The Iron Age 1925-09-17: Vol 116 Iss 12

THE IRON AGE New York, September 17, 1925 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 116, No. 12 Novel Motor Drive in Brass Mill Flexible Melting Units and Annealing, Pickling, Drying and Finishing Equipment Are Other Features BY GILBERT L. LACHER HE word “cabbage” brings to mind both palatable TL" ans aromatic qualities, and to those with a taste for fiction may also bring reminiscences of Mrs. Wiggs. Offhand, the plebeian product of the truck garden would appear to have little connection with the metal-working industry. Yet the cabbage is an impor- tant raw material in brass manufacturing, although in that case the term is applied to a leafy compressed bundle of copper sheet clippings. At its new brass mill, located at 6601 West Grand Avenue, Chicago, the Dal- las Brass & Copper Co. makes its own cabbages from pure copper scrap bought from its own customers or delivered from its manufacturing plant. No cabbages are bought, because of apprehension lest they include foreign materials. As it is, all bales CQUALAUUIUUQUUULAUUOUESTRETAQLOGQS0401{U40QUQOUCT OED SERESGASTSSQOANAAGAGAAOOUAADUSUOOESGSRSSAMASOOA TOA TOOMMMUAGAUMAUAU AUG SALAS AEE SOMOOON AO OUOQOAOUUAU OOO MARRSRSOA ©1111, 0 00044000 LLUMUUULLLAUE ELEM of scrap received are torn apart and carefully inspected before the cabbages are made. This precaution is nec- essary because occasionally copper-plated steel may be inadvertently mixed with copper scrap. Any scrap small enough is passed through a magnetic separator, made by the Dings Magnetic Separator Co., Milwaukee, which removes all ferrous material from the cuprous metal. Skimmings from tne melting furnaces, also, are put through the separator. Cabbaging is done in a hydraulic press, turnished by Logemann Brothers Co., Milwaukee, which has a capacity of 45,000 lb. of compressed scrap per day. The cabbages measure ap- proximately 7 x 13 x 5 in. and weigh about 50 lb. each. Brass scrap also is used. In the selection of virgin metals care is exercised. | } Ut USAC LUGE ERAT APA Finishing Rolls Are Equipped with Blocking Machines to Guide the Metal Around a Block, Forming a Tight Coil. A wire hoop is slipped over the coil to prevent it from spreading again. driven by a synchronous motor. Each mill is So far as is known, a synchronous motor has never before been used for a break-down roll UASEOVANULYNRMRTPMNDAQUDD NGUUUGUOUORENEUAGQNNEEUERSULAUUUGUAULETAUUAUEHAOSU0441000DENSEUL44GUULEENSSS14/(U0UBEAASRS49Q00400S00110QNUDETERSEESLIOLORRSLSSSO0(421140GLL1G2000TRSERAAELLO OTT OMA EPUOLEREPREDTHED TEES HETO0 OAL ESTSGDOOOARSROUANGSROOOTRS HOANOELD ASRS ARLE UL SAAT OUEDULERBET REGAL US COURAGE AUS SUD ARL AAA LNA 733 pe aw. OD 734 THE IRON AGE Only ingot copper analyzing 99.9 per cent is used, most of it being Lake metal. A premium is paid for a high quality of electrolytic slab zinc which has a low lead content, a requisite for, making godd drawing brass. Railroad deliveries of metal are received from a Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul siding which parallels a platform on one side of the mill. Material is un- loaded from box cars to buggies which are drawn by storage battery tractors down a ramp to the plant floor, where storage bins having a capacity of 2,000,000 Ib. have been provided. Incidentally, nearly all mate- rial handling in the mill is performed by two storage battery tractors, one of which was supplied by the Baker R & L Co., Cleveland, and the other, of the lift truck type, by the Crescent Truck Co., Lebanon, Pa. Two Melting Units The arrangement for melting is notable for its con- venience and unusual flexibility, as well as for its ex- MAT PUAN n TTA Aran NN ATA E EN ULLAL LLL RRL cellent equipment. Two parallel furnace pits, 50 ft. long by 10% ft. wide over all, are the converse of each ether, the charging sides of the two pits opening toward an intervening aisle where metal is stored in bins and eharges are weighed. There are four Ajax-Wyatt in- duction furnaces, built by the Ajax Metal Co., Phila- delphia, two in each pit. Since these melting units are of the induction type, local overheating and contami- nation by foreign materials is avoided. The current consumption per furnace is 60 kw. during active oper- ation. Mounted on a special type of buggy built by the Western Cartridge Co., East Alton, IIl., the furnace has four adjustments, each of which is controlled on an operating board located on the pouring side. The buggy rides on a 5%-ft. gage track which extends the length of the pit, so that one adjustment is the length- wise travel of the furnace. Crosswise adjustment is provided for, to bring the furnace close to the charging or pouring side of the pit, as required. The furnace may also be raised or lowered, and for pouring it is tilted. The furnaces, with capacity of 900 lb. each, per charge, are charged either through the top or through a charging door on the back. MES September 17, 1925 Metal is poured into knock-down molds made of a special grade of cast iron. As soon as the brass solidi- fies, hooks holding the moldstogether are released, freeing the cast bar for removal by means of tongs. The bars range in width from 5% to 12% in., in thick- ness from 1 to 1% in., and in length from 37 to 60 in. After each cast, the molds are scrubbed with a wire brush and then blown out with compressed air to re- move all remaining metal or dirt. Gases generated in the furnace pits are collected in overhanging hoods and released through stacks into the outside atmos- phere. Brass bars must be “gated” before they can be rolled into smaller gages. Gating consists of removing the top of the bar, or gate, in whick the piping formed in solidification is to be found. The work is done in a motor-driven alligator shear built by the Canton Foun- dry & Machine Co., Canton, Ohio. After gating, the bars are thoroughly inspected and those not yet free US Melting Furnace Has Four Adjust- ments, Each of Which Is Controlled from an Operating Board Suspended from the Pouring Side. The furnace may be moved lengthwise of the pit, crosswise, up and down, and in addition may be tilted for pouring, as in the illustration HUEVUULANEIUONSURAUASLAYQONEEG LAVORO TEDL SOOOD UPROAR AT from holes