The Iron Age 1924-06-26: Vol 113 Iss 26

YUN 27 1924 TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - 1873 THE IRON ACE PO iii Published Weekly NEW YORK, N. Y., JUNE 26, 1924 Single Copy, 25 Cents Vol. 113, No. 26 — at 3 a ten Ee the Set or Mone’ 3 ater — Six Dollars a Year If It’s Made of FELT- AskK BOOTH The Booth Felt Company, Inc. 477-479 19th Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. 731 SHERMAN ST., CHICAGO, ILL. Zz soe = Established 1905 @° 222 IRON AGE June 26, 1924 No group of catalogs is complete without /. nmediate Steel?’ 80,000 copies of this booklet are mailed every sixty days to users of steel and steel products. It is the ‘‘key” to the largest stocks of steel in the world, including com- plete information on: Bars Tubes Boiler Fittings Shapes Plates Concrete Reinforcing Structurals Sheets Firmtread Plates Rails Rivets Alloy Steel Shafting Bolts Tool Steel Strip Steel Nails Small Tools Babbitt Wire Machinery, Etc. If you are not receiving a copy, just ask to have your name placed on our mailing list. Josepu T. Rverson & SON tac. ESTABLISHED 1642 PLANTS: CHICAGO ST.LOUIS CINCINNATI DETROIT BUFFALO NEW YORK BRANCH OFFICES; DENVER HOUSTON JERSEY CITY MILWAUKEE MINNEAPOLIS NEWARK SAN FRANCISCO TULSA THE IRON AGE New York, June 26, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 113, No. 26 Demands Increasing for Reinforcing Steel Portland Cement Industry Celebrating Its Centennial This Year Now a Large Consumer of Steel in Various Forms BY L. N. DURYEA ROM casual consideration, there might seem to be but little significance to those associated with the iron and steel industries in the statement that the shipments of Portland cement increased more than 15 per cent during 1923 over those of the previous year. Yet when it is real- ized that at least 60 per cent of the total output of the cement plants in the United States—and that means nearly two-thirds of 545,000,000 sacks—goes in- to construction that entails the use of more or less re- inforcing steel, it has more than a passing interest to the producer of steel, and particularly of bars. Not so many years ago, reinforced concrete con- struction was still in the experimental stage and it is comparatively recently that iron and steel produc- tion figures have listed con- crete bars and reinforcing mesh among the leading articles. But within the past few years consider- able progress has _ been made in the _ designing of reinforced construction with the result that both the cement manufacturer and the steel producer have seen a greater portion of ton to San Francisco, returning by the way of New Orleans and Atlanta. And of this amount nearly 3000 miles was reinforced, requiring about 44,000 tons of reinforced steel deformed bars in its construction. The United States Geo- logical Survey in its report on the cement industry for 1922, published some fig- ures on the distribution of cement for various kinds of construction. Based on a similar proportion, the 1923 output shows that the con- struction of public and com- mercial buildings, requiring some 35,400,000 bbl. of Portland cement, is the dominating factor in the use of this material. And practically all of the con- crete in this class of con- struction is reinforced in some form. In the concrete con- struction divided among the railroads, river and harbor developments, dams and water power projects, bridges, storage tanks and reservoirs, it has been estimated that an- other 11,500,000 bbl. of Portland cement were used. While in all probability the proportion of plain con- erete used for these pur- poses exceeded that for their output devoted to this Some of the More Recent Installations of the Rotary buildings, there is reason combined use. Concrete construction as a whole showed a large in- crease in 1923 over the previous twelve months, but no doubt the greatest ratio of gain was in the use of reinforcing wire mesh. In concrete road construc- tion, especially, has the stee] industry been called upon for greater quantities of its product. Last year there was laid in roads and streets in the United States the equivalent of 7490 miles of 18-ft. road—sufficient to build a national highway from Bos- Kilns Are Credited with Being the Largest Pieces of to believe that as much as Movable Machinery in Existence. The iron and steel work in the rotary kilns 240 ft. long and 11 ft. in diameter will weigh over 800,000 Ib. three-fourths of the con- crete going into such con- struction was reinforced by steel. The development of small concrete products has also opened up somewhat of a new field for the use of reinforcing steel. For instance, in replacing the old wooden silo by one made of concrete staves, steel is finding a field of use little before exploited. And in one county in Illinois where there are 2000 farms there are 2000 concrete silos. Then, too, practically all con- 1847 Me Bee cy Pa so nas Ss ot ademectay ements -saney { | i 4 | | THE IRON ee SAL crete pipe above 24 in. in diameter is reinforced with steel mesh and not infrequently the joints are cast iron. Recently a concrete-lined cast iron pipe has found its way into use for water mains—the concrete preventing the incrustation that has been the deterior- ating feature of cast iron pipes. In London, England, a pipe of this kind has been in service for transmitting illuminating gas. The fact that cement production in the United States has increased more than 170 times over in the past 30 years is due in a large measure to the wide- spread use of reinforced concrete. In 1895 when pro- duction first reached the million-barrel per year mark, reinforcing had hardly passed its introductory period, although the first use of reinforced concrete so far as is known occurred some 75 years ago—a quarter of a century after the introduction of Portland cement. No doubt, the bulk of the demand for iron and steel products in the cement manufacturing process is for the heavy machinery and the repair parts that must always be carried in stock to decrease the expensive shut-downs. In the average cement plant as much as a tenth of the inventoried value of the plant may be in- As Much as 30 to 40 Tons of Steel Balls Are Used ina Modern Two-Com- partment Grinding Mill AGE June 26, Last Year the Equivalent of 3000 Miles of Concrete Road Was Re- inforeced with Bars or Mesh. This use required about #4,- 000 tons of steel vested in spare parts. The wear and tear of the heavy machinery in the grinding and burning processes of making cement compares somewhat with that in a rolling mill—repairs being frequent and break-downs likely to put the entire plant out of operation. There is perhaps no one industry comparable with that of making Portland cement that requires such heavy machinery as the gyratory crushers and the rotary kilns for crushing the raw materials and burn- ing them into Portland cement clinker. Crushers weighing as much as 450,000 lb. are in use in some plants. The iron and steel work in a modern rotary kiln of 240 ft. in length and 11 ft. in diameter wil! weigh about 800,000 lb.