The Iron Age 1924-06-12: Vol 113 Iss 24

THE IRON AGE New York, June 12, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 B VOL. 113, No. 24 ® Conveyors to Handle Forgings and Scrap Flashings from Trimming Presses Carried to Tote Box at One End of Group, While Forgings Are Sorted from Belt at Other End been made for handling flashings and small auto- mobile forgings from cold trimming presses at the forge plant of the Chevrolet Motor Co., Detroit, and the handling system recently placed in operation for this work is resulting in a marked saving in the hand labor formerly required. The plant is equipped with 24 trimming presses in two lines, between which the conveyors operate, the presses having been rearranged so that the two rows are as close together.as the conveyors permit. There A NEW application of conveyor equipment has . E * ADENELUONOO NOONAN DOONROLOONOOUOE REDE ONEREENESOONERLUNE SE HROOTESEONEOONEEDOEAER ONDE rth: voerennssennenenenen se \OUELEDOEDEGAERED OLED RO OHRAT EOE DERSaOnNEOEONEED eMEREORORENARDONEnON NONE Forgings Are Delivered From the Continuous Tumbling Mill Onto a Conveyor Belt and There Are Sorted While Moving Along This Belt and Placed in Tote Boxes Made With Pipe Bottoms Spaonrvuernguascvenenecens eevenneeraseevesoneneecnensaneesvenananensneseseasccennsreeseassessessn innit 100007) SEMmeNNNNNEREREEN THHRHLA NENT 1711 are two horizontal conveyors, one above the other, that operate in opposite directions. These are motor driven and are the pan type, 125 ft. long, 2 ft. wide and having 4 in. flights. The upper conveyor carries the flashings beyond the end of the rows of presses, where the conveyor turns up a slight incline and dumps the scrap into a tote box. As soon as a box is filled it is trucked away and an empty box is put in its place. The forgings, weighing from % lb. to 2 lb., after being trimmed are thrown into the lower conveyor, which carries them to the op- Ove NLAACHLASOODRAR OU NeOUAAADERAEDO ION NEAR HONROEE TOO ONOLE' ERI NSECOENEITERLERAUEDIDDOAUSUREOOSLDONEUONERE)) 114/4: DAEDERT V1OCy0 OO Te SEANCRONRORSORNOOE-T” HEBHRRE. CHERE 1712 THE posite end of the line of presses, where they are sorted into tote boxes. After passing the end of the two lines of presses the forging conveyor turns upward 8 ft. at an angle of 45 deg. and delivers the parts into a W. W. Sly con- tinuous tumbling mill 19 ft. long and 26 in. interior Both Conveyors Ap- Here, With Lower Con- Emerging and Elevating the Forgings into the Continuous Tum- bling Mill pear the veyor —Fiash- the Presses (At Right) ings From Trimming Are Thrown on the Conveyor, Which Delivers Them into the Tote Box in the Foreground. Be- neath this conveyor! is another conveyor moving in the oppo- site direction, which carries the trimmed forgings to a con- tumbling mill tinuous Geeevencrenennnes UHEUEDDENEOOL NADOECeOHRNONEO ronESRORDONEAWESDONE ORLA NOLLANEL HOONELY .curecunteeareonereeneonen iene diameter. This has a capacity of 5 tons per hour and it takes a forging approximately 45 min. to go through the mill. After the forgings are cleaned the tumbling mill dumps them onto a conveyor belt 12 ft. long and 18 in. wide that operates over a table 36 in. wide. The forg- IRON AGE iseeneneannenenenntonnente H.onnenenenoenn ones June 12, 1924 ings are sorted while moving along the table and placed in tote boxes, one of which is provided for each type of forging. Before the present equipment was installed the forg- ings were cleaned in several standard drum type tum- bling barrels operated by three men. With the elimi- dl ae OcUNDLAAETANNULENEDOO ECHO NMBEOURDOUOTUOTONNO SEOUSUNEDOEDEADOFIDONDD #HNDENEDOE OND OONDDONASD OURO OOEDOOONRS DUEODOOHDON oRDER*EROOERD sone ENEOOD nation of the labor that was heretofore required in handling the forgings from the presses to the tumbling barrels, and in moving the scrap and the saving of labor in operating the tumbling equipment, there has been a net saving of six men by the installation of the con- veyors and continuous tumbling mill. Steel Corporation Responds in Basing Case Sweeping Denials of Allegations Made Before the Federal Trade Commission—Testimony of Witnesses Analyzed—Probable That Cease and Desist Order Will Be Issued HE United States Steel Corporation on Monday filed its brief for itself and its subsidiaries as respondents, in the case of the Pittsburgh basing point complaint before the Federal Trade Commission, Washington. The brief is signed by the counsel, Rich- ard V. Lindabury, Cordenio A. Severance, William W. Corlett, J. Edward Ashmead, and Arthur ©. Mulling. The brief is divided into nine chapters, or points, with two supplements containing in all 173 pages and two appendices, one of 155 pages and the other of 69 pages. It is expected that J. W. Hunt, the new member of the commission, will sit when the arguments begin June 23. As he is a former member of the Iowa Farm Bureau, it is considered probable that he will vote for a cease and desist order. In that event, judging from the way the other members have voted in the past, there will be a three to two vote for such an order, and it will be issued. The Steel Corporation would then ap- peal to the courts, where the final decision will be made. As the first point, it is asserted that considering the testimony introduced by the commission in the light most favorable to the commission’s contentions the evi- dence is insufficient to establish a violation of Sec- tion 2 of the Clayton act. It is declared that the evi- dence fails to support the finding that competition be- tween consumers has been substantially lessened as a result of the alleged Pittsburgh plus practice and that there was no evidence that the prices paid other pro- ducers to the extent they were similar to respondents’ prices were by agreement, combination or understand- ing between respondents and such other producers. The opinion is expressed that the probable effect of the elim- ination of the Pittsburgh plus would not be to increase competition. It is further asserted that the evidence fails to support the finding that competition between the producers of the various rolled steel products has been substantially lessened as a result of the alleged Pittsburgh practice. Fails to Show Violation Under point 