The Iron Age 1924-07-31: Vol 114 Iss 5

New York, July 31, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 114, No. 5 Movable Molding Machine for Large Work Traveling Sand Mixer and Rammer Handles Molding for 12 to 14-Ton Castings in Foundry of Marion Steam Shovel Co. VA 7 I1THIN recent yea?s production in foundries making motor car and other castings in large quantities has been greatly increased and the relative amount of labor required materially reduced by the use of improved types of molding machines, mold conveyors, and other labor saving devices. These changes in production methods have resulted in marked reductions in foundry costs. Representing another branch of the foundry industry, the steel foundry of the Marion Steam Shovel Co., Marion, Ohio, offers an interesting example of improved developments in pro- duction methods in a foundry where variety and Jarge sizes are characteristic of the product. This compary’s new method of production centers around one molding machine, a Sandslinger, so-called, larger in size than any of its kind previously made. It is used for the cutting of sand and ramming of molds on for’ frame castings and other parts of steam shovels, including large manganese steel castings. This machine, which was but recently installed, is designated as the “locomotive type” and operates on an 8-ft. 8-in. gage track 160 ft. long, extending nearly half the length of the foundry on one side. It is used to ram flasks as small as 20 in. in diameter and 10 in. deep, and as large as is necessary to mold castings weighing 12 to 14 tons each. The rating of the ma- chine is said to be such that it can easily prepare and ram an average of 200 tons of sand per day, and in operation it has been found possible to ram this amount of sand in a day when it was operated approximately only two-thirds of the time. Its capacity is not only in excess of its rating but also considerably in excess of the requirements of the plant at the present time. Consequently it is not kept operating continuously Rear or Ramming End of the Sand Slinger or Traveling Sand Mixet and Rammer and Flasks for Small Miscellaneous Work qaneccenneesoresnnesss-srnenseernnenersrinrnenEDhenvenenenene oownt FEDEMREUTTNEATRRETERIDRONSE SHERERITEFOEIEDT | (0 Hees RRONPDENSeOROND ONS PEELS SOESSPUORRERDE TERE ELDEDTEREEEDOONIEY merwenses a» sereenreeneweneset. SURrRDONTEDLEPS WHI UES TERESERENEROEEEERESEUTTOTUIE! 201 FORVOTCEREEEEDENEENS: SNES CN rHTO BES 247 ee Seepete reer enwene PRR A No oth se eee eae A ee a ee nO ee ae Se A RS qrnquveupendignsmemn ve eee Stel in eh conten Pr aoed + tera = ' - <> nce npetione. sins 248 THE IRON throughout the day, although practically all the molds are light class, cored work, and for the most part the castings are of bulky sections requiring a very large amount of sand in proportion to the weight of the cast- ings produced. Flasks are set at the side of the track on which it travels and the machine is taken to the work instead of the work to the machine. The rammer head has a reach for ramming molds up to 10 ft. wide. Molds of any length may be rammed to a depth of 13 ft. in the case of pit work and from 5 to 6 ft. in height above the foundry floor. The arm carrying the rammer head may be raised or lowered as required by the height of the flask. A mold 20 ft. wide may be rammed by first ramming one side and then turning the mold around and ramming the opposite side. With the use of the machine considerable skilled foundry labor has been eliminated, as the only skilled workmen now required are core setters and such mold- ers as are needed for finishing work or for drawing the patterns and finishing the molds when torn by the drawing of the patterns. For the operation of the machine two men suffice. One operates the machine itself, covering various functions outside of ramming; the second does the ramming. During the night molds are shaken out over the track of the machine, the castings are picked up, and a large part of the gaggers are taken from the sand. The night crew also sets up the flasks at the side of the track and puts in the patterns, making the molds ready to be rammed in the morning. An hour before the molders start work, the machine is placed in operation to cut and riddle sand for the day’s work. A screw feed and bucket elevator raises the sand from the track, the elevator discharging the sand into an oscillating riddle over a 10-ton storage hopper. The gaggers are discharged into hoppers at the sides of the machine. The bottom of the hopper is left open during this sand preparation so that the sand may fall through the hopper to the center of the track, where it is deposited in an oval shaped pile 30 in. high. After this process of cutting and riddling the sand is AGE July 31, 1924 wet down. As it is needed for molding it is again cut and riddled, but this time it is retained in the hopper from which it is fed to the rammer head and discharged into the flasks at high velocity. The machine is oper- ated until the hopper is empty, when the ramming oper- ation is stopped for reloading. The reloading time of the hopper, which has a eapacity of 10 tons of sand, is put at 3 min. The regular machine operator, who starts to pre- pare the sand an hour before the molders begin work in the morning, stops work one hour before the regular lunch time. Another man operates the machine during this hour and the regular operator then returns to work and goes over the machine, oiling and greasing it, dur- ing the regular noon hour. It is given another thorough lubrication when work stops in the evening. Also, dur- ing the noon hours laborers using a grab bucket and overhead crane fill up the track with sand from a stock pile at the end of the track, so that sufficient sand is Ramming a Mold for a Shovel Side Frame in a 4 x 18-Ft. Flask. The drag is 3% ft. deep and the cope 1 ft. deep. The mold is rammed in 25 min. as compared with 10 hr. previously re- quired by molder and helper when sand was shoveled by hand and rammed by air, the time not including the finishing work on the mold Steam provided on the track for the afternoon operations. While in operation the machine is not as a rule pushed along from one flask to the next adjoining one, but is moved