are cut again. They are then ready for the mill. The mill consists of a stand of break-down rolls, a stand of run-down rolls and two stands of finishing rolls. These were all furnished by M. Hoagland Sons Co., Rockaway, N. J., and are driven by synchronous motors built by the Electric Machinery Mfg. Co., Min- neapolis. Synchronous Motors Maintain Power Factor So far as,is known, a synchronous motor has never before been used for a break-down roll, as it has been claimed heretofore that such an application was not practicable, Original plans called for three 250-hp. slip-ring motors and a synchronous condenser to main- tain 85 per cent power factor to drive the break-down, run-down and finishing rolls respectively. The Jjpro- vision for the condenser was necessary on account of a ruling of the Illinois Commerce Commission that all motors with a rated capacity of 50 hp. and larger must be synchronous unless a power factor of 85 per cent is maintained. The Electric Machinery Mfg. Co., which supplied all the motors for the plant, found it possible to furnish three 250-hp. synchronous motors with a 90 . i ee pe iia ‘Ml ca esconamnannia ada AEs September 17, 1925 THE IRON AGE 735 wo tucne| bad tANES A. OM AUAUAADAORE EEE a Cabbages of Copper and Brass Scrap Are Made in a Hydraulic Press with a Capacity of 45,000 Lb. of Compresse Metal per Day. Bales of scrap received in the plant are torn apart and carefully inspected before cabbages are made wun per cent leading power factor, running at 50 deg. Cent. on three-phase 60-cycle 440-volt current at 514 r.p.m. The ultimate power factor of the plant as a whole is a resultant of the inductive load of the melting furnaces and inducti , and the corrective capacity of the mill motors is approximately the same, wh they are running under full load or merely with fric tion load. The mill motors are excited from a comn.on d.c. iT ete ed Ce a ad :* E> | isa fe re VA on a a Oe a] = TS ri TEU motor-generator set, and each is provided with auto- matic starters to start and stop the rolls, one push button being on each roll and another being on the switchboard floor, a balcony situated on one side of the brildi purchased at 12,000 volts is stepped its for use in the plant. All the stands are driven by Sykes herringbone gears, furnished by the Farrel Foundry & Machine Co., Buffalo. The break-down rolls have double-reduction AALIAAMAPIUEUADUSAUALSLAIAI LPDMSUSU LUDA SLLUOA BAM SAENSUG SEU MMADSLAL SARUM SOU PAE RR = MS hl “7 \ - After Annealing, Wagons of Brass Are Rolled Out of the Discharge Doors of the Annealing Furnaces Under a Series of Shower Baths. The flood of water from the showers frees the brass from scale which would otherwise form because of the contact of the metal with iron pans on which the coils rest MMUMNUA TATU NSA UT LUTNNENA ATM Nae ANA NEA AANA kt BU SA Mat Wi SUET SRR a TE HE RSM APT ad Ee 736 THE IRON AGE gears, which eliminate backlash and make operations practically noiseless. The other stands have single- reduction gears. The last finishing stand rolls fin-core radiator brass. The finishing rolls are equipped with blocking machines which guide the metal around a block, forming a tight coil. Before a coil is removed from the block, a wire hoop is slipped over it to prevent it from spreading again. Metal rolled in the turn<iown stand is suffi- ciently stiff to coil itself. Hence those rolls are equipped with an ordinary coiling machine. The fin- ishing stands roll both sheets and coils in a wide range of widths and gages. After the bars have been reduced to a suitable thickness by the break-down rolls, they are scalped in a milling-type overhauling machine constructed by the Torrington Mfg. Co., Torrington, Conn. This machine is equipped with milling cutters which remove the cast September 17, 1925 fracture a concrete floor. found the melting fur- naces, however, a concrete surface has been provided, to facilitate shoveling material from the floor. Metal is conveyed from the rolls to and through the annealing furnaces on the annealing wagons just referred to. Iron pans which rest on the wagons are loaded with the bars or coils to be annealed. After the heat treatment the wagons are rolled out of the dis- charge doors of the furnaces under a series of shower baths. The flood of water from the showers frees the brass from scale which would otherwise form because of contact with the iron pans. A concrete floor with drains has been provided under the showers. Ordinarily, the procedure in pickling the metal is to transfer coils from the annealing wagon to a tray suspended from a pneumatic hoist. The tray is low- ered into a vat of acid, then raised and transferred to a hot-water bath by the hoist, which operates on a LUNE HOT | | HAUNONLUULENQUUNQLIUNS4!U 0000000500 EOOREETDLAETRNAERAURERO ENRON TD Pry i eam. Naso d\ | See yt) | bea |) fF For Pickling, Coils Are Transferred from the Annealing Wagon to a Tray Suspended from a Pneumatic Hoist (Shown at Extreme Right). The tray is immersed in an acid vat and then is conveyed to a hot water bath. From the water the coils are drawn through sawdust and through a pair of bristle brush rolls, finally being recoiled around a belt-driven block (left foreground) surface of the bar. The plant is supplied also with reciprocating-type overhauling machines. After scalp- ing, the bars are inspected and all remaining defects are chipped out. Periodical Annealing Needed During the course of rolling, the metal must be pe- riodically annealed. There are two double-end oil-fired muffle furnaces, each with two lift doors at each end, or a total of eight doors. The annealing temperatures vary materially, according to the character of the metal treated. For temperature regulation the furnaces are equipped with pyrometer control. A pyrometer is lo- cated at the front end and another at the back end of each furnace, an indicator is situated at a convenient point on the adjacent wall and a recorder is in the plant office. The furnaces, built by the W. S. Rockwell Co., New York, have natural draft from the bottom. A motor-driven blower arranged with three air con- trols is used largely to atomize the oil for combustion. The burners are of the injector type. The floor adjacent to the furnaces and