—the largest single piece of moving machinery in existence. Some of these kilns with their brick lining when operating with a charge of raw materials weigh as much as 10 all-steel Pull- man cars. Twice during the process of manufacturing Port- land cement, it is necessary to grind the material as fine as flour. For this purpose, ball and tube mills have been introduced which employ many tons of chilled iron cr steel balls to pound the hard material June 26, 1924 to pieces. In some of these mills as many as 30 to 40 tons of balls are used and an average sized cement plant that uses this method Of grinding €@xclusi¥ecly will buy as many as 200 tons of balls annually. The present year will mark the centennial of the patenting of Portland cement, for 100 years ago an obscure brick mason in the town of Leeds, England, terminated a long series of experiments by patenting an artificial stone that he described as Portland ce- ment. THE IRON AGE 1849 In 1872 the first plant was started in the United States but expansion was slow until the early nineties when the rotary kiln and the burning of pulverized coal as a fuel was introduced. At the present time there are some 127 operating plants in this country. Last year they consumed over 10,500,000 tons of coal and supplied more than 3 per cent of the total tonnage of the railroads in producing more Portland cement than was produced in the other countries of the world combined. Iron and Steel Market in Belgium Is Seriously Disturbed WASHINGTON, June 24.—The entire market for iron and steel in Belgium is deranged and immediate pros- pects are unpromising, according to a cablegram re- ceived by the Department of Commerce from Acting Commercial Attaché Samuel H. Gross, Brussels. Amer- ican inquiries for steel strips for binding bales have been noted. The readiness of steel and wire mills to accept business for quick deliveries is indicative of in- stability, the report says, and considerable sheet and plate orders from Chinese and South African consum- ers who ordinarily buy in Belgium are reported to have gone to Germany. Irregular Belgian quotations are declared to testify to the unfavorable outlook and Ger- man quotations on heavy grades run from five to seven shillings under the Belgian quotations. The temporary stimulation of the Belgian steel market as the result of the declining value of the franc, the acting commercial attaché says, was later handi- capped by general political uncertainty surrounding the French elections. Foreign buyers held off in the expec- tation that a settlement of the Ruhr labor difficulties would bring more favorable German quotations. Bel- gian mill and forge operators are now apprehensive as to the ease with which German producers recover from adverse industrial situations and immediately gather in foreign contracts at prices making local com- petition difficult, if not impossible. French and Luxem- burg competition is less critical than German at pres- ent. It is believed, the cable says, only a question of time when French price competition will be made to meet German rivalry. Slight improvement is noted in the Belgian pig iron market, but prices still are regarded as too high to attract large contracts. Nominal quotations on semi- finished steel remain stationary and the tonnage avail- able in the open market is still limited by local con- sumption. British buyers generally offer under Bel- gian figures. Export operations in finished steel are comparatively rare, but domestic buying is more active due to the expectation of a further decline in the franc. Owing to the exhaustion of forward orders, mills fre- quently are making concessions for firm contracts. It is reported that German producers are quoting bars two to three shillings under the prices of Belgian plants. Film of Wire Rope Manufacture Under the title “Heat-X, the Story of Wire Rope,” the John A. Roebling Sons Co., Trenton, N. J., has had made by the Pathéscope Co., 35 West Forty- second Street, New York, a five-reel film showing the making of wire rope from the loading of pig iron and scrap on the open-hearth charging cars to the testing of the completed rope. The pictures were taken both in the plant at Roebling, N. J., and in the main plant at Trenton. The story is carried through the open- hearth, blooming mill, billet, shear, rod mill and wire drawing stages at Roebling and then transferred to the big rope machines at Trenton. The film shows partic- ularly how the process is watched at every stage of manufacture, with all the checks of inspection and the occasional rejection of material which does not come up to exacting specifications. Closing this film, which was shown in New York June 20, was a view of a train, including four cars car- rying 160,000 Ib. of wire rope to the new Bear Moun- tain bridge over the Hudson, this shipment being the preliminary rope swung across the river and from which the main suspension cables will be laid up. The final cables will be made of wire 0.192 in. in diameter, this wire being drawn from rod of % to 9/16 in. Norwalk Iron Works Co. Sold Plant, equipment and good will ef the Norwalk Iron Works Co., Norwalk, Conn., have been sold to Charles B. Stanley, a Cleveland banker, and the sale has been confirmed by Judge Edwin S. Thomas of the United States District Court in Norwalk. The purchaser is a member of the Cleveland banking firm of Stanley & Bissell and represented bondholders, whose petition to foreclose a mortgage on the Norwalk property forced the