The Iron Age 1922-10-26: Vol 110 Iss 17

wf New York, October 26, 1922 ES VOL. 110, No. 17 RIT RI I EB og Shs ale eee co Rae SO Cat Foe ¥] From Ore to Nails in Minnesota Plant Steel Corporation Adds Rod Mill and Wire Plant to Its Duluth Works—Labor-Saving Devices and Safety Measures Are Features BY GILBERT L. ‘T\ HERE are few American steel works where the | making of pig iron from the ore, steel from the iron and finished wire products from the steel are all concentrated under a single management. With the ‘ompletion of a wire mill in July and a wire rod mill in September, the Minnesota Steel Co., Duluth, Minn., en- tered that class of plants. The products of the wire mill are sold by the American Steel & Wire Co. and are branded with its trademarks and stencils, but the oper- ation of the mill is entirely under the management of the Minnesota Steel Co. The new plant is a “common products” mill, making nails, fence, barbed wire and galvanized wire exclusively as contrasted with “market wire” mills which make springs, wire hoops, wire rope and strand, insulated wire and cable and various other specialties used largely by manufacturers. \ glance at a map of the United States discloses Duluth is a logical location for a common products Extending northwest, west and southwest is a expanse of territory in which agriculture is the ipal occupation. Manufacturing centers using spe- Tue Iron AGE, Chicago. LACHER cial wire goods region and are those products. lie mainly to the south and east of this properly customers of mills making The zone tributary to Duluth is more clearly defined in freight tariffs which give the Minne- sota Steel Co. mill an advantage over Chicago district works in the northern peninsula of Michigan, the north- western half of Wisconsin, in Minnesota, the Dakotas and the territory west and north of those states. The excellent location of the new mill is further emphasized by the fact that Duluth has long been a distributing point for common products. The new plant which makes Duluth a producing, as well as a distributing, center combines in its construc- tion and equipment the most advanced ideas developed in the various works of the American Steel & Wire Co. The rod mill, which connects with the billet mill of the previously constructed works of the Minnesota Steel Co., is 80 x 400 ft., with a capacity estimated at 400 tons per 24 hr. The wire mill is a separate unit detached from the remainder of the plant, and measures 320 x 1500 ft., covering nearly eight acres. Its production under normal conditions will be 300 tons per 24 hr. and is expected to reach upward of 2400 tons of finished Wire Drawers Are Relieved of Lifting by an Electric Hoist Operating on a Monorail Crane 1057 mee te \ ores a . / . ul aa * a? ‘ ; . . = bs ie ¥ pia bi ; ‘ ‘ : ; > w . he - 3 ; 7 . a ’ ve 4 : *, > 4s he . > « ‘ " a @P by: 1058 products per week. The entire output will be in low carbon basic steel. Like all other structures of the Min- nesota Steel Co., the new buildings are of unusualiy substantial construction to withstand the rigors of the severe climate. The structural work is of steel, the roof of 3-in. fir with Johns-Manville asbestos roofing, and the walls of cement blocks which were made on the grounds. The blocks are hollow, providing columns of air which serve to keep the dampness and cold out of the buildings. A striking feature of the wire mill is the attention which has been given to labor-saving and safety de- vices. Particular heed was given to relieve the wire drawers from heavy lifting. The drawing room has 168 22-in. blocks and 36 16-in. blocks, arranged in four double rows and driven by eight motors. The motors are placed in pairs and spaced 7 ft. center to center. Three of the double rows comprise 48 22-in. blocks each, or 24 on a side. Each row of 24 blocks is driven by a 225-hp. Allis-Chalmers motor. There are also two rows consisting of 18 16-in. blocks and 12 22-in. blocks each, the 16-in. and 22-in. blocks being bench to bench. These blocks are driven by two 150-hp. Allis-Chalmers motors, as less power is re- quired to run a line of 18 16-in. and 12 22-in. blocks than a solid line of 24 22-in. blocks. Each motor is con- nected with its line shaft by a flexible coupling and the shaft drives the blocks through bevel gears. A central aisle divides the rows of blocks in half, benches of 12 blocks each being on each side, except in the case of the 16-in. blocks which consist of two benches of 18 blocks THE IRON AGE Octoher 26, 1929 below the floor. A shear operated by the same ecc: is used to cut off the end of the rod which canno drawn because it has fins. The drawplates used exceptionally hard high carbon iron castings. | dered soap is used in the drawplate for the first . but subsequent drafts are made without add; lubrication. When finished coils of wire have been drawn, | are lowered on to trucks by the monorail hoist and then moved by Elwell-Parker storage battery tra to a Fairbanks registering beam scale. On the bot of the beam of the scale is type comprising num corresponding to the graduations on the beam. W the beam balances, the operator inserts a card, th a hand press against the type, thereby perforating card with the weight of the truck load on the sea), The tare weight of the truck is taken at frequent inte) vals. The cards are filed away with the invoices aga shipments to the trade and serve as reliable evide: of the correctness of the weight entered on the invo A weighing clerk might easily transpose numbers writing them down, but there is no chance of this w! using the registering beam. While some wire goes directly to the trade, a con- siderable portion goes to other departments for furthe: operations, including galvanizing and the making of nails, staples, barbed wire and fencing. The wire rods from which the wire is drawn ar shipped by flat car from the rod mill. The bundles ar loaded on trucks so that it is an easy matter to p the trucks from the cars to the loading dock of the wir . Lime Saking — ——a I from Wire Rod Mil LOAD/NG DOCK Serenata | | || | p— pnt an es - ith || | | } | | | | | +WerHREAWM) £ dt NAN TUMBLING -tfioon | | WAIL MikL 7001 POON | a ( oaleeaiaedl | | | = | LVAN/Z/NG DEPT a —_— — Jenesdhenlhennacetireendnenad ned t led mended oedema caoeloonedcncliaeelians eeemins cen cence: tec -_ wee sepeceperepen CD MURIATIC Acib STORAGE Wire and Nail Plant of the Minnesota Steel Co. back to back. The drawing room contains space for two additional rows of blocks. The number of blocks operated by a single workman comprises a frame. Usually the number of blocks in the frame is identical with the number of drafts which must be made to produce the wire of the desired gage. Ordinarily the number of drafts is four. Unusual precautions have been taken to protect the wire drawers from accident. Four means have been provided to stop the rotation of a block. One is the foot pedal ordinarily used by the operator to engage and disengage the clutch driving the block. A hand lever in back of the operator when he is facing the beach may be used to stop the block in case of a snarl which might make it difficult for him to reach the pedel. A third means is a lever located next to the block in a position where it is likely to be struck by the body of the operator in case he is caught by the wire as it is being drawn on to the block. This lever releases a weight which, in dropping, instantly throws the block out of engagement with the clutch. While this weight is down the block cannot be started again by either pedal or hand lever. It is first necessary to pull up a wire rope which draws the weight back to normal posi- tion. The fourth method of stopping a block in an emergency is by pushing a button which actuates a cir- cuit breaker on the switchboard, thereby stopping the motor and all the blocks its drives. It will be noted that the stopping of a motor does not shut down all blocks in the drawing room as would be the case in some wire mills, but only two benches of 24 or at the most 30 blocks. Operation can also be resumed by push button. For each frame of blocks there is a motor-driven roll pointer run by an eccentric on a motor driven shaft mill. Each truck has a capacity for 10 bundles, or a! aggregate weight of approximately 3000 lb. The truck was designed and constructed by the Minnesota Ste Co. and is well adapted for handling by storage batter, tractor. It is supported by two large wheels in th middle and one small wheel at each end. As a result the truck tips toward the tractor when drawn and away from it when pushed, at no time resting on more than three wheels. Steering is therefore rendered eas) whether the truck is pushed or pulled. . . The Elwell-Parker tractor is connected with the truck by a triangular coupling devised by the companys own engineers. This coupling has three hooks, one of which is passed through an eye either at the front or back of the tractor, and the other two through eyes 0” the end of the truck. The tractor, which is an Elwe!l- Parker type T.C., has a two-wheel drive and a ‘our- wheel steer so that it can make a very sharp turn. The tractor has a number of striking safety features. Oper- ation cannot start until the driver is sitting on the seat. Furthermore, the operating lever must be brought to vertical position before the tractor can be started for- ward or backward. The importance of this precaution- ary measure is realized when one considers that the lever might be carelessly or accidentally pushed for ward or backward while the tractor is standing still. While it is essential that the driver take his seat before the tractor will start, the mere fact that the lever is _ an operating position will not result in a sudden lurch forward or backward. For the charging of the tractor batteries for General Electric motor generator sets driven by 7%-hp. a.c. induction motors have been sted vided. Each set is served by a control board which pre- vents the ruining of batteries through overcharging. There are two scales on a board, one graduated uP to October 26, 1922 THE IRON AGE legit A ton - Rn et = = nn a ae a= en an a ee trent meme am Ce ne ee erage: ® ~ . 43 + ; é vy ( 4 7 7 ining House Five Acid Tanks and One Water Tank Are Arranged in a Semicircle Around a Jib Crane, Which | and Lowered by Steam and Turned tf Motor, Having a Range f e Full 360 Deg In the foreground are a number of the yokes used to hold f indl whet ispe led over the vat : es peres and the other up to 75 volts. These are The agent used to remove the scale is a weak solu- . when the charging is completed the current is_ tion of sulphuric acid, the supply of the acid being , ally disconnected. Exide storage batteries drawn from two storage tanks just outside of the house, ) in the tractors. each of which has a capacity of 1,106,000 Ib. sefore : the loading dock trucks of rods are passed reaching t vats the acid passes from the storage ‘ale house where they are weighed and then tanks to a measuring tank inside the house which con . ‘ t into the cleaning house. Here five acid tanks tains approximately a day’s supply. The amount of : water tank are arranged in a semi-circle around acid introduced into the vats is gaged by five measuring : e. The crane is raised and lowered by steam boxes, one for each vat, located at the axis of the jib : . 1 . irned by motor, having a range of the full 360 crane. The amount to be added to each solution is a \ yoke suspended from the crane is passed matter of judgment, depending on the amount of scale the rod bundles, whereupon they are hoisted, onthe rods. A sure test of the effectiveness of the solu- $, ° 1 1 . . : . : position over an acid tank and then lowered _ tion lies in an inspection of the rods after they are with- ition. Each end of the top of the yoke rests drawn from it. If any scale can still be seen the of the vat, supporting the rods during the _ solution is too weak and the rods must be reinserted in + f scale. Two yokes of rods may be placed in’ the vat. The acid vats are heated by steam which aa ne time so that 10 yokes, supporting 30,000 passes into the solution through perforated pipes. Suc- is, may be lying in the acid solution simultane cessive additions of acid are made to the solution until ere being five tanks. the Baumé scale gets too high because of the scale de- “a Sei epee tia rt 928 2 \re Shipped by Flat Car in Truck Loads from the Rod Mill to the Loading Dock of the Wire Plant. Here it is rt roll the trucks from the cars to the dock. ‘ine trucks are hauied throughout the wire plant by tractors. A triangular coupling between the tractor and truck facilitates steering a , ‘ 4 . : ’ oe . . - ' . . ‘ ‘ ‘ . , . ‘ %, ' . : * i ‘ .4 : «. . *"s ae . ; . > . 