The Iron Age 1924-07-03: Vol 114 Iss 1

THE IRON AGE New York, July 3, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 ee VOL. 114, No. | New Butt Weld Mills at Indiana Harbor Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. Completes Part of Expansion Program [Inaugurated at Its Western Plant—Mills Will Produce 400 Tons Daily Sheet & Tube Co. upon its acquisition of the prop- erties of the Steel & Tube Co. of America was to snaugurate a program for the enlargement of the plant at Indiana Harbor, Ind. Work is now under way on a 650-ton blast furnace and on a lap weld mill to have a capacity up to 16 in., which will replace a mill formerly located elsewhere in the plant. Two butt weld mills have just been completed and will roll pipe from % up to 3 in. Inasmuch as they are practically duplicates of each other and are housed in the same structure, a de- scription of one of them will suffice. A raw material yard, which is at right angles to the mill building, also adjoins a skelp mill which produces the Bessemer steel skelp from which the pipe is rolled. Small diameter pipe, it is to be noted, is generally cut Os: of the first steps taken by the Youngstown and threaded by hand at the place of installation and Bessemer steel, because of its easier cutting qualities, is preferred to the open hearth product. The material yard is commanded by two 10-ton electric traveling cranes, furnished by the Morgan Engineering Co., Alliance, Ohio, which transfer the skelp to an inclined skid bed serving the pipe mill. To facilitate the subsequent drawing of the steel through pipe-forming bells, one end of the skelp is pointed in a clipper shear, driven by a 7%-hp. alter- nating current motor, located adjacent to the skid bed. After pointing, the skelp is shifted to a roller ap- proach table, driven by a 30-hp. 525-r.p.m. direct cur- rent motor, which conveys it to a magnetic charging machine. This machine, which is of standard Youngs- town design, is noteworthy for its magnetic feature. Each Welding Furnace Is Served by a Magnetic Charging Machine Which Delivers the Skelp into the Furnace Chamber. The roller approach table, which conveys the skelp from the material yard to the charger, is to be noted at the right BOS 4 v yee “ =. -——<aewe aa a tere & 7” 2 THE IRON AGE To advance the skelp into the welding furnace chamber, it is equipped with a roller table having hollow rollers with magnets inside. The magnetic attraction,makes up for the lack of weight in the skelp and henée the ten- dency of the comparatively light skelp to slip off the rollers is overcome. The charger operates on a track across the receiv- ing end of the furnace. The carriage is driven by a 33-hp. 505-r.p.m. direct current motor and the roller table is operated by a 15-hp. variable speed 400-1600- r.p.m, direct current. motor. The furnace is one piece of equipment which is not absolutely identical for the two mills. In one case the inside hearth width is 7 ft. 10 in. and in the other 8 ft. 11 in. Both furnace hearths, however, have an inside length of 22 ft. 9 in. and are 5 ft. in height. They are fired with gas from the company’s own by-product coke ovens. At the delivery end of the furnace are stationed the welder and the bell man. The welder grasps the pointed end of the heated skelp with a tong, then slips a bell over the end of the tong and places the tong July 3, 1924 the hands of the sizing roll operator, who is stationed at one side of the delivery end of the draw bench. As soon as the pipe is deliverd to the rolling off plate a “tong man” removes the tong and returns it on a chain conveyor, located under the floor, to a point close to the welding furnace, where an operative, known as the “tong putter up,” transfers the tong to a water pit for cooling. The chain conveyor is driven by a 74%4-hp. 570-r.p.m. alternating current motor. The pipe, on the other hand, is passed on to the cooling rack, which is of the inclined type and is sus- pended on concrete piers over a large pit in the floor. Fingers from continuous chain belts, driven by a 7%-hp. variable speed 400-1600-r.p.m. direct current motor, advance the pipe to the end of the rack, where it is discharged into a cradle. The pipe is then hoisted by overhead crane and conveyed to piling racks, which are constructed of upright pipes anchored in concrete piers. Each butt weld furnace has a capacity of 200 tons of pipe per 24-hr. day. All of the furnace and mill equip- he if . ' Leads alt ; > , " a 7. Le oe, So : ; we , - = os ‘ «tan Ar Hs ea] *, eT, het Oe) , a ad: . ae In the Material Yard Skelp Is Delivered to an Inclined Skid Bed and Is Then Pointed in a Clipper Shear and Passed ou to a Roller Approach Table (to be Noted at the Right) Which Conveys it to the Magnetic Charger Serving the Furnace in the end of a draw bench, where it is automatically gripped by a continuous chain belt which pulls tong and skelp through the bell. The draft through the bell curls the steel into tubular shape and welds the edges together without lapping. The function of the bell man is to clean the bells so they are ready for reuse. The draw bench is 66% ft. long and swings through an arc so as to command the entire width of the fur- nace. It is pivoted at its delivery end. The radial movement of the bench is controlled by a bench run- ner, who is stationed in a pulpit on one side, where he enjoys an excellent view of the furnace. The con- tinuous chain belt in the bench operates without inter- ruption, but may be stopped instantly in an emergency. The bench is driven by a 60-hp. variable speed 300- 900-r.p.m. direct. current motor. From the draw bench, tong and pipe are passed through a sizing roll, driven by a variable speed 35-hp. 400-1200-r.p.m. direct current motor, and are then de- livered on to a rolling off plate. A perforated pipe hung above the rolling off plate sprays the steel with water before it is delivered on to an adjacent cooling rack. Control of the continuous chain in the draw bench, the sizing roll motor, and the rolling off plate is in ment was designed and constructed by the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co.’s own forces with the exception of the roller approach table, which was designed. by the com- pany, but constructed