The Iron Age 1926-04-08: Vol 117 Iss 14

ged 2%, ~— OP i —— ee Y Mae add ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 117, No. 14 Conveyors Nearly Triple Output Power-Driven Conveying Systems Are Feature of Im- provements in Continuous Foundry—Make 2000 Chevrolet Cylinder Blocks a Day BY F. I OUNDRY operations have been deve oped very high point of efficiency, output has been greatly increased and production costs sharply re juced in the continuous gray iron foundry of the Sagi naw Products Co., Saginaw, Mich., a division of the General Motors Corporation. As a result of the adop- tion of various methods of increasing plant efficiency, the cost of making castings is now as low as in any foundry in the country, it is said. The foundry is used for the manufacture of motor ‘astings for various types of cars made by the General Motors unit, the two principal castings and the ones that form the bulk of the output being cylinder blocks ind cylinder heads. The outstanding feature of the int from a large production standpoint is a molding it with power-driven conveyors in which 2000 Chev- ll let cylinder blocks are made in a 9-hr. day. *Res nt edit THE IRON AGB, Cleveland - PRENTISS Larger production and greater output for floor space have been obtained and costs reduced by the use of mold onveyors and other labor-saving handling equipment. While the plant is well provided with modern equip- ment, it has been the policy of the management not to overdo labor-saving devices. Work in all departments is divided so that so far as is practical one employee has only one thing to do. This subdivision of work evi- dently has been carried out to a greater extent than it could be done iccessfully in a smaller plant Four Mold Conveying Systems Speed Up Output Incentive for labor efficien« y is provided, since all workers except common laborers are on a piece-rate guaranteed a base rate which is about the going rate for their class of work, and their earnings above that depend upon their skill and energy. With a foundry floor, 400 ft. long and 160 basis The empioyees are With This Molding Unit 2000 or More Chevrolet Cylinder Blocks Are Made in 9 Hr. Molds move along the conveyor at a speed of 12 ft. per min. Back of the conveyor are shou ~ molding machines and jib cranes which handle the cope and drag flasks from the machines to the conveyor. That different molds can be made in the same unit and different flasks in different sizes can be handled on the conveyor is indicated by the photograph 977 wide. the foundry, with the use of four power con- for handling molds and with other labor-saving veyors equipment. has increased its melt to an average of 550 tons a day . fifth conveyor is being erected, and when this is in operation, the plant will have a daily melting ) 120 tons of good 1919, when (00 tons and will produce The foundry was built in and Aftei The Shakeout End of the Mold Cooling Conveyor. shaking out, an air hoist places the casting on the slat eyor at the thro igh at room. right, on which it is innel under the foundry floor to the The empty flasks are placed on the gravity eyor at the left, which connects with a power retur) that takes them back to the fupe con conveyed , , knock- ve yo? molding machine ~ ted had a daily melting capacity of and asting capacity of 120 tons. The increase in produc- on has not necessitated any enlargement of the foun- iry floor, which originally had been based on floor mold ng. The difference in capacity represents the saving f floor space through the use of conveyors. The usual foundry operation is 9 hr. per day outside of cleaning and core rooms, which operate on a 24-hr. schedule. Two of the conveyors are used for handling cylinder blocks and the other two for cylinder heads. The fifth conveyor will be used for making blocks. The four conveyors are arranged in two parallel lines. The two near the cupolas are for cylinder blocks, and beyond these at the other end of the foundry are the two fo cylinder heads. The mold conveyors for cylinder blocks are 197 ft. 6 in. long. The pouring zone is along the last 40 ft of the conveyor and close to the cupolas. At the end of the pouring zone the flasks are discharged onto a semi-circular gravity conveyor having a 10-ft. radius. On reaching the gravity section the flasks in front are pushed along by the flasks behind as they come from the and move onto which is parallel to the mold conveyor. The cooling conveyor is 229 ft. 6 in. long. It is covered for nearly its entire length with a sheet metal hood for carrying away the fumes and heat, which are drawn out, at two points one-third of the distance from the middle to the end of the conveyor, by means of exhaust fans and are discharged outside the building. The the Chevrolet cylinder block made on roll-over machines, and the Osborn stripping plate machines. For the Buick cylin der molds, Osborn and a few Nicholls stripping plate machines are used. 200 tons ‘ conveyor, the cooling conveyor, drag of mold is Osborn cope on Machine Makes 300 Molds a Day Seven drag and six cope machines are used for mak- ing the Chevrolet cylinder molds. located between the These machines ars two conveyor lines, the drag ma- THE IRON AGE April 8, 1921 ch.nes being at the front end of the line and beyw: them the cope machines. The machines were set for a production of 250 molds per machine per 9- day, but an output of 300 molds and over is being tained on the cope machines. In fact, as high as molds have been made on one machine in a day. T)} conveyor moves at a speed of 12 ft. per min., and t! flasks are set 3 ft. apart on the conveyor, making t} molding and pouring speed of the unit four cylind blocks per min. A production of 2000 to 2100 Chevrolk cylinder blocks in 9 hr. is accomplished with 80 m« from the start of the molding up to and including cleaning of the flasks, or from 25 to 26 blocks per ma The force on the molding end consists of 55 men molding, core-setting and clamping, or all the ope: tions up to pouring. Each molding machine has th: men, two for making the mold and one for finishi: Jib cranes equipped with hand hoists of 500 lb. cap ity are provided for handling the cope and drag m« from the machines to the conveyor. Lift trucks bi