The Iron Age 1925-08-06: Vol 116 Iss 6

FR ee a alin THE IRON AGE New York, August 6, 1925 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 116, No. 6 Guarding the World’s Food Supply How a Thin Gray Wall of Steel and Tin Holds in Check the Forces of Decay and Makes Harvest Time Last the Year ’Round took place in Hull, England, in the year 1911. A number of scientists partook of soup, roast beef and roast veal, turnips and carrots and finally, jam. The description of the menu makes it obvious that the distinction of this dinner did not lie in its epicurean delights. The truth is that while the food was fresh and savory, many hotels in England could prepare a more tempting repast. The unusual thing about that somewhat limited banquet was the fact that nothing on the table was less than 86 years old! Those vegetables had been prepared in the days when railroads and steamships were unknown, when the Monroe Doctrine was first announced to the world and when Napoleon Bonaparte was reflecting upon the glories of the empire and the tragedy of Waterloo, in his exile upon St. Helena. Those meats had been pre- pared by cooks who were dead before Queen Victoria began her long reign, the soup was the pride of a chef whose very name had been forgotten. They were canned foods, left in an Arctic cache by Captain Parry, the famous predecessor of Peary and Amundsen, in 1824 and brought to the museum at Hull by Sir John Ross who discovered the hiding place eight years after the explorer had left his provisions there There are countless other instances of canned foods eaten many years after packing. Long before the tin can as we know it came to help the cook and aid the housewife, man had sought to make fruits and vege- tables available beyond the seasons during which they Prteor’n the most remarkable dinner in history are produced. Drying, salting, pickling, these were the first methods used to make harvest time last twelve months in the year. And finally, about a hundred years ago, canning. Napoleon was really responsible for the beginning of the canning industry. Not in a scientific sense, for an Italian priest named Spallanzani and a French scientist to whom the whole world is indebted, Louis Pasteur, laid the groundwork for the scientific study of food preservation. But in a practical sense, the Little Cor- poral was the motivating power. The sailors in his fleet were unable to stay on ship- board for long periods without succumbing to disease: scurvy and scorbutic complaints. And so the Emperor decided that salt meats and dried fruits were insuffi- cient for a healthy diet. Thereupon the government of the First Republic offered a prize of 12,000 francs for the discovery of a way to keep foods fresh for long periods after preparation. Nicholas Appert, who was making pickles and pre- serves in France before the Terror and continued to make them after the downfall of the Emperor, won that prize in 1809 and started the canning industry on its way. But Appert’s foods were preserved in glass bottles and jars. It was not until the following vear that an Englishman by the name of Peter Durand took out a patent for a receptacle made of tin, which he called a “tin canister.” Long use of the abbrevia- tion “tin can’s” has changed Durand’s canister into the can of today. The principles laid down by Appert are still the The Standard Sizes of Fruit and Vegetable Cans. From left to right, No. 1, 2 11/16 in. x 4 in., holding 11 oz.; No. 1 Tall Alaska Salmon, 3 in. x 4 11/16 in., holding 1 lb.; No. 2, 3 7/16 in. x 4 9/16 in., holding 20 oz.; No. 2%, 41/16 in. x 4 11/16 in., 28 oz.; No. 3,41/4in a4 7/8 in., 33 oz.; No. 10, 6 3/16 in. x 7 in., holding 6 lb. 10 oz. The No. 1 Tall Alaska Salmon, which was formerly used only for fish, is now being extensively used for California fruit. The No. 3 size will probably be eliminated in favor of the No. 2% 351 | | | ten ee on eer THE IRON AGE August 6, 1925 By 1885. ean making had really become a separate ustry, instead of a necessary evil conducted in hand vith the various canneries. Machines for can making were first used in an individual can factory by Smith & Weeks, in that year. By this time steel had come nto general use instead of iron, for the body of the plate. Capt. William Jones, one of Andrew Car- egie’s lieutenants, is credited with the introduction of soft Bessemer steel for tin plate. American can makers were not using much Amer- an tin plate, however. The Welsh industry was too strongly intrenched. In 1892, the first year for which tin plate production in this country was officially re- rted, the entire output was less than 20,000 tons. Then the McKinley tariff put up the bars against imported tin plate and the American manufacturers ame into their own. For a time the Welsh industry suffered severely from the loss of the business on this side of the Atlantic, but British producers turned to ther export markets and enjoy a very considerable yrosperity today. For some time it was believed that Welsh plate was superior in quality to the American product, the former being carefully made by skilled workmen whereas the American industry laid its faith n automatic production machinery. Within the pres- ent year, however, a group of Welsh production men ted the United States in order to learn our view to incorporating them in the mills he tight little isle. Up to the end of the nineteenth century, all cans vere made with the familiar solder seam and soldered ip or top. But there were objections to the soldered st place solder was expensive and it was not uncommon to see an eighth inch of solder on the top of a vegetable can. In the second place, the cans ad to be cleaned with acid, in prepartion for the sol- der, and labor leaders who saw their influence waning with the growth of automatic machinery, spread abroad he idea that this acid washing injured the foods that ght go into the can and made them poisonous. Third- the solder can was hard to use in packing fruits and whole vegetables, for the aperture in the top of the can left for soldering was too small to permit whole pears or peaches to be inserted without \broad, the Europeans had not been backward in experimenting with this valuable invention of the tin can, and a