The Iron Age 1925-01-22: Vol 115 Iss 4

THE IRON AGE New York, January 22, 1925 ESTABLISHED 1855 Ls VOL. 115, No. 4 Problems Solved in Machining Large Gears Turbine Speed-Reduction Units of Unusual Size Made at Philadelphia Navy Yard—Method of Cutting Teeth and Checking Accuracy Described BY LEWIS H. KENNEY* Dobbin, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and of destroyer tender No. 4, U. S. S. Whitney, at the Boston Navy Yard, was authorized by the Navy De- partment in 1919. About this time the construction of repair ship No. 1, U. S. S. Medusa, and submarine ten- der No. 3, U. S. S. Holland, at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, was authorized, and in some respects these two ships are similar to the Dobbin and Whitney. Later the cutting of the reduction gears for the four ships at the Philadelphia Navy Yard was authorized. The U.S. S. Dobbin is designed to meet all ordinary demands of service, supplies and repairs for a group of 18 destroyers for a period of 60 days under wartime conditions. Shop facilities for this duty are installed and include pattern, foundry, general machine, elec trical, forge, coppersmith, sheet metal, ship carpenter, torpedo and optical shops. The supplies carried in- clude fuel oil, lubricating oil, fresh water, provisions, spare parts of machinery, etc. Adequate medical fa- cilities are available and include a hospital. The prin- cipal dimensions of the Dobbin are as follows: Length overall, 482 ft., 9% in.; beam, molded, 60 ft. 10% in.; normal draft, designed, 21 ft. % in.; displacement, de- signed, 10,600 tons and shaft horse power 7000. The main turbines, one high and one low pressure, are direct connected to a reduction gear. The shaft of the main reduction gear is coupled to the propeller shaft. This arrangement permits operation of the tur- bines at high speed and the propeller at low speed in order to obtain the best efficiencies for each. The re- duction gears for the Dobbin and Whitney are identical, and those for the Medusa and Holland are identical] but of somewhat smaller dimensions. The main propelling machinery of these ships was built in accordance with designs furnished by the Parsons Marine Steam Tur- bine Co. The detail drawings were developed by the Philadelphia and Puget Sound navy yards from these designs. The work between the Boston and Philadelphia navy yards was divided, the making of patterns and castings for the reduction gears for the Dobbin and Whitney having been assigned to the Boston yard, and the manu- facture of the reduction gears and pinions to the Phil- adelphia yard. The gear blanks for the reduction gear of the Medusa were furnished the Philadelphia yard and the only work involved was the cutting of the gear teeth. In the case of the Holland, however, rough ma- chined forgings for the pinions and the steel rims only were furnished. The Philadelphia yard manufactured the shaft and the cast iron spider in addition to cutting the gear teeth. Unusual Size of Gears Creates Shop Problems The engineering and shop problems involved in this work were many, due to the fact that the yard had had t HE construction of destroyer tender No. 3, U. S. S. *Engineer, United States Navy Yard, Philadelphia. no previous experience in work of this character; moreover, the gears of the Dobbin and Whitney and those of the Medusa and Holland are the largest ever built for marine service in this country. The method of cutting the gears and the precautions taken to assure the necessary accuracy it is believed will be of interest to others engaged in similar work. This article, there- fore, has been confined to the shop problems involved in cutting these gears. The general features of the reduction gear wheel and pinions are shown in Fig. 1. The principal dimen- sions are as follows: Pinions (Inches) 9.903 9.3264 10.274 Gear (Inches) 146.183 145.6054 146.554 21 Pitch circle diameter Root diameter Outside diameter Width of each gear face Circular pitch Normal pitch Total depth of teeth Normal thickness of pitch circle Normal space between teeth Normal backlash . 21 0.676358 6.583001 0.4743 0.4738 tooth on 0.2827 0.3003 0.0188 0.2816 0.3015 Number of teeth 679 46 Angle at which teeth were cut 30 deg. 27 min. 41 sec. R.p.m ous 105 1550 Weight of the gear wheel 60,000 Ib. Weight of each pinion 1,500 Ib Weight of gear shaft.. 13,000 Ib The gear shaft and wheel rims were class B forg- ings, Navy Department specifications, the tensile strength being 60,000 lb. and the yield point 30,000 Ib. The tensile strength of the pinions, which were of nickel steel, was 95,000 lb. and the yield point, 65,000 Ib. The development of the design required considera- tion of shop facilities and methods. To assure accu racy in the machining of the gear shaft, hardened stee! centers were inserted in each end. The usual steady rests were employed during machining operations. The cast iron spider had “supporting feet” cast on the arms, as shown in Fig. 2, and these were to be faced off ra- dially and in planes at right angles to the axis of the gear, in order to assist in centering and supporting the gear on the gear cutter table. Several preliminary machining operations were necessary to prepare the gear blank for the gear cutter. Several Steps Necessary Before Cutting Teeth The spider casting was set up in a boring mill and bored to the designed taper. The outside diameter was then turned to the dimension specified. Each forged steel ring which was to be shrunk on the spider was a single forging made by a successive expansion process. These rings were first bored to the desired diameter, but a lip was left on the edge which rested on the table of the boring mill. This lip served to locate accurately the ring on the spider in its axial position before it cooled sufficiently to seize on the spider. The gear was then assembled on its shaft, the prin- 263 a eecan genes ln ln Annet 264 THE IRON AGE January 22, 1925 the installation of the nut, which The pinions were machined to the specified dimen- t orward end of the gear sions, with the exceptions that the length of the tooth shaft, The difficulty was overcome by casting a babbitt faces was left longer than specified, and the journals ring which was bored to suit