The Iron Age 1923-11-29: Vol 112 Iss 22

ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. Help Wanted by Technical College Man His Case of Misapplied Studies and Unwise Selection of Jobs —Of Prime Importance Is Need in Engineering Schools of Capable Adviser to Graduate and Student BY GEORGE P. BOWMAN { , Ali MUTT UOUTIUUCU EULA TCE EA A enna Wi R. BOWMAN is manager of the executive and technical departments of the National Employment Exchange, 30 Church Street, New York. Mr. Bowman interviews, every year, it is estimated, about 12,000 men in executive, engineering and technical classifications—ranging from the college graduate of about twenty-two years of age to the man of fifty years and upward. “Out of any 100 men,” he says, “there would not be more than one who would want to follow pure engineering after he had been out of school two years or more.” This indicates to Mr. Bowman that most college men want to make money, that the majority of them are not of the highly altruistic self-sacrificing class who care to follow the sciences. They have, he adds, the thought of being able to work toward “an obscure and idealistic horizon,” but at the same time there is the idea of a tangible demand for service that will enable one to make a musical sound when he has his hands in his pockets. TUDETTEOUAANL TAT D EA eA ONU EN en ena eee not to offer him concurrently proper practical expert guidance and advice, based upon a horough knowledge of various fields of employment to which he may attach himself, is as wise as for a “character analyst” or “vocational counsellor” to | a young man that he should become a chemist or | production man, but then not tell him which par- ticular branch of chemistry (or his chances of suc- ‘ess based upon the past and prevailing rates of pay ‘or unusually competent chemists) or what branch ot production work. It is a fallacy to speak of chemistry or production as a field to work in, for no man really can be a chemist in the entirety any more than he can be a mechanical, civil, electrical or chemical engineer in the entirety. A tremendous amount of misdirected effort could e saved and failure would be avoided if, starting with the freshman class in college and continuing to <raduation, the idea could be hammered into students that two main paths are open for them on graduation: (1) the pursuit of the purely technical or specializa- ‘ion side of the courses; that is, the technical man’s soing into any position where he could immediately ‘se his education; (2) the acquisition of a business education in an organization in which some years later ‘ould be utilized the information obtained in the course taken at college. One thing should be par- ‘icularly impressed upon those taking the engineering ourses and that is—the drafting room dodger seldom ‘ecomes anything in engineering executive work. _ The fields of endeavor that can be chosen upon ‘eaving college are so thoroughly specialized today, or so tending toward specialization, and the demand changes so frequently that it is bewildering in the ‘| sell a college education to a man and 1437 extreme for any man to know what to do or how to do it when he comes out of school. The First Job After Graduation Misconceived and misdirected effort in selecting a college eourse and the position after graduation can be illustrated particularly well in the case of civil engineers. Almost invariably on leaving college they take up work entirely outside of the civil engineering profession and obtain positions no better than could be obtained in work, where at least they would have the opportunity some day, if not immediately of using their particular engineering education. The outside positions that are available to civil engineers are only desirable from the standpoint that they do allow of open air work. And in practically all cases this was the reason that the civil engineer- ing course was taken up. But on sober thinking and becoming conscious of the wish to get married, these outside men find it necessary to get into positions that have higher financial attraction than most out- side jobs hold. There is an awakening at this point when another position is sought of a more confining character. The primary experience obtained in out- side work is seldom transferable or of a character that can be commercialized, which undesirable feature might have been avoided had the young man been counselled properly before entering college and on graduating from it. Apparently no great stress is laid during college days to make the young men realize that their value to any organization will depend upon the organiza- tion’s ability to replace them. If, on leaving college, the graduate is employed in a class of work where he immediately uses his college education as a means of a ee i he ee ree — te te ee ee ees ry i HE engineering graduate needs re- minding that the college education does not necessarily have to be used in its entirety. earning the salary paid him, it is probable that he can easily be replaced, but where he is taken on to be trained and where he does not immedately use his education, he becomes more valuable each day to that organization. In choosing a vocation the far-seeing young man selects a class of business where the experience can be transferred preferably to a countless number of businesses. The more specialized the line of business is, the smaller the market he can go to with his services, the less the amount of competition for his services and less the certainty that salary will be in inverse proportion to the supply of men. When po- sitions are scarce the young man just out of college loses his sense of proportion, or else the one who paid his tuition does, and instead of investing a little more incidental to searching for a position of a desirable character, there is a frantic, although successful, effort to connect with a position. About one or two years later there is a frantic effort to get out of it and obtain a positon at a higher starting salary than paid the new graduate. -The ability to get it de- pends on the market for the particular class of ex- perience absorbed. “Try and get it” applies here. Need of Employment Counsellor in College There are quite a number of