The Iron Age 1924-01-31: Vol 113 Iss 5

oe 8 ry Oe ee oS St otf ace = a VOL. 113, Ne. 5 Acme Steel Expands Cold Strip Capacity New Mill Has Latest Equipment—Features Include Recoiler, Cooling Gas for Annealing, Automatic Roll Grinder— Material Handling Facilities Comprehensive BY GILBERT L. LACHER ECENT completion of a cold ro!led strip mill at the Riverdale, IIl., plant of the Acme Steel Goods Co. marks the latest move of that organization to neet the increasingly diversified demand for steel prod- icts, particularly in the lighter forms of finished steel. Starting in a small way in 1880 as a manufacturer of barbed box straps and other shipping department sup- plies, the company has steadily expanded the scope of its business until today it occupies a leading position as a maker of hot and cold rolled strip steel, steel box and bale bands, black and galvanized tight barrel and tub hoops, beaded hoops for slack barrels and nailless strapping used in reinforcing packages for shipment. Until 1918 the company’s production facilities were onfined to its plant at 2834 Archer Avenue, Chicago, ind output was limited to cold rolled strip steel and The Five-Chamber Smallwood Annealing Furnace Is Coal-Fired. device embody late designs of the United Engineering & Foundry Co. 353 miscellaneous manufactured products, the most im- portant of which have been mentioned. By that time, however, its business had grown to such proportions that the need for a more dependable and reliable source of raw materials led to the purchase of a large acreage at Riverdale, a Chicago suburb, and the erec- tion there of a hot rolled strip mill with a capacity of 70,000 to 80,000 tons a year. The construction of this plant, moreover, insured important economies in raw material costs. Completed on June 1, 1919, it is a 10-in. mill, comprising 13 two- high stands, and reduces 1% to 2-in. square billets 30 ft. long to strips 1 to 2% in. wide and ranging from No. 11 to No. 23 gage. The rolling speed of the mill is 2000 to 2500 ft. per min., so that one end of a billet is still in the heating furnace while the other end is <AOOLUUHEEGAAANPE ERO AO NAA EAC HORNONNED LestennONNNLAL Senne sanncenanenuens The charging machine and the grappling no mae ei “ eee olan OY ates tH 7 Pelt ets me 24 SCE Ey NTE, 0a we pabras Tene i NON A. gia * ee nw Pa 304 The coils, which meas- the continuous being wound in finished coils. ure 1000 to 2000 ft., are notable for length in which the material is available. Since the completion of the hot strip mill, the com- pany has transferred 48 of its rolled strip mills at the Chicago plant to Riverdale and eventually will move all of them there, leaving the Archer Avenue for the fabrication of manufactured products only. The capacity of the old cold strip mills is 25,000 to 30,000 tons per year, whereas the new cold rolled plant just finished at Riverdale will have a maximum annual output of 30,000 increasing the com- pany’s total capacity to approximately 60,000 tons. 57 cold works tons, Further expansion of cold rolled capacity was dic- THE IRON AGE January 381. the high grade of work which must be done to the demands of the trade. The breaking down mills include four conti: two-high 10-in. stands, four continuous two-high stands and four continuous two-high 15-in. sta Each stand is individually driven by a variable motor running on 250-volt direct current. Contro! been provided both from a central push button sta and by push buttons on each housing. Both systems are connected to the electrical control a; ratus, which is carried on a platform hung from ceiling. On each housing are four push buttons, 0) for starting, one for stopping and two for intermedia driven by speeds. The 10-in. stands are 100-hp. T M I gs Has Window Space Equal to 48 Per Cent of the Floor Area. The long side shown is of tem a t t vith wood. instead of brick, trim to permit later extension. Barely visible above the roof of 7 aia ola ; are ; : : : | rn ( the pickling and annealing building \, A . Vv Furnaces i Sy | care — Loc erandWashro 0 Depressed Track —- Shipping Loading Platform Dept Scrap fT fe perehing Mills Bur dle Inde is i”, a2 Scale Ae Icale. Inspection a pt. 7 ~Shraighten and Cutth Ing Dept tated not only by heavier demand for the company’s own manufactured products but by steadily increasing consumption by other users, notably the automobile, furniture and hardware industries. All forms of cold rolled strip are rapidly finding new uses. One form for which there has been a particularly rapid increase in demand is electro-galvanized cold rolled strip, used in the manufacture of armored cable and flexible metal nose. The new cold rolled mill commands especial atten- tion because it will produce any gage, any edge, any ' finish and any temper up to 18 in. wide. Coils are usually burlaped, while flat strips cut to length are generally packed in boxes lined with oiled paper. The buildifig containing the cold rolling stands has con- tinuous sash in the side walls and monitor lights equal in area to 48 per cent of the floor _ The best of natural illumination was deemed 1 ecessary in view of Machire Grindbr x 0 || see 122M! e ils ra th ‘| MTs Roll \ motors, the 12-in. by 150-hp. motors and the 16-in. by 250-hp. motors. All of the electrical equipment was furnished by the General Electric Co. The 12-in. and 16-in. mills may be run either in sets of two stands or four stands. Take-up blocks and three roll coilers for coiling strip as it issues from the stands are situated between the second and third stands and immediately following the fourth stands. The 10-in. stands may be run singly or in sets of two, three or four, take-up blocks and roll coilers having been supplied following each stand. The finishing mills include one 16-in. stand driven by a 250-hp. motor, a 10-in. stand driven by a 100-hp. motor, and two 12-in. stands driven by 150-hp. motors: The latter two stands may be run singly or in tandem. The motors are of the variable speed type and thro! igh rheostat control a nicety of adjustment in ro! ling speed is obtained. All of the motors, both for the uary 31, 1924 Stand of 12-In. Fin- ing Mill, lipped with lividual Vari- Speed 150- Direct-Cur- Motor and ostat Con- trol uughing