2 it is asserted that the testimony in- troduced on behalf of the commission fails to show any violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Com- mission act, and that it fails to show any participation by any one or more of the respondents in any pools, combinations or price understandings. Under point 3 the term “Pittsburgh base” is defined as meaning simply the use of Pittsburgh as a basing point, or the naming or fixing of a price f.o.b. Pitts- burgh. The brief adds “considered as _a method of quotation, the use of Pittsburgh as a basing point has no necessary effect in establishing a uniform delivered price for steel, either in Pittsburgh or at any point out of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh base or the price at Pittsburgh varies with the market, so that the same producer or several producers of steel quote different f.o.b. Pittsburgh prices for delivery at various points, and when such different f.o.b. Pittsburgh prices are quoted, it results in different delivered prices as be- tween different producers. A striking example of the variation in prices quoted by various steel producers, all on the f.o.b. Pittsburgh basis, is found in the prices which prevailed from the last part of 1919 until the last quarter of 1920. During that period the f.o.b. Pittsburgh prices of various steel producers varied to 1713 such an extent that the delivered prices of sales made by the Illinois Steel Co., American Sheet & Tin Plate Co. and American Steel & Wire Co. were lower than the f.o.b. Pittsburgh prices of certain other producers for delivery at Pittsburgh.” Natural Market Prices Under point 4 it is asserted that the prices realized by respondents for the products manufactured in their Western plants have been the natural market prices at points of consumption and have in no way been affected by any alleged artificial system of pricing or selling. Under point 5 it is asserted that the prices charged by the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co. for bars, shapes and plates represent at all times a voluntary price concession on the part of the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co. to its customers. The lack of com- petition in the Birmingham district is considered and it is stated that competitors obtain higher prices than Tennessee coal, Iron & Railroad Co. except in periods of slack demand. It is pointed out that the company made a voluntary concession in price to Southern con- sumers. Under point 6 it is contended that the prices ob- tained by the Western plants of respondents for ma- terial manufactured at those plants were obtained as a result of the natural advantage of location of such plants and not because of any artificial system of pric- ing or selling. It is declared that the Western com- petitors of the Illinois Steel Co., the American Steel & Wire Co. and other companies of the Steel Corporation have always lacked and now lack the capacity to supply demand in Western territory. Development in Chicago Under point 7 it is asserted that the development of the production of steel in the Chicago district has been much more rapid than at Pittsburgh, due to the natural advantage of location of such mills. The development of the individual producers in the Western district is considered at length. For example, it is stated that the development of the Inland Steel Co., the principal West- ern competitor of the Illinois Steel Co., is not only im- pressive, but most important in relation to the funda- mental questions in this case. Detailed facts of this great growth are given and the development of other competing companies is considered. Under point 8 -it is declared that the expert testi- mony introduced on behalf of the commission, consid- ered in its light most favorable to the commission’s contentions, does not even tend to prove any violation on the part of the respondents or any of them of Sec- tion 2 of the Clayton act or Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission act. It is declared that the assump- tions on which the experts’ testimony was based were erroneous and that the theory advanced by the ex- perts has only an academic relation to competition as is understood by business men and the courts. Under point 9 it is stated that the sale of steel by the respondents and the prices realized therefor are not based on any artificial system but are determined by the same factors which govern the sale prices of other conditions. It is claimed that the factors which determine the prices prevailing for steel in different localities are the same as those which determine the prices for other commodities and the scrap market is 1714 ideal illustration. cited as an found in the purchase of spelter or zinc. Another example is Erroneous Premises Alleged In the supplement of the brief it is asserted that the entire argument contained in the commission’s brief recently filed, rests upon two erroneous premises as follows: First—That a consumer of steel solely by reason of his proximity to a mill producing steel has a natural advantag2 which the producing mill is legally obli- gated to recognize in fixing the price. Second—that the respondents are restricted in the independent adoption of any method of quoting and selling the steel they purchase because other producers follow that method. Finally, the brief declares, the commission’s brief Trimming Attachment Added to Thread- Rolling Machine To broaden the scope of its thread-rolling machine, thereby eliminating a subsequent operation, the V & O Press Co., Hudson, N. Y., has added to this machine a trimming attachment which will trim off ragged edges from threaded shells, such as electric lamp sockets, bottle caps, and many similar articles. While redesigning the machine to include this new feature, other improvements have been made. The entire machine is heavier and the main bearings are now all incorporated in the body casting, which was not the case in the older model, in which some of the r- bearings were secured by cap screws. are bronze lined. The essential features of the machine are a main spindle, which carries a male thread rolling die or chuck. This spindle revolves in fixed position. Before it, on the operator’s side, is placed a magazine