company into bankruptcy last December. The Norwalk company, a new corporation, has been formed and will operate the plant, making compression machinery as heretofore, and extending its line te in- clude a complete range of air and gas compressors. Directors of the new company are Charles B. Stan- ley, Howard N. Bissell and George F. Griffith, Cleve- land; F. R. Hickman and E. H. Havens, Bridgeport, Conn., and R. C. Witmer and T. H. Hermanson of Nor- walk. The directors elected Mr. Havens president, Mr. Hickman vice-president and treasurer, R. C. Witmer, secretary, and T. H. Hermanson works manager. Mr. Havens was appointed receiver of the company when it was forced into bankruptcy. Mr. Hickman has been serving as general manager under the receivership. Iron League Asks Injunction Against Union A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of New York by the New York Iron League asking a tem- porary injunction to restrain the iron workers’ union from continuing the strike which has been in force since May 1. It was asserted in the petition that mem- bers of the Iron League had incurred damages amount- ing to $5,000,000 through picketing tactics, in which, it is alleged, strikers resorted to bribery, vio- lence and intimidation, and employed illegal methods to prevent strikebreakers from working for members of the league. In the complaint it is stated that the origin of the dispute dates back to 1905, when the workers went out in defiance of an arbitration plan, and an agreemert for a closed shop is described as be- tween the Building Trades Employers’ Association and the Building Trades Council, effective Jan. 1, 1920. The Iron League has declined flatly any terms for a closed shop. The By-Products Coke Corporation, 332 South Mich- igan Avenue, Chicago, has awarded a contract to the Koppers Co., Pittsburgh, for the construction of by- products coke ovens, 45 x 200 ft., and a bin, 44 x 90 ft., at its plant near Torrence Avenue and 114th Street, South Chicago. The improvements will cost $525,000. The By-Products Coke Corporation is a leading pro- ducer of foundry and furnace coke, as well as coke for the domestic trade. Members of the National Association of Purchasing Agents in southwestern Ohio held a meeting at Dayton, Ohio, June 19, at which the subject of governmental purchasing was the principal topic discussed. The members were the guests of the Cincinnati association at dinner. ~ Safety Contest Results in a Tie Kentucky and Ohio Steel Makers Engage in Unique Rivalry—How the Campaign Was Organized and Carried On contest, now going on between the American Roll- ing Mill Co., Middletown, Ohio, and the Newport Rolling Mill Co., Andrews Steel Co., Globe Iron Roofing & Corrugating Co., and Newport Culvert Co., all at Newport, Ky. That two great competitive corporations operating the same kind of plants and having the same depart- ments could get together and stage a contest in the great work of accident prevention shows to what an extent the work for safety has a grip on the modern business executive. The second great feature at the Newport rolling mill is the nearing of the goal in an accident prevention campaign, which has been carried ‘n sor the last year and more especially the last five months. This is more readily understood when we state that the 1800 to 2500 employees are almost all new men, a large number of whom came direct from the farm and hillside, with little conception of what mill work is and practically no idea of self-protection against accident in new and unusual surroundings. The third great out- standing feature, and perhaps the greatest, is the avid- ity and zeal with which these men have seized the op- portunity of making “safety first” a real live and exist- ing part of their lives and work. Taking these things up in order, the first two can be explained together. The plant had started, on the first of this year, a vigorous effort to cut down an appalling list of accidents which were coexistent with and largely the result of breaking in an entirely new organization, even to the extent of over half the force of foremen. Lost time accidents for 1923 had averaged a little over 25 per month. To start the campaign, a monthly safety dinner was added to the regular weekly foremen’s meeting. At these dinners were all superin- tendents, foremen and keymen of the plant. Safe prac- tices and accident prevention were the only subjects dis- cussed, and by these efforts, through the foremen, acci- dents were cut down successively from 21 in January to 8 in April. However, the ultimate goal was a long way off, unless the idea of safety was got to the individual workman, for, after all is said about “safety first,” it can be all summed up in the statement that accidents are prevented only by personal caution. " [contest are three outstanding features of the safety How the Contest Came About About this time the American Rolling Mill Co. was staging a campaign in Middletown and a direct chal- lenge resulted for a contest in accident prevention. To make the contest fairer, the three other companies men- tioned combined their efforts on one side and the Mid- diletown plant on the other. This brought plants having steel works, blooming and bar mills, sheet and jobbing mills, galvanizing and roofing departments on each side. One strict condition laid down was that the definition of a lost time accident should be the same for all. Thus, a lost time accident was defined as one in which the in- jured man was unable to assume his regular duties without help on the day following that on which the accident occurred, or one in which compensation was paid to the employee, regardless of whether he lost any time or not. Organizing for Safety Dividing the mills at Newport into groups, accord- ing to the class of work performed, chairmen were selected for each group from among the workmen, who in turn selected their committeemen. These commit- tees were given the power to stop any unsafe practices seen by them, and were the leaders of their groups through the campaign. The groups were pitted against each other to make a record for May. In spite of rain, May 1 blossomed out with the plants decorated and plastered with safety signs, slogans, descriptive sets, that gave them the appearance of