The Iron Age 1926-01-14: Vol 117 Iss 2

r iN +e \926 loid News Summary and Contents Index are on the editorial page with the orange border IRON ACE OOUUEROOSOSEROGORAGOGEOGERORAEROESOONEEE OOULEROOREOUGROAAGEOAEDORAOOOREOCACOOENOtIDD: SUOUROOGONNRORGAOAAAREGAGDOERORAROSSeoOtoOOaE PO UUCEUOLEDEOOODOODAOGRADEOEOOEUDEAEEOOUSOOROODORUOREODEORAOEAOORONORNNG Published Weekly NEW YORK, N. Y., JANUARY 14, 1926 Single Copy, 25 Cents , Entered as second-class matter June 18, 1879, at Post Office . . Vol. 117, No. 2 at New York under the Act of March 3, 1879 Six Dollars a Year In U. 8. MT AUUUEEAOEDOSONOGEDOOOESOEOONOEOGUOEOORDONOUEUEEDEAONOOEOEROEOEEGEOGHOUEOEAEOROGEOUREGEOOOOGRSSEODERGEUEROROELOUNIENSEOOROGEOEEOOOOUOEUDSUEROREOOROOOORDENOOREODEODOO ROO OOUSUSSU ROD ORDERED RCO OD ONO OOOEOOREEGE bo THE IRON AGE January 14, 1926 Becker Type Combination Coke and Gas Ovens In determining the type of by-product oven to be built, the iron and steel company must consider not only present requirements of coke and gas, but possible future require- ments, especially the amount of gas that will be required. THE BECKER TYPE COMBINATION COKE AND GAS OVEN which can be heated with coke oven gas, producer gas, blast furnace gas or blue water gas, is de- signed to take care of present and future de- mands for gas. That the iron and steel industry recognizes the advantages of this oven is demonstrated by the fact that virtually all of the by-prod- uct ovens contracted for in the past three years have been of this design. The Koppers Company Pittsburgh, Penna. Chicago, II. New York City THE IRON AGE New York, January 14, 1926 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 117, No. 2 Stampings Assembled by Welding Jigs Facilitate Operations and Assure Alinement to Close Limits, in One Case to 0.0005 In.— Press Work at Times More Economical BY L. S. LOVE ITH the marked growth in recent years of weld- ing in its various forms has come the develop- ment of refinements in practice. Nearly all processes in the mechanical arts, as in other fields, have crude beginnings and are confined to the simplest forms, later developing into more finished and more de- pendable shapes, with wider applications. In welding the first method was the simple process of heating two pieces of iron in a forge to fusing tem- perature and uniting them by hammer blows. In welds of this kind there was always a potential weakness due to prevalence of bits of the fuel, oxide, sulphur or other impurities in the weld, which tend to set up a pro- gressive opening of the welded seam, sometimes result- ing in failure of the welded part at a critical moment. Furthermore, this method of welding for some classes of work was slow, and therefore costly as reckoned by today’s advanced practices, and was limited as to shapes of work and materials which could be welded. Later developments in the simple form of welding were the use of gas, liquid fuels and electric heat in furnaces in place of charcoal, coal or coke in the forge. In addition to this method of welding others have been devised which are faster, more economical and are dependable. With research in the electrical field came the devel- opment of arc welding and the butt, spot and seam welding processes, working on the resistance principle. Refinement of apparatus for using acetylene or other gas and oil fuels brought the use of intense direct heat 123 to fuse metal from a welding wire to two or more pieces to be joined. With all of these later methods of welding it has been only in comparatively recent years that actual progress has been made in their use on other than the simplest forms of work, first in making repairs, later as parts of manufacturing processes. Practically all of the above forms of welding are used in the plant of the Heintz Mfg. Co., Philadel- phia, maker of stamped and assembled sheet metal goods, this company having applied these methods to the production of some pieces of unusual character. A special seam welding machine, for instance, has been developed by the Heintz company, in which the arc principle is utilized in the manufacture of automobile rear axle housings. The machine is covered by patents and the electrical equipment for it was furnished by the General Electric Co. In addition to the development of welding equip- ment, a factor of importance in the production of difficult stamped and welded assemblies is the extensive use of jigs for holding pieces to be welded. The jigs not only facilitate rapid production in welding, but also are so made as to be fool-proof, counteracting to a large extent the human tendency toward error and permit of holding the finished piece to close limits of accuracy. ™ On some of the products of the Heintz company it Fig. 1 (left)—A Windshield Base Pressed from Sheet Steel. A forged reinforcing plate, used for attachment to the cowl, was welded into the pressed piece which con- tained also formed and welded sockets for stanchions Fig. 2 (below)—A More Recent Form of Windshield Stanchion Fig. 3—The Stanchion Shown in Fig. 2 Contains a Guide and Passage for a Tube Operating a Windshield Wiper. Gas seam welding is an important part of this assembly has been found desirable to defer final assembly until the work reaches destination, because of easier or less costly transportation when shipped knocked down. In such cases the customer has been tooled to effect the final assembly in a welding jig designed by the Heintz organization, or when welded assemblies are to be bolted together, they are so designed as to require a minimum number of bolts. It is not the purpose of this article to dwell on the subject of welding per se, nor to set forth the relative merits of one form of weld as opposed to another, but rather to show what has been accomplished in the use of one or another of several forms of welding to assem- ble many pieces into a whole and still maintain machin- ing accuracy, or an accuracy equal to the common com- mercial acceptance of that term in the machine shop. To accomplish these results pieces may be entirely welded by one method, or several methods may be em- ployed. Many of the pieces replace castings, wood, or parts made of material other than pressed steel. Welded Windshield Base