The Iron Age 1925-04-30: Vol 115 Iss 18

THE IRON AGE New York, April 30, 1925 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 115, No. 18 Fighting Locusts With Sheet Steel “The locusts are coming!” These words are a war-cry in the Argentine. A whole army swings into action; the general staff issues orders and bulletins; telegraph wires hum; companies of men rush to the battle front by train or motor truck Miles of breastworks are thrown up over night and the entire population of the invaded district is comman- deered to fight this plague, which is one of man’s oldest enemies. Here in the United States we employ poison sprays and flaming torches, deadly gases and powdered arsenic against the corn-borer, the gypsy moth or the boll weevil, to mention but three divisions of that insect How the Argentine Government Uses Zinc-Coated Sheets and Military Methods to Com- bat the Insect Plague army which invades the country each spring. Argentine they have locusts. Billions on billions of them sweeping everything before them like a forest fire; devastating thousands of acres and destroying millions of dollars worth of grain and other property; bringing the fear of famine into countless homes. It is a very real war- fare that this South American republic wages against the locust. Hostilities began long before the Spaniards and the Portuguese settled the southern continent, and no truce has ever been made. There are always locusts in some part of the Argentine. Every seventh year, in accord- In the Tons of “Hoppers” Trapped by the Steel Barriers, Ready for Pit Burning 1255 PO em ME rte a PT Seamer a spre pernet p= to me nners . Fe esa oe eee ‘ 4 1256 ance with Biblical tradition, these winged battalions reach their maximum strength, as though they had been mustering all their forces for the grand assault. But even the regular onslaught of the other six years is terrifying. It is in the spring that the attack begins. From the mountains of Bolivia to the north come three well- defined columns of locusts in search of food. By July they have reached the fertile fields of the Argentine. Each column flies a short distance and alights to eat and lay eggs in the warm ground. Having stripped the earth bare around the first camping ground, they take their flight, descending at night to eat everything in sight and then push on. Dangerous Ages The life of a locust is about 220 days. It passes through several stages. Hatched after 25 to 35 days of incubation in the earth, it is, for a limited period, in the larvae stage. Then it becomes a “hopper” and at 60 days it is fully grown and fledged with wings. A single female, at the time of her death, will have about 35,000 active descendants and her other progeny in various stages of incubation will bring the number of locusts for which she is directly responsible up to about 250,000. Thus long before the original swarms have reached the limit of their southern invasion, new armies are springing from the ground at their rear, each of which in turn proceeds to lay more eggs and thus hatch newer armies, ad infinitum. It is these fresh armies that are most dreaded, and against them the chief energies of the defensive troops are directed. When locusts reach the flying stage, practically nothing can stop them. But there is a period of about a month after the eggs are hatched during which the insect is unable to rise from the ground. This is the vulnerable spot at which the hordes are attacked. Unless they can be controlled while in this “hopper” stage, there is little hope for the crops of the infested region. In gigantic black swarms that make the very earth seem alive with an undulating, liquid motion, the bil- lions of newly hatched “hoppers” crawl the country, stripping the ground of every vestige of vege- tation; transforming green fields into brown barren earth. And then they run against a barrier. They are stopped. Once more man’s ingenuity has come to his rescue and the locust armies go down to destruction. Other countries which suffer from the locust plague have tried in vain to stop the insects by grass fires, by trapping them in nets, by sending flocks of sheep to trample on them and even by pouring over them a soap solution which chokes them. The Argentine has found a better method. across Armor Plate for the Pampas The barrier which holds the locusts at bay is simply constructed. A row of thin galvanized steel sheets about a foot and a half high is placed firmly on edge on the ground and locked together to form a wall. Over this obstruction the crawling insect cannot jump or climb. Each sheet is punched with two holes in each end; through these holes a small metal clamp is inserted to hold the sheets together. A spike is then run through the clamp to make the wall firm. The whole is a light and portable construction which is easily shipped from one sector to another. This method has been in use some fifteen years. The original sheets were purchased abroad, but the new armor-plate for the pampas was “made in the U. S. A.” The American Sheet & Tin Plate Co. re- cently furnished 15,000,000 of these sheets to the Ar- gentine Government through the United States Steel Products Co. Though not standard size, these sheets THE IRON AGE April 30, 1925 offered no production difficulties, as the regular Apollo sheets were simply cut to size: 457 x 1500 mm. (18 x 59 in.) of No. 26 gage. These sheets were packed twenty to a bundle for convenience in handling at the “are senals” along the front. The order was placed in Octo- ber, 1924, and shipments began immediately, the com- plete transaction involving 39,000 tons of sheets. When one considers that this quantity is sufficient to provide two sheets for every man, woman and child in the Argentine, it will be seen that the problem of erection is not simple. This coat of mail for a nation would form a single breastwork some 14,000 miles long! The headquarters of the home defense army in the Argentine is known as the Defensa Agricola, or Agri- cultural Protective Department, with offices at Buenos Aires. The general staff is known as the Central Lo- cust Defense Committee. Local inspectors are posted at strategic positions, and every farmer appoints him- self a scout. When the first