a,county fair, all made by the workmen of the various groups. Every one who entered the plant, visitor or work- man, was compelled to wear a badge, cap or other in- signium, with a group number, showing he was safe and able to take care of himself. It was impossible for anyone to get by the gate or enter any department not wearing such identification, without being accosted and even put out until someone known to the committeemen would vouch for him and provide him with a badge of safety. This was probably the most effective weapon employed against accident, as it continually impressed every workman with the importance of being safe him- self, and in so doing upholding the honor of the group to which he belonged. The group spirit grew keener and brought out so many unknown artists and slogan makers that our officials now believe they know where the scenario writers of the movies came from. Visualizing Results A large electric sign proclaiming “safety first”? was installed conspicuously, while directly over the gate was a sign demanding that anyone not safe stay out. An electric sign with 31 lights, outlining the word “May,” was started with white lights on the first of the month, and every day on which no accident occurred a green light was substituted, and a red one for a day on which an accident occurred. “Old Man Carelessness,” much bandaged, spotted with red paint, limped through the plant on crutches, followed up and chased by a neat and natty workman representing Safety First on the last day of April, and on May 1 an imitation grave appeared with a tombstone declaring that Old Man Carelessness was there buried forever. Another group hung the same offensive Old Man Carelessness from a pole on a boat in the reservoir, and drowned him inch by inch as the month went on without accident to one of their group. Still another group took a dummy labeled Old Man Carelessness and, putting it under the skull cracker, crushed it to bits. This group has not had an accident since. A large black cat with electric eyes was placed in front of the main entrance and a strip of the black was painted white each day there was no accident; on the two days in which accidents did occur the color of the group having the accident was painted on instead. The proverbial donkey, proclaiming he was a jackass and did not believe in safety, was cut out of wood and stood up in contradistinction to the steady draft horse labeled that he was no jackass and did believe in safety. The electricians built up an imitation electric chair to elec- trocute any careless workman. Another group started a dummy up a ladder of 31 steps, representing each day of the month, and ad- vancing him a step for every day no accident occurred and proudly sat him on the top at the end of the month, waving a flag and proclaiming the fact in a big sign that they had gone “over the top.” This same group sent up balloons with safety slogans attached and stamped return cards, one for each man in the depart- ment. Many of the 150 cards were returned from points more than 40 miles away. Another group had Old Man Carelessness caged and locked up in a cell with signs proclaiming the uselessness of any attempt to get bail. Another group “rooted for safety,” with 1850 June 26, 1924 THE IRON AGE 1851 IF YOU ARE SAFE ENTER Visualizing IF NOT STAY OUT Safety Some of the Means of Bringing Home to the Worker What Carelessness Costs This Injunction Met the Eyes of Every One Who Entered the Plant , % ae CO ee i ae ee | ix) . > WS 9 Sending Up a Battery of Balloons Carrying Safety Slogans. Some of the cards were returned from over 40 miles away As Each Day Passed Without Acci- dent, a White Stripe Was Painted Across the Black Cat “Old Man Carelessness” Nearly Drowned on May 30 Prt EAL OS EE MERE EL ee inesnaanieahenatenaneinishrentantiaiiaanedl anasashesaenmaianiiiamenece ae Impromptu Band That Led the Opening Day Parade, With “Old Man Careless- Dummy Sitting on Top of the ness”’ and “Safety First” Personified Ladder of Suecess After 31 Days Without Accident in this De- partment 2 SOREN ENN TN ES 1852 pictures of the farm yard hog, visualizing the motto. Among the best things were the tableaux of little chil- dren, represented by dolls, at various sorts of play, but always overtopped with a sign reminding “daddy” that he must come home unhurt to his family. Careful Control and Its Results The workmen’s committees investigated all cases of carelessness, and tried the offenders in regular court procedure. In some cases men were recommended to be laid off for a period and in others discharge was rec- ommended. The management in all cases adopted these recommendations. These and many more stunts were thought out and executed by the workmen’s committees to visualize to their fellow workmen the idea of safety. That they succeeded is shown by the figures on the large score board at the main gate at the end of the month, which showed two slight lost time accidents at the Newport Rolling Mill for May, as compared with a total of 53 for the four months previous, and one such accident at Andrews Steel Co., compared with 17 in the four months preceding. The American Rolling Mill at Middletown had two slight lost time accidents and unfortunately one fatality, thus making the contest a tie with a score of 8 to 3. So the contest goes on for the month of June, and to date with the month one-third gone the score stands no accidents for all. As was said in the beginning, the greatest feature of this campaign was the fact that the workmen “put THE IRON AGE June 26, 1924 it over.” They visualized the idea of safety so plainly in their tableaux, signs (some of which were even threats of discipline) and continued talk, that the least intelligent man among them could not fail to grasp the idea that it was up to him personally to be careful. The most important part of the anatomy that prevents accidents is that part above a man’s ears and, while some- stunts that were carried out bordered on horse play, all have been effective in making every one in the plant use his own brains to help stamp out the careless and thoughtless actions that bring about accidents. Indirect Benefits The campaign not only directed the entire working force toward safe practices and sanitary conditions, but