positions that are nearly always available for college men, no matter how few jobs there may be in other lines, that are in the nature of traps. This fact explains the constant turnover that makes such positions always available at a good starting rate. Common sense advice might save these young men many lost years of practically valueless experience, viewed from a trading stand- point, which probably is the only standpoint to be considered when the improbability of “hitting it” on the first or second job is concerned. A few of the universities have some one employed as a placement man. He serves at a salary in pro- portion to what is paid the ordinary college instruc- tor, but the advice is not likely to be broad gaged enough to meet a condition that requires a man of the highest type obtainable in the personnel or employ- ment profession. The colleges need men who will spend considerable time in reviewing the experience of their graduates and in keeping abreast of the trend of development in science, art and industry in general, so that they may be able to offer ‘well LL HOOTING at the stars as practiced by most men means evading hard work and the “bottom steps.” TTT TT formulated and thorough suggestions based on facts as to the branches of occupation for which it might be well to take special training. It would seem that no more important function could be incorporated into a college curriculum than to have as part of it the offering of advice to those who will accept it on the subject of the course they are taking up. This could include what particular businesses or professions can be trained for and what opportunities and special requirements are necessary Then the matter of taking up an education is not left in the hands of parents or friends who advise the young man to take up electrical engineering be- cause “it is the coming thing” or chemistry “because of the wonderful opportunities in that field; ete,” THE IRON AGE November 29, | 99: It might be explained to the young man wit idea of taking up chemistry that Charles M. S-! studied chemistry but did not take it up wit idea of becoming a chemist, but to have a metally , chemist’s knowledge to use in connection with the manufacture of steel. Examples such as this of successful men who used their education as a lever toward succ business could be used to great advantage in insti! in men’s minds at the beginning of their college years that their college education does not necessarily ha. to be used in its entirety, that it is not incumbent that they do use it as a main issue because con- siderable money and effort has been used in obtaining L no it, but that education should be used as a lever to pry open the door marked “Success.” Vacation Studies of Stenography and Typewriting In this connection it is pointed out that one of the most valuable things a young man ¢an do is two take up the study of stenography and typewriting during his vacation periods and if possible obtain some ex- perience in that line before he is graduated. Thus T takes the ordinary man so long to find a distinct goal to strive for that he has a weak heart before he really gets in the running. some engineering executive or an executive of any kind could have the services of a college trained man in handling the important details of his position as soon as the young man was capable of handling that detail. This in practically all cases would eventualize in the young man’s obtaining an insight into execu- tive and routine business matters. It would give him the opportunity to absorb or create responsibilities more important in a few years than he would have obtained in the ordinary paths pursued by college men in a great many years, if at all. In a position where he could absorb business as imparted to him by capable supervisors or executives, he not only would have the advantage of obtaining business building ideas but, more important, would have the opportunity of bringing himself to the at- tention of the executives who would be in a position to enable him to use his education in a far more re- sponsible way than he could probably obtain through any other channel. Under any circumstances such a procedure would create very quickly and with some certainty the opportunity that most ambitious men desire and work for—to bring their personality and ability to the attention of the heads of a_ business. If this suggestion be followed, it is especially impera- tive that the young man attach himself to a business of unquestionably high standing as regards efficiency and financial strength. As far as the salary paid a competent stenographer or secretary of today is concerned, it is consistent with what is paid the average technical man two or three years out of college of conservatively ordinary intelligence and ability. In the writer’s opinion, everything being equal, there is infinitely greater probability of a successful career’s resulting in this way than in the paths ordinarily followed by the majority of college graduates. The reason that tech- nical men are so poorly paid is due to one pre- dominating inclination—they all try to crowd in the front door and leave the side entrance unused. It should be explained here to college men who may read this article that it will be found by those entering business as stenographers that as_ their knowledge of business procedure and of their par- ticular jobs increases, they will gradually reduce ©! eliminate the purely mechanical end of the actual taking of dictation. In practically every case the executives for whom they are working will be more than glad to allow them to handle the details with- November 29, 1923 ut dictation. If this is not accomplished by the ordinary man inside of two years as secretary to an executive, he is probably weak in the fundamental ability essential to commercial success and is fitted for the more purely technical side of engineering or work of a nature where the problems are mechanical or scientific. However, there would be few cases of this kind—almost non-existent. Exaggerated Attractiveness of Selling Positions It might also be explained, for the information of thousands of young men who come out of college and who misdirect their efforts and look for