The Iron Age 1925-06-11: Vol 115 Iss 24

THE IRON AGE New York. June 11, 1925 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL 115, No. 24 a Less Foundry Iron Being Melted Per Capita Consumption Now Smaller Than Before the War—Unbalanced Output and Consump- tion, Not Excess Production, the Cause BY LLOYD H T is generally recog- nized that conditions in the iron and steel trade are not what they should be and that, rela- tively, they are not so good as in other major in- dustries. Particularly is this noticeable in foundry iron. General opinion at- tributes this to an over- production in this grade of iron. as great. present In seeking the true cause and if possible to suggest a remedy, the writer has interviewed a number of the leading merchant producers of pig iron, as well as sales agents, and a number of consumers. He also has compiled statistics cover- ing production, consump- tion and prices in the past 15 years, using the statis- tics of the American Iron and Steel Institute for ton- nages and THE IRON AGE for prices. Without pre- senting tabulations in detail, the study involved the compilation of high, low and average prices by months on foundry iron at Philadelphia, foundry iron at Buf- falo and the composite pig iron price published by THE IRON AGB, representing the mean between Valley basic and the average of Chicago, Birmingham and Philadelphia foundry iron. In this tabulation it is noted that prices occasioned by the World War were not in evi- dence until November and December of 1915. Like- wise the purchasing power of the dollar did not begin to decline until 1916. For this reason the years 1911 to 1915 inclusive are considered as pre-war years and it is reasonable to assume that average prices and av- erage production for these years represent oe wd mal for that period. The years 1916 to 1920 inclu- sive were considered as war years because the war inflation reached its peak in 1920. The years from 1921 to 1924 inclusive were used to obtain post-war *Crocker Brothers, New York changes in prices. Pig tron remedy. the abnormal! Po capita onsumption of iron smaller now than before the war. Per capita consumption of steel larger now than before the war. Fluctuations in iron five times as great since the war as in the pre-war period; in prices, twice Normal average consumption of foundry iron, based on population, 5,600,000 tons per year. Unbalanced production and consump- tion must be corrected as well as wide Lack of balance between production and consumption, not excess of manufac- turing capacity, is the cause. warrants suggested as a 1701 ATKINSON” averages under both heads. In considering per foundry capita production and consumption the statistics of population compiled by the National Bureau of Economic used and averaged for the . > papa re . output of foundry Research were periods considered It should be kept in mind that this study ap plies to foundry iron alone, the figures on steel being determine to of production and should be about given to what extent, if any, an increased consumption of steel affected the foundry iron business. The war period, 1916 to 1920, is eliminated from consideration as being ab- normal. It will be noted that per capita consump- tion of iron and steel has increased 21 lb. per capita in the past 15 years, rep- resented by an increase in steel consumption of 38 Ib. and a decrease in foundry iron consumption of 17 Ib. ee ne + camnmnenn Output Per Capita of Foundry tron and Steel Foundry Steel Iron Combined Average Lb. per Lb. per Lb. per Period Population Capita Capita Capita 1911-15 96,328,000 659 112 771 1916-20 103,546,000 905 1146 1,021 1921-24 109,980,000 697 65 792 1925 114,311,000 The tendency to substitute steel for cast iron has been emphasized by the relatively higher prices of gray iron castings, due far more to labor costs in foundries than to unreasonably high prices for foun- dry iron. When this condition is corrected and labor to s degree undergoes the same readjustment as has taken place in the metallic products of labor, it is believed the per capita consumption of foundry iron will return to the pre-war level or exceed it. If this AAT At Mee Se Nat: Swraroenn py ea aa P ‘ a VS 1702 assumption is correct, the normal average of produc- tion and consumption of foundry pig iron, based on our present population, should be about 5,600,000 tons per annum. The production of foundry iron in the United States for the five pre-war years amounted to 24,- 140,309 tons, or an average of 4,828,000 tons per an- num. In this period the maximum production was reached in 1913 with 5,220,000 tons or 8 per cent above the average for the period. The minimum pro- duction in any one year was in 1911, with 4,468,000 tons or about 7% per cent below the average. Prices according to the composite for pig iron (THE IRON AGE, Jan. 7, page 72) range from a min- imum of $12.39 at the low point in 1914 to $17.34 in December of 1915. The average for the entire period shows a composite iron price of $13.70. Foundry iron at Buffalo ranged from $12.08 to $17.77, with an aver- age of $14.08. Foundry iron at Philadelphia ranged from $14.25 to $19.05 with an average of $15.55. Price, DoLLARS Per Ton THE IRON AGE June 11, 1925 production is the cause of the difficulty. It seems to show rather that it is unbalanced production and con- sumption. The averages of post-war and pre-war pe- riods of total annual tonnage are fairly close together and the known needs of our present population would seem to indicate that a regular production ‘of over 5,000,000 tons per annum could be absorbed. As com- pared with the true value or purchasing power of the dollar, the average of post-war prices on pig iron is relatively lower than most other commodities on this basis, as the average, $23.46, when corrected to the true value of the dollar, becomes $14.40 per ton, as compared with $13.70 the pre-war average. The chart, showing fluctuations by months, illus- trates more clearly the wide. and ‘unnecessary fluctua- tions in pig iron prices. THE IRON AGE composite price of pig iron was used in this chart instead of taking the average price of Eastern and Buffalo iron alone, for the reason that it more truly represents general conditions throughout the United States, al- Average Price Post-War Period $23.46 | Price DOLLARS PER Ton Average Price Pre-War Period $13.70 ». O | JFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASOND , Pig Iron Price Movements in Pre-War and Post-War Periods Compared, Based on the Composite Pre-war period, 5 years, 1911 to 1915. 