brought about much better relations among the men themselves, thereby cementing the organization together both for work and pleasure. This is shown by the spontaneous formation of an orchestra, a base- ball league and such organizations by the men them- selves. That such a campaign is soundly economic and good business policy is shown by the marked improvement in the quality of work put out by the men, as well as the maintaining of production in all departments. An added zest was put into the work and the feeling of satisfaction of a job well done was engendered all over the plants. The only department that suffered in re- duced output was the hospital, where treatments were cut down at least 60 per cent. Screw Threads for Hose Couplings An important step has been taken in the approval by the American Engineering Standards Committee of American national screw threads for fire hose couplings. Approval of this standard, which had been submitted under the leadership of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, the National Fire Protection As- sociation, the American Society of Mechanical En- gineers and the American Water Works Association, marks for the first time a national agreement on tol- erances or limits of accuracy necessary to secure inter- changeability in manufacture. Lack of uniformity has been shown in a startling way by the exhibition in a single collection of 600 sizes and variations of fire hose couplings. That this condition constitutes a real menace has been shown in numerous conflagrations in which outside assistance was of no avail because the hose of neighboring fire departments would not con- nect to local hydrants. Tools have been developed since by which the threads on fire plugs and hose couplings, that do not differ too greatly from the standard, can be changed over to the standard form by a simple operation. More than 700 cities and towns have not only decided to adopt the standard, but have carried out the practical steps necessary to put it into working order, while numerous other cities, towns and counties have official- ly decided upon its adoption. About three-fourths of the 8000 cities and towns in this country having fire protection still have non-standard threads. Iron and Steel Imports into British India Decline WASHINGTON, June 24.—Showing a decline of 3.5 per cent from the preceding fiscal year, imports of iron and steel products into British India during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1924, amounted to 865,640 gross tons, according to the Iron and Steel Division, Department of Commerce. The bulk of the imports consisted of steel bars, rails, fish plates, structural material and hoops and strips. Belgium furnished over half of the imports of beams, pillars, girders, bridgework, and iron bars and channels.for March, 1924. About half of the hoops and strips were from the United Kingdom, while the United State#held second place with one-fifth of the shipments. The United Kingdom furnished all but 40 tons of the cast pipe and fittings, and all but 161 tons of the gal- vanized sheets and plates. With the exception of 355 tons from the United States, the March, 1924, imports of tin plate were British. Other sheets and plates were credited to the United Kingdom, 6071 tons, Belgium 2773 tons, and Germany 2514 tons, with only 72 tons from other countries. Germany led in wire nails with Belgium in second place. The wire rope was all from the United Kingdom. Steel bars and channels were largely from Belgium, 12,646 tons, Germany 4480 tons, the United Kingdom 1965 tons, Luxemburg 725 tons, and France 308 tons. The majority of the wrought tubes, pipes and fittings were of British origin. Sales Promotion Considered by Sheet Metal Contractors WASHINGTON, June 24.—Promotion of sales of sheet metal and its products constituted one of the principal topics discussed at the twentieth annual convention of the National Association of Sheet Metal Contractors which was held here on June 17-20, inclusive. Consis- tent with this policy the convention selected a repre- sentative to take charge of the preparation of a book on standard practice in sheet metal work who will do the work as a member of the trade development com- mittee. The convention also gave considerable atten- tion to the question of vocational training and adopted a resolution to promote the engaging of apprentices in sheet metal work and to outline a course of instruction. D. M. Strickland of the American Rolling Mill Co., Middletown, Ohio, made an address on the question of metal rust. He dealt with the question of coating and explained the different kinds and their importance as a protection to metal. The convention, which was attended by 115 dele- gates, elected the following officers: President, W. C. Markle, Pittsburgh; first vice-president, Paul L. Bier- sach, Milwaukee; second vice-president, Walter Budd, Durham, N. C.; third vice-president, A. N. Lichty, Waterloo, Iowa; fourth vice-president, Joseph P. Gard- ner, Indianapolis, (reelected); secretary, E. L. Sea- brook, Philadelphia, (reelected); treasurer, Julius Gerock, St. Louis, (reelected). Atlanta, Ga., was selected as the place of the 1925 convention. June 26, 1924 For Locating and Measuring Vibration A compact instrument intended for detecting, locat- ing and measuring the amount of vibration, and em- ployed in connection with steam turbines and other ro- tating machinery is shown in the accompanying illus- tration. The device permits of locating in its early stages abnormal vibration in a machine and remedying the condition before it reaches dangerous proportions. The instrument, called the vibrometer, is manufac- tured by Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird, Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, and is designed on the vibrating-reed prin- ciple. A number of vibrating reeds suitably loaded are Instrument for Locating and Measuring Vibration. The device may be clamped under one of the nuts of the bearings of the machine being tested provided, and also calibration curves connecting the free length of each reed and its natural frequency of vibra- tion. The device may be clamped under a nut of one of the bearings of the machine being tested. A suit- able reed is then set in the instrument