The Iron Age 1923-02-01: Vol 111 Iss 5

ES IED 1855 SURE. Making Different Sized Wheels Are Designed w Some Interchangeability of Parts HI anufacture of steam turbines presents the lifficulty that practically every sale involves an neering job calling for special consideration. the horsepower, the speed, the steam pressure nd the exhaust pressure, which must be considered ables in great variety give a myriad of possi- mbinations. Running speeds may vary from 500 00 r.p.m., a change of 50 revolutions per minute ng sufficient to cause a marked difference in the acteristics. The problems of making an en product trated peri Terry Lo \ nn., tur- ging in trom vy 1 to The ssures Ary from niren.. xi : abso- 8300 ex 5 f vacuum. Thus, the number of dif- ' required to meet most efficiently the ns could run easily into large figures iis 1 at first glance that the solution to the Lb e to design a series of frames in graded + ninimum to the maximum capacity, but 7 00 ‘ase, for two different size turbines 7,00 red to develop the same power. One, 6,00 0 lb. pressure, would require relatively 9.5) ‘sages and valves. Another, operating at im pressure, would require small steam 6.00 e all valves. If the first were called on 4.5 0 r.pm., it would require a large wheel 4.5 mable efficiency. The other, operat'ng CREE EELS PAE New York, February |, 1923 VOL. 111, No. 5 Engineering Product onaFk actory Basis Building Turbines with Consideration to Variations of Conditions of Use by Sim- plification and Standardization BY L. S. LOVE at higher speeds, would need only a small wheel, with a small shaft, small bearings, etc. Thus it becomes necessary to arrange parts in groups and to select sizes in each group, and thus so design the group assemblies that numbers of combinations of standard parts are possible. This method permits the production of stand- ard parts in reasonably large quantities capable of assembly to meet closely all specified conditions. In the illustration at the head of the article is shown two different frame sizes. That to the right takes an 18-in. wheel; that » the left, a 24-in. These two frames provide for the same sized bearings, the same glands and the same shafts. The one with the larger wheel is more suit able, of course, for slow speeds; tne smaller wheel, for the higher speeds. The center. dis- tance between valve body and shaft is the same in the two cases, permit- ting the use of the identical governor and governor valve parts on both sides. Each of these frames will take two or more sizes of a standard line of valve bodies, and each valve body will accommodate two or more sizes of a standard line of internal valves, the complete range of valve sizes being sufficiently varied to accommodate the total range in capacity of the frames. Even with such standardization there are some 12,000 parts to be manufactured and stocked. Parts are made in as large lots as is practical, and those used in largest quantities are extensively tooled, to use a shop term, thereby reducing manufacturing Reduction Gear Housings Are |} with Unusual } n a Special Fixture Order t Provide Accu Seats for SI i I > Due to the conditions to be met, several interesting methods have been developed. Owing fitted to cored manufacturing to the fact that no plugs, which might be will stand the testing pressure of 100 per cent operating pressure, much machine work must For this ~_ noies, above tne ve done before the testing can be undertaken. stings are thoroughly cleaned, then checked reason o make sure they will finish, before any machining is In each case the foreman of the department preliminary inspection ynducts the The standard Terry turbine uses one style, shape and size of bucket for each diameter of wheel, rega: ess of horsepower, speed, etc. There are six sizes 1n egular production, namely, 7 in., 12 in., 18 in., 24 in., 30 in., and 36 in. These wheels are made from a solid forging and after being turned all over, the buckets are cut a Lincoln type milling machine, on the table of which is mounted an indexing rotating fixture, also here illustrated. There are two cuts taken; the first gashes the buckets to depth and proper spacing. A locking devices is mounted in a position convenient for the operator. This holes in the index plate, the latter being bolted on top a tapered pin in one after another of the inserts of, and securely attached to, the wheel in process. In this manner the first operation produces bucket slots for the This latter second operation. properly spaced THE IRON AGE of known value. An unusual type of fixture has been de hold the gland casting while being machined. carbon rings fit is finished inside, in the th to hold the rings, and also outside on a su is fitted into the frame. casting is held for machining is also show: sists of a main plate held in an ordinary The lug on the casting containing the leak-of between two blocks on the face of the fixtur: for turning. A tapered shoe or drift, is then brought agair half of the gland casting, the two halves firmly holding the gland + as a driver together and thus machining. The turbine employs a bronze having four pockets set at an angle, a pocket in the wheel, is reversed through 15 the reversing chamber, where it is again bucket in the wheel, r This takes place four time deg. into the reversal there. steam fitted together. same time produce a steam-tight chamb« now being made of a single casting from paris mold which is bound to give absolut and accurate size. cent, It sometimes proves that machine meth Buckets Are Milled from a Solid Forged Wheel is handled in a similar machine and fixture a: to thin down the bucket edge. After this opera edge must be cleaned and sharpened by hand cutter marks must be removed, as these have a clinging effect on the steam, causing it to rol! and thereby sacrificing efficiency. are finished in the manner described, they are on ways according to a pendulum system wit next is exhausted. formerly made in five parts carefully ma In order to save expenss February |. 