the shaft and turned toan were machined to a somewhat larger diameter than outside diameter closely approximating the bore of the specified for the finished journals. The latter ate cut. The nut was passed over this ring and no diffi- was intended to eliminate the possibility of the journal being injured during machining operations. The ma- ulty was experienced in engaging he threads. nti : . : . a ‘ t up in a lathe, as chining of the journals to the designed dimensions was cipal problem being weighed about 600 lb., on the f The assembled gear was then sé NSS sp Plan H.P -Pinion = o— I <3 ~ — ool a mo SP cpr wiz =z Kz SSS Yd fh li, Z Sec SESS a a pean s Nergeereetttlll, Deane “Counter Geor Turbines boltec to this Foce a [SSS NU N N > BY N SS | } eS = BY ' | N SS saw - : ie natt being Ipported hy a) ; . } eq Vv speciall t , as pati . designed steady bearings, as shown. The “supy ; z last operation performed. The correct length of foot” 1 : - ’ now! ] SU porting the rear anan ea . i . ‘ were then faced in planes at right angles to the oa a was determined after assembly, as a yt the reo le | > E S r d axi {f the gear blank and finished radially to + 1g. <. ( the di mension specified. The yl: ’ ais Denies 4 4} : . ° ’ pecific lhe blank was turned to the outside Gear Cutting Machine Carefully Checked Man SPCC ed } tk i aS S € he The ma *} Ines or ¢ y > > e ear W ie arawl Ww ~ ( , heel widths of the gear tooth fac T tf year to aces. The diametey f + ons ’ ; he r OT ne anc s rere “OV y lank was measured first by a circumference tat id pinions were provided by the Navy Department, a I I ( ape, anc 7 M diated tt sane 40 dae Oh aoc, ‘ and were obtained from the Parsons Marine Steam ments, which in luded tee iia aol ne cae ae lurbine Co., Ltd., Wallsend on Tyne, England but cer- 13 eter fy. ‘ nie ie ne snalt, tne tain parts were ' . ada ° : distance from the shaft to the insi parts were manufactured by W i le shé he inside of the “s ' y William } 10. ing feet,” and the distames from the inside .? 4 upport- Manchester, England. These oditees use aa < i the side of the “sn a i : ‘ s porting feet” to the outside of the blar ~~ up- with what is known as a “creeping gear,” developed by ; + : a Ose two Si F “he 2 2c . , measurements were in substantial agreement sir Charles A. Parsons. His paper, “Mechanical Gear- . ing for the Propulsion of Ships,” presented before the At mennrensnysenerenenneernnecenee SODOTV event onED oven naneNE January 22, 1925 THE IRON AGE 265 Fig. 2 The As- sembied Gear Was Set Up in the Lathe, the Shaft Being Supported by Spe cial Steady Bear ingsas Shown. The “supporting feet were machined and the blank turned to the proper outside diameter. After the teeth had been cut, the gear was as sembled on its shaft and the gear and pinion mounted in the lathe shown, for checking The mo tor was located on the floor and belted to the pinion Institution of Naval Architects on March 13, 1913, de- and 6, the various parts were checked because it was scribes the principle of the creeping gear in part as appreciated that the teeth of the finished gear must follows: “In the process ordinarily adopted, in which work is mounted on a table rotated by means of worm and worm wheel, the latter being attached per manently to the table, the errors will be some function of the angular position of the work, and, therefore in planes through the axis of rotation; and if, as mostly the case, the errors of the parent gear ar periodic, these planes will lie at equal angular inter vals, and will come into mesh periodically Now, will be seen that, if the work is given a small steady advance in relation to the table, the errors instead lying in planes through the axis, will lie in spirals around the wheel, and that when put to work they will be obliterated and leave a true wheel.” be correct as to shape and pitch to within very small tolerances. Moreover, the helical angle must be accu- rately cut in order to obtain contact along the whole length of the face of the gears. These machines had been shipped across the Atlantic and they had been built under the stress of war work, so that careful checking was deemed desirable and various adjust- ments were made. One of these adjustments consisted in turning the vertical spindle of the table of the large gear cutter and fitting the bear'ng around it with very small clearance in order that the cutter would not cause the displacement of the center of rotation of the gear The “creeping gear” supplies the means for impart from its designed center. The operation of the machine ing a small movement of the work relative to the mas- experimentally indicated that it was desirable to carry ter worm wheel. a considerable portion of the table load on the ball bear- Previous to assembling the machines, the general ing at the bottom of the table spindle. Therefore a arrangement of which may be noted from Figs. 3, 4 bearing of heavier construction was installed, due to the Fig. 3 The Ma- chine for Cutting the Gear Teeth Was Inclosed in an Elec- trically Heated Room to Keep Tem- perature Conditions Constant Various parts of the ma- chine were checked and several adjust- ments made A heavier table spin- dle ball bearing was installed, and steady rests placed around the table at intervals of 120 deg. A new cutter spindle was made After the blank was placed on the table it was checked earefully for eccentricity A La teem pen ms te eo er Saas iy eR ke LOIN I ARTIS 266 THE IRON fact that the gears to be cut were somewhat large than the machine was originally designed to cut. Steady rests were installed around the table at intervals of 120 leg., one of these being shown in Fig. 3. These modifications gave a smoothly operating table with no displacements of its center of rotation. A new pindle for the cutter was made and the bearings fitted urately to it so that it required some little effort to rotate the shaft in its bearings Adequate provision for lubrication, however, was made. The reason for this arrangement was to avoid any chatter by the hob in the shaft bearings. A balance wheel was added to the end of the hob shaft also, on account of its inertia ffect, and this in turn was steadied by a friction band From Fig. 3 it will be noted that pads are