and the free length of the reed adjusted by means of the sliding clamp until the amplitude of the reed is a maximum. When so adjusted the free length of the reed responds to the vibration of the machine, and frequency of the vibration is read from the calibrated curve of the reed. Knowing the frequency it may be determined whether it is caused by something vibrating at the mainshaft speed of the machine, or by some secondary effect. In addition to the length-of-reed scale, the instru- ment is provided with an amplitude of vibration scale, so that when the reed has been tuned to the vibration, variations in the strength of the vibration are indi- cated by the amplitude of the movement of the end of the reed. The vibrometer is arranged so that the reed may be set in any plane and the plane in which the vibration is greatest may be found. The sale of the Norwalk Iron Works Co., Norwalk, Conn., to Charles B. Stanley, Cleveland, banker, is con- firmed by the court. The purchase was made in the interest of the bondholders, whose petition to foreclose a mortgage on the properties forced the company into bankruptcy last December. Immediately following the court’s confirmation, the property was transferred to the Norwalk company, a new corporation, which will operate the plant. The company builds air compres- sors and has a contract for Government work. Direc- tors are: Charles B. Stanley, Howard N. Bissell and George F. Griffith, Cleveland; F. R. Hickman and E. H. Havens, Bridgeport, Conn.; and R. C. Witmer and T. H. Hermanson, Norwalk. Mr. Havens is president and Mr. Hickman vice-president and treasurer. The Engineers’ Club of Cincinnati held its annual outing at the Laughery Club June 19. A trip to the dam being built on the Ohio River near the club grounds was made under supervision of Government engineers. THE IRON AGE 1852 Structural Pipe Fittings for Variety of Uses A line of structural pipe fittings, designed for use with common wrought-iron or steel pipe in the erection of outdoor or indoor electrical switching equipment, has been placed on the market by the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., East Pittsburgh. Although designed primarily for electrical instal- lations, the fittings may be used also in the construc- tion of racks, railings, bench or table frames, and similar structures. They are made up of relatively few unit castings which provide a wide variety of combinations, and are of high grade malleable iron with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 Ib. per sq. in. They are light in weight and compact. In addition to unusual strength, interchangeability and adaptabil- ity are features emphasized. In erecting a structure with the new fittings, a pipe vise and cutter and an open end or socket wrench for each of the two sizes of bolts used are the only tools necessary. Changes in and additions to such a structure may be made conveniently. : The principal feature of design is a ribbed yoke which clamps over the pipe with heavy carriage bolts to the other unit part. Various other unit parts con- sist of two or more yokes cast in a single piece through suitably formed connecting webs. The bolt spacings being uniform, parts designed for a certain size pipe are interchangeable with all others for that size. The form of the yoke and other unit parts provides con- siderable area of contact with the pipe. As the fit- tings are bolted up they yield slightly, due to the malleable characteristics of the iron, until they fit the pipe closely. The load necessary to slip a single fit- ting on a pipe is claimed to be in excess of 3000 Ib. for a 1%-in. pipe and 4500 lb. for a 2-in. pipe and the strength in tension and shear said to be consider- ably greater. The bolts employed in the fittings are ordinary carriage bolts, using the square shank under A Four-Way or Side Outlet Tee Is at the Left, and Another Form of Side Outlet Tee at Right the head to fit into the square hole in the fitting. The nuts are of hexagonal form. All bolts are galvanized by the hot dip process. The fittings are designed for two standard pipe sizes, 1% in. and 2 in., and for a combination of these sizes, with a few fittings of %, 1 and 1%-in. size for light switchboard frames and for clamping insulators to pipe frames. They are furnished in either a black gloss baked finish for indoor use or are galvanized for outdoor installations. St. Louis Foundrymen to Be Guests Sr. Louis, June 24.—The foundrymen in the St. Louis industrial district and nearby towns will be the guests of the St. Louis Coke & Iron Co. next Saturday. The program includes an inspection of the properties of the company at Granite City, Ill., and a luncheon at the plant. The party will meet at the west end of the McKinley bridge at 10 a.m. Automobile transportation will be provided for all. The fifth Norwegian Industries Fair, to be held in Christiania Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, promises this year to afford a good idea of the industrial development of Norway since the war. The exhibitions are limited to Norwegian products. 1854 Three New Portable Air Compressors Three new portable air compressors which have been placed on the market recently by as many companies are shown in the accompanying illustrations. Included in the uses of equipment of this type may be mentioned erection and repair work in industrial plants, supply- ing air for painting, cleaning and other work. It may be employed to advantage where air lines are not in- stalled and would be too expensive to put in for tem- porary work. The machine shown in the left-hand illustration, offered by the Ingersoll-Rand Co., 11 Broadway, New York, and designated as the 4% x 4 in. type 20 por- The Small Portable Air Compressor of the Ingersoll-Rand Co. Is Shown Above. It has a piston displacement of 60 cu. ft. per min and incorporates the features of the com- pany’s larger type 20 portables, Either gaso- line engine or electric motor drive may be provided table compressor, has a piston displacement of 60 cu. ft. per min. As in the larger type 20 machines pre- viously offered the duplex, vertical compressor, di- rect-connected to a tractor type gasoline engine; in- closed construction; circulating water cooling system for the engine and compressor; compressor