elsewhere. The motors were fur- nished by the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., East Pittsburgh, Pa., the General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y., and the Reliance Electric & Engineering Co., Cleveland. From the piling racks, pipe is advanced to the finishing department, where it is first taken to the inspection benches, then to the _ straightening benches, and from there to the pipe cutting off and threading machines. Subsequently it is passed through hydrostatic testing machines and then is transferred to the bundling benches. After bundling, it goes to the oil- ing machines and to the weighing scales, following which it is transferred to the shipping cradles for final dis- position. The floor of the finishing department is hydraulically pressed asphalt block pavement resting on a concrete base. Paving brick has been laid around the cooling racks and under the piling racks, while the furnace end of the building has a steel plate floor. Attention has been given to illumination and ven- tilation. Continuous sash has been provided both in IRON AGE The Delivery End of the Furnace Is Served by a Draw Bench Which Swings through an Are so as to Command the Entire Width of the Hearth. The welder is stationed at the furnace while the bench runner who controls the radial movement of the draw bench is in the pulpit at the right From the Draw Bench Pipe Is Passed Through a Sizing Roll Driven by a Variable Speed Motor. The sizing roll oper- ator is to be noted in the rear, while at his right is a motor-driven ventilating fan ——e “a eiva’ Sanaa. ates | RO Oe rane nears aE it é an . i After Passing Throuch the Sizing Roll, Pipe and Tong Are Subjected to a Spray of Water furnace on a chain conveyor the side walls and in the monitors. Large motor- driven fans have been placed next to the stations occu- pied by the welders, sizing roll operators and tong men. The furnace end of the building, which formerly housed the lap well mill now being replaced elsewhere in the plant, has a central longitudinal monitor and a pitch roof covered with tile, supplied by the Federal Cement Tile Co., Chicago. The finishing end of the building, which is entirely new, has the so-called “high and low bay” type of roof, consisting of lateral mon- itors. The covering is of matched lumber and Barrett specification roofing. The side walls are of Truscon steel sash with brick trim in contrast with the con- tinuous sash and sheeting in the walls of the furnace Conference Will Consider Human Relations in Industry The fourth annual week-end conference at the Y. M. C. A. conference grounds, Estes Park, Colo., will be held July 18 to 20, the general subject being “Human Relations in Industry.” Among the subjects to be dis- cussed are the following: The State and Industrial Relations—Hon. Henry J. Allen Wichita, Kan Human Relations in Industry as Found in the Empire Properties—H. R. Straight, vice-president and general man ager Empire Companies, Bartlesville, Okla From the Worker's Point of View A. R. Tyler, machinist the Great Western Sugar Co., Brighton, Colo Cooperation and Labor Unions—Earl] R. Hoage, president Colorado State Federation of Labor, Denver Personal Achievement in Industry Harry N Clarke president Corte-Scope’Co., Cleveland Promoting Good Will in president Patten Paper Co., Industry Judson G Appleton, Wis The School for Industrial, Railroad and Executives will be held July 21 to 26. jects to be considered will be: Human and Industrial Relations dent Corte-Scope Co., Cleveland. Manpower in Industry—J.-A secretary, Y. M. C, A., Personnel and Public Rosebush, Business Among the: sub- Harry N. Clarke, presi- Hiller,- city-wide industrial Chicago telations—Hal S. Ray, director of personnel and public relations, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway C’o., Chicago IRON AGE July 3, 1924 Delivered on a Rolling-Off Plate, Where the Spindle Is The tong man, to be noted at the right, then removes the tong and returns it to the located under the floor. The discharged into the cradle t pipe is passed on to the cooling rack from which it is be seen at the extreme left end of the structure. The entire building is 884% x 510 ft., and is commanded throughout its length by two 10-ton overhead electric traveling cranes supplied by the Morgan Engineering Co., Alliance, Ohio. In a leanto adjoining the furnace department are control panels for the electrical equipment and a 750- gal. per min. plunger pump which furnishes~ hydro- static pressure for testing the finished\pipe. Joining the finishing end of the building at right angles is a warehouse, 160 x 200 ft., which is still in the course of construction. This structure will also be served by two 10-ton overhead electric traveling cranes. All erection work has been done by the company’s own forces. The steel construction was fabricated by the McClintic-Marshall Co., Pittsburgh. The Ethics of Profit Taking in Industry—Judson G. Rose- bush, president Patten Paper Co., Appleton, Wis. An interesting feature of the school will be the con- ducting of the forum by Harry N. Clarke, Cleveland, who for many years has been highly successful in con- ducting classes and forums for the discussion of re ligious and industrial subjects. Shipping Board Loans $5,000,000 WASHINGTON, July 1.—The Shipping Board has loaned more than $5,000,000 for the construction of American flag tonnage, according to a statement issued by Chairman T. V. O’Connor. Loans for the construc- tion of vessels to be built include $2,666,000 made to the Cherokee-Seminole Steamship Corporation, a sub- sidiary of the Clyde Steamship Co., to build two com- bination passenger and cargo ships, to cost not less than $4,000,000, which are to be: built by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.;° $1,000,000 to the tobert E. Lee Shipbuilding Corporation, a subsidiary of the Old Dominion Steamship Co., for one combination “argo and passenger vessel to be built at the Newport News yard, and $1,500,000 to the Coano Steamship Cor-' poration, a subsidiary of the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Co., for ‘another combination cargo and pas- senger vessel which also will be built at the Newport News plant. Reconstructing Plant Under