along the track to whatever mold is ready for ramming, or to the one which is likely to be wanted first. Power is supplied for the various operations by four motors: one for machine travel on the track and for operating the elevator conveying sand from the floor to the riddle; one operates the buckets which carry the sand from the hopper to the rammer head and rotates the hopper; one raises and lowers the rammer head, and the fourth operates the rammer. Carbon steel is melted in an open hearth furnace and manganese steel is prepared in a 3-ton Moore Lectromelt furnace. The carbon steel is bottom poured from a 20-ton ladle and manganese steel from a teapot ladle. The foundry has effected a marked saving of labor with the use of the machine. It is stated that a mold that formerly took a molder and helper 4 hr. to ram with a pneumatic rammer is now rammed on the ma- chine in 10 to 15 min. Eight molds for side frame cast- July 31, 1924 THE IRON eeenennenncsaaensenecenseneraneecenescieesensasennnecoeceanerny cee a ee oe ey Cell Skt ML a | is TET lie ig sd - P Gear Mold in a Flask 10 Ft. in Diameter and 2 Ft. Deep. This is rammed in 15 to 20 min. ings may now be completed in 10 hr. as compared with four frames in 24 hr. by a molder and helper using the old method. A mold for a lower frame casting which formerly required 24 hr., and for which 36 hr. of time was paid, is completed in 10 hr. with the use of the machine. In addition to the saving effected both in common and skilled labor, the company has found that the molds rammed by the machine are harder and more uniform than the former hand rammed molds, making fewer gaggers necessary. Other advantages mentioned are less facing sand used because the sand is well riddled; the cope may be rammed on the drag with a good joint, and mounting of the pattern is unnecessary. The Sandslinger was manufactured by the Beardsley & Piper Co., Chicago. The Mold for an Upper Rotating Frame Is Being Rammed in a Drag 10 Ft. Long, 7 Ft. Wide and 30 In. Deep. The drag and cope, the latter 12 in molder and helper deep, are rammed in about 20 min. as compared with 10 hr. formerly required by a for actual ramming LSS CR, Rica meet nites 5.6 TMA p> rn ee GE eR ee ee RE ‘ “ Samp PETE GEIS, ’ wee ey) Lidar A i ensarce:e 3 7 3 fe ne Oe at renege eR te NO ; “ ~~ ~ Ai; ee Cee ee Ra Poe ear, ee 250 THE IRON Universal Bench Milling Machine A new universal model of its No. 3 bench hand miller has been added to the line of the Pratt & Whitney Co., Hartford. Except for its size and its hand feed, the new machine is practically a counterpart of the full size floor machines, and except for improvements and additions is similar to the company’s plain model. The new machine is equipped with a swiveling table, which permits setting to any angle up to 45 deg. either way. Full graduations are provided to facilitate set- ting, and the table may be locked in any position. The table is also equipped with a large handwheel, which Except for Size and Hand Feed the Universal h Milling Machine Above Is the Counterpart of the Familiar Full Size Floor Machine may be geared to the dividing head, and a 10-pitch lead screw for traversing. The universal dividing head is similar to those used on the general line of larger universal milling machines, and permits using the bench machine for the compli- cated milling jobs performed on the larger machines, with the exception of the difference in work range. The dividing head spindle takes the same collets, cen- ters, etc., as the main spindle, but it will not take the regular step chucks, face plates, etc.,' because of the small clearances involved. A total angular range of 135 deg. is provided: The indexing mechanism is sim- ilar to the method used in the’standard indexing heads on larger machines. Three index plates are provided, giving the same number of indexing possibilities as listed in the standard B&S tables. yBecause of the small clearance it is not possible to*provide a fixed index plate for rapid indexing. A set 6f change gears is provided for differential indexing “and for spiral milling. Standard B&S tables apply with the exception that all leads Will be exactly one-half of the B&S leads. An adjustable footstock is provided for use with the universal indexing head. This footstock has an ad- justable center that may be elevated or depressed, and may be set also at an angle in a vertical plane. By this arrangement the spiral head and footstock centers may be kept in line, within limits, when the head spindle is elevated or depressed, and the footstock center can be set to insure its accurately fitting the center hole in the arbor or work. A vertical milling attachment of new design is available, the attachment being bolted to the face of the machine and driven from the regular spindle. A train of bevel gears brings the power to a vertical spindle, and at the same time permits it to be swung to any angle in a plane perpendicular to the machine spindle. Graduations are provided for this angular setting. Regular bench miller or bench lathe collets fit this attachment. A right angle adapter may be inserted between the attachment and the machine spindle. This adapter contains gearing which permits the vertical spindle of the attachment to be swung to any AGE July 31, 1924 angle in a vertical plane parallel to the main spindle. The working surface of the table is 17% in. x 2% in., the table travel is 8% in. and the table vertical adjustment is 6% in. The spindle speeds range from 153 to 510 r.p.m. The bench space occupied is 25 x 22 x 21 in. high, and the weight of the machine, with equipment, is 185 lb. Electric Brazer for Band Saw Blades An electric brazer for band saws, features claimed for which include increased speed, convenience and low cost of operation, has been placed on the market by the Oliver Machinery Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. The device illustrated, which is designated as the No. 462 Vulcan, is for saw blades of 19 gage or thinner and up to 1% in. wide, but larger sizes are also available. The apparatus is made up of a transformer, the main coil of which is connected to a power or light circuit by means of a@ switch, and a secondary coil which serves as a clamp for the ends of