3 . @ posited, whereupon the vats are emptied and refilled. To draw off the acid fumes rising from the vats large wooden canopy has been suspended from the ceiling of the house. After the removal of scale in the acid vats the yokes of rods are placed in a hot water tank where the acid is washed off. The crane then transfers the yokes to a double continuous chain belt, each end of the yoke resting on a belt while the rods are suspended over a long sul] tank. The belts are operated by motor and are geared low so that the yokes pass over the tank very slowly. The rods first pass through a vigorous down-spray which gives them a thorough drenching and then through four gentle sprays, termed “mists.” Two of the mists strike the rods from above and two from the side, the latter being so situated to reach the inside of the bundles. By the time a yoke has reached the end of the tanks the bundles are covered with a thin uni- form coating of brown rust called “sull” which serves as a lubricant when the rods are drawn into wire. At this point a 2-ton Alliance overhead electric traveling crane hoists the yoke and lowers it to a vat, where the rods are immersed in lime for the purpose of neutraliz- ing any remaining acid on the steel and to prevent cor- rosion. The lime also serves as a lubricant in the sub- sequent drawing of the wire. to the Doors of the Furnaces coal into the Coal Is Brought by Monorail Which Heat the Bakers. The shoveling of the furnace door requires but a short pass by the fireman THE IRON AGE October 26, 1999 Musi A Slowing Double (© ous Cha Carries th Through Tank, W Rods Are § ed to a N of Spray Mists Whi the Steel a Uniform C of Rust 7 ou From the lime tank the yoke is transferre waiting coil truck standing on depressed concrete t leading into a 10-track continuous baking oven capacity of 70 trucks. The trucks are pushed int ovens by double motor-driven chains, dogs fron If an oven track ¢ chains engaging the axles. is a truckload is automatically pushed out of the discharge end when a fresh truckload is pushed in. The doors at both ends are hung on a slant so that they close by gravity, the entrance doors swinging inward and discharge doors outward. When the trucks are dis- charged from the oven they pass by gravity down an incline to the floor of the drawing room. The bakers are heated to about 300 deg. Fahr., their sole purpose being to dry the rods thoroughly. Heat is supplied by coal-fired furnaces located in thé ment. While the furnaces are hand-stoked, never touches the floor because of the ingenious < ing system employed. Coal from both drop-botton side-dump coal cars is discharged through a grid concrete bin under a railroad siding next to th ing. From this storage, coal is transferred to a coal ‘arrier with a capacity of 1000 lb. The carrier is su pended from a monorail system, installed by the Low- den Machinery Co., Fairfield, Iowa, and is easily pushed by hand to a position directly in front of the furnace door to be fed. Here the side of the carrier nearest the furnace is lowered so that the shoveling of the coal from carrier to door requires but a single short pass by the fireman. The carrier was designed by the Min- nesota Steel Co.’s own engineers. A carrier furnished by the Lowden company is used for removing ashes, the carrier being passed by monorail from the furnaces to a position under the railroad siding where it is picked up by a continuous bucket elevator, emptied into a wall ing railroad car and returned to the monorail. i The furnaces are divided into five units or “houses, one house heating two tracks of the baker above. This arrangement of the furnace and baker into separate units enables the management to operate only part of the oven, if it so desires. Each house is served by ® recording Bristol thermometer which registers on ® chart the temperature at all times during the course of 24hr. A blank chart, of course, must be inserted In the thermometer every day. a In a section of the plant next to the baking oven is a muffled annealing furnace which is used for annea® ing wire for special purposes, such as wire for the a ing of staples. mnealed 10! Wire must likewise be ann fabrication into woven fence and barbed wire. annealing, as well as the galvanizing of the wire protect it from rust, is done in another section plant connecting with the end of the drawing sacige vl posite that adjacent to the bakers. In this room \" his to tober 26, 1922 ur separate continuous annealing and galvanizing arranged parallel to each other. The treatment wire consists of passing parallel strands through | } ath for annealing, then through a tank of mu- icid to remove the scale, from there through a ter bath to wash off the acid and through a flux ting of a neutral solution of hydrochloric acid re further the removal of all traces of the acid. the flux it passes over a hot plate to be thor- dried and then into a zinc bath. After it ves from the spelter tank the wire is wound on frames from which it is removed in bundles by ad hoist. . operation of each annealing and galvanizing continuous. The motor-driven take-up frames 1e wire through all steps of the process. The s of wire treated in the process are brought from lrawing room into the galvanizing department on from which they are transferred to double reels ading overhead electric hoists operating on a iil built by the Cleveland Electric Tramrail Co. be noted that the bundle-handling equipment is me as in the drawing room except that in this case rail crane is not required. The double reel is a seful aid to the continuous operation of the gal- ng unit, because it holds two bundles, one above er. As soon as the bottom bundle has been un- the end of it is spliced on to the top bundle which dropped to the bottom of the reel. Another is then placed on the top of the reel so that it in readiness for a repetition of the operation ‘ribed. plicing of wires calls for vigilance on the part attending employees. After the