1922 After tl tern of casting is shov the illustrations. It h carbon rings made up segments each. These held together by a gart made of non-corrosive is bored out 0.001 in permit it to wear down fect bearing on the shaf \ it has worn sufficiently steam leakage the seg be removed, their r: faced slightly and rep making the gland ag tight. The casting in v The fixture in whic block, cont! reversil! The These reversing cha The saving effected is themselves save mone} of which in tl bodies which are require‘ turbine is to operate under 8 superheated steam. T were formerly made with two or three easil surfaces. They are n ult of solid cold rolled seems more primitiv but which has prov saver because it elimir large percentage of s ings which had to be fore they could be tes occurs + Nozzles of non-c are employed. The n constant size of mou diameter of wheel, th eter varying to careé steam conditions. Provisie? * Zz made for use of varying 1, 1923 5 and it is also possible, e standardization fea- iploy one large throated njunction with a num- ler ones to take care of ial demands or changes nditions. ee interesting features leveloped in the manu- the Rateau type of slots are cut in a spe- similar in appear- ndexing operation to the pur gear cutting ma- cutter employed is a of a width suitable to slot sufficiently wide to e the bucket and filler kets or blades are cut from rolled crescent One end is flattened operation. This end sh trimmed and the trimmed to provide the projection for shroud around the blades after insertion in [he blades are made of monel metal or other e metal, depending on steam conditions; the This latter being rolled length will vary in thickness to a slight e pieces are graded according to thickness. is set on a table having in it a vertical the blades are driven in by hand. Slight thickness of the blade shanks are cared for ided filler pieces, which may be reduced in fraction of a thousandth, if further reduc- essary, by rubbing the back on a strip of After the blades are all inserted, the inted in a special swaging machine to lock ecurely in place. This machine is an ordi- In front of the of guides, on which slide a pair of trun- idjustable to or from the bed of the press, te wheels of different diameters. In s of Norway iron. f inclinable power press. rides a shaft carrying an index wheel it on the side, near the edge. These adial, thus permitting of adjustment by tion horizontally of the locking pin which Micrometer adjustment of the block pin is therefore possible. This adjustment so. that peration rmed at right se there tendency broken pieces, king. sudis piece. stretch les, it short sunched, registering from each successive en fitted to the wheel around the ts and held in place by riveting the a rotary riveting machine. The balanced on ways in a manner balancing of the Terry wheel. type of steam safety valve with torel i it has called for an unusual type ra grind it. This consists of a bench which have been added two special THE IRON Valves Are Ground AGE 335 into Their Seats in a Special Grinding Machine Ser Produce a Perfect Spherica spindles, one on each side of the regular spindle, the spindles taking the corners of a triangle. Valve cages are set on the table in holders provided for the purpose and the valves inserted. Weights are then placed on the valves over the shanks to add slight pressure, and the machine spindles, to which an eccentric driving pin is attached, are applied to the ends of the valve stems. The rotation of the spindles with their eccentric pins sets up a rocking motion in the valve so that each por tion of the valve face moves laterally across the seat. The freak effect of this motion is that each point on the valve surface as it glides back and forth across the seat, slowly advances so that every po'nt on the valve surface comes in contact with every point on the valve seat, producing a spherical fit. At this point it might be noted that the practice in this shop is to group machines of different types, so far as possible, into departments to produce certain work. Thus, in the making of valves, all types of machines needed in their production are in one department, even to the hydraulic testing machine, thus avoiding the shifting of responsibility from one foreman to another for faulty work. In the manufacture of reduction gears the Terry has developed some interesting methods. company These gears, which are used in conjunction with tur- Prete ——spenee : | 3 | im " : * Le A A! APOE ET a ACA St TCE — “id . 90 306 bines, must run under certain circumstances at very high speeds, therefore calling for excessive accuracy in their construction. To secure this accuracy, first of all, in the gear housing, the two shaft bearing seats are i bored in a special boring fixture. This fixture, shown in one illustration, consists of a with housings. In these housings are mounted two parallel boring bars which run in self-alining ball bearings. The bar is closely fitted in the inner races, with just suffi- cient clearance to permit it to be advanced by the feed The fixture is mounted on the table of a horizontal boring, drilling base two vertical to carry the boring tool through the work. and milling machine. In it is placed a casing to be The machine boring bar is first attached to one bars in the fixture and that bearing seat ma- the of the other bar in the bored. of the hined; head the machine is then traversed to that position These seats are sli scraped to fit the the shafts themselves running in the bearings without scraping. fixture and the hole at s bored ghtly bearings which carry shaft journals, the The preparation of these bearings, also illustrated. OUTPUT OF MACHINE TOOLS ni Census Figures for 1921 Show a Heavy Falling Off 1919 Production from de- known, $67, the year of greatest istry tools was WASHINGTON, Jan. 30. has ever valued at 1919, when The fig reporting machine-tool indi of machine pression the output from $212. 400,000. 