1921, through May, 1925 Price of THE IRON AGE. Fluctuation in prices based on the composite ranged from 10 per cent below the average to 26 per cent above, or if December, 1915, be excluded, to 21 per cent above. For the post-war four-year period a total of 18,- 637,000 tons of foundry iron was produced, or an av- erage of 4,659,250 tons per annum. Maximum produc- tion was reached in 1923 with 6,470,000 tons and minimum in 1921 with 2,568,000 tons. Prices showed a correspondingly wide fluctuation, ranging according to the composite price from a low of $18.14 in 1922 to a high of $31.78 in the same year. Corresponding figures for Buffalo iron were a low of $13.31 and a high of $33.88 with an average of $23.76, and for Philadelphia iron a low of $20.64, a high of $34.88 and an average of $25.87. Production, it will be noted, exceeded the average figures by 39 per cent in 1923 and at the low point of 1921 was 45 per cent below the average. The fluctua- tions therefore were five times as great in the post- wer period as in the pre-war, while price ranges were twice as great. Such a condition is unsatisfactory alike to the producers and consumers of pig iron. Regular opera- tion of furnaces becomes impossible. The condition of the foundryman is equally bad, since his purchases must be made on a market which is constantly moving to extremes. The foregoing figures do not indicate that over- Post-war period, 4 years 5 months, though it is admitted that the elimination of Valley basic from this average would tend to accentuate the peaks and depressions and render the point which the writer has been endeavoring to develop more strik- ing. It will be observed that in general the pre-war and post-war periods follow parallel lines above and below the average, but to restore prosperity to the foundry iron trade and to the foundry trade as well, the peaks and depressions must return to a more nat- ural curve. To bring about this correction, in view of the pres- ent attitude toward the legality of trade association activities, is difficult. One producer is not likely to curtail his output for the sake of stability when a competitor may reap all the benefit. Better methods of selling and a reduction in the number of firms com- peting for the business would tend to improve the sit- uation. It is fair to conclude that there is not either a serious over-production or over-producing capacity of foundry iron. What is needed is a more uniform rate of operation and more regular distribution, both : a logically would follow if prices were more Stable, Pig Iron Warrant Market as Remedy The establishment of a real warrant market and “ recognition by banks of the excellent character of = iron warrants as collateral would tend to prevent ae the market with distress iron in periods of ning activity. There would be a further advantage June 11, 1925 to the consumers of pig iron by permitting them hedge by the purchase or sale of future warrants, : done in the textile and milling industries. Any ten- dency to create a large speculative following in the warrant market would naturally be curbed by the fact that the great majority of iron produced alate moves directly from furnace to consumer through the regular selling agents and in practice it is likely that little iron would be put in warrant except by blast furnaces themselves or by their agents. to as 1S MILL ELECTRIFICATION Two Merchant Mills, a Rod Mill and a Rail Mil! to Have Motors Change-over from steam to electric drive is to be made by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. at its Minnequa Works, Pueblo, Colo. This plant, the largest steel mil! in the West, has completed arrangements for electric power, generated on the premises, for its rolling mills. The new power house will use powdered fuel and waste- gas fired boilers which will provide steam at 300 Ib. pressure and 180 deg. Fahr. superheat. The electrical equipment will be furnished by the General Electric Co. Two 10,000-kw. turbine generators—the prime movers—will furnish alternating current at 6600 volts. Complete electrical equipment will be furnished for driving a rod mill, a 10-in. merchant mill, a 14-in. mer- chant mill and a rail mill. Details of the New Drives The rod mill has 18 stands of rolls. The first six stands will be driven by a 3000-hp. 450 r.p.m. motor; the seventh stand, by a 1000-hp. 720 r.p.m. motor; the eighth and ninth stands, by a 1000-hp. 720 r.p.m. mo- tor; stands Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, by a 3000-hp. 450 r.pm. motor, and the remaining stands will be driven by a 1500-hp. motor rated at 450 to 550 r.p.m. Both the 3000 and the 1000-hp. units will be a. c. machines, while Develops Formulas for Computing Econ- omy of New Equipment Simple equations for determining the economies of an installation of labor-saving equipment have been de- veloped by James A. Shepard, vice president, Shepard Electric Crane & Hoist Co., Montour Falls, N. Y., and G. E. Hagemann, Associate Editor of Management and Administration, New York. These formulas were pre- sented in a paper on the subject at the material han- dling session of the spring meeting of the American So- ciety of Mechanical Engineers, held in Milwaukee, May 18 to 21. They show the maximum investment which will earn simple interest; the yearly cost to maintain the mechanical equipment ready for operation and the yearly profit, in excess of simple interest, from the operation of the equipment. They also show the yearly profit from operation in per cent on investment and the years required for the complete amortization of invest- ment out of earnings. The method of applying the formulas, the evaluation of their various factors and the correct assumption of bases were explained in detail. Another paper at this session, presented by George Langford, Jr., Belden Mfg. Co., Chicago, was on An Application of the Formulas for Computing Economies of