the cores from the core room on racks, which art at the proper stations along the mold conveyor Keep Record of Output of Each Molding Machin: Operator There are six clampers, one for each cope mac! for clamping on the copes after the cores are set. ‘| men make runner heads and these on While this is being done, other workmen, for each cope, are placing the backing board on ack of the mold. Each molding machine bears an dividual tag, and each drag and cope flask is tagged that a checker can keep a record of the productior each of the men working on each machine. The b tom boards for the cylinder blocks are provided wit skids for carrying them along on the conveyor. T! cope, bottom board and drag are clamped together w a cam-type clamp so that wedges are practically do away with. The flasks are accurately sized to ma sure that the clamps will function properly. The drag flask for the cylinder head is barred in the same wa as the cope, eliminating the need of a bottom boa The drag flask has a skid that slides on the rail of | conveyor and is pushed along by a lug on the convs chain. Six men do the pouring on the Chevrolet cyli: block conveyor. After the flasks are filled, the cla: one sets flasks. Knock Out | | Station \\| ----- (ess iS} —- —-— # — — — ~~ — __ — — — _— 8 S iS | Sand Blast To Cleaning} +74} «Room |S an E oO oO & i Convey + Cyiir ~ O atk vo O : je aS an > foundry #2 » w qn S GS Plan View of Foundry Showing the Locat for cylinder block conveyor systems mold April 8, 1926 This Shows the Use of Cam-type Clamps fo Clamping the Cope, Drag and Bottom Boards Together, Prac- tically Eliminat- ing Wedges and Reducing Labo: Costs ind backing boards are taken off. The runner head box 1s then removed and dropped on a gravity con veyor, on which it passes back to the point at which the runner box was made, and the mold moves around to the cooling conveyor. Toward the end of the cooling conveyor one man removes the runner head, throwing t into a dump cart in which it is taken to the cupola Shaking out requires 11 men. The molds are shaken out on the last 15 ft. of the cooling conveyor. Men art stationed about 15 ft. back along the conveyor line knock off the sprues. Molds Shaken Out at End of Cooling Conveyor At the shakeout the copes are pried off and throw: n a structural steel horse, and are jarred by two men Another man brushes the loose molding sand off the casting, and the next man hooks the casting on an ail hoist that places it on the conveyor that takes it to th knockout room. The empty flasks are placed on a re turn conveyor at the side of the cooling conveyor. The first 80 ft. of this is power driven. From this section THE IRON AGE 979 the flasks pass along to a gravity section of the con- veyor, from which they are taken to the molding ma- chines An underground slat type conveyor, which starts at the ground level at the end of the mold cooling con eneath the foundry floor, carries the Chevrolet cylinder blocks to the knockout room in another building, a distance of 220 ft. In this room removes the castings from the conveyor veyor and extends an air hol ind places them on a four-station table on which the ores are knocked out. The castings are then hung on i monorail and pass through a continuous sand blast he knockout floor. There are three sand blast operatives for this room, two working at a time, one man for each side of the casting. From the sand blast the castings move along on the conveyor to the cleaning room, a distance of 220 ft Will Cool Castings En Route to Cleaning Room An interesting addition to the conveying equipment that is now being erected is an overhead monorail con ISTING. } « > r - A> iis: — & j rr 7 “ rk ~ : } » 7 ach 8 7 . ; x \ , f> 0 ~ Z UU Cz a Block I"lo/ds j ) fora tf dor B L - , \ ndor é upola of / A ~ Four Conveyor Systems Now in Service and the Fifth Syste m, Which Is Linder Conatruction. The two use are the converse of each other. The same is true of the fmo conveyors fo culinde r head molds ~*~ ‘ & 9g THE IRON vevor that will take the hot castings from the shakeout to the cleaning roon Instead of having as short a travel as possible, the conveyor will have a number of tdoor loops, making the total length 550 ft. With this conveyor it Will take 45 min. fo. the castings to move from the shakeout to the cleaning room, and in hat time they w have cooled sufficiently to go di- rectly through the sand blast room. With the new onveying equipment the work will be kept moving from the time the mold is placed on the mold conveyor intil the castings reach the cleaning room. } ] } } } ) } . : All evlinder blocks are both sand blasted and tum led, going from the sand blast to the chipping and rrinding departments and then to the tumbling mills. + Cylinder h reaching the cleaning room go to the ling and are then chipped and ground and ecessary, are sand blasted after grinding. Iron is melted in four continuous type Whiting as, with 90-in. shells lined down to 72 in. Thess set in a row on 16-ft. centers. Each cupola has a pacity for melting 20 tons per hr. In addition there 54-in. cupola for special work and for use in an v1 Ph FS ~ A oe. ¥ 4 Taking off iron is started at 7 a. m. and continues until 5.30 p. m emergency. Metal from the cupola to the pouring stations is handled with six 1-ton Sprague hot metal carriers, elec- trically operated on monorails. There are two parallel arrier tracks in front of the cupolas, and extension pouts are used to carry the metal from the cupola t the outside track. At the pouring stations the carrie discharges its metal into a 1500-lb. ladle suspended from an electric hoist that operates on an oval monorail track. There are three hoists at each pouring station for pouring the molds as they move along the conveyor Cupolas Have Two Charging Floors lhe iron yard is served by a 10-ton crane with a 60-ft. span, which handles the pig iron and scrap with ifting magnet. Material, so far as possible, is un- oaded directly from the cars to the charging platform, the remainder being piled in the yard. Charges of pig ron are made up on fiat trucks on the main charging floor. Four kinds of iron are used for each mixture. Charging is done by hand. The charges of scrap are placed in buggies on the main