769,000, a decrease of 68.1 per cent : the total output was valued at 1921 do products whose total value did not exceed $5,000. t* Except for presses, all machine duced in the United States showed a falling off in value in 1921 the Census « dustry. The total values « amounted total was only This reductio1 Thus, lrilling machines fell off 88.5 per cent, plain cylindrical grinding machines, turret lathes, power - feed milling machines, bending and planers ill fell off between 80 and 8&7 not include establishments i? ures for types of tools pro ] as compared with 1919, according to returns of field work in the in is found in the which 1921 the per cent. sureau on the basis of of the reduction reported for all machine 1919 to $212.400.158. while in $67,769,161, 68.1 measure 4 le LOOIS, a decrease ol In certaln items. was particularly heavy sensitive machines per cent Tables Decrease Shown by General results of the census are shown in two Table I 17 establishments, the general census statis number of people engage and the dollar representation of Table II shows in types of machines, both by number two years and indicates clearly the by the overproduc- eriod and the few i tables, covering umber of goed the in the industry, f ‘atures of the business principal fe different and y ilue, in the great drop in production caused machine tools during the war | ywing the armistice. 349 establishments $5,000 or 1921 as hav more, Ohio had 98, or The others were dis 29 in ( reported in » ng products val than a quarter the total. follows: 37 in Massachusetts, New York, 25 in Michigan, in Penn- in Illinois, 17 in Wisconsin, 15 in Indiana, New Jersey and ued at more of tributed as on 92 tn Oa s zo 1n 44 1n sylvania, 23 12 each in Missouri and Vermont, shire, 2 in Minnesota and one each in ware, Iowa and Maryland. Considerable fluctuation is noted wage earners employed each month during 1921. January, the month of maximum employment, : wage earners were reported, and in November, the month : of minimum employment, 14,773 were employed—th« minimum representing 40.4 per cent of the maximum. The average number employed during 1921 was 21,321, P as compared with 53,111 in 1919, a decrease of 59.9 per Rhode Island, 7 each in 6 in Kentucky, 3 in New Hamp- California, Dela- in the number of In 9e res 36 55? , + cent THE IRON AGE February 1 is done in a rather unusual manner. They a: bearings lined with babbitt; they are bolted t bored and reamed and placed on an arbor which the hole under hand pressure only, thereby avoid tendency to strain the bearing at the joints and ing it out of round when the arbor is remove drive for turning is secured by means of a pin through the bearing and arbor, the hole in the later serving for the admission of oil. These are made without any oil grooves, which on t of service are found to break up the oil film. O are also done away with, forced feed lubricati supplied from an oil pump which is located wi the oil level in the reservoir, thereby avoiding t bility of its losing its priming. After the seats are fitted to the bearings, arbors are placed in them and alinement check« surface plate resting upon paper of 0.00075 ness on the arbors at points over the four The four pieces of paper must be equally tig showing whether bearings are properly in line Pat | Macl Manufactur 21 } Nu ( abl h ‘ “2 44% ? I iged, avera », 99 t Proprietor ind firm men ber 119 Salaried employer 1.550 \ Wage earne! 21,321 ir Salary and wage payment .$37,281,000 $84,217 Salaries 12,018,000 18,.038,( Wages 25,263,000 66,179 Contract Work 34,000 1,470,¢ Cost of Materials 3,989,000 59,034,( Value of Products hu 67,769,000 212,400 Value added by manufacture 43,780,000 153,366 (Products less cost of materials) Table I1I—Comparative Statistics of Machine Tool Production in 1919 and 1921 1921 -1919 Number Valu Number Va B« ng 1 hines H ZA f l 10,106 6 1,437 Verti He 1,840,792 607 4,329 Total ; 142 1) ling r I Multiple spindle H7¢ 106.09 1.440 1,95 Radia } | tS,058 2,732 5, 7¢ Se] ] 26.801 ».993 1.9 I } | 93.956 6,477 1,7 Tote 174 f T 1 { ndrica Plair 841,701 ) f Ty Ver 1/ {KO R4 1.79 > OF \ ott ’ 147.460 73 cea Tota 169,74 8 Lathe iK IRR ye R Tur OR ] Qk ) {65 10.14 Bencl ind al ther 1,f 1,872,928 186 Tot 7 f 9 031 Milling machines: Pow feed Li ( 812.2468 4.63 6.1 Universal 194 1,092,284 3,163 Vertical. 212 415,275 1,304 Hand feed 468 233,945 a ae All other... 4 1.269.458 2,378 ' Total 5s: eee 3,823,258 11,480 § Presse Punching 20,04 7,284,166 32,168 1 ( All other 3.783 1,643,244 8.618 Total ‘ 8,927.41 35,7 Bending ma chines 4 164,315 153 Broaching ma chines : 530 616.9 549 Gear cutting machines S40 1.736.667 > GRR . Hammers, pneumatic ind other. 3,450 1,113,704 38.535 $ Planers . 17¢ 1,271,824 {82 8,1 Pine machines 1,192 570,509 1,118 2 Portable tools 1,411,409 10 Screw ma chines . 2,661 2,839,667 6,227 9,6 Shapers . ee Fk. 1,020,342 1,515 { Bneara ....«. 8,847 906,722 1,367 1,5¢ All other ma- chine tools 5,362,711 31,31 Parts and at tachments 8,936,547 A 11 other products 7,257,934 32, ¢ Total value $67,769,161 $212.4 *Not reported separately in 1919 *#Denotes increase. tIncluded in “all other products” in 1919. oF) special Products Made Centrifugally Steel Disk Ingots for Tires. Wheels and Other Shapes Pro- duced by McConway Process—Billets and Wire from Such Ingots BY GEORGE ,UGH almost three-quarters of a century has { ul rit since the first patent was issued on a for centrifugally casting metals, it has the past few years to develop contrivances commercial value. Interest in the process agged; instead, belief has been persistent ‘oO } he manganese being of slightly greater would be achieved castings of better ild be obtained by other methods. Ex has been constant and considerable suc been attained in centrifugal casting of ile the American Steel Foundries has .ethod in the manufacture of manganese than the component metals, it has been by the whirling method of casting, to rial closer to the outer or wearing edg¢ an is possible in other practice. little success has attended the perfec ne or mold for casting ingots or suffi- mpete profitably with current methods. nway, president McConway & Porley Co., has been experimenting with the cast- its by the centrifugal process for some ted a machine for casting ingots in ughnut” shape up to 1600 lb. in weight. liffers from others in that the centrifugal vertical instead of a horizontal plane. nt structure has been produced and has ns, not the least interesting of which luction to wire. 33 F. TEGAN Quality considered, the cost Is stated ompare favorably with the older and more common methods of ngot casting. It is claimed that for a yield of 100 lb. of commercial steel, it is rarely necessary to draw more than 105 lb. of metal from