Labor Saving Equipment.” It applied specifically to the purchase and operation of an electric industrial truck in place of hand lift trucks. A third paper was on the “Economic Efficiency of the Full — — in Comparison with the Semi-Automatic cea mei , dd, chief engineer, Turret Lathe,” presented by R. J. Wa os Shepard Electric Crane & Hoist Co. In this the re — arising from changes in the machine tool eee are outlined, the analysis being made with the aid o the formulas developed by the materials handling com- THE IRON AGE 1703 The proper recognition by pig iron producers of the rights of competitors and customers would tend to create the same degree of stability in foundry iron which exists in most steel products. Cooperation within the law is possible and the results would be highly beneficial to this particular section of the iron industry. It is hoped that this article will lead to some dis- cussion, as an exchange of ideas among those inter- ested will perhaps result in a solution of the problem. the 1500-hp. motor will use d. c. furnished by a 1600- kw. synchronous converter, the power for the converter being stepped down from the main lines by a 1680- kva. transformer. Each mill will be equipped with switchboard and necessary control. The 10-in. merchant mill will be driven by two direct-current motors, both of which will be direct connected. Current for these machines will be furnished by a 1600-kw. synchronous converter with a 1680-kva. transformer for stepping down the voltage from the main power lines. One 300-hp. 200 to 300 r.p.m. motor will drive a single stand of 14-in. rolls and a 1500-hp. 200 to 300 r.p.m. motor will drive six stands of 10-in. rolls. Two direct current motors will drive the 14-in. mer- chant mill. As in the case of the 10-in. mill, the power from the main line will be stepped down by a 1680-kva. transformer and will then be changed to direct current by a 1600-kw. converter. One 1500-hp. 100 to 150 r.p.m. motor will be direct connected to stands Nos. 5 and 6, and will drive the first four stands through a rope transmission. A 750-hp. 150 to 250 r.p.m. motor will drive stands Nos. 7 to 9. The roughing stand of the rail mill will be driven by a 2000-hp. 450 r.p.m. induction motor; a 3000-hp. induction motor of the same speed wil! drive the inter- mediate stand and a 1200-hp. 450 r.p.m. induction mo- tor will drive the finishing stand, each motor being geared to the mill through the usual double herringbone reducing gear. mittee. The economic analysis of a new paver em- ploying the same formulas was given in a paper on “Labor-Saving Equipment in Road Construction” by E. H. Lichtenberg, chief engineer, Koehring Co., Mil- waukee, and James A. Shepard, vice president, Shepard Electric Crane & Hoist Co. H. V. Coes, Belden Mfg. Co., Chicago, was chairman of the session. One Iroquois Blast Furnace Being Dis- mantled The No. 1 Iroquois blast furnace at South Chicago, lll., is being dismantled by the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co., which came into possession of the Iro- quois furnaces when it purchased the Steel & Tube Co. of America about two years ago. The No. 1 stack was built in 1891 and has been idle for several years, having last been operated under lease by the Miami Metals Co. for the production of ferroalloys. The No. 2 Iroquois furnace, constructed in 1901, has also been inactive for a number of years, but will be held in reserve until such a time when merchant pig iron de- mand warrants relighting it. It can be put in shape for production with a relatively small expenditure for alterations and repairs. There are three other Iro- quois stacks, Nos. 3, 4 and 5, two of which are now in blast. These are all large furnaces. April production of electricity by the use of water power established a new high record at 67 400,000 kwhr. per day, according to the United States Geo- logical Survey. This total is 39.2 per cent of the total output of 172,000,000 kwhr, per day, by all public utility plants, in April. ae ee See ee eT ITT tas (Re cai SP OI ae AE, sae se tte = CO A RMIT: Re rate din Seng tame” as = oe Sea Ore — a ee eee eae a Al IO tt 1 as I ME DANY (i ILC I OCTET ah ci. 5 Ae Bly nae: I a Re trae vs pt hae ee oe Arita ee es 5 al tale, — 2 iS - IOS TRS. Oy ne 2s PA eens ec ny et BS 3 Large Diameter Centrifugal Pipe New British Process for 36-In. Castings—Anneal- ing Found Unnecessary—Principles of the Hurst-Ball and Other Systems BY J. E. HURST* diameter short length castings up to 12 ft. long spigot and socket water pipes by the process of spinning the molten metal in rapidly rotating dies, has come to be known as the centrifugal casting process and is now familiar to most engineers in this and other countries. The recent development of the Hurst-Ball centrifugal casting system which has been operated by Centrifugal Castings, Ltd., Kilmarnock, during the past four years on the production of castings for piston ring drums and cylinder liners is of particular inter- est. This development consists of the application of the Hurst-Ball system to the production of large diameter spigot and socket pipes. Fig. 1 shows a group of 36-in. diameter spigot and socket pipes cast by this process and represents, in the author’s belief, the largest single [ais production of cylindrical castings from small temperatures previous and subsequent to these temper- atures of the commencement of graphitization are of practically no importance in determining the presence of the chilled structure. On the one side of quick rate of cooling, cast iron is undoubtedly very sensitive to the effect of small changes in the rate of cooling from the point of view of the formation of graphite, and there is undoubtedly a critical rate of cooling, above or below which, graphite is or is not produced in a cast iron of any given composition. Experiment has demonstrated in simple cylindrical castings of similar radial thicknesses that metal dies can be designed of such dimensions that the mean temperature attained by the die, or the surface temper- ature of the die and the temperature gradient across the radical thickness of the die, can be maintained within suitable limits when operating on the continu- Fig. 1—Some of the 36-Inch Centrifugal