The Iron Age 1926-03-04: Vol 117 Iss 9

Ds ite. THE IRON AGE New York, March 4, 1926 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 117, No. 9 The Dwellings of Tomorrow An Economic Study in Residential Construction Showing Why a Growing Use of Iron and Steel Is Inevitable BY PRENTICE HILE you are reading this page and the next—a suming that you are a rapid reader one wooden dwelling house in this country will catch fire. There } This Toledo bungalow was built on a ste« 3 5 cs rame quicker and at less cost than wit is no guilty fore wood. knowledge on oul part about this prophecy. We have been reading tle figures on residential fires. The figures say that, on the average, a fire breaks out in someone’s home every 1 min. of every 24 hr. in the year. Consider that appalling fact for just a moment from the standpoint of a civilized man. After the slow progress from the hillside cave and the thatched hut we have reached a state where our annual building bonfire amounts to one-tenth of all we build each yea! over half a billion dollars in round numbers. We take expensive and well-considered precautions to protect our commercial goods and chattels, our warehouses and office buildings, factories and mills, but we do pract cally nothing to guard the lives and safety of our families and the property which belongs to them. All this might be excusable, if it were possibl say that it were necessary. Time was when there were no building materials, save stone and brick, whic! would render a home fire-safe; and stone and brict were far beyond the economic reach of the vast ma ority of home dwellers. But all that is changed. Perhaps it would be iccurate to say that it ought to be changed, that c ditions are ripe for a change. For today we have building materials in plenty which can be used mall house construction and make the home safe, clean ; strong and beautiful. These materials are in everyda) use for buildings; they have proved their worth time without end. Yet, for the most part, they have been utterly neglected when small houses were to be built. Our cities are towering monuments to the strength and safety of iron and steel. Our mills and factories prove the economy of steel in a hundred different ways. And yet we continue to build two and one-half billion dollars worth of residences every year, most of them WINCHELI merely waiting for the match or n dollar bonfire. Why Use Wood? ERE an obvious question will present itself to the analytical mind If houses could be built ot materials which would not burn, which would be tronger and safer and cleaner than wood, which would last longer and permit more economical constru tion, Why was wood used in the first place? rhe answer Is equally obvious. For many years wood was by far the most available building material. When ettlers came to America wood was the natural enemy The clearing of a space for crops and cabin was the first task the pioneer faced Wood was, eco nomically speaking, a nuisance. Moreover, it was easily workable and adaptable to the tools and labor then available. Iron and teel, on the other hand, were scarce Steel as a building material is hardly three genera ons old. ; Moreover, when steel was young, the metal cost more, in proportion to wood, than it does today, very much more. t, aS the year roll back into history, an in evitable trend is discernible: wood becomes more co tly; | ecome heaper. Of our original forest area, tle more than half remai Only one tree grows to ke the place of four that are cut down, so rapid ir prodigal waste of forest resources And naturally, im be ome ( vood as a building ma rial increases in t Steel production, on the other hand, has grown teadily and, unless all signs fail, will continue to grow for many years to come. And particularly because of this inevitable trend which favors iron and steel from he cost viewpoint, metals have already upplanted wood n numberless usages. The material advantages of teel have played their part in this transition—the steamship, freight car, automobile—all the forms in which metal now serves mankind. Sut behind and beyond them has been the inevitable economic pressure of higher prices for lumber and lower prices for steel. It might be suggested that the use of steel for building depletes ore resources much as the use of wood depletes forest resources, but the parallel is inexact. Steel once used may be remade and used again (witness 613 - THE IRON AGE March 4, f 2 on’ : ‘ al Sm tea hate ey I I ‘ TOY n ises < mited ‘ eee d garage or the recent box-like English : s that Show the Wind ! S ve g houses is to assume tha h u aden é me destitute ] y ‘ ‘ = \ eC! Ali i pre ies ‘ ] ! e rude j its e N : : | ‘ mpies ¢ i Eg the ‘ To ref l me! wouk ne GW! eS e 7 i I \ . T i! es ana lag } > ‘ y r c*Y lade l 9 at ne I 1! il ‘ e! nd trim designs of i ‘ } \ new ding material brings wit! I I t architec nd builder t I 1 ‘ : ' ‘ he f design 4 period of experimer! } } I I naeea this pe a S Ve Saale as er — loubt that artistic home al f t} rnetale which « 2 eee eee tne metais Wwnicn span our rivers with el I 2 | ir support our slender skvscrapers wre Raed . eS — ' Stns : entertain suspicions of architectural intelligence. St 66 l niy in terms of strength and trueness, but of eat initat and ventu? ; nredict th: + ir predi hat not more than ten years ne hundred times as much steel used in building construction re and it will not take the form of imitation brick, stone or wooden rle [ am picturing in my mind whole cities of homes of new and entirely uncon- entional designs, built of steel; insulated from heat and cold, just as modern safe nets are; painted and decorated along entirely new schemes of design, such as no ibt would strike our eye today as bizarre or even grotesque; electrically heated, rhted and equipped throughout. At the present time, sheet steel structures are pointed aS Ireaks, Dut one tre ‘ak leads to another and when there get to be many of them, thay paca , h,; Penal : 1 - s : : . ° . y Cease to be treaks; they cease to be horseless carriages or sailless ships or rock- ‘ed siding. They become automobiles and steamships and steel.” Phillip E. Graff, TUN AITONNn ev ntenegne ennananeaaeeenennenatace qin MTNA unm fUNEnneONUrnarnnegneasstguyycaenee