which has a peculiar motion controlled by suitable cams placed below the machine body. The cam action serves to lift the lower end of the chute to loading position opposite the chuck, when another cam action moves it transversely, to place the shell on the die. Immediately following this placement of the work, another cam, actuating a toggle and bell-crank rocker arm, mounted on trunnions, throws down the upper chuck or rolling The bearings THE IRON AGE June 12, 1924 is in error when it states that Judge Gary testified that the prices obtained by the Western plants of re- spondents are not the result of the law of supply and demand, and that the authorities cited in the commis- sion’s brief are in no respect applicable to the points in the present case. In Appendix I an analysis is made of the evidence introduced by the commission by means of many wit- nesses. It is declared that the effect of the alleged discrimination in prices does not place any universal or even general handicap upon the Western and Southern consumers of steel resulting in a substantial lessening of their competition. In Appendix II many exceptions are taken to find- ings of fact made by the examiner on the ground that the findings are not supported by the evidence, or that the findings are irrelevant. die which presses the work between itself and the chuck on the machine spindle. The toggle operation is intended to maintain uniform pressure on all pieces. Adjustment is provided on the cam which operates the rocker arm toggle, so that the dwell may be varied depending on the piece. The shaft or auxiliary spindle carrying the upper chuck is adjustable longitudinally to permit of matching threads between the two dies. An automatic knockout is furnished with the machine. All the operator has to do is to keep the chute filled and operate the clutch treadle, it is claimed. ©The clutch may be locked for continuous operation, if desired. The trimming attachment is operated on an auxili- An Attachment for Trimming the Ragged Edges From Shells Is a New Feature of the Thread Rolling Machine Shown At Left and Above. The bearing mounting has been changed and the machine made heavier ary shaft by a cam placed on the main cam shaft. By use of suitable dies for the purpose, shells may be not only threaded and trimmed, but may be knurled, rolled to hexagon or other forms, or the edge wired. When trimming is performed, the attachment is so placed that trimmings and work are separated as they are delivered from the machine. Plans have been made by the Baltimore Safety Council, 22 Light Street, Baltimore, Paul F. Stricker, director, to launch a three-year safety campaign in Baltimore industries. Action was taken at a luncheon of the Industrial Committee and representatives from the plants on June 4. Safety groups will be formed in each plant and one man appointed to supervise and suggest safety measures. Fire at the plant of the Alliance Machine Co., Alliance, Ohio, June 6, largely destroyed the com- pany’s office building. Drawings in process were de- stroyed but it is stated that there will be no interrup- tion of plant operation as a result of the fire. Damage is estimated at $15,000. June 12, 1924 Improvements Added to G & E Shapers A multiple gravity oiling system for lubricating automatically all of the main internal bearings is one of several features recently added to the line of shapers offered by Gould & Eberhardt, Newark, N. J. The basic design and general lines of the machines, however, have not been changed. Although simple, the gravity oiling system is con- sidered adequate, as the shafts in this type of machine do not run at very high speeds and, therefore, require only a moderate amount of oil. The lubricant may be — Incorporation of a Multiple Gravity Oiling System, Relocation of Gear Shift Lever and Other Improve- ments Have Been Added turned on or off as the machine may require, depending upon how hard the shaper is being run. Other changes include moving the lever for shifting the gears in the speed gear case from the bottom to a more convenient location at the top of the case, where it may be reached conveniently. There is also an index plate arranged so that the operator can read easily the strokes per minute at which the machine is running. The starting and stopping lever in the machine has been made longer for the convenience of the operator, and a simple and efficient lock has been provided for the tool head slide. The handle for clamping the ram adjusting nut is now made of a drop forging. The mov- able vise jaw has a solid top which is accurately ma- chined and provides more surface than formerly for surface pointers when squaring up work. The guard over the cross rail is of sheet metal and provision is made to prevent the chips from getting under the guard and in back of the slide. Means are provided for oiling the cross slide and oil wipers are attached on all of the cross rail bearings, to keep these free from dirt and prevent chips from getting under. Other minor improvements are also being made. Automobile Production Slackens With a total of 301,200 cars and trucks turned out in May, United States automobile production has re- corded the fifteenth successive 300,000-car month. But there is a distinct falling off from the 373,139 vehicles reported for April and the 382,456 for March. For the first five months of the year the production reported by Automotive Industries was 1,749,543 cars and trucks, compared with 1,651,518 in the first five months of 1923. For the twelve months ended May 31, the total is given as 4,210,517, against 3,375,670 in the twelve months ended May 31 last year. Betterments at the Cambria plant, Johnstown, Pa., figure to a considerable extent in the proceeds of the recent $30,000,000 bond issue of the Bethlehem Steel Co. Among the improvements which are likely to be started at an early date will be a new power plant and the elec- trification of three of the bar mills at the Gautier plant. THE IRON AGE 1715 Full Revolving Crane for Use on Automobile Trucks A full revolving crane for mounting on the chassis of an automobile truck as shown in the accompanying illustration has been placed on the market by the Orton & Steinbrenner Co., 608 South Dearborn