and finishing stands, have a range of speed of from 400 to 800 r.p.m. The rolling speed of the mills varies from a minimum of 90 to a maximum of 180 ft. per min. The stands were constructed by the W. Bliss Co., Brooklyn, N. Y. Other equipment in the mill includes three slitting machines, of which two were built by the E. W. Bliss Co. and one by the Waterbury Farrell Foundry & Ma- chine Co., two straightening and cutting machines by means of which strip is straightened and cut to length, which were constructed by the Hallden Machine Co., Waterbury, Conn., and a breaker and an edging ma- hine, both built by the Broden & Dailey Construction Co., Cleveland. There is also an automatic 20 x 96-in. THE IRON AGE 355 roll grinding machine, built by the Landis Tool Co., Waynesboro, Pa., which automatically grinds a convex or concave surface on a roll as desired. By changing gears, the degree of “crown” or “concave” in a given operation may be closely regulated. A crown of 0.002 or 0.010 in. or any other crown or concave which is regarded as desirable may be made. For repair pur- poses a number of miscellaneous machine tools have been provided. All equipment in the mill has indi- vidual motor drive. For changing rolls and miscel- laneous material handling a jib crane storage battery truck, manufactured by the Elwell-Parker Electric Co., Cleveland, is used. The jib crane has a capacity of 3000 lb. at a radius of 6 ft. The First Two Stands of the Continuous 12- In. Roughing Mill. Each stand is individually driven by a variable speed motor. Control is provided both from a _ central push button sta- tion and by push buttons on each housing 2. ~ . eC <A OCRIEMR T° «" ae epee ny Ratha a es en ~ ee ar , : ree 1-0 re ee 2 oe ee 356 THE IRON AGE January 3) 1994 At the finishing end of the building is an inspec- Boston. Grooved tracks, which have been lai ding tion department where facilities have been provided into each oven, carry large cast-iron balls ‘ hich for determining tensile strength for Brinell and sclero- annealing boxes are placed. For charging cies scope hardness testing and the Erickson cupping test. into the ovens a charging rack built by th Lited The inspection department is equipped for boxing and Engineering & Foundry Co., Pittsburgh, has } pro- burlaping materials preparatory to their delivery to the vided. The rack may be set down between any -ow of trade. A depressed track long enough to accommodate ‘cannon balls and it will mesh with a Pinion on a four freight cars facilitates the transfer of steel from motor-driven shaft situated crosswise in front .f the the floor into the car doors. A degressed motor truck entrance has also been provided. Both the freight car and the automobile truck entrances have rolling steel doors which shut off the shipping department from the outside elements. The floor of the mill is of wood block laid on con- crete. All of the roll stands and the heavier comple- furnace doors. Once engaged to a pinion rack shoves the annealing box into the oven. It is used for withdrawing the box after annealing. After withdrawal the boxes are picked up in a grappling device and distributed by overhead crane to various points on a large cooling floor which is coy- ered with sand. The grappling device was designed by Wise ng Machine, Designed and Built by the Acme Organization, Automatically Opens the Coils of Hot Strip in mentary equipment are anchored in suitable concrete foundations. A mechanical blast system is used for heating and ventilation. Three heat chambers. contain- ing steam coils, each served by a Buffalo Forge Co. motor-driven fan, are hung from the roof trusses. Heat is driven from the chambers through pipes to suitable outlets at various points distributed about the room. In summer when the steam coils are idle the same sys- tem is used for ventilating. Adjoining the mill is a two-story locker and wash room for the convenience f employees. The mill building is of fabricated steel construc- tion with brick trim and continuous sash in the side walls and monitors. One side, which is of temporary construction to permit later extension, has wood trim. The roof is of wood with standard composition roofing. The roof is a flat arch and the monitors, which are shallow, are wider than the intervening valleys. Adjacent to and connected with the mill is a build- ing, 75 x 420 ft., containing the pickling and annealing department. This structure is constructed of fabricated steel with sheet metal walls and roof. At one end is located a five-chamber coal-fired Smallwood annealing furnace built by the American Industrial Furnace cs. l the steel to preserve the spread in the coil so that all ction of the acid during pickling the United Engineering & Foundry Co. and was con- structed by the Vierling Steel Works, Chicago. Two types of covers and basés for annealing boxes are used, one type built by the United Engineering & Foundry Co. and the other by the Union Steel Casting Co., Pittsburgh. In both cases the base is long enough to carry two covers. After strip has been placed in the boxes for annealing, the open space between the base and covers is sealed with sand to exclude the alr. A particularly interesting feature of the anneal- ing department are facilities for cooling which make subsequent polishing or buffing operations unnecessary: In other words, cooling is accomplished without losing the bright finish of the strip. For this purpose there is an atmospheric gas producer with necessary scrub- bing and cleaning equipment, built by the Flinn & Dreffein Co., Chicago. The gas, which must b¢ free from sulphur, moisture, any tar products, or any other element which would tarnish the strip, is conducted through pipes laid under the sand to various points on the floor where connections are made with the covers of the annealing boxes. The gas is introduced into a box immediately after its withdrawal from the furnace and the connection is not broken unt the a ee ene quary 31, 1924 THE IRON Foreground Is Duty and Cutting Ma- Cx 1S background a smaller ma- charge is cool. during cooling, The gas, by excluding the atmosphere protects the steel from the oxidizing effects of the air as well as from tarnish or rust from air-borne gas is produced from coke. and buffing machine is used for oiling strip after an- nealing or for buffing it if the customer end of the building is a therefore open them up so that in pickling all surfaces of the To accomplish this the com- a recoiler which automatically After recoiling, “hair- moisture A Broden & Dailey oiling so specifies. pany designed and built At the other railroad switch opens the coil in a spiral form. BEET agp, track by means of which cars of hot rolled strip are delivered. traveling crane to a storage pile. Coils of strip are transferred by overhead The steel comes in Unusual Care Is Exercised in Preparing Goods for Ship- ment. The work- men are packing 0.035 x 2-in. x 12-ft. strip in a box lined with oiled paper. Oijl is also applied with a brush to each layer of strip as it is placed in tue box necessary to ately. 