locusts are sighted in the north, tele- graphic warnings are sent out from headquarters stat- ing the direction of the attack and outlining plans of defense. The law compels every landholder to do his part in the work. All necessary labor is commandeered and under the direction of agents of the Defensa Agri- cola, the barriers are rushed into place. Sometimes the farmers are able to destroy the eggs by staking off the egg districts, ploughing the land and burning it over. But these efforts are not always successful and it is not always possible to determine where the eggs have been laid. Miles of Metal And so the first and last line of defense is the row of steel sheets, of which stocks are maintained in towns in threatened districts. Reserve supplies are held at railroad junctions behind the first line. The main stocks are held at Buenos Aires and are shipped out as requested by district inspectors. They are loaned to municipalities or individual farmers at a merely nom- inal charge to insure their return after the battle is over. Whole districts are fenced in. Miles of shining metal stretch across the countryside. Once the locusts are checked by these breastworks, the rest is easy. Driven by the urge of hunger, the mighty army of “hoppers” crawls to its own destruction in huge pits previously prepared. The final coup is administered by burning with oil or chemicals. The farmers are paid a bounty of about ten cents per 100 pounds for the dead bodies and this costs the Government a pretty penny, for in one recent year when the plague was not unusually bad, more than 60,000 tons of “hoppers” and about one-third this amount of larvae were accounted for by the Defensa Agricola. A. M. Ojeda, Argentine Consul at Chicago recently estimated that it costs his Government more than $10,000,000 every year to carry on the war against these insects. Nor is the Argentine the only country which has a locust bill to face. In India Africa, Palestine, Mexico and our own Philippines the damage done by these voracious midgets is enormous Trains are frequently held up in Mexico on account of the swarms of locusts crosing the tracks Reports from South Africa are that 4 locusts are collecting for a great migration into the re- gions between the Orange and Zambesi Rivers. They threaten to invade the agricultural districts and are causing consternation among the farmers | India likewise suffers from these pests ‘which orig- cme P Central Asia and fly over the Himalatel tato s sm ue = ee & swarm fell upon Bengal and laid \ an area of over 25,000 square miles. The prov- inces of Madras and Bengal are the chief celina ast armies of 1% April 30, 1925 More Than 60,000 Tons of Locusts Are Checked by the Steel Sheets, Raked in Piles and Burnt Each Year. This shows how a _ typical plantation looks “be- fore and after” the in- sects have been stopped This year is reported to be a “big year” for the locusts in India. They have appeared in large numbers in the Phil- ippines. The struggle is going on in several provirces, those most heavily infested being Bohol, the Ilocos provinces and Cagayan and Isabela in northern Luzon. The sugar plantations in these districts are already New Recreational Center for Steel Works Employees at Newport, Ky. The Newport Rolling Mill Co. and the Andrews Steel Co., Newport, Ky., have just opened a recrea- tional center for their employees at Eleventh and Brighton Streets, Newport. The two-story frame structure at the northwest corner of these streets has been remodeled into a beautiful clubhouse for the enjoyment of the 2000 employees of the two companies. On the first floor are a gymnasium, with hardwood floor for basket, pin and volley ball, and a balcony for installation of a motion picture machine. At one side of the gymnasium are showers and locker rooms and also a pool room equipped with two new tables. On the second floor are a writing room and a lounging room. The yard is to be equipped as a playground center for the children. The building will be the center of the activities of the Go-Hi Club and of the Asco Club. The former takes its name from “genuine open-hearth iron,” the product of the Newport Rolling Mill Co., and the latter from the Andrews Steel Co. The activities are to be governed by a board composed of three representatives from the Go-Hi Club and two from the Asco Club. The West Side Savings Bank has its office in the building on the first floor. This is a cooperative institu- THE IRON AGE forced to spend large sums to keep the locusts from damaging their crops. In one form or another these lands pay the bill pre- sented by the locusts. The method of the Argentine seems to be the least expensive, and doubtless other countries will come to recognize the advantages of the ounce of prevention which works so we'l. tion which numbers many of the employees of the two companies among its depositors. Officials of the Andrews Steel Co. and the Newport Rolling Mill Co. are encouraging their workmen to save by opening an account in the bank. This inspires the employees to save and possibly invest in a home of their own, thereby enabling the two companies to retain a large number of contented men. The Bethlehem Steel Co. has sold to the New Eng- land Fuel & Transportation Co., Boston, its entire land holdings in Everett, Mass., consisting of ap- proximately 225,000 ft. on Bartlett and Stone Sts. on the Boston & Albany Railroad. The land was pur- chased by the steel company several years ago with a view to establishing thereon a warehouse to accom- modate small New England users of iron and steel. The warehouse proposition never developed. The New England Fuel & Transportation Co. is a subsidiary of the Massachusetts Gas Co. The parent company operates a large gas generating plant, domestic and by-product foundry coke, an oil refining and numerous less important plants in Everett, and is, through an- other subsidiary, the Mystic Iron Works, erecting a merchant blast furnace. The acquisition of land from the Bethlehem Steel Co. will provide room for further plant expansion. - pretreated gee Bn poe ae eee pe Metals from Fused Electrolytes Electrochemists Discuss New Processes for Making Pure Aluminum, Magnesium and Other Metals—New Way to Galvanize Wire