The Iron Age 1924-11-20: Vol 114 Iss 21

ee eee en THE IRON AGE New York, November 20, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 hs VOL. 114, No. 21 a Eliminating Blue Prints in Machining Jigs Registering from a Machined Surface Are Used for Tool Setting—“Greased Air” Employed in Deep-Hole Drilling OING away with the need for the machinist to use blue prints, surface gages and scales in set- ting up, and to check his work, obviously saves much of his time which otherwise would be consumed in that manner. While, of course, all work is not suit- able to be handled without measuring, some of the jobs done by the Worthington Pump & Machinery Corpora- tion, Snow-Holley Works, Buffalo, are adaptable to this method. Typical of this manner of handling some of the work, one operation shown in an accompanying illustra- tion is the planing of bosses on three sides of horizontal gas engine cylinders, these bosses being for the mount- ing of valve cages and cam shaft hangers. The cylin- der, having first been bored to finished size and ends (At Right) Planer Tools Are Set to Finished Edges of the Fixture, to Avoid Necessity for Using Measuring Tools and Blue Prints faced, has attached to it two jigs, one at each end, bolted on by through bolts. These jigs are so made that they fit into the cylinder bore by pads machined on one side to cylinder diameter. One edge of each jig is made to serve for feet to support the cylinder. The other three sides are exactly to the required size for the bosses when machined. By setting his tools to the edge of the jig, the oper- ator is assured of planing the cylinder to desired di- mensions. Two roughing tools are carried in one clap- per box, one tool being slightly in advance of the other. This cylinder is so made, incidentally, that it may be reversed, after being in service, thus renewing aline- ment of the engine. This same principle is used in cross planing horizontal engine beds, which first are (At Left) Rod Brasses, after Being Split and Bored, Are Turned in a Vertical Boring Mill The brass is clamped securely to a mandrel which is a facsimile of the journal on which it is to be run Ae Nt le A TIO i ih it a A RRR ar aterm ries n-ne rena ny wore pennies . i er te mene 4 o 7 ; ” oO et SP meen eters tet hetaedap Ar 5 Suita leecke ee a on Wo Wo >ed 1328 THE IRON AGE bored and faced for cylinder fit, cross head guides, etc., then bearing boxes planed by setting tools to a jig registering from the bored surfaces. In the case of a large bed built some time ago, the casting for which weighed 225,000 lb., a 36-in. planer was mounted on the casting, with a tool strapped to the planer table to plane the bearing boxes. Similar methods are used in machining vertical cyl- inders, three of which are mounted on three jigs on one planer, set by tengues on the jig bottoms to aline them in the planer table tee-slot. Tools are set to the jigs for planing pads, again avoiding use of the blue print in the planing operation. At Right) Cutt Lubricant from a Pressure Pump Is Carried Through a Stuffing Box and Distributed to Ducts n the Trepanning To secure concentric bore and turned surface in con- necting rod brasses, the brasses, after being split and bored, are placed on a mandrel which duplicates the diameter of the pin journal. By means of four angle clamps at top and bottom and a jam nut at the top these brasses are held securely with correct inside diam- eter, ready to have the outside turned on a vertical tur- ret lathe. An unusual method of clearing chips and lubricat- ing the cutter is employed in this shop on deep-hole drilling. Work is carried in a long-bed lathe spindle and steady rest. The drill is made of a shaft in which a chip clearance groove has been milled and along one side of which is carried a tube for coolant and lubricant to the cutter, which is inserted in the front end of the bar. The bar is mounted in a special rest on the lathe carriage and has at its rear end a connection for attaching a lubri- cator and air hose. Chips are blown out through the clearance groove by compressed air, which picks up oil November 20, 1924 dripping from an ordinary #ip'fabricator. The com- bination forms a “gréased air” which lubricates the drill, cools it and removes chips. To assure perfect crank webs without chance of pipes or other defects, the forged webs after machining on the outside have the shaft and pin fits trepanned in a horizontal boring machine. A jig is employed which has the two holes laid out at proper centers and bushed with hardened bushings. This jig is placed with its edges parallel with the edges of the web and its ends are provided with set screws in lugs to hold it in place on the forging. The trepanning tool has three bits of high-speed steel set in a mild-steel shell. Back of each (At Left) Lubri- cated Compressed Air Is the Means Used for Cooling the Bit and Clear- ing Chips in Deep- Hole Drilling CUUCERTT ALTERS COUT EVERLOOPELLIYE A CROPE RE REET ETO CUT ERP PT PHAa Ete prt EHeME Herre ern bit is a duct for coolant, leading through the shell walls to a stuffing box close to the machine spindle. To this stuffing box is attached a pipe leading from a pump which generates pressure for the coolant. American Institute of Weights and Measures The annual meeting of the American Institute of Weights and Measures will take place at the Engineer- ing Societies Building, 29 West Thirty-ninth Street, New York, on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 2:30 p.m. C. C. Stutz, 115 Broadway, New York, is secretary, Wholesale prices of plumbing fixtures are reported by the Department of Commerce at 71.9 per cent above the 1913 average. This is the lowest figure during the past 18 months, there having been a practically steady decline from 92.7 per cent excess in June, 1923. Stee ee aimee ee Sed Development of Gas and Oil Turbines—I Use of Intermittent impulses Found to Give Results Where the Continuous Impulse Method Failed—German Inventor Produces Unit for Steel Works Use 1918 very intensively, a gas turbine and an oil turbine, especially suited for use in large sizes, have been developed by Hans Holzwarth, chief engineer of Thyssen & Co., Miilheim, Germany. The combina- tion of research and practical trials