Production Powdered Coal Air Furnaces with Water System for Dis- integrating Slag, Continuous Annealing Oven and Molding Floor Arrangement Are Features BY GILBERT L. LACHER O rearrange and reconstruct a plant without in- [[erranting production is alone a redoubtable task. To achieve this end and at the same time double the capacity was successfully done by the Belle City Malleable Iron Co., Racine, Wis. The situation pre- cluded deviating radically from the former arrangement of the various departments, but nevertheless called for the creation of a scheme which would embody the latest ideas in plant layout and equipment. A. A. Wickland & Co., Inc., engineer, Chicago, was retained to under- Plan of the Former Plant, Including the New Anneal- ing Department Planned for Before the Problem of Doub- ling Melting Capacity Had Been Solved. The first step in the reconstruction program was to begin at the outside wall of the innermost of the two old foundry buildings and to erect a_ structure utilizing all of the space up to the street line (Below) Plan of the Plant, as Reconstructed STON CRANE-> < 4 — MELTING ‘ FURNACES MELTING , FURNACES MALLEABLE IRON FOUNDRY Tes TON CRANE > oe = = « STREET Mill PLATFORM wastewear | HARD IRON Sean CLEANING ROOM take the work, which is now nearing completion. The plan devised is ingenious for its compactness and maxi- mum utilization of available space, for its retention of the main outlines of the old plant arrangement without preventing the development of a new layout embracing modern principles, and for its easy adaptation to the necessities of uninterrupted output. Formerly there were two parallel foundry buildings separated from the street by a core -building, a railroad siding, considerable yard space and a row of storage E-" SOFT (RON CLEANING ROOM | NEW ANNEALING ROOM 8106 MAINTENANCE BUILDING STEEL FOUNDRY = Te Pua macasit al P4G /RON § ete Oi Cone. s TANKS: mii ' . - : = 28 ALE = rn ae ie, fe Ta ATOR TING PEZURN TAC ANNEALING BUILDING fchite 1 i _ pene _ ‘aa [+--- CONT INUOUS ANNEALING OVEN *-}=] wi ——.) = BR anes De 5 pene sta 2 ah Bam, PTE a la a - > S 4 Sy ie Cali sic te rie serail cae or ot Meee 6 bets es “ae “ee St ye Rot Te, yet Deter Aaa fertte 7 Y r > ™= ee. oe 2 z rs are gr nile a a a tne. } it 6 THE IRON AGE sheds. Beginning at the outside wall of the innermost foundry, a new building was erected utilizing all of the space up to the street line. The core department was shifted to the northwest corner of the property, adjoin- ing one end of the new foundry, while the hard iron mill room was rearranged and concentrated in a smaller area without limiting its capacity. In the meantime melting continued to be carried on in the remaining old foundry building. Meanwhile a new annealing build- ing was added to the shipping building, in accordance with plans which had been decided upon before the problem of doubling the melting capacity had been solved. The renovated plant, which in practically all essen- tials will be new, will have an annual capacity of 20,000 tons of finished castings. It gives the company the advantage of more modern equipment, better working conditions and a rearrangement of departments which makes for the most direct handling and routing of ma- terials. Four air furnaces, fired by pulverized coal, will constitute the melting units. A sawtooth roof of new design insures excellent ventilation, as wel] as ade- quate natural illumination. The core sand handling and mixing equipment is both novel and efficient, while working conditions in the core room are considered ideal. The Belle City plant is one of five malleable foundries in the United States equipped with continu- ous annealing ovens. Both hard and soft iron tumbling mills and sand blast equipment are arranged with par- ticular reference to safety considerations and the most expeditious handling of materials. The material stor- age yard, conveniently located, is commanded by an overhead crane, which serves the shipping platform aiso. The company manufactures certified malleable cast- ings, under the requirements of the American Malleable Castings Association, for the railroads, as well as for the automobile and agricultural implement industries. With the completion of the two air furnaces still under construction, the plant will employ 650 men and 80 women when operating full. Melting Equipment for 80 Tons per Day Each air furnace has a capacity of 20 tons and is fired with powdered coal, being served by an individual pulverizer, direct-driven by a 35-hp. 1800-r.p.m. motor. The same motor operates a chain conveyor which ele- vates the coal to a hopper through which the fuel is dis- July 3, 1924 The 20-Ton Air Furnaces Are Fired with Powdered Coal. A single motor elevates the coal to a hopper serving a_ pul- verizer, operates the pulverizer, and drives a fan which blows the powdered coal on a tangent into a fuel mixer charged into the pulverizer directly underneath. A fan, also operated by the motor, blows the pulverized coal on a tangent into a fuel mixer. A separate fan supplies air for a secondary blast, which passes through the center of a spiral to the tip of the burner, and for the top blast in the furnace chamber. The melting ratio is three tons of iron to one ton of coal and the cost of preparing fuel is 25c. per ton of iron melted. Both furnaces have side walls of fire brick 18 in. thick, covered with 1-in. cast iron plates perforated with 1%-in. holes, spaced at 3%-in. centers. The per- forations are to prevent cracking of the plates. The hearth measures 6% ft. wide x 23 ft. long inside. The overall width of the furnace is 9 ft. 6 in. The length of the bungs, which are of cast steel of special design, is 8 ft. 6 in. Eight charging bungs clamped together give an opening 6 ft. wide for the introduction of metal. The furnaces were designed by A. A. Wickland & Co. and built by the Belle City organization. An ingenious method for handling slag has been provided. A 2%-in. pipe throws a stream of water into the slag trough at a point just ahead of the slag spout, flushing the slag into a bucket which rests on two I-beams in a concrete pit full of water. The top of the bucket is flush with the foundry floor and perfora- tions in its sides and bottom