magnesium featured the symposium on Fused Electrolytes, conducted by the American Electro- chemical Society at its forty-seventh general meet- ing at Niagara Falls last week, April 23 to 25. It was one of the largest meetings in some time, with a registered attendance of over 290 members and guests and it was held at Niagara Falls’ new hotel, The Niagara, opened only two weeks previously. The symposium was as valuable and successful as many other symposia which have made this society dis- tinctive in its contributions to technical literature. The program of 12 papers was organized under the chair- manship of William G. Harvey, vice-president Ameri- can Magnesium Corporation, Niagara Falls, and also by F. C. Frary, director of research, Aluminum Com- pany of America, Oakmont, Pa., who, because of a trip to Europe, was able to devote only part of his time to the undertaking. With the exception of the three papers on aluminum and magnesium, the pro- gram was made up of contributions and discussions on the winning of some of the rare metals such as cerium, beryllium, zirconium and nedoymium, by pass- ing electricity through fused salts or compounds. ['mse important papers on aluminum and one on A New Aluminum The two papers on aluminum were recognized as of a character close to epoch-making. Coming from the research department of the Aluminum Company of America, they were the first announcement of some of the results of work recently completed. One was the description of a new process for refining aluminum, and the other was the discussion of the properties of the product of this process, a purer metal than has ever been commercially produced, and one having striking characteristics. The first paper, entitled “Electrolytic Refining of Aluminum,” was contributed by Francis C. Frary, and presented in abstract by J. D. Edwards, assistant di- rector of research, under Mr. Frary. The author de- scribes in detail the new Hoopes cell for refining alum- inum. The feature of the process is the production of a metal purer than any hitherto made and capable of being produced on a commercial basis. It is regarded as superior to the original Hall process which cannot produce a metal as pure. In the new process there are three horizontal layers in the cell, the lowest being an anode of a liquid alumi- num-copper alloy, above this a layer of the fused cryo- lite-barium fluoride electrolyte and floating on top of this the cathode which is pure molten aluminum. The cathode product analyzes 99.8 per cent aluminum and higher, even up to 99.98 per cent having been obtained, and is quite different in physical properties from or- dinary 99 per cent aluminum. The author states that the writer and many other members of the research and operating staffs of the company have contributed to the solution of the problem, but the main credit must go to Mr. Hoopes, who did not live to enjoy the public appreciation of his success in the solution of this diffi- cult problem. The second paper on this subject was entitled “The Properties of Pure Aluminum” by Julius D. Ed- wards. Stating that pure aluminum, as made by the Hoopes process, differs materially in its properties from aluminum made by the Hall process, the author dis- cusses in detail the mechanical, chemical and electri- cal properties of this new product. The tensile strength of the pure aluminum is 600 kg. per sq. cm., as com- pared with 900 kg. for ordinary 99.4 per cent alumi- num, and the elongation is 60 per cent, as compared 1258 with only 45 per cent for the more familiar product. Its resistance to corrosion is.one of its prominent char- acteristics, a sample of pure aluminum submerged in hydrochloric acid having shown no appreciable corro- sion at the end of six weeks. The new aluminum is characterized by exceptional ductility and softness, an- nealed samples of the highest purity having a Brinnell hardness as low as 15, compared with a Brinnell of 22 to 28 for the more familiar metal in the same con- dition. The metal has a beautiful silvery color which it retains well even under adverse conditions. Pure Magnesium Now a Commercial Product Pure magnesium is now capable of production by a new method which was discussed under the title of “Production of Metallic Magnesium from Fused Salts,”’ by W. G. Harvey, chairman of the symposium. Pre- vious to the development of this new process com- mercial magnesium has been and is now made by the chloride process, which consists in the electrolysis of a solution of magnesium chloride. In the new process magnesium oxide, obtained from magnesite, originat- ing in California, forms the basis for the fused salt. The author describes in detail the cell which is used, discussing the electrolyte, the reactions at the anode and at the cathode and compares this process with the older one, known as the chloride process. He states that the chemical properties of magnesium are influ- enced to a larger extent by the presence of impurities than those of any other metal. By the new process a refined metal is finally obtained having a minimum content of 99.9 per cent. Such a metal has some unusual advantages over that made by the older process in that it is entirely free from magnesium chloride, even a very small con- tent of which tends to impair the permanency of the metal and to lead to corrosion. The new metal is of a quality which serves as a starting point for the manufacture of various magnesium products. For certain uses this high purity is retained, as in ribbon, wire and powder. On the day following the delivery of this paper those attending the convention were given an oppor- tunity to inspect the various products made by the American Magnesium Corporation, such as plates, sheets, wire, powder, ribbon, castings, ete. An inter- esting presentation of the commercial aspects of the industry were presented by the president of the com- pany, Mr. Colby, on this occasion, who expressed the opinion that one of the chief uses of this new metal in the future would be in aviation. Propeller wheels for airplanes made of this metal have already proved quite satisfactory. New Process for Galvanizing Wire “A New Method of Zinc Coating Wire” was an in- teresting paper presented at one of the sessions by