The Iron Age 1924-11-06: Vol 114 Iss 19

New York, November 6, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 114, No. 19% Tooling for Small Quantity Work Jobs Not Calling for Bulk Production Put Through on Semi-Production Basis—Savings Accomplished by Grouping Operations BY L. S. LOVE of which jobs there is not sufficient output to war- rant the use of a separate building for its produc- tion, one machine shop at the Schenectady works of the General Electric Co. is used for a variety of machine types. This shop handles such work as elevator hoist- ing motors, reciprocating steam generators, coal cut- ting machine motors, etc. In the manufacture of the various parts for these types of motors methods have been devised to reduce cost of machining, by as exten- sive tooling as the size of job may indicate would be T's take care of a miscellany of work on any one warranted. The demands of this work have brought out a number of ingenious tool layouts and sets of fixtures. The most interesting operation seen in the manu- facture of elevator hoisting mechanisms is the radial boring of bearing-box seats in pillow blocks, This operation, somewhat similar to that employed on the bearings of turbine shafts, as described in a previous article, consists of a tool block mounted in a sléeve on the boring bar in such manner as to permit it to swivel at the center of the bar, causing the bit to describe the desired arc. The circular motion of the tool holder is controlled by a feed screw through the bar governed by a lever at the driven end. No tailstock is used in turning the crank of the steam generator shaft, consequently no tail end throw- 1193 block is needed. These shafts are chucked in a special fixture, mounted on the face plate of the lathe, which surrounds one end entirely, gripping it, not only for driving, but also for rigid support. The fixture is made with a circular tongue to fit into a circular groove in the plate. In this manner the proper throw for the crank is assured, as the recess into which the shaft fits is eccentric with the tongue by an amount equal to the throw desired. Also the shaft is supported close to the point at which turning is done. The operation of boring and facing of eccentric (Above) A Self-Alining Seat in Pillow Blocks for Elevator Hoist Shaft Bearings Is Bored with a Special Radius Tool. The feed, instead of ad- vancing in a straight line, is secured by a bit which travels in the desired arc. (At Left) No Tailstock Is Employed in Turning Crank Pins for Steam Generator Crank Shafts. One end of the shaft is held in a chuck, which supports close to the pin straps for this engine likewise has been much simpli- fied. In this case use is made of a practice which seems to be rather common in this shop, namely, employment of the cross slide motion of a semi-automatic turret lathe to actuate an auxiliary slide mounted on the tur- ret. The strap is mounted in a simple type of chuck needing only two set screws to hold it. After the rough and finish boring tools have completed their portions of the work, the facing tool holder is swung into place. This holder has an auxiliary slide as a component part. It carries two tools, one for facing the front sur- face, the other for machining the back face. With a pusher mounted on the main cross slide, the auxiliary slide carrying these two tools is fed across the faces of the eccentric against a spring in the tool holder, which prevents gouging and also returns the tools to ad Rese weaned ee ie See ee eee wy OER entire tietae a == suet aad la Tad A ato 2 RRR men me RP ae NE I RRR RE A. RPA mcm Nee RR RE et A 6 Y, . \ woh t pion sini M ie a lp Act Paint pr tingi inchanlt as own Fired ox ng: a _ “ Pye . om P nomahlinag Lae > 3 Epaere ee oe 7 aR an nie ee - . ee n a A " “ en r THE starting position when the cut is completed, so that the turret control cam may withdraw the tools. What, from a sectional view, would appear to be an oil channel drilled in a curved line is an interesting development in the viling of steam generator connect- IRON AGE November 6, 1924 ing rods. It was formerly the practice to braze an oil tube into place from a hole in the crank box end to the cross head jaw end, so that oil would be carried freely to both pin bearings, passing through the tube, which paralleled the rod. This method was not entirely sat- Carried on the Push Bar in the Lathe Slide Facing Both Sides of Eccentric Straps at Two tools are carried in the auxiliary slide Auxiliary Slide Actuated by a (Above) An Turret and Permits Cross Once. (At Left) The Lubricating Hole through the Connecting Rod Was Not Drilled with a Flexible Drill. It does away with the attached oil tube formerly used, as shown at left (Below) Making Couplings from Plate Has Permitted Decided Savings in Machine Time and Produces a More Uniform Product November 6, 1924 Coal Cutter Motor Frame Heads as Now Handled Are Produced at a Saving of 80 Per Cent as Compared with the Former Method PAE Toeeon HneD ork. en cepecunsNeOADE. canvENND isfactory, as at times the tube would come loose. The oil channel now goes through the rod, extending through one branch of the jaw. These rods are drop forged with the jaw open; that is, one branch extends at an angle from the rod, while the other conforms to the final position. Also the jaw end and box end are forged in the same plane. The rod is then twisted, bringing the box end and jaw at right THE IRON AGE A Semi-Automatic Turret Lathe Turns a Variety of Parts with Taper or Curved Surfaces by Use of a Simple Master and Auxiliary Sifde Co pareoenenes sone /thprmeNrRet Age ESM AEUNE DERBEES Mor —EREE ST © earner angles. After forging, the rod is drilled and a hole is drilled through the open branch of the jaw to meet the hole in the center of the rod. The open end of this hole at the pin bearing is plugged and the jaw arm closed in, symmetrical with the other. It then is ready to be drilled and reamed for the pin bearing. A coupling used in connéction with apparatus built in this shop was formerly cast. The two halves of this aa veh besten: ett tee — rile eecmalinitita deen dota Phen alt ssiadeedalik caiaataten ie pg 18 k ia et ener Pe ina wat ae i wilted tai OAT OD Pie sng saa eee sapeeaiien re aes ‘ Con (ot pera pel ws cli re