secured tne tal le. Che se pad were f tool mounted on the tool aced off by means of a post of the gear cutter, thus ring accuracy of the facing in relation to the cen- ter of rotation of the table. The outside diameter of these pads corresponded to the inside diameter of the ‘supporting feet” of the gear blank. After the gear blank had been placed on the table it was checked for entricity by means of a dial gage while the table was rotating and relocated necessary, until the varia- tions in the dial gage were at a minimum. The blank was then secured and preparations for cutting opera tior made. The setting of the angle for the cutter spindle was done by means of a device shown in Fig. 5. This device is a very sensitive spirit level, and as previously stated it was essential that the angle at which the teeth were Fig. 4 The Cut Was Main t ed Constant the Time for One Cut Be matel Nine Days t Hr i Day (at Right ng Approxi AGE January 22, 1925 H)ULLEEDOPPDEO DERE DEDDELARDORERD RaDEDL MED EDEO DI LEN PHDN Ny Fig. 6. Machine Used for Cutting Teeth of the Pinion It was unnecessary to inclose the pin- ion cutter because the time for cutting the teeth was only one day SHOnennns CHEE UPN OHDETEROLAELEREEEEAIE® OBE, PROTTOHOEAE OEP EHTOOOET HETTURERDDEPRRORENED EA EROTEREREDDOT RED TT PROET TEAR ee rsennEnED nL: to be cut in the gear and pinion should be very accu- rately determined in order to insure contact throughout the full length of the face of the teeth. Provision Made for Continuous Power Supply and Constant Temperature Power for the machine was supplied from the yard power station, the voltage of which varies somewhat due to the variable demands for power. To guard against a possibility of loss of power which would re- sult in the stopping of the machine, a number of elec tric storage batteries from the yard supply department were installed to operate the machine over a period of several hours. These batteries were arranged so that some could be charged while others were on the line. It was found that this arrangement gave uniform volt- age to the motors of the machines, which resulted in uniform number of revolutions per minute. The trans- fer from the power system to the storage batteries was automatic. Another factor which was given considerable thought was the possibility of temperature changes, and their effect on the accuracy of the gear cutting. It was decided to inclose the gear cutter and install elec- tric heaters so that constant temperature conditions could be maintained during cutting operations. Expe- rience in cutting the test gear blank indicated also that it was desirable to maintain the cut constant after it had been started, particularly the finishing cut, due to the fact that there are certain strains in the machine NeOUOUO LTS VMLAMIONEUENL OGG OUUGUONLULLUGELAODOLOATNOEEQORNONRRONOAUENOORUD PEDEDERERENENORONORSUBRDOEDEROURDERs cert ner eeenenvnnenaneyenennenenes neeirer® January 22, 1925 which will remain constant so long as the cutting is continued. The room inclosing the gear cutting ma- chine is partly shown in Fig. 3. It was not considered essential to inclose the pinion cutter, which is shown in Fig. 6, because the time required to hob a pinion is only about one day. Quadruple-thread hobs were used for cutting teeth in the gear, and single-thread hobs for the pinions. For both the gear and the pinion two hobs were used, one for roughing and the other for finishing. The rough- ing hob was set to within 0.01 in. of the designed tooth depth, which depth was selected after several experi- ments proved it to be the most satisfactory. It was also found that the revolutions of the cutter at 14 per min. gave the most satisfactory results. Another rea- son for selecting this depth of cut for the roughing Fig. 7. Reduction Gear Diagram Showing Variation of Tooth Positions in Trial Blank. Readings were taken at eight equidistant points around the circum- ference, with the several points on the loose ring lo- cated successively at zero on the base ring. Other read- ings (not shown) were taken, with zero on the loose ring located at sev- eral peints on the base ring Teeth flush at Zero Mark on Base fing cutter was to have it operate as near the pitch circle conditions as possible in order to insure accurate spac- ing of the gear teeth. The time required to make one cut was approximately nine days, 24-hr. a day. Accuracy of Gear Cutting Operation Tested When the arrangements outlined above were com- pleted, the accuracy of the work the machine would do was checked. For this purpose cast iron rings were used, one ring being centered on the other, but secured together. In order to give the machine a load equiv- alent to the actual cutting of the gears, the gear blank of the Dobbin was placed on top of the cast iron rings. This arrangement gave the additional advantage of wearing the bearings of the machine smooth before actual work was done. After the cutting of the cast iron experimental THE IRON AGE 267» blank the accuracy was checked by moving the loose ring around the base ring and noting the alinement of the teeth. Eight points equally spaced were made on the two rings numbered from zero to 7. One method of measuring, the data from which are shown in Fig. 7, was to move the loose ring so that each position regis- tered with the zero position of the base ring and the variations in alinement of the teeth were noted and recorded for each position. The other method was to move the zero position of the loose ring successively to the positions of the base ring and the variations in alinement of the teeth were noted and recorded for each position. This test was considered to be very se- vere. In considering these data due allowance should be made for a possible small eccentricity in setting the base ring on the table of the gear cutter, and also e2R°SRE nas | base fing - Loose Ping Base fing 4 5 6 7 a Developed View of Rim 1 arene ow some small eccentricity between the loose and the base ring. In Fig. 7 the readings recorded on position No. 4 vary from minus to plus through zero, which indicates the presence of some eccentricity. The variations, it should be noted, are double the actual error. Further- more, these readings were taken in a plane at