J. L. Schueler, metallurgist Keystone Steel & Wire Co. Peoria, Ill. It is a new hot process to which has been given a rather interesting name, “galvannealing.” The author states that the new process is the only ‘known one whereby Prime Western zine may be used to pro- = a heavy coating which will stand fabrication. t is the only hot zine coating process for wire now known whereby wiping is eliminated and no other woven wire fencing or barbed wire now being made has a coating as h S heavy and as unifor ‘ vannealed’ coated wire.” = ae The author compare coating processes with the new proce s briefly the ordinary hot zine SSeS the new one and states that ss differs from the old one in that wiping April 30, 1925 of the coating is obviated and a new step introduced— heat treatment of the zinc coating—which is claimed ae eee distribute it uniformly around ace o e wire an i malleable and flexible. ce ee He asserts that several thousand tons of wire have been successfully zinc coated by this process which is now in daily use. He discusses in the paper the methods of analyzing the coatings, including the Preece or copper sulphate test. An analysis of the coating formed by the new process is claimed to show that the outside layer is composed of zinc with an intermediate layer of Fe Znw, with inside layers of Fe Zn» and Fe Zn;, and finally a layer of Fe Zn; next to the sur- face of the wire. O. W. Storey, metallurgical engineer, C. F. Burgess Laboratories, Madison, Wis., in a brief discussion of Qaennnnan tnt +4 vas ennneneeenneenesenanstnnnenenesens nen iii eoennneens vontanEDENERNEEOENRDeE ute cenenre deneerneyenneneN: Seen? HE society's new presi- dent, Dr. F. M. Becket, is internationally known for his original work in metallurgy and is recog- nized as the founder of the American ferroalloy industry to which he is constantly making new contributions. Early last year, the Perkin medal was conferred upon him, an account of which ap- peared in THE IRON AGE, Jan. 19, 1924. Oana vans connnonenioes ey sonueny car the paper, pointed to the new process as an outstand- ing development, particularly as to the uniformity of the product. Although similar to sheradizing, he was of the opinion that it eliminates porousness more or less characteristic of that process. Dr. H. W. Gillett, director of metallurgical depart- ment, Bureau of Standards, Washington, after compli- menting the author on the advantages of the new process, raised the question as to whether annealing was the proper term to be used in connection with this process. There was a somewhat animated discussion as to the composition of the various layers on the wire, par- ticipated in by representatives of the New Jersey Zinc Co., the Western Electric Co. and one or two others. Engineering Surprise Out of Business At the annual meeting, Friday morning, April 24, Dr. H. C. Parmelee, editor Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, New York, as retiring president, deliv- ered an address on the subject “Engineering the Ele- ment of Surprise Out of Business.” He said in part: It is apparent to none more than ourselves and similar technical organizations, how pro- THE IRON AGE 1259 his qualifications which weakens his argument. The thesis can be expressed briefly thus: Ac- cording to present methods of education, the technical man is apt to become a narrow spe- cialist, regarding his scientific and engineering knowledge as an end in itself and as something entitling him to special recognition. Consequent- ly he fails to relate it properly to the other nec- essary elements of business, namely, financing, management, purchasing and distribution. One of the results is that the business executive is tempted to regard the technical man as a vis- ionary and impractical fellow, an expensive lux- ury, while the latter is apt to get the impres- sion that the business man underrates him. Against this picture, which is manifestly ex- aggerated and unfair to both parties, let me de- velop this one: That the engineer with his tech- nical training and common sense, supplemented by elementary knowledge of business, economics and psychology, is particularly well fitted to as- sume the largest responsibilities of manage- ment. What then is the function of engineering and science in business? To forestall the element of surprise, or as one executive picturesquely puts -it, to eliminate the casual in business. The mechanism of accomplishing this purpose may be summarized in another slogan: Get the facts first and interpret them honestly. The question may be raised, What are we going to do about it? The answer is to be found in a broader and more liberal education of the engineer and technologist. These things are being keenly appreciated in our progressive colleges and universities, the best minds in both education and industry see the need of a new order. Unless the testimony of some of the most capable executives in our technical indus- tries is at fault, the adoption and execution of this program will influence profoundly the effi- ciency of industrial production and remove to a large degree the element of surprise from Ameri- can business. New Officers At this meeting the election of new officers for the following year were announced as follows: President: F. M. Becket, vice-president Electro Metallurgical Co., New York. Vice-Presidents: William Blum, Bureau of Stand- ards, Washington. F. C. Frary, Aluminum Co. of America, Oakmont, Pa. Edwin F. Cone, Ture Iron Ace, New York Managers: W. H. Gillette, Bureau of Standards, Washington. F. M. Speller, National Tube Co., Pittsburgh. J. W. Bain, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, Treasurer: Acheson Smith, vice-president and gen- eral manager, Acheson Graphite Co., Niagara Falls. Secretary: Colin G. Fink, Columbia University, New York. Future Meetings foundly science and engineering have influenced American industry within the life of this so- ciety, and how dependent is our future progress upon the foundation of sound technology. There are few great industries in the base and struc- ture of which the work of the engineer is not es- sential, if indeed it does not constitute the very cornerstone. From this one might draw the conclusion that the scientist, the