German, Max Ams, developed what was known as a solderless can. The airtight qualities of the can were provided by a tight joint between the edge of the seam on the top and the body of the can. But remained for an American, George W. Cobb*, to perfect after a long period of discouraging experimen- tation the idea of a solderless can and make it work o well that the old soldered can is, today, practically ut of existence, save for the condensed milk container. The development of a paper gasket, to go between ie crimped or lock-seamed edges of the top or bottom inager of sales, American Can Co., New NR Ra Sm REI ee ee ah a August 6, 1925 THE IRON AGE and the body of the can, was the practi al solution now engaged in a program for eventual standardization which brought about the present vogue of the so-called of all food con sine _ and the establishment of an “sanitary” can using no solder whatever. In some accepted definition as to cu capacity, dimensions Sanitary cans a rubber gum mixture is used in plac and type of constructi of the paper gasket to form a tight joint. It is hoped that throug s campaign of educa The Sanitary can not only made it possible t } na ers and canners mav be it du ad t see that whole fruits and vegetables without bruising then elimination of odd si here are about 100 ypes in it gave an immense impetus to the consumptior f ise 1 e extent for food todav—will resu , ste cans ind nseq ue \ \ I i 1 ne! ( e po yt : I would I 4 a | he tir day the can manutacturer va ! iW i a eets { b unc! F and ny i It aid that the amount ot standard 14 x plate d for can manufacture is ( ible, while variations from this or odd sizes are I One large n r gives the ( ‘ i f e DUIK OL tin aa 5 z23 20% sy 4%x2 2T% 4 ~ 8 7s 44 X Sg ana Z s x Z2Y% (a T ) Asid I i y i I erla W on ea ny l ( S avil \ I £ I acl n é ‘ ! ake fron n hours und : I When ren pered { : roduc ‘ ) OO « i | é ‘ i i i n inn¢ ichieve ( AaVing I } shed certail er line it ' 1 500.000.000 foodstuff ( imed ! ¢ tha ' f - , f , : se n : T t t ’ ‘ r ' e ’ ' i y ‘ y oY tne int ng id i elie tnat ne On Th 5 Ri ind-Car “<i ss”’ Do rie k ' ' - Si = 6 I l ] A i ir I n F anger, the ¢ ylindrical Can Bodies Are G it} a Flange at Each End to Prepare for the To Take beans, for instance; ordinary baked beat and Bottom of the Can. Both ends are flanged | 1899 th peopl f this country ate, or bought, simultaneously it ,600,000 cans of baked bear That spelled the Y d f LT vith the hunk of canned goods. With the beginning of the twent century, the use of cans or tin containers, for other than strictly food products, showed a steady increa Tobacco, taleum powders, teas and coffees, began be packed in airtight tins, always lithographed, course, in attractive colours. Today the number of non-food products packed tin beggars description. Shoe blacking, paint, lub cating oil, candy, cigars, handkerchiefs, writing paper —almost every article small enough to get in a tin can has been packed in tin-coated steel containers. But the bulk of the can production of the country is still consumed for food products, fruits, vegeta! soups and fish. For non-food products, there are hundreds, per- haps thousands, of shapes and sizes. Tall thin cans for toilet preparations, thick squat ones for ointments huge square containers for tobacco, flat round one for candy. No standard styles or shapes, save, perhap in the pocket tobacco tin. And the Government, in its campaign toward industrial economy throug! standardization of products and elimination of waste- The Car ire Now Ready for This Double ful odd sizes, has directed its efforts to the food cor Seaming Machine Which Forms the Air-Tight tainers. ; y : Joint at the Bottom of Empty Cans or the Ton The illustration on page 331 shows the current of Filled Can Seite eeciithienin inti is standard sizes of tin cans in use by food packers i | cialis idan 08 all parts of the country. The No. 3 size, for example, ne ae - a up WEN is so close in size and capacity to No. 2% that efforts Be OFNOr WH n order to secure a 300-can-per- are being made to eliminate the former. Practically minute output no No. 3 cans are in use west of the Mississippi, and the Maryland canners and packers will probably see pork. Five years later the national taste for baked the economy in filling a No. 2% can rather than a wans had grown until some 60,000,000 cans were con- slightly larger No. 3. imed. In 1909 the canners of beans sold 84,000,000 Out in the West the “tall salmon” can, shown cans. By 1914 the total reached 213,600,000. between the No. 1 and the No. 2, has taken hold very During the war the figures mounted to 355,200,000 strongly and more of this size will probably be made ins of baked bea enough to girdle the earth with a from now on. The National Canner’s Association is mfortabie margin left er But since the unusual 33.4 THE i 0. I me i | ms ‘ ‘ f 4 i | ome... \ ‘ The le) VU te j ‘ / ci 7 a handle ahout 1 i I i! Svy ti Ve! ta } I I innea f cal ? ers per yeal I} ta nsumpti had risen to 0.7 ( per al ! By 1909 the country was using almost ne ! r for every person. 1914 shows the per apit imptior il nore than two cans a year ; Lea t var period when the enormou lant f canned goods used in France destroyed the comparative value of the figures, we find that ir 921 the average American was eating canned beans the rate of 2% cans annually Last year the con ; imption was over 3 cans per year per person, In a general way, the case of canned beans is typ- l. In certain lines the per capita consumption has wn ttle increase due to the fact that new canned od f ke nature have been put on the market recently and absorbed the increased demand without ffect the older business. But when the “Big Three,” tomatoes, beans and corn, each run to nearly I ans a year, there is considerable oppor- for the expat n of the trade in canned spinach, eas 1 irag ears, eacne pineapples, sardines, ind all the tempting articles so carefu y guarded the gray wall of steel and tin which we call With 115,000,000 people in the United States using 000,000,000 cans of food a year, the average nsumption is less than one can per week per person. Su the aturation point,” so much discussed by mist has not been reached in this industry. Consumption of