Cast Iron P*ne Produced t the New s Plant ry the New Process at the Scottish casting yet produced by any process of centrifugal casting. The special feature of this system of casting is the production of castings directly gray and machinable without the necessity of annealing, and these features are protected by a series of patents. The pipes pro- duced by the Centrifugal Castings Company’s machine are of a direct soft gray cast iron, identical with the thousands of smaller castings which have been com- mercially produced by this company for piston ring drums and similar purposes with a guaranteed mini- mum machining speed of 60 ft. per min. The presence or absence of the hard white chilled iron structure in cast iron is due to the suppression of the characteristic phenomena of cast iron—the forma- tion of graphite. It is now well known to most metal- lurgists that the formation of graphite in cast iron takes place after the final solidification of the iron at a temperature of as low as 50 deg. below this final solidification point. The extent of the graphite formation in a cast iron of any given composition depends upon the rate of cooling at these ranges of temperature in which the graphite commences to form. The rates of cooling at *Managing director Centrifugal Castings, Ltd., Kilmar- nock, Scotland 1704 ous production of such castings at economical rates of output. The suitable limits of temperature gradient and surface temperatures of these dies have been de- termined by practical experiment for the conditions of maintaining rates of cooling in the castings suf- Retont to prevent chill and at the same time to obviate the attainment of unduly steep temperature gradients across the dies under which the dies are caused to sarge rapidly and pinhole defects be produced og be pane These conditions have been determined ood . 1 water-cooled and atmospherically cooled dies. ings fa to the production of the large cast- cooling. vas arranged for normal atmospheric os eesti = days of centrifugal casting it has cee om t at in the production of long castings must be effect ' ee introduction of the molten metal ae ca ™ y controlled. It is apparent from the the introducti and experiment confirms the fact, that ce omen of molten metal in a long flat con- the casting ai “i approximately the same length of i a | difficult to control from the point of view ce oe. even thickness of the pipe. This is fies... ® Tapid rate at which the metal solidi- If the mo , ate . . lten metal remained liquid for a consider- June 11, 1925 I Fig. 4—The Pourer Arrangement and a Portion the ] lrge ing able time, the distribution of the pressure, due to the centrifugal action throughout the liquid metal, would ultimately result in the metal’s taking up a position in which all the forces are in equilibrium and a casting with a parallel bore and of even thickness would re sult. In practice however the molten metal solidifies so rapidly that, in long castings, there is rarely time for sufficient longitudinal movement of the metal in the liquid state to smooth out any irregularities in the distribution of the metal surface of the die. These conditions have been met in various ingenious ways by different inventors. To quote two cases as illustrations, Joseph Whitley in 1884, when dealing with castings 9 ft. in length, utilized a troughlike pourer of the type indicated in the sketch, Fig. 2. This trough was equipped with a series of nozzles or ingates spaced at even distances, in this particular case 6 in apart. A reciprocating motion of an amplitude of in. was given to this trough while tilting. The effect of this is to introduce the molten metal on to the rotat ing mold surface in a series of continuous streams 0 narrow width. The continued reciprocating motion of streams, applied to the rotating die, effectively distri utes the metal in a number of spirally related sub divisions according to the number of nozzles or ingat in the trough. Each subdivision consists of a series of interlacing spirals, the slight longitudinal movement of which was probably effective in bringing about an even distribution of the molten metal. ¢ the 5One of the Large Pipes ™ Fig. of the L891, Mold of the pe Erpe ; Vac hine imental Fig. } l'sed "” 1705 Wak A further interesting device was adopted by Lane, which introduced ‘ of into i narrow this in the molten metal was the die in the form of a continuous stream o ‘ U f h< 3-6 ial | 5 J L J } a ee } Fig. 2 (Upper)—The Trough-Like Pourer Used in One of the Earlie Types of Machines Fig. 3 (Lower)—Original Idea for the Design of the Huret-Ball Pourer width. A rotary movement was applied to the stream ind at the same time the mold was continuously with drawn over the rotating spout. The effect relative longitudinal movement Position Just After Being Taken From the Mold between the mold and jeer nah obtain. tests cs Pee ooee LE rete i ae phon. ited Sch ae 4 ape: 1706 pourer spout is such that the stream of molten metal is continuously deposited over the whole of the surface of the rotating mold. The now well known Delavaud system is apparently of a somewhat similar nature, but in this case the molten metal is admitted into the rotating die down a stationary pouring channel, equipped with a specially shaped nozzle or lip outlet. The Hurst-Ball type of pourer secures a somewhat similar result in an entirely different manner. This pourer arrangement is a development of the tilting trough type of pourer which has been used in many eases. These tilting troughs were equipped with a horizontal weir edge of approximately the length of the casting to be produced. This type of trough was arranged to be tilted by partially rotating about its axis in such a manner that the metal was deposited on the surface of the rotating die in a continuous sheet of approximately equivalent length to that of the casting being produced. The original idea in the development of the Hurst- Ball pourer was to form this weir edge in a series of steps varying in height along the length of the trough, as shown in Fig. 3. On partial rotation of this tilting trough, the molten metal first flows over the lowest edge and successively over the edges of higher levels as the rotation is continued until the whole