Replaces Die Casting The first really difficult job, the success of which led to the development of a number of the others, was a windshield base shown in Fig. 1, which replaced a Fig. 4—Inspection Tolerances on the Wind- shield Stanchion Shown in Fig. 2 Are Rigid THE IRON AGE January 14, 1926 die casting of aluminum base alloy. In this case, as in all other developments, a hand-made sample was first produced to make sure of the practicability of the piece as made from sheet steel before incurring the expense of making dies. . The hand-made model was put through tests for accuracy and rigidity to determine its fitness to sustain the loads to be carried by it. The illustra tion of this part shows, from left to right, the variou: steps of forming, trimming, bending, etc., leading up to the welding, in which forged reinforcing plates to take tapped holes were welded into the pressed piece. The entire assembly was required to conform to cowl con- tour and also to furnish the correct angle for the stanchion anchor holes. This work was done by yas welding. A more recent form of windshield stanchion, shown in Fig. 2, contains a guide and a passage for 2 tube operating an automatic windshield wiper. “Gas seam welding, shown in Fig. 3, is an important part of this assembly. The inspection of this piece, which is held to close limits, is shown in Fig. 4. The experience in making the windshield base led to the next step in the development of welded assem- blies at the Heintz plant. This took the form of wind- shield stanchions above referred to and gipsy quarters, shown in Fig. 5. The stanchions are made right and left to fit directly to the motor car cowl. Nine pieces made separately are welded together to make up the Fig. 5—Gipsy Quarters Are Welded Assem- blies Made Into Box Sections anc Guides for Rear Side Curtains Include completed stanchion in box form. The work includes spot welding, the welding of seams by electric arc, and also the use of gas welding in several places. This assem- bly is noteworthy for several reasons: First, through it lengthwise must be Jeft room to pass a tube for an automatic windshield wiper; also a slot must be made, which is to serve as a curtain guide. The slot must test to plus or minus 0.002 in., as it must permit free movement of the curtain when lowered and at the same time must be sufficiently snug to prevent curtain slap in a breeze. Other portions are also closely tested. The angle at the bottom which fits to the cowl must be within plus or minus 0.0005 in. and, when set in a test- ing fixture, must register the windshield trunnion with a sliding bushing in the fixture when the top end of the piece is against a stop block. Holes drilled for attachment to the cowl are checked to plus or minus 0.001 in. The gipsy quarter, Fig. 5, the companion piece of the stanchion, is also made right and left and is pro- vided with a similar curtain guide, being used to guide the rear side curtain. This part is built up of 12 pieces joined by seam welds, spot and oxy-acetylene methods. Accuracy limits corresponding to those in the windshield stanchion must be maintained. The box section construction obtained gives great rigidity, it being claimed that these four pieces, the two stanchions and two gipsy quarters, when the steel top of the car is attached, will support fhe entire weight of the car when inverted. Double Jig Used in Assembling Car Top Rails The steel top which attaches to these supports is made up of two side rails or channels, a rear rail, a January 14, 1926 Fig. 6—Side Rails for Touring Car Permanent Tops Have Curtain Brackets At- tached by Are Welding. A double fixture is used, with two loaders and one welder working as a crew number of cross members and two rear corner panels. The side and back rails are checked carefully for con- tour before welding operations on them are started. Curtain brackets are attached into the side rails. This work is done on a production basis in a double jig, with two loaders and one welder working as a crew as shown in Fig. 6. The jig used makes for low costs, at the same time insuring good pay to the men doing the work. The welding is by the arc process, with the jig itself forming one pole of the circuit. The brackets are first set into fixtures on the jig and the rail is clamped in place against them. To prevent the possibility of error the fixtures are made so that the brackets will fit into them in the correct position only. Each cycle in the double jig completes a pair of raiis, and the rate of output is 66 per hour. Contour inspection of the side rails and rear rails is an important phase of the work, the fixture used for inspection of the rear piece being shown in Fig. 7. Because of the bulky nature of the top when com- pletely assembled, the Heintz company has tooled its customer to effect the final grouping or assembling of the various composite parts into a finished top ready for covering and lining materials. This arrangement has made for a large saving in shipping space and consequently in freight charges. It is such savings in manufacturing and attendant costs which have largely contributed to the constant reduction of the cost of automobiles to the public. Press Operation Sometimes Cheaper Than Weld While progress in welding methods has tended to decrease costs, at times a press operation may prove cheaper than a weld. This is exemplified in the making of rear axle housings at the Heintz plant. It was for- merly the practice to weld a reinforcing strip around THE IRON AGE the differential housing, the strip being intended to provide strength for tapping holes to receive hand hole cover plates. This reinforcement is now secured by a folded flange made in a press before the half housing blank is formed. Three dies compose the folding set, the first taking the flat blank cut to shape and bending the edges for the flange. The next step is a progressive fold and.the last a setting down of the flange... This produces a double thickness of the metal to receive the tapped holes. The three dies are used together under one double crank press, shown in Fig. 8, and three men tend the operation. The first, at the right, sets in the blanks and operates the clutch, the other two, one at the