tin plate has jumped from less than 1,000,000,000 Ib. in 1904 to well over 3,000,000 ,000 ndicating an even greater per can industry. The capita use of mis- has, there- re, increased more rapidly than th ise of tin cans . os or +h +hs ‘ rrowth than that of the ntainers for oil, tobacco. etc., containers. IRON AGE August 6, 1925 Moreover, there is this hopeful fact to remember. These United States are the greatest canned food con- imers here we eat less than are many coun- in the world. Yet even can per week per person, and there especially those lying in the tropic zone, which a wider use of canned foods. ust eventually come to It does not need a Canned Foods Week to explain to e South American the advantages of ever-fresh vege- ible ind fish d fruits. No, the canned goods industry—and as a conse- uence, the can making business and the manufacture f tin plate s yet in its infancy. Every year sees the Appert carried to a more scien- work of Pasteur and Foods which used to affect the tin ning of the can by reason of their acid content, are w packed in enamel-lined cans and their flavor is as fresh and the color as bright as on the day they were icked. The with trouble- o3 me solider. sanitary can has done away Machines and methods have been so care- contract of a leading company when there are more ped that the of claims made ! , liy adevel pecines allowance an two faulty cans in each thousand. The old pre- idice against canned foods has been pretty well dissi- vated. Bacteriologists have determined that the more or less mysterious vitamines are unaffected by seclu- ion in cans. In the ruins of one of the , a sealed jar of preserves was found some years ago. And after lying for centuries under the ashes : losion, the contents of the jar were 1 condition. Were one of the 100,000,- which will be sold this week over the coun- houses uncovered in Pom- VUU Cans ers in this intry to be buried in ashes and kept free from undue moisture, the contents would probably be ist as fresh in 2025 as they are today. The Automatic Top and Bottom Press Which The strips of tin plate, slit to proper width, are Cuts and Forms the Tops and Bottoms. placed in the holder and automatically fed to the die. An “nesting” of the tops is “Bliss” edge curling device to prevent attached to this press “Building and Home Ownership” is the topic of the Aug. 3 issue of the Bethlehem Review, which describes methods of company assistance through which 3400 Bethlehem employees have purchased homes valued at $15,000,000. The company furnishes architectural, en- gineering, financial and legal assistance and advice, provides a life insurance policy at a low rate and ar- ranges for retiring the mortgage through monthly pay- ments a little higher than local rents. The aid is ap- plicable to buying an existing house, building a new house or improving a house already owned or the grounds around such a home. peer ie te adem Labor Federation Out of Politics Endeavoring to Avoid Another Foster Debacle—Will Control Its Own Destinies and Eschew “Third” Parties—Memory of Steel Strike Still Rankles WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.—The American Federation of Labor has announced in no uncertain terms that has returned to its original moorings and chored itself to a non-partisan political policy. In short, it will resume its old practice, by which it built up political strength, of urging support of those candidates which the Federation considers most sym pathetic toward organized labor. The return to it first love is made by the Federation in the form of virtual acknowledgment, without specifically saying that when it strayed from its old policy by supporting the LaFollette candidacy on partisan lines it made a grave mistake. There were many within and outside organized labor circles who at the time pointed out that labor had made a blunder, and surprise was expressed that the late Samuel Gompers, as president of the Fed eration, had sanctioned the departure in its policy. He was credited as being too astute as a labor politician to support such a plan and generally his position was explained on the ground that labor had forced a change. again a radicals in organized Memory of Steel Strike Rankles But, under the regime of President Green, the Fed- eration has turned back to the old order. While this move was approved at the El Paso convention last year, the question had been more or Jess dormant until recently. It has been stirred up in a number of ways that some think may have particular significance in the threatened anthracite coal strike situation, a situ- ation which, it has been intimated, might extend to the bituminous fields, if not to other lines. Organized labor, it is believed, does not propose to let moves it is making or may be contemplating turn t another farce sucn as eventuated in the 1919 steel strike, when Foster, the radical, threw himself into the breach, organized followers and put such a scare into the so-called conservative leaders of organized labor as to grasp the rcins and go on a temporary rampage of power. While it was a case of Foster and his men marching up the hill and down again, the lesson was heeded by organized labor, which evidently has found that, if it is.to keep control of its policy, it must not let a rank outsider “bore from within.” At the same time, organized labor apparently realizes that, if it is branded with the term of “radical” by letting radicals dominate it, or by committing itself to a radical polli- tical party, its power will quickly wane. It is from this view that significance was seen in the recent reiteration from Federation headquarters that it would not tolerate membership of communists or other “reds.” They were told either to stick to the tenets of organized labor or to move out of its baili wick. To Support Only Candidates Friendly to Labor Now on top of this comes the announcement that “a strenuous non-partisan political campaign during the Congressional elections of next year was approved today (Aug. 3) by the Executive Council of the Amer- ican Federation of Labor.” The report of the Execu- tive Council, the statement says, will be made to the convention which meets in Atlantic City Oct. 5. Imme- diately after that