permit the water in the pit to enter. The water disintegrates the slag and sepa- rates it from occluded iron, which later may be recov- ered by magnet. A motor-operated chain block on a monorail is used to elevate the bucket, which is of 1 cu. yd. capacity, and to discharge the contents into a gasoline-operated dump motor truck, of the so-called “tructractor” type, made by the Clark Equipment Co., Buchanan, Mich. For the disintegration of the slag a continuous water circulation system was devised. A single-stage 100-gal. per min. Chicago Pump Co. centrifugal pump, driven by 2-hp. motor, pumps water from the bottom of the pit and delivers it to the slag trough. The two furnaces now under construction will be equipped with waste-heat boilers, each of which will have a concrete firing pit connecting with a *unnel communicating with the material yard, so that coal and ashes may be handled directly and without interfering with molding operations. The coal and ash pits in the yard are commanded by the material yard crane. Steam generated by the boilers will drive a 2200-cu. ft. Chi- cago Pneumatic Tool Co. air compressor. Exhaust July 3, 1924 steam from the compressor wi!] be utilized to heat water for the hot water heating system which extends through the entire plant. The heating coils are located against the outside walls and at well selected points under the trusses. The radiation was installed by the Almirall Co., Chicago and New York. Arrangement of Molding Floors The space between the two completed furnaces is commanded by a 3-ton electric traveling bridge crane, built by the Milwaukee Electric Crane & Mfg. Co. A crane of the same capacity will command the space between the two other furnaces. The crane which charges the furnaces, using special charging buckets, also delivers hot metal to the intervening floors where heavy work is done. The remaining floors are arranged for a 5-ton electric monorail system, which will deliver metal to the molders and carry castings into the mill room. At present, however, tractors and trailers are employed. The aisles are made of concrete with a cov- ering of cast iron plates, except in the immediate vicin- ity of the furnaces, where a paving brick surface has been provided. The molding floors, of clay, are sepa- rated by concrete strips, 24 in. wide and flush with the floor level, to be used as runners for a motor-driven American Foundry Equipment Co. sand cutter. The arrangement of the floors in unusual. There are four aisles running the length of the plant, two of which were located against the side walls to protect the molders from the heating coils located against the walls and from drafts from the continuous sash windows. Between the aisles are three double rows of molding floors, divided in each instance midway between aisles by a heavy plank wall against which the molding benches are placed. With this scheme, the molders work from the plank wall out toward the aisles and in no case are they required to work next to the windows. Molding machines, with which many of the floors are equipped, were furnished by the Milwaukee Foundry Equipment Co., Milwaukee, Wis., Federal Malleable Co., West Allis, Wis., and the Nichols Molding Machine Co.» Brooklyn, N. Y. Column centers in the foundry are 36 ft. apart. a distance spanning four of the molding floors, 9 ft. wide. The roof is of modified sawtooth design, every other od Yo A 2 : <> Rp 2 ee , ‘s ‘ - oh. ? THE IRON AGE 7 tooth having continuous sash on both sides of the apex. All of the teeth have both top-hung and bottom-sup- ported sash, to permit the widest possible opening for ventilation. In the case of the modified teeth, a top- hung sash is located on the other side of the apex, so that there can be a clean sweep of air from one side of the tooth through the other side. The design was espe- cially prepared for the purpose of insuring adequate light and ventilation for molders working in the middle of the foundry. Core Room and Sand Preparation The core room which adjoins the foundry is a model from the standpoint of working conditions. Continuous sash in two of the side walls and in the sawtooth roof provide ample air and light. The floor is of concrete and the height of the room from floor to the bottom of the roof trusses is 18 ft. The benches are of steel frame with wood top and a sand box in front of the core maker. A hinged cover on the box permits replenish- ment of the sand supply from the back of the bench without interference with the work of the core maker. The sand mixing equipment commands particular attention. A bucket elevator raises the sand to a re- volving riddle, from which it passes through a hopper into a Simpson No. 2 sand mixer furnished by the Na- tional Engineering Co., Chicago. From the mixer it is discharged into a second bucket elevator from which it is passed through a bifurcated spout into two hop- pers. The sand then is discharged into steel frame boxes with wooden sides which, when filled, are carried out of the way by a “jack lift” truck. There are three of these trucks in the core room, furnished by the Lewis-Shepard Co., Boston. Sand is transferred from the boxes to wheelbarrows. Enough sand is prepared by the mixing ecuipment in 2 hr. to last the core room all day. The mixer was designed by A. A. Wickland & Co., while the elevating equipment was constructed by the R. W. McIlvaine Co., Chicago. It will be noted that the sand mixing equipment is located in the core baking department, which is sepd- cated from the core room by a partition extending from the roof down to within 8 ft. of the floor. The parti- tion, painted white and made of asbestos board, pro- tects the core makers from heat and gases emanating The Hard Iron Millis Are Located ona Platform, Being Filled by Over- head Crane and Discharging by Gravity into Buggies Below The driving mechanism and exhaust pipes are underneath the platform and are screened off to eliminate the possibility of personal] injury ee ee Giz Pi mI c r * eet eee oe oe ry ielatin cimeerinorinprencetstsLin, An As A ET ee wate ys Stee 8 THE IRON AGE from the baking ovens. Mechanical core-making equip- ‘ment in the core room includes an air-operated core machine, built by William Demmler & Brothers, Ke- wanee, Ill., and