ee oi SE tne nant) ou actinides m ay o Seta a aN pas Se peli tear Nek te PERS AEN. aac eg? aR “i revert 1196 coupling now are cut by torch from plate of suitable thickness and chucked in a semi-automatic turret lathe for the first operation, which is drilling and boring the center hole, then facing and turning the periphery as far as the chuck jaws will permit. The piece then is drilled and counterbored for coupling bolts from the side not yet machined. It then is set up in the turret lathe fer the second turning operation, being chucked on the portion turned in the first operation. A break- ing down turning operation is performed by a tool car- ried in the lathe cross slide. This tool leaves a flange on the coupling, back to the line of the bolt circle. From this point out a conical shaped hub is turned by a pair of cutters carried on the lathe turret, the two cutters, supported by a pilot, form turning the finished THE IRON November 6, 1924 AGE ing. The first machine faces the frame head and ma- chines the ball-bearing seat. The second machine faces the other side and machines the bore, in which is a taper groove. Use is made here of the auxiliary slide in the turret, pushed by the cross slide. The saving by the present method is about 80 per cent from the old method of doing the work in an engine lathe. Armature spiders for coal cutter motors formerly were bored and rough-turned in a lathe. They then were hand reamed for a press fit requiring between 8 and 10 tons pressure, after which they were -finish turned on a mandrel in a lathe. The commutator fit end of the spider is held to plus 0.0005 in. minus 0.0005 in. The other end tolerance is held to five decimal places. “Go” and “not go” gages are used for check- hub assures uniformity throughout and a coupling of better in one pass. This method of making the hubs material. It effects a saving of 75 per cent from the time consumed on the older type of turret lathe pre- viously used. Another operation in this shop makes use of the auxiliary slide as a part of the turret tool holder. This is turning contours of various radii or tapers in a semi- automatic turret lathe. To perform the work a cam or forming slide with a track of the contour desired is bolted to a rectangular supporting arm mounted across the bearing caps of the main spindle of the lathe. The bar extends over the chuck, so that the cam hangs in front of the chuck back of the work, which is so chucked that the large diameter when finished is toward the head end of the lathe. A common type of turning tool is carried in a vertical position in the tool holder with auxiliary slide, the latter resting against a spring buf- fer at low position by gravity. As the tool is advanced by the forward motions of the turret, a roller on the side of the auxiliary slide enters the cam track, causing the tool to describe a like contour on the work periphery. A large part of the work in this particular shop is on coal cutter motors. In making the frame heads for these motors, which will average 29% in. by 16 in. and 5 in. thick, one man operates four semi-automatic tur- ret lathes, using two machines to finish each head cast- Limits as Close as Plus 0.0005 In. Minus 0.0000 In. Are Maintained on Coal Cutter Motor Spiders in a Turret Lathe with A rough turret Special Tooling. forging may be seen on the carriage ing. In one typical spider there are four different diameters on one end, the large diameter having three ribs which must be held to plus 0.0005 in. minus 0.0000 in. This work now is handled complete in a heavy-duty large hole turret lathe with a roller turner carrying four tools for the four diameters. This is a special tool made in the General Electric shop, and not the stand- ard roller turner furnished by the turret lathe maker. The saving by this method over that previously in use is about 60 per cent. In Hartford County, Connecticut, industrial activ- ity, based on man hours, is about 84 per cent of normal, the range being from 75 per cent in some cities to 95 per cent in others. Employment is approximately 90 per cent of normal. In the industries in the Manufac- turers’ Association of Hartford County, 51,500 people out of a normal working force of 58,000 to 60,000 are employed. The receivers’ sale of the Atlas Steel Corporation, Dunkirk, N. Y., originally scheduled for early in Octo- ber, was postponed until Oct. 21 and subsequently post- poned for one month, at the request of the officials of the company. The present expectation is that the sale will take place Nov. 21. An American Tin Plate Plant in India New York Engineers Make Many Modifications to Meet Climatic Conditions—Marked Success of Early Operations BY F. L. {In THE IRON AGE of Oct. 30 the first instalment ap- peared of Mr. Estep’s paper, read at the meeting of the American Iron and Steel Institute in New York on Oct. 24. It was devoted largely to details of con- struction and the measures adopted to overcome the obstacles to tin plate manufacture in India that in the minds of some who considered the project were pro- hibitive. The remainder of the paper, given below nearly in full, deals largely with labor problems and with operating results in the first year.] There were received and erected a total of about 4200 tons of structural work and about 4000 tons of machinery, over 90 per cent of which had been im- ported from the United States and England, via Cal- cutta. This structural steel, together with the build- ings for the Tata extensions, made a total of about 32,000 tons of fabricated steel, all of which was fur- nished and erected by the McClintic-Marshall Co., and at the date of contract was the second largest amount of fabricated steel ever contracted for in the United States. Construction had proceeded far enough to make possible the first attempt at starting one hot mill on Dec. 18, 1922, and the final and successful starting up of the first hot mill took place Jan. 1, 1923. The entire plant was completed in construction and ready to op- erate at capacity by Sept. 1, 1923, and between that date and Dec. 12, 1923, the remaining four hot mills were started. Bringing Workers from Wales It was decided to secure a works manager and a hot mill superintendent for this plant who had had ex- perience on