regulator and engine control for reducing speed during unloaded periods; and one-piece cast-steel frame are among the features. Compactness and accessibility are also fea- tures. A variety of mountings including wooden artillery wheels with solid rubber tires and steel axles, Ford truck, and on skids are available. Electric motor drive may be provided. The compressor will operate one of the company’s No. 90 riveting hammers, two 2-S calking or chipping hammers, one 56 H clay or trench digger, and other tools. The gasoline engine driven portable compressor shown in the right-hand illustration is a recent addition to the line of the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., 6 East Forty-fourth Street, New York. It is of 100 cu. ft. capacity and will operate one rock drill, or two concrete busters or two clay diggers; two riveting or calking hammers or four backfill tampers. The machine is of the vertical, single-acting duplex type equipped with Simplate inlet and discharge valves. The company’s differential unloader regulates the air supply and the “auto-pneumatic” throttle employed is said to economize fuel by slowing the engine to idling speed during the unloaded periods and speeding it up again just before the load is resumed. Splash lubrication is employed and glass inserts are provided in the removable doors of the crank-case for the con- venient inspection of the lubrication system. The flex- THE IRON AGE June 26, 1924 ible coupling, which connects the compressor directly to the engine may be disconnected for starting when desired. Both the engine and compressor are cooled by a large radiator, having built-in sections. A cast- stee] deck provides the base for the engine, compressor and air receiver, the gasoline tank being carried in a separate section of the tool box. The unit is available in the regular steel-wheel or rubber-tired portable model, the rubber-tired trailer type or mounted on a 1-ton Ford truck chassis. A portable unit of 103 cu. ft. capacity recently brought out by the Sullivan Machinery Co., 122 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, is shown in the lower illus- tration. This machine, which is designated as the type The Compressor of the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., Shown Above, m: -300: Ca: FR. Capacity. It will oper- ate two riveting and calking hammers, one rock drill and other tools The Machine of the Sullivan Machinery Co. Is at the Left When not in use, work- ing parts are protected by sheet steel sides. A variety of mount- ings is available - WK-311, may be employed to operate a Rotator ham- mer drill, one or more concrete breakers, clay spaders, or pneumatic riveters. It may be conveniently used in sand blasting, operating paint sprays, calking pipe line and in other work. The compressor is direct connected to a Buda gaso- line engine, and has a rating of 17 hp. for this duty. The compressor is a vertical two-cylinder, single-acting, single-stage unit, said to be designed especially for this service. Lubrication is automatic and cooling water for the engine and compressor are supplied by a circu- lating pump in the same system. The air valves are of the company’s “wafer” type. The compressor, engine and equipment are mounted on a one-piece steel cast- ing, and a 12 gal. gasoline tank and 12 x 48 in. air re- ceiver are carried horizontally in cradles at the rear of the truck body. The machine is ordinarily mounted on a steel wheel truck for highway use, the complete unit weighing 3235 lIb., or it may be mounted on a trailer truck with rubber tires or on a wooden skid. The machine may also be set on a Ford truck, using the No. 9 Olson extension with longitudinal spring sup- ports. Production of bituminous coal, which reached a low point in the week ended April 12 and had been gradu- ally ascending, fell off in the last two weeks, with the result that the daily average output in the past 11 weeks is less than 1,200,000 tons and nearly one-third less than the daily average for the first five months of 1923. The reduced production has brought the daily average so far this year down to 1,500,000 tons, or 15 per cent below last year’s rate for the same period. June 26, 1924 CONDUIT THREADING MACHINES Both Ends of 2400 Ten-Foot Lengths or 4800 Ends of 14-In. Material Threaded Per Hour The threading of both ends of 2400 10-ft. lengths of %-in. electric conduit, or 4800 ends per hour, is the production claimed for the pipe threading machine illustrated, which is being marketed by William K. Stamets, Pittsburgh. Two sizes are available, one of which, the No. 2, is for pipe from % to 2 in. nominal diameter, a No. 3 machine being for 1% to 4 in. pipe. The double-end machine is adapted to standard conduit which is made in 10-ft. lengths; for random lengths a battery of two single-end machines would be employed. The machine, called the Roto-Matic, is manufactured by the Davis & Thompson Co., Milwaukee, and in gen- eral principles is similar to other Davis machines of the rotating type. The six-station work spindle rotates in synchronism with two six-spindle tool drums, one at each end of the machine. One of the accompanying illustrations shows the loading side of the machine. In view of the production noted above, it is apparent that to realize the full productive possibilities of the machine a hopper or feeding chute should be provided, hand loading at this rate for any length of time being impossible. The finished work drops to the inclined ways, as shown in the second illustration, and rolls Machine for Pro- duction Threading of Electrical Con- duit and Other Pipe. The loading 3ide is shown above. Finished work drops on the in- clined ways as shown in view at right and falls by gravity to the pile out on the finished pile of work. Coolant dripping from the ends of the conduits and from the die heads is carried back to the pumps over a series of screens and baffles and is recirculated. A pulley at each end of the machine is driven by belt from an electric motor. The pulley at the right, shown in the second illustration, drives the cutter spindles on that end and also both spindle drums and the work spindle, by means of worm gearing on the shaft shown at the back of the machine. A clutch is employed between