has resulted in establishing an operating cycle and conditions under which, while still maintaining high thermal efficiencies, the average temperatures to which the blades are sub- jected do not exceed those in a modern steam turbine. This makes one of the chief differences when compari- son is made with the continuous explosion principle, under which the temperatures were excessive. With the intermittent method used, the principle reverts to that of the piston gas engine in that there are are successive elements in the cycle—explosion, expansion, scavenging and readmission of the fuel and air. It is the combination of scavenging and the relatively large interval between explosions which results in cooling, and thus protecting the blades from the excessive temperatures of the newly exploded gases. It is anticipated that the chief applications of the gas turbine will be by means of blast furnace and coke- oven gas, gas producers and natural gas. In connec- tion with the two first mentioned fuels, this presupposes location in or near steel plants. Many of the natural gas sources are gradually giving out, but gas from gas producers may be obtained in any locality. Practically all of the tests in operation of the 1000-hp. gas turbine, on which experiments were made, have been conducted since 1918 with coke-oven gas. The use of this gas permits the saving of all the valuable by-products of the coal, the use of the coke for either foundry or blast furnace purposes and the recovery of the gaseous products which now, except for that portion used in distillation, are largely wasted. This would result further in a diminution of smoke from coke-oven plants. : FTER years of experimentation, prosecuted since In gas turbines driving turbo-blowers for blast fur- naces, a main item is the simplicity. No auxiliary blowing apparatus is required for the gas turbine. The scavenging air is taken from the first stage of the blast furnace turbo-blower and, if additional compressed air is required, this can be taken from the last stage, as the pressure for blast furnace and loading pressure for gas turbine are about the same. The turbo-blower fur- nishing the compressed gas for the gas turbine would be coupled to the gas turbine. Starting would be accomplished with steam, expanding through a nozzle between the gas nozzles and impinging upon the gas turbine running wheel. Present tendencies in steel mill operation, whereby electric drive is being extended more and more, with the elimination of steam drives, tend toward the estab- lishment of large power houses and the transmission of power over feeder lines. This concentration lends itself particularly well to the use of the gas turbine placed alongside coke ovens or blast furnaces. What the Gas Turbine Is Essentially the turbine consists of a series of ex- plosion chambers located radially around the central axis or shaft. Inlet valves for gas and air in one end admit the fuel and air to the chamber, where it is exploded by ignition from suitable plugs. The pres- sure thus created sends it out through nozzle valves and thus against the blades of the turbine wheel. These blades are in two stages, after passing which the excess gases are led away. The explosions are timed in a definite cycle around the circumference, eight ex- plosion chambers being provided in the large size gas turbine, while there are six in the smaller gas and the oil turbine. Although the wheel thus receives in- termittent impulses, the explosions come so frequently that the effect is virtually that of a continuous impulse. Assembly View of the 5000-Kw Unit. The eight inlet manifold ports show prominently. Their size may be visualized by comparison with the man stand- ing within the machine er nee a es sae - - la - rt ACO SRO ee ihe ona tie grmnet/ « 1330 THE IRON AGE Assembled View of the 5000-Kw. Unit with the Generator The waste-heat boiler does Originally the turbine was designed with a vertical axis. Later designs, however, have given it a horizontal axis to permit easier access to valves and other parts. This consideration was held’ to outweigh the somewhat greater space required for the horizontal unit. From the exhaust gas chamber in which the running wheel rotates, the exhaust gases, mixed with scavenging air, flow through the steam superheater, the boiler and the feed-water heater before reaching the atmosphere. With this waste-heat boiler plant all the steam re- quired for driving air and gas compressors is raised by the exhaust gases from the turbine and is superheated. Generally it has been found preferable to fit the dynamo on the air and gas inlet end of the turbine (the cold end) so as not to interfere with the exhaust and the waste-heat boiler at the hot end. In the smaller sizes the running wheel is arranged as a free disk, supported on only one side, which simplifies the general design. In the larger turbines, however, an outside bearing is fitted, thus giving the wheel support on both sides. For the 5000-kw. unit the wheel has a diameter of 9 ft. and weighs 12 tons. To avoid pos- sible injury to the turbine blades, a special carrying structure is used in handling the wheel to and from the machine when overhauling. Gas and Air Inlets and Explosion Chambers When working with gas of low heating value, such as blast furnace or producer gas, the turbine requires at Left and the Turbo Compressor (Separate) at Right. not appear in this illustration two inlet valves for each explosion chamber—one for air and one for gas. When designed to operate on rich coke-oven gas, a third inlet valve is required to provide for the entrance of additional compressed air. The oil turbine also requires three valves, one for air, one for the liquid fuel and one for the additional com- pressed air. Compression pressures in the explosion chambers are about 40 to 50 lb. above atmosphere and with a temperature at about 200 deg. Fahr. "While the mix- ture is eddying it is ignited by high-tension plugs. The whole mixture is burned before the nozzle valve opens, the combustion of the amount of gas admitted producing a pressure of about 250 lb. above atmosphere, at a temperature of about 2500 deg. Fahr. At the moment of maximum pressure the nozzle valve is opened rapidly