jolt machines supplied by the Interna- tional Molding Machine Co., Chicago. For baking there are six Coleman core ovens with inside dimensions 6 x 14 ft. x 7 ft. high, furnished by the Foundry Equipment Co., Cleveland. They are of the double-end type, with receiving doors on the core room side and discharge doors on the other side, where space has been provided for cooling, trimming, sorting, ete. The ovens are fired with city gas and blast is sup- plied by a motor-driven blower. Heat regulation is facilitated through individual pyrometers furnished by the Brown Instrument Co., Philadelphia. The cores are The Sand Mixing Equipment Prepares Sufficient Sand in Two Hours to Last the Core Department All Day A bucket elevator (on the right) raises the sand to a revolving riddle, from which it passes through a hopper into a rotary sand mixer. From the mixer it is discharged into a second bucket elevator, from which it is passed through a bifurcated spout into two hoppers Sand is drawn from the hoppers, as de- sired, into sand boxes, seen in the left background baked on steel racks, which are conveyed from core bench to oven by jack lift truck. A stairway from the core baking department leads to a mezzanine floor, which is used for the storage of core driers. Tumbling and Annealing of Castings The hard iron mill room has a number of interesting features. The mills, furnished by the W. W. Sly Mfg. Co., Cleveland, are located on a steel platform, under- neath which are situated the motor and line shafting to drive the mills and the exhaust pipes for conveying the dust to an arrester. Six tumbling mills are ar- ranged on one side of the platform and four on the other side, with room for two more. Each row of mills is commanded by a 17-ft. span bridge crane equipped with electric hoist, for loading the mills. For unloading, the mills are turned over and discharged into wooden-side buggies spotted on the floor under- neath. Around the platform is a clear passageway, so that a train of buggies can be made up for transfer to the annealing department. This type of buggy has two wheels with a caster in front, to permit sharp turns. Plans call for the installation of an electric monorail system which will carry the castings directly from the foundry into the hard mill room. . July 3, 1924 In the annealing building, 77 x 548 ft., is a gas-fired continuous annealing furnace 347 ft. long, built by the American Dressler Tunnel Kilns, Inc., Cleveland. Only five of this type thus far have been built in this country for malleable foundries; it is said to insure a more uni- form anneal than is possible in the period type oven. Of tunnel-like construction, the oven has a standard- gage track running its entire length; on a parallel track outside, annealing cars are spotted preparatory to being charged into the furnace. By means of an overhead crane the cars are loaded with annealing pots which have been packed with cast- ings, properly sorted and chipped, after their delivery from the hard iron mill room. The cars then are pushed onto a transfer car at the receiving end of the oven, whereupon transfer car and burden are moved into the furnace by a J. I. Case gasoline tractor. Once in the oven, the cars of annealing pots are advanced period- ically by a hydraulic ram. The heating cycle, i e., the time required for a car to make the trip from the receiving end to the discharge end, is five days. The oven has a capacity of 60 cars and the annealing of 60 tons of castings is completed every 24 hr. At the discharge end, the same type of transfer car is utilized to remove cars from the oven. After cars of annealing pots have been removed from the oven and transferred to the service track, they are allowed ordinarily to cool in the atmosphere for 6 hr. before the castings are removed. At the completion of cooling they are discharged into dump buckets and then transferred to soft iron tumbling mills or the sand blast, depending on the class of work. After tumbling or blasting, the castings are discharged into buggies and conveyed to the shipping building, which adjoins the annealing room. The dust arrester serving the mills was placed on the roof to be out of the way. Mills, sand blast and dust arrester were fur- nished by the W. W. Sly Mfg. Co. Four old annealing ovens were retained in the an- nealing department for emergency use. The annealing building has a concrete floor, continuous sash in the side walls and a pitch roof with continuous top-Mfung sash in the monitor. The roof of this building, as well as the foundry and core departments, is covered with gypsum tile, manufactured by the United States Gyp- sum Co., Chicago. The entire length of the building is commanded by three 5-ton cage-operated electric traveling Milwaukee cranes, used both for the loading and unloading of pots and the transfer of castings to the sand blast or the soft iron tumbling mills, which are on a platform similar to that in the hard iron mill room, In the three-story shipping department building are four drop hammers, eleven grinding machines and two portable grinders—types of tools necessary in meet- ing the exacting specifications of the automobile trade. At one end of the first floor is a depressed bay for auto- mobile motor trucks and on one side are doors adjoining a direct siding from the Chicago & North Western Railroad. The shipping room floor is on a level with freight car floors and motor truck bodies, so that the transfer of shipments to either is as direct as possible. Lying parallel to the annealing and shipping build- ing is the raw material yard, embracing steel scrap, malleable scrap, pig iron and sand storage bins, coal hoppers and a material storage shed. The yard will be commanded by a 90-ft. span cage-operated 10-ton electric traveling crane, operating on a runway 900 ft. long. Steel Casting Plant The steel scrap, it is to be observed, is for use in the company’s electric steel casting plant, which operates in an adjoining building under the name of the Racine Steel Castings Co. This foundry is equipped, with a 3-ton Heroult electric furnace which has been in operation since 1916, and has a capacity of 200 tonsi of finished castings per month. Here castings are made for tractors and