back of the machine, move the work along to the second and third dies and out of the machine. The two halves of the housing, shown in Fig. 9, are seam welded in a special double-head machine designed and patented by the Heintz company. Aside from the: actual welding which is done rapidly, the machine per- mits of a decided saving of time when clamping the two pieces together preparatory to welding. Several sets of clamping jaws and a pair of centering plugs for the ends are all controlled by one air valve lever, which serves to actuate one set of jaws after another as the lever moves through an are. After seam weld- ing and testing for alinement, spring pads and bearing retainers are welded on in a jig by the arc process. Rigid Alinement Test for Axle Housing The alinement test for the axle housing is rigid. The housing is laid with the ends in vee-blocks, as shown in Fig. 10, the central portion resting on hard- ened pins. It must lie without rocking. A gage with vee-block ends is then set over it and the upper side tested. In the gage are four sliding flush pins which are provided with “go” and “no-go” limits. The upper Fig. 7—Contour Inspection of the Side Rails and Rear Rail Is an important Phase of the Work Before Final Assembly. The fixture for inspection of the ear piece is shown above 126 THE in is ground in two steps If the upper with or higher than the surrounding por the work passes the inspection, pr step is flush with or lower than ths nila r flush pins are used for testing side end of the housing 4 circular cen in the foreground of Fig. 10, is used differential openings f using competently designed jigs 1 fied in the building of taxicab doors, Fig. 11, which is of a design and ted the Heintz company. Out his design of door are simplicity, aving under strain and the elimination which features tend to lower the cost minimize squeaking in service. The nstruction features are the complete nly two jigs from basic elements to a r ready for paint, glass, hardware and without polishing of joints or other work g after leaving the second jig ening member of the door upon which de iid for freedom from warping isa torque r enter, made of ordinary lap weld pipe. pe are welded lugs for attachment, by spot anne! This portion of the door, i IRON AGE Fig. S—A Re Flan g ¢ Turned Ove In Press Before fie Rear Axle Housine Is Formed Saves a Retra Welding )) Three dis used toge ther unde) forcing eration, one double cranl pre S88, COMPOSE the folding operation The machine tended by three me including the top and bottom members, is completely welded in the first jig, shown in Fig. 12. Incidentally, the fabrication of the top membe1 itself is a note worthy press operation, consisting as it does, of a box section with a longitudinal arc, forming a curved top for the door. The assembly of the frame, includes also the forming, from the various pressed pieces, of a channel guide in each side frame for a sliding glass panel which is later fitted. After the frame is com pletely assembled it is transferred from the first jig, lig. 12, to the second, shown in Fig. 13. In the latter are placed the steel panel and facing pieces for the outside of the door. The frame is laid on these, which have a flange turned up all around, and clamped. The next operation is a turning over by hand of the flange on the panel over a locking flange in the frame. The flange is then set down by a swaging tool in a pneu- matic hammer and welded in place making an all steel door constructed to eliminate warping, shrinkage, or the rattling of any loose parts. When taken from the second jig the door is ready for paint without polishing or other preparation, as the joints are of the coach type which leave no rough edges to be finished off. The test consists of checking holes for attachment of hinges, handle and upholstery and the checking by a roller of the glass guides. These must be sufficiently Fig. 9--The Two Halves of Axle Housings Are Seam Welded In t Special Machine Which Does Two Seams at One Ne (=f 'p January 14, 1926 welds inate ten ee ee Se ia January 14, 1926 free to permit easy roll but not loose enough for play that would permit the glass to rattle. Final Assembly of Bulky Articles at Destination In cases where final assembly of bulky articles is desirable after material leaves the plant one point in particular is essential. Shipment in knocked-down cor dition saves space, but assembly must be made in a minimum of time after reaching destination. In th case of road beacons and highway light houses, the beacons are carried on motor trucks to the location at which they are to be set up and then completely as sembled by only eight bolts. To accomplish this simple assembly problem the beacon is made with base and top constructed of formed segments welded together. The stanchions are of Armco ingot iron and formed to hold the panels steady when set in place. In gathering the pieces for the, base or top, a jig is used in which the segments are placed and clamped by clamps along the sides and one large center clamp to hold all pieces After the four corner pieces are welded, a simple pol ishing operation is all that is needed to finish the as- sembly. Another piece assembled away from the factory is the soda water dispensing slot machine cabinet This is constructed in a manner similar to that employed for the road beacons, except that provision must be made for the opening and closing of the door. The lat- ter employs two of the torque tubes described as part of the taxicab door, to prevent sag of the door. Rogers-Brown Iron Co. Readjustment Completed BUFFALO, Jan. 13.