to its full extent by means of the initial explosion pressure and expansion begins. The gases expand through nozzles of the deLaval type to the exhaust pressure, slightly above the atmosphere, and drop in temperature to 1250 deg. at the end of the nozzle. The explosion and expansion cycle and the impulse imparted to the wheel last only about one-fifth of a second. As soon as the expansion is finished, air is scavenged through the explosion chamber, nozzle valves and nozzle, sweeping out of the chamber and ducts any lingering gases and thereby cooling all the parts. This scavenging air, mixing with the expanded products Model on Scale of One-tenth of a 10,000-Kw. Gas Turbine Operating at 1500 R.p.m. and Direct Connected to a Generator. Beginning with the bearing between the generator and the turbine and moving toward the right are seen the inlet manifold with inlet valves for gas and air, a section of one of the explosion chambers with two ignition plugs projecting into it, a nozzle valve with its stem running up into the hood above the turbine, the nozzle segments, the running wheel (pretty well hidden by the shadow) and the cover over the exhaust gas chamber 7 Ran 2 eee — a | sperma oe Tes November 20, 1924 THE IRON AGE 1331 of combustion in the turbine wheel chamber, reduces its temperature to about 800 deg. This is the highest temperature to which the thinnest parts of the run- ning wheel vanes are submitted, while its mean temper- ature is somewhat lower, owing to heat being radiated to the water-cooled walls of the wheel chamber. This scavenging lasts from % to 1 sec. The nozzle valves then are closed and the gas and compressed air inlet valves opened for a new charge. Temperatures at the Turbine Wheel One of the most difficult problems to be met lay in the impinging of high-temperature gases on the tur- bine wheel vanes. Mr. Holzwarth found that, with suit- Longitudinal Se tion of the 10,000- Kw. Unit Designed for Operating at 1500 R.p.m, Posi- tions of the inlet manifold valves, the explosion chambers, the nozzle valves and the wheel are indicated clearly, as is also the duct at the lower right for carrying away * the exhaust gases to the waste-heat anit, where much of the remaining en- ergy is to be ex- tracted "id: ddedddddddddddddddddiddlbiilddéssh Trudtbasirii’ (dhl SERRE Seewnmenness. seereere eee Partially Assembled Gas Turbine of 5000 Kw. Built for Com- mercial Use. This shows the rig used in handling the blade wheel to avoid damage to the blade seg- ments. It shows also the arrange- ment of explosion chambers about the axis and the con- nections of the two ignition plugs in each chamber. The four nozzle valves operating in con- junction with the four hoods appear prominently above the unit. There are four similar nozzle valve outfits, also with vertical axes, and placed be low the floor able material for these vanes, the jets of combustion gases can hit the vanes without any disadvantages, pro- vided they do so for only a relatively short time, and are followed by that part of the cycle in which cooler gases surround the vanes and by a further period in which cold air comes in. The momentary high-tem- perature conditions do not hinder the success of the operation. In contrast with the action of gases in the gas engine cylinder, it must be borne in mind that in the gas turbine the combustion gases impinge directly on the material of which the turbine wheel is made. In the gas engine, on the other hand, they do not impinge, but come into contact with oiled surfaces. Necessity AI tte tnt strectes Senet me ail hows aid ss Siieitnanitendbendin altercation ane ARE NE te ne 5m , rd mg ts eee _— ” eer alae aoe meme 8 EPRI Nae ont rete Pon oos ra 4 wr Ra ens on ae OF TENCE St Sa a 3 1332 THE IRON AGE November 20, 1924 PIT et) Direct Con- nected Oil Tur- bine of 300 Kw. In the oil tur- bines and _ the smaller gas tur- bines only six nozzle valves are used, four with vertical stems above the axis and two with horizontal stems, one on either side, a little below the axis. Three of the former and one of the latter show in this illustration svvevenennnsnncenensaononenenennen for maintaining these surfaces continually oiled limits the temperature of the explosion gases in the gas engine cylinder, this being controlled by the cylinder oil temperature. As these oiled surfaces do not exist in the gas turbine, its combustion chamber walls may be maintained at a much higher temperature than in gas engine practice, and with consequent less heat loss in the cooling water. Apart from reasons of lubrication, unless the walls of a gas engine cylinder are kept fairly cool, the weight of the explosive charge and consequently the power output of the engine must be seriously reduced. Longitudinal Section of a 500-Hp. Oil " at the Left Running at 5000 to 6000 R.p.m. turbine. There are, however, As the charge is forced into the combustion chamber of the turbine, however, by a compressor working at 40 lb. per sq. in., this disability disappears. One main distinction between the operation of the Holzwarth gas turbine and that of a steam turbine is this: In the steam turbine the steam impinges upon the turbine blades continuously and with uniform velocity; in the gas turbine the combustion gases are projected from several nozzles through the turbine wheel blades like machine-gun fire. The highest peripheral pressure of the combustion gases is several times the average pressure during End Views of the 10,000-Kw. Unit, That at the Left Showing the Inlet Manifolds, while That at the Right Shows the Exhaust Duct at the Bottom and the Arrange- ment of the Eight Nozzle Valve Hoods with Vertical Axes, Four at the Top and Four at the Bottom H |" rurbine and Dynamo Designed for Operating at 3000 R.p.m., with Compressor The general arrangement of the machine is similar to that of the gas only six explosion chambers (see small end view at right) in place of eight and the two lower chambers have horizontal nozzle valves ATES a Pree November 20, 1924 the emptying of the combustion chamber. I ) It is many times that which obtains between the two explosion portions of the cycle. This difficulty of unequal loading of the blades is cared for by employing a strong blade section, to withstand