the ladle. The labor cost is ow, as only two men are required in the operation of the machine beside the operator of the ladle crane and the man in charge of the hydraulic pressure. As it is the purpose of the inventor to install a bat- ‘ tery of the machines, a further reduction of the labor Successive Stages the McCon way Machine to the Finished Products rt riginal ingot in the upper row was 13 in. wide and 22 i I yutside diameter with a wa thickness of 3 in Pressed it assumed a wall thick- I ort 6 I nda width of 5 ir with no change ir itside diam- eter Rings made from ingots are shown in the lower row; these can be transformed into billets They ire made n the specia rolling mil Steel carwheels ire als i product st is expected in that the same crew should handk several machines. Casting action is rapid, taking only wo) + )o 2J to 22 min. per unit, measuring from discharge from adle into matrix up to lodgement of resultant disk the soaking pit (one-half the time so consumed is due to time for cooling), and power costs consequently Che illustrations give details of the Me( onway cast ing machine. In operation, the stationary parts » nipple. The machine vr driven and attains a peripheral speed of 65 ft. per sec. The process consists first are the bearings and the hydraul is mot in placing in matrix, which deter- mines the diameter of the disk or ingot. The fore plate, ntaining an aperture for the pouring spout, is then locked in place and the charging scaffold and scales are drawn into position. position at the casting end the In performance to date, it has been the practice to draw hot metal from the ladle into a smaller receptacle mounted on the charging scaffold, but when there is a ‘ ARR ma te nae Ticare ee Ni ata AGE February 1. 199: to Co THE IRON battery of machines in operation, direct casting from the matrix, to car wheels and gear blanks, whe the ladle will be practiced. The cross section area of »0ssible without the usual broaching for the a the disk or ingot is regulated by hydraulic pressure Chemically, the steel produced is the same a directed against the rear piston, connected by piston any other fashion; physically it is claimed to } rod with the front piston. The pressure is introduced ter structure and greater density than that cast through a nipple with an aperture of 0.11 or 0.12 in. nary ingot mold form. ma Q Poor Railroad Service Causes Complaint jn | l A the \ alleys YOUNGSTOWN, Jan. 30.—An additional bla in its Hubbard group, its last idle stack, is bs ated this week by the Youngstown Sheet & 7 bringing the number of active stacks in the and Shenango Valleys to 33, of 47. Activ represents more than 80 per cent of the total, as all of the larger and more modern stacks ing. Of the active furnaces, 21 of 26 are in tl ing Valley and 12 of 20 are in the Shenan F — AY Of the total number, 13 are being operated SV negie Steel Co., which has 15 blast furnaces valleys. Both of its two idle units are olde and one of them at least, may never be relig! Complaints are being voiced by blast fu _ terests with reference to transportation which are cutting down shipments of coal g Mill ] Redu nterfering with normal supplies. At the O) s “he t Pp of the Carnegie Steel Co., it has recently bee to bank a number of furnaces because of to coke shipments. Blast reseallres operators , i ' upon coke shipments to maintain schedul ¥ teel disk, withdrawn from the molding ma- hine, is removed to a soaking pit and, when evently heated, is pressed to the desired thickness and is ready f q for rolling. It seems a far cry from an ingot of small je gfievoluirg proportions to an 8-ft. ring, but this is possible through WI t— A is Stat a rolling machine, the design of which is illustrated. { Wa r WZ ~ |S The mill has a small inner roll and a large outer roll, Dex 1 Kem ro 7 ‘ . ¥ WM} oth being curved at the periphery, with the drives a Spano anne equipped with guides for holding the ingot in alinement po PPP RTS WSS Tw as the diameter of the ring increases. The ingot is > COV ANS WNW 1 introduced by drawing down the outer roll to a point rititit RQwy 1 where the piece to be rolled can be slipped onto the inner. One illustration shows the guides or supporting A ALTAR Lh ELA A Ke SS | a KK LAY | | | \ Os $e Mz LRTI. SS “ss j { i fee mn = ‘ 7 ers i) , | y y bl J ) Met \ ( u Molding Machine The plar f the hydraulic pressure inlet is also g flanges set at 4 in. apart, and this is the set distanc« transportation conditions are much less fa‘ except when the mill is working on steel of greater a month ago. Steel production in the Mahoning Valle) ing fully 90 per cent, but rolling mill expa tarded to some extent by lackeof steel su width. It is a one-way mill and is the only one of its kind in this country. The inner roll is driven by a 500-hp. motor and the outer one by a motor of 1000 hp Republic.Iron & Steel Co. is preparing to R vee — other bla&t furnace in this territory within : A ring 8 ft. in diameter can be produced which will Owing to a reduction in the number of vield six billets 4 x 4 in. in size and 4 ft. long. Rings mills by the Trumbull Steel Co., Warren, ‘i for commercial uses frequently are of this size and loco- are rolling this week, as compared with 104 motive tires furnish an example of current practic Semi-finished steel output is at a high rat Bessemer converters blowing and 60 of 66 The segments can be converted into straight billets by : : , urnaces charged. Strip steel manufactu a single stroke of a bulldozer. The operation of the where ty ematiens I ; Sk “TT. identical with that of eal ‘1 1 ti carried forward at about 80 per cent. - } ig nties , at . > , Yr: "Os res, : 4 mill is identical with that of producing raliroad tires production are close to normal. Independ The disk lends itself readily, in the shape it comes from _ oytput is close to 100 per cent. 1, 1923 Planer Type Surface Grinder type surface grinder designed primarily ling of cast iron channels, but adaptable classes of steel and cast iron work, has in the market by the Reed-Prentice Co., [he capacity of the machine is for work 15 ft. long and 10 in. high above the i KAA. ne is made up of the bed, table and hous- n. heavy duty planer, and a special cross a self-contained 25 hp. motor-driven