charging floor, and these are carried in an elevator to a second charging floor 12 ft. above. The two floors make the work more con- venient for the men who are charging the cupolas, as April 8, 199 AGE crowding around the cupola doors is avoided. A ss crane in the iron yard, with 5 tons capacity, is for handling coke and limestone. These materials placed in handling boxes, which an elevator carrik the charging floor. The handling of limestone is entirely at night. Sand Slinger Used for Core-Making The core room and the core finishing departm: are equipped for rapid and accurate production recent installation is a sand slinger for making bination cylinder and crankease cores. Sand for machine is brought under the floor on an apron fe and delivered to the machine in a bucket elevator core boxes are delivered from a gravity conveyo four-arm turntable in front of the sand slinger. W one core box is being placed on the turntable, anot is being rammed and a third is being removed. ( der cores are made on two Wadsworth core macl hooked together as one unit and rigged up with a sand conveyor for feeding the machine. The bores of the cylinder head water jacket y The Kno. in the Fore ground the De ery End of the Undergrou Conveyor Th Brings the Ch out. After th cores are knoi out, the cast are hung monora? pass througl continuous s blast room si in the re are ground with a six-spindle grinding machine « signed for this work. After a wheel is used one-hali day it is broken into four sections and replaced, with th sections set to provide the proper diameter. This r setting is continued twice a day until the wheel is wor! down so that it can no longer be used. This met! of securing the greatest amount of efficiency out of t grinding wheel is made possible by having the m flanges of the wheels nearly as large in diameter the bore of the core. These bores were formé reamed out with a file, but the new method is m juicker and more accurate. Surface grinders are used for grinding the suria the water jacket cores and all other cores hav! flat surfaces. The corc moves on a standard carrias which is fitted with various sized grinding fixtures different sized jackets. The carriage is pushed by ha along a table 6 ft. long. Carborundum wheels attac! to suspended air drills are used for grinding out bo" in valve stem cores. Bores in cylinder jacket cores cleaned with brushes attached to air drills. The ™ chanical equipment used in core finishing is located 1-ft. gangways between the core shelves so that a © arrangement of the standard spacing of the she is not required. All core dryers are removed with special fixtures ¢ Room, Showing rolet Cylinders From the Shake- April 8, 1926 THE IRON AGE , e ay ind to the h CO ad, ‘ a é mold coo Another View of the Chevrolet Cylinde r Block Mold Conve yor. Leaving the pouring e the flasks are dia- onve charged onto a sé mi-circular gra ity } shown at the left ivoid danger of breaking the cores. On¢ it th 1 for port out four dryers from 3500 exhaust | eparate sand handling lay sand for the tw the Cores Checked for Accuracy igh All cylinder barrel and crankcase cores ng a checking fixtures before going into the fou cure accuracy and fit. Consequently n quired in the foundry. One man sets as cores in a day for 2100 Chevrolet cylinder bl Practically all the work in the core room i gravity conveyors. Both men and girls n making cores, but practically all done by girls. Cores are baked in 64 coke-fired, vens, built by Holcroft & Co. The in two rows of 32 each the Iron Is Melted in Four Continuous Cupolas and Is Poured into Electrically Operated Hot Metal Carriers, One of Which Is Shown, That Run on Two Tracks in Front of the Cupolas. Extension spouts are used in filling the ladles on the track farthest from the cupolas 982 } a oy l ng VW ec } ( Ti] ( th { f g é 0 1 rron ne | mat nines I Sand mIixX r water ja Natural r water jack ire added Sand Ss storea nz, 63 x 100 igh the cente? three 5-ton electric traveling cranes equipped with clam ] unload cars to the bins ] ind from the bins Cylindei B ks Has a ¢ tte Sa nd Hi CLing System. Ti} shows the ant conveyo? cr distributes nd to hop above the Vv ding machines THE IRON AGE April 8, 1926 Accuracy Is Eq tipment for gangways Tore ground L Dae kground unliormity unloading building, which ell buckets Thes« to the core room and foundry. New sand is deliver: to the foundry floor with electric and gas-driven truck Die Sinking Machine Makes Core Boxes Improved methods have been adopted in the patter ; shop to increase output and to produce patterns wit closer limits than heretofore. Recently a Keller d sinking machine was installed for making core box: and stripping plates for cylinder blocks. This will b used for making some patterns. First a wood mods is made which is used for the pattern. This machin for core box work will take the place of milling m chines. A special Blanchard grinder with a magn table is used tor grinding core dryers. Some patten are now being made within limits of 0.001 in. as co pared with a former tolerance of 1/64 in. Machine Shop Rejections Under 3 Per Cent To reduce machine shop scrap to a minimun, a ve thorough inspection of castings is maintained. A s tion, 11 in. wide, is cut from a cylinder block bore e: day, and this and the rail of the casting are given Brinell test for hardness. The purpose of the test is t assure sufficient hardness in the bore and at the sam time not have the rail of the casting too hard to m chine. Locating points are guaranteed to the machi shop for every casting, and templates are provided { various checking operations. Because of the caref nspection, machine shop rejections are not over 2': } per cent. A well equipped testing laboratory is ma tained. This, in addition to apparatus for testing t rd physical properties of the castings, includes the Ame) ican Foundrymen Association’s standard equipment fo testing sand. Core oil is tested before unloading fi color and strength. In addition, a new supply of o tested with the standard oil, both being used on thi same plate, so that conditions are identical. The mold and cooling conveyors in all the moldin ‘ inits and the monorail conveyors for handling casting is well as all the sand handling equipment, were sup plied by the C. O. Bartlett & Snow Co., Cleveland The Laclede Steel Co. has contracted with the Cha] man-Stein Furnace Co. to install a continuous billet heating furnace at the Alton, Ill., works. Billets 1% »% in. and 10 ft. long will be charged cold and heate: by top firing, to a rolling temperature of 2250 deg. The fire brick soaking hearth will be 4 ft. in length. Th furnace will be fired by producer gas and equipp* with a Chapman-Stein recuperator. The capacit rating is 6 to 10 tons per hour and the fuel consum} tion is guaranteed not to exceed 150 lb. of coal per to! Dreadnoughts of the Pacific Fleet in Battle Formation The Navy and the Steel Industry IiI.