new fields to place themselves in, that salesmanship, which gen- erally is the first thing they think of, is not the best paying profession in the world. It is one of the poor- est, when the mass of salesmen who are merely ekeing out a living—the majority not even a good living—is taken into consideraton. Only the successful sales- men in special lines are making considerable money in the sales field, and they earn it too. These special lines could be explained in college by its employment counsellor. It is well to explain to men, in college or out of it, desirous of entering the sales field either as sales engineers or commercial salesmen, that the good jobs and success go to the man who is willing to do the things that inconvenience him. Most of the success- ful sales executives of today are men who have trav- eled under inconvenient and uncomfortable conditions for years before they worked their way into a metro- politan district permanently, either as salesmen or sales executives. One factor that the college man does not analyze and which should be emphasized and reemphasized con- tinually is that a man’s chances of success are meas- ured greatly by his ability to overcome the mental laziness that everyone has to fight to a certain ex- tent. This generally applied means the effort to be pleasing to everyone whether of high or low stand- ing; to pre-consider the other fellow’s viewpoint and YASUDA U PRAGA ERTL APE DAAAUDETENEOAAAENAENGS AUN TEEATEU TUE OA EN TN RAFTING room dodgers seldom become anything in engineering executive work. a {ISTO MOEN APROOU HOHOHAMENAEAGLOUUGUUGAUAULONGAOUUOU4QUL4UQ00OUU44ONO0OQOGOHOORRULAOUAL(UGUGSNODLL4G 0040000000400 P SAU UOUC AANA strive to please in order to obtain the object sought. This requires mental alertness and may be exemplified by the salesman who comes in to talk boilers but spends some time talking baseball or trout fishing. It is necessary constantly and with continued cold calculation to sell one’s self at all times, in all places and without cessation. Mental alertness is lacking in most men and yet a certain amount of it can be inculcated into a man at least to the extent of getting him to calculate plans to obtain a position. Such elements as failure to take off the hat on entering an office, before speaking to the individual interviewed, is met frequently in employ- ment work and on the part of men who have been well educated as far as college work is concerned. The type of mentality that this refers to is the one that will unconsciously or with forethought take the hat off on meeting the principal, but does not deem it necessary to take the hat off on meeting the sub- ordinates. This trend not to consider what are rela- tively important details may jeopardize the success of more important matters. It is especially prevalent among technical men, who really know better and are capable of acting on suggestions to the great benefit of themselves if they are instructed. In other words they do not play “safe” in a world where what is unimportant to one man is a vital factor to another. There may be some excuse, especially in engineer- ing fields, for the average college man’s not being able to sell himself as far as cold calculation is con- cerned, because some men are mentally unable to con- sider anything from a sales standpoint, but there is THE IRON AGE NE predominating inclination of engineering graduates is to crowd in at the front door and leave the side entrance unused. no excuse for the college man’s not realizing, whether he be out of school one year or twenty years, that in applying for a position he should be personally neat. of unlimited unostentatious courtesy in action and manner, and prepared to give a complete idea of what he has accomplished and what his qualifications are without making it necessary to probe it out of him. This, however, is not the function of a man outside of college to mention. It is the duty of the college to instruct, train, sug- gest and guard its students in finding a position, in pointing out where and what to apply for and what to avoid, in view of existing personal characteristics. It should also inform as to what positions have penal- ties attached which will prove very severe if those positions be left because found unsatisfactory or un- holdable. Too Much Shooting at Stars It cannot be overemphasized that a college cannot instruct a man, nor anyone else, as to how to succeed by pointing to the successful men who have graduated from college or who have succeeded without the aid of a college education. The successful man can hardly tell of the successful handling of the countless details attributable to his success—he tells the main factors. One successful man probably could tell another suc- cessful man how he succeeded and each would broadly comprehend the reason for each other’s success. The practical and finely interwoven common sense and personality factors upon which success was obtained can hardly be included in an autobiography or sketch, and even if within the power of the ordinary human being to comprehend them, it is infinitely difficult to apply them by the individual to his personal problems. It is easy to tell of principles but another matter to explain how to apply the principles correctly so that one of undeveloped or unequal intelligence may grasp the idea so comprehendingly as to beable on his own initiative to meet the new problems he will come in contact with. Some men do not succeed because they can learn only through physical suffering or physical and mental suffering combined. Life is not long enough for this type of man to succeed by absorbing punishment that would create cumulatively a sufficient mental crisis to enable him to see that his inability to absorb knowl- edge from other men was the real reason for his fail- ure. Others can only see the star which they are striving to emulate but do not conceive of the difference between themselves in their composition and are dis- inclined to conform to the elements that make up the star. It is a question whether considerable harm is not WAUATAMAUSAU 440K R4440104A84N0HU E4145 )A4ATPOLAEANYY OL SGETOORNOMODERNREOES PORES vada NANAY OL NNAT YT HLAAL HACSETPASOOAERSOR PRADA TAPCO La