2 ee green 770 eae aod 2 . wi pm ts OPS Ne oo Paes i Meress apitdad ye ssa ge 09 ie Netov ' nee ge 2 wenden “eee THE IRON AGE pins” are hung over the edges of the steel to preserve the spread in the coil. A monorail hoist is used to transfer coils to wooden cradles which are then lifted by overhead crane and immersed in the pickling tubs. There are three wooden tubs, with foundations for one more, and each is 20 ft. long by 6 ft. wide and 6 ft. deep. The steel is first lowered into an acid pickling tub, following which it is immersed consecutively in ‘old and hot water rinsing tubes. After pickling, the individual piles of coils are lifted off the cradle by a lift truck built by the Auto- matic Transportation Co. and conveyed to the cold mills. For transporting strip from the mills to the annealing department special buggies have been pro- vided. Constructed by the Broden & Dailey Construc- tion Co., they rest on a two-wheeled carriage with a small wheel arranged under the center line at each end, so that three of the four wheels are in contact with the floor at all times. When pushed, the forward small wheel engages the floor and when pulled the nearby small wheel is in contact. This arrangement BETHLEHEM MERGER CASE Hearing by Federal Trade Commission Continues at Federal Building. New York The Federal Trade Commission’s hearing regarding the Bethlehem-Midvale-Lackawanna merger, which opened at the Federal Building, New York, on Mon- day, Jan. 21, will continue for at least a month. The witnesses examined during the past week were pur chasing agents or executives in touch with the pur chasing department of several companies which buy steel products. As in the hearings in other cities, the examination as conducted by Baldwin S. Bane, counsel for the Federal Trade Commission, aims to develop whether the absorption of the Midvale, Cambria and Lacka- wanna properties by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation has in any way stifled competition in the steel industry. Witnesses were examined as to their source of sup- ply previous to and following the steél merger. Five days’ examination failed to bring out any startling developments. R. C. Miller, purchasing agent of the Staten Island Shipbuilding Co., Staten Island, New York, testified to recent quotations he had received on plates, shapes and bars. He said that in late December and again early in January he had quotations of 2.35c., Pittsburgh, on all three products, though some comvanies quoted 2.40c. He also said that he had later received a quotation of 2.30c., Pittsburgh, on plates. Other witnesses were C. E. Stafford, president Tur] Car & Iron Co., Newburgh, N. Y.; George Lund, Post & McCord, steel erectors, New York; Eugene T. Gray, secretary Gould Coupler Co., Depew, N. Y.; Louis F. Stagg, Snead & Co., Jersey City, N. J.; Harry C. Har- rington, purchasing agent of Railway Steel Spring Co. Mr. Lund of Post & McCord testified that 90 per cent of its steel contracts are placed with the American Bridge Co. He, in describing the methods employed in bidding on structural steel work in the New York territory, said that Bethlehem H sections were speci- fied on a considerable part of the work. He mentioned Hay Foundry & Iron Works, Harris Structural Steel Co., Levering & Garrigues Co. and A. E. Norton, Inc., as some of Post & McCord’s most active competitors. Mr. Lund was questioned as to whether he had ever heard it said that his firm was owned or controlled by the United States Steel Corporation. He said he had heard the report and added that there is no truth in it. Mr. Stagg said that before the merger the principal competitors for his business were the Bethlehem and Midvale companies, but that since the merger he has January facilitates the turning of corners and makes the coupling together of trains of from fivy. es buggies at a time. The trains are pulled by A atic Transportation Co. storage battery tractors. ner mit the easy handling of the tractors and bug a of the floor of the annealing and pickling ro ave that occupied by the hot rolled strip storage | the cooling department, is laid with wood block. A review of the material handling equipme: vould be incomplete without mentioning a 30-ton tric crane commanding the annealing end of the ding and a 10-ton electric crane at the pickling end. Both were constructed by the Whiting Corporation, } Ill., and travel on the same overhead runway. Power used-in the mill and the annealing and pickling building is supplied from a substation, 60 x 60 ft., which is of brick construction with Federal cement tile roof. Here 12,000-volt alternating current, pur- chased from a public service company, is converted to 250-volt direct current. Equipment includes two 1000- kva. transformers and two 1000-hp. rotary converters. r'vey, usually bought from Bethlehem. He said it was an advantage to buy from a company that can furnish both shapes and bars. Mr. Harrington said that the Bethlehem and Mid- vale companies had competed with Carnegie Steel Co. for the spring steel orders of the Railway Steel Spring Co. He said that most of the company’s orders are placed with Carnegie. He testified that recent quota- tions submitted to him were 2.40c., base, Pittsburgh, but that after negotiation he succeeded in buying at 2.30c., base, Pittsburgh. Two New Blast Furnaces Planned at Buffalo BUFFALO, Jan. 28.