—Steel for Engine Building—Getting Away from Necessity to Import from Europe—Cooperation in Experiment Has Resulted in Development PENCEI UO wage a sea battle iccesstul t necessary th handling of the si lhe Bureau Ordnance that the commander-in-chief bring his ships to the n general takes care of the eration of the gun place selected. Once there, he must be able so t the Bureau of Constructior Repair he ship maneuver them that his guns can inflict the greatest ontrol, steering, etc.; the Bureau of Engineering sup amount of damage to the enemy, with the least pos plies the power that props e ship, as well as the sible damage to himself. It thus requires that eacl various auxiliaries that furnish power {f handling ship be absolutely reliable in respect to her ability t the guns and steering the shi; arry out her part of the program. Any other nd The Bureau of Engineering is technically responsible tion might cause such a disarrangement of plans a for practically all of the power supply furnished on materially to change the outcome of the battle, wit board shi In the popular view, this applies more possibly disastrous results to the country’s futurs specifically to the power for moving the ship, and this It can thus be seen how extremely important it is is its most important single item. But along with this for the machinery, which enables the ship to maintain are numerous auxiliaries which contribute, each in its her proper place in the battle or scouting line, to be as ywn way, to the efficiency of the whole ship perfect as it is humanly possible to make it. We may well remember the old story of the battle that was lost for want of a horseshoe nail. Various bureaus of the Navy contribute their part As in any organization, business or sport, cooperatior s the essential method without which no collection of men or machinery can perform efficiently. On board ship, confronted with the constricting requirements of *San Di Cal space h cooperation is particularly necessary. The oan ero, al GRRIBUNDUININ HITT \ CUUaAdOe tnd nem ith (co, CUDMULSUMRAMAD GG) USCA al 0700 ; YONCLUDING the story of the intimate relat onship between naval development in the A United States and that of the country’s steel industry, this installment deals largely ; with materials for the construction of engines and boilers. When the first steel vessels were built for the Navy in 1883 they were fitted with full sets of masts, spars, sails and the running rigging going with a sailing ship. The Chicago was a full rigged ship of three masts; the Atlanta and Boston were rigged as brigs, and the Dolphin as a two-masted schooner It is a far cry from the day when the marine propelling engine was regarded as auxiliary to the propulsive power of the wind to the present day condition, with electric motors driving the ship, deriving their power from high-velocity steam turbines and high-pressure steam. Fifty years ago it took 18 to 20 lb. of coal to transport 100 tons of cargo one mile by sea Today, 1% to 2 lb. of oil perform the same service. ee . ee | UNTO 985 984 development in naval engineering which this country has seen in the past three decades has been possible only through the utmost cooperation between those who design and supervise the construction of the ma- chinery of the ships and the commercial firms which build and install the machinery. Steam Not a Welcome Innovation [he progress of steam machinery on naval vessels had a hard birth and a bitter fight for existence in its early youth. Captains intimately familiar with their ailing ships loved to maneuver them, and were loath transfer that personal contact to the engine rooms. As with any new development, the early motive power was not reliable and breakdowns were frequent. All this increased the distaste for the new type of pro- pulsion. Moreover, in the period of retrogression which followed the Civil War, money for development work home was hard to obtain, and the initiative passed to foreign ship and engine builders. With the passage of the act of Aug. 5, 1882, which provided for the first vessels of our “new” Navy, began it enormous growth in engineering which culminated in the projected plans of six battle cruisers. Built into the hulls of 33-knot ships was to be machinery of up- ward of 180,000 hp.—more than is found in any but he largest power plants on shore. But the feature of this act of 1882 which was of the greatest importance, and had most far-reaching results, was its provision that the steel to be used should be * “domestic manufacture.” It is hard to realize that, very when this bill was passed, the shipbuilders of this intry used either wrought iron or steel imported from England. Small as were the castings or forgings in t days, tl ountry did not possess the necessary for making them And the designers of these ars recognized the necessity of incorporating but the best of materials possible to use. eginning the Navy Department, through f its bureaus, has been in the forefront of indus- research and development. The cooperation with established, has been constantly iintained, the common aim being always toward the duction of some more suitable asons of strength, life or ¢ of the Navy are in no nu acturers, soon material, whether for economy. Now the prob- wise different from those in) manufacturing concern, except that no tangible return upon the investment need be made. The Navy’s value is potential, as in fire insurance, and ntil i+ fail fails the consequences can not be predicted } + otner I great Evolution of Naval Machinery When Con; gress