coat ees Vena ene aE ET March 4, 1926 x ; possesses by its very nature the strength and flex ; which may well bring about an entirely new type of residential construction, which may be responsible the introduction of more graceful lines and more pleas- ing exteriors and interiors than were ever wood. A Building Revolution é CTFV\HE proof of all this is not far to seek. To surmi the revolutionizing of our gigantic b ry may require some imagination and give But bear in mind that \ different parts of this country in use which employ a generous amount of iron or steel in their construction. certain skepticism. today nouse Some of these house } f tee frames, some steel roofs, others steel wv steel or iron stairs, doors, window casements. tiles, trim and ceilings of metal in a d liffere1 forms. Not all of these houses are as su sful geht be desired. Some of them have 1 worked well from the cost standpoint. But th int th There have been built houses using steel for fran vork, roofing and walls which have proved successful which have cost less than wood for similar constructior vhich have added to the strength and safety and long fe of the homes of which they form In “the good old days” craftsmanship was the a part when lumber was chea] rule, when day painstaking work were the real foundation of hous lilding, a good house might last a hundred yeat re. Look at a new row of wooden tenement hous \sk yourself how they will look in fifty years H many wooden houses of today will last more that generations? Yet a sturdier, safer and less construction is waiting, ready for country-wide ap} cation when public interest has been aroused. Wit expensive rorm high rents, a growing population and increasing lun er costs due to a decreasing supply, how long w be before the iron and steel industries awake t opportunity which lies open before them A Limitless Opportunity N opportunity to create better homes f l to make home-owning more practical for the f small means and, of course, an opportunity f enormous increase in business merely awalt Photograph s of houses figures é mploying meta ehoaw no COMMNDATIZO? j ; Technical Program for Institute of Metals The regular spring meeting of the I! Metals will be held in London, England, March l( 11. The technical program follows: Not ; S nine S H Its ] Cree] R. W. I iN Corros e 4) S I : ‘ = < Tr. B. Crow Determinat Zine Oxid nd H. F. R ( ef Growth I M I W. Feitkr ht (Bern Sw . “The Interpretation of the Mas tr Metals,” by R. Genders The Hardness of Cold-Rolled Copy L. Hoyt and T. R. Schermerhorn (Schenectad Researcl e Natur Proj 5 aditions fF of Ir ry ‘ X Spe Ref Certain Cor Parts I-V by W. Hume-Rot r I g f \ , | | ray | ] itures I I I A. G r I z Jeps rt} Die-Casting \ \ < ( ent Methods i ei 2 Mor THE IRON rst. W tne tee AGE 615 How much of an increase Che possibilities beggar naginatio We build more than $5,000,000,000 new construction each year, of which some- ng like 45 per cent is for residential work, say 200,000,000 ound numbers for homes each year he proportion of this huge sum which now goes to ind steel industry is, in the main, negligible it to « e the ssible market for steel in houses han one billion dollars a year is to fail to appre St leeply the inevitable trend toward iron et CAC ne 1ts pressurt¢ He Rk. Brigham, in a recent article in THE IRON i ( nservative estimate of the amount ¢ eel, lumb« r framework which might take the plac I 4 eac! yea il i? ! $200.000.000! \ recent est the market for new steel roofs (not reroofing) the Sheet Stes Trade Extension Committ $200,000,000. Of the amount of mon which { ‘ e! t < on teel d wil il! ei nan on wooden item er I mate ] not unreasonable t ippose that it ns into many millions. What of the day when America’s annual building iY t $7,000,000,000 or $8,000,000,000?—a day t is, perhaps, not so far off as might be thought at 1 industry awake to its opportunitk me to make the most of them? Or will this great strial giant lie dormant until others have literally ragged the market to its very door? It is a fact that practically al] of the preliminary perimental work on the use of iron and steel for 1s¢ na wen done by architects, builders or indl- iduals 1 directly connected with the iron and steel lustry How long will corporations which spend oO! educe tonnage costs a few cents wait be- fore addin their weight of effort to the transformation American house from comparatively short-lived, 11) troyed dwellings into strong, safe, beautiful nd enduring homes of metal? here ne thing that more powerful than arn iid Victor Hugo. That thing is “an idea hose d me That is why the growing use f ir tee| for residential construction is in- tabl The f the meta use has come the type f co truction used and vo in succeeding é f THE IRON AGE tl Alle M I 2 i ! I = Iron and Steel Employees Draw Smaller Pay March 1.—While the number of em ployees in 207 iron and steel plants in January, 1926, showed a slight increase to 248,948, as against 248,129 n December, the amount of the weekly payroll in Janu- ary showed a decline to $8,627,213, or 2.4 per cent less than the weekly payroll of $8,840,066 in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Depart- ment of Labor. Compared with January, 1925, the WASHINGTON, imber employed in 204 iron and steel plants in Janu ary of the present year increased to 283,847, as against weekly payroll decreased % per cent to ompared with $8,648,566. 