wire passes the spelter bath it is necessary that it be wiped a smooth uniform coating. For this purpose s wipers have been provided. A splice, however, pass through a wiper and it is therefore neces- keep close track of the approach of the splices. \ lingly, at the entering end of the zinc bath trips placed which are thrown up by contact with es, thereby serving as signals to the operative 1 at the wipers. At such an indication he pulls per to permit the splice to pass through, at time taking the opportunity to insert a new isefulness of a wiper does not extend beyond indle of wire. iously noted, the lead bath is used for an- Lead is used as a heating agent because of ility to close control. The bath is held at 75 deg. Fahr., the ordinary annealing tempera- \ Leeds & Northrup recording pyrometer indi- temperature of the bath at all times. ‘he muriatic acid bath is contained in a concrete THE IRON AGE From the Lime Vat the Yokes Are Transferred by Overhead Crane to Trucks, Which Are Delivered by Chain Belt into the Baking Ovens tank. As concrete is not impervious to acid, the tank has a lining of vitrified brick which was laid in molten sulphur. The acid vats are entirely inclosed in wooden housings surmounted by hoods through which the fumes are drawn off to the roof of the building. The temperature of the zinc bath is also controlled by a Leeds & Northrup pyrometer. As the purpose of this bath is merely to galvanize the wire, only sufficient heat is required to keep the spelter molten. The gases ‘ising from the zine bath are used to heat the hot plate over which the wire passes before entering the spelter. The purpose of the plate is to dry the wire thoroughly before it is immersed in the metal, thereby preventing sputtering and imperfect galvanizing. As different annealing points are required for dif- ferent kinds of wire, there is considerable variation in the time required to pass wire through an annealing and galvanizing unit. For the horizontal or line wires of a woven wire fence strength is required, while for the As Different An- nealing Points Are Required for Vari- ous Kinds of Wire the Speed of the Take-Up Frames at the End of Each Galvanizing Unit Is Adjusted by Means of a Variable Speed Motor. The safety lever to be noted above each frame is so situated that it will be struck by the body of the op- erator should he be accidentally caught by the wire. Asthe bundles are re- moved from the frames they are loaded on waiting trucks by an over- head electric hoist operating ona monérall am ethane el arent ge Sg tt — te eg ¢ > o . ? f i > . i . \ ; 3 : : 5. ; - J o ‘ , Pg : ’, > , 4 > ., ’ # *"* S ; s . 4.8, * ‘ P 4 Ris 1062 THE IRON AGE val J While the Foot Pedal Is Ordinarily Used to Engage and Disengage the Block, the Hand Lever at the Left Is Em; There Is a Snarl and It Is Difficult to Reach the Pedal. The lever in upright position next to the block is located likely to be struck by the body of the operator if he be caught by the wire The block then cannot be until a weight is pulled back into position by means of a wire rope the handle of which is shown just to emerge vertical wires or pickets pliability is necessary. It is obvious that different heat treatment is called for by these two classes of wire. This illustrates the reason why provision had to be made for varying the speed of the take-up blocks which pull the wire through the baths. All of the take-up frames of each galvanizing unit are operated from the same shaft by a variable speed d.c. 25-hp. Westinghouse motor. Each frame is thrown in or out of engagement with the line shaft by a hand clutch. As a precautionary measure a safety lever has been provided for each frame. This lever works in the same direction as the rotation of the frame and is so situated that it will be struck by the body of the operator should he be accidentally caught by the wire. The operation of this lever instantly stops the rotation of the frame. Each row of frames is served by a monorail and a 500-lb. electric hoist which enables one man to transfer the galvanized wire from the frames to trucks. From here the wire goes to the barbed wire department, the woven wire fence department or to the trade. The barbed wire department is equipped with 50 Universal barbed wire machines, running at the rate of from 250 to 350 barbs per minute, depending on the classes of wire being made. There are forty-six different types of barbed wire and it is the intention of the plant to make all of them. A noteworthy departure from standard practice in this department is the fact that all barbed wire is wound on metal spools made from galvanized wire. These are much superior to wooden spools which often break and cause a tangled jumble. The barbed wire machines are arranged in two groups, each of which is divided by an aisle containing a chain conveyor which carries the completed bundles into the warehouse. The woven wire fence department contains seven National machines and five American machines, making two brands of fence. The American is a hinge-joint fence in which each stay connecting the longitudinal strands is a separate piece of wire. The national fence is of the continuous picket type, the picket or vertical wire being of one piece. Both types are furnished in 10, 20, 30 and 40 rod rolls and are made in 26, 32, 39, 47 and 55-in. heights. Likewise they are made in dif- ferent specifications: with No. 9 gage top and bottom and No. 11 gage intermediate wire, with No. 10 top and bottom and No. 12% intermediate, and with No. 11 top and bottom and No. 14 intermediate. Through the use of different heights and different gages of wire approx- ney ievet imately 240 different styles of fence are made. An ing sidewalk conveys the rolls from the machines the warehouse where, after weighing, they are eith stored or loaded directly into box cars. The nail department is equipped with 145 Amer crank machines, making from two-penny up to 60-penn; nails inclusive, the last size being really a 6-in. spike I'rom 30 to 40 per cent faster than any other m the American machines produce from 150 to 660 per minute. This increased speed was mad by a more sturdy construction, which is abl the vibration of more rapid operation. On