right angles to the axis of the blank, and, as stated in an earlier paragraph, the purpose of the “creeping gear” of the gear cutting machine is to prevent these varia- tions being repeated along the gear face in an axial plane, and to distribute the variations in spirals around the gear. The data were referred to the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co., Ltd., for opinion as to whether or not the work accomplished by the machine was as accu- rate as anticipated. The company’s reply indicated that the accuracy of the work was comparable with the Fe it ieee te eT ee ee : ibe cannon <5, Matamacl - oy : ON aR als ss ramet meres y= bo > hown represent the best English practice. The results “ t in 1917, but accuracy obtainable with a machine D 1 -. + of cear C 1g progressive improvements in the art of geal — permit of even a greater degre of accuracy at the present day The machining of the pinions pre sented no special problems other than those already outlined. The teetl of the rear were cut Nl t n the | wel face, alter whicn the gear was turned over, and then in the otner Tac Finished Gear and Pinion Given Running lest After the cutting of the gear it was assembled on its shaft and the gear and pinion placed in the ltatne ] in Fig. 2 for checking. The distance between the te! f the ir and pinion was In accordance . I ’ ’ ( Vas ne¢ ry u Dp pil t u i! el } ) ‘ Tor t t , tio The r ol y nd Ited to the Nn " i r 1D n plied tec h ari rT the 1 and few high spots were r n y The bearing throughout the lengtl f 0 was very uniform. At this time the pro] length of the pinion gear face was determined and later machined to the proper length, the ends *hamfered and thinned at the ends. The object of this was to eliminate breaking off of the ends of the teeth during operation and causing trouble in the gears. During assembly of the gears in the gear case the distance between centers of the pinion and the gear was made accurately to correspond to the dimensions speci fied. Fixtures were secured to the gear wheel, which extended over the journals of the pinions, and the dis tance between the fixture ind pinion journals was Adds to Line of Radial Drills High-speed radial drills in 2-, 2% and heavy-duty units in 3- and 3%-ft > and 3-ft. sizes, id . sizes, have been added to the line of the Morris Machine Tool Co., Cin cinnati Eighteen spindle speeds maximun peed are available, the high-speed radials being 900 The Speed Box Is of Sliding Gear Typ: S Equipped with Ball Bearings r.p.m., and of the heavy-duty machines, 650 r.p.m. Six feeds are provided. 1 . The speed box is of the sliding equipped with ball bearings. The spindle is fitted with ball thrust bearings and the spindle g ae mounted. The spindle gears are of treated, and are of helical type. The spindle sleeve js of steel, has a rack cut directly in it, and is fitted with a bronze bearing. The tapping attachment and back gear type and is ar is ball bearing alloy steel, heat- THE IRON AGE = January 22, 1925 measured. These data were transmitted to those who made the installation in the ship in order to aline the vear case correctly, before it was secured to its founda- tions. The method was devised by master machinist Richard F. Cantwell. These fixtures are fitted with dowels in order that they can be reinstalled at any time for checking the alinement of the pinions. Operation Satisfactory The gears installed in the Medusa were cut as out- lined in this article and the reports indicate very satis- factory operation. The gears have also been installed in the Dobbin and Whitney. The Dobbin has _ been tested by the Board of Inspection and Survey over the measured mile course, and also the several endurance tests required by that board. The reports of the gears indicate that the noise produced is a low hum, not at all objectionable, that the alinement is satisfactory and that the lubricating system is adequate for all powers. The ship was designed to maintain a speed of 16 knots at 105 revolutions of the propeller and 7000 shaft horsepower. The trial indicated a speed of 16.22 knots, revolutions 107.9, shaft horsepower 7120, and the trial displacement was about 10,900 tons. The Whitney has been subjected to a builder’s trial, the maximum revolutions of the propeller being about 102. The reports indicate that the gears are operating satisfactorily. The gears for the Holland have recently been completed and shipped to the Puget Sound Navy Yard. The successful completion of this work is largely due to the care and foresight of master machinist George J. Costello, who had charge of the work in the machine shop. The writer is indebted to Ernest H. B. Anderson, Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co., Ltd., New York, for suggestions in preparing this article. vear bracket is a unit mounted on the back of the head, the tapping attachment running in oil. Multiple disk type frictions are provided in the tapping attachment, quick adjustment being obtained from the outside of the casing. The head is fully inclosed. One lever operates two clamp screws, clamping the head on the arm without affecting the alinement. Oil is distributed throughout the head from a reservoir at the top, the oil cup being filled once a day, and the feed worm is arranged to dip in a trough of oil. The column cap is equipped with an oil reservoir with leads to all bear- ings. Engineering, Shipping and Machinery Exhi- bition in London In connection with the American section of the In- ternational Engineering, Shipping and Machinery Ex- hibition, to be held at Olympia, London, Nov. 23 to Dec. 5, 1925, an advisory committee has been formed under the chairmanship of F. D. Herbert, president Kearfott Engineering Co., Inc., 95 Liberty Street, New York, | This committee is to cooperate with a similar committee in London, and a special list of American patrons has been secured. F. W. Bridges, general man- ager and organizer of the exhibition, has been in the United States for several weeks, visiting industrial centers and _ interviewing manufacturers, exporters, shipowners and others connected with the various in- dustries concerned. One object of the exhibition is to bring facts oi American facilities for manufacture and transportation before the commercial and shipping world and to intro- duce American manufactures adapted to shipyard work, ship equipment and general engineering purposes. ; The Ohio Seamless Tube Co., Shelby, Ohio, manu- facturing cold-drawn seamless steel tubes, has placed yn with the Standard Engineering Co., Ellwood Y yo Pan for additional equipment and for alterations present equipment. Capacity will be considerably increased and the plant moderni e2 ized additions to the equipment. 