authorizes the construction of a ertain tonnage, speed and, possibly, armament. Of the tonnage, after numerous confer- definite weight and space are allotted the Bureau of Engineering wherein to place the machinery which shall fulfill the requirements demanded of the hip. This is the province of the designers. The evo- ition of naval machinery has been remarkable. Commencing with cumbersome machinery, the best that could be produced, but and complicated, the world has seen the evolution of the compound en- gine, then the multiple-expansion engine, then the tur- which later was added mechanical reduction gearing, finally culminating in the adoption of turbo- and motors for tl motive lip, 1t specifies a Y > ¢ CriCces, a heavy pine, to the main Each step was taken with the idea of increas- ing efficiency and reliability. And it has been only generators electric power. through the utmost cooperation of the firms manufac- turing this material that such results have been ac- omplished. At first suitable steels were not available. The uureau adhered rigidly to its specifications, which had been drawn so as to obtain the maximum strength of part. The manufacturers could not meet these specifications but, with the aid and cooperation of the bureau, better steel and cheaper steel has been pro- duced than was dreamed of years ago. In following out the bureau’s practice the manufac- turers have increased their own earnings, as people will always pay for a better product, knowing that the initial cost is not the only cost that enters into calcu- eacn THE IRON AGE April 8, 1926 lations. To forge and machine this material in the large sizes necessary, larger, stronger and more ac- curate machine tools were required. These were grad- ually provided, until now the manufacturers of this country have no hesitancy in competing anywhere in the world. Inspection of Material Assumes Huge Proportions To enable the bureau properly to safeguard itself, so that no unsatisfactory material should be introduced on board ships, a vast system of inspection service was inaugurated. The bureau has representatives at every large manufacturing center, and at every shipyard or large plant where either ships, engine, or steel material is manufactured. These officers and men are more than inspectors—as the bureau’s direct representatives they watch all steps taken in the different processes, and are always ready with advice and assistance, to the end that the product may be made more satis- factory and that its cost may be cheapened without loss of quality. In this way they have been of inestimable value to the firms with which they have been asso- ciated. The specifications to which they work are not im- possible—they are rigid, but they seek to establish uniformity in the product and to improve the quality of the material, a result always desired by any reputa- ble firm. These specifications, drawn from years of experience and tests, both on shipboard and on shore, seek to obtain the best that can be obtained. For that reason the Federal Specification Board, which now seeks to standardize the specifications under which all ma- terial for Government use must be purchased, has adopted extensively the specifications prepared by the 3ureau of Engineering of the Navy Department. But to keep thoroughly abreast of the times and take advantage of the latest development in all branches of engineering, research must be undertaken along those lines which have to do particularly with naval service, and tests made to establish the proper com- pliance with these specifications. Each navy yard has testing equipment and usually provides a chemist who will analyze those products susceptible of such analysis. Inspection of rubber, for example, is exceedingly complex, as it is a compound which is capable of being manufactured in many ways, and which necessitates accurate analyses to insure compliance with the speci- fications. The bureau has constantly aided the manu- facturers of these compounds to increase the uniformity of their products, and substantial improvements along these lines have been made. Inspectors of material and machinery make full use of these facilities, with the result that there is little controversy with the manu- facturers, who appreciate that these tests are unbiased Testing Finished Materials Finished products are tested both at the naval ex- periment station, Annapolis, Md., and at the testing laboratory in the New York Navy Yard. A system is in vogue at these places whereby manufacturers are permitted, on application to the bureau and with its approval, to submit samples of their products for ex- haustive physical, chemical and life or service tests, upon payment of a small fee to cover the actual cost. At these stations manufacturers. especially those who have not such facilities themselves, can be assured of a fair test at a minimum of expense. If the test is satisfactory, the manufacturer has the knowledge that his product is up to the standard, and that he can have no hesitancy in marketing it with the assurance that, if it will pass the naval requirements, it should pass any others. If it is not up to standard, it is probable that he will receive such information as will enable him to improve his product. Many important developments in naval engineering have taken place at these stations, and their full value is hardly appreciated by the average manufacturer of engineering material. There is this stipulation, though, that the results of such tests must not be used for ad- The Navy must jealously guard the confidence which the manufacturers repose in it, and must preserve at all times the position of an impartial friend and judge. vertising purposes. April 8, 1926 To supplement these, the naval research laboratory has recently been established. Here it will be possible to take up promising inventions, methods or processes, and develop them into products which will ultimately increase the Navy’s efficiency. The horizon of engineet ing is constantly broadening. An invention or discov ery today may later be applied to a great many prob lems hitherto unsolved. Emission of ions from heated wires is a case in point. Commencing with the Edison effect, successive inventors