feature of the construction is the base, which casting, in contrast with the usual base, whic! iron. There are also two staple machines which ma all kinds of fence staples. Both the nail and staple ma chines were designed and built in United States Ste Corporation shops. The nail cleaning room is a department of unusua interest. This consists of a main floor and a baico! As the nails come from the nail machines they ar taken by elevator to the baleony where they are depos- ited in motor-driven tumblers. There are eight 50-keg and five 10-keg tumblers, the latter being used eithe! for small nails or to handle small orders. Approx mately two bushels of sawdust are used in each 00-xee tumbler and a proportionate amount in the smaie! tumblers. The sawdust is drawn from a large storag' bin which is filled from railroad cars below by means of a suction fan. The nails are oscillated in the tumbling barre! trom an hour to an hour and a half, following which the dus and whiskers are drawn off and the nails are discharge into a hopper below. When the hatch at the the hopper is opened the nails pour out on an meb™ from which they are raked into kegs. The kegs *" fastened in oscillating arms which shake the nai's ~ and cause them to lie flat. To prevent the nails #! dropping to the floor, funnels with square shaped ¥ fitting close to each other and amply large to comms the discharge vent in the nail incline at all tim yttom O} s gu ing the oscillation, are inserted in the heads of the °° The use of shakers has two important advantages, "" it packs the nails flat, thereby conserving the me the carpenter when drawing nails from the Ore freeing him from the annoyance of pricking | second, it makes it possible to use a smaller k by saving freight. The nails are packed in 100-' +) Te- eg tners _— », Kee () ober 26, 1922 are probably the smallest kegs containing that used by any nail manufacturer. The diameter ; from 9% to 11% in., while the height in all in- es is 17 in. All kegs are made in the company’s shop which has a capacity of 5000 kegs a day, vs being handled from the shop to the nail clean- m by conveyor. A conveyor also moves the kegs the shakers to a press where the top hoop is i on the keg, to a nailing mrachine which nails yp to the keg, and thence to the warehouse. A | loading platform extends the whole length of of the warehouse. From this platform the kegs lled directly into box cars. From 600 to 1000 ire loaded into a single car. pt for the warehouse and the cooper shop, have flat roofs, the entire wire plant has saw- , roof construction, thereby insuring the best of for manufacturing operations. The warehouse, iil cleaning room and the cooper shop are equipped 1utomatic sprinklers furnished by the General Extinguisher Co. The “dry system” is used be- the danger of exposed water pipes being y a sudden drop in temperature. Indication for the system are on a fire loop on the outside uilding. All fire apparatus is likewise outside, being a fire hose over each hydrant with hose ted and in a rack for immediate use. The build- s heated by hot air. Steam heating coils are sus- from the roof girders and air is blown through ind thence downward through discharge pipes into n. The steam is supplied from the boiler house main works. During warm weather when the lisconnected, the system may be used to set up ation of air and thereby give the workmen relief he heat. Each department is supplied with mod- h and toilet rooms which also contain individual for all of the operatives. Owing to the fact that the building rests on filled i, the floors of most departments are of tempo- lanking to allow the fill to settle. All machinery, se, 1S on permanent foundations, which, how- independent of the columns of the structure. rod supply for the wire plant comes from a two nuous type mill, having six 12-in. roughing nd ten 10-in. finishing stands. A Morgan flying ms the billets as they pass from the roughing Hoists Operating on Monorails Are Used '-Lb. Bundles in the Annealing and Galvan The double reels from which the wire is the annealing and galvanizing unit facilitate ration. As soon as a bottom bundle has been id of it is spliced onto the top bundle, which dropped to the bottom of the reel THE IRON AGE 106% From a Hopper Located Under Each Tumbling Barrel, Nails Are Discharged onto an Incline from Which They Are Raked into Kegs. The kegs are fastened in oscillating arms, which shake the nails down and cause them to lie flat, thereby enabling the company to use smaller kegs. The square-to} funnels in the top of the kegs prevent many nails fron dropping to the floor as they are raked into the kegs stands to the finishing stands. The mill rolls 1%-in. billets down to No. 5 gage rods. The billets are ap- proximately 30 ft. in length and the No. 5 gage bundles contain about 420 ft. of rod, weighing approximately 300 lb. The stands are driven by gear reduction from a 3000-hp. Allis-Chalmers a.c. motor. By rope drive the same motor operates the reels when No. 5 gage rod is being rolled. Coarser rods up to % in. in diameter will also be rolled and for this purpose a 100-hp. d.c. variable speed Westinghouse motor has been provided for the operation of the reels. This motor is equipped with an automatic speed controller and an electrical vibrating regulator connected with the main mill motor This equipment regulates the speed variation of the 100-hp. motor to conform with that of the 300-hp. mo- tor. This mill is the first to be equipped with an auxili- ary motor of this kind and it is expected to accelerate the operations of the mill materially when it is chang- ing from No. 5 gage to coarser rods. The rods are transferred mechanically from the reels to a slide conveyor. The latter consists of a continuous chain belt with hooks on it operating through the mid- die of a flat incline, the hooks being inserted in the bundles and dragging them to the end of the incline where they are dropped into rod trucks stationed be- low. The trucks are placed on a transfer which per- mits an empty truck to be shifted quickly under the conveyor as soon as the previous truck has been loaded. The loaded trucks are wheeled directly on to flat cars which are then switched to the loading dock of the wire plant. The rod mill is fed by a continuous reheating fur- nace with a capacity of 194 billets. The furnace is fired by coke oven gas supplied by the company’s by-product ovens. There are six stoves in the furnace and each is supplied with gas by two cast iron pipes of 13 in. inside diameter. The air is heated by passing through the stoves under the furnace where it is raised to a tem- perature of 600 deg. Fahr. The air is furnished by a Sturtevant exhauster. A 20-ton Morgan crane transfers the billets by mag- net from a roller table in the billet mill to a loading dock from which they are discharged into the reheating furnace. The furnace heats from 400 to 425 tons in 24 hr. The rod mill building is commanded by a 25-ton Morgan electric traveling crane. ’ i * Ee , , oe Be . . os J . 