1 January 22, 1925 New Upright Air Hammers Air hammers in six sizes, with rams ranging from 100 to 1200 lb. and arranged as shown in the accom- panying illustration, have been placed on the market by the Beaudry Co., Inc., Everett, Mass. The machines may be furnished for either belt or motor drive, and all sizes are equipped with foot treadles and hand levers for operation either by foot or hand. The blow is regulated from a light sensitive tap to a heavy blow by means of the foot treadle, the ram being held suspended when not working or when clamp- ing the work for bending. Bars of any length may be The Blow Is Regulated, From a Light Tap to Heavy Blow, by Means of a Foot Treadle worked either way of the dies. Anvils are separate and are supported upon their own foundations to elim inate shocks to the hammer frame. Lubrication is auto matic. When equipped for belt drive the use of a countershaft is unnecessary. The ram is of a form in which the greater part of the weight is concentrated in a bar of large section, and is guided by passing through both the upper and lower cylinder heads. This is stressed as permitting a greater amount of room for handling the work than is possible if the ramhead were guided by the frame only. The head is separate from the bar and may be removed conveniently when it is required to remove the ram from the cylinder. It is held to the ram se- curely by a wedge clamping ring. The cushioning of the ram is by means of air. In operation, the com- pressor piston in ascending compresses the air above it, the air flowing into the ram cylinder, sending the ram upward at high speed. When near the top, the air is trapped, forming a cushion, which causes the ram to rebound, and this combined with the suction of the descending compressor piston causes the ram to strike the work with force. The average size of work ranges from 2% to 8 in., and the blows range from 220 to 110 per min. on the smallest and largest machine, respectively. The weight of the smallest unit is approximately 5000 Ib. and the weight of the largest, 34,000 Ib. Members of the Electr'c Hoist Manufacturers As- sociation report an increase of 27.54 per cent in the number of hoists sold in December as compared with November and an increase of 15.62 per cent in the value of hoists ordered. Shipments increased 41 per cent in December as compared with shipments made in November. THE IRON AGE 269 John Fritz Gold Medal Awarded to John F. Stevens The twenty-first award of the John Fritz gold medal was made Jan. 16 to John Frank Stevens, New York, for achievements as a civil engineer, particularly in planning and organizing for the construction of the Panama Canal; as a builder of railroads, and as ad- ministrator of the Chinese Eastern Railway. The award was made by a board of 16 representatives of the American societies of civil, mining and metal urgical, mechanical and electrical engineers As head of the American railroad mission to Russia, 1917-1918, Mr. Stevens contributed to the success of the allied nations in the great was He was also director of a corps of railroad experts in Manchuria From 1919 to 1923 he was president of the interallied technical board supervising the Siberian Railroads While holding this office, with headquarters at Harbin, Manchuria, he supervised the technical and economik yperation of the Siberian and Chinese Eastern Rai road From 1905 to 1907 Mr. Stevens was chief enginee! if the Panama Canal, and in 1907 acted as director of the Isthmian Canal Commission. At various times In earlier periods of his life Mr. Stevens was chief engi neer, vice-president or manager of the Great Northern Railway, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway the New York, New Haven & Hartford, and president, successively, of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle, the Oregon Electric and other western railroads. He was born at West Gardiner, Me., April 25, 1855 Heavy-Duty Strip Coiling Machine A heavy-duty coiling machine recently built by the Dailey Machine Construction Co., Cleveland, for the hot strip mill plant of the Otis Steel Co., is shown in the accompanying illustration. Heavy and rigid con- struction is a feature. The machine is designed for coid coiling of hot rolled strip steel up to % in. in thickness and 30 in. wide, and also for coiling cold rolled strip steel. The three bend- ing rolls and the two siding or pinch rolls are of large size, being 6 in. in diameter and having a face of 30 in. The side plates are self-supporting and are carried in members permitting adjustment for notched cross Hot Rolled Strip Steel Up to 4% In. Thick and 2¢ In. Wide May Be Coiled Cold strips up to 30 in. wide. All of the gears are made of steel and operate in inclosed cases. The stud gears have outboard bearings. All bearings are bronze bushed. The bed plate is of box-type construction and in its general design the coiler is compact and low. The drive is by means of a 15 or 20-hp. motor, which is mounted on the end of the bed plate. The machine occupies a floor space of 8 x 4 ft. and weighs 9000 Ib. — ORR roe Wan ats Pee SE Galvanized ELIE ELS LLL LSS ES a Te ‘ : , ( Ma daustr\ l W " rg Nl} j if is . | 9 Mi Vi Unl- | | \ i ew it { | Ey I roducti ¢ ‘ ) f ot tee ; r organi ) a ( in busi ' M est figures We bu f Wit | | as } Vi M ( j ations i el work | } | 1? ] ( Ve al 1 H 1 CC rat Vie to th _ | ( \ Clayt« Mark was chai ; n f th rganizat ri ' Yi Inv Ow! S he & Tu | Mark h; lor been West and the recent com Clayton Mark & Co. will bring aga f t trad War-Built Ordnance Plant Utilized i 1 a ible plant ocation the new | diy , ith little altera tior I elves admirably to its purposes. Conse- - . he ew ould | een consumed in gradiny re vO! nd the laying of railroad sid ings W only necessary