Street, Chicago. The machine is known as the Dependable truck crane and is intended to combine the advantages of a crane with the speed of a motor truck. The crane may be mounted on any 5-ton truck having a distance of 8 ft. between the back of the driver’s seat and the rear axle, the machine being more evenly balanced however if the distance is 8 ft. 6 in. A feature is the removable counterweight compart- ment. As the laws of some States do not permit loads in excess of 10 tons to traverse the roads, the ballast necessary to maintain the balance may be dropped out by opening the bottom of the compartment. Sand is usually the material employed for ballast. All parts of the crane are accessible and may be removed and replaced conveniently. The operat- ing levers are banked on one side at the front, and the operator has an unobstructed view of the work. The general arrangement of the drums, gears and shafts is similar to that in the company’s locomotive cranes, previously described. Bearings are equipped with removable bronze bushings, gears are of steel and The Crane Is of Full-Revolving Type and May Be Mounted On Chassis of Any 5-Ton Truck the spur gears in the main train have cut teeth. The drums and sheaves are of largé diameter. The fric- tions for operating the hoisting drums and swinging the boom are bronze cone with outside band brakes. Lubrication is by means of the Alemite pressure system. The turntable is a steel casting and revolves on four large steel rollers. The A-frame supporting the boom is of structural steel. Power is furnished by a heavy-duty Hercules four-cylinder 37-hp. motor. Double drums are provided on the main drum shaft. The crane may be equipped with a % or % yd. clam shell bucket. It may be used for handling coal, coke, sand and similar material. With a generating set a 36-in. magnet may be used to handle scrap iron, pig iron or castings, and equipped with hook and sling the machine may be used in erecting work. 1716 EYE ACCIDENTS PREVENTABLE Report of Two-Year Investigation of Eye Hazards Discussed at Safety Meeting An investigation into the eye hazards in industrial occupations has been conducted during the last two years by the National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness, 130 East Twenty-second Street, New York. A summary of the more important findings and an outline of the ways and means of putting the recommendations which grew out of these findings into effect were presented by Lewis H. Carris, man- aging director of the National Committee, at a meeting held under the joint auspices of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Brooklyn Safety Council, held in Brooklyn, N. Y., May 12. The full report which comprises more than 250 printed pages and fifty illustrations, will be issued within a few weeks. “Eye accidents surpass all other industrial hazards in seriousness, with the single ex- ception of fatal accidents, whether measured from the humanitarian, the cost sheet, or the production standpoint,” said Mr. Carris. “Approximately 200,000 eye accidents occur in industry annually, and it is estimated that several thousand eyes are permanently blinded as a result. There is hardly an industrial occupation in America which does not add annually to the steadily increasing total of the industrial blind and near-blind. Of a total of 100,000 totally blind persons in the United States, 15,000, or nearly one- seventh, became so through industrial accidents. A still greater number suffer from loss of one eye, or im- paired vision, caused by accidents while at work. “Even from the purely economic point of view eye accidents cost more in compensation, in medical treat- ment, and in loss of productive efficiency than any other form of non-fatal accident. “Besides the direct cost of compensation and medical treatment for eye injuries, two other principal factors contribute to the monetary cost of industrial eye hazards. They are the indirect cost resulting from spoilage of raw materials and finished products, and the natural slowing up of the individual’s work and of the whole industrial machine resulting from defective vision, from poor lighting, and from accidents caused wholly or partially by poor vision. These costs aggre- gate many millions of dollars a year. Three Chief Sources of Eye Injury “The chief eye hazards in industry are briefly, first, the accident hazards, such as flying chips of metal, minerals and wood; splashing liquids such as molten metals, acids, and other injurious chemicals; and ex- plosions of all varieties. Second, there are the hazards of infections and eye diseases which arise from neglect of eye injuries, incompetent first aid treatment, con- tact with carriers of contagious disease, and exposure to excessive radiated heat. Finally there is eyestrain resulting from improper or inadequate lighting, im- proper vocational placement, and from ignorance of or disregard for the existence of defective vision. “The solution of the eye hazard problem depends principally upon three forces: legislation, education, and organized prevention activities in industry. There must first of all be laws requiring the reporting of ac- cidents, specifying safeguards and providing for the compensation of injured workers, “But education of workmen, foremen, superinten- dents, plant managers, and of owners themselves is just as important, because of the fact that many acci- dents result from causes that cannot be guarded against by any mechanical means. Legislation can- not keep a workman from shoving his goggles up to his forehead when he is not being watched if that workman has not been convinced that he‘should wear goggles every minute of the time during which he is engaged in work that presents a serious eye hazard. Only education can do that. “Given ideal safety legislation and thorough-going safety education, there is still the need for definite THE IRON AGE June 12, 1924 and carefully organized accident prevention activities within the individual plant. Mechanical guards must be installed and maintained in working order. There must be frequent inspection of plant conditions and operating methods. Intelligent supervision is neces- sary. Illustrated posters, warning signs, and other forms of safety literature are