of the metal is deposited over the surface of the die in a continuous series of annular rings of a width depending upon the length of each “step like” weir edge. By allowing the molten metal to flow down this tilting trough at a constant rate, the molten metal is deposited evenly over the whole surface of the rotating mold. The reduction in length of the step-like weir edges results in the pro- ducation of a weir edge which is more or less a portion of a helix. Continuous Scoreboard Promotes Regard for Safety A prime factor in the effort to secure freedom from accidents in industrial plants is to maintain alertness and interest among employees. Ordinary measures, such as warning signs, slogans, even the use of safety devices, depend to a large extent upon avoid- ing the effects of familiarity. Accustomed objects soon ASSOCIATES — SAFETY i. eee LOST TIME ACCIDENT CHARI board” Keeps SAFETY 19?5 MAY INSURES 4 Ute eee ee ee ee eee | MONTHLY RECORD 1925 Safety Ideas Be- fore Workers blend into the general aspect of things. Constant men- tal stimulation is needed. In Worcester, Mass., and the towns and other cities of central Massachusetts, the Worcester County Safety Council has been conducting for several years a contest between firms, most of them in the metal trades, where the goal of success is freedom from lost-time acci- dents. Attention has been concentrated on methods of keeping workers interested. One idea, which has attracted much notice and has met with success, is a continuous scoreboard, placed at a point at the works of the Whittall Associates, carpet manufacturers, where nearly all of the more than 1200 men and women employees pass four times daily, as they enter and leave the mill. Each day a metal number tag is hung telling of the record of the day before. If any employe has been hurt to an extent necessitating absence from work for a day it counts as an accident. No accident brings forth a zero. The total of each week is posted, and at the end of the month that period is totalled and the THE IRON , June 11, 1925 AGE This is illustrated in Fig. 4 showing the pourer arrangement and a portion of the mold of the experi- mental machine on which the large pipes illustrated in Fig. 1 were produced. It will be appreciated at once that the partial rota- tion, or the tilting, of this trough through the com- plete angle subtended at the axis of the pourer by the difference in level between the two ends of the weir edge will result in the continuous deposition of the molten metal in a complete series of annular rings of narrow width depending upon the velocity of the molten metal supplied. By supplying the molten metal at a constant quantity per unit time to the tilting trough, the production of a casting of even thickness and parallel bore is claimed. These are the two principal features of the Hurst- Ball system which has now been in effective operation over a period of four years on the production of many forms of centrifugal castings such as piston ring drums, cylinder liners, rolls and the like, and has now been adapted to pipes. Fig. 5 shows one of the large pipes in position immediately after withdrawal from the mold. It will be appreciated that the principles involved in the Hurst-Ball system, as above described, enable the casting machines to be designed of a comparatively simple nature from a mechanical point of view. The general design and layout of the machine lends itself to the adoption of comparatively simple and easy methods of extracting and handling such large cast- ings. The production of castings free from hard chilled surfaces with the consequent elimination of the neces- sity for annealing is pointed to as of special importance in the case of large diameter pipes which would ob- viously involve a very large and expensive annealing plant. figure transferred to the monthly record, the sum of which will be the record of the year. The scoreboard has proved to have something of sporting interest. Workers get to discussing it, even to betting on it. The belief of the mill management as well as of observers generally is that the effect is to prolong the period of a perfect record. The idea is being adapted to other plants. Foremen at Foundrymen’s Convention A new departure in convention features for the Syracuse meeting of the American Foundrymen’s As- sociation, Oct. 5 to 9, will be the holding of round table discussions on brass foundry problems. All the brass foundry foremen and superintendents are invited to oe the luncheon gathering to be held Tuesday noon, ct. 6. After the luncheon an informal discussion of shop problems will be in order. No prepared papers will be read but short discussions will be called for by the chairman. The program committee realizes that some of the past meetings on brass foundry topics have been of little interest to practical brass foundrymen, because the subjects discussed were mostly devoted to the metal- lurgical phase of the industry. As the meeting is planned, the practical brass foundryman will have a chance to air his views on topics close to the shopman’s interest. ; Volume of Construction Work Makes New High Record All records for volume of construction work under way in the United States during a single month were shattered in May, according to statistics compiled by the Associated General Contractors of America. The May volume was 26 per cent greater than that of April reflecting the great volume of contracts awarded dur- ing the two preceding months. The amount of con- struction activity in the first five months of this year is being taken as an indication t , twelve-month record. n that 1925 will set a new June 11, 1925 Most Unusual, im a Blooming Mill, Is the LOOPING BLOOMING MILL* Unusual Type, Over 20 Years Old, Designed for Flexibility in Operation IG. 1 shows, in plan view, the main features of a complete 35-in. reversing blooming mil] which is a variation of the usual type of reversing bloomer. This mill, built in 1902 at the Grand Crossing works of the Interstate Steel Co., is of the usual construction of that day except for the circular repeating attachment which enables the mill to roll to smaller sizes than could be successfully handled in an ordinary mill depending upon the usual