engineer and the technologist are of the utmost importance, if not indispensable, in industrial development. In- deed the signs are not lacking that the techni- cal man himself has occasionally drawn this con- clusion to the disparagement of the other fac- tors in producing and distributing the products of industry. But for some reason or other, he has not fully convinced the remainder of the world that he is the most important element in industry. There is somewhere a missing link in The fall meeting of the society will be held at Chattanooga, Tenn., Sept. 24 to 26. A feature will be a symposium on “The Relation of the Electrochemi- cal Industry to the Production of Plant Fertilizers.” This is being organized under the chairmanship of H. C. Parmelee. A side trip to Muscle Shoals is con- templated. The board of directors is considering the advisability of holding the spring meeting of 1926 in Bermuda. The Indiana Steel Co., Gary, Ind., plans to rear- range its rail mill for the manufacture of 39-ft. rails. If present plans are carried out, work will be under- taken within the next few months. Installation of additional machinery in Auburn prison workshops and augmented floor space is ex- pected to increase production of motor vehicle license plates over the present rate of 42,000 pairs per week. one eS eae sl ON no None ey gene een eect eS ees ee / és ; : | Fi - DA 3 1260 Grinding Wheel Stand with Motor Mounted in the Base The Norton Co., Worcester, is bringing out the motor-in-the-base grinding wheel stand _ illustrated, which is ‘suitable for heavy work and is available in 16, 20 and 24 in. sizes. In this machine the motor rests on a platform which swings on pivots, an arrangement permitting convenient adjustment for belt tension. The turning of a bolt at the front of the machine raises or lowers the motor and thus provides the desired tension. This arrangement also provides for slackening the belt The Motor Permits Convenient Adjustment for Belt Tension Rests on a Pivoted Platform, Which when shifting the spindle pulleys. Being inclosed in the base, the motor is protected from dust and safety is provided for the operator. In case of motor trouble, the defective motor can be removed quickly and re- placed by any standard motor of the proper size and speed. The spindle is of large diameter and runs bearings which are adjustable for wear and tected from dust and grit. Two pulleys are on the spindle to provide suitable speed for full size and smaller wheels. The grinding wheels are inclosed in a combination protection and dust hood of improved design, the hood being made strong enough to hold fragments of a broken wheel. The hood has a hinged cover to facilitate the changing of wheels. The work rests, which are large and have flat chilled surfaces, may be adjusted as the wheel wears or removed alto- gether for the grinding of large pieces. The net weights of the three sizes of the machine, with motor and wheels, are approximately 1850 lIb., 2100 lb. and 2900 lb. A 5-hp. motor is used for the 16 in. unit and a 7%-hp. for the two larger machines. in roller are pro- mounted Weirton Steel Co. Is to Build a Tube Mill The Weirton Steel Co., Weirton, W. Va., seeing in the proposed new sheet and tin plate capacity for the Chicago district a possible restriction of its market for those products, has decided to build a tube mill at Weirton to take up the steel that later may not be required for sheets and tin plate. No decision yet has been reached as to whether the new unit will be a lapweld or seamless pipe mill, but it is estimated that there will be enough steel for an initial production of 10,000 to 12,000 tons monthly. Closely tied up with the decision to embark into the tubular goods market is an announcement that construction of extensive docks soon will be started at Weirton. The company figures that its principal market for pipe will be the South, West and Southwest and that the inland waterways afford a fast and cheap means of reaching those points. The dock facilities also will be useful in the shipment THE IRON AGE April 30, 1925 of its other finished products and the handling of in- coming material such as coal and scrap. The location of the company on the Ohio River is very favorable to such a development as it has approximately two miles of river front, all of which is available-for transporta- tion purposes. As the company is in a very liquid condition financially, the proposed betterments will in- volve no new financing. Costello Engineering Co, Acquires Tate- Jones Patents The Costello Engineering Co., recently incorpor- ated, has purchased from the Tate-Jones Co., the Cos- tello patents on sheet and tin mill furnaces, as well as all drawings and patterns of both open and box annealing furnaces. It is prepared to build furnaces under these patents and render engineering service in connection with sheet and tin mill construction. T. J. Costello will continue his connection with the company as vice president. Strickland Kneass, Jr., has been appointed general manager and chief engi- neer. He was previously steam engineer with the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. Other officers of the company are: James L. Stuart, Pittsburgh, president; J. M. Tate, Jr., vice president and treasurer. The Costello Engineering Co. has temporary offices at Leetsdale, Pa., and will later take up its quarters in the Oliver Building, Pittsburgh. Gary Works Breaks Its Record The Gary, Ind., works of the Illinois Steel Co. made a remarkable record for steel production during March, according to figures announced by W. P. Gleason, gen- eral superintendent, at a congratulatory dinner given by him to 260 depsrtment superintendents and fore- men recently. The output of the plant in March was 224,021 gross tons of pig iron, 329,418 gross tons of open-hearth steel ingots and 309,676 net tons of coke. Total shipments of finished products amounted to 254,308 gross tons. This record was accomplished with 14,000 employees. The previous production record for any one steel plant was established in March, 1924, also by the Gary Works, but this year’s output of ingots was nearly 5000 tons higher. Nothwithstanding the tonnage produced in March, the safety report was