who is willing to do the thing that inconveniences him. Gas jobs and success go to the man ———— — —————————— EATVPN0 104 UNSURE AREA YMAEALAb SAUD Aad AAEM LORNA SEALANT LAL ASSES NN OHO REDHAE TTT? done by preaching to shoot at the stars. It is natural for a man to shoot high but hard to watch his step while doing it. “Shooting at the stars” as practised by most men means evading hard work and the “bottom steps.” It might be well to have a thoroughly hard-headed employment specialist on hand to interview the repre- sentatives of various organizations who go gunning for college men during the open season on them, which is just prior to graduation. Not describable or measur- able is the viewpoint and outlook on life that surges wba enanig mattis tan eres i ; ed 1440 THE IRON AGE through and becomes part of the ego of the ordinary college man when he finds himself, his knowledge and what he feels he represents actually being sought for before he even has a chance to look for a job. It is very difficult, following this, to talk to him sometimes for two or three years following graduation on the basis of the value of judgment when willingness is displayed to “take less money” if someone will show him where his life work is. Inability to choose a course of study or position in- telligently under present conditions is not the fault of the young man by any means. It is distinctly up to the colleges and universities until they make a considerably greater financial outlay for the best advice obtainable to be at all times available to the prospective student, the student and the graduate. The colleges should not place the entire responsibility upon inexperienced youths, 17 to 18 years of age, to select college courses on the basis of idealistic, incomplete and inaccurate data. Neither should he be left to the mercy of many organizations’ representatives, just before graduation, no matter how big the organization may be. He should have a friend with complete information in his posses- sion to guide him during the early stages of the rough and rugged road. Those who would not listen when graduating should be offered a place to come to where they can get a practical, friendly, unbiased viewpoint later on. It is easy for the idealist to tell a young fellow to pick out a goal and work for it. Any young man that can pick out, intelligently and with full knowledge of what the requirements are, a clearly defined goal for himself is almost certain of success. It takes the ordinary man so long to find a distinct goal to strive for that he has a weak heart before he really gets in the running. If the men who have been out of school a year or three years could go back to the college from which they were graduated and there take counsel with a man of considerable sales force and experience, up- to date in knowledge of present and apparent future developments in the industrial world, the young men might possibly readjust themselves and start anew HE board of directors of the American Society for Steel Treating about a year ago established the Henry Marion Howe medal with the understand- ing that it was to be awarded each year to the author of the paper which shall be judged to be of the highest merit during the year. It was stipulated that all papers, in order to be considered, must be published originally in the Transactions of the society during the 12 months ended with Aug. 1 of each year in which the medal is awarded; that the competition for the medal shall be open to all, with the award made by the board itself. One of the causes for the establishing ef this medal was a realization of the fact that any worker needs special incentive to develop and prepare for publication new and useful ideas and that one of the best incentives to this type of work is something that brings to an author recognition and honor. The medal is of gold. The first presentation ever made of this medal was bestowed upon Emanuel J. Janitzky, metallurgist Illinois Steel Co., South Chicago, at the annual ban- Henry Marion Howe Gold Medal First Award by the Steel Treaters November 29, 192 with common sense advice to work from. Through it would be possible for the colleges gradually to ac mulate from its own graduates thoroughly tested formation as to the desirability or undesirability entering certain fields of endeavor and what value + experience obtained was from a trading standpoint. | use any but thoroughly proved, up-to-date, first ha information in advising young men is more likely to detrimental than helpful. Technically educated men in general are proba! of all college trained men, least able to sell themsel\ when seeking a position. Perhaps this is due to | necessity, in engineering, of considering all proposito from every angle, which has a tendency toward the s\ pression of verbal competency and the tendency selling to listen to the other fellow’s viewpoint. T) the technical man finds himself convinced by the oth: man instead of he himself doing the convincing. |: might be creative of considerable good to compel al! engineering students to take a course in public speak ing at their colleges. They are extremely difficult t interview for positions, due to the necessity of digging the vital information out of them and forcing th interviewer to judge their ability from what might lb: termed potential qualifications. The responsibility for choosing an education and commercializing it should not be left as in the past entirely up to the student. To a great extent it should be put up to the universities or colleges to see that the most expert advice obtainable is at the young man’s disposal. Perhaps all this may suggest something rx garding the present day question of testing men for college and eliminating and excluding those who are not capable of grasping what is handed out. That is a question which cannot be discussed here, although the answer to it in principle is incorporated in what has been mentioned in this article. If the advice suggested were made available to the young college men, then for the hundreds of successful men we now nave we would have thousands in the fu- ture and proportionately predominant would be the standing of our country as a world leader. quet of the society at