needed.” Where such a program has been carried out, said Mr. Carris, eye accidents have been cut to almost nothing, and production has been increased. Com- paratively few industrial organizations have yet de- veloped anything like the full eye accident prevention possibilities, he said, but potentially every industrial concern can eliminate eye injuries by following the methods successfully used by the few pioneers. Harry Schultz, assistant manager of the bureau of safety, sanitation and welfare, United States Steel Corporation, also addressed the meeting, outlining the results achieved by the corporation in eliminating eye hazards, and the methods which were employed. Large Percentage of Industrial Workers Have Defective Vision Industry is neglecting the eyes of the workers, it is asserted by the Eye Sight Conservation Council of America. Summarizing the results of eye tests of a group of over 200,000 employees, said to be the largest yet studied in the field of eye conservation, the council reports that the average proportion of defective vision is 44.3 per cent. These disclosures, it was stated, “establish an accu- rate incidence of the proportion of defective vision among the 42,000,000 gainfully employed persons in the United States.” Comparing the findings of the survey with those of the Hoover waste committee of the American Engineer- ing Council, which revealed that out of more than 10,000 employees 66 per cent had defective eyes, the Eye Sight Conservation Council found that in one group of more than 12,000 the average of defective vision was 72 per cent. The Hoover conclusions are held to be very con- servative. The revelations of the survey have been embodied in a preliminary statement, a complete report, covering both the factories and the schools of the country, being in process of preparation. Data on eye examinations, eye protection and light- ing included in this preliminary digest have been gath- ered from 170 companies located in 23 States and em- ploying over 1,000,000 persons. What is considered an accurate cross-section has been obtained in two ways: First, by securing this wide geographical distribution and, second, by representation in all the leading types of industry and trades such as the manufacture of agri- cultural implements, automobiles, chemicals, foundry and machine shop products, iron and steel, public utili- ties, railroad transportation and other products. The survey furnishes evidence, it is said, that few companies have provided for the examination of the eyes of their employees either as a means of scientific selection at the time of application for employment or as a regular periodic procedure for permanent em- ployees. Guy A. Henry, Times Building, New York, is general director of the council. French Pig Iron and Steel Output in March French production of pig iron rose from 590,340 metric tons in February to 639,000 tons in March, bring- ing the total for the first quarter to 1,815,000 tons, Act- ing Commercial Attaché John F. Butler cables the De- partment of Commerce. Output of raw steel in March amounted to 573,000 tons, as compared with 554,632 tons in February, and 541,022 tons in January. There were 136 blast furnaces active in France on April 1; 39 furnaces were ready to operate, and 45 furnaces were being constructed or under repair. British Rolling Mill Engine Design Large and Massive Engines of Marine Type with Special Features—Both Horizontal and Vertical Three-Cylinder Designs BY MAJOR JOHNSTONE-TAYLOR* is considerably on the increase in Great Britain, steam operation is by no means considered a back number. The erection of new mills and the mod- ernizing of others has necessitated the construction of some very powerful engines during the last couple of years. Rolling mill engine practice cannot be said to Engines of As consid the electrical driving of rolling mills be in the hands of any one or two firms. this class being naturally a special order, the work falls to firms which have the necessary facilities, such as those engaged in the heaviest type of marine engine practice. 25,000-Hp. Reversing Engine One of the most powerful of its type ever con- structed, the engine shown in Fig. 1, was recently erected at the Cargo Fleet Ironworks by Richardsons- Westgarth, a firm well known in the marine engine business. This engine is to operate mills producing the largest commercial steel sections. Taking steam at 190 Ib. pressure, superheated 100 deg. Fahr., the three cylinders of this engine, which are 45 in. in diameter and have a stroke of 54 in., develop 25,000 hp. at 140 r.p.m. The engine is capable of reversing four times per minute. This sudden reversing, necessary of course in view *The Bungalow, Cherry Lane, Lymm, Cheshire, England. 1717 of the duty performed, required the massive construc- tion evident in the photograph (Fig. 1) and the two sectional views (Figs. 2 and 3). The base of the engine is exceptionally wide, the bed plate, in fact, weighing over 105 tons and being 22 ft. wide by 29 ft. long. The longitudinal girders a are 4 ft. deep, while the six cross girders b are 18 in. wide. These cross girders, which carry the main bearings, are fitted De ) Fig. 1— Large Rolling Mill En- gine at the Cargo Fleet Ironworks, in England. It will develop 25,000 hp. in its three 45 x 54-in. cyl- inders when operating at 140 r.p.m. and may be reversed four times per minute between the longitudinals, with spigotted joints and double-locking keys. Each of the six main columns is made in two parts, with a planed joint down the center, the two parts being bolted and further secured by hoops shrunk onto bosses cast on the inside of each joint. The reversing shaft m is supported on one side of each column. That part of the columns to which the crosshead slides are fitted is cored out for water circulation. The entabla- ture ¢ serves to tie the tops of the frames together and as a seating for the cylinders, these castings being 2 ft. deep, while with the crosshead guides d also bolted thereto, a thorough tying of the structure is insured. Cylinders The three cylinders are all similar. They are of cast iron with separate liners, e, the latter being 2% in. thick. Space f forms a steam jacket. The cylinder bottoms are in the form of