—It has been announced by of ficials of the Rogers-Brown Iron Co. that the readjust ment of the company’s affairs has now been completed according to schedule, with the plan effective Jan. 1. The Susquehanna mine of the Rogers-Brown Iron C at Hibbing, Minn., has been taken over by the Susque- hanna Ore Co., a corporation organized under the laws of Minnesota and controlled by Republic Iron & Steel Co., Inland Steel Co. and the M. A. Hanna Co. The Susquehanna Ore Co. has assumed two of the Rogers Brown Iron Co. bond issues known as the Buffalo Sus Fig. 13— After the Frame Is As- sembled It Is Transferred to a Second Jig, i Which Are Placed the Steel Panel ind Facing Pieces for the Outside of the Door THE IRON AGE 127 Fig. 12 To the T orque Tube of the Taxicab Door Are Welded Lugs for Attuchment to the Side Chan nels. This part of the door, iv cluding top and bottom members, s welded in the ng shown Fig. 11—Taxicab Doors Combine, In the Making, Several Different Kinds of Welding. The fixtures used permit quick assembly and assure good coach joints on the outside which require no grinding nor polishing before painting quehanna Iron Co. first mortgage 5’s and the Rogers- Brown Iron Co. first and refunding 5’s. The Hanna ‘company will operate the Susquehanna mine for the Susquehanna Ore Co. The holders of the Rogers-Brown Iron Co. 7’s have consented to the release of the Susquehanna mine, sub- ject to the payment of the two underlying bond issues by the Susquehanna Ore Co. as above referred to. The 7 per cent bonds deposited by the holders as evidence of their consent to this plan will be returned promptly. Steps are being taken to have the necessary indorse- ments placed upon the bonds. The M. A. Hanna Co. also will operate and manage the Iron River properties of the Munro Iron Mining Co., a subsidiary of the Rogers-Brown Iron Co. The Rogers-Brown Iron Co. has issued $2,000,000 of five-year gold notes. The purpose of this issue was to fund a part of the bank debt, the balance of which was paid in cash and to supply additional working capital to the corporation. The pig iron of the Rogers-Brown Iron Co. will continue to be sold by Rogers-Brown & Crocker Bros., Inc. ouring Ingots by a New Method Reservoir and Multiple-Pouring Float Designed to Reduce Pipe and Blowholes in Steel—May Be Used with Standard Open-Top or Notch Molds 5 1, compact ingots, particu- The float is supported on top of the reservoir, gener- have been ally projecting about 2 in. into the reservoir. The floats pipe and blow are of various types, but at the bottom of each are four lidification or more holes, which are located as far from the center m a re rapid decline in as possible. The size of the holes depends largely on which is in the grade of steel being poured, the size of opening of } adle nozzle, the tonnage of the heat, and the static he center of the the 1 formation of a head pressure of the ladle. The holes in the basket ‘ n the and most generally used, however, average 2 in. in diameter. a heavy head In pouring, the reservoir is placed on top of the metal previou mold while the basket in turn rests on top of the reser ‘ir. The ladle nozzle is placed directly over the float Hence the metal from the ladle creates in the float a teel, which in turn drains through the holes the float to the mold proper. Since the metal flows the mold in several streams, neither the stool nor h t mold are hit by the strong, forcefu [ R ym tne adle. Moreover, the streams do not netrate the lready poured into the mold and, ] | a ae oon ae oe sie 1: } a onsequently, the ¢ and other impurities which other- : TT] f vise would Dé iried or imbedded deeply in the ingot the In breaking the descent of the metal the float frees ervoir, a considerable percentage of the gases, it is said. Like- j oject wise, the div n of the steel into several streams als« I reacn ie l'} ( us¢ i l I irface f I ! t be Y On the er hand. vas ! I 1 pr: f th rot whicl not anncal I n ! failure when the tin he fact f ! ttir he stool mold, lifying and oxidizing be ng in the mold reache t. Leaky and accentuate UI conditior Cracked The Reservoir Can Bi: renerally attributed to top nangers, but it is Used With Standard One frequently caused by the lop Molds or With Notch metal to the stool Q{ tiokare it } Molds, as Shown in the re¢ ‘ fr yn I ‘ trat int ne ree grasses ‘ n ? reru r pl tice. would be , ning tl f 1 fore } t th. y ; eating . é eq in : Y 1 ¢ =% ondary pipe or gas } ? f r) pocket lt ( 1 ’ | The } ‘ } } : that the metal lat tn a y y ) Y rs . . ° rs i rl This, it is said, Por R r ( ws the cent { ] vhich the hottest part freely, making nd greater freedom 1, the walls of the ng neated a high degree l ype / F at Are Used CMe B ‘TO? of Each Are i *"M e Hole as Far From Center as Possible { 4 a” January 14, 1926 through radiation. Hence the metal last poured into the ingot loses little of its original heat through contact with the walls of the float and reservoir. The mold and reservoir are filled with steel until the float, which is lighter than the metal, floats on top of the ingot, thereby retaining an intense heat in the metal in the reservoir or upper portion of the ingot, for a considerably longer period, it is said, than has so far been obtained in standard practice, without using expensive fuels or gases. The delay of the descent of the metal in the reser voir has the effect, it is said, of filling up more of the pipe and consequently yielding more sound steel. The multiple-pour method also proves advantageous, it is stated, when running or leaky stoppers are encoun- tered, because it is not necessary in such instances t knock the reservoir off the mold. Instead, the holes of the float, which are designed to take the full stream from the ladle, permit the steel pourer to pour until the float floats, before passing on to the next mold, thereby insuring as full a yield, it is asserted, as if a running stopper had not been encountered, the yield being from 82 to 85 per cent free from pipe. In contrast, the re fractory top, under regular practice, must be removed, in which event the ingot yield free from pipe is con siderably reduced. There are several indirect savings from the use of the reservoir and float which may not be apparent at first giance. lor instance, considerably longer life 1 obtained, it is asserted, from stools, buggies and ingot molds, because the float absorbs the forceful pressure of the stream, eliminating the cutting and wearing effect of the direct stream from the ladle. For the same reason stool stickers are materially reduced and broker buggy axles rarely occur, it is stated. In the reservoir and float practice the refractory THE IRON AGE 129 A Heat Poured, Using B ein g the Reservoir and Float Multiple- Pour Method top does not adhere to the ingot after stripping. Very little refractory material, therefore, reaches the