4 * . ' ? , . > . y a3 4 ' ‘ ; ‘ a * . , §) . ™ i> ' : ‘ ; Be. } i ; | ‘ A ' * . ’ * { * ne re: * 2 ~» : 0 boy ms x ‘ , 4 ; , i . . + . ,* 3 At « ' ee a - ‘ ’ . . + , “ ‘ Ph * ‘ og s, , Ss s ” : .* "* ’ . ee w + t i ‘ ; . ; * ? ‘ ‘ rte . : : . - : 4 e.; 1064 THE IRON AGE Press Safety Guard of Positive Type A new safety guard for power presses known as the Kartzmark safety guard has been put on the market by the Standard Safety Mfg. Co., New Haven, Conn. The photograph shows a standard type of press with the guard attached, the main part of it being mounted on the side of the press body in place of the usual clutch actuating draw rod. A non-repeat cam is mounted on the press crankshaft which controls hold down for fen- der bar and housing. When the operator depresses the treadle the fender bar and housing are brought down so that the fender housing surrounds the die block. If there is any inter- ference, such as the operator’s hand or even one finger, preventing the fender’s closing entirely to the bolsier Safety Guard fcr Power Presses When treadle is depressed the fender bar and housing are brought down so that fender housing surrounds the die block plate, the latch cannot be withdrawn. This laich is shown at A. It is controlled by cam roller bearing shown at B&. As the housing and fender bar reach the safety point with the fender resting on the bolster, the latch A is pulled, the cam on shaft holds it down until the cam has reached its destination, when another cam on shaft shown at C strikes the non-repeat lever D. This disconnects the treadle at latch FE and draws the connecting link between the press latch and the guard latch shown at F’ back into position, thus relocking the press. The entire action is automatic, being cam con- trolled, thus leaving both hands of the operator free to handle work in and out of the machine. Provision is made for limiting the upper travel of the fender bar and housing and also for adjustment for different heights of dies. This mechanism is also pro- vided with an arrangement to compensate for tilting of the press, arrangement being similar to that usually employed on clutch draw rods. The positive safety of this device was emphasized at the New Haven Machine Tool Exhibition recently when a blind man operated a press so equipped. Additional equipment is being installed at the Youngstown plant of the Kalman Steel Co., Chicago, formerly the Paul J. Kalman Co., which will increase its productive capacity about one-third. The company plans to add another unit at Youngstown next spring, 60 x 376 ft. October 2¢ Increase in Rates Not Justified WASHINGTON, Oct. 24.—In an opinion mad. last Friday, the Interstate Commerce Commis< as not having been justified an increase in the , iron and steel products in carloads from Midvale in common point territory to destinations in Ca embraced in groups 3 and 4. The increase propos from 75c. to $1.08. It was stated by the carri: volved that steel interests of the San Francis region had complained that the 75c. rate was A when compared with their rates to the group 3 destinations. The increase would have brought th, Utah rate to the level of the Minnequa, Col., 1 commission said it could not approve a parity ir es in which the Utah point had an advantage of it 600 miles in distance and that a spread of 33c. betwee; rates to groups 1 and 2 and groups 3 and 4 ned unwarranted in view of the fact that group 3 nts were on the average only approximately 80 milk re distant. s Decreased Activity of Ohio Foundri The trade report of the Ohio State Found Association for the month of September shows that thi actual melt of the foundries reporting decreased 72 per cent of normal in August to 63 per cent in Sep tember. The total stock on hand shows considera decrease, while the stock received shows also drop. The association has established a nonferrous . a2 8 Wha Or eft tee Press Equipped with Safeguard Being Operated b: ment from which reports will be received mo! later sent out to the nonferrous members. _ The — and the annual meeting of th drymen’s Association will be held at Middletown, Y Dec. 7 and 8. Some very interesting and features are being prepared for this convent of which will be given later. eerpetive The benzol plant in connection with the by-Pt coke ovens of the St. Louis Coke & Chemica! © Granite City, Ill., was put in operation recent tly. = cations are that the Illinois coal being used a Roberts ovens will have a yield per ton of about gal. of light oil, from which the recovery of motor *¥ will be 2.85 gal. { Decision Favors Steel Corporation Roads Interstate Commerce Commission Examiner Finds the Rates for Hauling Minnesota Ore Are Justified—Favors Reduction on Old Range Rates BY L. W. MOFFETT < W\SHINGTON, Oct. 24.