in the mill room is of wood block. This kind of surface was se- lected because it is in this section of the plant that the workmen do the most walking. Moreover, it was feared that the heavy wagons used for annealing would LECITUOLEONOELOOGTERATON NAT EGTONU GATT LNE PUNUOUNUUSYONUTTRT ALONSO NEATH Wt | Witt Il ULLAL LERPE LOLOL LULEL LULL monorail. From the water the coils are drawn through sawdust into a pair of bristle brush rolis, finally being recoiled around a belt-driven coil block. This is known as a continuous drying-out machine and takes thin gage metal down to 0.005 in. After pickling, metal goes to the inspection benches. For inspecting thin gage material, coils are wound from one arbor to another, passing over a light which permits close observation. Two motor-driven slitters, one for heavy and the other for light-gage metal, are used to cut finished material to the desired widths. There are also a patent leveling machine and a cut-to- length shear with straightening rolls. A ramp leads from the finishing end of the mill to a shipping floor, which is on a level with the outside railroad platform. There is a rolling lift door between shipping room and platform. Two other rolling lift doors on another side of the room open up on a drive- way where motor trucks may be stationed for loading, the floor of the room being on a level with the truck bodies. Oil is used to fire a forced draft heater with two burners, built by the Gillespie-Dwyer Co., Chicago. The heated air is driven through the plant by a motor- driven blower with pipe connections suspended from the ceiling of the plant. Steam is generated in an oil fe aca A OP September 17, 1925 furnace located in the basement. The steam is used to heat the hot water vats and to preheat oil used in the annealing furnaces. Two steel oil storage tanks are located underground beneath the shipping room. Oil is transferred by grav- ity from tank cars, each storage tank having 10,000 gal. capacity, or sufficient to take the entire contents of an ordinary car. The mill building, 100 x 265 ft., is of steel frame construction with lantern-type monitor roof. Contin- uous sash in the side walls and in the monitor insure abundant natural light Only one side of the building is permanent and that has a brick wall, the other sides being constructed of hollow tile. The plant is on an 8%4-acre site, amply large for expansion for many years to come, Using the Mill’s Output Only brass in coils and sheets is made in the mill and to a large extent it is utilized in the main plant of the Dallas company, a three-story and basement structure, 100 x 213 ft., located at 820 Orleans Street, Chicago. There copper is finished, as received from the mines in ingots, to any width and gage down to a thickness of 0.001 in. Likewise brass, bronze, nickel, silver, zinc and similar metals are rolled to finish in coils and strips. AUNAUAIEUA UNA EELED NATTA SAAN Dr. Richard Mol- denke the American Foundrymen’s Association the board of directors has chosen Dr. Richard Mol- denke to be the first recipient of the Joseph S. Seaman gold medal, one of the association’s four major awards, in recognition of his many contributions to the foundry industry. Dr. Robert J. Anderson: was at the same time chosen to receive the first W. H. McFadden gold medal for his contributions to the technical sessions of the A. F. A. and his contributions to the aluminum casting industry. These medals, which are to be presented at the Syracuse meeting of the foundrymen the week of Oct. 5 to 9, are two of four gold medals authorized for pres- entation from time to time to outstanding men con- nected with the foundry industry. The first Penton and Whiting medals were presented at the 1924 Mil- waukee meeting to Enrique Touceda and John Howe Hall for their contributions to the malleable and steel castings industries respectively. These medal awards were made possible by gifts to the association, contributed in 1920, by four charter members and past officers of the association: John A. Penton, W. H. McFadden, J. H. Whiting, and the late Joseph S. Seaman. Dr. Richard Moldenike R. MOLDENKE was born in Watertown, Wis., Nov. 1, 1864. After passing through Columbia gram- mar school, he entered the School of Mines, Columbia University, graduating as an engineer of mines in 1885. After two years’ varied experience in engineer- ing, he returned to the university, on the teaching staff, () the recommendation of the board of awards of ST TTT ee American Foundrymen’s Associa- tion Bestows the First Seaman and McFadden Medals THE IRON AGE 737 Much of the rolled product is used in a lock-seam tube department, said to be the largest installation in the United States. Copper, brass and steel are formed into lock-seam tubes in diameters from 3/16 to 3 in., outside. The Orleans Street plant also has a‘ large press department where intricate shapes are fashioned, and an eyelet department equipped with 14 machines for the manufacture of small special parts. Recently the production of lighting fixtures for homes, apart- ments and hotels has been undertaken. The rolling and manufacturing activities of the Dallas company are a relatively recent outgrowth of a brass and copper jobbing business incorporated in 1908 under the style of A. C. Dallas & Son. In 1911 the company took larger quarters at 117 North Jeffer- son Street, Caicago, and began the manufacture of lock-seam tubes in a small way. Later growth dictated removal to 223 North Jefferson Street and in 1916 sev- eral pairs of rolls were installed to meet the increasing demand for the thin brass and copper used in automo- bile manufacture. The old corporation went out of existence in 1918, giving place to the Dallas Brass & Copper Co. Two years later the large Orleans plant was completed and still further expansion of the com- pany’s business resulted in the recent constructivn of the brass mill on West Grand Avenue. HYNUUNUUULLOEUELUENU4444440{ 0000000 000RSREENEGANSAATOOUEY LL TOTES EETTOAE STALE Dr. Robert J. An- derson and studied for and received the degree of doctor of philosophy. The acceptance of a position with the McConway & Torley Co., Pittsburgh, was the starting point of his career as a metallurgist. Joining the Pittsburgh