282,631 The $8.601.515. as ce Casting Chilled Bronze Gears Three-Sided Chill Given Blanks for Worm Gears— What Process Has Done for Strength of Product LOM IVE needs have been resulting in 1Im- of processes for producing material +. escriptions going into automobiles. This gone not only into the steel materials, e foundry, where necessity has nd development of new processes. Buffalo Bronze Die Cast Corpora- iff ae | research work has been with making worm. wheel rl Phosphor-T in-Bronze (Left). Blank The gear at right, originally cast in a blank, Gear with Teeth Cast In eighed about 15 lb. As pictured it has the tooth cast reducing the machining time considerably and weigh- 111% lb. This tooth, of course, has to be machined, have a bearing or finished surface. The machining me on the solid blank was 12 min. and on the tooth CAST ? . ] min. 56 sec, Ove y 15,000,000 lb. of these ger vere Wn ade for the Ford Cay’. The alloy is alum bronze, IV per cent copper and 10 per cent alum inmwm lank Some of the developments leading to the pres- quality of | are outlined below. Extension of the worm wheel drive from the truck, and tractor to the passenger car has forced a por- tion of this development. Improvements in the engine lank ind increased loads have exaggerated the demand for ervice from the worm wheel group or assembly. In- eases in unit pressures bring the problem of proper lication of those pressures and of proper design for iking them. In using worm gears for speed reduction gearing, the unit pressure often reaches considerable imounts, the same problem being met as in the auto- Industry. standard practice to Known as stone D Samples Taken About % In. from Oute) ti Lring chill and hows am coarse finer structure ] ; and cture, The ma lj Corner of the Gear Section and Magnified 200 Diameters. tructure with irregular patches of eutectoid. er eute ctoid patches. bright areas are eutectoid, the gray being the alpha solid solution. boundaries of the crystal cores or dendrites 616 bronze. This is composed of about 89 per cent of per, 10 to 11 per cent of tin, and minute quantiti phosphorus. This alloy has successfully met most the demands, but within the last year or two, with creasing requirements, there has been brought ab: necessity for further improvement in the alloy. N only was there required an improvement in its qualit due to a change in its composition, but also an impr ment in the methods of producing the casting. It is well known that. the chilling of tin bronze proves its quality by refining the grain and increas the density. This results in giving the metal bet physical properties, making it better able to acc without distress the heavy strains of present requir ments and rendering it less liable to sudden failure With this program in mind, the Buffalo company been working in conjunction with the Timken Detroit Axle Co., and George F. Comstock, metallurgist, Niagara Falls, N. Y. Dense castings, particularly at the point where pressure is applied, are definitely necessary for worn wears. Gear blanks cast in green sand from patterns are better than those cast in dry sand, because of the shorter cooling period or chilling effect of the green sand. To increase the chilling effect on the face or periphery of the gear blank a ring of iron or other chilling medium gives excellent results. In the machin- ing of a gear blank so cast, however, a great part of the chilled area is removed in the hobbing machine, which leaves little improvement, by reason of the chill- ing, below the pitch line of the tooth. Three-Sided Chill Effort to overcome this disability resulted next in casting a gear blank in which not only the face but both sides of the blank are chilled. In some cases as much as 85 per cent of the external surface of the gear is covered by the chilling agent. This results in a most uniform refinement of the grain of the metal. Photo- micrographs of the different processes employed, as published herewith, show the successive improvement as the different steps were taken in the manufacture. It has been found, as the average of many tests, that blanks cast in the so-called three-sided chill process show an improvement in physical properties of about 20 per cent over the blanks chilled only on the face or periphery. tik, Centrifugal Castings Another process worthy of attention is the casting of worm wheel blanks in a centrifugal machine. App!!- cation of centrifugal force to the liquid metal holds 1t under pressure against the chilling surface, while chill- D was cast E, cast in a three-sided chil', F’, centrifugally cast, shows a still finer and more unifor” The black lines are thé ee ee March 4, 1926 Sample A or crystal cores, Was Cast in a Ring Chill. The photomic Sample B, cast in a complete or three centrifugally cast, shows a very fine grain with indist ng is taking place. pel! lod, This action prolongs the chilling which in any stationary chill method is term nated as soon as a moderate degree of shrinkage of th metal has occurred in cooling. Consequently the cer trifugal process gives a much more rapid cooling and very dense structure, as shown by the photomic1 graphs. Tabulated data show that there is a further mprovement in centrifugally cast gears as the speed rotation is increased and the pressure thereby raised While the making of gear blanks by the centrifu process is somewhat more expensive than that in sta onary chills, the demands for the superior metal ar expected to reach a stage where the } added cost wil Three Sided ___ Chilled , Portion Chilled, Inside Dotted Line Only Entire Portion of Gear Shown Is Chilled A Sketch Showing the Portions of the Gear Blank Chilled Under the Two Different Processes At left is the ring chill; at right, the three-sided chill. In the centrifugal process the chilling ef fect is the same as the three-sided chill, except that the metal is held under pressure while being chille d perforce be assumed. At present, the development of the three-sided chill seems to give the highest quality for which the automotive field cares to pay. The ex- tension to the more highly developed method of manu- facture, therefore, is in the immediate future rather than the present. In all of this work, temperature control is of high importance. It will be recognized that there is some Results of Tests, Showing Progressive Improvement 4 rT Alloy No. 1.. 21,750 30,750 8 <5 1d Alloy No. 2 . 26,500 42,750 15 { Alloy No. 3.. 