—Line-haul freight rates on ir . from the Gogebie range to Ashland, Wis., and -.om the Menominee and Marquette ranges to Escanaba, \Mich., would be reduced 9c. per ton and from the Mar- range to Marquette, Mich., 4c. to 5c. per ton, while from the Minnesota ranges, the greatest source y of Lake Superior ore, they would be left un- ed if the Interstate Commerce Commission ac- recommendations made by Examiner Howard The present charge of 10c. per ton for dock ilso would be left unchanged. The examiner made these recommendations in con- with the well-known case of the Adriatic Min- “N nd t \i unee, ICN. narg Harpe Comr j At one of the most elaborately presented matters come before the commission in years in a vroceeding. As shown in the accompanying examiner would reduce present line-haul m mines to upper docks to 72¢c. from 8lc. ' Gogebic, Menominee and Marquette ranges, the case of the docks at Marquette, where ild reduce them from 58c. and 68c. to 54c. and former applying from the Marquette range latter from the mines at Ishpeming and Nega- The table, however, includes the dock Many Corporations Complain aints in the case, instituted Dec. 24, 1920, 7 corporations operating iron mines in the Lake Superior region, identified with the independent mpanies, producing about one-half of the total f the region. The commission was asked to rates which would not exceed the cost of g the service plus an annual return of 6 per value of the property devoted to transport- handling the ore. It also was charged that t rates are violative of the second and third ' the Interstate Commerce act because two of the defendants, Duluth, Missabe & Northern and the Daolavt VULU Ns r *40US fer ¢ 1 yn tha+ i na nh & Iron Range railroads, are controlled by the hited States Steel Corporation, which, it was alleged, re hat is in effect a rebate. The contention re- these lines was refuted by the examiner. Upon ition of the increases in ore rates made by chigan lines in February, 1921, a supplemental int was filed, assailing those rates. Subsequently | & Tube Co. of America and certain others riginal complainants operating mines in the ‘ange were permitted to withdraw as com- s and join with the Hayes Mining Co. in filing ¢ 0 intervention, adopting the allegations of ‘int and in addition making the contention rate from the Gogebic range to Ashland should r than the rates from the other principal ranges pective ports. Charges Against Steel Corporation ng the charges against the Steel Corpora- tes, the examiner said the law does not prohibit fa railroad by a shipper by means of stock- that the enactment of section 15a recog- eht of a railroad to earn more than 6 per it provided for a recapture of only part n in excess of 6 per cent. Concerning the ce contention, the examiner said the ore the Steel Corporation could be hauled for of the independents as shown by pre- _of the commission. He made the calcula- der the excess profits tax law and the re- e of the Interstate Commerce law, adop- 1065 tion of the theory of rate making proposed by the complainants would leave the two Steel Corporation lines a return of only $5,456,803, which would be $1,984,- 431 less than the amount contributed by the Steel Corporation to the total excess income of the two car- riers. Considering distances, cost of service, and other items, the examiner held that no reduction in rates from the Mesabi ranges, whose output is almost double that of the other ranges combined, was justified. This range is served by the Great Northern, and the two Steel Corporation roads. The report consists of 65 pages devoted to a thoroughgoing discussion of the rate situation in the Lake Superior region, methods of operation, cost, the various grades of ores and the system of handling them, production, ete. To show the relative shipments from the various ranges, the report gives figures by years from 1914 to 1921, in- clusive. Taking the greatest year, 1916, when ship- ments totaled 66,489,000 gross tons, it is shown that Present, Proposed and Original Rates The following table shows proposed, present, ship- pers’ suggested rates and those applying at the time of the original complaint, in gross tons, on iron ore from Lake Superior mines to upper docks, including the dock charges, except when otherwise noted: Original *Com Examiner's at Time plait *roposed of Com ants From To Rates Present plaint Asked Minnesota [wo Harbors, Minn. 9$1le Sie $1 60 ranges Duluth, Minn. Superior, Wis Allouez, Wis Gogebia Ashland, Wis & 2k ole Sh range Menominee Escanaba, Mich R 2 “he & he and Marquette ranges Marquette Marquette, Mich, 64-73c. 68—7se. 65-75« Er range *Line haul rates 46,188,000 tons were shipped from the Mesabi, Vermil lion and Cuyuna ranges, constituting the Minnesota ranges. Of this latter total, 42,525 tons were shipped from the Mesabi. It is stated that Steel Corporation roads hauled about 42 per cent of the tonnage of dock ore from the lake region in 1920 and 55 per cent in 1921. Enhanced Operating Costs “It is urged by complainants that with the return of peace they are entitled to a removal of what they term the war-time, emergency increase in these rates,” says the examiner in referring to the Minnesota range situa- tion. “In answer to this contention it is sufficient to point out that the cause for that increase, enhanced operating costs, has been removed only in a small part. While complainants’ rates were subjected to a greater increase under general order No. 28 (general increases of June 24, 1918) in comparison with other commodities, that inequality has been entirely wiped out by subse- quent re-adjustments. As a result of general increases and reductions since June 24, 1918, the genera] leve! of rates in Western territory is 52 per cent higher than it was on the date mentioned, while the net increase in the ore rates from the Minnesota ranges during the ’ ae > % % se q ; ‘ ‘ PS et 7 : . s ok ; «* a : ee a2 q | the J iF 5 tks «i FP al ?) Jae 1; « - V4 aos . a a #. if ni } ‘ ee t* \ [ . * * | “e ‘ , P« “ ; a ’ : eo ab . “t 1 , e ? > 4 - . ‘ " . t - ° . ’ os o : , . 7; 4%; a ; i ‘ ; ; ; 9 ’ ; * ° :: Be Ce Be: 48 . * ra >, * ‘or pe 4 r is «te . ! ‘ % f | . ' ’ s ’ a } bos , § ; . ae »*? i my ; » cee ; + Ei LD : m * bd > é 2 om én iS > > Piss a k { Pog : :2 . es ' : Dee en ‘ie * " bee eg L ~e : _" ‘ ' t . ' By "> »y, . 