—Construction of two new blast furnaces and a battery of by-product coke ovens may be a future development at the North Tonawanda pig iron plant of the American Radiator Co. Of the two furnaces now at Tonawanda, it is said one will be dis- mantled and the other will be remodeled into a 400-ton stack with skip hoist. More immediately in prospect are the installation of a bin system and the construc- tion of an ore bridge for which contracts will be let later this month. Local officials admit the plans for two new furnaces, making three in all, and admit the plans for the coke ovens, but state that these particular improvements will not be made immediately. Ashtabula Steel Co. Addition Since the Davey organization acquired control of the Ashtabula Steel Co., Ashtabula, Ohio, the plant has been running to full capacity. The company is entirely sold up for first quarter of 1924. Contracts have re cently been let for the erection of a complete new finish- ing department, consisting of Mesta picklers, cold-roll drive, cranes, and other equipment. After the comple- tion of this new addition, the company will enter the automobile or high finish sheet field in which experience was obtained at Mansfield, Ohio. Reestablishes Machine-Tool Selling Agency The Dale Machinery Co., New York and ee. which has reengaged in business as a machine-too" selling agency, has been appointed sales represental' in the New York and Chicago territories by the Mil- holland Machinery Co., Indianapolis, Ind., turret lathes and screw machines; Massillon Foundry & Machine Co., Massillon, Ohio. power hammers, trimming shears, Blomquist-Eck Machine Co., Cleveland, horizontal °° ing machines. January 31, 1924 FIVE-SPINDLE AUTOMATIC Increased Production, Close Accuracy and Wider Scope Claimed for Screw Machine The National Acme Co., Cleveland, has brought ut a 9/16-in. five-spindle Acme multiple spindle auto- matic screw machine designated as the 9/16 in. model C. Many refinements in the application and support of important mechanisms, rearrangement of working parts and materials of improved quality, are incorpo- rated in the new machine, with the intention of provid- ing increased production, a high degree of accuracy and of broadening the scope of the machine. Probably the most notable departure from the standpoint of adaptability is the use of five work spindles as com- pared with the four spindles heretofore employed. In general the multiple spindle design is similar to that of the company’s four spindle machines. As in the earlier models a spindle carrying head mounted on the end of the machine encases the work spindles as shown in the front view illustration herewith. This head indexes step by step to bring the work spindles into five posi- tions for the progressive cutting operations. Tools are mounted on the main tool end tool slide and cross slides to complete the work in the time of the longest single operation or fraction thereof, governed, of course, by the divisional operation of the tool set-up. Power application for the spindle drive is through a pulley shaft connected to a center shaft which runs through the main tool slide to spindles in the spindle head. Interchangeable back gears are used for varying spindle speeds as heretofore. The cam- shaft derives its.power from a central source through the clutch shaft for fast and slow feeds to a worm operating the main camshaft with drums which are controlled by the standard Acme system of change gears. Single belt or motor drive is optional. Among the special features it may be mentioned that a sturdy foundation is provided in order to secure accuracy in the product which depends on the main- taining of precision of alinement between the tools and the work. The frame has five upright main supports and these rest on nine pedestals cast in the bed or pan. This frame construction provides five substantial bear- ing supports to the main camshaft which runs clear through the machine. The drums on the camshaft are THE IRON Automatic Screw Machine With Five Work Spindles. slide Specimens of work produced are shown in the insert at the left AGE well under the bed construction so that the camming for feeds of the main tool slide, indexing of the cylinder and stock setting is accomplished by the direct applica- tion of rolls from the drums, an arrangement intended to give positive action and avoiding the spring tendency of levers. An important feature is the elimination of moving drums, gears or other operating mechanism in the section under which the cutting operations are per- formed, which removes the danger of chips clogging in the drums and gears and causing interference, inaccu- and accidents. Attention is also called to the oval form of the bed beneath the main slide which permits chips to fall clear of the tools into the heavy pan beneath. The machine also departs from the previous models in the use of right-hand tools exclusively. It has a telescopic main tool slide and supporting members, the lengthening of the tool carrier proper permitting the mounting of the tools one back of the other. The open area around the main tool slide provides access for tooling up and making adjustments during opera- tions from either side of the machine, which is an important feature from the standpoint of con- venience. The rigid support to the five-faced main tool slide, at A in the close-up view, and the per- manent alinement of the tools and work spindles is secured at three points:—1l1, by hardened and ground slide extension Al, with telescopes into the spindle carrier 2; 2, by a sleeve A2, which racies The detail main view. arrangement may be noted from the supports the rear, and is mounted in a heavy bear- ing on the frame, and 3, as a further resistance to side thrust, by an extension of the pusher rod into the upright frame column A3 independent of the carrier proper. This extension travels along a hard- ened and ground steel plate through the center of the bed as shown. The slide pusher shaft also has its bearing in the frame and is directly operated by a cam on the main cam drum shown in the front view illus- tration. The spindle carrier and casing, B in the front view illustration, is of an improved type. The cylinder member is supported in bearings at either end