the best in the history of the works, one serious lost-time accident and only very few minor lost-time cases preventing a perfect record. Jones & Laughlin Operations at Hammond, Ind The Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, has awarded a contract to the H. W. Nelson Co., Chi- cago, for fill and railroad track on its plant site at Hammond, Ind. This has nothing to do with starting construction of the company’s proposed steel works, but will merely provide connections with the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad at the northwest corner of the property and will provide tracks which will pro- ceed east to the east line of the Jones & Laughlin acreage and then south to the Indiana Harbor ship canal. When this track is completed it will be used by the Inland Steel Co., which has a contract with the Jones & Laughlin company for filling in the latter’s property with slag from its Indiana Harbor works. It is said that the Inland Steel Co. will dump approximately 50 cars of slag a day upon the Jones & Laughlin site, and that dumping at this rate it will take five years to bring the Jones & Laughlin properties up to a level suitable for mill operations. The U. S. Department of Commerce has issued through the Bureau of Standards bulletin No. 20 on simplified practice. This bulletin relates to steel barrels and drums and gives in detail the agreements which have been reached between the manufacturers and the Department of Commerce. e ishi i , establish be manufactured henceforth. a ears April 30, 1925 NEW BENDING ROLLS Machine Which Curves Plates Completely to the Edge One of the most troublesome problems in a tank and boiler shop is the flat place that is usually left on the edges of plates after being rolled on plate bending machines. Various methods of curving these edges have been employed for years, one the use of a heavy press, another resort to mauling, another the use of forming blocks on pyramid type rolls, and other de- vices. For a number of years the Hilles & Jones works of the Consolidated Machine Tool Corporation, Wil- mington, Del., has been trying to evolve a plate bending machine to accomplish the desired result, that is, curving the sheet completely to the edge so that if desired the two edges may be welded, making a full cylin- drical surface without any further work. The capacity of the machine, here illustrated, is rated to roll %-in. soft plates 14 ft. wide, or corresponding duty, and the same type of roll is made in other sizes. AOn this partic- ular machine the upper roll is 13% in. diameter and is adjustable vertically to provide for pinching the plate, and also has horizontal adjustment so that it may be brought over to the center of either one of the lower rolls. It is this combination of the vertical and horizontal adjustment for this upper roll that provides the means for bending a plate to a true radius right to the edge. The top roll is also provided with a solid forged extension for counter-balancing the roll when the back housing is dropped down for the removal of plates rolled to full circles. The mechanism operating the vertical adjustment of the upper roll is such that both ends of the roll are raised and lowered simultaneously or each end inde- pendently. Positive clutches provide for this arrange- ment, and there is a vertical adjustment of 4 in. to the upper roll. The horizontal adjustment of the upper roll is 14% in., or 7% in. each side of the center. The adjustments of the upper roll are by independent 10-hp. motors, one motor for the vertical adjustment and an- other for the horizontal adjustment. This is necessary to provide an independent flexible control for the two motions to the top roll. The lower rolls are each 10% in. in diameter, with a center to center distance of 14% in. An important feature of this design is the air cyl- inder which is provided for lowering the yoke for the removal of plates rolled to full circles. This air cylin- der serves to eliminate the use of a crane, which is the usual practice for lowering the yoke, and this one fea- ture materially increases the speed at which plates may be handled through the machine. Plate travel is 15 ft. per min. The driving of the lower rolls is by a 20-hp. reversing motor. THE IRON AGE 1261 The worm and worm wheel drive are. used for both the vertical and horizontal adjustment of the upper roll. The worm and worm wheels are totally inclosed and run in oil. All gears have teeth cut from solid. The weight of the machine without electrical equip- ment is 72,000 Ib. The special features have been pro- tected by application for patents. Employment in Iron and Steel Industry Reports to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics from 1551 establishments in the iron and steel industry and the products of that industry show 618,692 employees on the payroll in March, an in- crease of 0.6 per cent over February. The total payroll Top Roll Has Horizontal as Well as Vertical Adjustment, so That Plates May Be Curved Completely to the Edge. It has a forged ezx- tension for counterbalancing the roll when the back housing is dropped down for removal of plates rolled to full circles. An air cylinder is used for lowering the yoke in this case for one week in March was $18,443,953, an increase of 0.7 per cent over the figure for February. All of the groups under the general heading showed an increase in number on payroll, with the exception of machine tools, where a decrease of 0.7 per cent was recorded. There was a decrease of 1.1 per cent in the machine tool payroll and of 0.4 per cent in the payroll of plants manufacturing steam fittings and heating apparatus. In the automobile industry 214 plants reported 288,641 employees in March, an increase of 7.2 per cent over February. One week’s payroll in March was $9,868,306, an increase of 8.2 per cent over February. Car building and repair on steam railroads showed 161,224 employees and a payroll of $4,892,258, each being a fractional increase over February. For all industries upon which reports were obtained the number of employees in March was 2,808,019, or approximately 30 per cent of the total employed in all manufacturing industries of the United States. This entire group showed an increase of 1 per cent in num- ber of employees and of 1.8 per cent in weekly payroll, which in March was reported at $75,422,103. These reports were from 8972 establishments. Steel furniture shipments in March are reported by the Department of Commerce at $1,583,604, making a total for the first quarter of $4,793,823. The figure for March is smaller than for 1924, when it was $1,- 661,303, and for 1923 at $1,709,206. This latter figure was the highest for any month in more than two years. The quarter’s shipments may be compared with $4,359,- 050 in 1924 and with $4,378,849 in 1923, a am * IIE Oh BS Ss SP oe, Ts ines rem 1262 NEW GRINDING SPINDLE Air Turbine Driven Spindle Maintains Speed of 65,000 R.P.M.