillation of the Two Main Shafts by Repeated Reversals of Rotation Is Done Elec- 0 coo! lt. r trically with a Mechanism Shown in This Rear View of the Machine water ais‘ acts to wash scale from the die, and the film retained on the di teeth as they enter the blank tends to loosen the scale on ©” blank, while the speed of rotation, aided by a fine 8° of air from behind the intersection of the die and blan*, serves to throw off the scale. The rolling is ae * continue until the blank is cooled below its crit al t n perature, when no more scale is formed. The temp: , ture contrast between the hot blank and the coo &" rouce +he ra- acts as a lubricant between them, and causes tt nea gear teeth to be formed with a tough and polish face. ii ieee ee The gear blanks are used as they come trom Tt drop hammers, with commercial forging el is said to be unnecessary to maintain sharp edges, 4° sur 0 per 5, 1922 -mmer dies can be used for longer runs. The are designed with a thickness about equal] to the pitch line of the finished gear, as the metal aced both ways. This is said to effect a 20 to ent saving in material over a cut-gear blank. T regs are beveled so that the advancing die will a igh the metal and cause it to be extended end- iss yng the die teeth, the blank-holder allowing a space for free egress of the metal beyond the the teeth. The blank is heated to about 2000 or eg, Fahr. and is clamped in the holder, which is i to restrict the expansion of the blank while ne rolled, and permits of its quick removal. Dies Have Plane-Surface Tooth Profiles lie shown at P in the detail view is in the form aster gear with plane-surface tooth profiles to those of the involute rack teeth. The teeth form can be machined, hardened, and ground profile, with the utmost precision, permitting redressing at minimum expense. The speeds jie and blank are synchronized at the rotary f their engaging pitch surfaces, through the timing gears. There is no driving action be- them, and as the die teeth are constrained to e blank on radial lines and in the same relative at each successive revolution, there can be no n of the teeth formed. The temperature of the not appreciably raised during the rolling of a rear and the proportions of the die teeth are based on xpanded dimensions of the rolled gear at its criti- 1 ten perature. Bevel gear dies are made with the nearest whole imber of teeth less than the crown gear. Theoreti- this tooth should have a slightly curved profile, it it is ground to the plane surface. Thus the die tooth is correct at and near the pitch line, but is slightly too thick at the top and bottom. This rolls a tooth with the slight clearance above and below the pitch line. A true octoid crown die is shown at A in the ustration of the dies, the relieved die shown at B, , rolling a better gear. The die is redressed y grinding 0.010 in. off the tops of the teeth and ttoms of the spaces, and the proper amount off the to restore the correct tooth proportions. One -gear die may be dressed down 1% in. and as 300 00 gears may be rolled with one dressing, one die 11 30,000 to 60,000 gears or more. ur-gear dies are in the form of a circular rack liameter. As the pitch of the average quantity- luction spur gear is rather small, when it is divided so large a circumference the resulting tooth profile | y approximates a plane surface that the differ- y hee ls Just sufficient to provide the requisite clearance wy nearls ° ve and below the pitch line of the rolled gear. 3 Tessing these dies reduced their diameter, but this is le mpensated for by reducing the thickness of the teeth le ‘Spaces in proportion to the reduction in diameter. r- ‘fis Me may be reduced more than % in. in diameter on “ithout affecting the interchangeability of the gears he Produced, and because of the large number of teeth 1d “the die the intervals between dressings is several di- nes that of the bevel die. he ‘ning the rolling of a gear the hot metal of the jie, ._'< Is gradually worked by the advancing die under ves -) tons pressure, which is said to cause an ad- The lageous rearrangement of the structure of the metal. ' us structure is forged into a trussed for- sh ,.__" about the periphery of the blank, serving to tie th “eth to the body of the gear to help equalize the nee subsequent heat-treatment, and to give a ast ; Dard wearing surface to the working faces of nk, Uaboratory tests and results obtained under t ang cor litions are said to have shown that a m- 5 th is some 25 per cent stronger and 20 ‘ae . rder on a similarly proportioned cut tooth aie ve same metal. lied ' th of rolled gears may be still further sure “ea a etaining the shroud, which is normally ends of the teeth, tying them together, it = . ; manner which can not be duplicated by ad In a gear combination both gears may a ed; the ordinarily weaker member may be THE IRON AGE 863 finished with a full shroud, removing the shroud from the other gear; or the shrouding on both gears may be proportioned so as to develop the maximum strength of the combination. The strength of gear combinations could, it is said, be increased in many cases 50 to 100 per cent by this means. The simple straight line profile for die teeth is suitable for both axial and oblique arrangement, so that spur and bevel gears may be rolled with straight or spiral type teeth with equal ease. The spiral type dies are as simply redressed as the straight tooth type, and they roll with much less strain and wear. It is claimed that the rolling process not only makes these gears of a uniformity and strength formerly unattain- able, but it reduces their cost by 40 per cent. The spiral-type dies are also made in two parts of opposite hands, and are joined together to form her- ringbone dies in either spur or bevel form. These herringbone dies roll an integral gear which it is said promises to supplant the spiral-type gear for many purposes. Would Increase Rates in Rails WASHINGTON, Oct. 3.—Request is made in a brief filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission yester- day on behalf of the Baltimore & Ohio, Pennsylvania and Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroads that the com- mission vacate its suspension order prohibiting the carriers, pending investigation, from putting into effect sixth class rates on new iron and steel rails and cross ties from certain producing points in the United States to Canadian destination. It is proposed by these tariffs, which affect rates that have been the object of a long controversy between rail makers and Ameri- can and Canadian railroads, to substitute sixth class for commodity rates, which would have the effect of increasing rates about thirteen per cent from some rail