30,750 38,200 1.75 4,21 4 Buffalo Bronze standard gear , ‘ alloy 7 ‘ Je, is THE IRON AGE 617 C magnined 20 diameters, shows coarse de ndrites aed ch shows fine but distinct dendrites. Sample ( dendrite The samples were taken about %. an. from rie { ig ¢ 1 drop in temperature between the first and last molds poured from a ladle holding 150 to 200 Ib. netal. By using the three-sided chill, with its rapid iction on the metal, uniformity is obtained. With the centrifugal molds, control will be still easier because the weight of metal taken from the fur- nace in each ladle will be just sufficient for one blank. furnace control of temperature, therefore, is being sub- temperature tituted for the changing temperatures of regular foun- dry practice, thus resulting in greater uniformity of produc a better gear blank the Buf- falo company has alloy called ‘B. B. D. ¢ standard alloy.” This consists of 88% per cent of copper, 10 per cent of tin, 1 per cent of nickel In the deve opment of brought out a new ind % per cent each of lead and phosphorus. This alloy has shown a marked improvement, particularly as elongation, compared with the customary stone Casting in the Teeth Aluminum bronze has been used extensive y for gear blanks in some places. As a matter of fact, the Buffalo Bronze Die Cast nearly 1,000,000 gear blanks of aluminum bronze for one cus- tomer. These were made with the teeth cast in and represented about 15,000,000 lb. of alloy. These blanks were 4 lb. lighter than solid blanks for the same size gears. The chief advantage, however, lay in the fact that the average hobbing time per blank was reduced from 12 min. in the solid blank to 1.56 sec. in the blank is cast with the teeth in it. Aluminum bronze lends itself well to the die casting process. The gears made, as mentioned above, have proved very durable. As the strength of the material much more than that of tin bronze, the breakage of teeth is practically unknown. The fact remains, how- ever, that the bearing qualities of aluminum bronze will not withstand the application of so high a unit pressure as will tin bronze. That material, therefore, will require some development before it can displace the best tin bronzes. The Buffalo company now is producing, commer- cially, tooth cast in blanks made of phosphor tin bronze, cast in metal molds. These blanks are used in passen- ger car assemblies. The saving in weight is about 4 lb. Corporation made ] r f 0 46.200 48,500 14 ¢ ‘ 5 42,600 19.1 49.500 12 618 THE IRON AGE March 4, 19 Three G ¢ Blanks of Abo the Same §S and We ight B of Diff rent D sign. All we made b y ft } three - sided ch process i bla naturally the use of a smaller gear for a given le po! With the low-slung cars now in vogue, great learance is thus provided than where the gt I el rgel Moving the gear train to the rear of th nti rally ives greater space within the car and other imp suit in a idvantag‘ follow. rea It pointed out by T. W. H. Jeacock, president Bronze Die Cast Corporation, that the whol Phi ‘edure is a matter of foundry practice. There is equent] ni ition in the methods outlined, but practices wh improved upon are being gradually elimina nprovements are made. By thus utilizing « ng in ethods which give the best results, he expt mn ll pla his plant in a particularly secure positi t in tl nnection with making bronze gears. The pres ng capacity at his disposal is about 75,000 Vy Iv eA AL WT. > / ] tC). One ton lank vith the tooth cast in and the other tli t gh 1D b und the ged t} ih 4 th cast wv we ighs 381% lb. The solid gear h ged) vith / th cast in is made by coring out the tooth sectit gnt, wn cast the face-chilled process, weighed 98 lb. Cast in the three-sided chill at ; a ing } eight alone of 12 Ib The saving was effected because, under the thre ( olerances, consequently eliminating finish lensile Strength of Belgian Bars Claimed spendent adds, that Belgian bars of the ordinary grad Lower Than British and German had not sufficient tensile strength for use in mode! A ¥ . c ] uilding before the Ma ’s and City of —_—_—_—___———————- ( , a decision was rendered to the effect a ° ; j = Belgian reinforcing bars were not of the D¥- S. C. Lind to Receive Nichols Medal trength as the British produ t, according The William H. Nichols Medal will be presented iropean correspondent of THE IRON AGRE. rhe Dr. S. C Lind, associate director Fixed Nitrogen Re e delivery of Belgian bars to a Brit- earch Laboratory, Washington, on Friday evening which did not meet the British standard March 5, at the Chemists Club, New York. Previou buildings. It was decided that the to the presentation, addresses will be delivered by D: strength Is usually 25 to 52 tons per sq Colin G. Fink, Columbia University, and Dr. Arthur B 2,000 Ib.) while the Be lgian standard i Lamb, Harvard University, who will take as the su! bo & tons per sq. In. (92,000 to 62,000 Ib.) ject “Lind, the Chemist.” Doctor Lind, in his address ently the Chamber of Commerce of Essen in Ger- of acceptance, will take as his subject “Chemical Act ? toet j ‘ ide the statement, the corre- vation by Alpha Particles.” Seamless Steel Tube Manufacture* a Raa A ie I I vy whe ae, ae I ? it } ne ind aig} een f ‘ I al } > « ] P Oey ’ ne tube j ind Ay) + + ne n for) } Med ¢ na Continental Mills Cramped for Space spigot pipe. The tube soaked burlap in a very d | Y Mills rials and Steel Quality ne most successiul meth tubes Irom about 6 In. ti : ¢. . IS Manulactured have a aq in ionge lengil a or qu t n ng a ed ibing 6 1 and unas } ( lY r nave nr ive Dl it i , tt ne i ALeUd a fin, a ¢ rap 10 Ss ni ious mM In additio1 rner. ana lurtne nad 1] ’ } } ind rolling ! l t he ‘ f ‘ y pe I { ne Ss O) « ( ! I vrainst ther ein + | + 1 S le ) I } are ni¢ I ] f lk rey nts. « n col nu Pj t i! tne n I re fTic ! ! eret ‘ I , ) er i] ne ( ne 1¢ ! iu¢ } ci¢ al ( ? ¥ i ? y ( era I 4 read tu rti I I u re ! iL! in i ifte | r ad é é 1 \f ning’ ae rtme e nec¢ iry I a ¢ ng and shippil 1 lal ¢ nmer ul re lire hough some tube mil 1iter pligel g t nec al (othe! ¢ > 1 lati n of ¢ ng ( ving i I g machine Suk I ide and art £ nowever! < i I equipment Using the Bell T ? mecnanica ‘ T entire l« neth f th l ls, a bell-shaped end r On a considerabie an 15 in., this bell, inst aw, 1s retained and, into a shape similar to the Preferred End in Furnace 619 Raw Mate- Handling Cramped Quarters in Europe F P n? il ‘ ‘ il ) \ e ¢ y ‘ {7% . T r ‘ ité } > Lau rY , ‘ F; y ‘ evale r eT ] n An ( ] ‘ A Ts ‘ i ( i al i < l ec ! ] < arred ( I ie! + t é é ( ! é ! and () { T ‘ ila ] j ADi¢ < ] whi iw y qa s\ ‘ \ « Ne ri i Pr I . fy i n were mad m ' ry nve te ici! lo! ( eque! { iwkWward and j nt ( ae i el i bi } i a ( erence . ra ‘ I a é ree { ’ y I ‘ i i . Line } t i Gern j ’ have r the I ] e ’ , } intri AY i a Vy ] I ( ‘ ' , l I ted j y ‘ A ‘ } 1] i lid ‘ ! ed n eY ks t ! \ W | il ng t ft net 1! ‘ hy ~ 15 > } ind U G , ida neal ( [ ad ind the ~* tine od t and 1” ‘ ist be kept hot ne ed luy ng the ile rprasit nartk \ made ff it I mm I } r ‘ ' +¢ , a tor for the re on that nce tine t va t tne men ire e tne iSé vere Vaterials n d repeate y the r} t tine effect tnat one Pilger l] n Germany, f automatic, Stiefel and +x f ne erior German 1 successfu and econom- roce 1 combined rolling IRON AGE March 4, 192 mill. Gas comes to the mill at about 2 lb. pressure contains 112 to 118 B.t.u. It is burned in a patent Siemens regenerative furnace. Another mill uses producer gas which is generat: rom a low-grade brown coal in a central produ lant, goes through a cleaning plant with tar rec nd is delivered to the various furnaces with a h ing value of 185 B.t.u. Prof. W. Trinks, in an art in the January ie of Fuels and Ff ‘ nte! n¢ al it these tube n es i ne I eating tTurnact Is of the rreatest ne ( s absolutely necessary for tl ¢ ‘ roug ind uniformly heated To mini he rejectiol resulting from an improperly pier ng e te erature of the ingot when drawn fr e furnace s|! 1 be about 2200 deg. Fahr. Most ( e¢ e ( the continuous type, built to t I n¢ and are regenerative furnac f r mills use recuperative furna A ] i rhtly nclined brick hea wate! ed skids eing an exception Ingots £ ‘ I I the same positlor y Pp , One of the t vital parts of the Pilger mill is th » 1) ] pn? er mi: ‘ ind +he pass de ion in Snich thee ‘ : — ble. ma itl c { i y correc i c iriy as Ussivit ay be one of the determining factor n the success OI failure ¢ Pilger mill As the rolls are expensive, the frequent breaking of rolls will cut heavily into profits. Improper pa ] : on } 2 . . _ he lesign or finish will not only decrease the yield, by increasing the number of faulty tubes and rejections mill itself and auxiliaries. Up to a recent date the finishing of the offset groove in the Pilger roll was done by lathe work but also cause excess wear on t ination with milling, shaping, grinding, etc. A roll turning lathe has, however, been put on the market by H. Becker & Co., Diisseldorf, which is a re kable improvement over former methods and elimi nates entirely the personal element in finishing thes¢ : . 1 . ae rolls. It turns automatically the groove theoretically rrect from the solid. This practically protects the l. nil practically f y | rains hr kao j ; faulty finisl snenres al pre cage daue Oo Tauity finisn, insure ‘ inliorm rolling proces and decreases rejections, fré 1e Wear and tear of rolls, mandrels and mill i All Continental mills are now using this lathe except those which, for financial reasons, have not yet beet able to purchase one. Orders for such lathes ar usually included in contracts for new mills. Domestic sales of oak leather belting in January e reported by the Leather Belting Exchange, repre senting about 60 per cent of the total product, at 370,- 678 lb., valued at $638,679, or an average of $1.72 per lb. This was a considerable gain over the December figures of 343,443 lIb., valued at $598,965, or $1.74 per It was much lower, however, than figures of Janu- ary, 1925, when the amount was 409,252 lb., valued at $686,316, or an average of $1.68 per Ib. ‘4 M { s = MRS 5. Poe 2 Preparing and Testing Molding Sands’ Mining Engineers Discuss Modern Methods—Special Sands— Confusion in Grading NOME excellent papers on molding sands v sented at a session on “Non-Metallic Minera Monday morning, Feb. 15. Of the seven paper ( iled, several had a decided appeal to foundryn was rather unusual for such papers to appear institute’s programs. At one of the coal sessions an interesting paper w entitled “The Selection of Coals for the Manufactur of Coke” by H. J. Rose, Koppers Co. Laboratori: Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh. It is liberally illustrat with diagrams and photographs of coke structur \t inother session, Ralph H. Sweetser, American R Mill Co., delivered a paper on the “Evaluation of ( abstract of which will be presented in a later issue f THE IRON AGE. An important contribution to the heat treatment ind handling of drill steel was presented at a si n mining methods Wednesday morning, under the l The Sharpening and Handling of Drill Steel at Fra n, N. J.” by C. M. Haight, mining engineer, New Jet ey Zine Co., Franklin, N. J. It describes apparat for the sharpening of drills and a heat treatin for keeping the drills at a high degree of efficie a large scale. The features of the papers on molding sands f low: Standard Tests for Molding Sands The importance of devising standard laboratory sts for molding sands was emphasized by Dr. H Les, profes: or of economic geology, Cornell Universi 1 thaca, N. Y., at a session devoted to non-metalli minerals, held Feb. 15. Considering the large number t i I A of non-metallic minerals that are used, said Dr. Ries, there are not a few for which there are no standard laboratory tests to be employed in determining their properties or even standard specifications on whicl grades or market price may be based. Standard lal atory tests would, he said, enable the consum: tate definitely what he needs, and is of great as ance to the producer. It would also reduce misunder tandings and disputes. The title of Doctor Ries’ paper was: “The Use of Standard Tests of Molding Sands.” Sands, it was pointed out, vary widely in character from very coarse to very fine, and from very clayey those that are practically free from clay. For thi wide range of sands there is a corresponding variety of uses, which are based mainly on the physical proper ties of the sand, although these are not always defi- nitely stated. The chemical composition need rar be considered if the sand is of siliceous nature The lack of uniform methods for measuring expressing the important properties of sands for f dry work, bonding strength, permeability, texture, re fractoriness and life, was stressed. A number of t for determining the properties of foundry sands have been described and used by different persons | Europe and America, but as a rule the results hai not been comparable, because the tests were under uniform conditions. That the results were not comparable, said Dr. Ries, was overlooked by many, until the problem had been carefully studied. The work of the