The Iron Age 1928-08-30: Vol 122 Iss 9

Dr. George Burgess the THE IRON AGE ESTABLISHED 1855 New York, August 30, 1928 122, No. Metals Studied for Fifteen Years Review Achievements Since Organization Metallurgical Division Bureau Standards Effort Put De- veloping Correct Methods Test GILLETT* 1926 the Bureau Standards celebrated its twenty- fifth anniversary. was dozen years after the foundation the bureau before its metallurgical work became grouped seperate division, even though sections various divisions, such those dealing with pyrometry, were already dealing with problems metallurgical in- terest. The original six divisions the bureau dealt with elec- tricity, weights and measures, heat and power, optics, chem- istry and mechanics, and were indeed organized with the idea serving all industries concerned with jects. The metallurgical and two other technical divisions the bureau that were set later were organized different They are not much con- cerned with absolute stand- ards measurement facts relating particular sci- ence they are with the application known facts and the finding new facts interest the industries they serve. Dr. Stratton (then director the Bureau Standards, but now president the Massachusetts Insti- tute Technology) selected chief the new division. The latter had been working for years pyrometric prob- lems very direct metallur- gical interest. Trained both chemist and physicist, had become, from his own *Chief. Division Metal- lurgy. Published with the ap- proval the director the Bureau Standards. IRON AGB, Aug. and 1925: Sept. 1926; Aug. 1927. Figure 1—Improved Apparatus for Determining Gases Metals Vacuum Fusion. This provides for the deter- mination oxygen and hydrogen metal either gravi- metrically volumetrically, the analysis being made with circulation gases mercury diffusion pump; the de- termination nitrogen volumetrically; the melting the sample under high vacuum; the loading the furnace without relieving the interest the metallurgical field, metallurgist well. guided the destinies the new division until became director the whole Bureau Standards 1923. Fifteen years have now passed since the metallurgical division was formed. Instead confining discussion merely the fiscal year has been customary recent reports made the metal industries through the pages THE proposed review some the basic ideals that have guided the division for the past years and some the accomplishments that period. Funds Are Stationary Obviously the scope the work limited funds, personnel For the past few years the direct appropriation, the funds transferred from other Government departments and the overhead expenditures for general bureau purposes have totaled about yearly for the metallurgical division. About this same amount will available for 1928-29. Since the funds have remained practically station- ary for several years, has the personnel the division. Researchers Average Eight Years Bureau The division staff consists sional grade qualified research, small number research ably four for the coming year), assistants, clerical staff three and machine shop staff three. That is, the group consists workers. rapid turn-over the staff : - 7 7 j ‘ ™ | 5 509 \ 7 4 Figure 2—Apparatus for Sintering Test Molding Sand A—Frame carrying platinum resistor ribbon B—Carbon plate resistance C—Ammeter D—Optical pyrometer E—Optical shield G—Interval H—Sand spe cime Yet the technical ard cleri- cal employees now the staff the metallurgical division have served there average six and one-half have been the staff over years. Government laboratory. Six The average length service the the professional grade about eight years. Two-thirds the entire experience gained the work the division still being brought bear Government work, and over half still available within the division. While most the staff have spent the better their careers research, they have previously done metaliurgical work for different firms. Much Special Equipment Constructed the years its existence the division has bought much standard equipment. has various types electric, gas and oil furnaces cupola for melting steel, cast iron and the metals; foundry equipment, ex- tensive furnace equipment for heat treatment and for pyro- metric control the furnaces; forging press, trip ham- mer, 16-in. rolling mill, two small mills for special work, wire-drawing equipment, with range from 0.001 in. diameter; two swaging machines with range 0.4 0.03 in. and lathe for spinning. made and formed needed. and non-ferrous Alloys therefore The division has variety tensile testing machines, hardness testing devices, and other common testing machines its own, besides easy access the very complete equipment the engineering mechanics section the bureau. especially complete set available for the study endurance metals. Besides the equipment for study crystal structure 510—August 30, 1928, The Iron Age X-ray methods, both slit and pin hole, and densitome- ter for further study the X-ray films, the fine radiographic equipment the optics division has recently been augmented make radiographs for study defects metals. The extensive metallographic equipment has also been aug- mented heavy microtome for preparing soft metals. mechanical polishing apparatus has also been constructed. its particular fields work has constructed much special equipment, such that for study corrosion, properties metals high temperatures, including bear- ing metals; for determination gases metals and for the production the special refractories needed that work and the study the properties pure metals; for de- termination critical points and for study cooling during quenching; for the study the metal spray process; for study molding sand and core binders; for study ma- chinability and the wear metals. Individual Attention Given 3600 Inquiries Yearly Although sufficient funds, experienced staff and com- plete equipment are important, little constructive work will done any laboratory unless this work directed along proper lines and from the proper point view. First and foremost, the division gets the guidance Director Burgess, whose long service metallurgy makes him con- versant with its problems. Receipt every year some 3000 letters and visits from some 600 people asking for metallurgical information gives some idea the type in- formation that needed. For example, such large pro- portion these inquiries deals with the wear metals that there can question the need for work that field. The meetings the metallurgical advisory committees, which 1928 over practising metallurgists spent two 3 4 4 Figure 3—Machine for Repeated Pounding Bear- ing Metals The weight repeatedly raised the mechanism and dropped the specimen mounted the blows associated with the rebound the falling weight. Tests high temperatures are made placing the furnace about the specimen 4 7 a a days discussing with the bureau staff what had been done the previous year and what should done the next, are great service orienting the work. Plant Produce Information The product these men and this plant metallurgical information. small proportion such information for routine needs Government departments; much the form replies inquiries, but the great bulk the work research for publication. The list metallurgical pub- lications the division itself has over 400 titles. Some the larger projects the last