have developed the theory of the action and applied it so that today we see the results in Mazda lamps and X-ray tubes, and, which is probably more interesting, in the wonderful realm of radiotelephony. The Bureau of Engineering must constantly be ready F bo . f 3 } ra 1 THE IRON AGE 985 this purpose and have been developed to a point where they may weil be considered at the highest point of periection in machine design and manufacture. After being successfully used in connection with ordnance material for several years, they finally became of use commercially, and at present are used for steering gears, punch presses, riveting machines, locomotives, textile printing presses and motion-picture machines. While yet in the development state, speed gears show great promise of future use and will undoubtedly be utilized for a great variety of purposes. Metals and Alloys As the proper use of metals is the backbone of the engineering of today, it is of interest to note the me an . a U “4 a ey “a ‘es ; Using a Portable Welder in Repair Work on the Bilge Keel of a Destroyer, the Function of Which Is to Minimize Rolling. Above the workman’s head is an outlet for condensing water. Another outlet appears farther aft. Explosion of a bomb near these openings would be likely to destroy the underwater integrity of the ship and thus threaten its safety to take advantage of such discoveries and see whethe1 or not they are at all applicable to its problems Keeping in Step with Industry But it is important that naval activities do not run counter to the trend of commercial engineering. Manu- facturing in this country has developed enormously and, in certain ways, it has developed by groups; for ex- ample, the automobile industry. So great was the de- mand there for interchangeable parts that the Society of Automotive Engineers, formed from those inter- ested in that work, has established standards so that fittings, bolts, etc., made by different manufacturers, can be used on all types of cars. Standardization of products is greatly to be de- sired, but there must first come the standardization of the units which compose them. In time of national emergency, when every possible use must be made of ill industries, it is essential that the machinist produc- ing similar articles in widely separated parts of the country use the same allowances, tolerances, etc. That the bureau’s designs may be capable of country-wide manufacture, it is essential that they conform to the national standards of design. Hence, the bureau main- tains representatives on all such committees of na- tional importance, and it is hoped that this will even- tually result in a complete uniformity of manufacture A machine which has found great use for commer- cial purposes is the Waterbury hydraulic speed gear, developed by an employee of the Bureau of Ordnance for use in connection with training and elevating guns. For several years speed gears were used entirely for bureau’s activities in the advancement of this science As was mentioned before, when the first steam vessels were ordered to be constructed of steel of domestic manufacture it was found impossible to do this im mediately, due to the lack of proper knowledge and equipment. The steels that were produced were full of impurities and flaws, and it took long and careful investigations to determine how to remedy this trouble. New methods of production were evolved, improved methods of pouring and heat treating have been de- veloped, and the quality of the production has steadily improved. The bureau has a membership in the American Society for Testing Materials, and is constantly con- tributing material of value along these lines. The subject of proper heat treatment of metals goes hand in hand with proper metallographical examination and recording of the tested specimens. The Bureau of Engineering early recognized the great value of proper heat treatment, and has established clauses in its specifications requiring metallographical examination of certain materials to determine whether this has been correctly done. It has established at the naval experi ment station a complete set of apparatus for conducting such examinations, and the results obtained from this source have been of inestimable importance in deter mining the causes of failures and in suggesting rem edies. It keeps constantly in touch with the activities of the American Society for Steel Treating, with the object of standardizing the classification in treatment of steels. Progress in the art of metallography has resulted 926 THE IRON AGE manv new alloys, notably in the and chromium have been ! i \ | he ea gehening lightening é ind making them less liable to failure fron Whenever possible the Bureau of Engineer i f of the new alloys, in an effort weight I nace per horsepower of the nst tiol rd ship. This permits equent increase otf t e desired , fer? l April 8, 1926 alloys have been carried out at the New York Navy Yard and the results of a great number of tests have indicated lines which it has been found advisable t: follow up. Manufacturers are constantly being called into consultation with regard to the improvement of their product, as a result of these tests. There is sti] a great field to be covered in this line, and the bureau is using every opportunity to find metals of superior quality which can be substituted for those now in uss Considerable progress has already been made in thi production of corrosion-resisting aluminum alloys Algeria an Important Iron Ore Source Production Increasing Yearly While Equipment of More Mines and Additional Rail- roads Promise Still Greater Output* he French { es, Algeria commercially is \ ) btedly the 1 t important. Situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, it is in a favor is an iron ore producer for shipment t Europe as we the East Coast of the State and Car tions tor the deveiopment rt iron mines and rtation of ore from Algeria are most favor h because of shipping and railroad transpo1 ilities and the helpful attitude of the Frenct ent toward mining and industrial enterprises rtant fact the development of this indus Spain, on the other hand, has increased the export ro! re i we a increasing port charges, ‘ | exercised rather