not only the heat but the rapid and violent pressure blows from the nozzles. Record of Progressive Development Practical development of the gas and oil turbine” has been achieved with five successive units, four gas turbines and one oil turbine. Changes made in the design, while under test, have resulted in the succes- sive development of the machines to that at present offered for power use. The first small turbine of 50 hp. at 3000 r.p.m. was built in 1908 by Korting Brothers in Hanover. This was followed by a much larger unit Standardization Work Growing Abroad Important industrial developments in all the indus- trial countries of the world are being brought about through standardization, according to a statement of the American Engineering Standards Committee. In 18 countries this important movement heads up in na- tional standardizing bodies. A saving of $18,000 on each of 57 locomotives recently ordered by the Swiss National Railroads is the result of applied industrial standardization in Switzerland Organization of a national standardizing body in Norway which has been in progress for two or three years, has now been completed. “A united Poland’ in the technical field is the result of the newly established technical committee for the stand- ardization of industrial products and supplies. Heretofore the Polish military services have tended to follow French standards, while in private industry, the preference has been for German work. Only two other of the eighteen national standardizing bodies are organized under Government auspices These are the French and the Japanese More than 50,000 printed standards under the Dutch standards committee during the past year were sold in Holland. This committee issued 62 stand- ards in final form and 56 draft standards for criticism and review. Japan velopment much facilitated of ization data among now at work. The Japanese have 47 and are well advanced in work on mechanical and elec- trical. machinery and equipment, as well as the very im- portant fundamental standards of rolled steel sections used in civil engineering and the building trades Italy has 39 active projects under way Particularly important are those for standardization of screw threads, bolts and nuts, pipes and tubes, and sections for shipbuilding. To facilitate the understanding in foreign countries, the Germans up a central cooperative translation ization work. Many firms in Germany are interested in foreign standards, and the -proposal is that each of a number of such firms shall be responsible for the trans- lation of a certain set of standards Czechoslovakia, like Japan and copies of developed comprehensive study of de- other countries, a exchange of standard- standardizing projects under way began its work by of standardization in late by regular the 18 national process bodies steel of standardization work have proposed setting bureau for standard- Germany, pays par- countries. ticular attention to work going on in foreign Although Czechoslovakia started standardization on a large scale but a little over a year ago, it now has 54 com- mittees and subcommittees with 600 members preparing standards dealing with mechanical engineering subjects alone. The director of the Czechoslovakian work reports the use of 40 different types of small rails varying from 1% to 3% in. in height. During nine years one firm, manufactur- ing cars for mine railways and industrial trackage, re- ports having filled orders for cars involving 76 different track gages. The same firm has 1000 different patterns for wheels for such cars. It is expected that five or six types will likely replace the 40 small rails now in use, and that five track gages, including the international gage for street and steam rail- roads, will replace the 76 cited. Instead of 1000 different wheel patterns, it is expected that nine wheels of a heavy type and nine of a light type will cover all require- ments. The British Engineering Standards Association, the THE IRON AGE 1333 of 1000 hp. at the same speed, which was built in 1910 by Brown, Boveri & Co., at Mannheim. The third unit, 700 kw., at the same speed of 3000 r.p.m., was built by Thyssen & Co., at Miilheim, in 1914. All three of these were vertical units. The fourth gas turbine, with a horizontal axis, was a 5000 kw. at 1000 r.p.m., and was built by Thyssen & Co. in 1920, for a central power station. The first oil turbine, of 300 kw. at 3000 r.p.m., was built by Thyssen & Co., in 1919. Tests with both the gas turbine and the oil turbine have put Thyssen & Co. into a position to build units of both types for industrial use. These tests have provided them with information so that paper guarantees can be given as to heat economy ‘abd durability. (To be concluded) oldest has piece of work national standardizing bodies, unusually important the dimensions and propértids of sections for structural purposes methods of calculating the then presents the standard “sections” used in the con struction of buildings and ships, including: equal’ ahd unequal leg angles, bulb angles, bulb plates, channels and T-bars A complete set of tables showing the equivalents for the adopted standard dimensions is and largest of the recently completed an This is a tabulation of standard rolled It begins by steel setting down strength of sections and dimensions adopted for the such beams metric given The urally also Association the Americans on the one British on the other One of their projects is a “Canadian Electrical was started recently, based largely electrical codes’ for Engineering Standards nat with Canadian cooperates closely and with the important upon which American fire and casualty hand Code,” upon protection most work the standard against hazards Tariff Reductions by Australia WASHINGTON, Nov. 18—Iron and steel tubes, auto- mobile chassis and parts, printing machinery and add- ing and computing machines are listed among the products which will be accorded tariff reduction by Australia when imported from Canada, as a result of the recent favorable action by the Australian Parlia- ment upon the long-mooted trade agreement between Australia and Canada. E. A. Chapman, of the Far Eastern Division of the Department of Commerce, points out that Australia’s