Foun- drymen’s Association in 1897, and the American Foun- drymen’s Association a few months later in the same year, Dr. Moldenke soon came to know all the promi- nent foundrymen of those days and many lasting friendships resulted. Close to such men as Thomas D. West, A. E. Outerbridge, Jr., W. J. Keep, E. H. Putnam and W. G. Scott, investigation, testing, committee con- ferences and the working out of problems in cast iron and foundry practice became a labor of love, and through the combined effort of this group of men came the beginnings of a revolution in foundry practice which made America easily the leader of the industrial world in that branch of productivity. In 1899, Dr. Moldenke took part in the organization of the Pennsylvania Malleable Co., of Pittsburgh, and acted as superintendent until production was well under way. In the early 90’s he was elected secretary of the American Foundrymen’s Association, did considerable consulting work and found time for much research in many branches of foundry metallurgy and practice. As chairman of the American Society for Testing Mate- rials committee on cast iron, together with Walter Wood, of Philadelphia, repeated journeys were made in Europe, and the foundations laid for the interchange of information on the testing of cast iron, now so hap- pily extended by the American Foundrymen’s Asso- ciation. Dr. Moldenke has contributed to foundry literature A alin rae ANE te ep Sp et oe ones i vs od . non Dg, = Re ert ame eI Re REY eR pe gs a on be 7 Ye ae “ . ay (Rs Litem ct a RRO atl ten eatin in meape et hs = nme = Pee a dO Ca < ; San oily tel 738 THE IRON AGE probably more than any other man. Besides technical articles and reports, a book on the production of malle- able castings and a text book on the “Principles of Iron Founding,” as well as a series of booklets on special foundry subjects attest’ the fertility of his pen. He has received many society honors. He is hon- orary member of the American Foundrymen’s Asso- ciation, the Institute of British Foundrymen, the Pitts- burgh, New England, and the Newark Foundrymen’s Associations. Besides having been secretary-treasurer of the American Foundrymen’s Association, he was vice-president of the American Society for Testing Ma- terials, and is a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the American So- ciety of Mechanical Engineers, the British Iron and Steel Institute, the American Electrochemical Society, and was the first American member restored to the membership list of the Verein Deutscher Eisenhuetten- leute after the war. Dr. Moldenke is still actively engaged in research work, having a small experimental foundry at his “castle” in Watchung, N. J. He has taken out many patents and his consulting practice is extensive, often taking him abroad on special missions. Dr. Robert J. {nderson Sn in Cleveland, July 10, 1892, Dr. Robert J. An- derson obtained his earlier technical training at the Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, from which he received the degree of B. Sc. (in metallurgy) in 1914 and post-graduate degree of Met. E. in 1917. In 1925, he was granted the degree of D. Sc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Upon graduation from the Case School of Applied Science, he accepted a position as instructor in metal- lurgy at the Missouri School of Mines, Rolla, Mo. The later positions which he held were successively those of metallurgical engineer for the American Rolling Mill Co., Middletown, Ohio; assistant to Dr. Henry M. Howe, Columbia University, New York; chief metal lurgist, Cleveland Metal Products Co., Cleveland: re- search metallurgist, United States bureau of aircraft CORROSION BY CITY GAS Tests on British Wrought Iron Pipe—Need for Specifications BY C. H. S. TUPHOLME To two largest corporations in Great Britain manu- - facturing g: I tly recently collaborated in tests on thi effect of gas on various brands of wrought iron, and these tests have disclosed an astonishing variation in the composition of wrought iron gas barrels, and also the fact that tubing sold as wrought iron is, in many cases, a mixture of iron and steel. The gases used in the tests wer ( I ¥ [These gases were allowed to bubble through water so as to insure a state approximating complete satura tion without any tendency to form dew. The experi- ments were allowed to go on for 36 hr., but there was no visible change in the bright surface of any of the arious samples of wrought iron tubing, which were ipplied by leading British manufacturers. A small t of steam was then blown into the specimens when rusting rapidly occurred. This shows how essential is the presence of water to the activity of oxygen, though it is really only confirmation of a well known phenomenon. At the completion of the experiments the amount of orroded iron was determined gravimetrically. Though most of this was found to be hydrated ferric oxide, some was found in solution as ferrous bicarbonate. This is an important point because it has some bearing upon the physical form of the oxide subsequently produced. In the presence of oxygen the dissolved ferrous bicar- September 17, 1925 production, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Detroit; metallurgical engineer and chief of the non-ferrous metals section of the U. S. Bureau of Mines at Pitts- burgh; and lecturer in metallography, Carnegie Insti- tute of Technology. He is now acting as consulting metallurgical engineer and technical expert in the metallurgy of aluminum with headquarters in Cleve- land and Pittsburgh. Dr. Anderson has contributed extensively to the technical magazines and technical associations articles on metallurgical subjects chiefly relating to aluminum and aluminum alloys. Among his activities on behalf of the American Foundrymen’s Association, one of his most important achievements was the development of the aluminum-alloys session of the annual meeting. Dr. Anderson has carried out many investigations on various aspects of aluminum-alloy foundry practice with a view to raising the standards of technical prac- tice. The result of the majority of these investigations has been published in the Proceedings of the A. F. A. and in governmental technical papers. Dr. Anderson has also carried out