soaking pits, it is said, and practically none is encountered be- neath the roll trains, which insures cleaner scale for blast furnace use. Manufacturers of high silicon heats for use in mak ing electrical sheets find it advantageous to use th reservoir and float method, it is asserted, because it produces much better finished material and great yield. On the other hand, for certain grades of steel it has been found profitable to use only the floating reservoir. In the Case of These Molds a Runnina Stoppe Heat Was Poure d Without Disturbing Reservoir y F oat Ingots Poured by the Reser- vour and Float Method, Viewed After Stripping Reduced Ore Piles Raise Hopes Better Prices Expected Because of Small Stocks at Lake Region Mines L Expansion of Mechanical Methods and Development > Sintering WIGHT E. WOODBRIDGI ns Northern ar erous re wee has b ir 1 foward Mechanic Operation Mines ot lly Cote) Cea) Ft Y i? { witt 1red *. I ne 7 i i out ] t 7 cre ol I n Cx n ITT ace + OCK Mesabi had r ve for the ] Unle SS le Oliver Tron 130 re if , not an unusually lar tt) were Trend Toward Larger Operating Units d Northern Pacific railroads, and at Ash- for the North Western line. These new all concrete and steel, and are up to the ty and ore handling devices. extens al ion of the policy of group opera naugurated on a considerable scale only years ago when Pickands, Mather & Co ng agent for a number of propertie in which it had a material direct this company and M. A. Hanna & Co. rating a number of mines in which their owners is quite small, if it exists at all. easier for the small operator and relieves But it industry. aT} all tnose sponsibilities. tends toward ntrol the i in 18,000,000 tons ore handled over the the Duluth, Missabe & Northern Rail- ken in 2108 loads, or an average cargo of Thi + of rs ot s is not so heavy an average as during sons, which is accounted for by the fact the connecting channels the Great than usual, affecting cargoes to indred tons. a 1! ol een owel 1] veral nN eavy Stock Piles to Depress Prices It that the immediate causs price has been the pres- various points. Thess high initial costs and of not far from 40c interest and taxes. These and no longer incentive to cut the price Moreover, everyone looks expected for this year. in + a ented + he rate ll reduced no are l now them. 1926, m in possibly well toward 60,- re s when com- which a considerable ad- For example, many mines, only t side of the ledger last year. One a very property with a good ore and light stripping, which The other is an unusually example is a mine the 1925 ship- roximated 200.000 tons. However, interest on bonds, taxes, royalty, ete. 50c. ton more than the was For such mines, and many advance in price will not be it will help and it will give hope. no burdensome amount past ten need verage for the tol Operators years, Dring them out even. ’ one ompany workin righ y : large Ww royalty amortized. Ar othe r h An app ’ i¢ out a ore mine mouth. probable of left at Possibly the largest mines of the Cleveland-Cliff: Mich., but these do not 1,500,000 tons, which is not ring that company’s definite outlets for the There are no large stocks on the ge, and Iron Mountain was well cleaned of navigation. There ore around Crystal Mich. Vermillion are small, and considering its output the practically nothing on hand. This augurs coming year and for the extent of winter ] StocKs ore close of navigation. hand are Marquette at County, ore than about oY a is some on Falls, yperations throughout the entire Lake region. ases are renewed, the connection of the Mining Co. with the Canisteo Mining Co. Re avinowiis “2> pha phe ter eR wiht 2 ¥ 5 a ” 9 SaGeN WP ietib lel £ January 14, 1926 ceased at the close of the year. During its operation of these properties, which include the Canisteo, Holman and South Judd mines, the Oliver company has shipped about 31,000,000 tons of ore, chiefly concentrates. A large tonnage remains in the properties, but consid- erable stripping must be carried out before much of it it will be available. There are rumors of negotiations for lease with several other companies, and the Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation and the Ford Motor Co. are mentioned, but the Oliver company would appear to be the logical interest to remain in control. The Trout Lake, Minn., concentrator, in which these ores are washed, has shipped in the year nearly 2,900,000 tons, and was in operation until Nov. 14. Whatever may be the result of negotiations for these Canisteo leases, if negotiations actually are in progress, it would appear that the operations of the Oliver Iron Mining Co. will hereafter be concentrated more closely in the neighborhood of Hibbing and Vir- ginia, Minn. Some of the western Mesabi wash ores have not worked out satisfactorily of late, running up in silica to an extent that makes them undesirable and that has compelled the shipment of a grade assaying up to 18 per cent silica. The company’s system of mine and dock grading and mixing has overcome the diffi culty brought about by this, but the volume of low silica ores that can be used for this purpose is not un limited. Besides, the Oliver company has a numbe1 of important leases near Hibbing and Virginia that rr quire attention. It is preparing its Frazer mine for heavy production, its Hull-Rust mine contains an enor- mous ore body, its Hibbing townsite mine is partly stripped and contains a large tonnage of low cost ore, its Minnewas mine is being stripped and its Missabe Mountain undoubtedly will produce heavily for many years. And these are not all the newer properties of the central Mesabi on which it is likely to push it activities. The premier mine of the region, and of the world, is Hull-Rust, at Hibbing. Its shipments in 1923 were nearly 9,000,000 tons, and since it was opened in 1896 it has produced an average of 3,000,000 tons a season, or in all 85,656,000 tons—some 8000 miles of loaded cars. Probably it has at least an equal quantity yet in reserve, much of which is exceptionally good ore. Trend Toward Direct Control of Ore The trend toward the direct control of ores by steel makers continues, thus limiting still more what is known as the independent market. Some of the so- called