carrying a 20 in. wheel is mounted. Ver- nt of the head is obtained through the wn at the front of the machine. The raised and lowered by means of the lower which is used only to properly position the fferent heights of work. entire length and width of the table are rles, which support sheet metal guards that operator and prevent the cutting com- inning onto the floor or into the works of \ table spout, seen in the rear illustration, 1 through which the cutting compound le and flows through metal troughs to the supply tanks located in the floor. The und is delivered to the wheel from a supply tank, through two 1-in. pipes, one of the wheel and the other to the outside. is held by six magnetic chucks which have rface of 14% x 19% in. and a cast iron ed between each chuck so that the work the entire length against the thrust of de guides and spacers are mounted on spacers, and at one end a work bunter is hese are necessary in case the electric he chucks should be shut off while the eling over the work. eed countershaft is provided for driving two speeds being for the roughing and respectively. Roughing cuts are taken 1 of 30 ft. per min., and the wheel cuts forward and return strokes. Finishing it a speed to suit the requirements. S iffect of Manganese on Steel ¢ preparing very pure iron has been de- Bureau of Standards and with this iron rious commercial steels and other iron n made for the purpose of testing them nplicating effect of impurities which are in commercial iron and steel. The use is a strengthening agent in addition t> the subject with which the investigation ncerned. Manganese is also used as a as a desulphurizer, but these uses are od. higher percentages of manganese for tensile properties in low and medium is been recommended at times by various ind to some extent such recommendations ed out in commercial practice. The re in this investigation of the structural! THE IRON AGE 339 effects of manganese in steel strongly confirm such recommendations. The general effect of manganese may be concisely described as a “restraining influence” so that the pearl- ite or carbon-bearing constituent of steel, even after annealing, exists in a very fine grained condition if con- siderable manganese is present. In this respect the steel resembles in structure the condition which usually obtains in similar steels of low manganese content after rather rapid cooling, for example, air-cooling. The mechanical properties of the annealed high manganese steel are quite similar to those obtained in the lower manganese steel by cooling it more quickly. An addi- tional effect of manganese upon steel is to shift the eutectoid composition to lower carbon contents by ap- proximately 0.12 per cent for each per cent of man- ganese. Manganese also appears to have a very noticeable effect upon the rate at which high carbon steels, such Planer Type Surfac¢ rrind And Similar Work Th ‘ city s for work 19% in. wide, 15 ft. long and 10 ir igh above tne magnetic chucks six of which are ised hold the work Cutting ind pp both the inside ar outsic f ew ul kept from floor | the il g how the rear side view at the eft, fr “ I arrangement the table Dou . 1 bh as carbon tool steels and file steels, assume the gran- ular or “spheroidized” state—a condition which for many purposes is very desirable. Manganese exerts its characteristic retarding influence upon this change. This paper, “Preparation and Properties of Pure Iron Alloys, III. The Effect of Manganese on the Structure of Alloys of the Iron Carbon System,” Scientific Paper No. 464 of the Bureau of Standards may be purchased from the superintendent of documents, Government rT... Printing Office, Washington, at 10c. a copy. Production of Titanium Theoretically, titanium should be possible of pro- duction by several methods, including: Electrolysis of the oxide in a solution of dry halogen salts of the alka- line earth metals heated to moderate redness; reduction of the titanofluorides by the alkali metals; reduction of titanium dioxide with carbon, and reduction of titan- ium tetrachloride with sodium. However, the last is the only method that actually yields pure titanium, and the metal is so produced commercially today. Methods for the preparation of certain useful commercial titan- ium alloys are described in Serial 2406, which may be obtained from the Bureau of Mines, Washington. The need of national codes relating to safety in the operation and maintenance of elevators and in build ing construction are the two principal subjects selected for the joint meeting of the engineering section of the National Safety Council and the American Society of Safety Engineers, to be held in the Engineering So- cieties Building, New York, Feb. 16. Elevator safety will be discussed at the morning session, and the na- tional building code during the afternoon. es eS a y : COMMISSION COMPLAINS Formal Action Taken in Regard to Bethlehem- Lackawanna-Midvale Merger WASHINGTCN, Jan. 30.—Action of the Federal Trade Commission last Saturday in issuing a complaint against the merger of the Bethlehem Steel Co., the Lackawanna Co., and the Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co. had been discounted in the iron and steel industry in advance and therefore was accepted as a more or less formal proceeding. This view of the matter was taken because it was realized that the commission would have been inconsistent had it done otherwise. Having issued complaints against the now abandoned Midvale-Repub- lic-Inland merger and the consummated merger of Bethlehem and Lackawanna, it was taken as a matter of course that a complaint would be issued against Bethlehem, Lackawanna and Midvale. It was issued in this form in order to consolidate these cases instead of proceeding separately under the former complaint against Bethlehem and Lackawanna, which was dis- missed and the latest complaint substituted. The present complaint is sweeping in character. It alleges that the union of Bethlehem, Lackawanna and Midvale would in the territory these interests serve, either substantially or wholly eliminate competition. Under this reasoning, the commission charges violation of Section 7 of the Clayton act. Then charging that it “has a dangerous tendency to