this type of mill in the United States. There are comparatively few mills here equipped to operate on the two-roll three-part system, the majority being the straight-away American system, roughing and finishing on one pair of rolls. These two men, John Leyshon and David Samson, were secured from the Gary plant of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Co. For the remainder of the European or cov- f) ™" ROLLING FOURS To} PASS LENGTH _ a 0 30 Pack | 2 62 as io” —f | Doubled and Trimmed to 30 FINISHING 50/7 PASS, LENGTI | j 0 ; “) : 9 “3 40}- 2 — 5 — ESTEP enanted staff it was thought advisable to se- cure experienced tin workers from Wales. Steps were therefore taken by the writer in London in August, 1922, to have the Confederation of Labor approve a proposed contract for these men, whereby for an aver- age service of three years in India they were to be paid an acceptable guaranteed wage independnt of ton- nage produced, with a further understanding that a satisfactory bonus should be worked out and adapted after the mills had started operation, and it was seen how Indian labor could be trained. About 90 men were secured from South Wales. There was 54 experienced hot mill men, 24 heaters, 21 rollers and 9 helpers, making one full crew of 18 men per shift for one hot mill. It was further pro- posed, and all the men understood, that later on, as the various mills eame into operation, the 54 Europeans were to be divided per shift according to the number of mills in operation; that their duties would be, not only to perform the work of rolling, heating, doubling, catching, etc., but that they should also use every effort to teach the natives to do all the jobs in hot mill work. The remainder of the men from Wales consisted of foremen for various departments, such as bar storage, hot mill, shearing and opening floor, pickling, anneal- ing, cold rolling, tin house and warehouse; also me- chanical engineer, electrical engineer, roll turner, mill- wrights, ete. Many of the men were slow in becoming accustomed to the climate, and there was considerable sickness in the first year. Some men became so incapacitated that they were sent home, a few were deliberately let go, and three died—two of heat prostration and on from an accident. There were left for the operation of two mills during the summer months of 1923, up to and in- cluding the starting of the sixth mill on Dec. 12, only 43 of the original 54 hot mill men. This number has been increased to about 50 men. Most of the men were quite happy and content, sat- isfied with their jobs, their wage and bonus, and very enthusiastic about the new plant in which they worked, EFFICIENCY OF HOT ROLL- ING 20” X 60°30 GAGE s” Roll Diameter at 32.2 Rpm 2920 In. per Min Rolling 600 Pair=187 Boxes in 8 Hr. 75 Pair per Hour Av ge v7 1% Pair per Minute Av ge 48 Seconds Av's per Pr. Roughing. . 48 Seconds Av'ge per Pack ROUGHI) 6 a Rolling Fours and Finishing. " 2920 — x 48=—2336" Roll Surface 60 per Pair or Pack Time % #£«OF. ROUGHING STAND 2" oe = 14.1 Per ¢ em | t — = . ‘er Cent Efficiency. 8 2. } 2336 “ oa" FINISHING STAND d ——e. 9 Total 195 110+169 2336 11.9 Per Cent . | MATCH . Efficiency or Allowing 2 40 Minutes for Every 24 Packs a | for Polishing or Lost Time 600 from Rolling x 3=T6 a4 o.J3 6. fg é } Min. then Efficiency 11.9 x — = 14.1 Per Cent. ee eee een ORE Ray SN Premera 8. cae Ah i PP Oy on es een ee eae ot) led ota ae 3 mesh «tad ee ee as wale _ non ale eee ae Sant ata eae a ee te 1198 and took readily to the method of rolling, etc. They gave full and loyal cooperation in teaching the Indians their jobs from the initial start of the plant. Many Departures from Welsh Practice The starting up of the hot mills was a most inter- esting procedure. Although 54 first-class hot mill men had been taken from Wales, only one man of the entire lot had ever rolled on a double mill in the United States, and he only as a rougher, while four other men had worked here as rollers or heaters. Many things in regard to hot mill operations in India were entirely new to them, among which were the di- ameters and speed of rolls, and the rolling of packs from pairs instead of from a single bar. Furthermore, they had never had to contend with the control and bal- ancing of temperatures and contour between roughing and finishing rolls. They had been accustomed to rolling packs from single thick bars heated five times, two rollings and sometimes only one on the roughing, and consequently there was no difficulty in regard to condition of the finishing rolls. Here a pair of thinner bars had to be completely roughed from the original heat on the roughing stand ready for doubling into fours, while the finishing stand had only two passes on fours, and two or three finishing passes on eights, and the control of condition of the finishing rolls was more difficult. The accompanying chart shows graphically how completely the roughing and finishing stands are balanced in per cent roll efficiency when working the two-rolls three-part system. All of the rollers had been accustomed to running with very tight screws and very hot necks, and it took practically three months for the best of them to adapt themselves to a loose screw and catch on to the ne- cessity for and the use of steam on the rolls and water on the necks for control of temperature and contour. The heaters were not used to furnaces of the type and design installed, either pair or sheet, and very few had ever had occasion to use stokers, while the coal which they have in Wales is far superior to anything available in India. Creditable Production Records The initial start on the first mill was made Dec. 18, 1922, and on account of doubler troubles and the holiday season, it was Monday, Jan. 1, before the first mill went into operation for good. In the second week the men thought they had reached the limit of mill and crew capacity, when 500 pair of 30 gage were made on one shift, rolled 18% x 56 in. On Wednesday of the third week of operation, by special inducement, the three shifts made in succession, first, 608 pair; second, 704 pair; third, 742 pair, all 18% x 56 in. There were some, but not much, bad black plate in these three shifts. The men thus very early found out that the furnaces and mills