automobiles, railroad specialties and equipment. Hence the company is in a position to supply both steel and malleable castings to the same customers, which is a very advantageous arrangement. A feature of the new plant which is of obvious im- July 3, 1924 THE IRON A GE o A Stream of Water Is Introduced into the Slae Trough into a Bucket Resting in a Concrete Pit Full of Water. occluded iron, which later may be recovered by magnet. The The perforations at a Point Just Ahead water disintegrat are to prevent cracking of portance to both the malleable and steel foundries is a laboratory, admirably illuminated and well equipped. Tensile strength and elongation tests are made on a machine manufactured by the Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Co., Philadelphia. Complete apparatus for the plates of wl es ie Slag Spout, Flushing the Slag from the slag and separates it in the side wall cover plates of the furnace making the needed chemical analyses has been supplied. Architectural treatment of the construction work is most pleasing, all of the exterior trim being of pressed face brick. P, After Being Pushed onto a Transfer Car at the Receiving into the Furnace by a Gasoline Tractor. Once in the oven, draulic ram, to be noted M. Adams, resident architect. End the a in the of the Oven nnealing cars background Transfer Car and Burden Are Shoved are advanced periodically by a hy- These features were executed by - ¥ t . : : ‘ } -F as 7 y e 4% : ‘ iit ?.5 4 ¥ 4 ee tie . 7 d 3 * +4 + a ~ 10 THE IRON AGE » NEW 27-IN. ENGINE LATHE Greater Power and Rigidity and More Convenient Operation Aim in Improved Design A 27-in. engine lathe, which has been completely redesigned to provide more driving power, strength and rigidity, greater ease of operation and more dur- ability than heretofore has been placed on the market by the Niles-Bement-Pond Co., 111 Broadway, New York. Features contributing to rigidity and strength in- clude a solid web cast over the top of the bed, large compensated Vee-type ways for the carriage and positive fine tooth steel clutches in the apron for longitudinal and cross feeds. Heat treated steel Maag gears are used throughout. Overhung gears have been eliminated and all gear shafts are provided with at least two bearings. A heavy four-bolt tailstock with double plug spindle clamp is a feature. The “jog” push button provided on the head for turning the motor while shifting gears is among the features making for ease of operation. A compact apron permits the operator to stand close to his work. The bed of the machine has been designed to with- stand without vibration the stresses induced by the cutting tool. The front ways of a lathe being subject to the greatest load from the cutting tool, heavy cross ties spaced 24 in. apart and an inclined solid web are provided to give the front track strong support. The inclined web serves also to carry the chips through the holes in the back wall of the bed to the back of the machine where they may be easily removed. They do not fall on the floor. The compensated Vee-type ways for the carriage is July 3, 1924 among the features emphasized as assuring accuracy of lathe bed after it has been in service. The carriage has two sets of track wipers, one ahead of the other, to prevent scoring of the ways. Theyfirst wiper is made *&p of a thin brass plate arranged to press lightly against the track at an angle so that chips are pushed off. The second wiper is of heavy felt and takes up the very small particles not pushed off by the first wiper. Oil is applied through covered oil cup directly to the working surfaces between the carriage track wipers so that they aid in keeping the oil on the working sur- faces instead of wiping it off. Oil grooves in the car- riage serve to carry the oil to the entire surface of the way. The compact construction of the apron permits the operator to get close to the work with minimum of effort. The upper slide is offset so that the ball crank There Are Several Features Making for More Convenient Operation. The arrangement of the motor drive, feed box, and control levers may be noted from the front view and the operation of the “jog” button for shifting gears is shown in upper insert. The lower insert shows the con- venience of the compact apron. The rapid traverse screw may be noted in the rear view on it does not interfere with the wrench on the carriage screw. The operator may get either longitudinal or crossfeed with the same lever. Simplicity is a feature of the rapid power traverse, the arrangement of which may be noted from the rear view illustration. A right and left-hand screw at the back of the lathe is driven by a separate motor through the gear box in which the gears run in oil. A right and left-hand nut rotates on this screw ordinarily in- side of a casing bolted to the carriage. When the rapid traverse lever at the front of the carriage is moved, it holds one or the other nut stationary depending on which direction it is desired to move the carriage. The apron is cast in one piece. Instead of the friction feed, the machine has been provided with positive fine tooth clutches that may be snapped in and Tid | UPPTETEPOEPEALPTULTNETTLTPTT TLETEBD HETINTTOTEERNER IT OHEDUEERONEENROEROOENEDONEEDE NPD RENBOBOUDAROORORROND PDArDH Hiri Tierney rrennrnnn rErinentry rn ' (Concluded on page 54) American Society for Testing Materials — Notable Symposium on Special Alloys at Annual Convention— Iron for Cast Iron Pipe—Progress in Magnetic and Fatigue Testing—Developments in Specifications Y, organizing and conducting the first symposium on a subject of leading importance to metal- lurgists and heat treaters, the American Society for Testing Materials brought to a successful culmination another year of its activity at its twenty-seventh annual meeting last week at Haddon Hall, Atlantic City, N. J. The Society added decidedly to its standing as a technical organization and the net result was the assembly and the discussion of literature and data on corrosion-resistant, heat- resistant and electrical-resistant metals and alloys which bring to a head developments in the last ten years. There was the usual intensive activity both during the year and during the convention of committee meetings and