concessions are granted largely to Canada’s manufactured products, while Canada’s tariff reductions are confined to Australia’s primarily agricultural products. At the same time, he explains that in the case of printing machinery, adding and computing machines and cash registers, Canada has contributed very little in the way of ex- ports to Australia. Imports of these articles have originated largely in the United States. Iron and steel tubes, or pipes and automobile parts have orig- inated largely in Great Britain and the United States. In automobile chassis, however, Canada has done very well. Out of Australia’s total imports of chassis amounting to £2,927,759, Canada’s share reached £782,- 180 as compared with £1,167,364 from the United States and £445,964 from the United Kingdom. The one-hundredth anniversary of the announce- ment by the French physicist and engineer, Nicholas Leonard Sadi Carnot, of the principle of thermody- namics, later known as the Second Law of Thermody- namics, and the Carnot cycle will be celebrated by American engineering, physical and chemical societies and educational institutions of the New York metro- politan district at 8:15 p. m. Dec. 4 in the Engineering Societies Building, New York. Dr. William F. Durand, president-elect of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, will preside. The speakers will include Dr. Michael I. Pupin, Columbia University, and Dr. Wil- liam L. Emmet, General Electric Co., Schenectady. .. . Study of Foundry Building Design Influence of Site Selection, Building Layout, Material Storage and Methods of Operation on Better Foundry Practice construction of foundry buildings are contribut- ing factors in their successful operation. The selection of the foundry site has a direct effect on the labor problem, the supplying of raw materials, the market for the foundry’s product and the layout of the plant. Facilitation of production, reduction in the cost of material handling and provision of better working conditions are some of the results of careful considera- tion of the construction of buildings. Factors to be considered in the selection of foundry sites are labor supply, source of raw materials, trans- portation, market for product and adaptability of sites to the foundry plant from the standpoints of cost and topography of land. ] construction has taught that the location and How One Foundry Selected an Advantageous Site One of the plants studied employs about 200 men Demands for greatly and does a jobbing business. sion of the land from this drop provided sufficient space for the needs of the new plant and for future growth. Fig. 1 shows a profile of the plant as con- structed at this point. Facilitating Handling of Materials.—It will be noted that the storage building was constructed so that the second floor level corresponded with the level of the siding. A track was run into the storage building of the plant and constructed to minimize material han- dling. Storage bins were laid out on the ground floor to permit dumping sand from hopper cars on the siding through hatches into the sand storage bins. Iron was removed from cars by traveling cranes and magnet and piled on the storage floor. Coke was taken from the cars by clamshell bucket and dumped at one end of the storage space. Electric trucks conveyed unit charges of coke, scrap and pig iron to the cupola charging floor adjoining the storage room. Hopper trucks conveyed sand about the } Magnet or Clarn Shell rrr increased production made necessary considerable en- largement of the existing plant. The management decided that the time was right for considering the possibility of bettering the location of the plant. A study of surrounding conditions brought out the follow- ing facts: Labor Supply.—The plant was located in the sub- urbs of a prosperous manufacturing community, where a large number of workers might be drawn upon for the needs of an enlarged plant. Source of Raw Materials—Pig iron, coke and sand could be supplied in abundance from a nearby com- munity. Transportation.—Two trunk line railroads passed through the neighboring city. One was connected with the plant by a siding; the second could be reached readily by inter-line connections. Good roads facilitated trucking of supplies and shipment of finished products. Market for Product.—Excellent transportation facil- ities brought the outside markets within easy range of the plant. Locally, there was sufficient demand on the output to supplement a large production business from outside. Cost of Land.—There was an abundance of cheap land in the immediate vicinity of the existing plant, and the expected growth of the city alone would make its acquisition profitable. Topography of Land.—A little study demonstrated the feasibility of using the natural formation of the land as a means of handling materials with a minimum of effort. The existing railroad siding ran on a shelf formation along the edge of a 15-ft. drop. The exten- Fig. 1— Profile of Plant as Con- structed Railroad foundry. Freight cars were loaded with completed castings at the other end of the storage floor. Electric platform trueks and elevators conveyed castings ready for shipment into freight cars. The storage building housed on the ground floor additional departments—core room, pattern shop, active pattern storage, finished stock room, packing and ship- ments by truck. Piling pig iron on the storage floor and clearing away coke dropped outside of the coke storage area were the only tasks remaining for the men. The ele- vated siding eliminated hand shoveling of sand from cars; covered storage bins protected the sand. La- borious work was reduced to a minimum. Ten years’ operation under a progressive manage- ment has demonstrated the advantages of the construc. tion described. Contemplated increase in plant is amply provided for by the land acquired. Practices of Other Plants In the survey it was observed that developments of the property surrounding long-established plants often obscured the primary reasons for the original selection. Fifty-one of the plants studied had railroad sidings. Ten of these had elevated sidings, which allowed use of the dumping feature of hopper cars. Several of the plants had found difficulty in securing adequate labor supply. One was just far enough re- moved from an industrial community to find it difficult to recruit workers. Two plants located in large cities encountered competition from other industries in secur- ing and holding workers. 