had a capacity far beyond the limits of human endurance. Nobody could ever have made them be- lieve that over 700 pair could be rolled in eight hours, but after their own demonstration they had to accept the fact. The largest week’s output on two mills was made during the week ending September, 1923, when fifteen shifts turned out 4483 boxes, an average of 149.4 boxes, or 7.07 tons, of sheared black plate, per mill per shift, practically all 18% x 56 in., 30 gage. Incidentally in a previous record week, ending April 28, 1923, when 4437 boxes were made, the entire week’s run was made with- out changing rolls. The greatest 24-hour output on two mills was on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 1923, when 995 boxes were made, an average of 166 per mill per shift. The outside temperature was 77 deg. minimum, 92 deg. max- imum, with the humidity 72 per cent, while in the after- noon the air to the men was at 86 deg. and humidity of 79 per cent. The third mill was put in operation on Sept. 3, the fourth Oct. 15, the fifth, Nov. 14, and the sixth, or last mill, on Dec. 12, 1923. It is interesting to note that there was very little change in the average number of boxes produced per mill per shift during this period. The six mills are now running with less than three Europeans per mill per shift on the average. For the entire year of 1923, there was hot rolled a THE IRON AGE November 6, 1924 total of 213,940 base boxes, an average of 131.5 boxes per mill per shift. The best total week’s production on the hot mills for six mills was for the week ending Aug. 30, 1924, when a total of 12,910 base boxes was rolled in 15 shifts, or an average of 143.14 boxes per mill per shift. Based upon the operation up to date it is conservatively estimated that for 50 weeks opera- tion the plant will have a capacity of 600,000 boxes minimum to 700,000 boxes maximum per year. Feeding Conveyor for Cold Rolls In regard to the hot mill rolls, the first shipment left the United States Oct. 8, 1921, and the last ship- ment March 16, 1922. All these rolls had lain in the open at the works until the plant was up and the roll lathes ready to turn ro!ls. This aging and slow anneal- ing process has resulted in a very long life, and up to Jan. 1, 1924, only five hot rolls had been broken. This is a good record considering that as early as March, 1923, in the third month of operation, Indians were being taught to rough and four roll, and naturally several pairs of tongs were rolled. The Indian, although very adept and very capable when it comes to doing the same operation over and over again, could not set any pace for himself, and the difference that was found between the use of Indian labor on the cold rolls and Indian labor in the hot mills was principally that at the hot rolls there were a number of white men interspersed among a given number of Indians constituting a crew, and the white men set the pace. It was, therefore, found necessary to do something radical at the cold rolls, and a feeding belt conveyor was designed and built for trial on one set of cold rolls, thinking that it would solve the problem. This device was a success from the very start, one set of rolls han- dling 550 boxes in seven hours on the third day of trial operation. Additional conveyors were built as fast as possible, and installed so that since the week of Jan. 26, 1924, all feur sets of cold rolls have been operated with feeding conveyors. The greatest output on any one set of cold rolls was during the week ended Oct. 27, when in six days of eight hours, one set equipped with a feeding conveyor cold rolled 3900 boxes, and the best week’s record for the same number of hours’ operation on the four sets of cold rolls, all equipped with conveyors, was for the week ended Feb. 2, 1924, when a total of 12,466 boxes were cold rolled. There were tinned during the year 183,080 base boxes of which 143,838 boxes were “primes,” 37,292 boxes of “firsts,” and 1950 boxes of “seconds.” The black and white pickling for the year was done with a consumption of seven pounds of sulphuric acid and the tin yield was 1.69 pounds per base box. The record up to date on two tinning machines is 6007 boxes made during the week ending Sept. 8, 1923, in 120 hours of operation; the best record on three machines was 9038 boxes, made during the week ending Nov. 3, 1923, in 117.7 hours of operation, and the best week’s output on four machines was 9754 boxes during the week ending Jan. 19, 1924, in 119.1 hours of operation. Second-Hand Cans Have Value in India It may be of interest to note here that in most coun- tries, particularly in the United States, tin plate is made to answer one primary purpose only; namely, that of making up a container to hold some specified article. When this container has once been emptied it is thrown in the waste pile, and probably 80 per cent minimum of the amount of tin plate used has no second- hand value whatever, not even as scrap. In India, how- ever, especially when tin plate is made into rectangular two Imperial gallon petrol cans and shipped over the country, the empty tin cans have a very high second- hand market value, and all these cans are very care- fully preserved and sold into the “bazaars,” or markets. Here the native buys one to several dozen of cans, cuts them apart and beats them up into all manner of ar- ticles, such as cooking utensils, water basins, drinking cups, ornaments, and even makes him a house of it. Heseenennateneetesovassisteenscenenneentnee (Concluded on page 1261) A LULETEOTEROOUHORHUAEDOENDDONETT SU TeRnerDeNTEtTcEnyeRnes ey Laci eeberene aentaeEy November 6, 1924 PLUNGE-CUT GRINDER Wide-Wheel, In-Feed Machine with Reciprocat- ing Spindle Adapted to Production Work A wide wheel in-feed grinder described as the “plunge-cut” grinding machine, having the spindle re- ciprocating in its bearings, has been placed on the market by the Cincinnati Grinder Co., Cincinnati. The grnding is done by directly feeding into the work with a wheel, the face of which covers the entire surface being ground. In the case of parts the surfaces of which are longer than the maximum wheel face, the in-feeding is along the work at successive intervals, the face of the wheel overlapping slightly each previous