—Speed Indicating Gage a Feature Air turbine driven grinding spindles which find their principal application in hob grinding, small hole grinding, tap, thread and worm grinding have been added to the line of the Ex-Cell-O Tool & Mfg. Co., 1469 East Grand Boulevard, Detroit. Two sizes are offered. The spindle has been used with steel insert pencil wheels in grinding 3-32-in. holes on a production basis, The Gage Indicates the Spindle R.P.M. and Permits Maintaining Definitely the Most Suitable Speed NLaeT Cross Section Through the Spindle. The exhaust air cools the bearings and keeps out dust and it is claimed that the grinding operation can be accomplished in about one-tenth the time usually re- quired for the lapping operation employed formerly. The smaller of the air-driven spindles is rated as maintaining a speed of 65,000 r.p.m. with air pressure at 80 to 90 lb., the consumption of air being said to be less than 10 cu. ft. per min. Close control of speed is obtained by means of a throttle valve which regu- lates the pressure admitted to the spindle. A feature is the spindle speed indicating gage provided, which is calibrated to indicate directly the r.p.m. at which spindle is running and permits of maintaining the speed best adapted to the work being ground. The gage is calibrated while the spindle in undergoing test by direct comparison with a speed measuring device capable of measuring from 20,000 to more than 100,000 r.p.m. The device was developed by C. R. Alden, engineer for the company and formerly dean of the college of engineering, Ohio Northern University. The smaller spindle is compact, being 6-in. long and 1 15-16-in. in diameter. The small air consumption of this spindle is attributed to the careful blade and noz- zle design, the use of parts that are small and light and the elimination of the use of felt dust washers by the unique disposition of the exhaust air. The exhaust is circulated about the working parts of the spindle in a manner that serves the double purpose of cooling the bearings and preventing the entrance of grinding dust into the bearings by the outward-acting exhaust pressure. THE IRON AGE April 30, 1925 The spindle is equipped with the company’s high- speed ball bearings, which are not only claimed to be reconditioned readily when worn, but which include a feature claimed to eliminate end play or radial “shake” when the spindle is operating at normal speed. The property of adjusting themselves at normal working speeds to the proper degree of tightness is said to be due to the centrifugal force which tends to cause the balls to climb toward the larger diameter of the coni- cally-shaped outer races, causing the balls to came tight against a larger diameter of the inner race. The design of the larger of the two spindles is simi- lar to that of the smaller. It is 2%-in. in diameter and 8-in. in length, operates at speeds up to 35,000 r.p.m. and is intended for grinding holes from %-in. to ¥-in. in diameter, as well as for other classes of work requiring larger pencil wheels and greater power output. Pneumatic Motor for Use with Wire Cleaning Brushes An air turbine motor for use in connection with wire brushes for cleaning castings, steel blooms and for scaling of ships, has been placed on the market by the Standard Turbine Corporation, Scio, N. Y. Light weight is a feature. The motor consists of a turbine wheel operating at from 12,000 to 18,000 r.p.m., mounted on ball bearings and geared with a single or double reduction to the low speed shaft, to which the brush is attached The low speed shaft operates in a long sleeve bearing and is provided with a ball thrust bearing to take the thrust. Air is admitted to the turbine wheel, which is a small steel forging tested to a maximum speed of 100,000 r.p.m., by means of a valve operated by a trigger. The bearings are grease lubricated, the grease connections being arranged for the Alemite system. The exhaust is taken through the center of the low speed shaft, an arrangement intended to assist in keeping the brush clean. The no-load speed of the HECUTEEULES EU UOEEDODERO PEPER ED REDAAEED OLED ONED DOO ENB BON Pneumatic Motor-Driven Wire Brush. Light weight and few parts are among the features HORDUAHULNTLORTY NETL ONELONEOHDOREAOOPAREND HOO EHNNS += motor is less than one-third of the the wheel. The weight of the motor casing, is 9% lb. without the brush. Smoothness of opera sized, as well as simplicity number of parts outside of tested safe speed of , which has an aluminum brush, and 11 lb. with the tion is a feature empha- of construction, the total of screws being 15. LL Specifications for steel] i i ; S tor steel and iron pipe for oil countr uses have been published in pamphlet form by the aca. ican Petroleum Institute, 15 West Forty-fourth Street New York. | In view of the fact that some of the makers of pipe are said to be looking with favor toward accepting the specifications, the availability of th pamphlet is of current importance. ne : April 30, 1925 NEW BORING MILL Operating Conveniences and Fool-Proof Arrange- ment of Mechanism Are Features In developing the 8-ft. boring mill here illustrated the aim of the builders, the Cincinnati Planer Co., Cin- cinnati, Ohio, has been to provide a machine which is handled as easily and quickly as a mill of much smaller capacity without sacrificing rigidity in any part. The machine is known as the Hypro and in addition to operating conveniences, the simplicity of design, elimi- nation of delicate wearing parts and the incorporation of