1334 The working conditions in November 20, 1924 THE IRON AGE ; Flevated R.RSiding_ DRIVEWAY COKE STORAGE core] Rk Ri; I OFFICE ron Stored Molding mh SAND HIPPING Siding |’ 9 at . —— PATTERN CUPOLAS DO © Hatch, STORAGE \/ } | BAY 1. | ar 2| BAYS | BAY4 | BAYS _ mM ol|Liols N |G | CORE \ ry : KIN : SORTING , , } vad | n | /MSPECTING A SRR - : 4 CLEANING | ! on | | | | MOL Cle ielA Iw]? Ww fet | / S$PIECTI wv G rsshING 1335 A ee ot eee OINnNG Fig. 3 (Above) Layout of a Jobbing Foundry Employing 90 Men Fig. 2 (Left) An Example of Uniflow Production materials through the these plants and the difficulty of the tasks imposed, due to lack of labor-saving devices, caused laborers to choose more desirable jobs. Several plants were operating in cramped quarters. The prices on adjacent properties prohibited purchasing them for additions to the foundry. A sale of the foun- proceed, without retracing, cupola, the molding floor, the cleaning room, the inspee- tion and shipping departments. This arrangement minimizes material handling. It eliminates crowded and confused conditions in the foundry. It facilitates production and promotes safe working conditions. dry property would no doubt in some cases net a price sufficient to secure a mere suitable location and to erect a plant more advantageous from the production standpoint. Building Layouts for Uniflow Production Provision for continu- ous flow of materials from the raw materials receiv- ing yard, through produc- tion departments, to the shipping room door, is the observed trend of present day foundry layout. Fig. 2 is an example of uniflow production. The foundry illustrated is occupied en- We Lg This is the first of a series of ten de- scriptive studies of management practices in the foundry, made by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., New York, through its policy- holders’ service bureau. The general title is “Better Foundry Practice.” Fifty-four foundries located in various parts of the United States were visited and careful observations made of plant, organiza- tion and management practices. From these observations have been assembled examples of methods in use which have resulted in better operations, improved working conditions and reduced costs. The studies on which the articles are based were made by two technically trained men who have had production and sales experience since leaving college. Both were connected with MUTUAL CCHIT TT TE PTT OT pL WUT SHUI AMAMLALALESABLLSCUA NLL LANL AAT Na I ! ’ OUGETENT EDEN ORNNTEssNTT NATE ee TEOMEEDERNANAN | 114 Greater Production With- out Plant Increase The layout of a job- bing foundry employing 90 men is shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement is the result of a study made to meet the needs of greater production without in- crease of plant. There is but one section of the plant (at right of cupela) where metal is carried in for pouring and carried out after easting. Other- wise, there is a continuous flow from the storage bins to the shipping room door. Fig. 4 is a layout which involves the traveling back tirely with production work. Castings from a few ounces in weight to cylinder blocks for 6-cyl- inder motors is the range of work. Four of the five bays are given over to molding. Each bay has a given class of work, varying from small squeezer work in Bay No. 1 to the output of the tractor sandslinger which occupies Bay No. 3. Raw materials are delivered to the storage shed at one end of the foundry. From the storage pile the ai pemeennenii TYMEMTUEDNGTTSGT UU AETOURRAAENTTNTET Sabha TUNEL NAT technical matters in the United States Army during the World War. BOSTTUNL LAGAN TAD of the metal from every section of the foundry. This plant—a jobbing foundry turning out large castings—has a daily ca- pacity of 30 tons. Per- haps the answer to this management’s complaint of heavy turnover of labor, high costs and low output, lies to a large measure in the layout of the plant and the resulting working conditions. The relationship of the several departments of a jobbing foundry is shown in Fig. 3. The departmental crn 02a abana. cence eee eA As TOME ALLLDARSEEGEL | 15 1 TEREELERUPNGADETS SEMEN OREN ALT EY HT NESE ETTE TT Shipping STREET PATTERN| MotDpING| wo {yw ING | MoUGING| PATTER, ri Lhe | svoP Cleaning ari nt “te CORE MAKING “rtp G a: " a Fig. 4—Layout In- volving Traveling Back of the Metai from Every Section of the Foundry bh UNDER 8 CHARGING ye ae —' D ws nore ws Ne ee el a Oe ae SS +, alteahsep, a ee ee ae os otha Sry 2 eNO ese Sagat ae onan” eae: sais 8 ea er ee 1336 arrangement of a production foundry is shown in Fig. 2. Departments are laid out to minimize material handling. Practices in individual plants vary. The product of the foundry and the building layout play considerable parts in the placing of departments. For example, stove foundries give little attention to core work. What core work there is can be carried out in a convenient part of the plant. On the other hand, in automobile foundries the core room plays a big part in the manu- facture of castings. This department usually is placed with a view to minimizing handling of cores and pro- vides for close contact between the core-making and molding departments. Storage of Materials Yard space is provided in most plants for the stor- age of pig iron and scrap. Fig. 3 shows a system of bins with a railroad siding elevated over them. Hopper dump or side dump cars are readily unloaded into these bins, thus eliminating considerable material handling. An industrial railway serves the bins and affords direct transit of materials to the cupola elevator. ~ In'the foundry shown in Fig. 2 materials are stored in a covered storage shed. Pig iron is stored by lot, as determined by analysis. Coke is piled, as received, in the section marked. In several plants care was taken to reduce breakage of coke to a minimum. A short drop was arranged or a slide provided to guide the coke. Sand storage bins protected from the weather