cone-shaped castings, g, through doors in the sides of which the glands are THE IRON June 12, 1924 AGE DOD DUEEROOAEOGCUDEDUNAU OED ORE HOLENRL neneREEOED aa “eae tp] © [fd Fig. 2—(Left) and Fig. 3 Are Sections of the Cargo Fleet Engine, the Reference to Parts Being Covered in the Text OOONRDNENGNDEEAURDENNENOREEDLS UELECHEAMO*RADLDL LIN HHDUEAAHLE /OLIIDCLUN DERE OHRENOHPUHEORAESEOOLOCLEL toanenene AUCCURONONALELERAEDERTOOTAUI ONE: OH OEUENDI REDON c6O°*RNUEURRDDEADEAOGNDE OO Op accessible. The valve chambers, h, are separate from the cylinders and bolted to them, a point of interest being the straight steam passages. Piston valves, j, are 20 in. and 19% in. diameter, top and bottom, the steam pressure thus balancing the weight of the moving parts. They work 12 liners, k, and take steam about the center, the exhaust leaving by the ends and having its exit via pipe, 1. Each cyl- inder has a separate 14-in. double beat throttle valve and, while each throttle is separately adjustable, all three are coupled together for simultaneous operation from the driving platform by means of a steam hy- draulic reversing engine. Valve Gear and Reversing System The valve gear, of the Joy type, is capable of cutting off steam from the lead up to 70 per cent of stroke, and the linkwork has been so proportioned as to give even distribution between the two ends of the cylinders in both running directions. To the main reversing shaft, shown at m, are attached the reversing quadrant levers, n, the latter being cast in one piece as pairs in H-section steel, while the shaft itself is 10 in. in diam- eter, of ingot steel. The valve spindies, p, are 3 in. in diameter and of nickel steel, while the various links are of forged mild steel. They are finished bright all over. The reversing engine shown in Fig. 4 is essentially the same as is built largely in Great Britain for marine work. There are a steam cylinder, a, and a hydraulic cylinder, 6, both mounted on piston rod, c. The two ends of the hydraulic cylinder are connected by pipes with the hydraulic valve, d, this being actuated by the same spindle as the steam valve. The hand lever actuating this valve spindle controls the engine, steam being admitted above or below the steam piston as re- quired, and the hydraulic valve is simultaneously opened so that the fluid passes from one end of the hydraulic cylinder to the other. The piston rod is thus free to UOULLIUTUOAREDOR DONEDOOES PPOABDEOADOOEESRONEDDREAADOL DORADO OE DOADEOOUENLEGULNUDAONDERERUDESAAANEUIOEGSENNS(LANG* HOODERDONEDOREO HORes HOCnQu@ns tones DoneEsorenBDanOnONE oeN ORE T TENN: - move until the hunting gear, e, which is operated by a floating lever off the piston rod, brings the slide valve back to the mid position, the hydraulic valve being then closed and the hydraulic piston locked. Thus the hydraulic cylinder acts as a cushion against the steam piston; it insures a steady, even stroke, free from shock, and acts as a locking device in any posi- tion. The reversing engine is located between the first and second cylinders, and is seen at q, Fig. 2. Moving Parts The crank shaft, which weighs over 40 tons, is built up of webs, pins and sections of flanged shaft, as shown in Fig. 3, the shaft itself being 22 in. in diameter and the pins 20 in. The six main bearings are 24 in. long and water cooled. The connecting rods, which are of the forked marine type, are 10 ft. 9 in. long center to center, a 5-in. pin for the valve gear being fitted at wu. The piston rods are 9 in. in diameter and, working through metallic packed glands, are secured to the pis- tons by nuts v, screwed 8 in. The pistons are steel castings machined all over. Horizontal Engines of 12,000 Hp. Three engines recently built by Markham of Ches- terfield are also three-cylinder engines, but are ar- ranged horizontally, as shown in Fig. 5. These engines are erected at Beardmore’s Mossend Works and are non-condensing reversible engines exhausting into heat accumulators at 19% lb. absolute pressure. The cyl- inders are 40 in. in diameter and the stroke 54 in., and they are supplied with steam at 160 lb. pressure and 150 deg. superheat. Solidity of construction being one of the main essen- tials for engines of this class, the main frame consists of four box-section legs, a, between main bearings and cylinders. These are 5% ft. deep. At the cylinder end these are connected by an entablature and at the front end by box castings, b, 4 ft. deep. All the. faced June 12, 1924 flanges are bolted and fitted with tongue pieces. In addition, ties, c, are located between crankshaft and slide bars, thus giving a structure of great strength in all directions. The cylinders are bolted to the bed plates at the front, being registered thereto at d. The outer ends are not bolted down, but rest on feet, f, the latter having machined seatings on the bed plate extension, g, which is further extended to support the tail rods. While the cylinder fronts are cast integral with the barrel, the rear covers are separate. The body of the stuffing box, h, fills the recess left for the working of the boring bar when machining the cylinder barrel. Metallic packing is used in the glands, which are pro- vided also with extra long babbitted bushings to re- lieve the bottom of the cylinder barrel from wear, while provision of 8 in. diameter piston rods and 8 in. diameter tail rods materially reduces any liability to deflection. The pistons are of cast steel and as light as possible. In these engines, again, Joy’s valve gear is used, the linkwork being clearly seen in Fig. 5, the steam- hydraulic system of reversing being employed. The steam chests also are castings separate from the cyl- inders, while piston valves, 7, work in hard cast iron liners, k. The three connecting rods are 11 ft. 3 in. between centers, and have marine big ends and strap and wedge little ends. The crankshafts are of special design, of forged steel throughout. Each pin and pair of webs is a one-piece forging shrunk onto the straight part of the shaft, a design adopted on account of the large size of pins and journals in proportion to the length of stroke. The pins and bearings are 20 in. in diameter, the length of the former being 13 in., and of the latter 26 in. The total weight of the crankshaft is 27 tons and, like the shaft of the Richardson engine, it was trued up in the lathe. OT Fig. 4—(Right) Reversing En- gine for the Cargo Fleet Vertical Rolling Mill Engine Fig. 5—(Below) Three-Cylinder Horizontal Reversing Engine of 12,000 Hp., with Cylinders 40 x 54 In. Ou WmEDEDeDeasnesORDERDONEEERENG: 100001011, 10084 + 10884. cO8RENERED: OONRDGD CD. ONDEEEGELONEEDENE DEREDITUOEEREYEROREEROLED 198. 