the saw, the latter being held rigid by two screw clamps. Other parts are the hawkbill or center clamp, which is hand operated, a switch and cord for connection with lamp or power sockets. In operating the brazer, the laps are beveled ani preparel in the ordinary way, and the ends of the saw placed in position in the self-alining clamps, as. shown, the beveled ends overlapping and under the center clamp. A small strip of solder is then placed between the beveled surfaces and borax flux applied. The cur- rent is turned off and pressure applied with the center clamp. The clamp is then released and the switch : “4 Electric Brazer for Band Saw Blades Up to 19 Gage in Thickness and 1% In, in Width turned on again long enough to give the saw the proper temper. Testing with a file and cleaning and polishing the braze completes the operation. The temper is within control of the operator. If the braze is too hard the current may be turned on slightly until the temper is drawn. If the saw is too soft, cooling down to harden may be obtained by applying the center clamp to the heated surface after turning off the switch. The apparatus requires 6 to 12 amp. for blades up to 2 in. wide. The current consumption is said to be low, more than 100 brazings being effected by 1 kwhr. The weight of the machine is 40 lb. crated. Italy’s Pig Iron and Steel Output The ‘production of pig iron and steel in Italy for 1923 has recently been made public. The total pig iron output last year was 246,500 tons of which 226,000 was made with coke, 2500 tons with charcoal and 18,000 tons made in electric furnaces. The steel output in 1923 was 1,121,900 tons. The records last year, compared with 1922, are as follows: 1923 1922 246,500 157,600 1,121,900 981,400 ee MOR eso 0 ho ie eee OR Steel The great spread between pig iron and steel is ex- plained by the fact that most of Italy’s steel is made from scrap. Pig iron imports in 1923 were 135,000 tons while scrap iron imports were 434,000 tons, most of it coming from France. Buying on “Iron Age” Quotations Upheld Action of Interstate Commerce Commission Refuses to Interfere with Contract Proved Satisfactory to Railroad and Steel Company WASHINGTON, July 29.—Disposition by the New York Central Railroad of practically all of its scrap to the McKinney Steel Co., Cleveland, under a contract by which THE IRON AGE quotations are used as a basis of sales prices, is a source of considerable saving and has met with the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission through the refusal of the commission to conduct a formal investigation of the contract, as re- ported briefly in THE IRON AGE of July 24. The com- mission had been asked by some scrap dealers and other sources to make an inquiry, the claim of the protestants being that this form of contract would result in a loss of revenue roughly estimated at $250,000 a year and that as a matter of protection to the stockholders of the railroad and the public, the question properly came under the jurisdiction of the commission as being within the meaning of the Interstate Commerce act. An opposite claim was made by the New York Cen- tral Railroad. It entered into the contract on July 2, 1923, because it would do away with the necessity of building an additional dock and installing equipment for the assorting, handling and storing of scrap mate- rial which it had to do under the system of offering scrap in the open market under the method of com- petitive bidding. Would Saye Money Field agents of the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion are understood to have made an informal investi- gation and to have approved claims of the New York Central that instead of losing revenue it would save considerable money by use of the contract based on THE IRON AGE quotations. It is understood that the saving was estimated at approximately $300,000 a year, or almost as much as those protesting against the con- tract said would be lost. Moreover, it is reported that agents of the commission with the New York Central, recognizing the accuracy of THE IRON AGE quotations, pointed out that. finished products are bought and sold on its quotations and that therefore the sale of scrap on such a basis is likewise a safe measure. It was not made known here whether the contract with the McKinney Steel Co. was renewed by the New York Central or not. It gave the exclusive right to the McKinney Steel Co. to purchase from the main line of the New York Central practically 90 per cent of its scrap. It involved all heavy melting steel, all wrought iron scrap, except requirements of the Phoenix Horse- shoe Co., all busheling, borings, turnings, and drilling’. The McKinney Steel Co. was allowed to exclude certain kinds of No. 1 heavy melting. The price determined upon was f.o.b. River Terminal Railway Interchange Track, Cleveland, based on the average of the weekly market quotations of No. 1 heavy melting steel, f.o.b. Pittsburgh, as published in THe IRoN AGE under “A Comparison of Prices” for the month immediately pre- ceding the month when the material was assorted and weighed, plus $1 per gross ton, as the base price. There was added to the base price a differential of $1.52 per gross ton on all material consisting of steel couplers and knuckles, steel knuckle locks and spring steel. From the base price there was subtracted a differential per gross ton of $2.16 for all of the material consisting of heavy steel No. 1 turnings, and of $4.35 for bushel- ing, light and mixed borings and drillings. The rail- road company paid for the work of assorting the scrap done at the plant of the McKinney Steel Co. It is said that the contract involved the equivalent of annual sales valued at $3,000,000. Those protesting against the contract who were actuated by a desire to protect scrap dealers from loss 251 of business pointed out that it was a departure from the usual method of disposing of railroad scrap by com- petitive bidding, and that it served to destroy compe- tition among scrap buyers. Also it was indicated that the action of the New York Central would set a prece- dent to the injury of the trade as well as to the rail- roads. The contention was further made that the prices published in the various trade papers do not