Pittsburgh, Oct. 11, in recogni- tion of a paper entitled, “The Influence of Mass in Heat Treatment,” presented before the society at its 1922 convention. The first medal, struck in bronze from the die from which the gold medal is made, was presented at the same banquet to Mrs. Henry M. Howe, widow of Dr. Howe, who has been recognized as an inspiration and co-worker to the distinguished metallurgist. The 1923 presentation of the medal will be made at the annual convention in 1924. _A German patent for spraying resistance contacts with copper has been reported to the Department of Commerce by Trade Commissioner A. J. Gray. It is said that the sprayed surface has a fine copper coat- ing which insures absolute conductivity and that the work is quickly done. It is claimed that the copper coating may be applied not only to silicon carbide rods but to carbon and graphite electrodes for batteries and dynamo and motor brushes. November 29, 1923 One Electric Furnace Is Ready for Pouring Whil THE IRON AGE the Other Is Operating turntable g Both are located on a MULTIPLE ELECTRIC MELTING [wo Furnaces on a Turntable With One Trans- former and Set of Electrodes At the annual meeting of the National Founders’ Association at the Hotel Astor, New York. Nov. 21, Enrique Touceda, consulting engineer American Malleable Castings Association, Albany, N. Y., de- livered an address on general foundry developments. One of the interesting subjects which he touched upon s found in the following extract from his address which describes a new method of handling electric furnaces developed by a Pittsburgh company, William Swindell & Brothers, and operated by a large iron and steel foundry in Western Pennsylvania: The use of the electric furnace in the gray iron foundry is receiving increased recognition, particu- arly in duplexing. One of the neatest arrangements that has come to the attention of the speaker is built in Pittsburgh and is called the “multiple electric melting system.” Two 1% to 3-ton furnaces are mounted upon a revolving platform by which means the same transformer and set of electrodes can be used for each furnace alternately. If a cold charge is used, the procedure is to charge both furnaces and, when the metal is ready to tap from the active one, the electrodes are raised, the table revolved and the other furnace placed in position under the electrodes and the melting started coincident with the tapping of the first furnace; that is, no time is lost between melting periods, for one furnace is melting while the other is being tapped. Each furnace can be operated independently, while the other is undergoing repairs and the continuous operation of single sub-station in- sures a high load factor, lower power cost and a saving in electrode consumption. The illustrations represent the installation. It is the speaker’s thought that it might prove ad vantageous to make the furnace perform the dual function of furnace and transfer ladle, that is, three or four small furnaces could be mounted each on trucks on a track that would pass under the electrodes and down to the molding floors, and when ready to tap could be run down opposite the floor where the molten metal is intended to be used. Time is not available for a discussion of the advisability of using or not using an electric furnace installation for gray iron foundry purposes as this would in any case be contingent upon the character of work, the cost of current and whether the intention was to duplex or to melt cold stock, ete. On the one hand it is possible in this way to secure The Two Electric Furnaces on a Turntable at One End of the Main Foundry rite isan en a a ee eee A OT AO ~ ae ee Sh = eet et “Owe pene aprons See - ee ‘ rane eA ; ws ee ee ee ey aariinn 5 Cenennee rg Pe ee ees ET aan dew aoe + awe Tee ee ne ee een oe 1442 THE IRON AGE Sirgle Farnace 3gtlom (200 4 —-— gates 1000 i el SOO oO Muttiate Form ace Sy stem November 29, 1922 Chanena Tmt ~ Contrasting Curves of Power Consumption Between Single and Multiple Furnace Systems better temperature control, more accurate composition and, in the speaker’s opinion, lower foundry losses to a substantial extent. On the other hand it is obvious that no troubles can be eliminated that are incident IS IT RESTRAINT OF TRADE? Employees and Employers Arrayed Against Gov- ernment in Important Case WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.—Involving the right of em- ployers to enter into agreement with employees relating to wages, argument was made in the United States Supreme Court last week in the appeal of the National Association of Window Glass Manufacturers and the National Window Glass Workers to have set aside the decision of the Federal District Court of northern Ohio which held them guilty of restraining interstate commerce in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law. Appearing for the National Association of Window Glass Manufacturers, Attorney John W. Davis declared that for the first time the courts were asked to hold an agreement between employers and employees on wages and working conditions a violation of law. It was held by the lower courts that the agreement curtailed the production of hand-blown glass and restricted its dis- tribution in interstate trade and commerce. Mr. Davis maintained that there could be no restraint of trade in the hand-blown window glass industry when 77 per cent of the entire output of window glass was controlled by the machine-made glass ‘industry. Discussing the opinion of the Federal District Court, Mr. Davis declared that there was no evidence to support some of the principal findings. He said that as a result there was not a single fire lighted in any hand-blown glass plant in the country. Solicitor General James M. Beck of the United States declared that the agreement between the employers and the employees imposed upon the public additional cost of maintaining the industry. Chief Justice Taft asserted that it seemed difficult for the hand-blown glass makers to restrain a market when they represented only about 30 per cent of the entire production. The attorneys for the employers and employees, the latter organized labor men, claim that the decision of the lower court affects the right of