discussions which characterize the work of this unique society. There were no drastic changes in specifications, but the usual revisions to bring existing standards and tentative ones up-to-date, as well as some work on new standards, were reported and passed upon. The attendance, while practically equal to last year’s meeting, reached about 1000, though there were expectations that, in view of the substantial increase in membership during the last year, a new record would be established. The change in policy of holding parallel sessions all the week was an experiment. On practically each day sessions on steel were held at the same time as those on cement and other subjects. While this may not have kept down the total attendance, it certainly prevented some from sitting in on certain sessions which were put at the end of the week. Undoubtedly the meeting Friday evening, on wrought and cast iron, suffered for this reason. Last year iron and steel subjects were con- centrated on the first three days, with other subjects taking up the remainder of the week. Year by year the scope of the society is broadening and new subjects are being taken up. Its annual programs, especially the one this year, are crowded with valuable material. An attempt is given in the following report to touch only on the high lights. Symposium on Alloys Resistant to Deterioration HE feature of the week’s sessions was the sym- posium. So rapid has been the development in recent years of alloys having corrosion-resistant, heat- resistant and electrical-resistant properties that it was believed by the society that an important service could be rendered by gathering together the principal avail- able data in this field rather than to attempt the formu- lation of standard or specifications. The result was impressive and valuable. It is the first symposium on this subject ever attempted. The 13 papers, together with those presented at Cleveland in May at a joint meeting with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, constitute a remarkable contribution to the literature of this new subject. The papers were divided substantially into three groups. The first group embraced corrosion-resistant alloys. Of these, including the introductory paper of the committee in charge of the symposium, there were seven. The second group was made up of four papers dealing with heat-resistant alloys while the third group of two papers covered electrical resistant materials. As a whole the various papers were limited to alloys of which the principal components are nickel, chromium, copper and iron. A List of the Alloys As an introduction to the entire subject, the chair- man of the committee in charge of the symposium, Jerome Strauss, U. S. Naval Gun Factory, Washington, presented a most valuable report listing in tabular form the commercial materials at present being made in this country which come within the scope of the symposium. The name of each alloy, its manufacturer, its chemical and physical properties and its principal uses are presented in comprehensive tables. The data are based on information submitted entirely by the makers of each alloy and are offered as a guide to engineers and users of such products. The committee which arranged the symposium and compiled the data were: Jerome Strauss, chairman; P. A. E. Armstrong, W. H. Bassett, L. O. Hart, A. L Krynitsky, P. D. Merica and H. M. Williams. Corrosion-Resistant Materials Six papers by leading authorities were presented at the first session on Tuesday afternoon, June 24, after the presentation of the introduction. “Corrosion-Resistant Alloys—Past, Present and Future” was the title of the paper by P. A. E. Arm- strong, vice-president Ludlum Steel Co., Watervliet, N. Y., who in an exceedingly brief speech presented his contribution. As the title indicates, the paper is a review of metallurgical developments which have led up to the manufacture of chromium-bearing alloy steels with particular reference to the patent situation. He lays particular stress on the value of a 17-per cent chromium steel containing about 1.50 per cent silicon with the carbon under 0.10 per cent—virtually a stain- less or rustless iron. The author also discusses the future effect of such alloys on the development of en- gineering construction. Alloys in Acid Mine Waters The importance of the corrosion problem in the coal mining industry was discussed in a paper by Robert J. Anderson and George M. Enos, of the Bureau of Mines Experiment Station, Pittsburgh, and instructor of metallurgy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, respectively, the title of the paper being “Corrosion- Resisting Alloys for Use in Acid Mine Water.” The nature of acid mine water from coal mines is dis- cussed, typical analyses of such waters being given, with the nature of the corrosion process under such circumstances also taken up. On the basis of various tests made, a list of materials which are resistant to acid mine waters has been incorporated in the paper and the applicability of these materials to the construc- 3 s + & = \ myer” ma Be a ert oa aa Rl ete ea eee Denne a» Ss i ate Bs ee were 12 THE IRON AGE tion of mining equipment indicated. A number of specific corrosion problems are pointed out. “The Endurance Properties of Corrosion-Resistant Steels” was the title of an elaborate paper by Dr. D. J. McAdam, Jr., metallurgist U. S. Naval Engineering Experiment Station, Annapolis, Md. Only a summary was available in printed form, but the author presented a fairly full abstract illustrated by lantern slides. He describes the results of an investigation conducted at his laboratory to determine the relation of endurance properties to the results of the more common mechanical tests. The endurance tests were made by the rotating cantilever method and by the alternating torsion method. Alloys and Sea Water An elaborate paper, only a summary of which was available in print, was contributed by Jerome Strauss and J. W. Talley, both connected with the U. S. Naval Gun Factory, Washington. Mr. Strauss presented a comprehensive summary, aided by a large number of lantern slides. The authors give the results of an exhaustive study of the modification of physical prop- erties of the newer ferrous