joint molding sand research committes organized by the American Foundrymen’s Association en y and the engineering division of the National Resea Council in obtaining data on which the formulation of standard methods of testing could be based was referred to. The tests recommended include those for measuring *Crowded out of committee report of the An! . ting f the American Institute r sMining : il Engineers in THE IRON A F's - §2 he fineness, permeability, bond, and dye absorption. There remains to be developed standard methods for termining the refractoriness and life of the sand, for expressing the grade or texture, by a single figure if for testing the properties of core sands and re mixtures, etc. It was said that much progress has been made in formulating these The proper use of the data obtained by means of standard methods of testing was characterized as of prime importance, because there exists some miscon- ception in the matter tion: “What permeability, bond strength, etc., a sand should show if it is to be used for casting ron, brass or some other metal?” cannot be answered definitely, said Dr. Ries. Sands showing a fairly wide range of certain properties at least, can be used for “asting any one of these metals, and the type of sand used is governed in part by the fact that the size alone will affect the type of sand to be employed. Artificial causes, such as method of venting the mold, may exert a controlling influence. It was said to be probable that yme day we shall be able to state, for example, that a sand to be used for brass casting ip to, say, a cer tain size, should show a certain range of permeability, bond strength and fineness, but this cannot be done intil more data are obtained. It was considered that this, however, does not detract from the value of the lard tests, the widespread acceptance and employ- ment of which has demonstrated their usefuln in in and should be used both as 1 check and as a form of specification, said Dr. Ries It was said that there is apparently no valid reason why the consumer should not demand a sand showing other directior They « a certain range of permeability, bonding strength, dye orption and texture. Some foundries are purchas ing sands on this basis, and it is Doctor Ries’ opinion that this practice will spread. The use of standard tests will be, it was stated, in the foundry where the foundryman finds that the best results are often obtained by keeping the properties of his heap sand close to certain values of moisture, permeability and bonding strength. Foundrymen now ing these standard contro] tests in their daily work were said to be effecting savings by reducing defects aused by bad condition of the sand Grading Sands Confusion was said to exist in the grading of sands The term grade refers solely to the texture of the material and at present there is no uniformity in ex pressing it Some producers grade their sand accord ing to numbers and others according to letters, each adopting his own series. Even in the same district, the same numbers may not represent the same grade vhen used by different producers. That situation, it was pointed out, calls for a speedy remedy. Uniform grading is of particular value to the foundryman who may desire to obtain sand from a source hitherto not drawn on. A subcommittee of the American Foundry men’s Association is now working on this problem Mining and Preparation of Molding Sand I £ Foundry sand producing operations typical of the areas in New York and New Jersey were interestingly described by R. M. Bird of the George F. Pettinos Co., Philadelphia, at the same session. The title of Mr. 3ird’s paper was “The Mining and Preparation of Molding Sands,” and the operations described dealt par- ticularly with those of the Pettinos company. The mining of Albany sands was discussed, then the Lum- berton sands of the Mount Holly, N. J., district, and finally sands from the South Jersey, Millville, district. Operations at the latter district were taken up in some . detail and the mining, handling, mixing and barge load- 622 THE IRON AGE March 4, 1926 tern slid lhe hydraulic speaker said that, although fusing tests have not | 2 made, the material apparently does not affect ths ‘Ir. Bird’s paper centered o1 fractoriness of the sand. The possibilities of obtaini) trong sand, and on the’ bentonite at lower costs from Virginia, Tennessex e sand. Sharp Kentucky districts was mentioned. ntaining very little The sources of supply, mining, preparation, uses itside of the properties of special sands were comprehensively « tradition and opinion. ined in a paper on “Preparation and Use of Indu nt bond as sharp. One trial Special Sands,” by W. M. Weigel, mineral te: irp sand is one that has nologist United States Bureau of Mines, Washingt and, « versely, Quartz sand, it was said, constitutes by far the gr ed bulk of sand production, but there are other grades or industrial purposes that may be grouped uw fentonite and Some ol Its Uses the rene ral name of special sands. Under this pf! were placed molding sand, glass sand, filter sand, sa consid blast sand, engine sand, potters’ sand, abrasive sar ands for pulverizing, roofing sand, flooring sand, g pre r furnace sand, sand for chemical and metallurg It developed that or purposes and others. In discussing each of these ng with bento Ci ands their characteristics or specifications ¢ rive The } ble by-products in the preparat was briefly dealt with, and Hnes of research Phe the preparation and utilization of these special Making Bungalows of Cast Iron New Development in England—Comparisons with Steel Houses— Durability and Cost rding, teit and ru et-brow1 asbdesSLtOsS tiles on t The ¢ ney WV ills ind irtition between the two bur brick, the partition between variou belt f wood-framing, with fiber-boards on I vindow frames are of steel and the case iniform size, all windows opening outwal | floor area of the ngle bungalow is 788 sq. f ! ym occupies 228 sq. rc. first f nd second bedroom 156 sa. ft l ( nae? ne act { x ul D\ kitehe ! ! hroom anda ire hall in which all d re 4 en one anothe? Phe tchenette has a ga boiler, double ! be dresser, larder, shelves, etc., a coal bunker and a cu] vard with shelve elng al 0 provided. The bathr On provided with a cast ro} nameled bath and a ( enameled wash basil that the “Obviously the cast iron structure will be somewnat rool t ar lt heavier in first cost than the steel house,” say the pr have pocket noters, “but this may be more than counterbalanced red f the rece} y the longer useful life. The general appearance 15 ast 01 ilso so mu in its favor—a fact which has to ver en reckoned with, as even the present house shortage has ret lled all sentiment in the prospective householder I ror carrying and made him wholly indifferent to elevation and ( De? rd irance.’ General 1 pearance ‘ f the Cast Ir Bungalo Built at Glas- gou March 4, 1926 THE IRON AGE 623 New Internal Grinder Rough and Finish Grinding, and Sizing of Work Done Automatically—No Gages Used The Heald Machine Co., Worce ster, has brought an internal grinding machine, styled the Size-Mat which is fully automatic with the exception of loadi1 and unloading the work, and possesses the novel fea ture of sizing the work without the use of | other gages. It grinds not only ordinary plain hok but small holes, tapered holes, blind holes or holes w key-ways or slots. It is claimed for the machin the sizing being independent of the work, it is as ne: universal as a plain tool, the operator being abl handle a miscellaneous class of work easily and yet d it automatically. Furthermore, it is pointed out, th setting up of the Size-Matic mechanism making possible its economical use for short ru work. With the exception of the sizing feature machine is identical with the full automatic deser in THE IRON AGE of Sept. 3, 1925. In the new machine the sizing indicator box used the full automatic is eliminated. Substituted for Fig. 1—Front View of Size-Matic Internal Grind ng Machine. Operation is fully automatic, « loading and unloading the work the control in the cross-slide and diamond. automatie cycle of operation is as follows: Afte yperator has loaded the chuck he throws over the re verse lever, causing the wheel to advance to the wot at full speed and then slow down to a roughing speed, at which it continues to grind until the hole has ver} nearly reached finish size. Then the head withdr: from the work, the diamond drops into place and th wheel is trued at truing speed. The wheel next change to a finish speed, with finish feed, and when finish is reached withdraws from the work, completing tl cycle. From first to last the action is automatic. As will be noted in Figs. 2 and 3, back of the hand wheel is an adjustable ring which carries the cam P over which ride the points A and B. These point actuate the contacts on the magnet box on the front of the machine which control the movements of the diamond truing device and the bringing of the mac! to rest position when the piece of work reaches size. Point A controls the truing operation and point B the finishing operation. The sizing is accomplished as follows: Having the diamond to true the wheel at a predetermined point in relation to the finish size of the hole, it becomes a simple, positive action to advance the cross-slide definite amount, which amount is determined by the distance between contacts A and B. The wheel ha just been trued, presenting a clean, sharp surface t the small, definite amount of stock to be removed. The feed is fine and the speed is correct. Exact duplicatior is assured as long as the relationship of point of truing and the finished surface remains unchanged. The cam B is a part of the hand-wheel and assumes exactly the ime s n for each successive piece at the time of truing and at the time of finishing. rherefore, the number of passes of the wheel through the work Is ( i ly e Sal for each plece The remaining essential factor in insuring exact iplication of work lies in compensating for wear on the wheel due to grinding and truing. Therefore nechanism is provided to advance the cross-slide auto- vw of Cross Slide, Showing Cam and ints; also Arrangement for Compen sating Wheel Wear Fig. > Le ft-hand Vie Ww of Cross Slide, Shou ing Pa and { range ment for Securing Roughing d Fini hing Feed } + matically each time the machine comes to rest, with a piece completed. The ratchet G anchored through r« duction gears to the cross-slide screw, is actuated by the pawl F,, which itself is operated by the pawl D a the latter rides over pin EF as the main table comes to rest positior This action causes the cross-slide to advance 0.001 in. or any other amount required in the necessary compensation for wheel wear. This advance does not change the relationship of the cam and Seven double-acting gas engines are to be supplied yy the Worthington Pump & Machinery Corporation for the United Fuel Gas Co., Charleston, W. Va., all having 22 x 36-in. cylinders and four of the engines a ypHe being of the twin tandem THE Improves Surface Grinder Spin riven Directly -~Added ncrease Output by Motor Features gn tl irral ‘ t} ‘ d the disadvan e pelt ter I A I a detrimental dle bear I naintenance cost ne ! 1} oo With ne 1otor racket ca the rear of the top of the lsat n ne reat ew illus TI ( rinding wheel spindl lal { { ( sing reulai eve reated er The 14-in. grinder r« 1750 1 notor 1 the 22- ma i( nt yt) Ot i ( irch in gearing motor directly to a | preceded the application of the drive e new grinder. This research said to have I ( ea th rinding wheel spindle must ( ! rde in satisfactorily smooth : ly le? nount motor properly the entire ! een made heavier and more rigid. The el he ind spindle mounting are also heavier, and ffer if the new machine is credited with pro- £ er and more accurate action than obtained ne é s design. The direct-connected motor is ‘ e increase of power at the wheel, with- e necessity of heavy belt tension on the spindle. ra power is stressed as making it possible to nerease production materially. The grinding wheel IRON AGE March 4, 1926 spindle is mounted on ball bearings which are fully tected from dirt and moisture. Friction is redu markedly by the ball bearing mounting, the wheel ing easily turned by hand. The grinding whee mounted on a face plate bolted to the spindle so that may removed conveniently. The wheel heads of both sizes of machine are terweighted be for easy and rapid adjustment, and to ie wheel from To