3! ani * Pe pert aS . x i DRrae “’ . Aa ‘ ° > Bis ¢ ; . ; = | ‘ . . . + me rs > ’ > ** 1066 THE IRON AGE October < 99 same .period has been but 44 per cent. Ore rates shared in the general reduction of July 1, 1922, and the rate then ordered seems to have been fairly propor- tionate to the decreased costs of operation. Further reductions in operating expenses in the immediate future seem unlikely in view of the present trend of costs of labor, fuel and construction materials.” Regarding rates from the Gogebic, Menominee and Marquette ranges to Ashland and Escanaba, the ex- aminer says that the increase of 10c. per ton in the line-haul to these ports in February, 1921, does not appear from the evidence of the carriers to have been warranted. The 1920 line-haul rate of 80c., reduced 10 per cent, would be 72c., and that amount, it is declared, would seem to be a reasonable maximum for the future. While there has never been a definite relationship be- tween the rate to Ashland-Escanaba and that from the new ranges, it is stated, the difference in transporta- tion conditions is so clearly in favor of the old ranges that their rates may properly be lower. With respect to the line-haul rates of the lines serving Marquette, it is pointed out, it will be observed that the increase of February, 1921, made those rates CHAIRMAN SCHWAB CONFIDENT Sounds Optimistic Note at Meeting of Associated Industries of Massachusetts The seventh annual meeting of the Associated In- dustries of Massachusetts was held Tuesday, Oct. 17, and Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the Copley-Plaza and the Westminster hotels, Boston. It was the most succesful affair of its kind ever held by the organization. Col. Charles R. Gow, Charles R. Gow Co., Boston, was re- elected president; Winslow Blanchard, Blanchard Machine Co., Cambridge, treasurer, and George R. Con- roy, literary secretary. A long list of speakers talked on various subjects of interest to the 1600 member industrial concerns, as well as upon national and international affairs. The speakers included Arthur H. Young, manager indus- trial relations department of the International Har- vester Co., Chicago, who talked on experiments in oc- cupational rating and wage setting; Hon. Walker D. Hines, former director general of railroads, New York, who spoke on some phases of the railroad problem and upon industrial conditions abroad; Howard Coonley, president Walworth Mfg. Co., Boston, who talked on the subject of wage adjustments; Harrison E. Howe, editor Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chem- istry, Washington, who gave an address on commercial phases of modern science; and Harry M. Hope, presi- dent Harry M. Hope Engineering Co., Boston, who pointed out how money can be saved in the use of fuel. Banquet Largely Attended Charles M. Schwab, chairman of the board, Beth- lehem Steel Corporation, was the chief speaker of the evening at the banquet on Tuesday evening, which was attended by 1300, including the wives and daughters of many members. Mr. Schwab touched on many impor- tant questions of the day during his informal talk, but the keynote of his message was confidence in the out- look for industry and in the future of these United States. “With natural resources such as no other nation in the world possesses, this country is destined to become the workshop of the world and to supply the needs and comforts of other peoples,” said Mr. Schwab. “If I were younger, I would give up all I have accomplished during my business career of 43 years to begin again in the lowliest capacity, for I am convinced that the development of industry in the United States has only just begun.” At another point he said: “The industries of Massa- chusetts and of New England are going to be all right even if they have slackened temporarily. I have in- terests in Boston and elsewhere in New England. They are not paying very well just now, but times are going 118 per cent higher than they were after | cent increase in July, 1917. This total inc declared to have been larger than was ma same period in any of the other ore rates j; the case and was excessive in comparison wi: creases made on general traffic, “No sufficient reason for the 5c. increase j; haul rates to Marquette appears of record.” report. “Had that increase not been made. th would now be 54c. and 63c. The record indi those amounts would be reasonable maxima future.” Some iron ore shippers have interpreted { tive report to be an attempt simply to treat in the same way in which all other commodi: been treated and to wipe out the effect of 4! adjustments. This, it is pointed out, would m that iron ore would be in a position of having in the North. west paid a special tax through an excessiy: of 15c. a ton during the war period and beyor is now proposed to put it back into the con as if it never had any special consideration ; or against it. to be good here before many years. Don’t be afraid t risk your dollars in New England industries. Yoy have the highest class of labor in the world her the old New England tradition is worth something In speaking of working conditions of the 150,00 Bethlehem employees, Mr. Schwab said he had always thought of industry as a three-legged stool. There is capital, there is management, and there is labor. “The stool cannot stand unless it has all three legs and th legs must give equal support. Without the good wil! and the loyalty of the working force a business wil soon find itself in the bankruptcy court. The man who has his labor to sell has as good a right to bargain for it as his prospective boss has. I will have no man from Kamchatka come into Bethlehem or Fore River and tell us what to do.” ang and How Disputes Are Handled Mr. Schwab then explained how disput« tions pertaining to working conditions are handled at his plants. There is a group of delegates elected the same basis as the National House, and there are representatives of management, which corresponds t the Senate. This system has taught the workingm: how to express freely his views. When, during the r cent business depression, it became necessary t wages, which was done three different times, the posi- tion of the corporation as to profits, losses, etc., Was put squarely up to the workmen. The situat accepted by everybody and Mr. Schwab challenged body to find a disgruntled employee. Mr. Schwab stated his views on the treatment labor as an offset to some of the things that had previously said by Prof. G. W. Dyer, Nashville, Te: who had maintained that the cost of living hac! legitimate connection with wages inasmuch as tie s of wages paid labor was distorted, and the theory that farm labor’s wages were all out of proporto! union wages and that the cost of living t in this instance had no relation to compe! job doesn’t mea