to make minor cl riginal layout and to install equipme! nally for the Government ord- ! ; } : | } ; i : Two Identical Producing Units in p | ; sutt-Weld Pipe u 3 . But Weld Pipe up to 4 In. in Diamete: | ) skid rods attached to the side of tl t gee i Sizing, th pipe passes Mark Plant Has Pioneer Pipe Producer Re-Enters Market Capacity of 80.000 Tons of Black and Butt-Weld Pipe Per Year— Well Points and Water Well Supplies Also Manufactured BY GILBERT a roll table clined eo raw 270 L. LACHER nance department during the war, the structures are ated at West Seventy-fourth ,and South Robey Streets, Chicago, in a part of the city where a good labor supply is close at hand. With framework of tructural steel and exterior of tile and brick, they are of substantial construction. Excellent natura] illumi- nation is provided by continuous sash in monitors and ample window space in the side walls. An east build- ing, 150 x 506 ft., consisting of three main parallel bays, houses the pipe-producing equipment. A west structure, 168 x 368 ft., is utilized for offices, enameling ovens and an electro-galvanizing plant for conduit manufacture, and a specialty department in which drive well points and water well supplies are made. The plant site embraces 28 acres, and a large area of vacant adjoining land insures room for future expan- s10n. For skelp storage a stock yard, 60 x 400 ft., was built and equipped with a 5-ton Milwaukee Electric Crane & Mfg. Co. overhead electric traveling crane. To supply fuel for the furnaces two 10-ft. gas pro- ducers were erected by the Morgan Construction Co., Worcester, Mass. A 440-hp. boiler was also installed. A track extends directly from the stock yard into the raw material end of the mill, which is served by a 10-ton Milwaukee overhead electric traveling crane which operates at right angles to the welding furnace bays. The crane is utilized to transfer bundles of skelp from cars to inclined skid beds serving the furnace charging machines. Duplicate Producing Units Installed There are two identical producing units in parallel bays, with a combined estimated annual output of 80,- 000 tons in butt-weld pipe up to 4 in. in diameter, The hearths of the welding furnace chambers are 8% x 23 ft. The furnaces are fired with producer gas. The draw benches, like the charging machines, are motor- Combined Annual Output bench Estimated at 80,000 Tons of the background pipe is passed over the steel to a sizing roll. After Snown in the foreground shown -in Which delivers Ning rack THE IRON AGE In the Finishing Department the Pipe Passes through Cutting Off and Threading Machine, after which It Is Subjected to a Hydrostatic Test, Bundled, Oiled and Weighed The Coupling Department Consists of Two Identical through the bevel shear in the foreground, nace, at the left, whereupon they been formed in the rx Units, One of which Is Shown. The coupling iron is first passed which cuts it into coupling blanks. These are heated in a gas-fired fur- welding roll, in the middle background. After the coupling has an extractor—shown to the right of the roll—punches out the mandrel around which the coupling blank was rolled are passed through a Well Points Are Made from Black Pipe which Is Perforated in Two Bliss Presses. The lareer press, shown in the center, which is used for the larger diameters, is equipped with a gear-driven chuck which grips the end of the pipe, turning and advancing it for the proper spacing of the perforations. Brass screen is made in the machine shown in the left foreground, which perforates rolls of sheet brass 272 1 ° . ind operate on tracks across the ends of the . furnaces. After heated skelp has been drawn through the pipe-forming bells, the tong is removed from the ' end of the pipe and it is then passed over skid rods te attached to the side of the bench to a roll table which delivers the steel to a sizing roll. After sizing, the ne is passed over an inclined cooling rack, whereupon icked it g racks. Beyond the ra ! h welding furnace Day are r ng departments, where t pipe is inspected ‘ hrough cuttin ff and threading ma- nes After being subjected to a hydrostatic test, indled, | and weighed. Deliveries are rom a shipping bay, located on one side of the ind parallel to the two furnace bays. A tracl permits railroad cars to be spotted “over ? loading direct from the floor, which y n overhead electric travell crane. ‘ f tne in i} 4 t i ult y tne Mil q i Electric Crane & Mfg. ( ervi the two roduction Da} Transfe1 r he finishing depart- re made by industria r { Ve d ng furnace were Dullit DY the Ceé mpany he furna julpment was supplied by the Engineering & Foundry Co., Pittsburgh. Ths es were built by the ; an hydrau im Pump Works, In- testing machines by , Bucyrus, Ohio. jing and cutting-off machi laylor-Wilson Mfg. Co., McKees lic pump by Dean Brothers St i and four Hadfield-Penfield Rocks, Pa hydrostatic Steel Co. Galvanizing Department with Two Pots Located in a bay extending across the finishing end he mill a galvanizing department equipped with two oil-fired galvanizing pots, one 12 ft. and the other 26 ft. long. Another department, located at the raw material end of the structure, is that devoted to the manufacture of couplings. Coupling iron is fed into a vel shear and cut into coupling blanks, which are ed in a gas-fired furnace and then passed through . After the coupling has been formed in the roll an extractor punches out the mandrel around which the coupling blank was rolled. oupling departments, evel shear, a furnace, The equipment was welding ro There are two each consisting of a a welding roll and an extractor. upplied by the United Engineering ‘o indry Co. Electrie 4 current Edison Co s bought from the Commonwealth ! + Chicago, at 12,000 volts and stepped down by transformers to 440 volts a.c. A motor-generator set furnishes 220-volt d.c. for the cranes, threading machines and other equipment. A large bay in the west building is occupied by a onduit department. Two continuous ovens oil-fired Standards for Invoice, Purchase Orders and | Inquiry Adopted i] i ASHINGTON, J: 2 ’roble ar fr i , AS GTON, Jan. 20,.