with a total bearing surface equal to one-half the length of the cylinder. In the cored spacing between the five ribs which connect the bearing surfaces the spindle drive gear is located on the drive shaft which extends through the tool slide. At the front and rear on top of the spindle carrier bearings independent shoes alse provide take-up for the cylinder and casing, should this be necessary because of excessive wear. The casing is also counterbored at the front and the aw abba mmnlgp dpe atte nme i Peel. 0a 360 cylinder set into the casing as at B2 in the close-up view, for its entire periphery, thus affording resistance to end thrusts. Take-up is provided in the rear of the casing by three bronze shoes. The spindle drive indexing mechanisms are located between the spindle bearings instead of at the end of the spindle carrier. This improvement over earlier models is said to permit lengthening of the distance between the spindle bearings, and at the same time the shortening of the rear overhang of the spindles where they extend through the spindle carrier. The long spindles in the spindle carrier are fitted with bronze bearings and run in hardened, ground and lapped steel bushings. The spindle drive gears are hardened spiral gears with end thrust bearings. The point is emphasized that this type of spindle construc- tion and drive assures a constant smooth and quiet power application so that with ample lubrication and easy adjustment for take-up, close running bearings and consequently rigid spindle alinement are thereby secured. With a production capacity of 3000 per hour, which necessitates the indexing of the spindle carrier at the rate of approximately once every second, the importance of avoiding strain at the pick-up or shock at the stopping point during the operation of indexing apparent. Accordingly a unique modification of the Geneva movement is provided. The mechanism is so arranged that when the cam on the main camshaft engages progressively with three rolls pieces becomes on the index gear, which in turn meshes with the cylinder to index one-fifth of its circumference, the spindle head becomes engaged without shock, turns rapidly and de-celerates at the point of locking without excessive strain or shock. This is referred to as one of the most important features that affects permanency ~ contacting units. Another feature is security in locking the spindle carrier in positive alinement with the tools after each indexing operation. This is accomplished by a new arrangement of a lock and latch bolt system. The latch bolt is located at the rear of the machine and the lock bolt on the front. When the lock bolt is with- drawn by a positive cam from one of the five notches To Manufacture Special Wire The Wheeldon Wire Co. has been organized at Worcester, Mass., headed by John Wheeldon, recently general manager of the Wickwire-Spencer Steel Cor- poration, and will manufacture special fine steel wires from Swedish rods in the factory building at West Brookfield, Mass., formerly occupied by the Quabaug Corset Co. The business has been recently incorporated with a Massachusetts charter and the capital stock is $150,- 000. The property has been bought, giving 40,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, and the work of equipping it is already under way. Manufacturing will begin about March 1. The officers of the company are: President and treasurer, John Wheeldon; vice-president, Phillips B. Marsden; clerk, George A. Gaskill; directors (all of Worcester), the above officers and Herbert Midgley, president and general manager Howard Brothers Co.; J. Verner Critchley, president and general manager Reed-Prentice Co. and Walden-Worcester, Inc., and Granby A. Bridges, treasurer Williams & Bridges Co. Mr. Marsden is superintendent of the Howard Brothers Co. Mr. Wheeldon is one of the best known wire men in the country. He had been with the Spencer Wire Co. and its successor, the Wickwire-Spencer Steel Cor- poration, for eight years, the last two years as general manager, and previously had been with the American Steel & Wire Co. as superintendent of the Cleveland and New Haven plants and of the South Works, Worcester. THE IRON AGE January 31, } 4 in the cylinder at the instant of indexing the bolt rides up to the slot on the opposing side o head and springs into position at the next Simultaneously the lock bolt which has a tapered is firmly settled into position by a positive can og action without the use of springs. In this manner |.t) the lock and latch bolts have a tendency to pul cylinder down toward the central bed construction. firmly fixing the relative position of spindles to thus assuring work concentricity for both side .nq end operating tools. The cross tool slides are mounted on hardened | ground steel plates attached to the bed instead of on bearings planed in the bed itself so that the bed casting is not affected by wear. The forming and cut-off slides are of the same size and construction so that they may be used for mounting double deck tools. The forming slide has an independent stop. Drawback collets are used, reducing the overhang of spindles at the point of tool application. The us of tools is not limited to four positions but is available for all five spindles. Stock can be fed in either the first or fifth spindle position. Improved protective devices are provided for the stock feed tube contro! as well as a hand chucking device. Tools and attachments used on the machine may be purchased as required. For example, the threading spindle is a separate mechanism supplied from stock and is applied without fitting. Accelerated reaming and drilling attachments as well as taper turning, boring and other tools adapted for forming, knurling . and shaving will be supplied from stock in various combinations. All holes, bearings, bosses, etc., to receive such equipment are on the machine for their installation. The number of cam changes has been reduced’ to a minimum of forming, cut-off and lead only. Hence as it is pointed out the machine offers very broad fooling possibilities. The capacity of chuck is, round, 9/16 in.; square, 25/64 in.