independent operators sell all their product to single consumers and so do not get into the general market. The latest development in this direction was the purchase of the Susquehanna mine, near Hibbing, by the Republic Iron & Steel Co., the Inland Steel Co. and M. A. Hanna & Co. Neither Inland nor Republic wa especially strong in reserves in Minnesota, but the Sus- quehanna mine contains about 16,000,000 tons of a medium grade non-Bessemer ore assaying about 50 per cent iron. Men in the trade say there is an “ove supply of ore,” but this is hardly the proper statement; WIGHT EDWARDS WOODBRIDGE, coi Duluth, Minn., was educated at Carleton and in 1895 began as mining engineer in Duluth. Later he became con- sulting engineer of the United States Bureau of Mines in charge of iron mining investigations, his contributions including technical papers Nos. 30 and 33 of the bureau, under the titles, “Sanitation at Mining Villages in the Birmingham, Ala., District,” and “Mine Lake Superior Iron Mines.” He has contributed also to the proceedings of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the Lake Superior Mining Institute and other organizations. Mr. Woodbridge has had much to do with iron mining developments on the Mesabi Range in recent years, more especially in connection with the operations of the Mesabi Iron Co. and other companies in concentration and sintering. College, Northfield, Minn.., THE IRON AGE 131 there rather is an excess of mininum agreements for mining ore. Until this situation changes the indepen- dent operator needs some special factor of advantage to help him out, such as a desirable grade of ore. To be sure, this condition will change in due time, and the surplus of royalty payments will be absorbed, but opinion varies as to when that time will arrive. Some say two years, some say five. Be that as it may, the fact remains that the absorption of ore bodies in the hands of consumers has not added a pound to the re- serves of the region, which now are steadily declining. Some publicity has been given to a recent state ment that there are available ores in the Lake Superior region “to last 100 years.” The facts do not warrant such a prediction, unless one takes into account vast bodies of lean ores, both hematite and magnetite, that must undergo concentration processes to become avail able, and these processes are not practicable at present prices except by the aid of cheaper freights, lower taxes or bounties. No one of these aids is a probability in Minnesota. The peak of the curve of Minnesota’s iron ore pro- duction will come relatively soon, but the date of final exhaustion is a long way off. The diminishing curve will flatten very gradually to its end, but the importance the Lake Superior iron region will have gone when- ever the furnaces now depending on it are forced to go elsewhere for any considerable portion of their ore. The present attitude of mine owners and of the com monwealth is not one to give hope of the permanence of mining activity as the result of the conservation of mineral resources. As has already been noted, low grade leases are being abandoned and efforts are being concentrated on the removal of the more desirable ores. For this, however, little blame can be charged to the miners; economic factors, the result of the mineral policy of the State, are responsible. Less Dependence on Lake Ores The nation as a whole is beginning to depend | on Lake Superior for its ore supplies. The turn of the tide is apparent. The north Atlantic Coast ha developed the ores of Cuba and South America and } importing from Europe to a larger extent than for merly. New England is building an iron industry on imported ores. The Pacific Coast is now receiving iron from Utah and will enlarge this supply as demand per- mits. The South pushes into the border line toward the North. There is some talk of an iron development in the intermountain region and on the north Pacific Coast, and this may come if economic difficulties can be overcome. The region of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley will become the more definite field into which iron from Lake ores ultimately will move. This does not mean a reduced demand for Lake ores, for these regions are vast and rich and growing. But perhaps it does mean that relatively to the nation’: requirements as a whole the call on Lake ores will accelerate less rapidly than it has over the years that ire gone. It indicates, too, that in order to hold its preeminence, the Lake ore fields will have to use more uting mining engineer, Accident Prevention at ct reperresseeseenesoerena® —— iii 132 THE IRO ire in so pre-treating their shipments that they can rea le an area as practicable, that they will have e the quality of ores shipped by bene ficiation is to reduce freight charges per unit of yn and i the furnace operator toward economies. re ( e opportunities in the Lake district for just nprovements, if they are not hampered ehted and unfriendly attitude on the part by adverse legislation. Sintering of Fine Ores Successful ne oi the important coming de- ron ore business will be more caré¢ res going into the furnace. Indeed I mie I i tne great needa YT en ruggiing with more - - Athenee ~ ~_ a en) ALA Le , . Ad 9 aad 3 ned a1” ¢ ar awe Py teak ae hed N AGE January 14, 1926 little credit is due the Mesabi Iron Co. and the Ameri- can Ore Reclamation Co. working together to devise a machine that would stand up under the heavy duty demanded and work all the time and not semi-occa- sionally. The studies made by the engineers for the Anshan Steel Works, who now have a four-machine plant ready for erection in Manchuria, and those at Chateaugay and Port Henry, N. Y., and others also have let in so much light on the question of sintering that it is not now regarded as it was. Use of Sinter Increases Furnace Output The second development is along the same line; it is the action of sinter in the furnace. For years it has been predicted that by the use of sinter in the blast furnace in the place of natural ores, capacity might be » * ‘ Teriyyrcywsry FAI TIP Te ae Rate bat - ss a . — S] ngo Mine, Mesabi Range, Operated by Shenango Furnace Co. It has been worked by the open- 4 gre ind methods