investigations and published his find- ings on the heat treatment of aluminum-alloy castings and on the radiography applying to such castings, also results of investigations on the metallography, heat treatment and founding of brass, bronze and other cop- per alloys, together with investigations on the corrosion of metals and alloys. His recent book, “The Metallurgy of Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloys,” in 1925, has received an excellent reception as a standard text and reference book. His contributions to the meetings of the American Foundrymen’s Association have been numerous and in addition he has served on several technical committees being for several years chairman of the committee on non-ferrous papers. He is also a member of the joint committee on molding sand research of the American Foundrymen’s Association and the National Research Council. He is a member of other technical organiza- tions, including the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Society for Testing Materials and Franklin Institute. bonate decomposes and precipitates hydrated ferric oxide. ° The conclusions of the investigators may be summed up under the following heads: 1. Carbon dioxide is not an essential agent for oxidation, though its presence to say 2.5 per cent in 1 wet gas containing 1 per cent of oxygen would prob- ably accelerate the rate of oxidation by about 10 per cent, assuming that liquid water is present. 2. Though carbon dioxide does not form an oxide it does, in the presence of water, slowly re- move iron in the form of a solution of ferrous bicar- bonate, and this soluble compound in the presence of oxygen forms oxide which is readily transportable, ind would lead to the stoppage of small pipes 3. Liquid water is an essential agent of corrosion and when present in small quantities its potency in promoting oxidation is more marked than when present in larger volume 4. There is no evidence in ordinary gas distributing systems of products of corrosion that have any retard- ing effect upon further corrosion. The presence of ferrocyanides in the liquid might modify this view, due to the formation of a fairly close coating of prus n blue, but t much importance is attached to this 5. Though the following figures are not put for- experiments show the relative rates of oxidation of typical specimens to be: Very pure iron ward as conclusive, the 100 Wrought iror 150 Steel 190 Something would depend on the constitution of the electrolyte and the nature of the gases present. It was found that mixtures of iron and steel corrode more rapidly than these two metals separately. Over 13 per cent of the samples which were supplied as wrought iron were found to be mixtures of iron and steel, and the officials of the gas corporations referred to have emphasized strongly the need for a standard specification for gas tubing. ca tit reat LD enna 442 ies i NT PO chs Melee alee aa a re nite 1 be Tice See ar eyes ee SR ie AO RAI lia ENED pees re "naan ieee 7 ke ae ee weet t te g ee td oe Eg “at Naa FE et ce ae Pod an . ms Sh a . : E ~o if tt 258 lees a i kee Fog Bins Bal Peet te 4 New Tools at New Haven Exhibition Equipment of 110 Manufacturers Shown—Technical Discussions on Centerless Grind- ing and Other Production Processes nection with shop equipment, must have had a pointed meaning to many at the conclusion of the fifth annual New Haven Machine Tool Exhibition, held at Mason Laboratory, Yale University, Sept. 8 to 11. One hundred and ten manufacturers were repre- sented and the machinery, which included all classes, was for the most part in operation under production conditions. By comparing the output obtained, users of obsolete equipment and tooling undoubtedly realized the wastefulness of the older machinery. This exhibition, held annually, is under the auspices of the New Haven section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Yale University and the New Haven Chamber of Commerce. From a purely local venture started five years ago with only ten exhibitors and an attendance confined largely to the mechanical engineering faculty and students at Yale, it has grown until it is attracting visitors from all over New Eng- land and adjoining States, the attendance last year— the highest thus far reached—having been estimated at over 15,000. Four technical sessions, arranged by the machine shop practice division of the American Society of Me- chanical Engineers, were held during the exhibition. Local plants were visited, including that of the New Haven Clock Co., Geometric Tool Co., and the. Safety Car Heating & Lighting Co. A round-table dinner dis- cussion of inspection methods, press work, production milling and shop training methods was well attended. “ Y pays to replace,” a slogan often heard in con- Centerless Grinding Economical Much interest was shown in centerless grinding, a paper on the “Theory and Practice of Centerless Grind ing” by W. J. Peets, engineer in charge of factory methods, Singer Mfg. Co., Elizabethport, N. J., having been particularly well received. Slides of set-ups for a variety of work were exhibited and data from actual practice submitted. On work for which it is adapted the quantity pro- duction of cylindrical ground pieces, the centerless grinding machine outclasses any other for economy, according to Mr. Peets. It consists primarily of two abrasive wheels, the fast running or grinding wheel 739 and the slow running or regulating wheel, mounted so that their peripheries face each other. One of the wheels has its axis arranged so that it can be swung out of parallel with the axis of the other wheel by varying amounts, as required. Between the two abra- sive wheels is a rest which supports the work. Accord- ing to the relative axial positions of the two abrasive wheels, the centerless grinder may be employed for two distinct classes of cylindrical grinding, straight-in and through grinding. Among the advantages of centerless grinding over between-centers grinding is that the action (in through- grinding) is continuous. The machine eliminates time wasted in placing work between centers, putting on and removing dogs, advancing wheel to the work, ete. On work of small or medium diameter and length the operator is kept busy