type of manipulator. A mill of this type, employing the looping principle, is intended for plants not having a large tonnage de- mand and where it may not be economical to invest in subsequent mills to reduce a normal blooming mill product size down to smaller sizes. After the ingot has been rolled down to the smallest billet section that can be conveniently handled by the manipulator, it may be rolled on the continuous principle by sending it through single-pass, fixed sized holes in the rolls, by directing the billet through the circular repeaters and operating the mill continuously in one direction. The billet may be thus reduced from, say, a 4 x 4-in. section, the smallest ordinarily rolled on a blooming mill, to 1% x 1% in. or less. By changing rolls and eliminating the looping de- vice, a mill such as this can be quickly converted to comply with general blooming mill production practice The photograph shows the same mill. *Taken from a paper, “Blooming Mills and Blooming Mill Practice,” read May 22, by W. H. Bailey, chief engines Illinois Steel Co., Chiecazvo. before the American Iron Steel Institute, at New York. 6&0" nega A THE IRON AGE 1707 te L oping Arrangement Here Shown A more recent installation of a mill of this kind is that in the Keystone Steel & Wire Co. plant at Peoria, Ill.. Fig. 2 shows a set of rolls for this mill. This clearly illustrates the unusual range of product sizes that may be obtained on a looping blooming mill. Seti Sol eed Be Be | bese eo eee Fig. 1 (Above) Gives the Layout of the Mill Illua- trated at Top. It is driven by a 3-cylinder engine Fig. 2 (Left) Indicates Blooming Passes at Right and Looping Passes at Left of the Rolls ee ae Oe en Oe ee 1708 Machine Arranged for Rapid Reaming of Punched Holes The reaming, in car parts, of 500 to 900 holes an hour with one operator is claimed for the machine illus- trated, which has been placed on the market recently by the American Car & Foundry Co., 165 Broadway, New York. The machine is employed as standard equip- ment in all of the company’s plants on both freight and passenger car work, and is said to be especially adapted for reaming in the general assembly as well Reaming Machine Developed by the Car & Foundry Co., to Reduce the Cost of Reaming Car Parts. One ator controls American oper- the machine. Various designs of trav- elers, to suit dif- ferent conditions of work, may be ‘es used = ES head hte Ot AAI SBP ATEN SF as the sub-assemblies of car construction, such as truck and body bolsters, car sides, etc. It can be adapted also for use in manufacturing plants where punched holes in steel parts require reaming, after assembly and before riveting, accurate reaming and low cost being advantages claimed. Placing of the machine on the market is in ac- cordance with the company’s policy of offering the railroads and other car manufacturers the benefits of labor-saving devices that it has developed and used, a policy which was adopted several years ago when its rivet heaters were brought out. The vertical and horizontal reaming devices now offered, which are claimed to save from two to three men in each ream- ing position, will be followed by improved attachments for precision punching. The hand reaming machines used previously re- quired from one to three men to operate them. One- man reamers were used only on light work, and as the work became heavier, heavier machines were re- quired and more men needed. Two men were required to ream an underframe for a car, and they would have THE IRON AGE June 11, 1925 to stand on the underframe, often in awkward p tions, making it difficult to accurately center the ream- ers. The machine, although heavy for the men to handle, was not -heavy enough to push the reamer through the work, which made it necessary for them to push down on the handles. Stalling of the reame: or breaking of the bit was a frequent occurrence, as two men pushing downward on a central point wil! seldom push with the same force. If the motor stalled it could be released only by withdrawing the reamer from the hole, and accidents occurred when the reamer bit was unable to rotate due to binding. Renewal of broken bits caused loss of time. Also with the old style reamers the wire had to be dragged along the floor and over the work, which tended to retard opera- tions and to cause accidents. All of the disadvantages of the hand reaming machines are said to have been overcome in the new unit. The machine requires only one operator, who may be trained in a short time, It is mounted on a trav- eler, which can be racked.forward and backward by means of an electric motor controlled by a switch lo- cated on the hand wheel. The number of longitudinal holes that can be reamed is limitéd only by the length of the traveler runway. Tie }frolley which carries the machine is equipped with’ bal} bearings, so that a light push will cause horizontal movement along the traveler bridge. The width of the work that may be reamed is limited only by the length of the trav- eler bridge. The electric motor for rotating the reamer bit has a bral test capacity of 6.9 hp., and will ream holes up to 15% in. in diameter. Rotation of the armature is controlled by a contactor, which is operated automati- cally when the air cylinder, used for vertical control, is raised or lowered. The air valve for controlling the cylinder is operated by means of a clamp handle lo- cated on the hand wheel. A safety clutch between the reamer bit and the rotating armature shaft extension is released as soon as the operator’s hands are removed from the hand wheel, thus stopping rotation of the reamer bit. Various designs of travelers and other devices are employed in the company’s shops to facilitate using the machine for the greatest production work of va- rious types. The cost of maintenance is said to be low, consisting principally in renewal of motor brushes and in lubrication. All parts are accessible for inspec- tion and repair and are interchangeable. The weight of the machine is sufficient to drive the reamer through the hole without additional pressure, which with the provision for accurate withdrawal of the bit from the reamed hole is said to practically eliminate breakage of bits. Reamer bits may be