were provided in twenty-nine of the plants visited. The life of sand stored in the open is shortened and the sand is weakened. Several plants using wood flasks had sheds for their protection against weather conditions. At one plant large. iron flasks were piled outside the building at the end of the molding floor in which they were used. An extension of the crane-way gave ready access to the flasks and minimized handling. Managers who fully realize the importance of pre- serving patterns provide a separate fireproof storage with adequate space and a workable system. Pattern storage practice forms the subject of a separate pamphlet. Productive Departments Modern core rooms, located where light and air are abundant, offer _a decided contrast to the dingy core room of the past. Each coremaker is provided adequate space in which to work. Transportation of completed cores to finished core storage or to the molders elimi- nates congestion in the core room. Core ovens are erected and placed to reduce employee hazards. Instal- lation of ventilating hoods and provisions for removal of heat have been pretty generally adopted. As a rule, set-off sections of a plant are used for housing the cleaning department. The noise and in many cases the dust resulting from operation of mills necessitate this isolation. Proximity to the molding department simplifies transportation of castings. One plant manufacturing small castings made a direct connection between the cleaning and the inspec- tion departments. Castings, finished in the cleaning room, were placed on a conveyor and dumped from it onto the inspector’s bench. Boxes for individual lots of castings were placed close by. As inspection was made, placement in the proper box automatically sorted the castings. Bench molding in a foundry having high individual production is laid out to give the molder adequate work- ing space and good working surroundings. Ready accéss to tools, room to move about, adequate light and an individual work place are provided. When work of different sizes, such as floor molding, bench molding and pit molding, is carried on in one plant, sectional divisions of the plant usually are made. Material handling requirements play a large part in the selection of the suited portion of the foundry. For example, proximity to the molten metal is a determin- ing factor in the location of the pit section. Provision of sufficient working space, light and air are essential in the layout of molding departments. THE IRON AGE November 20, 1924 Several large plants operating sand conveying sys- tems use the basement of the foundry for storing and conditioning sand. The foundry of an automobile plant occupies a 6-story building and employs continuous pouring. The departmental layout is as follows: Multi-Story Foundry Basement.—Sand, as shaken out, is delivered to the basement, reconditioned and returned to the molding floor. First Floor. Molding floor. Cleaning room. Second Floor—Core making department. Con- tinuous core ovens lead up to the third floor. Third Floor.—Core sand mixing floor. Continuous core ovens. Mixed core sand is dropped through pipes to core makers’ benches on the floor below. Core as- sembly. Fourth Floor—Machine shop for maintenance and manufacture of metal patterns. Stock room for repair parts. \ Fifth Floor.—Pattern shop. Pattern storage. Sixth Floor—Brass and aluminum foundry. Building Construction Buildings constructed to house the several depart- ments of the foundry most advantageously are designed with a view to working conditions resulting from the type of construction adopted. The more recent foun- dries are built to provide the workman with adequate heat, light and air as aids in facilitating production. The installation of a heating system or the alteration of the roof or walls to provide more light and air are improvements made in older buildings to give the work- men better surroundings. Materials of Construction—Data gathered from the survey of 54 foundries show the number constructed of the materials listed: Material Number of Buildings I TNO ssa: Sat Wau) erm aba ole 19 a Fes wcsthi x ermuatd ooue a Se 9 Seen OE, COs 63s cas dae hes vase eee 23 WE ae 6 oh oa eats Fae a dee aete 2 PE a'e'w ib wien Gib Bie saree acetate to 1 Side walls with a large glass area are typical features of new construction. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of this type of construction, which is suited to the foundry housed in a long, narrow building. It is a typical brick and steel building. It will be noted how readily adequate ventilation is supplied. Air enters through the openings at the left, above the workers’ heads, then drops to replace heated, smoke-laden air, which rises rapidly and flows out through the openings on the right. Type of Roof.—Roofs of plants studied were of the following types: Type Number of Plants IO: 6's es. si =p St ede nce eat ae ee 27 SOEINNEED a's» oar ciatunk eo atp Gieetiaioes ieee 4 Improved monitor (M)............e.-. 5 Miscellaneous (flat, pitched, ete.)...... 18 In the large foundries the improved monitor roof was used, as illustrated in Fig. 6 in cross-section. This roof is adaptable to the wider plant and provides ex- cellent light and air. Floors.—Improvements in material handling meth- ods call attention to the foundry floor. Study of practice in floor enstruction shows the following types of floor in the’ plants studied: Type Number Found Wood block aisles and cement floor.... 1 CE EE dis sss denen chabcuoel 9 PE 5s 0 Sick cowetawae cues ae es 1 Brom Dintee Cor AM -< ids codec venedcase 3 Cement aisles, clay floor.............. 