8000TERUEEELERETERESTORERERDORRDREEDITENDUNELDYNEDEUEEDONAEDDONYHONEDOUEDONETY.NnnN OTRO DEAT IV 0e1 0/0111 1 1ONEEENRREDDEREENED, OFTPODERD OnE DER ONEEY TENT. /L/TSTTOPTENERDE) /PUEOTREREETECR INET #ROREURBEY 100 THE IRON AGE 1719 NEARLY PERFECT RECORD Highly Satisfactory Results of Safety Campaign— Challenge Accepted While a perfect record was not accomplished in the safety campaign conducted at the Middletown plant of the American Rolling Mill Co. during the month of April, the campaign was considered a huge success, in that the number of lost time accidents during the month was cut down to four, not one of these being a serious one. Perhaps, however, the success of the cam- paign can be best measured as to results in the oppor- tunity it presented for welding together the various units of the plant for the common good, and the bring- ing out, in innumerable ways of the thing described as the “Armco spirit.” During the month, 27 days elapsed in which there was not a lost time accident. The cam- paign was organized and carried through by the em- ployees themselves, and it had the hearty co-operation of the officials of the company. As a result of the interest established in safety campaigns by the American Rolling Mill Co. at its Zanesville and Middletown plants, the employees of the Andrews Steel Co. and the Newport Rolling Mill Co. at Newport, Ky., have issued a challenge to the Middle- town Works for a safety contest during the month of May, and this is now in progress. To increase the available output of domestic coke, the British Empire Steel Corporation will erect a coke crusher at its plant at Sydney, N. S., capable of turning out 20 tons of coke per hour broken to the proper size for domestic use. The normal furnace coke is too large for use in house furnaces and stoves and has to be broken into sizes ranging from % to 2 in. Reversing Engine nn a p | = ee oo Air ed q LLL, tg A 60 Wile corse orev oo om f APUNODITEVORNOTN SPOON IDEN DENT DOTEORUROSE CROR OE SORASOROOED Improves Line of Bar Cutters A new series of bar cutters incorporating among other improvements a universal bar cutter arrange- ment with a special section for cutting channels and I-beams has been placed on the market by the Buffalo Forge Co., Buffalo. More advantageous position of the plunger counter-balancing springs and improved main- shaft bearings are also features emphasized by the makers. Seven sizes of the machine are available. In the five smaller sizes a more positive method has been pro- vided for effecting plunger engagement, and the larger machines of the series have a new type of cam adjust- ment for the jaw clutch. The engagement and dis- engagement of the plunger in the smaller machines is accomplished by a block and ram controlled by a coun- Improved Bar Cutting Machine. A universal bar cutter arrangement with a special section for cutting channels and I-beams is an added feature terweighted lever, the counterweight being intended to assure positive holding of the ram in either position desired. The lower half of the bar cutter working sec- tion is designed so that it may be used for cutting rounds, squares, angles, flats and tees without changing knives. The upper half of this section contains the knives for cutting channels and I-beams and other rolled sections. The latter, however, are not universal and a special knife is required for each size channel and I-beam used. The general appearance of the ma- chines has been improved and overall height reduced by changing the position of the two larger plunger counter-balancing springs from the top of the machines to a position inside the frame. With the new drive- shaft bearing, either the flywheel or the shaft may be conveniently removed if necessary. The plunger and gears are steel castings, and the pinions are of chrome-nickel steel. The shafts are of hammered steel and run in bronze lined bearings, the bearings of the drive shaft being ring oiled. For rounds the cutting capacity ranges from 1 in. to 4 in., and for squares, from % in. to 3% in. The capacities are based on mild steel with a tensile strength of 60,000 lb. per sq. in. THE IRON AGE June 12, 1924 Joseph T. Ryerson & Son Extend Represen- tation Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., has become exclusive general sales agent of the Lewis brands of iron made by the Penn Iron & Steel Co., consisting of Louis special staybolt iron, engine bolt iron and drilled hollow stay- bolts. Sale of the products will be directed by John P. Moses, general manager of railroad sales for the Ryer- son company. Products of the Ulster Iron Works, Dover, N. J., formerly sold by Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., will hereafter be sold by a new selling organiza- tion being organized and directed by Howard A. Gray. Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., has been a factor in this field for years, and by this connection with the Penn Iron & Steel Co. has become associated with George T. Lewis, a veteran maker of puddled iron in this country. Mr. Lewis, president Penn Iron & Steel Co., with works at Creighton, Pa., is the grandson of George Lewis, who came to this country in 1814 from the Penydarren Iron Works of Wales. Better Accident Record in Metal-Working Plants Sixty-eight steel companies, machine shops and foun- dries, and other heavy metal-working industries com- prising partial membership of the Metals Section of the National Safety Council, show relatively small increases in accident rates in comparison with the increase of hours worked in 1923 over 1922. The companies in- cluded in the report are those which reported in both 1922 and 1923. The increase in the number of hours ‘ worked for this group of industries, which employed about 60,000 men in 1923, was 9% per cent, while the increase in frequency rate was only 