adverse effects on the Spar re ndustry Che iron ore deposit f Algeria are for the greate t of metasomatic origin and are generally found mestone; the origin and occurrence of some e best Known mines of the country, such as the € it, Zacecar, Beni Saf and Rar-el-Maden mines. \t the Rar-el-Maden and Beni Saf mines the deposit n limestone near the contact with palaeozoic while at the other deposits mentioned the ores ‘ ntercalated in the limestone, except at the Ouenza where he limestone in which the ore occurs is of retaceous period all deposits of magnetic ores have been found operated, but are relatively of little importance. he larger iron ore deposits consist of red and brown ematites of good structure, low in silica, easily melted and in some cases almost self-fiuxing. A char- teristic feature of these ores is a convenient per- tage of manganese. The principal mines are near the coast, with rail- vad facilities for handling of the ore from the mine the shipping port. The accompanying map shows the ation of the principal iron ore properties Ouenza Most Important Mine The largest and most important iron mine on the rth coast is the Ouenza, operated by the Société de _ ntributed by i New York I mporte ‘Ouenza, a French company. Although the company was organized in 1913, actual mining did not begi: intil 1921, the delay being caused primarily by tl World War. Once operations started, production in creased yearly until an output of about 700,000 ton was reached in 1925. It is estimated that more thar 1,000,000 tons will be shipped in 1926. In addition the large tonnage of ore in sight, engineers have ri ported reserves of 45,000,000 tons. The OQuenza ore i transported by railroad to Bona for transshipment t foreign markets. This ore, known as Ouenza-Compani red hematite of good structure and mechanical! ndition and is almost self-fluxing. The accompanying Northern Por- tion of Algeria, Showing, by Crosses, the Lo- cations of Impor- tant Iron Mining Operations and T hei) Railroad Outlets and Con- pie chions. able shows a typical analysis of this ore and an indi ation of its mechanical condition. Other Mines Being Developed The OQuenza company is interested in another mine also, the Bou Kadra, in the same district and about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Ouenza mine. These two deposits are of the greatest potential importance in the Department of Constantine. Preparation of th: 30u Kadra mine recently was started and it is expected to be in operation by 1929. It is being equipped for an annual production of 500,000 tons of the same quality ore as the OQuenza mine. The Timezrit mines, also in the Department of Constantine near El-Maten, ship their ore by rail to the port of Bougie. The output of this mine is 100,000 to 150,000 tons per year of a lumpy, non-phosphoric hematite, which has been used in the production of low- phosphorus pig iron both in Europe and in the United States. A typical analysis and the mechanical condi- tion of this ore are shown in the table. The mines of the Yebel Zaccar near Milianah are in the Department of Algiers. Shipment is made to Algiers on the railroad which runs between Oran and Algiers. The ore is a non-phosphoric, lumpy, soft hem- atite, as shown in the table. The annual output of the mines ranges from 250,000 to 300,000 tons. Near the Moroccan frontier there is a small deposit of manganiferous iron ore, known as Rar-el-Maden. While the production of this mine is small, only 50,000 to 60,000 tons annually, it is of excellent quality. The a a ti ati etal ein lit ae ee April 8, 1926 THE IRON AGE 987 Mechanical Conditior Percentage ‘ : Fe Mn SiO: Ss ( umps Rubble Smalls Ouenza-Companil 56.19 1.9( 1.67 06 § 0 60 24 16 Timezrit 58.50 1.10 s 014 36 34 30 Zaccar .... 94.95 1.25 E 7 018 4 30 25 Rar-el-Maden 1.1 7§ 2.97 ).016 4 25 40 35 Rar-el-Maden is a manganiferous iron ore of 6 to & per growtl f the iron mining industry of the country cent contained manganese, low in phosphorus and silica During the past 10 years export of iron ore has in and of good mechanical condition, as the table shows creased 50 per cent—an average yearly increase of § Another important deposit, not yet, however, being per cent. Improvements now under construction or t operated, is the Sidi Marouf mine. Present plans in begin shortly at the mines are larger than anything dicate the beginning of operations within the next fev heretofore contemplated and should result in consid years. This property is near Constantine, but several erably greater production. miles from the Constantine to Dijidjelli railroad, now Exports of iron ore from Algeria in 1925 amounted under construction. to 1,653,763 metric tons as compared with 1,785,719 tons ; n 1924. Because of the depression in Great Britain that country took only about 900,000 tons last year against 1,100,000 tons in 1924. Germany, however, 1! Table Il Exports of Iron Ore |! m A Year Tons Year s the first 11 months of last year imported 384,100 tons ttt 1 ore ore oe BSS. as against 142,100 tons in the calendar year 1924 1916 883,644 1925 rT Of importance in the future development of Algeria saat A oe ese as an iron ore producing country is the improvement 1919 770,224 of transportation facilities from the mines to ports 769 1,096,527 While much railroad has been constructed, the greatest advance is expected during the next few years. Port . : . . conditions are satisfactory at present and improvements Exports of Ore Show Rapid Increase ' re under way to permit handling the larger tonnages The accompanying table of Algerian irot re ex expected as the industry develops, with additional mine: orts from 1914 to 1925 serve to ind te tl rapid producing Accident to Woodward Blast Furnace Following a Slip Occurring as Stack Was Being Blown Out, Furnace Shell Was Sev- ered Above Mantle—Contents Remaining Scattered by Entering Blast A MOST unusual accident occurred at W Va N y operat he ny y officials empha “ blast furnace of the Woodward Iron ¢ i racterized the ! he furnace \la., on March 20, resulting in the loss of nt The official schedule illed for the blowing out men, who were instantly burned to death o1 e furnace on April 1. The last four days of the can shortly after the accident. The