hinder competition in the steel and iron industry,” it is alleged it violates Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission. Next, it is con- tended that the merger “is an unreasonable restriction upon competition amounting to restraint of trade, con- trary to the public policy expressed in Section 1 and 3 of the Sherman act.” Taking the same position he did with regard to the Bethlehem-Lackawanna merger, Commissioner Van Fleet dissented to the issue of the pending complaint, to which answer is to be made in 30 days, after which the commission will fix a date of hearing. Specifically the new complaint cites the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem Steel Bridge Corporation, Lackawanna Steel Co., Lackawanna Bridge Works Corporation, Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co., and Cambria Steel Co. It is declared that these groups represent an aggregate of 46 companies involved in the merger, the Bethlehem group being credited with 11 companies, the Lackawanna group 13 companies and the Midvale group, 22 companies. It is stated that these MORE FREIGHT CARS Surplus Shows Increase—Movement of Freight I L Cars Makes Record NASHINGTON, Jan. 30.—Surplus freight cars of ‘iptions and in good repair totaled 28,282 on Jan. 15, an increase since Jan. 7 of 7856, according to the Car Service Division of the American Railway Asso- lese ciation. Surplus box cars numbered 7588, an increase within the same period of 897, while there was an in- in the number of surplus coal cars of 665, which brought the total to 6155. The shortage in box cars amounted to 28,283, a decrease of 2612, while the short- age in coal cars totaled 37,014, an increase of 2711. While the figures show that industry still is faced with a car shortage, at the same time, it feels considera- bly reassured because of the performance of the rail- roads to overcome handicaps. These are reflected espe- cially by the number of cars and locomotives installed and the greater efficiency in the movement of rolling crease stock. The number of freight cars actually installed in service or ordered for future delivery from car builders during the calendar year 1922 exceeded the previous year by 76,117 cars. During the past year 145,553 freivht cars were installed or on order, compared with 69,436 during 1921. Reports showed 77,221 freight ears actually placed in service in 1922 or 7784 more THE IRON AGE February | groups “operate more particularly in a competit embracing that territory north of the Potoma and east of a line drawn north and south throu; falo, and Johnstown, Pa.,” and are the only ij; steel manufacturers in this territory with a ¢ of 1,000,000 or more tons of steel ingots a year. steel producers in the territory named are dec be relatively small, “no more than one of them a capacity of 500,000 tons of steel ingots per yea that while the merging interests are thoroug! grated from raw to finished products, this is not the other companies in the territory mentioned. President Grace’s Statement Referring to the opposing attitude of the Trade Commission toward the merger of the Be em. Lackawanna and the Midvale properties, P lent Eugene G. Grace of the Bethlehem Steel Cor; made the following statement Monday: “The complaint of the Federal Trade Con announced in Sunday’s newspapers has not yet reached us. Such a complaint was, however, expected, a) the news is no surprise to us. It will be remembered that when the Bethlehem-Lackawanna merger 1 th proposed Midvale-Republic-Inland merger w ar nounced two investigations were instituted at the re. quest of the United States Senate, one by De partment of Justice and the other by the Federa! Trad Commission. The Department of Justice in its report to the Senate declared both transactions to fre from any taint of illegality. The Federal Trade Con mission, however, felt bound to institute a formal pri ceeding to test the legality of the two mergers ar filed complaints against each. “Bethlehem proceeded with the acquisition of th Lackawanna properties, relying upon the report of th Attorney General and the advice of its counsel that th transaction was entirely legal. Before the public an- nouncement of Bethlehem’s proposed acquisition of th Midvale property, advance information was given, as courtesy required, both to the Department of Justic and to the Federal Trade Commission. “The Federal Trade Commission, as was expected advised us that, pursuant to the policy it had adopted it would in the course amend the proceedings, alread; pending, to test the legality of the Bethlehem-Lacka wanna merger so as to include Bethlehem’s acquisit of the Midvale properties. The complaint now a! nounced was accordingly fully expected.” than were both ordered and installed the year de Freight car performance statistics, compiled November by the Bureau of Railway Economics, show: that the daily average movement per freight car du that month was not only the greatest for any mont 1922, but also exceeded the average for Noven during the past six years. The average for the mon was 27.1 miles, an increase of one-half a mile overt preceding month. It also exceeded by 2.1 miles daily average for November, 1918, and by 3.8 miles t daily average for the same month in 1919, during of which years the railroads were under Governn operations. Each increase of one mile in thé movement of a freight car is equivalent to the aad! of 100,000 freight cars to the country’s transportat facilities, so that the gain for November over vious month is equivalent to the addition of 50,000 +h A course on labor and employment manag‘ under the direction of J. D. Hackett has been annoulv™™ by New York University to begin Feb. 4. Th nts to be covered include accident and fire preventi agement of a medical department, plant hygiene sanitation, fatigue, lunch rooms and food for W wages and wage systems, employee repres' profit sharing and life insurance. The course }5 under the direction of the department of business ™?" agement of the university at Washington Square, York. 1. 