labor collectively to grant or withhold its services in accordance with what it conceives to be its own best interests, as well as the power of the employer of labor freely to enter into contracts of employment and to operate his plant as and when he pleases. To hold that a contract of em- to general molding practice, as no method of melting can do away with losses that arise from weak or wet sand, shifted cores or copes, crushes, cope drops, core blows, incorrect heading or gating, etc. ployment between a manufacturer and the members of a labor union, in the form of a customary wage scale agreement, is illegal and to issue a permanent injunc- tion, as was done, enjoining the manufacturer and labor union from carrying out the contract or from entering into any other contract of a similar. nature in so far as such contract may limit the period within which the men shall work, it was declared, is a judicial act of such far-reaching importance that its propriety should be determined at the earliest moment. The attorneys for the National Association of Win- dow Glass Manufacturers~pointed out that the wage agreement deals solely with manufacture and not with interstate commerce. Its effect upon commerce, if any, they said, are purely indirect and incidental. If manu- facture itself is not commerce, as the attorneys said it has been held it is not, they claimed that it will hardly be pretended that wage agreements, notwith- standing their effect upon’the ¢urrent supply of labor, fall within the category. They also made the interest- ing point that the declaration that Section 6 of the Clayton act that “the labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce” means, “if it means anything, that Congress deliberately designed to put labor contracts beyond the reach of law. Strong argument in favor of the agreement also was made by attorneys for the National Window Glass Workers. “We submit that the laborer has an inalienable right to fix the number of hours per day, the number of days per week, and the number of weeks per year that he will work and in so doing to say for whom he will work,” it was argued. To declare a wage scale an act in restraint of trade, it was maintained, is to render impotent the provisions of the Clayton act and in effect results in preventing the practical operation of the union. Solicitor General Beck and Robert P. Reeder de- clared that no more complete or indefensible monopoly was ever established in any anti-trust case and it refers to the action of the wage committee as being arbitrary and that it could not be overridden by a ref- erendum of members of the union. The so-called re- straint, it was declared, has been imposed against the wishes of many of the manufacturers and of a large majority of the workers. Both employer and employee, it was charged, were denied any freedom of action. November 29, 1923 THE IRON AGE < 1443 NEW SWITCH PLANER In this machine the housings and rail surfaces Nave been greatly increased, and the bed made deep Machine for Production Work on Heavy Switches Massive Construction—Convenient Control The trend of roadway construction for railroads being toward heavier rails with corresponding heavier switches, the problem of the switch builder is becom- ing more difficult. To meet the need for equipment to handle the tremendous cuts and heavy feeds required to get production on modern switches, the G. A. Gray Co., Cincinnati, has placed on the market the new design of switch planer shown in the accompanying illustrations. As an example of the performance of the machine it is claimed that in a recent test, the flanges of two 100-lb. R. B. rails, of 0.70 per cent carbon, open-hearth steel were cut through in five strokes of the planer. The width of the cut varies from zero to 3 in. and the feed is about % in. The test was made at a cutting speed of 25 ft. per min., although the range of speeds available is from 25 to 50 ft. per min. SO as to provide rigidity at the point where the gears are supported and where the heavy strain of cutting must be . sustained. Switch work is practical] tch work is practically confined to two major operations; other in either feeding the two heads toward each order to take simultaneous cuts on the sides of two rail heads, or the operation in which both tools feed directly down into the flange of the rail cutting New Planer for Production Work on Heavy Switches Housings and rail surfaces have been increased and the bed deepened where the gears are supported The view above shows the machine in operation cutting off the flange of the rail The gear train of the planer is partly shown in the illustration at the left Gears are of un usual size and of the balanced helical type off the flange. In the case of head planing the opera- tor depresses the highest and the lowest clutch lever shown at the right-hand end of the rail in the illus- trations, thereby throwing both traverse and manual feed levers into engagement with the crossfeed screws. By turning a single crank at the end of the rail the operator easily gets the desired amount of feed, both heads moving toward each other. When the cut has been completed, a single pull on the traverse lever, which is directly underneath and near to the manual feed lever, starts the traverse motor and moves the heads quickly apart, to be ready for the next cut. To change over to the second operation, flange es ge Repent nee NO Oe er PTE cee a =” a Satara a. ~~ 1444 THE IRON AGE cutting, the second and third levers are depressed, the others being released by touching buttons provided for the purpose. The manual feed lever will then give a feed of both tools down toward the rail, while a single motion of the traverse lever brings both slides quickly back to the starting position. Changing from one operation to the other is instantaneous and great effort is not required of the operator who, with only two control levers to manipulate, may keep his eyes on the tools and work. If desired, either head can be independently controlled. The heads are unusually heavy and rigid. The tool apron is provided with an abutment or shoulder at the lower end, so that the up-thrust of the cutting tool is not borne by the pin on which the apron swings, but by