necessarily represent the true market value of the specific scrap involved, as one protestant said “since scrap produced by a railroad company involves such a large tonnage and is offered for sale at such regular intervals, caus- ing prospective purchasers to look forward to such offers, that in many instances this scrap, which is the most choice for its extra quality, yields even higher prices than those regularly quoted in trade papers and thereby establishes new market prices higher than those quoted in trade papers. Market quotations in trade papers are very often a day or so behind the actual status of the day’s market develbpment.” Based on Average Quotations The latter contention, it will be seen from the con- tract, is dissipated because the prices are based on the average weekly quotations in THE Iron AcE for the month immediately preceding the month when the ma- terial is assorted. The argument also was made that by eliminating the sale of scrap in the open market by competitive bidding, an important factor in determining the market value of the scrap is destroyed. Also the claim was made that “in view of the pecuniary interest that the railroad has in maintaining these quotations of prices in trade papers as high as possible, it is conceivable that these quotations will or may be very materially affected by unfair methods and means., The contract system eliminates the benefit which would accrue to the rail- road by the speculative value of the scrap.” The allegation was made that during the period of the original contract between the New York Central and the McKinney Steel Co., scrap dealers filed bids with the New York Central at prices far in excess of the quotations of any trade paper. The Massachusetts Investigation The protestants also pointed out that both systems of selling scrap were investigated by the Public Ser- vice Commission of Massachusetts in January, 1917, concerning a contract almost along identical lines as the New York Central-McKinney Steel Co. contract. The statement had reference to a contract by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, and the Boston & Maine, with Joseph Joseph & Co., Cincinnati. In this instance the Massachusetts commission said: “It would appear from the above facts that a very large majority of the representative railroads and rail- ways, whose methods relative to the disposition of scrap have been investigated, seem to adhere to the open bid method and it would also appear as if the roads that have adopted this method have everything to gain and nothing to lose, as they do not rely upon the prices obtained from any one source and it is more than pos- sible that local conditions might be a very important factor in disposing of certain kinds of scrap.” The commission concluded: “. . . that all rail- roads and street railway companies, operating in the Commonwealth, should adopt the open competitive bid method for the disposal of scrap, unless, in any in- ~ ete © at ce Sc 252 stance, a company is prepared to show upon the basis of actual experience that better results can be secured under the yearly contract basis.” Those protesting conceded that they did not know the specific price which the McKinney Steel Co. agreed to pay because the contract was not made available to them and it is assumed that data showing savings from the system were not available to them. Of the scrap sold to the McKinney Steel Co. under the contract, about 80 per cent consisted of heavy melting steel. THE IRON AGE quotation at Pittsburgh was determined upon Mining Engineers to Visit Birmingham The annual inspection trip of the American In- stitute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers will center on Birmingham, Ala., this year. A. train of Pullman cars will be made up at Washington on the evening of Oct. 7, and members of the party will live in this train for ten days, except while at Birmingham. Wednesday, Oct. 8, will be spent in the Valley of the Shenandoah, visiting Luray Caverns, the Grottoes of the Shenandoah, and Natural Bridge. Arriving Thursday morning at Bluefield, the party will be taken in automobiles down the Elkhorn Valley, passing through the older sections of the Pocahontas coal field. Luncheon will be served at the club house at Gary. The train will reach the Mascot mines of the American Zinc Co. of Tennessee, 13 miles east of Knoxville, Friday morning. There are 22 marble quarries in operation in the Knoxville district. Satur- day will be spent at Copperhill and Ducktown, visiting the plants of the Tennessee Copper Co. and of the Ducktown Copper, Sulphur & Iron Co. The national parks in the vicinity of Chattanooga will. be visited on Sunday. The party will arrive at Birmingham on Monday morning, Oct. 13, and headquarters will be at the Hotel Tutwiler. The day and evening will be devoted to technical sessions dealing chiefly with the mining and metallurgical industries of the Birmingham dis- trict. The morning session will consider geology and iron mining, the afternoon session iron and steel, and the evening session coal and coke. Tuesday and Wednesday will be taken up with inspection of mines and steel works, pipe foundries and other operations in the Birmingham district. A trip to Muscle Shoals is planned for Thursday. On the return trip the train arrives in Washington at 3 p. m. Friday, Oct. 17. Another Tablet to Captain Ericsson On the 121st anniversary of the birth of Capt. John Ericsson, Thursday, July 31, at 2 p. m., there will be unveiled a bronze tablet at 95 Franklin Street, which was the residence of Captain Ericsson when, in 1862, he designed and superintended the construction in 100 working days’ contract time of the ironclad Monitor which turned the tide of the Civil War. The tablet is being erected by the families of three men whose faces with Captain Ericsson’s are depicted on it. These men were Cornelius S. Bushnell, New Haven, and John F. Winslow and John A. Griswold of Troy, N. Y., who secured the contract from the Govern- ment and furnished the funds and supplied the ma- terials to build the Vessel. The flag to be used in the unveiling is the one which floated on the Monitor dur- ing the battle and was draped over the body of Captain Ericsson when it was transported