1923 THE IRON AGE 341 omotive for Underground Work istrial locomotive in 3% and 6-ton sizes, ondensers or without, intended primarily ines, tunnels and other underground work gases and steam are objectionable, has the market by the Bloomsburg Loco- Bloomsburg, Pa. tration shows one of the locomotives built of Chicago, for tunnel work. A 30-hp. tvpe boiler is employed, fired with kerosene iperheated steam with the company’s stand- engine. The engine has roller bearings and il bath. ind gases are eliminated, it is claimed, by the kerosene before burning. A feed water corporated in the condensing system for water before it goes into the boiler, and evel in the boiler is maintained automati- fire is controlled automatically and is cut w-water mechanism should the water in the me too low through failure of the feed water function. The automatic features are in- make the locomotive fool proof. Rugged con- withstand rough usage is emphasized and irings are of the heavy duty Hyatt roller xhaust of steam is not objectionable, as in , condensers may be eliminated, as the con- ture adds to the cost of the locomotive. The ption is said to be between 10 and 15 gal. the water consumption 40 to 50 gal. Current Business Active figures of the Department of Commerce activity for both December and thi the outstanding items are a marked in- pts of foreign wool, heavy consumption pig iron production than any month rge output of coal and coke, very heavy the largest volume of retail sales eve individual items listed, production of nN ls given as 428.000 tons in December tons in November, and 240,000 tons in Sales of merchant pig iron are given in December, being more than three ,V00 tons in November and almost four v0 tons of December, 1921. Production d at 42,841 net tons, compared with November and with 22;013 tons in De- Receipts of lead at St. Louis are placed ns in December, compared with 6627 tons ind with 7003 tons in December last year. ier rs for locomotives decreased slightly during the month, being placed now at 1592 compared with 1619 a month ago, and with 265 a year ago. Shipments during the month were 210, compared with 159 in November and with 89 in December, 1921. The volume of building remains at index 111, an unusually high figure for December. It compares with 122 in November. This is partially offset by exceptionally heavy fire losses, estimated for December at $47,426,- 000, compared with $30,776,000 in November, and at $28,908,000 in December of last year. Combustion of Sawdust The burning of sawdust for boiler purposes is best accomplished by means of a simply constructed Dutch- ven furnace, according to the United States Bureau of Mines. As a rule only one feed hole in the roof of the furnace is used, for sawdust is such an excellent fuel that it will produce a hot fire even when handled roughly and carelessly. Of course, with a single feed- ing hole in the top of the Dutch oven, the sawdust forms a cone on the grate surface. A cone is about the least effective form in which any fuel may be arranged on a grate for burning. The draft penetrates the bed of fuel at the points of least resistance, that is, at the shallowest parts; hence the air enters at an excessive rate around the edges of the cone while the largest part of the grate is effectually airtight and conse- quently is dead. This difficulty can be reduced or elim- inated by different methods, which are described in echnical paper No. 279 issued by the bureau. Large Blast Furnace in India What is reported to be the largest blast furnace in \sia was started recently at the Hirapur works of the Indian Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Asansol. G. H. Fairhurst (managing director of the company) states that the irnace was designed to turn out 400 tons of pig iron per day. To reach this output a total of 1600 tons of material and products would have to be handled daily. It was also stated that the company’s first by-product ‘king plant was now operating successfully, involving the daily handling of a further 1800 tons of material and products, and that in the first few months of 1923 the capacity figures would be doubled with the putting nto operation of the second coke oven battery and the econd blast furnace. The Connellsville Courier estimates the production beehive oven coke in the Connellsville district for 1922 at 5,666,500 net tons, as against 3,592,417 tons in 1921. At the end of 1922 it noted a total of 35,042 \vens standing, as compared with 35,473 at the end of 1921 ‘ + thera — — cameary nt sr ee rae tm . AAR et = ct LEE NITE A ts eNOS OES SRE a RR RAIN mk 342 High Production in Tapping Steel Spuds A machine especially adapted to the tapping of the pressed steel spuds used on steel barrels, and for which a production of 700 pieces per hour per operator is . claimed, is shown the accompanying illustration. ' A two-spindle, heavy-duty, all-geared gang drill of the Barnes Drill Co., Rockford, IIl., is employed, and is fitted with special geared thread leading feeds cor- responding to the pitch of the taps used. The spindles are provided with coil springs for returning them auto- matically and instantly upon the tripping of the col- lapsing taps. Each spindle is provided with a two- spindle auxiliary head carrying two Rickert-Shafer collapsing of 2 in. pipe size. Two air-operated two-position jigs are mounted on as shown, and while the two pieces are being taps the table e } ‘ ro - Bia 24 ¥ 2 ‘ = > 7 . ¥ Heay LD Drill For Tapping Pressed Steel Spuds The production is 700 pieces per hour . tapped simultaneously, the operator reloads the spare ” positions. Brackets are provided for resetting the chasers on the upward thrust of the spindle, as it is returned by the coil spring at the top. Small coil springs just above the taps serve to absorb the shock at the moment of resetting. , The machine itself is a heavy-duty manufacturing , unit, and is equipped with a self-oiling system, all bear- % ings aside from the spindle sleeves and cross spindles being continuously and automatically lubricated. All transmission gears, except the friction clutch gears, in- cluding the crown gear and pinion, are cut from chrome nickel heat treated and tempered. There are eight changes of speed for each spindle. When fitted with 1 to 1 crown gearing for drilling work, and with a drive pulley speed of 500 r.p.m., the speeds range , from 58 to 575, and with crown gears in ratio of 2 to 1. ; for