convention the council “will enter the various campaigns with the purpose of supporting those who can be depended upon to be true to labor.” After thus letting the cat out of the bag part way, the statement makes a frank confession that organized labor made a blunder in assuming a strictly partisan attitude in the 1924 election. “While in the 1924 elec- tion labor deviated somewhat from its former non- partisan political policy, the El Paso convention de- clared that ‘for the American Federation of Labor to 6 or 2 3 5 be true to mission it must be as free from political party domination now as at any time in its history This means that the American Federation of Labor non-partisan political policy in the future will be along the usual definitely-outlined plan.” No More Third-Party Support The announcement of the Council goes on to state that no aid or comfort will be given those who seek to launch third-party movements, and in emphatic terms the council makes it plain that organized labor will endeavor strongly to hold its fortunes in its own hands, but it will at the same time accept support that may be offered it 1 “In conducting all non-partisan political campaigns, the American Federation of Labor will maintain con trol within itself of the decisions to be made and the procedure to be followed,” it is declared. “The Execu- tive Council, however, support that if believes that it should accept the freely given by any group that has for purpose the carrying out of the non-partisan polli- tical policy of the American Federation of Labor.” The statement outlines plans to conduct an inten sive educational campaign to aid non-partisan voters It also declares that “All that the non-partisan abor is reminded * * * political policy has passed through the crucible of experience and has proved to be the best plan yet adopted for labor t politically. voice itself Non-Partisan Policy to Prevail i » ’ 1s f } de part 1 gone ‘ i th ex i i I ! ire beginning I Zz iy a s not }t fi t) j } Ex ( neil ‘All frequent i irned that pledges in party plat rms were pot always respected, but were used D s a stepping stone to office The Executive ( I hat is 1 result of its non urtisar polit il ‘ the launching of third ement ms been proved wasted effort desire to elect candidates with favorable record The 1922 und 1924 # political impaigns definitely determined this fuct Exper! € the f ha taught labor that, to be su essful politically, it must continue in the future h past t follow its non-partisan political Another feature of the declarations is that an ac tive campaign to interest women wage their sympathizers will be carried on during the primary and election campaigns. 1906, 208 laws urged by labor have been enacted and several hundred detrimental to labor and the people defeated.” “arners and “Since The Gary Tube Co., Gary, Ind., Western subsidiary, National Tube Co., now has three buttweld and two lapweld pipe furnaces as well as its seamless tube plant in operation. When completed, this plant will have five buttweld and four lapweld pipe furnaces and a seamless unit, with a monthly capacity of approxi- mately 35,000 tons of tubular goods. The Wheeling Steel Corporation is electrifying its sheet mill plant at Martins Ferry, Ohio, in connection with which it has bought from the General Electric Co. a 1200-hp. motor with control and two 750 kw. mo- + tor generator sets with automatic substation. . : ; ' ' ' cA EE ELE LESLIE LLL LOLOL OEE A Fi, ia HR wt eS ES TOPOL EDS Ane a. ea aoe fp Orin me D> a Se ed ed -_~ Conveyor System Cuts Costs ing of 50 Per Cent in Floor Space Through Intro- duction of Improved Production Methods in Plant of Interstate Foundries, Inc. ( linder castings and other foundry work an be put on a large production basis, the molds e Interstate foundries are more flexible iracter in that they can be used for a wide range work and can be used for different kinds of molds mi bac nit consists of two parallel conveyor tracks le at each end, making an endless conveyor. ry olding machines are located on one side of the ring done at one end and the molds are ke it at the opposite end. The completed molds One placed on th ynveyor at the sides of the machines they are made, moving along to the end of nd around the end loop to the pouring ! ne and are poured while the conveyor is in motion. n who do the pouring stand on a platform at the onveyor or on the conveyor itself while molds. The molds have time to cool while from the pouring zone down the outside con- ! track to the shake-out. U \ ake-out grate, 6 x 8 ft., is located between the r tracks on a level with the conveyor and there also a shake-out grate on each side of the conveyor ‘oundry floor level. A long handled fork is used handling piston and other small molds from the onveyor to the grate on one side. The fork is sus- nded from a chain attached to a beam above and ings about on a level with the flask. The two prongs of the fork are swung beneath the lugs on the ends of he flasks and the flasks are lifted by lowering the end ies al of the fork handle. Then the handle is jerked back- ward about 2 ft. and the back of the fork strikes a Wide Ranges ol Work the Conveyor With Shake-out Grates at the Sides of and Between the Conveyor Lines. the fork which is used for lifting flasks from the conveyor, shaking out the mold and 9 yor, { ’ y flask to the conveyor. After being shaken out the castings are thrown into the truck on which they are conveyed to the tumbling mills aw a — ~e ea LR 5 nad tet iin sabi deste ane eeateilPoe a6 oN August 6, 1925 THE IRON AGE 337 The Molders After Making the Molds on the Machines (Below) on the Left Pass Them on the Continuous Con- veyor Directly Back of Them, and the Conveyor Carries the Molds Around to the Pour- ing Zone at the Lower End of the Bay, Where They Are Poured While in Motion Another View (at Right) of the Conveyor Showing the Pouring Zone. The molds are placed on mold carriers attached to the endless con- veyor chain and slide along on the conveyor rails, and are poured while moving short section of steel beam extending perpendicularly dling work, which is limited to lifting the mold two from the floor. This motion is repeated two or three ry three feet from the machine