to Sweden in 1890 on the U. S. S. Baltimore by Captain, later Admiral, Win- field Scott Schley. This is the sixth mark of commemoration of Captain Ericsson’s work in this city, the first being the Statue by Jonathan Hartley, sculptor, at the Battery. The second, a tablet at 260 West Street, the site of the Phoenix Foundry, where he made the first screw pro- pellers for steam vessels, advancing marine transporta- tion all over the world and making possible the con- struction of the U. S. S. Princeton, first warship with THE IRON July 31, 1924 AGE as the price basis because Pittsburgh consumes the greatest tonnage and prices of scrap in that district are on an average considerably higher than at any other point. By receiving $1 per ton over the average quotation in THE IRON AGE, it was contended, the rail- road was assured a higher figure than it would obtain by the bidding method. It was provided in the contract that it should con- tinue for one year, and thereafter until terminated by one of the parties giving the other party four months written notice of such termination. the machinery below the water line, safe from cannon shot. The third is a tablet on the Cunard pier, foot of West Thirteenth Street, the site of the Delamater Iron Works, successor of the Phoenix Foundry, where Cap- tain Ericsson in cooperation with Cornelius H. Dela- mater, proprietor, constructed the engines of the Moni- tor and developed other inventions now in universal use. The fourth is a tablet on the office buildings of the Continental Iron Works, West and Calyer Streets, Brooklyn, where the hull of the Monitor was built by Thomas F. Rowland, proprietor, and the fifth is a tab- let at 36 Beach Street, the site of Captain Ericsson’s residence, where he spent the last years of his life and died in 1889. A collection of Ericssonia made by the Delamater Ericsson Historical Collection Committee was sent to Sweden last summer for exhibition at the tercentenary of Gothenberg and will be exhibited in the Engineering Societies’ Building here this winter and afterward will form the nucleus of the collection of engineering mod- els and records in the National Museum of Engineering and Industry, a $10,000,000 project now being developed by the engineers and industrialists of the country in the Engineering Societies’ Building, in connection with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. New England Foundrymen’s Association Entertains Among those members of the Newark, Philadelphia and Connecticut Foundrymen’s Associations who at- tended the July meeting of the New England Foundry- men’s Association, held Wednesday, July 16, at Mc- Peake’s Shore Gardens, Nantasket Beach, Mass., were John L. Carter, Barlow Foundry Co., Newark, president of the Newark Foundrymen’s Association, Messrs. Dick and LaRoche, Dick Foundry Co., Reading, Pa., Merrill Taggart, M. R. Taggart & Co., Newark, and Fred W. Stickle, Capitol Foundry Co., Hartford, Conn., presi- dent of the Connecticut Foundrymens’ Association. All told about a dozen guests were on hand, The total attendance topped 100. Norman Russell, president of the New England or- ganization, presided at the shore dinner, enjoyed by all. He introduced Charles L. Newcomb, Deane Steam Pump Works, Worthington Pump & Machinery Cor- poration, Holyoke, Mass., a former president of the New England Foundrymen’s Association, who extended greetings to the visitors. Mr. Newcomb, in turn, intro- duced Mr. Carter, who gave an outline of the Newark association and its work, laying particular stress on the association’s system of cost, involving one cost man and one cost system. Mr. Carter urged that a committee be formed among members of his and the New England and Connecticut associations for the purpose of arriv- ing at a satisfactory conclusion as to foundry practice costs. Mr. Stickle also sanctioned such a committee, in his brief address. During dinner entertainment was furnished by professional talent. Most of the members and guests soon after dinner partook of a dip in the ocean, the day being an uncom- fortably warm one. The New England Foundrymen’s Association’s August meeting will be in the form of a day of sightseeing and study as the guest of the Prov- idence Gas Co., Providence, R. I., on Aug. 20. July 31, 1924 Double-Spindle Grinder for Cast-Iron Valve Sleeve Parts The special equipment for grinding cast-iron valve sleeve parts and similar work placed upon the market recently by Charles H. Besly & Co., 118 North Clinton Street, Chicago, is shown in the accompanying illustra- tions. The machine is the company’s No. 6—18-in.—I double-spindle direct-connected motor-driven wet ring wheel grinder equipped with a semi-automatic work feeding device and with a special micrometer adjust- ment feature on each spindle. Based on removing not over 1/32 in. on each end, it is claimed that work can Valve Sleeve Parts Are Fed Into the Chute By the Operator. through the guides and between the grinding wheels, from which they drop into the screen chute. The production claimed is 3200 pieces an hour be held to limits of plus or minus 0.002 in. and ground at the rate of 3200 pieces an hour, using grain No. 24 vitrified grinding wheels. The bed of the machine is 72 in. long, and is pro- vided with a cast-iron water pan which is built in between the floor supporting stands and the bed cast- ing, an arrangement intended to add to the rigidity of the main bed casting. The latter has machined V-ways on which are mounted the bed plates for holding the motors. The motors, which are of 7% hp., are said to have been designed especially for totally inclosed service. They have stators of the radiating rib type and special end casings. The bed plates on which the motors are mounted are adjustable along the bed of the machine by means of rack and pinion, and when set in the working position, the heads are clamped to the bed of the machine by three anchor bolts on each head. The motors are equipped with push button control. The spindles are 2% in. in diameter and 39% in. long. They run in phosphor-bronze-ring oiled bearings, the bearing bushings being 8% in. and 10% in. lonx, equipped with two oil rings and containing two large oil reservoirs to assure adequate lubrication. End thrust