the pressure of this shoulder against the tool box. The company’s “twin-purpose taper gibs,” are provided for the slides and heads. A turn of the han- dle in one direction adjusts the gib to the operating position, and a turn in the other direction locks the two parts together throughout the entire length of the gib. The gear train in the planer is shown in the insert illustration. The gears, which are of unusual size, are of steel throughout, the pinions being cut from steel forgings. From the drive shaft pinions to the bull pinion the gearing is of the balanced helical type. At the first reduction. for instance, a driven gear is mounted on each end of the pinion hub, an ar- rangement intended to balance the torsional effect. The gears being keyed to the pinion hubs, the torsional strain is transmitted through the large hubs instead of through the shafts. In this way the shafts, which Apprentices Paid While Attending Technical School Sheet metal union apprentices to the number of 65 have begun a four-year training course at Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, and will be paid their regular wages by their employers for the time spent in school. By the terms of an agreement between the Pitts- burgh local union and the employers, every apprentice “must and shall attend sheet metal classes at the Car- negie Institute of Technology the last four years of his apprenticeship, or until he has finished the course for sheet metal apprentices.” Also the employer shall send the apprentice to the institute one day each week from Oct. 1 to May 1. “The apprentice shall be allowed his regular wage for days while attending school.” A special course for the apprenticeship training has been outlined, the subjects including shop work, pattern drafting and mathematics. The 65 appren- tice students have been separated into four classes, each group attending the institute one full day each week. Each apprentice pays his own tuition fee. As a reward for high scholarship in their studies, special terms have been written into the agreement by means of which it has been made possible for a studious apprentice to receive increased wages. “As a reward of merit,” says the agreement, “any ap- prentice receiving grade A marks at the end of any school year shall receive two months’ credit on his next eight months’ period, thus reducing that period to six months.” As all of the apprentices are paid a definite scale of wages that is automatically in- creased every eight months, the scholarship plan gives each an opportunity to secure his next regular increase two months earlier each year. A joint committee consisting of three members of the contractors association and three union officials has been selected to act in an advisory capacity be- tween apprentice and school, to adjust all differences that may arise, to terminate the apprenticeship and services of the apprentice if necessary, and to pass upon the admission of the apprentice applicant to journeymanship. November 29, 1922 are pinned to the gears and rotate with them, ar subjected only to shearing strain. The result, it is claimed, is a very rigid design. The gears run in a bath of oil. The bed is cast solid on the bottom, forming an oil tank and at th same time tieing together the bed walls. The bed has four walls, two on each side of the gears. Thi double wall is tied together by heavy crosswise web so that the bearings mounted in the walls are rigid) supported and the entire bed is very stiff between th: housings and throughout the gear space, to absor! vibration. The machine is equipped with an automatic oiling system. Oil is pumped to each V and to the driv shaft bearings. The oil-roller pockets usually pro vided in the V’s have been eliminated, so that a chi; falling into the V is pushed along in a wave of oil falling on the strainer plate at the end of the bed The bed is of double length so that the table is sup ported at all times, a feature intended to eliminaté dripping of oil to the floor and to increase the wear ing surfaces of the V’s. At each end of the bed a strainer plate and settling basin are provided. The lubrication of the top brace parts is by means of cen tralized oilers. The motor ball bearings run in grease. and the traverse gears driven by the motor are in- closed in an oil-tight case and run in oil. Although the rail position is not often changed in switch shops, it may be readily raised or lowered on this planer by pulling down the stirrup at the opera- tor’s end of the rail; then pushing the traverse lever into the running position. Prior to machining, the rail is clamped on the outside and inside edges of each housing. Independent Equipment Corporation Acquires Goodwin Car & Mfg. Co. The Independent Equipment Corporation, with offices in the McCormick Building, Chicago, organized for the purpose of repairing freight car equipment, leasing and repairing tank cars and manufacturing miscellaneous car parts, has purchased the plant of the Goodwin Car & Mfg. Co. The plant is located at Clearing, Ill., covers 25 acres and is equipped with buildings, trackage and machinery for carrying on this class of work. Additional machinery and facil ities have been arranged for to equip the shops for all kinds of railroad freight car repairs. Those associated with the corporation are: M. P. Kraffmiller, president; J. E. Tesseyman, vice-presi- dent and general manager; R. R. Weaver, vice-presi- dent and engineer; J. E. Dittus, secretary; A. E. Higgins, treasurer, and W. R. Mybeck, purchasing agent, bringing together an organization of men who have devoted 15 to 25 years in the development of the freight car industry. The company reports a sufficient volume of business already contracted for to assure steady operation for the remainder of the year. Trusecon Steel Co. Extensions Directors of the Truscon Steel Co., Youngstown, at a meeting last week authorized extensions to the plant on Albert Street in Youngstown aggregating 100,000 sq. ft. of floor space, 2% acres, bringing the total under roof at the plant to 16 acres. The com- pany’s own construction force will carry forward the extensions, which will involve an outlay of $400,000. _ President Julius Kahn states that the manufactur- ing capacity