to the conveyor, and times until the sand and castings are shaken from th onsequently the molders’ production is increased. It flask. Then the fork drops the cope and drag parts laimed that one molder can do from two to three of the flask back on the conveyor on which the flasks times as much work as he did with the former foundry complete their circuit back to the molding machine rrangement where thev are taken off. It will be seen that with tl \ crane runway with a 10 ft. span extends length- method of operation the flasks are kept on the vise over the molding machines and loading side of the veyor except when the molds are being made ar onveyo! This will be equipped with hand-operated shaken out. trolleys carrying chain hoists and electric or pneumatic ts for handling molds that are too large to be Molders’ Efficiency Greatly Increased ved by hand. Overhead handling equipment will The two duplicate conveyor units are 240 ft ong ig 6 e wane O71 ae on eee out epee ry re There is a clear space of 6 ft. between the conveyor nt re rai gpellaange ase ite rae vane tracks of each unit in which cores and surplus flasks = aces vided over these grates for shaking out the are stored. There is a clear space of 25 ft. between si each i unit or sufficient for two parallel row Bottom Boards Eliminated of molding machines, ten machines in each row. The The mold conveyor is of the endless chain type. It molds made on one row of machines are handled by the is provided with perforated cast iron mold carriers, 30 conveyor adjacent to these machines. As the distance in. wide and 48 in. long which are attached by swivel between the molding machines and conveyor track is joints to the drop forged conveyor chain. These car- only sufficient to provide adequate space for the ma- riers slide along on the rails of the conveyor. The chine operators, the molder is relieved of much har carriers are on 6 ft. 6 in. centers. The conveyor is + aI H if a a s Sa ! eae ee ae Fuge i: Rees renee Se barinris ae a ro or OC A Or EE * —~ ~—s 338 THE IRON AGE iriven | 1 Miller-Hurst variable speed power unit und has a speed range of from 4 to 12 ft. per min. It will dle flasks 30 to 48 in., or the size of the carriers, eing made, several flasks are put I icn Cal e! On automobile work one crank ne { nder mold, two or three cylinder head ind six piston molds are put on one car ng cylinder molds the drag half as well half is barred so that the conveyor carrier ( ed as a bottom board As bottom boards are ndled seven times in making the mold, con- eff i in eliminating the nal Mi from the cu ’ handled er a monorail uring ne of the conveyor in bull nda lare« molds are poured ile Sma molds are poured tl filled from the bull ladles. rh er gang f each convé nsists of three me 1 nen is required ’ ‘> lted it 84 in. cul 1 lined down to 56 l sa ree i that is too I { nt pe tion A Castings Not Piled on Floor effected in the method of han hic] t no time are piled on the four handled tru to. the various points om tl shake-out grates the castings ft truck witl tne side dump body tnat placed at the side of the A] Y ick f handling | ; nes ar n¢ | i ! e grinding I ! pac I I I k afte i ? tT} a l one truck being inspected. Following inspection for shipment or to the manufacturing t2 tract are used for handling upies only about ng the remainder for ’ , on tl floo) ire of the foundry is the equip horough conditioning and tem- per f molding sand. It is pointed out that some n which sand has been prepared and conveyed I prove ughly satisfactory Machine Tools to Be Exhibited in Actual Production rt test development n machine tools the fifth annual machine tool exhibi- eld under the joint auspices of the New Haven si n of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the department of mechanical engineering Yale University and the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, at Mason Laboratory, Yale University, Sept. 8 to 11 The machines will be in operation on commercial work and undoubted!y many of them demonstrate new high production possibilities. Being conveniently reached from Boston, New York and Philadelphia, a large attendance is expected. The vis- rs at last year’s exhibition numbered approximately teats Meetings have been arranged at which the technical ide of the development of machine tools and machine hop practice will be presented, the technical meetings having been arranged by the machine shop practice di- vision of the American Society of Mechanical En- gineers. The executive committee of this division, which is headed by W. F. Dixon, works manager of the Singer Mfg. Co., and vice-president of the Diehl Mfg. Co., has designated Erik Oberg, editor of Machinery, a August 6, 1925 because of improper preparation. The sand for both molding units is conveyed and prepared by one sand handling system. The sand from the shake-out grates of the two conveyors passes onto belt conveyors mov- ing at right angles with the mold conveyor to a point between the two molding units. From here another conveyor elevates it to another cross conveyor which carries it over a magnetic pulley and drops it on a screen. It passes through the screen to a paddle mixer where it is tempered. From the mixer it passes through a double beater which deposits it on another flight conveyor which elevates it to a storage and tem- pering bin of 90 ton capacity from which it is drawn as required into a conveyor that deposits it into hop- pers above the molding machines. Chutes from each hopper supply two adjoining molding machines, one in each row. The sand handling and mixing equip- ment has a capacity of 60 tons per hour. Night Crew Prepares for Day’s Work The foundry is operated on a 9-hr. day but can be readily changed to two 8-hr. shifts. The molders start work at 6.30 a. m. and get the section of the conveyor between the machines and the pouring zone filled up with molds by 7.30 when pouring begins. At night ‘ter the molders quit work, all the molds remaining on the conveyor are shaken out and everything is ready for the next day’s start. The output for each conveyor in 9 hr. is from 75 to 100 tons of castings. The total daily capacity of the entire foundry is 200 to 250 tons of castings. Mention has been made of the conversion