} hexagon, 31/64 in. The length of feed, 5 in., and the length of regular turning, 4% in. The machine occupies a floor space 2 ft. 8 in. by 7 ft. Its height, belt driven, is 4 ft. 10 in. and motor driven 5 ft. 10 in. Spanish Iron Ore Industry Active There was a decided increase in the shipments of iron ore during December, 1923, from the Bilbao region of Spain due to the British demand, Commercial Attaché C. H. Cunningham reports in a cable to the Department of Commerce. The outlook for the iron and steel trade is encouraging, judging from the un- filled orders which have been accumulating for 10 months. Anticipated orders for railroad materials in- dicate opportunities for American manufacturers. First Dutch Blast Furnace Goes In The first blast furnace in Holland was blown in at Ijmuiden on Jan. 22. The furnace has a capacity of 350 to 400 tons per day and was built for the Konink- lijke Nederlandsche Hoogovens en_ Staalfabricken (Royal Dutch Blast Furnace & Steel Co.) by Freyn, Brassert & Co., Chicago. A second furnace of the same type is being built for that company at Ijmuiden }y the Chicago engineers. The protection afforded a manufacturer against use by a competitive concern of a company name intended to allow the company to masquerade as the same or “Ss a component part of the original company is shown !" the case of permanent injunction granted against 4 company, which, by employing in its name and as 4 designation of its product the word “Bosch,” was re- garded as unlawfully interfering with the business of the American Bosch Magneto Corporation. uary 31, 1924 THE IRON AGE 361 NEW GEAR HOBBER lachine for Quantity Production of Spur and Helical Gears—Drive Arrangement a Feature hobbing machine igh or finish either spur or helical gears in quan- ty and readily adaptable to a diversified range of rk has been brought out by Gould & Eberhardt, wark, N. J. The construction of the machine, which ited as the No. 16 HS., may be noted from the ac- mpanying illustration. roportions and arrangement of the component parts is been attempted, in order that high production of isely accurate gears eds and speeds. and provision for manufacturing Particular attention maintained The ample proportioning of vital quick and easy adjustment to would be worm wheel is of bronze alloy and the index worm is of chilled cast iron. Controls are grouped to permit of maximum operat- ing convenience. There are three operating levers, one of which controls the main clutch for starting and stopping the machine. Another controls the power traverse in either direction for the cutter carriage, and the third is used to start and stop the feeding motion of the cutter. A hand wheel is provided for moving the cutter carriage for small adjustments, and another ‘nufacturing Hobbing Machine for Roughing or Finishing Either Spur or Helical Gears. The arrangement of the drive, own in the diagram above, is a feature, also the convenient adjustment provided to compensate for wear. A fixed angu- positioned cutter spindle or one with slight angular adjustment may be provided. The velocity diagram above shows between cutter and work spindles /mpensate for wear, maintaining the accuracy of the machine, are features. The arrangement for transmitting power to the utter and the work spindle is a feature and due regard has been given to the flexibility required to cut spur helical gears of different numbers of teeth and The point of application of power delivered to the gear train between the two spindles is arranged ) that delivery of power to the work spindle and to hob spindle is substantially equalized, with the ject of utilizing and balancing the normal backlash The arrangement of the drive is shown diagram- itically in the accompanying illustration. transmitted by means of three shafts and four pairs ' gears, each spindle being driven from the prime ver by two pairs of gears, one pair of which consists worm and worm wheel. inted directly on the spindles. angular velocity ratio between the cutter and work ndles obtained by the arrangement of the power insmission described may be noted from the accom- inying velocity diagram. Gears are of alloy steel, heat treated and are con- ‘ted to their respective shafts by multiple splines. ie index and cutter spindle worms are glass hard { are ground to extreme accuracy. The cutter spindle The power The worm The uniformity of for positioning the stanchion for the proper depth of cut or for different diameters of blanks. Power traverse at 100 in. per min., to move the cutter rapidly in either direction, is provided and may be operated whether the work and cutter spindles are rotating or idle. The rapid traverse operating lever is interlocked with the feed lever, so that neither the feeding nor the power traverse movement to the cutter slide can be started without the other movement having been first disconnected. Provision is made to prevent accidental operation of the rapid power traverse in the downward direction. Fixed stops determine the extreme movement, in either direction, of the power traverse to the cutter, and automatically stop the movement. An adjustable stop limiting the upward movement of the cutter car- riage permits of stopping the cutter at the position most convenient for the loading and unloading of the blanks. A bell crank and cam device arranged in conjunc- tion with the cutter carriage provides for disconnecting automatically the power downward traverse at any pre- determined point in its travel, a feature intended to permit of rapidly positioning the hob for cutting. This device also prevents engagement of the power down- ward traverse during the cutting operation. When properly adjusted the cam device is said to permit the i Nees Ae anaemia on me o-. | : , 5 : Mg : * « § : 2 . - . ‘ te : *, ~ Cee ee IE LI I f : A i ES ORE en 362 operator to bring the cutter to the cutting position without danger of injuring the hob or the blank. The feed may then be started and a stop adjusted to limit the extent of the feeding movement. Automatic flood lubrication is provided, the lubricant being pumped to an elevated reservoir from which each bearing and gear is flooded. The stanchion is equipped with a multiple gravity oiler from which lubricant is fed to the moving parts in that unit. Sight-feed oil cups are used for the cutter spindle and