tapping, the speed range is from 28 to 280. There are 10 changes of geared feeds from 0.003 to 0.093 in per revolutlon of the spindle. These are controlled by levers in front of the operator, and the feeds are indicated on an index dial plate. For tapping, the spindles may be equipped with the : company’s automatic reversing mechanism, in which a trip can be set so that When the tap reaches the depth required, the spindle will automatically reverse. The . shifting lever can also be set so that when tripped auto- steel, THE IRON matically, or by hand, it will return to neutral position. AGE February 1, | 999 stopping the spindle instantly instead of rever A plain hand reverse lever is available if requir A 10 hp. 1200 r.p.m. motor is recommended he two-spindle machine. The distance from the « of the spindle to the face of the column is 11 in., distance center to center of spindles is 28 in. T] imum distance from the table to the nose of the No. 4 taper, is 32% in. The spindle travel j and vertical travel of table 23 in. The floor s the two spindle machine is 55x76 in. and heig in. The table of the two-spindle machine is in., and maximum distance from top of table 12 in. Kxtensions of Plant of Electric Steel & Co. Some extensions will be made to the plant owned by the Electric Steel & Forge Co., C which has been taken over by the newly o1 Hunter Crucible Steel Co., as announced last \ 30-pot crucible furnace will be added, some cha) be made to the mills, mainly in the design of t a new shipping room, 60 x 100 ft., is being bui cleaning room will be provided which will be « with a number of grinding machines. It is announced that the new owners purc!} plant for $600,000, or about one-half of the valuation. Bonds to the extent of $600,000 h issued to pay for the property. The financi: new company provides for an issue of $500,0! benture notes, $500,000 in preferred stock, and 00 shares of no-par common stock. Of the d $300,000 are being issued to provide workin and $150,000 worth of preferred stock and th« stock will be issued at once. In addition to the personnel of the new org announced last week, Frank P. Case, forme: les manager of the Braeburn Steel Co., and rece the Atlas Crucible Steel Co., Dunkirk, N. Y.., Western sales agent; L. M. Brown, formerly distr sales manager of the Atlas Co. in the Clev: Pittsburgh districts, will be Eastern sales ag Shirley G. Ellis, formerly in the production department of the Carnegie Steel Co., and | yew York district manager for the Atlas Co., will t ant sales agent. reve Proposed Industrial Railroad YOUNGSTOWN, Jan. 27.—Cooperation of ir iron and steel producers in the Mahoning Va ing sought in an informal way in the plan to an industrial railroad to the Ohio River, t cheaper coal transportation. It is unlikely, vever, that anything definite will be done until the a n of the Brier Hill Steel Co. and the Steel & of America, by the Youngstown Sheet & Tu worked out. Sentiment among industrial executives ripe for the project. A substantial saving in assembly charges effected by the establishment of such a carrie! ponents contend. Figures recently compiled estimated saving of $2.67 per ton of finished st pared with current assembly costs. Two routes for the proposed line to follow discussed. One is via the Youngstown & Subu the Youngstown & Ohio River railroads, connecting East Liverpool via Leetonia. The other is the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad, fostered several years ago by th« & Steel Co., under direction of its presid Bentley, also a director of the Sheet & Tub This company controls certain right-of-wa) Lowellville and East Youngstown in Ohio. ! point to the Ohio River is 38 miles, passing country which presents no great obstacles construction of a railroad. TT Various estimates are set forth as to the a road, ranging from $10,000,000 to $12,000.00 ©" cooperating in the movement, independent ae the Valleys declare the plan promises such a sudst*"", saving in assembly costs that it cannot b« i 2 \L. PROBLEMS DISCUSSED Ohio Pig Iron and Coke Association Meets at lronton meeting of the Southern Ohio Pig Iron ry ciation was held at Ironton, Ohio, Jan. 24. ject was to get the views of the mem question, with the idea of presenting : steel and furnace operators, having their s, coke plants and cars, before the Fact- ission. After a lengthy discussion, it { ttle could be gained by this movement, . yn reverted to how best to insure a reg- good quality coal for coking and other R. H. Sweetser gave a brief outline on xperiments conducted by the Bureau of furnaces of member companies, stating os of the bureau would be published ymmittee on sampling and analysis re- spector of sampling will be engaged at as Toledo this year, and that member this service were well satisfied with s probable that all the members of the ll use the services of the inspectors this vill all have cargoes brought down from lakes. tee also recommended a careful survey route to insure a constant stream of ng points. Many of the member plants association’s roster are located on the it was felt that it could be used advan- eping up the supply. One of the com- 1 a coal unloading plant costing 000, which is operating satisfctorily. letion, this plant has never been faced of steam and gas producer coal, but en attempted in the way of bringing by by river to coke plants. The committee favor of the intermediate storage of coal! is possible, but it emphasized the point ‘e must be made, either at destination points between mines and consuming movement would be absolutely inde- of the Interstate Commerce Com y ‘Mir. Cushing’s Suggestions ishing, Washington, addressing the productive capacity of the country q “ILV ER JUBILEE CONVENTION eramic Society’s Elaborate Program lor Pittsburgh Meeting program has been mapped out for the vention of the American Ceramic So- at the William Penn and Fort Pitt Feb. 12 to 16, inclusive. The first given over to division meetings and plant visitations in the Pittsburgh dis- seven divisions of the society and the livisions all are to be held at the Fort also will be located the exhibit of The opening or general business and will be held at the William Penn Hotel. much of interest to the iron and steel ses