alloys by heat treatment and their behavior when exposed to sea-water spray. Nearly 30 commercial corrosion-resistant steels in over 20 distinct compositions are involved. The materials were arranged in three groups: “Hardenable” chromium steels, chromium steels which do not “harden” and steels in which the predominating alloying element is nickel. Two Foreign Papers Two papers from European metallurgists were con- tributed to the symposium. “Non-Rusting Chromium Nickel Steels” was a sub- ject discussed by B. Strauss, connected with the cele- brated Krupp firm, Essen, Germany. The author describes the development of two chromium-nickel steels in the physical research laboratory of his com- pany, discussing first the valuable properties of chromium as an alloy with iron and steel. The first of these two alloys includes steels containing 10 to 16 per cent of chromium, 0.50 to 4.00 per cent of nickel and 0.10 to 0.60 per cent of carbon. The other steel includes those which range from 20 to 25 per cent of chromium, 4 to 20 per cent of nickel and 0.10 to 0.50 per cent of carbon. The results of corrosion tests of these alloys in comparison to steels of 9.25 per cent nickel content and with ingot iron are reported. The tests include corrosion in air and sea-water and in cold and boiling nitric acid solution. After presenting the physical and metallographic properties of these steels and their behavior at elevated temperatures, the paper concludes with references of their applications in- dustrially. Dr. Paul D. Merica, International Nickel Co., New York, presented an abstract of this paper, changing in some important respects the order of the author’s original contribution. Stainless Steel Ball Bearings Another paper from a foreign source was con- tributed by Axel Hultgren, chief metallurgist of a com- pany in Gothenburg, Sweden. Taking as his title “The Carrying Capacity of Ball Bearings Made of Stainless Steel,” the author makes a comparison of balls of this material called ordinarily low chromium steels. Stain- less steels of American, British and Swedish production were used. In most of the tests, in order to reproduce regular service conditions for such bearings, water was admitted to the bearing while running. The object of the investigation was based on the hope of ball bear- ing manufacturers ‘of obtaining a solution of the prob- lem of rust-resisting ball bearings. The results of the tests are reported by the author as far from promising. The carrying capacity of the stainless steel bearings tested was from 10 to 20 per cent of that of ordinary ball bearings. A New Alloy of Striking Properties The discussions, which were not many, were pre- sented at the close of the presentation of the papers. A most interesting new alloy was brought to the July 3, 1924 attention of the society by W. B. Price, Scovill Mfg. Co., Waterbury, Conn. It is called an admiralty nickel under the trade name “Adnick.” With a composition of about 70 per cent copper, 29 per cent nickel and 1 per cent tin, the alloy is claimed to have high tensile strength at high temperatures, to be extremely ductile so as to be drawn, stamped, spun, etc., and to be resistant to corrosion in certain liquids. When cold rolled it pro- duces a material having 131,000 lb. per sa. in. tens 1> strength with 77,000 lb. per sq. in. in the annealed state. Among samples presented for inspection was some wire drawn down to 0.006 in. diameter from a 5¢-in. round without annealing. Dr. C. M. Johnson, Crucible Steel Co. of America, Pittsburgh, referred to the fact that no one alloy was good for every emergency or condition, in the course of the presentation of some data covering the relative merits of “Resistal” to other alloys under special corrosive conditions. Dr. John A. Mathews of the same company, New York, called attention to the absolutely new field which these alloys opened up, so diametrically opposite to the more familiar steels and alloys. In his opinion we must get used to new ideas and to the fact that no one steel will answer all purposes. H. J. French, metallurgist Bureau of Standards, Washington, offered to fill in some of the blank spaces in the tables of alloys, formulated by the committee, from data as to the strength of certain alloys at high temperatures which he had determined. The gratitude which metallurgists as a whole owe to several of the authors was emphasized by C. E. Mac- Quigg, Union Carbide & Carbon Research Laboratories, Long Island City, N. Y. The Stainless Iron Situation The relative merits of the direct and indirect method of making stainless iron, as suggested by the paver by Mr. Armstrong, was discussed by B. D. Saklatwalla, Vanadium Corporation of America, Bridgeville, Pa. Dr. Saklatwalla’s remarks were in part as follows: Mr. Armstrong reviews the history of the develop- ment of high-chromium steels from the phase of the patent situation, attaching considerable importance to this. He refers to the product or composition patents. As to the methods of manufacture of the material directly from chrome ores, which insures a wide and general economical application of the material for most purposes, the patent situation is more fortunate and clearer, especially in the United States. There has been considerable publicity given to the advancement of this art in Great Britain. As a matter of fact, however, the issued patent in this country covering the basic idea of using chrome ore with silicon as a re- ducing agent is about ten years old and several sub- sequent patent applications for specific methods of carrying out the basic idea in this country carry a date of priority ahead of any of the English patents. These applications are still pending in the patent office. Referring to the direct process in Mr. Armstrong’s paper, quoting from the Bureau of Mines, Bulletin No, 6, of the coal mining investigations, published by the Carnegie Institute of Technology, inference is made that the material manufactured by the direct process may be liable to have a greater number of oxide inclusions. This is contrary to actual experi- ence Steel produced by the direct process, rolled into sheets and examined under the microscope, has actually proved itself to be equally as clean, if not more so, as t