simply feeding the machine. Much smaller stock allowance for grinding is neces- sary than in between-centers grinding, it was stated, and, as a rule, in centerless grinding the work is sup- ported better. The size of work can be held to closer limits on the centerless grinder, with less skill on the operator’s part. This is said to be because the wheels are not moved during grinding and the chances of error arising from infeed of slides, stops, etc., are eliminated. Also, in centerless grinding, stock is removed from the diameter instead of from the radius of the work, which is said to reduce by one-half any error due to wheel wear (as compared to between-centers grinding) while the wheel wear is minimized by the comparatively light cut taken, making unnecessary frequent adjustments for holding size of work. It was pointed out that the simpler type machine, besides requiring a less skilled operator, also effects considerable reduction in upkeep expense, as the only moving parts while operating are the two wheel spin- dles and the mechanism of turning them. Another ad- vantage cited is that no centering is required. Disadvantages of Centerless Grinder The main disadvantage or limitation of the center- less grinder, according to Mr. Peets, is that quantities of work must be fairly large to warrant setting up the machine. Moreover, the type of work is limited to jae 2 ty asp Ai a yy Ts eee eee \atesia a teal tinny | ty oe Po i 740 THE IRON AGE September 17, 1925 pieces of one diameter for through-grinding, and of one or two diameters for shoulder work in _ straight-in grinding. Dressing of the wheels for through grind- ing, the necessity and form of work guides, and the production of round work by the centerless grinder were also discussed. Production records by the through- grinding method and data on straight-in or form grind- ing were presented. The paper was illustrated by a large number of slides. Increase in production at reduced cost together with the precision obtained was pointed to as the outstand- ing advantage of centerless grinding by W. W. Sea- bury, Ford Motor Co., Detroit, in a discussion of Mr. Peet’s paper. Contrary to the general opinion that the scope of the machine is limited to production of small cylindrical parts ranging from 1/16 to 3 in. in diameter and that it is primarily efficient as a finish- ing machine and not as fast in machining cast iron and steel parts accurately as the various special turning machines available, his own experience indicates that the range of work handled is very wide. To illustrate his point Mr. Seabury cited actual applications of the centerless machine on work at the Ford plant. Cylindrical Lapping on Quantity Basis “Precise Cylindrical Lapping” was the title of a paper presented by Paul M. Mueller, metrologist, Pratt & Whitney Co., Hartford, in which a method of lapping cylindrical work, similar to the Hoke method of lap- ping flat surfaces, was described. Better cylindrical surfaces, he stated, are produced than by hand lapping, and size control is made so simple that the gage diam- eters can be kept just under the maximum value of the wear limit. Rough- and finish-lapping operations are done on the same laps and equipment. Work is gener- ally prepared for lapping by grinding. For gage work it is found mest economical when th 0.0002 to 0.0003 in. above finish size. The measurement of rolls made in quantity to such precise limits by this method of lapping requires re- finements in measuring equipment which the standard measuring machine cannot give. The Pratt & Whitney Co. has developed two new machines, one of which, the millionth mparator, is used as a transfer medium between the product and a master replica. The master replicas, or primary masters, are calibrated on the in- terferom , the operation of which was described and e grinding size is 1] treat LIuUStractved nclusion, Mr. Mueller said that any round piece in be lapped in quantity to a highly finished and accu ite surface with speed. Where conditions demand, extreme precision can be maintained with practical equipment and controls. The apparatus for lapping is not particularly expensive, nor is it difficult to ma‘n- tain and operat From the gage user’s viewpoint, the hief value of the method is its inherent ability to cheapen over-all gage cost. Wear metal or “plus metal” on a gage is the greatest factor in determining age economy Written discussion of Mr. Mueller’s paper submit- d by C. T. Appleton, sales manager Reed-Prentice Co., Worcester, Mass., described cylindrical lapping on production basis by means of the Mirra cylindrical lapping machine. Data on High-Speed Cutting of Brass Data on the high-speed cutting of brass and other soft metals in standard machine tools were presented n a paper by Luther D. Burlingame, industrial super- intendent Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., Providence. It was pointed out that there is as yet no standardized practice in operations on soft metals, especially in mak- ing use of general purpose machine tools and adapting them to high speed work of this character. Essential factors of a machine used on soft metals are that it shall be possible to run the spindle at high speed and to secure proportionately increased feeds. Tools must be so rigidly supported that they will stand the higher feeds and speeds and still produce smooth and accurate work without the necessity of too fre- quent grinding. The use of attachments permits per- forming many operations which otherwise would neces- sitate a second handling of the work in another ma- chine, the author stated. Attachment work includes milling, cross drilling and gear cutting operations. As to cutting tools, it was said that, generally speaking, the same styles are used as when operating on steel, but with less clearance. Rolling threads on soft metals is common practice and sometimes can be used to marked advantage. . It is possible also to use skiving methods, especially when operating on alumi- num. There is a marked difference in practice as be- tween the use of carbon and high-speed steel tools. Some assert that the carbon steel tools can be used successfully, thus saving the expense of the high-speed steel. While much work in cutting soft