is taken on automatically oiled, hardened steel thrust collars. The bearings are 2% in. in diameter inside; and 3% in. outside, and slide % in. endwise in the motor casings. Rack teeth in the outer end of the bearing bushings mesh with pinions which control the endwise movement of the spindles. Back thrust of the spindles is taken on ball thrust bearings fitted into the outer end of the rack bearing. The spindle nose is tapered and the wheel collars are secured to the nose with a key and recessed nut. The spindles are held in position by coil springs through levers and pinions. The micrometer adjustment of each spindle is controlled from the front of the machine through the hand wheel, shafts, chain and sprockets Cooling lubricant is pumped from a tank in the base of the machine to the outer end of the spindles, which are bored their entire length. The feeding fixture is of the rotary type and is driven by a %-hp. motor THE IRON AGE . 253 through worm reduction gearing to the main feeding spindle, all gearing being flood lubricated, and all bear- ings protected from dust. The grinding wheels employed are of the ring type, 18 in. in diameter and 4 in. deep, and carried in pressed steel ring wheel chucks with adjustable setting out and clamping rings. A wheel truing device 1s attached to the base of the machine at the rear, this device having screw adjustment parallel with the spindles. A de- tachable cover is provided in the waterhooa for the entrance of the cutter bar between the wheels. A stop is also provided on the front side of the machine to permit of quickly resetting the heads after dressing. HOLELOTEONORNE DON LEO 880 oORA HERE UOFRRDRENCONERENNED, Ht 1 ven eannennes The parts are then picked up by the feeding wheel, carried The rotary feeding wheel is equipped with hardened bushings of suitable size to take valve sleeve parts 11/16 in. in diameter by 2% in. long. The work is fed into the chute by the operator, and is picked up by the feeding wheel and carried through the guides to the grinding wheels, down between the grinding wheels, finally dropping out on the screen chute, with both ends finished. The backing bar or guide is secured in place between the wheels to hold the work in place while grinding. Changing to Diesel Drive WASHINGTON, July 29.—Announcement was made by the Emergency Fleet Corporation last week that instructions have been issued to the Department of Maintenance and Repair of the Fleet Corporation in New York to proceed with all the necessary work inci- dent to the preparation of specifications and contracts for carrying on the work of converting cargo vessels to Diesel drive, recently authorized by Congress. The work of preparing for this conversion, together with supérvision of construction and installation of all machinery and refitting of vessels, will be carried out directly under the supervision of the Maintenance and Repair Department, of which Capt. R. D. Gatewood, Cc. C., U. S. N., is manager, all expenditures to be sub- ject to the approval of the United States Shipping Board. Actual plans, specifications and contracts are now being actiyely prepared by the terminal section of the New York Office of the Department of Maintenance and Repair. A. Conti has been retained by the Ship- ping Board as consulting advisory engineer to assist in this work and is working in close cooperation with the Fleet Corporation authorities. The Texas & Pacific Railroad Co. has adopted a five-day week basis of operation at its repair shops at Marshall, Tex., instead of a full six-day week schedule, in order to continue the employment of the full working force of about 1000 men. a Mie geetg ees gay sees ae nepetel eT COREL SLE IEG CEL LL AS ELLE AY rk en quupngyeren snags te ia aaa slain tata gi panna: eater. Lm Blast Furnace Plant at Asansol, India Two Stacks with Coke Plant and Auxiliaries of the Development of the Indian Iron & Steel Co., Near Calcutta sol, India, designed by and constructed under the supervision of Arthur G. McKee & Co., Cleveland, for the Indian Iron & Steel Co., are here reproduced. The pictures, in addition to showing the blast furnaces and coke plant, also give an idea of the surrounding country, the type of labor employed at the plant, and the different styles of native costume, indicating the caste of the workman. Although situated in the Far East, being about 120 miles northwest of Calcutta, the plant is typically American in design and equipment, the deviations being those required by topographical! and climatic conditions. Practically all of the steel- work, castings and machinery were shipped from the United States and erected by native labor under the supervision of American engineers. In the face of an abundance of cheap labor, labor saving equipment has been provided to a large extent, as it was contended by the engineers that in view of the trying weather conditions, such as temperatures of 120 deg. Fahr. in the shade and excessive humidity and a torrential rainfall, sometimes as great as 15 in. in a few hours, labor could not reasonably be expected to render the efficient and dependable service necessary to keep the furnace plant in full operation at all times. The furnace units, therefore, were made of orthodox Pies tosis aes of the two blast furnaces at Asan- f ; 254 The Type of Freight Car and Types of Workmen Stand In Contrast with American design and construction with a maximum of mechanical labor saving equipment. This has made it possible for the plant to be operated with a compara- tively small force of the more intelligent men, and the results obtained appear fully to justify the original plan. The blast furnaces have already proved their ability to produce daily in excess of 450 tons. As the ore mines are more fully developed and transportation problems are solved, it is expected to increase the output of each unit to an average of 500 tons per day or more. Both furnaces were in blast early in 1924, and due to the exceedingly low cost of assembling materials and to their quality, the Indian Iron & Steel Co. has been able profitably to market iron in practically all parts of the world. India possesses enormous deposits of high grade ore, the total reserves being estimated at 20 billion tons. The mines