will be increased about 15 per cent, and the working forces proportionately enlarged. He says indications are that 1924 business will be heavy and the enlarged capacity is being added in order that the company may be in better position to meet require- ments. Standard buildings manufactured by the Truscon company itself will be erected in the enlargement pro- gram. It is planned to have the additional capacity ready for use by May 1, 1924. November 29, 1923 NEW LINE OF SHAPERS Gear Box Inside of Column Lubrication—Other Improved Features A new line of shapers, which will be known as the Climax and will be available in seven sizes. is bei being placed on the market by the Cincinnati Shaper C Cincinnati. , 24 in. in the standard type. Having the speed and driving gears entirely within the column, and the incorporation of an automati Placing of the Gear Box Insid« the Column and Having the Main Crank Gear of Helical Type Are Features. Other changes include having’ the feeding motion actuated by cams _ in- stead of by eccentric and ratchet The tool slide is made as shown in right-hand line cut illustra- tion, which is said to provide greater strength visible lubricating system are features. Levers for starting, for speed control, feed engagement and vari- ation, for ram adjustment and for stroke adjustment are easily reached without leaving the operator’s work- ing position. Direct reading indicators for speed, feed and length of stroke are provided. Other features are the helical-type main crank gear which is of semi-steel, one piece, the cam-actu- ated feeding motion, and the improved design of tool slide. All gears except the main crank gear are of chrome-nickel steel and heat treated. The drive is of single-pulley type with friction clutch and brake, the pulley shaft being mounted on Timken roller bearings, which is intended to provide a bearing that will carry overloads caused by un- necessarily tight belts. For motor drive the motor may be mounted directly on pads provided on the back of the tool, and the proper range of cutting speeds can be obtained by a motor making 1800 r.p.m. The speed gears, placed within the column at the rear, run in oil and slide on integral multiple key shafts, supported THE IRON Automatic \ isible Several improved features of design have een incorporated and the sizes will include 16. 20 24, 28 and 32 in., in the heavy-duty type, and 20 and AGE 1445 at both ends. ment. The oi] used fo making a compact and rigid arrange- gear chamber forms the reservoir for the r lubricating both the drive gears and the balance of >» mac i i : set f the machine. Eight selective changes of peed are provided, from 11 to 138 cutting strokes a minute on the 16 in. shs P ! ite on the 16 in. shapers to 8 to 102 cutting strokes m the 32 ij achines. T <= in. machines. These changes are obtained Dy two conveniently locate rer : y conveniently located levers. The length of stroke is maintaine ith » usual l ained without the usual clamping nut on the stroke-adjusting shaft. being fulfilled automatically. The indicator shows the setting for the length of stroke irrespective of whether the machine is running or not. The feature of the motion is that it is actuated | ° an , i i ited by cams and not by an eccentric and ratchet. the purpose of the nut feeding This is said to provide a gradual feed, and to con- fine the entire feed under any conditions wholly within the return stroke. Another feature of the general feed arrangement is the placing of the feed mechanism at the side of the column, where it does not encroach upon the operator’s working space. Eleven feeds, rang- ing from 0.010 to 0.170 in. are provided and feed vari- ation is conveniently accomplished by means of a lever, mounted on a direct reading dial, indicating the feed in thousandths. The feed engagement lever has the three positions, “stop.” “right-hand,” and “left-hand,” in- dicating the direction of the table movement. A fric- tion safety device is provided to protect the mechan- ism from injury caused by permitting the table to feed to the end of the rail. The ram is of “V” type, and adjustment is made by means of a full length taper gib, controlled by a single screw. A guard forming a part of the ram is provided to prevent dirt from working its way into the bearings. The “V” type ram is said to have been adopted after a series of cutting tests with square “ Oe om ee EE ee ee. comer - ao peel nee . en ee eee “ . ~sn ener ee ee a ete A ed eae ge Oe Pa Sag seme ramos Par ony om rs ans ns ene Pe eee rua) ae ee oe Semone VE Or ete wrong ee ee ee ae “ ee a ed z 7 oma cas % rt ae = 4 ten c ou 1446 and “V” type ram shapers. It is claimed that there is little preference between the two types, with respect to cutting action, both being satisfactory when proper- ly adjusted. The determining factor claimed in favor of the “V” type, however, is that it makes it possible to have both sides of the ram ways in the column cast solid with it, and to provide complete adjustment to the ram ways by means of a single screw, thereby tak- ing care of play in either a sidewise or a vertical direction. The movement of the ram clamp lever is limited in its open position, so that no damage will result to the adjusting screw should the operator accidentally fail to clamp it before starting a cut. The tool slide, instead of being made as shown in left-hand line-cut is made as shown at the right, which is said to give greater strength and prevent breaking of the slide at the sides. The tool post is unusually large, and is provided with a screw with a head the same size as on the vise, permitting the use of the long wrench in tightening large tools. An outstanding feature of the column is the heavily ribbed, dish-formed side which is intended to resist deflection from the thrust on the crank bearing. The separate crank gear bearing permits a solid crank gear and makes possible a replaceable bushing as in other bearings. The crank gear, being of semi-steel, and of helical type, is said to assure long life, and finish cuts free from gear tooth chatter marks. The tooth proportions adopted are intended to eliminate undercut in the pinion, provide full contact in action, and at the same time give equal strength in