metals is done without the use of coolant, and the tools stand up well, the general practice is to use coolant, usually lard oil, Soda water is regarded as preferable by many, but the difficulty is its penetration to the bearings and between the slides of the machine, resulting in hard action and breakage. Some are using special soda water solu- tions, contending that their mixtures are such as to avoid this difficulty, thereby giving them the benefit of low cost and a more satisfactory coolant. A coolant said to give good results in machining aluminum is made up of equal parts of kerosene and lard oil. When Brass Costs Less Than Steel In discussing the kind of metal to be used for specific purposes it was pointed out that brass is often cheaver. Although steel costs only about one-third as much as brass, the much greater speed at which the lat- ter may be machined, often permits of such an increase in production that the initial cost of the stock is not only offset, but a material reduction in cost is effected. Salvage also was cited as being so much greater for brass than for steel that frequently the labor cost of making brass parts can be paid for out of the sale of the scrap. More than 21 examples of high-speed brass screw machine work were shown by Mr. Burlingame, and most of these, he said, were made not only at a much lower direct cost than if made of steel, but also at a material saving in floor space and overhead charges because of the fewer machines and shorter operating time required. A piece was shown that was produced more than six times as fast in brass as in steel, and at less than half the cost.e The labor cost may be slightly higher for brass than for steel, due to the extra work in supplying a larger number of rods of stock and in caring for the chips, but this should be balanced, it was said, by the longer life of the tools when cutting brass, as they require less frequent grind- ing and setting. The quality of brass stock used was stressed as a factor influencing the cost of making brass parts. Commercial Airplanes Made of Metal The development of metal airplanes for commercial use, beginning with the preliminary experimental work which led up to the present design of the all- metal plane in use on the Ford air lines out of De- troit and other cities, was outlined in a paper on “All Metal Airplanes,” by William B. Stout, of the Stout Metal Airplane Division, Ford Motor Co., Dear- born, Mich. This paper, read by G. H. Hoppin of Mr. Stout’s company, was illustrated by slides and moving pictures. Greater interest has been shown in air transpor- tation in the past six months than at any time since the war, according to L. S. Horner, vice president Acme Wire Co., New Haven, and chief of staff, Bureau of Aircraft Production during the war, who made a brief address preceding the reading of Mr. Stout’s paper. The interest of the Ford company in airplanes was, he thought, largely responsible for this. At the same session O. B. Iles, president of the International Machine Tool Co., Indianapolis, and presi- dent of the National Machine Tool Builders’ Associa- tion, made an address on the “Future of the Machine Industry,” an abstract of which appeared in THE IRON AcE of Sept. 10. “The Foreign Trade Outlook in the Machine Tool Field,” an address by W. H. Rastall chief of the industrial machinery division, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Com- September 17, 1925 THE IRON AGE 741 Exhibition Is Incorporated HE New Haven Machine Tool Exhibition has been incorporated under the laws of Connecticut, according to an announcement, dated Sept. 12, by the Mason Laboratory of Mechanical Engineering, Yale University. This action, which follows five years of rapid growth, was taken to insure the continuity of the policies and efforts which have made the exhibition such a success. The cor- poration will have no capital stock and no part of the property or income can be used for the benefit of private individuals. The corporation membership numbers 15, of whom nine will be appointed by the chairman of the New Haven section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers from its members, three by the president of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce from that body and three by the Department of Mechanical Engi- neering, Yale University, from that department. At least two-thirds of the sur- plus from the exhibition each year will be set aside as a reserve fund and will not be used to defray ordinary exhibition expenses except with approval of two-thirds of the entire board of management. The next exhibition, according to tentative plans, will be held at Mason Laboratory, Sept. 7 to 10, 1926. merce, Washington, abstracted in this issue, was given at this session. At a session devoted to shop training methods, J. P. Kottcamp of the Johns-Manville Co., Inc., Manville, N. J., spoke on “Technical Training for Industry.” The development of schools that would give a two-year intensive engineering course under industrial con- ditions was advocated by Mr. Kottcamp. Variety of New Equipment Shown ITH 59 exhibitors representing 110 manufacturers, the showing of machine tools and other equipment was impressive. In floor space, 2000 sq. ft. more than last year was required. General features of several of the new and improved machines and other equip- ment are outlined in what follows, while further de- scription of some of the new designs will be given in forthcoming issues. Among the machines at the booth of Henry Prentiss & Co., Inc., New York, which showed the machines of more than ten manufacturers, were three new tools of the Cin- cinnati-Bickford Tool Co., Cincinnati, among them an im proved 4-ft. radial drill with variable-speed motor drive, controller mounted on the head, push button control and pneumatic column binder. The machine has a heavier frame than formerly. Another Cincinnati-Bickford exhibit was a 20-in. upright, sliding-head type drill with direct constant speed motor drive inclosed in the base. This machine is intended for intensive production, and the maximum speed is 1600 r.p.m. With a ¥-in. drill the penetration is 16 in. per min. in cast irén. A new 21-in. direct drive machine with tapping attachment and using a 4 