shaft and pulley. Six special self-opening die heads are mounted on the cutter spindles of each of the two drums. Each die head slides with its spindle and is backed by coil springs so that inequalities in length of the work up to 1 in. may be taken care of. As shown in the close-up illustration the die head is brought up to the work by a large follower roller actuated by a stationary cam. THE IRON AGE 1855 The die head is bell mouthed so that slightly bent con- duit can be drawn into it and centered, the work-hold- ing chuck being arranged to float sufficiently to permit alinement. No positive feed is provided for the die heads, each one pulling itself on the work, cutting a predetermined length of thread and then being tripped and returned to position. A tool inside the die head serves to chamfer the inside of the work. ee de ee] ny < —_" ieee emia’ cen pe Arrangement of the Die Heads May Be Noted From View Above. Die head is brought up to work by follower roller actuated by a cam The device for bringing coolant to the cutting ele- ments is a feature. Surrounding the face of the spin- dle drum adjacent to the work is an annular casting, U-shaped in cross-section. The legs of the U are packed where they join the drum, a water-tight cham- ber for the coolant being thus formed around the drum. The main feed pipe is tapped into the chamber as shown in close-up view and a coolant pipe is placed alongside of each spindle as shown. The pipe is tapped into the face of the drum and connected to the coolant cham- ber by a passage. The two-jaw work-holding chucks are arranged to float slightly to permit bent work to be alined. They are closed by toggles operated from a short shaft which is given the necessary motion from a clamping arm located beneath the clamping chain shown in the illus- trations. The chain travels with the work spindle, there being no relative motion between chain and clamp. a 856 Simple Metallographic Apparatus for Low Power Work A simplified metallographic equipment for general routine inspections has been introduced by the Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., Rochester, N. Y. Such inspec- tions seldom if ever require magnifications above 200 diameters and hence do not require the expensive parts which are so necessary in research outfits. This simplified metallographic equipment is a com- pact unit, with all of the parts mounted on one base, and with the light source in fixed position. The equip- ment includes an inverted microscope, camera and spe- cial ribbon filament illuminant. It is easy to operate, readily portable and especially suited for low power work, It gives magnifications varying from 64X to 210X. Rapid Relining of a Blast Furnace The blast furnace of the St. Louis Coke & Iron Co., Granite .City, Ill., was blown in after relining on June 5, or just 53 days from the time when it was blown out on April 14. The salamander was removed while in the molten condition by means of an open trench which tapped the furnace 6% ft. below the iron notch. This method made it possible to drain the hearth within 21 hr. from the last cast and at an almost negligible cost. The brick. work on the relining was started on April 27 and the masons reached the mantle on May 17. On May 26, or 30 days from the time the brick work was started, the masons had finished. Electric Welding of Gasoline Tanks Automatic are welding has been used by the Wayne Tank & Pump Co., Fort Wayne, Ind., in assembling underground gasoline tanks. The tanks are made from %-in. galvanized sheets cut in three sections, the as- sembled tank having three seams 120 deg. apart and 116 in. long. The circumference of each tank is 118 in. Welding apparatus built by the General Electric Co. was installed. The welding machine consists of a framework for holding the tank in position and for carrying the automatic welding head and electrode sup- ply. The joint to be welded is placed between two clamping bars and a backing-up bar.. Along this seam travels the automatic welding head which feeds the electrode wire to the arc. The procedure of welding is to tack each of the longitudinal seams at each end by acetylene, each of these two tack welds being approximately 3 in. long. The plates are placed about % in. apart before tack- THE IRON AGE June 26, 1924 ing, but are drawn up tightly when the gas tack is completed. Then they are placed on the automatic forms and the are struck at one end and allowed to continue without breaking to the opposite end. The clamps are released and the tank is rotated one-third of its circumference to the next seam and the auto- matic head welds the next seam on its return. The clamps are again released and the tank rotated to the third or last seam, which is welded in the same manner as were the two previous seams. With the automatic installation production has jumped to 75 ft. per hour. The three longitudinal seams are completed in a total time of 35 min. Besides the time saving, another favorable factor is that the gal- vanizing on the inside of the tank adjacent to the weld is in good condition. The entire cost of installation, it is stated, was paid for in two months of operation. Ore Unloaders Installed The Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock Co., Conneaut, Ohio, subsidiary of the United States Steel Corpora- tion, has completed two 17-ton ore unloaders which are scheduled to be placed in operation June 27. These ore unloaders, which are of the W. S. M. type, are electri- cally operated and with their erection the Conneaut dock now has five unloading machines of the same ca- pacity and practically alike. The two built this year replace four 10-ton steam hydraulic Hulett unloaders built by the same company, the first of which was com- pleted in 1898 and the others about two years later. The four old machines will be dismantled. A record in building ore-handling equipment was established by the Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Co., which erected the un- loaders. The order for these was placed Dec. 26 last and their fabrication and erection were rushed in order to have them ready for use as early as possible during this year’s season of navigation. Another ore unloader of the same make and also 17-ton capacity was placed in operation a few da