cut. When the entire length is ground, the work is moved rapidly past the wheel to complete it. The ma- chine is adapted to the grinding of duplicate parts that may be ganged on a mandrel or other convenient chuck- THE IRON AGE 1199 by power. When feeding by hand, a positive stop is used for duplicate work. The power feed can be thrown out automatically after the work has been reduced to the size required. Twelve feeds, ranging from 0.054 to 0.162 in. per min. in the reduction of work diameter, are available. The power feed arrangement provides uni- form feed and is driven by an adjustable-speed frac- tional horsepower motor, controlled by a rheostat. The headstock is adjustable on the swivel table. It has a hardened and ground stud spindle, with a taper hole for the work-carrying center. The work is revolved by a motor mounted in the headstock housing, the drive from the motor to the drive plate being by means of a silent chain, worm and worm wheel. As the work center is directly over the center line of the base guideway closest to the grinding wheel there is always a support immediately under the work. Alignment is preserved by a truncated vee-shaped keyway, cut into the bottom of the headstock and extending its entire length, which keyway receives a key of corresponding form cut in- Front View of Wide-Wheel Plunge-Cut Grinder Is at the Left Control is centralized at the front of the machine levers being within convenient reach from the operating position. From the end view at the right, may be seen the arrangement of the main drive motor ing device, as well as to the grinding of single pieces in quantity. The wheel base is fixed and the work table is mov- able. Accurate and durable construction is said to be provided by casting the base, wheel slide pedestal, and water tank in a unit, by having the wheel slide move transversely only, and by mounting the cross-feed mech- anism rigidly at a fixed point on the base casting. Self-contained construction is a feature, the various motors, shaft and driving mechanisms being contained within the machine. The machine is rated at 20 hp. and motor drive is recommended. The headstock motor and the main drive motor are dynamically balanced and are conveniently accessible for repair or replacement. The headstock motor is mounted in the headstock hous- ing and the main drive motor is placed partly in and is carried by the base of the machine, as shown in the end-view illustration. The main motor is connected to the wheel spindle driving pulley by an endless belt held in tension by idler pulleys. The unit system of construction is followed, which provides accessibility for repairs or adjustments, and convenient lubricating facilities are a feature. The base is of box section and is provided with a flat and a vee-way, the latter serving as a guide for the sliding table. The table traversing mechanism is of the hand-operated type, and is carried by a plate on the front of the bed. It is used for bringing the work before the wheel and for use in truing the wheel. Move- ment of the table is by means of a large hand wheel, one revolution of which advances the table % in. Stops are provided for use in grinding to shoulders. The cross feed to the wheel slide is mounted at a fixed point on the bed casting, and may be operated either by hand or tegrally with the swivel table. The headstock is con- trolled by a foot-treadle at the base of the machine. The wheel slide is held in place on the ways of the wheel slide platen by its own weight, and by the down- ward pressure of the spindle belt. It is counterweighted to compensate for backlash. The wheel slide vee-way is located approximately central between the spindle pulley and the grinding wheel. The cross feed screw op- erates in a solid cast-iron nut, which is located in the wheel slide vee-way. The design is claimed to provide a completely balanced and free moving unit. The wheel spindle is a heat-treated chrome-nickel steel forging and runs in bearings of the half-box type, the body of which is of cast iron and lined with special white metal. The spindle is held in the bearings by the downward pull of the belt. Lubrication is by means of large disk splashers revolving on the spindle. A shoe in the bearing cap may be adjusted downward against the spindle, this being intended as a safeguard should the spindle belt break. The spindle reciprocating device moves the spindle back and forth in the direction of its axis, with a uniform motion, a distance of 3/16 in. 50 times a minute. It can be made operative or inoper- ative at will. The device is said to maintain an even cutting face on the grnding wheel for a longer time, reducing the frequency of dressing, and to break up the grain lines of the wheel on the work. Four sizes of the machine are available. The swing over the table is 13 in. in all sizes, and the distance between centers is 19, 37, 49 and 72 in. respectively. The floor space required is 68 x 117 in. for the smallest machine and 68 x 171 in. for the largest, the weight of the same machines being 10,300 lb. and 13,400 Ib., net, respectively. li a es es ouetecs se Se va > a. . o a " = Oe ae tonstne > nnniane aaa en a al Saki ceniaeadieibeloish shane oP Le at cial ea téi 1 laa! DROS ghee a VIE 5 gets ores cn eee ~i 2 ne ee a acead or ee a ee ee ee a tee ONE A Sis tt = rs HO NPR Hen am ie paren erilprtane mint ae Fa alates ls <a rc e 6 MRR eo atid, dine veh fe orem: . ee lah Some ee eet he, Sa tpak Neha Clalit ec ares Siinetiidialiens pieeedte a tea atte hele are . sta aeueal Te ea el a ae ee ye ae ey nee ae ner oe 1200 THE IRON AGE TO SEEK RATE REVISIONS Pittsburgh Steel Company Traffic Officials Discuss New Conditions PITTSBURGH, Nov. 3.