of one of the company’s foundries into a manufacturing plant. This is being devoted in part to the manufacture of a refrigerating machine for household use. The castings are made in the foundry and they are machined and the machine is completely assembled in the manufac turing department. Interstate Foundries, Inc., is a reorganization of the former Interstate Foundry Co. and its president and manager is James F. Miller, who for 14 years was su- perintendent of foundries of the Ford Motor Co. He also supervised the designing, building and equipment of the large foundry at the River Rouge plant of that company. Profiting by long experience gained in pro- duction work in the Ford foundry, Mr. Miller planned the new arrangement as well as the mold and sand handling equipment in the Interstate plant. Both the mold conveying and sand handling equipment were de- signed, built and installed by the Miller-Hurst Corpo- ration, Detroit, of which Mr. Miller is also president. Other officers of Interstate Foundries are Charles G. Heer, secretary, and L. A. Murphy, treasurer. liaison member, and a balanced program of topics of outstanding current interest is being arranged. Application has been made for reduced railroad rates on the certificate plan and those writing for hotel reservations are asked to send a copy of the letter to G. Holmes, 400 Temple Street, New Haven, who heads the entertainment committee. Aluminum Co, of America Acquires Canadian Company Stockholders of the Aluminum Co. of America and the Canadian Power & Mfg. Co. have approved a con- solidation of the two companies under the name of the former. By the merger the Aluminum Co. of America acquires valuable lands on the Saguenay River, Quebec, Canada, and water rights and franchises sufficient for the construction and operation of a large hydroelectric plant, where a large aluminum producing plant will be constructed. At the expiration of a legal time limit, a meeting of stockholders is to be called to vote on the authorization of a new bond issue to provide for funds for the construction of the proposed Saguenay River plant. Proposed Siberian Steel Plant Extension of Steel Industry in Telbas, State of Tompsk, Where Iron Ore Meets ’ . ™ Coal and Limestone BY ALFRED PEARSON, JR.* ELBAS is the name of the big iron field lying widely spread industry, at least before the taking of south of the Kuznets coal field, as shown on our urnames. map. The project of a steel mill in this place is [he iron industry, in historical times, begins with an old and well-detailed plan. The full scheme is’ the construction of Gurief furnace by Catherine the worthy of the attention of an empire builder. It en Great, for a penal colony. Remains nearby indicate braces not only a steel plant and town similar to Gary, i still older plant on the same site, which used the but the construction of a main line railroad, waterway power of the Ina River operate some gigantic rolls. improvements on a large scale, and some subsidia1 Gurief is a queer king plant. The buildings are industries, as well as the development of coal and o1 nade from the local white marble, with walls about mines and by-product plants. O ft. thi one cl wall being 26 ft. thick. Metallurgical industry here goes back beyond the dawn of history. According to legend, Genghis Khar Serious Work Started obtained in this valley, the weapons for his memorable i ll ' . . m1: : . : : When the Telbas development wa decided upon, European raids. This is believable when one considers ( ked t I _ “rede: . luring the war, Gurief was picked to serve as a manu that the name of the district, translated into English, 3 pie ale i? : : r f the heavier machinery. With this purpose means “Blacksmiths’ Valley,” and further notices t . ' ; n ew, many modern machine tools were installed large percentage of the local inhabitants wl hav tg e here, mostly of American make, a Martin oven (open- the same surname, sufficient evidence of an ancient and “iit ss hearth furnace) was built, so that steel billets could he roduced, as wel pig iron, and an old rolling . vee os er trot . l ere r} W till incomplete, an addi : rat ' = . $100,000 being required to finish it. This plant n Gu ro ind a aaa Du t} : ee 7 Ww inder tne urisdiction of the coal mining de a of the Northern group of min Hy , rtment, which uses it as a main repair unit, and \ I in I itu Minir und ' : t does al s I ommercial business. It indoubtedly, rineer hee hean engaged in mining vith the re il of t Telbas project, will be re \ i! d i 1 A W vA : he Tell ‘ aed ' 1916 Ry a iompsk & ; a Ar rinmck ; m ae AE f x, Y z aw RR TO /RPKUTSH ANY } Mascon) Omsk zRANs - SIBER/AN Kainsk se Y MRQNE | f RON a gE erin, ragaTskaia f SS ov 2 \ ES o~ oe svane . K K be erova ¥ latitude ‘ \4ane mee’ a < \ . , Chany TORI ; ' } x NON rv \ — Nie oaths Mar nek OP Act . Tom R oe -s te — = . a wn \ ~~ <¢ ‘ gg 3 =} <4 > 2 \ \ COAL X% oe \ /ROMA t | \ aN KUZBASS ‘ io _ Roose ee > Jt. ~ 7ror: ¥. wy ™“ une 2 =. ‘ ~~ & & ~ \ . * -_ wv ‘we — ‘ ., ‘ Pas WY \ e’tor Cx 3 \ } = \ J , S /PON )o = . La = t loaa ‘ f . ISK ° _-- — ood lL Jf - £ 4—TO BLACK SEA -. 9 S/LVER 6 ° Zmeinoaorsk a en AA J 50 00 ISO mices Ee be " cen te trick —1$8 Sem aia MANGANESE 50°N Latitude i; Map of the General Region Surrounding the Kuzbas Coal and Telbas Iron Mining Districts in Siberia. The latitude is about that of Liverpool, while the field is on about the meridian of Caleutta, at 88 deg. East of Gree nu ich oC ood bangs A ene ’ a T ve et ae ene en ee Re gms ee cmt ee Say Sa Natural Resources August 6, 1925 THE IRON AGE 11) 1 toy rie produced for several years from the Kemerova measure About 200 houses seams, they being the ones found in the neighborhood iminary of the proposed steel plant. The by-product plant at iti topped thi Kemerova was started at the same time, but not put org = u é at nto operation until 1928. jown and moved This plant is still operating along experimental to be started ines only, although there is a ready market for its per was said products The coals used yield phenomenally high development, a du outputs of by-products, which in fact is the difficulty the writ experienced in operation, as some mixture is required teel company. of lower volatile coal to