of the Indian Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., are located approximately 200 miles distant from the furnace plant at Asansol, to which point the ore is carried by a railroad built in part by the company. The ore, which is soft shale like hematite, runs as high as 69 per cent metallic iron, but is put at an average of 60 to 65 per cent, with an average phosphorus con- tent of 0.10 per cent. The site at Asansol was selected on account of its Buildings and Equipment of Familiar Form UeP Renn eneReHUNURD ERNST ENT EONE LE DEREHEFTE July 31, 1924 THE IRON AGE ~ Besides the Sand Casting Bed, the Plant Has Pig Casting Machinery Coke Quenching Car and the Hindoos Who Operate the Coke Plant @uaveeveetnenierenanuen ses ne renNN RONEN TE/NNSUCI LC SERDEED DOBEDE DED TTSFOIOEPVERDLY PUEROEARERETERCGALEREDESDECUERRONEDS DERHRETH EY CeTTTTI NT entire ree cently ee s os aspen tid lai Ae ou wey « ‘ MOY Sith Sie Oat . - a atone pee ‘ey ee A eg NR I ES CE ey Be “es newt assert os “fen ae... Se - ee ee NY ee ae GR ne eR OEE LAE RAN At Bitte in. AN A IE Le ne ee 256 proximity to the coal mines and to the Domoodar River, from which an abundant water supply is obtain- able. Asansol, as regards rail transportation, is located at the junction of the East Indian Railroad and the Bengal-Nagpur Railway. The plans contemplate the ultimate installation of six blast furnaces, sufficient coke plant capacity to provide fuel for these furnaces, and the later addition of an open-hearth and steel mill plant. Coke for the first two furnace units is produced in two batteries of Simon-Carves by-product ovens, each battery consisting of 80 ovens. The blast furnaces are 80 ft. in height with 14 ft. 6 in. hearth diameter and 19 ft. bosh. There is room for relining to 18 ft hearth and 22 ft. bosh. The fur- naces have double skip hoists and are equipped with McKee revolving distributers. Due to local conditions, it was decided to install a tunnel system for handling the ore from the trestle to the skip cars and the trestle structure is covered with a steel roof. Underneath the trestle is the scale car tunnel, the roof of which is composed of a series of unit bin bottoms provided with a continuous line of segmental type gates which can be operated from the scale car platform. Nine hot blast stoves were provided for the two furnaces, 25 ft. in diameter by 95 ft. high, with 7%-in. checkers. Both furnaces are served by a common cast house, a view in which is shown. Provision was also made for machine cast pigs and a double strand pig Lapping Machine for Cylindrical Pieces A machine known as the Mirra lapping machine and. intended for service in lapping piston pins and other cylindrical pieces, has been placed on the market by the Reed-Prentice Co., Worcester. When the machine is used for lapping piston pins a number of pins are placed loosely on a quick-loading spider that is lo- cated between two lapping wheels which ro- tate on vertical axes. The wheels rotate in opposite directions and at slightly different speeds. The ac- companying illus- tration shows the spider in the loaded position, the piston pins resting on the lower wheel. When lapping, the upper wheel is brought down on to the pins un- der pressure and the difference in the speed of the wheels causes the pins to rotate be- tween the lapping wheels and creep slowly in a circu- lar path. The _ project- ing arms on the spider are not located radially and therefore the pins have a rotating-sliding action between the wheels. The center of the spider rotating on an eccentric provides three distinct motions of the work on the wheels: First, the creeping of the work caused by the difference in the wheel speeds; second, the sliding-rotating action caused by the work being set at an angle instead of being radial to the center of the wheel; and third, the eccentric spider motion, giving an in-and-out sliding action of the piston pin from the center of the wheel. THE IRON AGE July 31, 1924 machine was installed for this purpose. The furnace plant contains auxiliaries necessary to make it com- plete in every respect, including foundry, machine shop, blacksmith shop, storage buildings, etc. The problems in the construction of a blast furnace plant in India are different from similar work in the United States. In preparing the site at Asansol, which was originally a rolling plain, it was necessary to dis- pose of approximately 100,000 cu. yd. of excavation, which was practically all done by hand. The earth was carried away in baskets on the heads of women labor- ers, who also carried brick and other materials entering into the construction of the furnaces. An unusually large construction crew was required on account of the fact that the natives of India cannot do as much or as efficient work as the sturdier laborers of America. This is due in part to the extreme climatic conditions, a vegetable diet almost exclusively of rice, lack of physi- cal stamina, peculiar social and religious customs, etc. In spite of the adverse conditions mentioned and the disadvantage of erecting equipment at a point 10,000 miles distant from its origin, the Indian Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., has completed the first step of a program calculated, when finally consummated, to place it among the leading iron and steel producing companies of the Far East. Burn & Co., Ltd., are managing agents of the company, with G. H. Fairhurst as managing director. It is claimed that this method provides a finished surface which is highly polished and free from grooves. The highly finished accurate surface is obtained in two operations, one of rough lapping and the other of finish (polish) lapping. The rough lapping is done by a fine grinding wheel, and the finished lapping by a soft elastic wheel. The roundness is said to be kept within 0.0001 in., the taper variation in length, 0.0001 in., and the diameter, plus or minus 0.0001 in. The high wheel speeds employed are said to permit of in- creased production over previous methods. The wheels are driven independently from a pulley shaft at the rear of the machine and are mounted in separate heads, as shown. The lower wheel has no vertical adjustment in the head. The upper wheel spindle has vertical