No. 2 furnace was con iign resulted in the production of an excessive propor pleting a very satisfactory campaign, during cn the LIO! f high-sulphur foundry iror ind for this reasor furnace had produced a record tonnage, and ve sat he furnace was ordered blown out Friday evening. Th: Though the Shell Might Well Have Fallen Into Casting House, or the Free Side, Instead It Crushed and Buckled the Skipway, Which Is Ly- ng Under- neath the Shell a orderely ded in the regu e incident, until 4:45 Satur ! ‘ ! ype according te it not immediately ving furnace shell was ff, pol W ¢ snee above the would ive been easier for the shell forwa » the casting house, or to the ( ist catcher, it chose the more ng ward the skipway, which was ‘ rd Noir omewhere below I Che D rnace found Oo r} e furnace i I é | the inaisturped | I llelk it Cr nouse Dv The higt e mains S é it 1U i e tne mantle \ I nows no mal rt impact \ é re} ed, the re ut by the ; 1 +} fq} Another Gain in Foundry Equipment manutacturers comprising tne lip! Manufacturers Association $472,814 February, a gain of 38 per ime month in 1925. Sales were also the previous two months. The total for lary, 1926, was $414,121 and for December, 1925, 0. Ship February totaled $422,004, a pel r the total for February, 1925, le ne of 5 per cent from the $445,377 reported ! lal 26. Orders on hand on March 1 totaled $53 s. a gain of 6 per cent since Feb. 1 and an in- 0 per cent as compared with the same date Molders Ask for 33% Per Cent Advance Mold n the Youngstown district are demanding vage rease of 1/3 per cent, seeking an advance m 93%c. per hr. to $1.25, or an increase in the daily rat rom $7.50 to $10, and a five-day week. The United Engineering & Foundry Co., Youngstown Foun dry & Machine Co. and the Falcon Bronze Co., leading \ nave employers of molders, thus far resisted the de- mands, claiming they cannot neet competition else- ré vy paying such wage THE IRON AGE April 8, 1926 The Upper Part of Shell Was Sheared at the Second Row of Plates Above the Mantle. Gas and blast Mains were undisturbed principally within a radius of about 75 ft. of the furnace nace, base. The recording gas gage attached to the Feld gas washer which is connected with a gas main leading to No. 2 furnace showed that during the night several slips occurred, the last of which was the most violent, and, seemingly, developed a pressure sufficient to rend the shell as stated and as shown in the photograph. Inaccurate reports regarding a hot shell are wholly and unqualifiedly untrue. The officials say there were no hot spots on the furnace shell and point out that had this the case, the furnace would not have sheared as shown in the photograph. There would, of been evidences of over-heating and buckling, of which was indicated. Moreover, under such conditions, there would have been warning of impending danger, in which event the blast could have been taken off and the workmen could have reached safety zones. Aside from the destruction of the furnace shell and skipway, the property damage was surprisingly small peen ourse, have neither It is probable that the furnace will be idle four weeks longer than ordinarily required to effect repairs Addresses Scheduled for National Metal Trades Meeting Among the speakers at the annual convention of the National Metal Trades Association, to be held in New York, April 15 and 16, will be: John W. O’Leary, president of the Chamber of Com- merce of the United States, who will speak on “Man- : agement Contribution to American Industry.” Dr, Clarence H. Robertson, Shanghai, China, “Scien- tif Advances in China.”’ Representative Ogden L. Real Tax Problem in W. hi Mills, New “The the United States.” Ving Bullard, Boston, “Problems of y ork, Interna- lance Virgil Jordan, chief economist of the National In- trial Conference Board, New York. “The Hub of the Agricultural Situation.” Dr. W. J. Spillman, Department of Agriculture, VW ’ no Y) (he Bureau of Engineering of the Navy Department extended its previously authorized use of steel for struction of auxiliary antenna trunks on light cruis- ) + ers to include the main antenna trunk in the U. S. S. via enead cal Riedie tomic Hydrogen Used in Welding Two New Methods for Producing Ductile Welds—Air Excluded by Bath of Gas—Formation of Oxides and Nitrides Claimed to Be Prevented* WO methods for producing ductile welds have been developed by research scientists of the Gen eral Electric Co., working in different laboratories. Both of the methods, similar in some respects, are re- garded as marking a distinct step in the utilization of the heat of electric arcs in the joining of metal parts The one was developed in Schenectady by Dr. Irving Langmuir, the other in the Thomson Research Labora tory at Lynn, Mass., by Peter Alexander. In both processes, air is excluded from the metal by means of a bath of hydrogen or other gas. It i stated that the formation of oxides and nitrides in th weld metal is thus prevented, and that the fused metal is as strong and ductile as the original metal. Theoretical Study Made Fifteen Years Ago Fifteen years ago, while studying the loss of heat f the tungsten filaments of incandescent lamps in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas, Doctor Langmuir found that at a high temperature the hydrogen gas changed from the molecular to the atomic state. In the mole- cular state, two atoms of the gas are grouped together as a unit; in the atomic state each atom acts as a unit The molecular form is the more stable, and when the *From an article in the March issue of the General Electric Review. y . s x | 4 ‘ay — Two Types of Atomic Hydrogen Arc Welding Torches Have Been Developed. One type of torch is shown above and the other at the right in the hands of the operato? Chromium and Low-Car- bon Steel Were Joined in Welding Rectifier Seal at Right atoms recombine to form the molecules intense heat is liberated, Doctor Langmuir’s study of the filaments in hydro- gen was a theoretical investigation. Continuing it, he found that more atomic hydrogen was formed by pass- ing powerful electric arcs between tungsten electrodes at atmospheric pressure. By directing a jet of hydro- gen from a small tube into the arc, the atomic hydrogen could be blo