get a coke of proper hardness. that “they Very likely Telbas will not be so troubled with this factor, as it will not face the problem of long-distance wn ir transportation of coke, which the Kemerova plant has whicn Wil nad to soive. rmit water It has always been the opinion of the writer, in finished product, iew of all the circumstances, that the Kemerova plant It is on was primarily looked upon as an experimental plant, the western vhich should have all the coking problems solved before he used in con lelbas went into operation. Subsidiary Materials \t Gurief a fire clay is found which is even su- perior to the product which previously had been im- miknown, narthy ported from Europe for the Kemerova coke plant. The foundry makes its own fire brick and the management f the _Kemerova pl nt, after testing the product, de- a hoarit -ided to use these bricks in future proposed ovens. Ama her Of oe ae coat hine brick plant is located only a few miles from the nm and elbas site. The whole country is densely wooded with “ rst growth larch, the wood used over a hundred years : as izo in the Gurief buildings. indies oat Glass sand is plentiful. The only item which seems : *kins a good natural gravel, for, notwithstanding * the deep gravel beds, none has been located nearby ST litable for building purposes without washing ales Limestone already has been mentioned, some of it \ ew even reaching the grade of marble. So far as the a more writer observed, there is no good building sandstone, ti ich buildings as have been constructed of it being : , oan mn very bad shape ir only a few years’ time. , The management which undertakes the construction ae "and operation of Telbas will have to be versatile, and ; s ace vill want to control all the various plants and deposits mentioned, intry around rransportation a Major Problem ron-stone Weve there is The principal difficulty that will be experienced in rade limonite ha carrying out the program will be the weakness of the thin a radius of railroads. As they are now unable to carry the full peasants in sleds al load, strenuous efforts will be required before the are not busv at roposed steel plants get into operation. A _ branch An iron ore ne of the Trans-Siberian, which has been extended mined. contain to within about 50 miles of the site of the Telbas plant, vhile usable, is in a terrible state of disrepair. The mined for afew ne to the plant and ore beds has been graded, re- f, which the plant 4uiring only the bridge superstructures and rails. Part : 1 plan included a railroad from the Black ry, as he saw Sea ports to the mill, and on through some undeveloped ent manganes« Or tne origina ness and ex mineral fields to the East. This line has been surveyed, nnection a bed The Telbas plant will also have a waterway via the ft. thick, and a om River, which can transship onto the Trans-Sibe- ked for Yian or go on by water via the Irtish to the Ural Moun- tains, also to the mouth of the Ob River, for export. efore the revolution these rivers were actively carry- ng freight, but at present the river fleet is in the same irief furnace. due State of disintegration as all other Russian industry. ne il and even his route is open for about six months in the year and Volkovsky medium cean connections are maintained for four months. . furnace. with In view of the tremendous distances materials have Martin oven was to be transported, the cost of construction will be very he low volatile high on such as cannot be manufactured locally. Hence These both the importance of Gurief. In this connection it is of e of sulphur interest that practically every material of construction rus as being “only can be locally made or obtained. A cement plant has estimate.” been in operation about 200 miles away, on the Trans- neering work in Siberian Railroad, which made a very satisfactory nts were carried product, as the writer can personally testify, at about characteristics and the price of cement in the United States. This plant ng has been done has been shut down recently for lack of capital to per- ‘tangular ovens were mit advance production. grade of coke was Revival of the Telbas project is caused by the seri- te August 6, 1925 THE IRON AGE ous shortage of steel and iron products in Russia. Two nter¢ ielig! years ago the coal industry was the one which held the S give! e! key position but, by the expenditure of much money and effort, it is now over-producing to about the quared uj tune as the coal mines of the United States. The gov- load several ernment now is planning a drive on the steel mills, the face. same first s similar to the drive on the coal mines. ng, the amount of gold dis« : . : rmining the price. If the Russian Need for Steel and Machinery : : . factory, the peasant \ d At present only a restricted market is available for the trick. steel products in Siberia, but it seems as though bot} The ore mines, a mining machinery and farm machinery could profit ontract basis. O1 ably be manufactured there. Even now the Gurief ods work, no 1 plant is utterly unable to supply the various typ: f mine machinery needed. The peasant today uses thi The soil i 1 most primitive tools, not from choice but from necé very low, contributing t sity. The writer found that the peasants desired not notwithstanding the low rat only ordinary farm tools but binders and even tractors essary to figure st American models are highly regarded, and properly estimate time at thre f ; 2 : = 2 } ? a ~ 7 i f o 4 YP a € 4 no” > wih * a ) OG; he : Be fo S ~ “9 g v’ y A yC ¢( j £5 ¥ fy — 1 }0\* ! ’ a T has — —_ _ LL -_— ee - we As the Project Has Been La d Vut, the SLE ¢ P l [ ¢ [> Che Kondom Ri er, wu ith an A ttract é The present plants are in such a broker dition that it is doubtful if they can be “ja 1 uj R enough to catch up with the present ‘ Pty ’ 1 +c . oO wnnstruect four é niant try. So it is proposed to construct four new } Outside two in the Urals, one in South Russia and the Ti * plant. It is reported that the government « r ‘ na plates an initial appropriation of 100 million dollar to 1o to t tside world 1 tal a In view of the many places to put mone he per t t out lh i i€@ an ope shortage of funds, one wonders how this schem«e i 4 é tr | American ma