conveniently changed. The machine, although of rigid construction, has a certain amount of flexibility to permit the bit to enter holes not in alinement. Youngstown Company to Build Tin Mills in Chicago District ' James A, Campbell announces that the ¥ oungstown Sheet & Tube Co. will proceed with the in- stallation of 24 tin mills at its Indiana Harbor, Ind., works, thus marking its entrance into the manufacture of tin plate. The company has also definitely decided to build its proposed seamless tube mill, authorized several months ago, at the East Youngstown plant, and an auxiliary, smaller mill of the same type, at Indiana Harbor. Contracts for equipment for both projects have been largely awarded. oa ; hat the seamless tube mill at East ran 1 Ww ve ready for operation early next year, and the tin mills by April 1, 1926 The tube mill — will be built at the easterly ‘end of the East pee a's being cheeiment wil be hows ding erected for the company’s plate mill at East Youngs i yas gstown, built duri never operated since. eT President The Aetna Foundry & M eee achine Co., Warre vill install mechanical double vee rs in the tin mills. ih ; Pi June 11, 1925 New Portable Acetylene Generator A small generator for producing acetylene at pressure for welding and cutting has been added to the line of the Oxweld Acetylene Co., 30 East Forty-secor 35 lb. of carbide at one charge, can be transport readily from place to place, Empty, the generato: weighs only 210 Ib. A new principle of feed control called a “heavier- than water” float, is employed. As shown in the illus. tration, a vertical partition, extending nearly to the bottom into a water seal, divides the generator shel] One side is gas tight and contains the carbide hopper at a Portable Generator Taking 35 Lb. of Carbide at One Charge.. Feed control by a “heavier than water” float is a new feature the top. The upper part of the other side contains gas regulating and protective devices, and an automatic carbide feed control. Generation of the first acetylene causes water to rise on this side of the partition high enough nearly to submerge a pan full of water, hung to a control lever. This pan normally acts as a weight acting counter to a spring, but as the water rises about it, its apparent weight is diminished and the carbide hopper valve is closed by the action of the spring. As acetylene is drawn off, water rises In a tne gas compartment and correspondingly lowers under float, relieves some of the buoyancy under the water pan, which, gathering weight with the receding water, depresses the spring and allows a small amount of carbide to drop into the generator, and restore equill- brium conditions. Two pamphlets on Simplified Practice, Just issued by the United States Department of Commerce, cover respectively steel lockers in single and double tier and steel reinforcing bars. The number of sizes of double tier lockers retained is 5, while there are 12 sizes of single tier lockers. In reinforcing bars the number of sizes retained is 11. These pamphlets may be obtainee from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, at 5e. each. The E. L. Essley Machinery Co. the exclusive agency contract with Machine Tool chine Tool Division of the Consolidated = oad lai Corporation, for the sale of its line - yess shit = and turning mills and heavy duty drilling mac ine in the so-called Chicago machine tool territory. has been given the Colburn Ma- Street, New York. The new generator, which takes THE IRON AGE 1709 Institute of Metals to Meet in Glasgow The annual autumn meeting of the Institute of Méetais will be held in G asgow, Scotland, Sept. 1 to This ia the firet ane i Thi the first one to be held in that eity in years. In the evening of Sept.1 the fourth annual bhhad n | : will ; : : } asvumn lecture will be delivered by Sir John Dewrance, e-president. In.the morning of S pt. 2 papers will be read and discussed, after which a luncheon will be Se rved by the reception committee and members of the Scottish local section Several of the leading engineer- ng works will be visited that afternoon and in the evening there will be a reception by the Lord Provost and magistrates in the Municipal Building. Papers will be presented for discussion in the morning of Sept. 3 with an excursion in the afternoon down the River Clyde for the purpose of viewing the industria! section of the river. Hydraulic Speed Reduction Unit Hydraulic pressure in place of gears is used in the speed reduction unit, illustrated, which was built by the American Engineering Co., of Philadelphia. A range of speeds is obtained simply by changing the control that regulates the stroke of the plungers in a Hele- Shaw pump, this being done while the machine is in operation without stopping the direct-connected elec- tric motor. The variable discharge from the pump gov erns the speed of a Hele-Shaw hydraulic motor, which is directly connected to the machine to be driven. The unit shown was built recently to operate the anchor windlass on a yacht, but its makers believe that it will find a wide field in driving heavy machinery that operates against variable resistances, as the ratio of speed reduction can be changed instantly to overcome any unusual resistance that may be encountered. Oil is used as the hydraulic medium, making the unit self-lubricating. The unit illustrated was designed to give a maximum reduction of 850 to 1 A cylinder body with radial cylinders rotates at constant speed around a central cylindrical valve through which the fluid passes to and from the pump Plungers with slippers fastened to their ends are forced in and out as the slippers travel around in a groove in an outer floating ring. By shifting the position of this Speed Reduction Unit Employing Hydraulic Pre ssure in Place of Gears. High ¢ fhicre ncy, silent operation and fle ribility of control are claimed ring the stroke of the plungers and, consequently, the amount of fluid discharged from the pump, is regulated from zero to a maximum, giving an infinite range of speeds to any mechanism that is driven by the pump. This regulation of the plunger stroke is aceomplished while the pump is running and without changing its speed of rotation. This vafiable discharge drives the