—A very full discussion of the effect of the abolition of the Pittsburgh plus method of quoting steel upon the prices obtainable by steel companies in Pittsburgh and nearby districts was had at a meeting held at the Chamber of Com- merce here last Thursday of steel company traffic officials called together by A. R. Kennedy, traffic manager Pittsburgh Steel Co., Pittsburgh. While there was some hesitancy on the part of the repre- sentatives of Youngstown steel companies to go on record positively that the change had been harmful, those attending from other districts gave several in- stances, notably in the West and South, where more favorable freight charges from competing mills in those districts had forced price concessions or freight equalizations to hold customers. It was the view of many who spoke that the new arrangement had not been in effect long enough to give a fair line on what the change ultimately would mean and with a return of more nearly normal demands for steel expected after the Presidential election, a better idea of the effects could be had. The Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation case, now pending before the Interstate Commerce Commission, was frequently referred to in the discussions. This ease has to do with a demand for an adjustment of rates on finished iron and steel products from Pitts- burgh to St. Louis and to points in Indiana and Illinois more nearly proportionate with those from Chicago district and Indiana mills. Pittsburgh dis- trict mills now pay the full fifth class rates to those points, while the Chicago and Indiana mills enjoy commodity rate classification which results in a charge CHANGES IN CUTTING TOOLS German Association Expert Suggests Betterment to American Makers Dr. George Schlesinger, technical director of the Machine Tool Builders’ Association of Germany, and in charge of their research laboratory at Charlotten- burg, addressed the meeting of the Cincinnati section of the A. S. M. E., Oct. 27, and the local members of the National Machine Tool Builders’ Association were invited guests. Dr. Schlesinger, by means of charts and lantern slides, explained some of the research work conducted in Germany, particularly the tests for cut- ting tools and power required to operate machines. He also described the progress made in standardization of machine parts. Dr. Schlesinger is visiting plants in this country, studying progress made in machine designing. He finds that while there have been many important changes in machine tool design during the past 20 years, few ad- vances have been made in the design of cutting tools. From his observations, he suggests that manufacturers, by intensive study, could develop cutting tools that would be a considerable improvement over those now in use, particularly as to the life of a tool before regrind- ing is necessary. New California Plant of Westinghouse Elec- tric & Mfg. Co. Machinery and other equipment are being moved into the new Emeryville, Cal., plant of the Westing- house Electric & Mfg. Co. This is the second unit in the company’s $3,000,000 program across the bay from San Francisco. The new assembling plant covers a ground area of 50,000 sq. ft. and is a 3-story concrete and steel structure. Two railroad sidings have been run into the building. As expansion becomes necessary, two November 6, 1924 of only 55 to 65 per cent of the fifth class rates. Attorney-examiner William A. Disque, who took the testimony in the hearings on this case, made a recom- mendation that Pittsburgh rates to the disputed points be made 80 per cent of the fifth class rates, with sixth class rates as a minimum and that rates from the Chicago district and Indiana mills be raised to a more equitable level. The Interstate Commerce Commission has not vet rendered a decision in this case and there was a belief among some speakers at Thursday’s meet- ing that it probably would be some time before one would be made and that there was a possibility of an unfavorable decision. It was generally agreed that in the latter event- uality, Pittsburgh district producers would not be in a position to take up the matter promptly and to be prepared, it was decided to appoint a committee to study the situation thoroughly and make a report at another meeting to be held in about two weeks. The various districts are represented in this committee, Canton, Ohio, by R. B. Robinson, United Alloy Steel Corporation; the Youngstown district by H. D. Rhode- house of the Youngstown Chamber of Commerce; the Wheeling - Steubenville - Weirton district by W. F. Morris, Weirton Steel Co. and A. P. Oxtoby, Wheeling Steel Corporation; the Beaver Valley district by M. P. S. Orner, Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Co.; the Johnstown district by H. C. Crawford, Bethlehem Steel Co. and the Pittsburgh district by A. R. Kennedy, Pittsburgh Steel Co., J. J. Eichenberger, Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Co., H. N. Holdren, Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co., John Mathews, Central Tube Co., and D. O. Moore, Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh. It was pretty generally agreed that it would be futile to ask the carriers to make any rate revisions before the Jones & Laughlin case was decided and it was uniform opinion that if lower rates were asked on shipments west, western mills would be entitled to lower rates east. additional units will be added, each approximately as large as the present building. When the entire development has been completed, it is estimated that the cost will approximate $3,000,000 and that more than 1000 persons will be employed. Emeryville is the manufacturing center for the West- inghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. in the West and it is supplemented by large warehouses and service shops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver and Seattle, as well as in Honolulu, where the Hawaiian Electric Co. is the Westinghouse agent. Rules as to Delivery of Pipe Declared Un- reasonable WASHINGTON, Nov. 3.