—] roble ms arising from the ) use of mechanical equipment in buying were discussed 1 by Frank E. Webner, of the American Society of Engi- ia) neers, who also represented the Financial & Industrial {| | Accounting Corporation of Detroit, at a meeting on Wednesday of last week at the Department of Com- . merce. Representatives of purchasing industrial engineers and national bodies took part in the meeting, at which standards for invoice, purchase order and inquiry forms for use in Americ ' were adopted. The subject discussed by Mr. Webner also was dealt i with by other prominent ; organizations, an business ' documents and in securing to Americ ( a saving which has been estimated 000,000 a an business houses at more than $15,- i| Bil} men who have give Y Wt | study to the problem. The action of the inane . lil | adopting standard forms was the result of several : i, : years of effort of various interested organizations : A) F ae been cooperating with the Division of Ml | Simplified Practice, Department of Commerce. The ni aid of the division was sought so as to bring about the | elimination of hundreds of varieties in these business j meeps > vear. THE IRON AGE January 22, 1925 are used to enamel the conduit. Facilities for electro- galvanizing have also been provided. A loading track and platform on one side of the building facilitates the handling of shipments. Special Well Equipment Produced An outlet for part of the mill’s output has been sup- plied by a specialty department located in the west building, which measures 168 x 368 ft., not including a brass foundry, 20 x 60 ft. The principal output is in drive well points and various water well supplies, consisting of artesian, tubular and deep well cylinders, strainers, wood and iron rod couplings, pump leathers, Cylinder and valve parts are cast in the brass foundry, which is equipped with a gas furnace. The valves, incidentally, are cast from bronze because that metal is not brittle like brass. Well points are made from black pipe which is per- forated in two Bliss presses. The larger press, which is used for the larger diameters, is equipped with gear-driven chuck which grips the end of the pipe, turning and advancing it for the proper spacing of the perforations. For the longitudinal movement oi the pipe the chuck is located on a carriage. A double cutting off and threading machine has been provided fo: cutting and threading the pipe. Two types of well points are made, those wrapped with bronze cloth or perforated brass, called jacket points, and those fitted with washer screens. The per- forated brass is made in a Bliss machine which per- forates rolls of sheet brass. The washer type points are made by countersinking the holes in the pipe, inserting small pieces of screen cloth and then riveting the pipe over the screens. The pipe is galvanized after it is perforated and before it is fitted with screens. The points of the well points are malleable castings. The collar of the point is ground to fit snugly the inside of the pipe end. Once properly fitted, the pipe and the collar are drilled through and riveted. The point is then given a coat of black paint to protect it from rust, and subsequently the entire well point in its finished state is wrapped in paper, labeled and stamped with gage and trade num- bers. The rest of the specialty bay is devoted to the tapping of couplings and to general machine shop work. On the opposite side of the west building are the plant offices, which occupy a space 30 x 180 ft. Continuous sash in the wall provides excellent natural illumination. Adjoining the offices is a well-appointed lavatory and toilet room, Direct connections with the Belt Railway of Chicago and the Pennsylvania Railroad make the Mark plant well located for rail transportation. etc. It was voted that the standards become effective at once, or as soon as existing stocks of forms are used up by the various business houses, and that they will remain in effect until Jan. 1, 1927 MecWane Cast Iron Pipe Company's Additions BIRMINGHAM, ALA., Jan. 19.—J. R. McWane, presi- dent McWane Cast Iron Pipe Co., states that an addi- tional plant expansion that will double the company’s output of pipe per day will be made in addition to the enlargements and betterments announced early in De- cember. “We are simply building to keep pace with the growth of our business,” said Mr. MeWane. “When we started early in 1922 in a leased foundry in North Birmingham we had some idea of the field and the de- mand for small cast iron pressure pipe, ranging be- tween 1% and 6 in., but our experience since then has shown that we were more nearly right than we knew. Our product, McWane precalked joint cast iron pipe, is manufactured under approximately 20 patents cov- ering improved methods of casting pipe, and equipping it with factory-made joints that greatly reduce the labor and cost of connecting up the pipe in the field.” Sharing Management with the Employees Plan Which Proved Successful in Removing Causes of Friction, Meeting Problem of Low Wages and BY made public a report of its study of the partner- ship plan of the Dutchess Bleachery, Inc., at Wappingers Falls, N. Y., which in the first three years of its operation revolutionized the attitude of the work- men toward production, transformed a village of dilap- idated houses into a community of comfortable and sanitary homes, and enabled the company to pay divi- dends when most other companies in the same industry were suffering from a severe business depression. Though a bleachery may not look like a blast fur- nace, nor a sheet mill, nor even a metal fabricating plant, human beings are employed in each; wages, dividends, and output of consumable goods flow from each; the essentials of suc- cess in human relations and the incentives which lead to | action among workmen are alike in each. The experi- ence of the Dutchess Bleach- ery is, therefore, significant to industry generally; but it is particularly significant to the iron and steel indus- tries because the relation between employers and em- ployees at this plant, and the effect of the plant on the community, when the partnership plan was con- ceived, are _ identical to present day conditions in many branches of the iron and steel and allied indus- tries. 