3 oe ree eo is” 37 ‘Wood block floors give satisfaction as aisle pave- ment for conveying heavy loads, and stand up well under wear and tear. Three managers claimed that their men dislike cement floors, saying they cause fatigue and are injurious to health. In some instances, November 20, 1924 cement aisles and clay working floors are combined. The leveling of uneven clay floors will promote safety and facilitate the movement of wheelbarrows or trucks about the foundry floor. Foundry Lighting Lighting conditions in foundries visited varied. A comparative statement on lighting conditions found follows: Condition (Under either artificial or natural light, or both) Number ER ree ie , 2a SE GA Geechee was «<6 +5 ca Woes. omands 9 ES die ball ay a h.o ¢ ce ees heen led 19 In touching up a mold the workman should be able to see uneven places on the inner surfaces or openings in the mold, as well as on the outside. Unless attention is given to minim‘zing shadow effect, the chances are that these openings will be in shadow, in which case the work is trying and often imposs‘ble. The amount of dust in the foundry presents addi- tional difficulties in installing and maintaining a light- ing system. A fim of dust on the lamp or reflector ‘ N iS: 90" ol 90" WE seen cee eennes 180° - will materially decrease the effectiveness of the lamp. Immediate replacement of burned-out lamps and fuses is a necessary part in maintaining a proper lighting system. One of the foundries visited will illustrate the fac- tors contributing to the proper illumination of a plant. The “odd-job” man about the plant was made the maintenance department. The plant employed 75 mold- ers on medium size work. The building was an old structure. Among the various duties of the maintenance de- partment was the upkeep of the natural and artificial lighting of the plant. Periodic whitewashing of walls, washing of windows in walls and in monitor, cleaning of electric lamps and reflectors, and replacement of burned-out lamps and fuses kept the maintenance de- partment busy. Lighting conditions within the plant were ideal. This little attention given at a relatively low cost paid the management dividends in content- ment of workers. In reply to the question on personnel turnover, the management reported “practically none.” Necessity for placing molding departments and core rooms in well-lighted locations is receiving considerable recognition. However, many plants still neglect this practice. A glance at some core rooms shows the lack of consideration by some managers of the benefits derived from adequately lighted shops. Methods of Heating Plants Protecting the comfort and health of workmen in the winter months by providing a warm workplace is the practice in a number of plants. Some idea of pre- vailing methods of heating foundries is given in the following data taken from the survey: Number of Method of Heating Plants Using System Air conditioned .......-..«.---. Cae a 5 BEOO GIP. cvcwcccoccsetens ; hia ot hae ie ce Ch Sees CARRERAS CORO Cc Oe 2 Hot water ........ aE ast e arn mmr 1 No special heating arrangement........ 1 Special heating arrangements are appropriate, par- THE IRON AGE ticularly in plants where continuous molding is not employed. Starting the cupola usually takes place toward the close of the molding period. If a foundry depends on the cupola and the molten metal for heat, its workmen will suffer in cold weather during molding periods. Ventilation of Plant While construction in many cases provides adequate natural ventilation, very wide buildings and older struc- tures accumulate gases and dust, unless additional ventilation is provided. A summary of the means of ventilating appl'ed to the plant as a whole is given in the following survey data: 5 oe : Number of Ventilation Systems Plants Using System Natural (provided by plant construction) 20 Artificial system (air conditioned)........ 5 Simple blower system....... iseu 8 No special provision (construction inade- quate for proper ventilation)..... ae A large plant using the truss formation of Fig. 6 in multiple required venti'ation additional to natural. Ducts of the air system installed removed smoke—the completeness of the process was shown by the clearness Fig. 6 (Left) Improved Monitor Roof Fig. 5 (Below) Cross-Section of New Construction of the air in the entire foundry. Core ovens, cleaning mills and sandblast rooms are points in the foundry which receive attention in regard to providing proper ventilation. Leaks in ducts attached to cleaning mills render the cleaning room an unhealthy workplace. One plant visited had, in addition to faulty ventilation of cleaning mills, a makeshift sandblast room which leaked sand and dust into the adjacent cleaning room. This room was continually clouded during operation. Heavy turn- over of cleaning room labor was reported by the man- agement. It is interesting to note the amount of attention given to efforts to maintain proper conditions in the foundry building. Some plants give this special atten- tion, while others are prone to concentrate all atten- tion on molding. It was possible to note a difference in the worker from the standpoint of personnel turn- over as well as output of work and working morale, in going from plant to plant. At well-kept plants better workers are found, with resulting better output. Employees of the General Motors Corporation and its subsidiaries are offered the right to subscribe to the company’s 7 per cent preferred stock in amounts from one share to 10, depending on the employee's wages. As an inducement to employees to remain with the corporation an extra payment of $2 yearly for five years will be made in addition to the regular dividend. 1337 oy ere See ee forge ta a ou even enees ~ a ne eee a =O a yee a aa pat cen eee an Prion me OTA ek “A ORIN AP Re A OER AEP Se TG ES a Nie OE GAR et Hi - ens Whe 3 thine nw Daag a” ~s iF - ae Fe ne ce tt a a gn rene on anmeee dah empl Mee aot ane Ral aie ie i ame s . aes t,: p : i Oxygen and the Red Shortness of Steel German Investigation of the Effect of Gases on Rolling Qualities—Low-Carbon Basic Open-Hearth Practice in Germany detail from a paper by Dr. H. Monden in Stahl und Eisen, June 7 and 14, 1923. The principal object of his work was to study the influence of oxygen and gases in steel on its rolling qualities and red short- ness, but it also gives a good deal of insight into Ger- man methods of making low-carbon basic open-hearth steel. The work was not done on a laboratory scale but consists of careful observations on 10 heats of steel made under regular plant conditions at the Falvahiitte in Upper Silesia. The opening part of the paper discusses the wide- spread opinion among practical men that steel must be thoroughly and carefully deoxidized in order to avoid [ae following article is abstracted in considerable Table 1.—An