—In a decision handed down on Thursday of last week, the Interstate Commerce Commission held that rules and regulations restricting delivery of cast iron soil pipe, in carloads, at piers Nos. 10, 11, 39, 46, and 81, North River, Manhattan Island, New York, are unreasonable. The defendant was the Central Railroad of New Jersey, against which a cease and desist order was issued. The complaint was brought by the Somerville Iron Works, manufacturer of cast iron soil pipe at Somerville, N. J. Prior to Aug. 26, 1923, the railroad transported carload shipments of soil pipe tendered it by the com- plainant at Somerville to Jersey City by rail, thence by float to its pier stations on North River, at a rate of 11.5c. per 100 lb. Effective on that date the rail- road published restrictions on the delivery of iron pipe, any quantity, at all of its pier stations on the North River, except Bronx terminal, and thereafter refused to transport the complainant’s shipments be- yond Jersey City. The rate from Somerville to Jersey City is 8c. per 100 lb. From May 16, 1913, until Feb. 25, 1921, the delivery of all iron pipe was restricted at the railroad’s North River piers, but that restriction was lifted, effective Feb. 26, 1921, on iron pipe 5 ft. 3 in. long and was not again made effective until Aug. 26, 1923. November 6, 1924 NEW WIRE FLATTENING MILL Machine for Making Nut Stock Equipped with Power-Driven Edging Rolls A rolling mill for making wire of rectangular section from hot-rolled steel wire, by the cold-rolling process, has been brought out by the Waterbury Farrel Foundry & Machine Co., Waterbury, Conn. The product of the machine is known as nut stock and the mill is frequently referred to as a “nut-stock mill.” Two pairs of rolls work simultaneously, one pair serving to flatten the wire and the other pair to square the sides. The latter are known as edging rolls and are contained in an auxiliary attachment, which is arranged so that it may be swung away from the mill proper on a track when not in use. The mill proper is made up of a standard wire-flattening mill equipped with 10-in. diam- eter water-cooled rolls. The upper roll bearings are simultaneously adjusted to give the desired thickness, the adjustment being made by means of the capstan wheel above the roll housings. During the first pass of the wire through the mill, the edger frame is swung back out of the way, and on the second pass it is swung into position in front of the mill. The edging rolls are driven by a roll clutch. The flattening rolls are driven somewhat faster than the edging rolls, so that when they start to grip the stock, the surface speed of the edging rolls becomes increased to equal that of the flat- tening rolls and the roll clutch is automatically released. The clutch then acts merely as a reserve drive and in case the flattening rolls slip on the stock, reducing slightly the rate of feed, the roll clutch becomes en- gaged automatically and the edging rolls feed the wire until the flattening rolls regain their traction on the wire. If this provision were not made, it would be necessary to release the edging rolls manually to permit the slipping flattening rolls to continue feeding, which would cause inaccuracies in gage The edging rolls have a series of grooves corre- sponding to the thickness of section at each pass and they are mounted vertically in the edger frame. Suit- able adjustments are provided for the edging rolls to agree with the width of stock and its position between the flattening rolls. The edger frame has provision for attaching a roll straightener which is sometimes re- quired and this straightener is adjustable relative to the line of feed, as well as vertically. If the quantity of work to be produced warrants the use of two or three mills, the wire may pass directly from one mill to the next without intermediate handling. In that case the first mill would require no edger and no straightener and the wire would pass from the flat- tening rolls of the first mill into the edging rolls of the second, through the flattened rolls of the second and so on to the end of the line. In back of the last machine a winder and a coiler would be arranged, as shown in THE IRON AGE 1201 the accompanying illustration of the machine. If the stock is to be wound, it is passed over a table at the rear of the mill and on to the winder spool; if the stock is to be coiled, a guide having a rectangular hole through it is used to bridge the space between the mill and the coiler and pass the stock over the winder. Where only one mill is employed the stock must be handed back and forth using the edger after the first pass, readjusting the rolls until the correct size is obtained. The smaller sizes, up to 4 in. x % in., can be produced in three passes through the flattening rolls, one pass without using the edger and two passes with it. On larger sizes four passes are necessary. It is claimed that this equipment will produce nut stock within 0.002 in., plus or minus basic size. Although usually motor-driven, the mills may be The View at Left Shows Edging Attach- ment Swung into Position in Front of Fiat- tening Rolls The arrange ment of coiller and winder may be noted also The same ma- chine with edg- ing attachment swung back is shown below arranged for belt drive if desired. ,.The edger is driven from the main driving gear of the motor-driven mills. If one mill is to be used for several sizes of stock, a variable speed motor is recommended, high speeds being employed for the smaller sizes and low speeds for the larger sizes. For belt-driven mills the edger is driven independently by belt, usually from overhead. The weight of the motor-driven mill with edger is 15,900 Ib., the weight of the belt-driven machine being 11,775 Ib. Leaders of the iron and steel industry of the Ma- honing Valley joined in a tribute last week at Youngs- town to Robert Bentley, on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. Mr. Bentley is a director of the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., and president of the Ohio Iron & Steel Co., now a holding interest, which for many years operated Mary blast furnace at Lowellville, Ohio, now the property of the Sharon Steel Hoop Co., Sharon, Pa. President James A. Campbell of the Sheet & Tube com- pany, for 50 years a friend and associate of Mr. Bent- ley, commented upon Mr. Bentley’s philanthropic ac- tivities. The testimonial was sponsored by the Youngs- town Rotary Club, with Valley steel property execu- tives as guests. Improvements will be made in certain details of the Emmet mercury boiler and turbine installation at the Hartford Electric Light Co., Hartford. ‘ During the time that the changes are being made visitors will not be admitted to the station. a bees ee ee ee re age Tapper AAO ie BAN Sve teh ol Ny thy iene acai os end Tar Aig Mentone Spe LS ny i a Ale Swipe . an ces itis nls igmet ‘ ni a 1“ oe _ eS ee ee aes . a en sip lini ee ks eae p Te = a Setanta tathanies aE as 1202 Tubing Cut Into Several Pieces at One Operation A machine