3% per cent. An increase of 11 per cent in the severity rate was due to the increase of three in the number of fatalities. An- other cause for the increase in severity rates is the more accurate reporting of permanent disabilities, especially by the smaller companies, due to the use of a new re- port form which emphasizes more clearly the heavy charges of lost time for permanent disabilities. Reorganization of Moline Plow Co. The Moline Plow Co., Moline, Ill., which has passed through two reorganizations, will further reduce its properties. An official announcement states that direc- tors of the company “have decided to sell off those units of the company which have been operating at a loss and to create, by readjustment of the profitable units, a new and smaller implement company, which will confine its operations to those lines on which the company has operated successfully for over 50 years.” This action will make about $4,000,000 available for security hold- ers and will leave a new and smaller organization with a capital stock of about $3,500,000 and with ample assets for its operation. George N. Peek has resigned as president of the company and Hugh S. Johnson has been placed in charge, assisted by R. W. Lea. Net earnings of the Sharon Steel Hoop Co., Sharon, Pa., up to June 1, available for common stock after charges and allowing for the preferred dividend, ap- proximated $1,000,000. The company has enjoyed pro- portionately better business and consequently more suc- cessfully sustained production than most other inde- pendent interests in the Youngstown district. It now has enough unfilled tonnage to warrant an operating rate close to normal for several weeks, after which pro- duction will be more susceptible to incoming tonnage and trade fluctuations. Plant operations in the Youngstown district were accelerated last week to some extent over schedules first announced. The Trumbull Steel Co. added one open-hearth furnace to the two which started the week; the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. and the Thomas Sheet Steel Co. each added four more sheet mills, while the Carnegie Steel Co. placed in operation a blast fur- nace at the Ohio Works, which has been banked. Late Developments in Steel Rail Practice Lengths of 39 ft. with Ends Milled—Tie Plates, from Steel from Top of Ingots—Improved Hot Bed Treat- ment Regarded Important BY C. W. GENNET, JR. Re south orders for 130,000 tons of rail for the Southern Pacific System have attracted wide at- tention, chiefly because these orders mark the first that have been placed by an American railroad for so large a volume of 39-ft. rails and also because all must be “milled” on both ends. No mill in the country was at once able to comply easily with these require- ments, but two of the three to whom the orders were distributed are rapidly completing the modifications necessary to their plants, and the circumstances of the whole transaction have tended to arouse interest in the subject of rails. No doubt subsequent inquiries for rails will largely follow the Southern Pacific’s lead for long length rail. Brief discussion, or review, of certain rail problems is therefore in order. Number of Joints Reduced 15 Per Cent The reason prompting the use of 39-ft. or 45-ft. rails, in lieu of the prevailing standard of 33-ft., is obvious. Joints, of whatever type used, constitute an item of large expense, not only with respect to their first cost but also to their maintenance. Thus, a decrease of 15 per cent in the number of joints is exceedingly at- tractive and it has been well established that this can be nearly doubled without risking the effects of exces- sive rail expansion. Sufficient cars for transporting long length rails are now available, and the chief objec- tion for some time to the general adoption of at least 39-ft. rails has been the difficulty of obtaining them from the mills without the payment of an extra price, which left the matter of the ultimate saving on joints a doubtful one. Prior to the war the Colorado mill furnished the Western lines with a portion of their orders in 39-ft. lengths and some Eastern mills met the competition. Production was almost invariably reduced, principally because the hot beds and cold finishing departments were, generally speaking, unprepared for properly han- dling these unusual lengths. No other objections, such as the increased weight of a unit length and its cold straightening, appeared as important disadvantages. But the adjustment of prices following the war virtually served to confine orders to 33-ft. lengths. Now, with Colorado’s recent hot bed addition, and some slight modifications at the Tennessee mill to enable it to de- liver on the Southern Pacific contract, it remains to be seen what will be done at other plants, such as Gary, Lackawanna and Edgar Thomson, to meet the inevitable demand of the future. The Inland and Steelton mills are already fairly well adapted for the longer lengths. Milling the Ends of Rails Milling the ends of rails is not simply a refinement. It is required to secure squareness and a positive elimi- nation of the hot saw burrs, and the importance of these details has been enhanced by the use of ‘the larger rail sections. Export rails have frequently required milling, and girder rails for street.car lines are always milled. The recent tendency when laying rails has been toward leaving less expansion, or opening, between abutting rails, which means that the ends must be al- most perfectly square, and experience has shown that the hot saws are not likely to insure this constantly. The removal of the saw burrs by hand chipping and filing has become most unsatisfactory, very small burrs frequently preventing the joints from getting a good fit and, it is asserted, sometimes nicking the bars so that their later failure results. A slight burr on the top of the head of the rail is often rolled into the expansion opening by the first few trains, and, later, when the weather expands the rail, a piece from the head is chipped out. These chipped joints make bad riding track and start battered end rails. Milling the rail ends apparently provides relief from most of these evils, while the operation also as- sures of less variation in lengths an