movement which is controlled from the pilot wheel shown at the right of the machine. The spindle journals are hardened and ground and the end thrust of both wheels is taken by ball bearings. A double-end diamond wheel dresser at the left side of the machine permits of dressing each wheel inde- pendently. A pump, tank and piping are provided for supplying lubricant, a special compound being used. An association comprising the office managers of the principal manufacturing plants in Kenosha, Wis., has been organized for mutual welfare. Among the con- cerns represented are American Brass Co., Frost Mfg. Co., Simmons Co., MacWhyte Co., Specialty Brass Co., C. M. Hall Lamp Co. and Nash Motors Co. Conrad Shearer, secretary-manager Kenosha Manufacturers Association, has been elected secretary. Meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month. In August “Billing” will be discussed at the round table. Weekly industrial earnings are shown by the Na- tional Industrial Conference Board to have been 29 per cent higher in purchasing power in May than was the case in the summer of 1914. Although this purchasing power is greater considerably than before the war, the present figure is the lowest since March, 1923. The figures cover 23 industries with an average wage of $26.10 per week, which is 2.1 per cent below the April level. The hours of labor averaged 46.6 per week. The American Steel & Wire Co. is to construct a one-story, 96 x 73 ft. steel storage shed at New Haven, Conn. Steel Trade Not Disturbed by Decision Action of Federal Trade Commission on Pittsburgh Basing Calmly Received—Judge Gary Gives History of Custom—Awaits Advice of Counsel Corporation, made the following statement July 23 to newspaper representatives the Pittsburgh plus decision: “I have been requested by a number of you at least to comment on the decision rendered by the majority of the Federal Trade Commission, and also a decision by a minority concerning the Pittsburgh plus proceedings which for a long time have been pending before that commission. “I have no intention of discussing the merits of these proceedings, as applicable to the law or the facts, nor to criticise the decisions in any respect. Un- til there shall be made what is decided by our counsel to be a final decision, it would not be proper for me to do so. If and when our counsel informs us that there is a final decision in the case, as a matter of course, we shall cheerfully and promptly act in accordance with it. There never has been, nor ever will be, any intention on our part to disregard or ignore the decisions of courts or other Governmental officials concerning matters of which they have jurisdiction, involving our manage- ment or procedure. |, coeoe H. GARY, chairman United States Steel in regard to Origin of the Practice “The Pittsburgh plus practice, so called, was estab- lished many years before the United States Steel Cor- poration was organized. The basing point for the sale of steel was first fixed at Philadelphia, I think in the seventies. Later, when Pittsburgh became the prin- cipal point of production, the base for calculating and determining prices was removed to Pittsburgh and has remained there ever since. However, since the present proceedings were instituted, I think our companies have refrained from applying the practice as it had before been followed. My testimony in the present proceed- ings, taken at Washington, fully covers the circum- stances, conditions and practice pertaining to the Pitts- burgh base. I attempted to be frank in discussion and helpful in ascertaining the facts. History of Proceedings “The history of these proceedings is interesting. Several years ago, there being some complaint on the part of customers in Chicago concerning the Pittsburgh base or plus practice, I stated to John S. Miller, a lead- ing lawyer of Chicago, who represented those who had complained, that I would like to have the rights and obligations of manufacturers and consumers definitely fixed, and suggested to him that he present the claims of his clients to the Federal Trade Commission, and ask them to make such an investigation as would enable that commission to determine all the questions involved, and offered to go with him before the commission for the purpose of having the suggestion carried into ef- fect. By appointment, Mr. Miller and I appeared be- fore the Federal Trade Commission at Washington. For exactly what took place there you gentlemen, if interested, should examine the record. In substance, Mr. Miller presented his claims to the commission and I corroborated his statements, and in answer to a ques- tion from the acting chairman stated I thought the commission had, or ought to have, jurisdiction, and also said that I would be very glad to have all the questions involved fully considered and finally determined, pro- vided the commission would notify all the leading mem- bers of the iron and steel industry, and also represen- tatives of the leading cities or prominent locations throughout the country which could be affected by the result. Decision as to Jurisdiction “As I understood, the commission, through its spokesman, said that they would be glad to follow the suggestion if they should decide that the commission had any jurisdiction of the subject, which some of the members intimated was doubtful. The commission, after much consideration, decided to notify the leading manufacturers to appear before the commission at a time fixed for consideration of the question of jurisdic- tion. These manufacturers, by different counsellors, appeared and discussed the question, and the commis- sion by a majority vote decided there was no jurisdic- tion. “Afterwards the personnel of the Federal Trade Commission was changed and a majority of the com- mission, as changed in personnel, decided there was jurisdiction and filed the complaint now under consid- eration (which is against the Steel Corporation but omits to include the independent iron and steel pro- ducing companies), has taken a large amount of testi- mony, and by a majority vote has rendered the decision I have spoken of. “I make this explanation to you, gentlemen, because I think it is only fair to you to understand that per- sonally I have been in favo