designed to cut tubing or pipes into a number of pieces in one operation, by bringing the stock into contact with rotary cutters, has been de- veloped by the Leonard Machine Works, Lansdowne, Pa. The capacity of the machine is for cutting tubes of 2% in. outside diameter and 3/16 in. wall thickness. In this machine, which is illustrated herewith, the cutters are mounted adjustably on a horizontal shaft oernereneeen venir ' Tubing or Pipe Is Cut Into a Number of Pieces By Bringing the Stock in Contact with Rotary Cutters which is driven through double back gearing and a pulley. The cutters may be removed conveniently from the shaft for replacements, or the entire shaft assembly may be taken out. The cutters may be sharpened by an electric grinder while they rotate on the machine. A number of tube rests are mounted in a dove-tail groove in the table of the machine, and are positioned to correspond with the cutters. The height of the table is adjustable to accommodate tubes of different diameters and to compensate for wear of the cutters, the adjustment being made by turning the handwheel located at the top of the plunger rod which bears against the under side of the table. The table is raised by means of the cam on the shaft at the bottom of the machine, this shaft being rotated one revolution through a clutch operated by a foot treadle. The shaft is driven from the main drive at the top of the table through chain and spur gearing. The table has long bearing surfaces which fit the upright housings at each end. In operating the machine the attendant places a long tube on the table, and then depresses a treadle which controls the work stop, and finally the treadle that operates the clutch. The cut pieces of tubing are pushed off the machine when a new piece of tubing is inserted. The machine has been patented by N. F. Fretter. Gustave Kahn, vice-president of the Truscon Steel Co., Youngstown, in charge of sales, has returned from a trip to the Pacific Coast, and reports a satisfactory business outlook. Operations of the Truscon company are averaging 75 per cent. While the demand for fab- ricated steel materials for general construction con- tinues firm, there has been a perceptible slackening in requirements for highway reinforcing materials. THE IRON AGE November 6, 1924 New Gasoline Locomotive The Fate-Root-Heath Co., Plymouth Locomotive Works, Plymouth, Ohio, has brought out a new gaso- line locomotive known as model DLC, Type 6, which weighs 8 tons. The machine is equipped with Climax model TU 4-cylinder engine, 5%%-in. bore by 7-in. stroke, develop- ing 65 hp. at 900 r.p.m.; Bosch high tension magneto with impulse coupling; Simms 12-volt starter and Wil- lard storage battery; Stromberg carburetor; United air cleaner and built-in governor. Cooling is by means of a Modine sectional core radiator and 22-in. gear driven fan. The radiator is protected by heavy guard. The transmission is of the company’s sliding gear type, four-speed forward and reverse. The axles, which are of alloy steel, heat treated, are 4 7/16 iff. in diam- eter, and the wheels are of rolled steel, 24 in. in diameter. Brakes ar2 of the lever type to all four wheels, and sand is by hand to all four wheels, the sand boxes kteing located close to the engine to keep the sand dry. The cab is 84 in. high, overall, which permits the operator to see over industrial cars. The cab is pro- vided with side entrance, with sliding steel doors, to eliminate the danger from exit between the locomotive and car, as in the case of rear opening only. Speeds of 2%, 4, 8 and 12 miles an hour, at engine The draw-bar pull at 2% m.p.h., with sand, is 6000 Ib. Eight-Ton Gasoline Locomotive. speed of 900 r.p.m., are provided. The draw bar pull, at 2% m.p.h. with sand, is 6000 lb.; at 4 m.p.h. with sand 4800 lb.; without sand 4000 lb.; at 8 m.p.h. 2400 lb.; at 12 m.p.h. 1600 Ib. New Book on Aluminum Announcement is made by Henry Carey Baird & Co., Inc., 2 West Forty-fifth Street, New York, that a new volume of “Metallurgy of Aluminum and Alumi- num Alloys” will be ready for distribution early in January. This book was originally written by the late Dr. Joseph W. Richards, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., and has now been rewritten and brought up-to- date by Robert J. Anderson, an authority in this field. The last edition, which was the third, was published in 1896. The new work is described as a complete and thorough presentation of the metallurgy of aluminum covering the subject from the mining of bauxite to the uses and applications of the metal and its alloys. While it has been more the purpose of the author to produce a practical work, the theoretical aspects have not been neglected. It is stated that the book will be of value, not only to metallurgical engineers and foundrymen, but also to automotive and mechanical engineers. It will contain over 800 octavo pages and 297 illustrations. The price will be $10 net. In the first half of 1924 Canada exported to the United States $825,189 of farm implements, compared with $1,833,064 during the whole of 1923. November 6, 1924 Portable Electric Hand Saw A portable electric hand saw, known as the Skilsaw, for cutting wood, sheet metal and building composi- tions, has been developed by the Michel Electric Hand Saw Co., 166 East Grand Avenue, Chicago. The machine is 19 in. long, 4 in. wide and 8 in. high, and weighs approximately 14 lb. A universal motor drawing 5% amperes at 110 volts with a no-load The Weight Is 14 Lb. A universal motor is em- ployed and a trigger switch is in the handle. The steel saw is 8 in. in diamete! speed reduced to 10,000 r.p.m. by automatic control, is employed. Cooling is by means of a suction type typhoon fan. A 6-amp. Hart & Hegeman trigger switch is mounted in the handle and 15 ft. of attach- ment cord is provided. The shafts are mounted in ball bearings and gears and bearings are inclosed in an oil tight chamber. The steel saw is 8 in. in diameter. The body is of a highly finished aluminum alloy. Independent Lathe Chuck What is known as the Junior IXL, independent lathe chuck, illustrated herewith, has been placed on the market by the Westcott Chuck Co., Oneida, N. Y., for use on light lathe work and for use in manual training schools.