to 1 variable speed motor was also in operation. At the same booth the Avey Drilling Machine Co., Cin cinnati, exhibited a new No. 1% single-spindle “Aveymatic” with a built-in four-speed a. c. motor mounted vertically at the rear, the motor pulley being belted to a two-step spindle pulley. The motor is adjustable horizontally by hand wheel at the front of the machine, serving to tighten the belt when necessary. Eight speeds, up to 4500 r.p.m are obtainable. New 24-In. Shaper A 24-in. “Invincible” shaper, recently added to the lings of Gould & Eberhardt, Newark, N. J., was shown This in addition to being a new size, includes centralized oiling, direct motor drive and other refinements. ; The Cincinnatt Milling Machine Co., Cincinnati, had its new No. 3 pyramid-column type high power plain miller under power, and its centerless grinder in operation on a variety of work. A 14-in. selective geared-head tool room lathe with motor inclosed in the leg was shown by the Lodge & Shipley Co., Cincinnati, and a four-spindle chuck- ing machine, tooled for brass work, by the Goss & DeLeeuw Machine Co., New Britain, Conn. A new No. 41 high-speed press with direct-connected motor drive and an automatic armature disk notching attachment, operating at 600 strokes per min., was among the machines of the V & O Press Co., Hudson, N. Y. Other machines at the Henry Prentiss com- pany booth included a 10-ton vertical hydraulic broaching and forcing press of the Oilgear Co., Milwaukee; the “Mil- band” high-speed metal cutting machine of the Henry G. Thompson & Son Co., New Haven; the No. 10 vertical sur- face grinding machine of the Blanchard Machine Co., Cam- bridge, Mass., and the “Ter-O-Matic” automatic bore grinder of the Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool Co., Fond du Lac, Wis. The latter machine was shown in roughing and finish- ing work, demonstrating the automatic sizing device, auto- matic wheel truing device and other features. Among the new equipment in the space of Purinton & Smith, Hartford, was a No. 104 motor-driven internal grinder of the Rivett Lathe & Grinder Corporation, Boston. A visible dial gage, special diamond truing device, special! chucking equipment, automatic headstock and water control and Fork-cup system of lubrication are among the new features. A No. 608 lathe mounted on a cabinet and equipped with gear box and traverse relieving attachment was also on view. A drill head with built-in motor was a new unit shown by the Kingsbury Mfg. Co., Keene, N. H., which exhibited several interesting drilling machines employing the com- pany’s drill head. The Hart & Hegeman Mfg. Co., Hartford, exhibited a high-speed automatic tapper with dial feed. A “super’’ drill chuck the sleeve and key of which have spiral teeth was a new item shown by the Jacobs Mfg. Co., Hart- ford The Rhodes Mfg. Co., Hartford, Conn., had a 3%%-in. vertical slotter equipped with circular dividing table, and tilting knee, the latter being a new feature. A 7-in. shaper was also in operation. Broaching Machine With Improved Features The J. N. Lapointe Co., New London, Conn., showed its No. 4-W variable-speed broaching machine which includes improved features. All piping excepting the high pressure and low pressure pipes from the cylinder to the pump has been eliminated. Automatic high-speed return of the broach at the rate of 60 ft. per min. is provided, regardless of the cutting speed. The machine was demonstrated broaching ten splines in pieces of cold rolled steel 2 in. in diameter, 2% in. long. The floor to floor time was 15 sec. per piece, 300 Ib. gage pressure A 16-in. helical geared tool room lathe of the Monarch Machine Tool Co., Sidney, Ohio, equipped with lead screw reverse and cam-operated frictions was among other exhibits in the space of Purinton & Smith A Sipp No. BW 8-in overhang quick change sensitive drill was shown by the Foote-Burt Co., Cleveland, and a No. 83 vertical spindle surface grinder by the Abrasive Machine Tool Co. East Providence A feature of the exhibits in the space of Manning, Max- well & Moore Co., Inc., New York, was the \-in. automatic bent tap nut tapper, a new size being brought out by the National Machinery Co., Tiffin, Ohio. It is for both square ind hexagon brass and steel] nuts, taking taps from No. 2-56 to No. 6-32 The machine is motor driven and has hopper feed The production with a No. 4-36 tap is 200 per min. Other machines in this space included a 20-in. heavy-duty production drill of the W. F. & J. Barnes Co., Rockford, IIL ; a No. 1 motor-driven universal cutter and tool grinder, a No. 78, motor in the base, cabinet type surface grinder and 1 new Yankee drill grinder of the Wilmarth & Morman Co., Grand Rapids A 22-in. helical geared-head lathe of the Monarch Machine Tool Co., Sidney, Ohio, was in operation, as were also two pipe machines of the Williams Tool Cor- poration, Erie, Pa., and a universal woodworker of the Crescent Machine Co., Leetonia, Ohio. Of several machines shown by Botwinik Brothers, New Haven, was a shaper of the John Steptoe Co., Cincinnati; grinders of the Hisey-Wolf Machine Co., Cincinnati: the Connecticut universal grinder of the Middlesex Machine Co., Middletown, Conn., and inclinable power presses of the Rockford Iron Works, Rockford, Il. The exhibit of the Pratt & Whitney Co., Hartford, was large and included its late models. A 30-in. vertica!] miller and profiler was under power, and a 13-in. geared head Model B lathe was in operation on a variety of precision and production work. A new 6-in. Model fi shaper was exhibited, as well as a single-head plain centering machine intended either for short runs of work or single pieces of any length. A polar table for accurate indexing for use with the company’s jig borer and other machines was also shown and there was a large display of small tools and gages. The plug part of a cast-iron A.P.I. oil well casing gage, 24-in. diameter, attracted attention. Screw Machines in Operation In automatic screw machines the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., Providence. demonstrated its No. 00 equipped wit high-speed spindle and slotting, threading and cutting off RE OS RPE 8 Cpe te BAI ing ments BL . AO TE NOMEY aoe . rete ae THE IRON AGE September 17