Hele-Shaw hydraulic motor at corresponding speeds. The National Association of Brass Manufacturers will hold a general meeting at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago, June 11. W. M. Webster, City Hall Square Building, Chicago, is commissioner of the asso- ciation. ace lM A MS i pass 7 oo Ia eI iin a a 1710 THE IRON AGE Multiple Punch Arranged to Save Handling of Material The multiple punching machine illustrated is de- signed to perform the three operations of coping and punching the flanges and punching the webs of beams and channels consecutively without setting the material down or rehandling. In the fabrication of structural steel, one of the largest items of expense is the han- dling of material and the greatest savings that can be effected is by the elimination or the expediting of the handling of material. For the handling of beams, the usual practice is to cope on one machine and punch Vertical Worm-Gear Speed Reducers Vertical worm-gear speed reducers for use in con- nection with mixers, agitators, paddles, vertical screw conveyors and other machines driven by shafts operat- ing on a vertical axis have been added to the line of the Foote Brothers Gear & Machine Co., 215 North Curtis -Street, Chicago. The vertical reducer is similar to the company’s standard units, except that it is designed to lay on its side with the driving shaft at the right, the worm gear revolving in a horizontal plane and the slow speed shaft in a vertical position. This shaft may be ex- tended either upward or downward, so that the re- ducer may be located either under or above the ma- chine to be driven, and the worm shaft may be ex- tended to permit installing the motor at some distance from the driven machine. The case inclosing the unit is of cast iron, heat- treated to prevent flaking, and has a removable top cover. The base is cast integral with the case to pro- Vertical Gear Speed Re- The slow speed shaft may be extended up- ducer. ward ditions, ward to suit con- and the worm shaft may be extended to June 11, 1925 on another, necessitating several rehandlings of the material. This machine is a standard straight side multiple punch equipped with the necessary tools, side by side, to perform all the operations. Beams up to 24-in. may be coped and punched, and small auxiliary tools are provided for punching the flanges of beams or channels Multiple Punch Arranged for Coping and for Punching Flanges and Webs of Beams and Channels, at One Handling. Arrange- ment of tools for punching plates, with simplicity of setting tools a feature, is shown above from 6-in. and under. For punching both flanges and webs a special table with spacing attachment can be provided without interfering with the coping or notch- ing operations. The close-up illustration shows the arrangement of the standard punching tools for punching plates, angles and similar work, these tools being held by a single bolt, which permits of readily changing the position of the punch holders. This arrangement of the tools is patented. The clutch is operated by means of foot treadle and also solenoid with push button control. This machine was designed and manufactured by the Thomas Spacing Machine Co., Fulton Building, Pitts- burgh, for Heyl & Patterson, Inc., Pittsburgh, for its North Side Works. The combination of tools was de- signed in collaboration with A. R. Conley, superin- tendent of Heyl & Patterson. vide suitable mounting either on the floor or hanging from the ceiling. Removable end plugs with oil-tight stuffing glands are provided on each end of the worm, which is made of alloy steel and has large ball thrust bearings at both ends. The worm gear can be fur- nished either of semi-steel or bronze with cast iron center as desired, the bronze gear being recommended for continuous service. The worm gear shaft rotates in large phosphor bearings, and the ball thrust bear- ings are provided at each end of the shaft. _ Compactness is a feature, and the units being fully inclosed are not subject to the wear and deterioration from dust and grit, acid and alkaline fumes in the at- mosphere, conditions often experienced in chemical and other manufacturing plants where they are installed. They are self-lubricating, requiring little attention, ex- cepting the occasional replacement of the oil. A variety of sizes and ratios, ranging in capacity from fractional horsepower up to 100 hp. and reduc- tion ratios from 7 to 1 up to 120 to 1, are available. Worm- down- permit installing 7 . the motor at a distance June 11, 1925 FOUNDRY MANAGEMENT Staff Organization of Steel Casting Plants Dis- cussed—Chief Inspector’s Place Important An interesting outline of the staff organization necessary in operating a steel casting plant was pre- sented by R. A. Bull, director of the Electric Stee! Founders’ Research Group, Chicago, in a pa - a “Steel Foundry Management,” read at the caution. ment session of the spring meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, held at the Hotel Pfister, Milwaukee, May 18 to 21. unum rather than those in application accordin a it she ee , g to the distinctive nature of the shop and its product, were discussed by Mr. Bull In order to show the complex nature of the art of making steel castings, a section of the paper was de- voted toa description of the technical and commercia! divisions of the industry and the variety of trades and professions involved. The sections making up the staff organization, the members of which report direct to the principal com pany executives or to related staff departments, were enumerated as sales, accounting, purchasing, cost, drafting, order or schedule, research, metallurgical, in- spection, construction and service. Placing the chief inspector under the jurisdiction of a company execu- tive was offered as a practical means of safeguarding against the exercise of poor judgment in the examina- tion of castings for shipment, the company executive not being so readily influenced to form judgment from a restricted viewpoint as is the average superinten- dent. Placing the chief inspector under the sales man- ager, when the president or plant manager prefers not to direct this detail, was said to be frequently advisa- ble. If the sales manager