carried out without outside assistance. Punery SRC nee trial thods are highly regarded Telbas will not only have a monopoly of § I i business but, in view of the fact that much of the coal Phe Gi are making persistent efforts wo cal y used in the Urals must come from Kuzbas, it will offer ‘ture both thi R ar kets and concessions. They some competition in the European market bid lower than Am« uns can, for they are fully alive Working Conditions and Labor k ex n to their own machinery industry. It The climate at Telbas is not so rigorous as the eemed t writer that ni ! were American Siberian average. The charactertistic sub-arctic piné products more highly regarded than the German, but and birch forests are replaced by maples, oaks and that the Russians fear the imperialistic tendencies of larches. Winter temperatures correspond to the middle the German government. Secause of these reasons, New England States, but without the raw, damp ocean he is of the opinion that the United States can get its ; : : tan r f ] Are Prccis so] sce . 4 = nal ' winds. The local inhabitants, mostly Mongolian, pr full share of Russian business, if it only seriously ) vide a plentiful and cheap labor supply. goes after it peasants for hauling gravel. by company labor. The officials then gun shells with gold, which they shoot at 2; ar + . Bids are then aske Concessionaires advantags f e tremendous resources of Rus- 341 the richnes f the bargaining with the The face of the pit is and haul- vere the peasant de nal result Vi ¢ not satis- na iug onto “ ‘ the isants on uck [ tne rim ve meth I lescription be ng Oo 1% cos f foodstuffs is e low price f labor But, ( he writer found it ne h as in America, and to i Ss a ng be cause of labor ; { 4 4 { 4 : * 8 UJ ah £ q ¥ te te e \ cd pe gerne weal + eee 5 Needed ‘ corer quene mn Electric Annealing of Steel” Four Types of Furnaces Now in Operation for Aging, Normalizing and Anneal- ing Castings BY HAROLD “y HE fer? ] meta ron, steel and their alloys ke 1 t other metals, develop a degree of hard- irawn, forged or cast. In addi- n to t iality, castings contain strains caused by int I ng in the mold and it is to relieve these softness the metal that iron , re anne nealing of iron and steel is accomplished by metal to temperature of from 1400 to as gh as 1900 deg. Fahr., depending on the alloy, after ed down to normal The f aris table gives the approximate anneal- temperatures for iron, carbon steel and some of I I e¢ Fahr t { mnt 165 S00 tf »170 ) 0 190 ) to lf ito 1é 1500 f ' ° ' mercial anneal it f ( ago, a mmercial annea rried on in fuel-fired furnaces using coal, ke, oil or gas, and these methods are still in quite general ust In the past few years, however, there has leveloped in the metal working industries a recogni- f the importance of more accurate and uniform heat treatment of metals, including annealing, ageing rmalizing The tendency now, where maximum quality and niformity of product are desired, to give consideration the electric furnace for these operations. The actual of the electric energy used will, in most instances, e higher than the bare cost of fuel would be, but this *F ror ré t prepared for and included in the power mitt e} the National Electric Light Association, San Francis June 15 to 19 The author is justrial heating sales General Electric Co., ~ j N. ¥ FULWIDER is frequently justified by the results to be secured. In general, the electric furnace gives a better and more uniform product with less loss from scale, and quite often savings are realized which result in a lower over- all cost of product. Some Advantages of Electric Heat A properly designed electric furnace operates with a very uniform distribution of heat and at no time is the temperature of the heat source much above the Electrically Heat- ed Car-Bottom Furnace Equip- ped With Ribbon Units on Side Walls and in Bot- tom of Car annealing temperature. This means that the metal is heated through to just the right degree and will have the uniform grain structure which characterizes a per- fect anneal. There are no hard spots to slow down machining operations and castings are less likely to break under strain and, as there is no overheating nor flow of air through the furnace, scaling will be reduced to a minimum. The furnace temperature is controlled automatically and is maintained closely and accurately and this is accomplished with a minimum of attendant labor. Usually the annealing process may be carried out over night, thus permitting the use of off-peak power pur- chased at minimum cost. Night operation does not necessarily require night labor or attendance because the furnace may be charged late in the day, after which the power is turned on in the evening by a time switch which subsequently cuts off the furnace at the end of a pre-determined time period. The charge is removed in the morning when the men have returned to work. Often the same furnace is used during the day for other heat-treating operations. Where the work to be annealed must be kept free from scale, as is the case with punchings, it is neces- sary to pack the steel in annealing boxes before load- ing into the fuel-fired furnace. These boxes are closed with a cover to exclude the air and, if made of iron, they are of heavy construction to resist the oxidation which results from repeated use. Boxes made of heat- resisting alloys have a longer life but cost much more. SAE 342 August 6, 1925 In either case, fuel is consumed in heating the boxes and, when it is realized that not infrequently the weight of boxes equals that of their contents, it is obvious to what extent these containers reduce the ca- pacity of the furnace and increase the amount of fuel required for annealing. The characteristics of the electric furnace permit a construction and method of loading which result in the furnace itself serving as the annealing box or con- tainer. Thus, the electric furnace eliminates the items of expense for containers, saves the cost of energy for heating the latter and gives greater productive capac- ity with less floor space. There are other advantages for the electric furnace which are important, if somewhat intangible. Improve- ment of shop conditions is now generally recognized as benefici