Ssurrace tripped 138 ii ’ é : si) 7 naining, about liff Ma eae . tarial ‘ . oe ‘ | ; itl li aw mavcerilais O Malntaln tne vest ! the past in the face of their newer and ‘ ica} rhe sintering of finely comminuted in the past only on materials which ‘ iccessfully used unless agglomerated, cl flue dust and finely ground magnetites. Re- las been made with dusty and wet . wo de ments | me about during 192; he proba I f which is hard to foretel dificult to appreciaté One of these is that the ntering s not a mystical art, capable of ym nt by none but a few fortunate initiates, irati ely n pl mcehanical process requir- ing n ire and elusive temperamental ability on the part of the metallurgist Given a machine properly built ore usceptibie to agglomeration, many engin eem now to be able to produce uniform and satisfactory sinter in large quantities. For this no Origu al ore de ] th. 270 f ft. Total stripping removed, 6,000,000 cu. yd. Low- t. Thus far about 11,000,000 tons mined: ore re- 1,250,000 tons increased fully 20 per cent and the coke consumed per ton of iron reduced at least 10 per cent. These were the ideas of the late James Gayley and were based on his calculations and work that he did. Performance results from charges of 100 per cent sinter finally are available from furnaces. Briefly, they show the tur- naces to have increased output by 60 per cent, or more, with coke consumption reduced 25 per cent or more. These are comparisons with best previous records at the same plants. The furnaces seem to run without complications and with a minimum of off iron. Although some such result was to have been expected, the added capacity and reduced coke requirements have far ex- ceeded anticipations. More Pre-Treating of Ores Predicted If these figures signify anything at all, they mean this: That not only ores which must be sintered to become available will be so treated, but that ores which © , January 14 1926 can be sintered also in time will be handled in this way. It is not improbable, if these early results can be con- firmed in wider practice, that iron makers who wish to keep ahead of the procession will find it advisable thus to pre-treat their ores when they can do so. Fine, dusty ores of the Mesabi, for instance, before long will be subjected to this manipulation, either at the mines or at the furnaces. The only concentration many of them will undergo will be the elimination of moisture. Ores will be screened as they are mined, the coarser sizes shipped direct and-the fines to sintering ma- chines. Under usual economic conditions these opera- tions should take place at the mines; whether they do or not will depend on various factors. If they do, then we may expect to see in time the Lake Superior region dotted with sintering plants as it now is with bene- ficiating works of more simple types, such as works for crushing and screening, drying, washing, jigging, and for magnetic separation. In fact, a beginning has been made in this direction by the erection of the Evergreen plant on the Cuyuna range, which was designed to sinter wet and fine ores from the Evergreen and othe mines near Crosby, Minn. It is a peculiar thing in connection with this matter MORE IRON ORE PRODUCED Output in 1925 14 Per cent Over 1924—Imports Lower and Exports Higher Iron ore mined in the United States in 1925, exclu- sive of ore that contained more than 5 per cent of man- ganese, is estimated by Hubert W. Davis, Bureau of Mines, at 62,079,000 gross tons, an increase of 14 per cent as compared with that mined in 1924. The ore shipped from the mines in 1925 is estimated at 63,819, 000 tons, an increase of 25 per cent as compared with 1924. The stocks of iron ore at the mines, mainly in Michigan and Minnesota, apparently decreased from 12,410,619 tons in 1924 to 10,774,000 tons in 1925, or 13 per cent. The considerable increase in output may be ascribed in part to a better demand for steel and to gen- eral speeding up in pig iron manufacture during 1925. These estimates are based on preliminary figures fur- nished by producers of about 99 per cent of the normal output of iron ore. About 85 per cent of the iron ore shipped in 1925 came from the Lake Superior district, in which approxi- mately 52,316,000 tons was mined and 54,124,000 tons was shipped, increases of 16 and 26 per cent respec- tively, as compared with the quantities mined and shipped in 1924. These totals include the ore from the Mayville and Baraboo mines in Wisconsin and ore shipped by rail as well as by water from all mines, but exclude manganiferous ores that contained more than 5 per cent of manganese. The ore is chiefly hematite. The stocks of iron ore in this district apparently de- creased from 11,095,787 tons in 1924 to 9,398,000 tons in 1925, or 15 per cent. The stocks at the end of 1925 were about 1,069,000 tons less than the average for the preceding five years. The mines in Minnesota furnished 70 per cent of the total iron ore shipped from the Lake Superior district in 1925 and 59 per cent of the total of the United States. The mines in Michigan furnished 28 per cent of the Lake shipments and 24 per cent of the grand total. The Southeastern States mined approximately 7,510,000 tons of iron ore in 1925, an increase of 1 per cent as compared with 1924. The shipments of iron ore from these States to blast furnaces in 1925 amounted to 7,262,000 tons, an increase of 3 per cent over 1924. The Northeastern States, which include the Adirondack district in New York, and the Cornwall district in Penn- sylvania, in 1925 mined 1,302,000 tons of iron ore and shipped 1,482,000 tons, an increase of 15 per cent com- pared with 1924. The Western States mined and shipped in 1925 approximately 951,000 tons, an increase of 31 per cent compared with 1924. The increase in this group of States in 1925 reflects the more active opera- THE IRON AGE 133 of sinter in the furnace that the use of a small propor- tion of sinter in the burden does not seem to have given results at all commensurate with those secured from the use of 100 per cent of sinter, or even of 50 to 56 per cent. It is quite evident that all is not yet learned as to the use of this material in the blast furnace. There are now some 45 plants in the various ranges