carriage units. The cutter spindle is of alloy steel, heat treated, and has a glass-hard taper portion on one side of the hob and glass-hard cylindrical part on the other side, both running in bronze bushings. The cutter spindle is secured against endwise movement at a point close to the hob, eliminating, it is claimed, axial movement of the hob by the elongation of the spindle when run- ning warm. Separate adjustment is provided for the taper diametrical fit of the cutter spindle which is inde- pendent of the adjustment for end fit. The large spindle head is intended to assure accurate clamping of the cutter. The work spindle revolves in a long taper bushing. The fit of the work spindle is adjusted by means of a worm located beneath the spindle head, Shipbuilding Gains in America. but Falls Off Abroad The shipyards of the world last year launched less than half as much tonnage of merchant vessels as they did in the last pre-war year, 1913, says a statement just issued by Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, covering returns from all maritime countries for 1923. Com- pared with launchings for 1913, aggregating 3,332,000 gross tons, it is pointed out, last year’s total was only 1,643,000 tons. Last year’s figures, Lloyd’s Register adds, also show a sharp decline from those of the previous year, and, with the exception of 1915, are the lowest on record since 1909. And, excluding these two years, the 1923 total is lower than for any year since 1897. It should be noted, however, that the returns showing tonnage under construction at the beginning of this year showed some increase over the*quarter ending Sept. 30 last. The falling off in construction work last year was general, the only country for which an increase is re- ported being the United States, where about 53,000 gross tons more were launched than in 1922. This, however, compares with a decrease of about 385,000 tons for Great Britain and Ireland and of almost half a million tons for all the other shipbuilding countries ‘combined. Lloyd’s Register gives the following table, showing the total of launchings for the two years, in gross tons: 19 1922 [ Stat 172,8 119,138 : Pr | ] H4 ‘ 1.031.081] ithe Cc ’ 824 71 1,316.86 W 1,643,181 ~-,4607,084 The increase in the American output last year marks the first break in a continuous period of decline since 1919. World ship construction last year was less than a quarter of that for the record year, 1919, when 7,144,000 gross tons of merchant shipping was sent down the ways. Improved Labor Conditions in Pennsylvania HARRISBURG, PA., Jan. 28.—Improved conditions in the iron and steel industry in Pennsylvania are noted in the semi-monthly report of the employment division of the Department of Labor and Industry to the secre- tary, Dr. Royal Meeker. Erie reports that there has been slight improve- ment, and that several shops have re-hired men dropped some time ago. There, however, is still a surplus of skilled and unskilled workmen. Unusual activity is in- dicated in the reports coming from the Harrisburg district. The outlook in the Johnstown district is re- ported encouraging. In Philadelphia the only heavy lay-off has been that THE IRON AGE January 3: (994 the worm actuating a nut and moving the } an axial direction. Independent adjustmen ae vided for the end fit of the spindle. The outer support for the work arbor j box section and is secured directly to the base. T rbor supporting arm is slidably arranged on the o sup- port, and may be moved upward and swung out of the way to permit removal of blanks. The machine may be equipped with a fixed an. dlarly positioned cutter spindle for either spur or elica| gears of a given pitch, or a cutter spindle wi: ight angular adjustment for spur and helical gear dif- ferent pitches. It is rated to cut gears uj) to 2 diametral pitch in steel, 18 in. in diameter and 14 jp, face. Ten cutter speeds from 50 to 225 r.p.m. are avail. able, and feeds from 0.01 to 0.25 per revolution of blank can be provided. Change gears to cut numbers of teeth from 3 to 50 can be furnished. With slight alterations gears with teeth ranging from 3 to 160 can be cut or a range of 6 to 200 or more can be arranged for. The weight of the machine is 6500 lb., and the floor space occupied is approximately 53 x 84 in. The machine may be driven by a single pulley, belted directly to a line shaft, or driven by a motor. by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Men capable of doing work on ships are in demand. The Ingersoll- Rand Co., Easton, has added a number of general ma- chinists, and the Federal Shop at Kearny, N. J., has employed a number of boilermakers. Pittsburgh has a surplus of workers, but these are principally men of limited experience or men trained only in the operation of a single machine. An early increase in the demand for workers is anticipated. Non-Ferrous Exports and Imports Figures for the first 11 months of 1923, issued by the Department of Commerce, show United States im- ports and exports during that period of aluminun, anti- mony, cobalt, copper, brass, lead, mercury, nickel, tin, zinc and other materials of similar nature. The prin- cipal items are covered in the appended table. United States Trade in Non-Ferrous Metals and Minerals Net Tons in First 11 Months of 1923 Imports exports \luminun Bauxite ore... ~cee Rare 2 O38 Metal, scrap, ete..... 20,117 341 Manufactures ..... ‘ , 98S 4,1: Antimony: Ore (antimony content) S81 NRE: Rls ons os aataa baa ae 7,016 Cobalt: Ore and metal (content). 39 Copper: Ore (copper content)... 40,337 . Concentrates (copper content) 22,781 Lit) Regulus, etc....... rae 1,481 : Refined, in ingots, ete 54,437 23,106 Unrefined and converted 187,921 * Old and scrap... 2,617 1,608 Manufactures ; 2,166 34,836 Itrass: Old and clippings........ . 20,053 5,321 Manwiactwres i. cud 6eeees 290 7,014 Lead: Ore and matte (lead contents) 28,957 : PRNITN CORIO «ocd is uo ace eed 72,513 Pign, Dare, O00... 0.600200. . 21,066 42,464 MMETOCUNIOS:. si scvedaracnera® 3,654 4 MORON Sak 6 oa pews wecrex rasa es 686 . Nickel: Ore and matte (nickel content) 6,709 Monel metal and alloys........ «esses Manufactures = did Wk wratig a ae 11,876 Tin: Ore (content).... Pee ee 4,607 799 Bars, blocks, pigs............. 70,636 2 Manufactures Sie cragahi ih i hie Were 131 S. ave Zine: Ore, etc. (content).........- 1,271 .s aoe Cast. blocks, pigs, GtC. .. 0000+ 21 plot MEDTUTACCUTOR 050. 6scs wienwowaie 51 ‘wet Ogee. ByGeeMlG. oo csi sc ane sana 295,952 173,156 Magnesite ....... ne 75,765 (;raphite or plumbawo....... a 18,309 ee ee cn ea: ate Kkmery ore, corundum, flint........ 26,293 ae \sbestos unmanufactured.......... 193,513 erie Artificia] aDPAslVel... i .is45 csc ese 40,685 10 KROe Lime and limestone............+s¢¢ 22,816 *Rarrels of lime ynstrue- The Detroit Testing Laboratory has under ¢: Fae tion a 3-story laboratory building to be occup! tirely as a consulting, engineering, and testing !abora tory, at 554 Bagley Avenue, Detroit. The new quarters will be ready for occupancy by April first. NG aad aes Bee $ - oe A mae january 31, 1924 NEW AUTOMATIC BAR MACHINE High Production Claimed in Making Nut Blanks from Hexagon Bars A new automatic bar machine intended primarily for high preduction on the simpler screw machine parts, particularly those requiring longitudinal drilling. such as nut blanks, bushings, chain rollers and pipe ouplings, has been brought out by the Budd-Ranney Engineering Co., Columbus, Ohio. The machine is ar- ranged to cut-off, form turn, drill, counterbore and box turn pieces that can be finished in a single cut, and in making nut blanks from hexagon bars unusually high production is claimed. Four sizes are available, ranging in maximum ¢a- pacity from 1 in. rounds or % in. hexagon, producing pieces up to 1 in. long, to 4 in. rounds or 3% in. hex- igon, producing pieces up to 2% in. long. The first three sizes are available in single or double spindle, horizontal type. The largest size is built in single spindle horizontal type only. The machine is motor driven through silent chain transmission to the clutch shaft, from which the drive to the drill spindle is also by silent chain. The stock spindle is driven by gears from the clutch shaft. Coolant is circulated by an independent motor driven centrifugal pump which in the three smaller machines provides coolant at 10 lb. pressure, and at 20 lb. pres- sure in the larger or No. 4 machine. The independent pump drive provides constant pressure of the coolant regardless of the speed of the machine. A variable- speed motor-driven fan provided to cool the cutting chamber is intended to eliminate generation of steam in the chamber because of high temperature, and per- mit continuous operation of the machine. A water THE IRON AGE 363 and vapor proof electric lamp is mounted in the cutting chamber so that the tool operation may be observed through the film and splash without shutting off the cooling solution. The work and drill spindles, motors and other parts revolving at high speed, are mounted on ball bearings, and all cam rollers are equipped with roller bearings. Stock guides run in ball bearings and the stock is car- ried on rollers which reduce feeding friction and per- mit handling of bars of any length desired. The small- est machine weighs 4500 lb. and the largest 7500 Ib. The floor space occupied by the smallest unit is 4% x 64 ft. and by the largest machine 4% x 10 ft. On commercial screw stock 140 ft. cutting speed for Automatic Machine for Mak ing Nut Blanks From Bar Stock Four sizes are avail- able, three of which may be equipped with either single or louble spindle. The arrange- ment of cut-off and forming tools on the double spindle machine is shown at the lower left. A forming tool for chamfering may be mounted beside the cut-off blade tools, and from 120 ft. on small drills up to 140 ft. for drills % in. and larger, are recommended. For the par- ticular type of tooling employed feeds of 0.008 to 0.012 in. are said to be more desirable from a tool mainte- nance standpoint than lighter feeds. It is claimed that because of the shaving action of the finishing tools the amount of feed has no influence on the finish of the product. At the speeds and feeds recommended, the tools are said to function for about 55,000 ft. lineal cut before needing grinding. In making nut blanks on the double spindle machines with two sets of tools, for instance, the tools should produce from 36,000 %-in. blanks at 2400 per hr. to 3800 1%-in. blanks at 450 per hr. On the single set of tools the production would be half of these amounts. The elapsed time between tool grind- ings would be about 12 hr. in the smaller machines to about 8 hr. on the 1%-in. size. The makers claim to have had an exceptional set of tools which operated for 27 hr. on the 1%-in. size, with 0.0088 in. feed, making lineal cuts aggregating approximately 165,000 ft. On the single spindle machine, for the larger sizes, it is said that the tools may be expected to produce 1200 mn ats npn ticle et Se ea ee ea - 1 ing he) a OF ne eee an sagt 364 1%-in. nut blanks at 150 per hr. and 750 2-in. at 90 per hr. For reducing the stock lost in chips a different type of tool is used on the single-spindle machines, and a comparison with the output of the smaller machines 1s therefore misleading. The efficiency of the machine cycle is a feature also emphasized. Cams are designed so that the tools are cutting through 310 deg. or 86 per cent of the cycle, the remaining 50 deg. or 14 per cent of the cycle being con- sumed in tool return, chuck opening, feeding and chuck closing. Centrifugal Chuck a Feature To provide a chuck which would be influenced the least by variation in size of stock the centrifugal princi- ple is employed for securing the gripping power, with cams for releasing. As drilling and cutting-off are per- formed simultaneously, the chucking must be firm, which is accomplished by having sufficient mass in the revolv- ing weights and having a releasing mechanism of ample strength. A feature of the chuck is that regardless of the position of the cam, its grip is released when the machine is not in operation. Spline drive between the chuck collet and the stock feed tube is a feature. This is intended to hold the stock central with the chuck opening when the chuck is released, preventing friction at this joint from inter- fering with the accuracy of the feed. It should be noted that in this design a feed stop is not used