2 The Dutchess Bleachery * is one of the largest mills of this kind in the country, usually employing about 600 workers, including a considerable number of Ital- ians. The partnership plan was adopted in 1918 by new owners of the business. They had bought the plant from the family which had established it nearly 100 years before. ; FEW weeks ago, the Russell Sage Foundation pleted a study of AMAL PUOOAELA ALT LPP HA Street, New York. tries. Causes of Unrest Familiar causes of unrest had existed among the workers—long hours, low wages, and bad living condi- tions. The workers were restive and suspicious. The firm seemed to them to have no interest in them as human beings. They felt insecure in their employment. A man could be discharged by the foreman without notice, and with no explanation. As the bleachery is the chief industry in the town, discharge often forced a man to break up his home and to move his family to another community. Back of the discontent of the workers were two large problems which confront industry generally to- day—insecurity of employment and the lack of any definite plan of representing the point of view of wage- earning employees when wage rates, hours of work, and other conditions in the plant are decided upon. Added to these problems was the dilapidated condition of the company-owned houses, in which most of the workers lived. They had been badly built, and consid- erations of economy had left them to deteriorate into unsanitary living places. *Director Department of Industrial Studies, Russell Sage Fsundation Promoting Contentment MARY VAN KLEECK* Keen Interest Shown in Report "HEN it was announced a few weeks ago by THE IRON AGE and other papers that the Russell Sage Foundation had com- the partnership plan adopted by an important company, keenest interest was aroused and many applications have been received for information as to the details of the results of this investiga- tion. An outline of the report is contained = pretty much alike in all plants and all coun- 273 One of the new owners had been led to make an analysis of industrial organization because a friend of his had declared that no industry was run on ethical principles. His analysis led to the conclusion, in which other active directors concurred, that industry failed to satisfy the needs of its employees on three counts: First: The managers of large opera- tions lack personal contacts with their own employees. Without these contacts they are unable to understand the points of view of the wage-earner or to see how disadvantageous conditions affect them. Second: Industry pro- vides no stimulus to crea- tive work. The worker is limited to one small job and has no_ information about the industry as a whole, nor can he see his share in it. The prosperity > of the business seems to > him to be quite independent of his own efficiency. Third: Not only does the worker fail to see that his small task is important in tsa ; ® total production, but he is in this article. Copies of the document in [5 skeptical as to whether he detail may be obtained from the Russell a receives his shave of the Sage Foundation, 130 East Twenty-second z earnings of the business, Different remedies must be applied under E se SS ena 7 different conditions, but underlying prin- |= the business. ciples are the same and human nature is . The partnership plan, as | gradually evolved in the = Dutchess Bleachery, was __|8 directed toward remedying HMOs §€6rhthheSe)6three”§—66defects. It aimed to give the workers a voice in the conduct of the business, to give them current information on the success of the business, and to share profits with them, besides providing funds in advance to enable the business to make payments to both stockholders and wage-earners in periods of in- dustrial depression. Three Boards Organized The participation of employees in the conduct of the business is secured through three boards: (1) The Board of Operatives: It con- sists entirely of employees, elected by their fellow-workers. It has _ entire charge of the company houses, deciding upon all requests for repairs and other details connected with their manage- ment. Provisions for recreation and for education, not only for employees but for the whole village, are under its super- vision. It is also the channel for pre- senting to the management any griev- ances of individuals or of groups of workers in the bleachery. (2) The Board of Management: This is a joint body composed equally of em- ployees elected by the board of opera- tives, and stockholders chosen by the board of directors. All important ques- tions relating to the conduct of the bleachery, such as rates of wages and hours of work, are decided by this board. x rr rected eg ae ee ne ete eee 9 eNog ¥ ' " 274 THE (3) The Board of Directors, which is | elected by the stockholders, consists of representatives of the operatives, the town of Wappingers Falls, and the stock- holders. It formulates the financial poli- cies of the company To meet the problem of insecurity of employment, ' sinking funds are set aside to pay part wages when workers are idle because of industrial depression, and also to pay a return on the investment of stockholders. A direct stake in the success of the business is insured through an equal sharing of profits by stockholders and wage-earners. Finally, in accordance with the pro- cedure of a practical business partnership, the books ire open they are kept continually of the business. employees erning the state How the Plan Worked Out yund like too earners 1n proved to be a with the rmed cor Does this s¢ change in the business? As a matter of ensible and practical plan friction which are fa- The partnership proved to be business necessity in meeting the problem of low wages in an industry which is run on a small margin of profits with keen competi- tion. Without the partnership plan, which took the workers into the confidence of the board of directors und enabled them to understand the competitive prob- radical a tatus of wag it has for dealing millar to every causes of industrial manager. plan a practical lems of the industry, discontent among the employees would have been fed by suspicion of the policies of absentee stockholders and managers. That the employees very quickly realized the finan- ial problems of the bo