fool-proof arrangements to prevent breakage are general features stressed. Power rapid traverse to the heads, vertically and horizontally, is arranged so that by one movement of the operating lever the feeds are disengaged and the One Movement of the Operating Lever Dis- engages the Feeds and Imparts Power Rapid Traverse to the Heads. Table speed changes are made from the front of the machine. The speed gear box is arranged to serve as a tie between the housing extensions Neneeeeensonssennsesneernerenesenersrnenensensee rent power rapid traverse is imparted in the direction indicated by the movement of lever. When this lever is brought back to the neutral position, the rapid power traverse is disengaged and the feed again en- gaged. In this mechanism all parts excepting the motor and one shaft on the top of the machine revolve only during the time that they are operated. By means of the power rapid traverse the heads may be placed at approximately the position desired, the final setting of the tool being made by means of quick adjustment handles, and with these the heads can be moved and set accurately without the operator going to the end of the rail. Graduated collars are provided on both feeds for making the final adjustments. Feed changes to both heads are obtained through conveniently located feed boxes having direct-reading feeds in inches per revolution of the table. The rail is elevated and lowered through an instantaneous rail- lift mechanism interlocked with the power rapid trav- erse and with automatic stop for the maximum height. THE IRON AGE 1268 A feature is that changes of the table speeds are made from the operator’s position at the front of the machine. By means of a start and stop lever which operates through a clutch and brake on the high-speed shaft in the driving mechanism the table may be revolved through any part of a revolution. This feat- ure facilitates setting up work on the table and is of particular advantage when the machine is driven by an a.c. motor. The speed gear box is arranged so that it serves as a tie between the housing extensions, pro- viding additional rigidity at the base of the machine Driving gears are of steel and the speed changes are through positive clutches. The back gear shaft of this gear box extends through the front and has a third bearing in the bed proper. The table pinien shaft also extends from the bed and receives a third bearing in the speed box. The design of the bed is stressed as a departure. The table bearing has been brought under the normal position of load to reduce the tendency of spring- ing the table and, the heavy radial ribs being shorter, they are said to be more rigid. A ground spindle is pressed into the table and runs in an adjustable bear- ing in the bed. The table is stiffened by heavy radial ribs and has the driving gear on its extreme outer diameter. The drive is by bevel gears, the driving pinion being supported on both sides. The driving shaft has three bearings and a further advantage claimed for this arrangement is that the bevel gear can be lubricated automatically. All gears including those operating the table drive, power rapid traverse and feed, are of steel, the table pinion being of heat treated chrome-nickel steel. All bearings are bronze bushed. Oi! cups and oilers have been displaced as far as possible by centralized oil distributors which require filling only once in ten days. These distributors are used for all revolving bearings in both feed boxes and for all mechaniam on top of the rail. 1264 THE IRON AGE VERTICAL AUTOMATIC Five Operations Done Simultaneously—Indi- vidual Speed and Feed for Each Operation The vertical automatic chucking machine shown in the accompanying illustrations is being placed on the market by the Cincinnati Engineering Tool Co., Cin- cinnati. It is intended for quantity production, and a feature is the individual speed and feed for each operation. The machine is compact and is accessible for set up or any adjustments that may be made. There are six stations at which five operations, such as drilling, tapping, turning, facing and chasing, are done simultaneously, and one station is;used for load- ing. Each time the machine indexes one piece of work is finished. The illustrations show the machine set up for the machining of a faucet stem, the production of which is 12 per min. On this piece the operations are load; hollow mill; knurl; chase; drill end; and tap end. There is a guard over the hollow mill, the function of which is to guide the chips from the hollow mill into a receptacle placed beside the machine. This prevents the flying of chips and also eliminates the interruption of production occasioned by the necessity of removing chips from the pan of the machine. The accessibility of the working parts of the machine may be noted from the full-view illustration, and details such as the arrangement of the chucks, which are opened and closed by the indexing action of the machine, may be seen from the close-up view of the same set up. On the work shown the operator is required only to load rough castings and remove the finished work. After the work is loaded, the upper turret of the machine indexes and during the indexing the chuck is closed automatically on the rough casting. A spring bumper is used to take up the inequalities of the rough casting, serving also as a means of releasing the jaws holding the finished work on the incoming chuck. As soon as the upper turret is locked by a taper plunger, the lower turret rotates and by the use of individual cams, feeds the work to the tools April 30, 1925 above by means of a chuck stem and roller. Each chuck is fed to suit the conditions of its particular station and in tapping or threading the work is fed at the proper lead. After the work is fed to the proper height the individual chucks in the lower turret are returned to their starting positions, when the cycle is repeated. Spindle speeds can be changed from 160 to 1800 r.p.m. by changing the gears, which are swung into mesh by rotating the spindle box and then clamped by screws. Feeds are changed by removing individual cams on the lower turret. It is claimed that a com- plete set of cams can be removed and replaced in 5 min. Adjustment