of Lake Superior for beneficiation, and about 25 per cent of all ores shipped pass through them. They in- clude all sorts of devices adapted to Lake ores, from washing to magnetic separation and sintering. Shipments of Important Mines in 1925 Mines which shipped 1,000,000 tons or more for the past year numbered 11, and are as follows: Mine Operator Tons Hull-Rust Oliver Iron Mining Co. 5,142,000 Missabe Mountain Oliver Iron Mining Co 3,605,000 Mahoning Vickands, Mather & Co. 1,818,000 Canistec Oliver Iron Mining Co 1,712,000 Morris Oliver Iron Mining Co, 1,631,000 Norrie-Aurora Oliver Iron Mining Co. 1,587,000 Spruce Oliver Iron Mining Co. 1,382,000 Sellers liver Lron Mining Co. 1,380,000 Newport grout Pickands, Mather & Co 1,367,000 Hill Annex Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp 1,210,000 Leonidas liver Iron Mining Co. 1,057,000 tions at mines in the Iron Springs district, Utah, and in the Hartville district, Wyoming. Imports and Exports The imports of iron ore, reported for the 11 months ended Nov. 30, 1925, amounted to 1,950,648 tons. The imports for 1924 were 2,047,055 tons. The reported exports for the 11 months amounted to 629,572 tons, as compared with exports for the entire year of 1924 of 595,413 tons. Detailed figures of production by States are shown in the table: Ore Mined (Gross Tons) District 1924 1925 Lake Superi Michigan 2.350.755 14,500,000 Minnesota 1,902,085 7,000,000 Wisconsin 690,058 816.000 14,942, 898 52,316,000 Southeastern States Alabama 6.993.613 7,125,000 Georgia 113,039 111,000 Missour 79,847 40,000 North Carolina 12,525 24,000 Tennessee 179,853 133,000 Virginia 89.792 77,000 7,468,669 7,510,000 thea New Je t 197 202,000 New Yor 2 832 134,000 Oh 244 2.000 Pent vivani: SO07,208 964,000 1,128,481 1,302,000 Wes Ss 727,37 951,000 d t 4.267.419 62.079.000 Telephone Company to Spend $28,000,000 The American Telephone & Telegraph Co., New York, announces that it contemplates p'ant construc- tion in 1926 to cost approximately $28,000,000. About $19,000,000 was spent for plant construction in 1925. The proposed expenditures this year are divided about as follows: Aerial wire, including pole lines, $5,160,- 000; long distance cables with associated pole lines, loading coils, buildings and equipment, $11,200,000; switchboards and other telephone and telegraph equip- ment, $8,130,000; line work not included in the aerial wire and cable projects, $3,860,000. The new facilities will provide for increases in long distance telephone traffic. The 1926 program covers plant additions in nearly every State. The United States Malleable Iron Co., Toledo, Ohio, has been placed in the hands of receivers by Judge John M. Killits in the Federal, Court, as a result of a complaint filed by a creditor. Robert H. Leitch and Robert C. Dunn were named as receivers. ee Barometer of Machine Tool Orders Revised Indicator of National Machine Tool Builders’ Association Refers to Average Value of Orders in 1922, 1923 and 1924 meter nachine t rders, E. F. DuBrul, to the May, 1923, peak was 40 months. The average of A ‘ manager of the National Machine To these three intervals, therefore, was approximately 35 nnati, has issued a new lt months. ler mpiled fr 60 reports “No one can predict just when the present move- isis | 1919. The base link ment will crest but it is not likely to run as long be- ter curve represents the monthly averagé¢ tween the 1923 peak and the coming peak as 40 months the years 1922, 1923 and 1924. Then each the interval between the previous two peaks. Present i De o f tl ( ( facts justify the ‘guesstimate’ that the present peak is likely to crest about 35 months after the previous peak. ie Values of Gross Orders for Machine Tools by Months Are Here Shown as Percentages of the Value of Monthly Shipments Averaged for the Years 1922, 1923 and 1924. To smooth out the curve a three months’ moving average is employed. Thus the figure for No- vember, 1925, while in dollars it was 88.9 per cent above the three-year average, has been merged with the figures for September and October, the average index of the three being 182. Similarly, the October plotting is 172.8, being the average of August, September and October. October itself gave an index of 207.8, or 107.8 per cent more than the three-year 9 322 923 924 925 average forming the base. hes We need not be surprised if the peak month should be ving ave} iny month between now and April.” begir ith the average of the The present, he adds, would seem to be a good time 1919, tted on t March d be working on new designs that could all be proved Le u plotted repre ip before the next period of falling demand, when the ra Sept r, 2 e1 hop could be put to making jigs for the new types, ) thereby stabilizing employment of as many key men in now Mr. i Brul discuss briefly tne shop as possible. Then the next period of dull 1919 the g swings have had usiness should be devoted to missionary work in the rom 3l 10 mor From th market, explaining the merits of the new designs, Mar ottom in September, planting sales seeds. Some of them may ripen during Phe n Aus the dull period, but most of them will ripen on the Jat ’ ye next rise New |] e ot Locomotive Frame Slotters @¢tion for driving, feeding and traversing, instead of ising mechanical means for these operations. The ma- chines are available equipped with from one to three . ™ heads, is required, the unit illustrated having two x hoada . : ' The width between yokes, height under yokes, length , { bed and travel of slotting rams are arranged to meet the special requirements of the user. The height and j ‘ January 14, 1926 length of the stroke is arranged to permit slotting of frame in multiple. The bed consists of a wide. deep casting with long narrow guiding surfaces for yokes The faces on which the yokes bear, are chilled, and the top is provided with suitable T-slots for clamping work. Both sides of the bed are equipped with accurately cut stationary lead-screws, the yokes being moved by means of revolving nuts which engage with these screws. The lead-screws have tumbler bearings which prevent ging. Thrust is taken by roller bearings. Each yoke has a separate electric feed and power rapid traverse along the bed, and is driven by a single mot