further p against wheel sag the entire spindle is floated on ings which slight vent Ut! Sagging. ’ spr take up any wear which n occul The grinding wheel feed controls on both re essentially the same in principle, but the 14 machine has a handwheel at the side of the column ra} y positioning the head. There is also a fine-fe hand wheel on the front of the bed by means of wl the operator can bring work down to size by hand desired. There is a ratchet and pawl attached to Wi eel Spindle Is D) wen by the Motor on he To of the ¢ olumn, the Arrange ment of } hi ch Is Sho il lit the Rear V ve Ww, Be low. EF’, n the motor, the drive through eircula) The d rect-connected motor ‘ o give increased power without heavy helt tension on the spindle } ' ' ; ter handwheel for power feed. This is operated the tabl The 22-in. grinder has both the id and fine-feed handwheels on the front of the bed, has the same general feed arrangement. The construction of the reciprocating table follews of the company’s previous vertical surface grinder. [wo table speeds are provided, the operating clutch be- ing controlled by a handle on the front of the gear box. The hand movement of the table is controlled by a large handwheel on the front of the gear box. This hand- wheel may be loosened from its shaft by a convenient device so that it will not interfere with the operator when the machine is running. Cooling solution is pumped through the hollow spin- dle to the wheel and is thrown between the face of the wheel and the work. A supply of solution is also con- veyed to the outside of the wheel through an adjustable pipe DY ie traverse. na ‘ a tT} Both sizes of model B grinders are suitable for either rotary or rectangular chucks and complete chuck equipment, either plain or magnetic, is available. Thé net weight of the 14-in. grinder is 8990 Ib. without the motor, and the 22-in. machine weighs 16,500 and 19,250 lb. net for the 4-ft. and 7ft. machine respectively, with- out motors. 7 March 4, 1926 THE IRON AGE 625 Grinding Machine for Heavy-Duty Service 2" be furnished for 220, 440, 550 volts, 2 or ss ~— », 40, 50 and 60 cycles, alternating current; also, for : ; y A heavy-duty four ball bearing grinder designed for 110 and 220 volts, direct current. continuous production service and available in six sizes, The from 18 in. x 3 in. to 30 in. x 5 in., is being placed o1 motors are 40 deg. C. rating, with momentary ad capacity of more than 100 per cent. The the market by the United States Electrical Tool ‘ nindle f nickel steel, is in one piece, and is mounted dle is of nickel steel, Cincinnati. The machine, the general construction of n four heavy-duty ball bearings, which are enclosed which may be noted from the accompanying il.ustrat dust-proof boxes. All alternating-current grinders re equipped with remote control to assure motor pro on under all conditions The control is located in se of the machine and has overload cut-out and tage release. The push button station is on the frame. The direct-current machines are regu equipped with manually operated starters and ed switch, but remote control can be furnished. The wheel guards are equipped with exhaust con- nections, hinged doors, spark breakers and adjustable, breakable glass eyed shield The tool rests are d and are arranged for convenient adjustment. The rinding whe ndle ! i { i 7 tive shaf ing device for holding the haft while renewing heels. The 18 in. x 3 in. a.c. grinder carries a 5-hp. tor, operates at a! ud eed of 1120 r.p.m., and rhs 1705 Ib. net Che spindle is 66 in. long, overall, 1 » in. in diameter between the flanges. The from the floor to the center of the spindle is ! ind the of tl base f the machine at the n 6 oo il The 30-in. x 5-in. a.c. grinder The Spindle Is of Nickel Steel and Is Mounted I ( 15-hp. motor and operates at a no-load speed ; Heavy-Duty Type Ball Bearings f 680 n The length of the spindle (0 in. and a the ad meter f the indle et wer flan > VW Milling Attachment for Whitcomb Port- portable draw-cut shaper, and although designed for laning ram and sow block w seats for hammer up- i \ { ama 1 W cS, new eal LOr lammer up able Shaper | to E rights and for squaring the base rf nammers, it 1s An attachment for use with the Whitcomb-Damer adapted also for machining other heavy castings. Two ombination shaper and milling machine, and adapted izes are available, one for surfaces 48-in. square and for milling the clearance for the cutting tool whet the other for surfaces 66-in. squar¢ ; ising the shaper to replane the pockets for uprights o1 The tool is carried on a clapper box mounted on the team and drop hammer bases, has been brought ou front of the head, and is adjusted vertically by means 'y the Reed-Prentice Co., Worcester. It is claimed t of a screw controlled by a handle at the top of the be sufficiently rigid to permit taking cuts % in. dee] head. The head slides in ways on the inside of the The attachment is driven by a standard electric drill bridge and the reciprocating movement is controlled by f 1%4-in. capacity, operating at 180 r.p.m. The at a driving screw. The head is also arranged so that it tachment was be furnished with the electric equipment in be swung each side of the vertical center line and lustrated or can be adapted to accommodate drill the clapper box is designed so that the tool may be that users may have. held with the cutting edge either up or down The machine on which the milling attachment is used The bridge is of heavy angle cross section ribbed i s shown in the second illustration herewith It t short intervals, and supported at each end by a sad Whitcomb-Damerell Combination Shaper and M ng Ma- chine. The attachment, shown at the right, ( dapted for milling the clearance for the cutting tool u hen the shape r 18 used to re-plane the pockets fo uprights on steam and drop hamme r bases 626 THE VA a+ y ao ~ 1 1} ng Machine with Vertical Rolls | ent } B Ri | ff @) t} iM j } ” the th, } I i> n al f ! ! vhich is designated as the ! nding roll, are arranged vertically hat the material to be bent is in a horizontal plane. é mounted on a cast iron base plate at f 16% in. deep, 73 in. long by 64-in. Ten-inch channel irons placed on the floor, sup- -il heckered steel plate which sur