year are: wear testing gages, wear and other properties railroad bear- ing metals, endurance rail steel, creep steel high temperatures, corrosion test methods, air-hardening rivets, machinability steel, impurities high-speed steel, cor- rosion duralumin, abnormal carburizing steel, determina- tion gases metals, density carbon steels, crystal structure, microstructure ferrite, strain lines, protective metallic coatings, cast iron for enameling, and extensive revision the circular light alloys, besides many minor publications. Research Associates Utilize Facilities Inasmuch there has been material change the funds available for research for the past five years and there slight diminution for 1928-29, the “research associate plan,” which out- side agencies pay the salaries research associates for co- operative work the bureau, the only method which the available equipment and experience can applied wider range problems. Six research associates are now attendance. These are from the American Petroleum Insti- the oil industry; American Zinc Institute, aid- circular from the Steel Castings Development Bureau, properties steel Possible castings; from the Bunting this machine shovel Brass Bronze Co., auto- materials now being motive bearing metals; from Sand from reser- the Byers Co., prop- sure from weight esses; and from the wheel Co., high temperature prop- erties special steels. This number could materially augmented. Figure Brinell Wear Testing Machine Important Achievements Years Since all the work the past years has been aimed fill the need science and industry for new facts and most the problems have been urged technical societies groups representing industry, most the work should have been some commercial value. Some accomplishments deserve special mention. The work Burgess and co-workers (and all that follows the co-workers deserve credit which space lacking give) pyrometric problems, the point iron, the manufacture platinum high purity, and sound in- ~ q ite Figure 5—Top View Automatic Polishing Machine for Metallographic Specimens Rapidly rotating disk polishes three specimens sim- ultaneously. Slowly moving cam center traverses specimens across disk and also rotates them avoid parallel scratches gots and rails, certainly should mentioned. Burgess’ leadership the important cooperative work the effect phosphorus and sulphur also well known. Perhaps the most far-reaching bit work done metallurgy the bureau was that Merica, Waltenberg and Scott the mechanism the heat-treatment duralumin, which paved the way for understanding precipitation-hardening and for the slip-interference theory. Jeffries and Archer have also utilized facts about the dimensional changes steel hardening from the work Scott, and the hardening spark-fused iron from the work Rawdon, foundation stones the structure the theory the hardening steel. Merica and Walten- berg straightened out the problem the malleability nickel. Merica also added much the understanding internal stress and season-cracking brass. Scott’s work the effect the critical points steel also fundamental value. Rawdon has contributed much knowledge inter- crystalline corrosion, and (with Groesbeck) metallo- graphic methods. The work Rawdon and Marshall brittleness galvanized malleable castings has had useful commercial application. work abnormal steel highly creditable. French has done pioneer work the high-temperature properties metals and methods testing, has added materially knowledge methods for testing tool steels and machinability, and has done constructive work wear testing and gages. French and Klopsch’s work the mechanism the quenching steel has been practically applied Smith improve the product the bolt industry. Freeman has shown the alleged allotropy zinc non-existent and has added our knowledge the prop- erties babbitt metal and the endurance rail steel. Cain has worked the Ledebur method for oxygen steel and Jordan has brought close perfection the vacuum fusion method for determining oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen steel and cast iron. The work Neville and Cain the pure manganese alloys has served baseline for the study the influence other elements steel. The successful working Jordan and Swanger pure rhodium into wire The Iron Age, August 30, 4 = | 4 4 j has made possible decided improvements apparatus used other divisions the Bureau Standards. Saeger has developed methods testing molding sand for permeability, compression and sintering point. His recent work rubber core bond also deserves men- tion any such list. His studies metal spray led the metallurgical division try protect duralumin against corrosion and intercrystalline embrittlement coating pure aluminum, scheme recently commercialized. the same connection, Rawdon proved the importance cold water quenching duralumin itself means mini- mizing intercrystalline attack. looking back this research work noteworthy that important advances theory have resulted from work undertaken for purely practical purposes, and vice versa. the writer’s belief that the distinction between “prac- tical” and “fundamental” (i.e., theoretical) research artificial one and that search for experimental facts and the reasons for them less “fundamental” because happens have angles immediate practical importance. Nor should question apparently pure theory avoided because does not show immediate practical angles. Present and Future Work Most the present work concentrated upon fields which the bureau has previously been working and whose importance seems demonstrated. all much stress being laid the develop- ment and appraisal suitable test methods the obtaining data those methods. Once superior methods are available, which really tell what one wants know, producers and users will apply them the materials they make use, and the needed data will rapidly collected. But many these fields industry not getting these data for lack suitable tests. seems more importance the metallurgical public that the bureau concentrate test methods rather than on. getting masses test data. Hot Blast Invented One Hundred Years Ago Sept. there will celebrated Glasgow, Scotland, the centenary one the most remarkable inventions. this day, 1828, there was granted Neilson, city gas works manager, patent No. 5701 for “improved application air produce heat fires, forges, and furnaces where bellows other blowing apparatus are required.” Extracts from the original specification show that Neil- son had mind the principles good combustion and fuel economy rather than their application any particular case. blast current air must produced bel- lows other blowing apparatus the ordinary way. passed from the blowing apparatus into air ves- sel receptacle, made sufficiently strong endure the blast, and through and from that vessel, means pipe, tube aperture, into the fire, forge furnace. the commencement and during the continuance the blast (the vessel) must kept heated artificially considerable temperature. better that the temperature kept red heat nearly so, but high temperature not absolutely necessary produce beneficial effect. The air ves- sel receptable may conveniently made iron, but the effect does not depend the nature the material. The form shape the vessel re- ceptacle immaterial the effect, and may adapted the local conditions circumstances. The air vessel may generally conveniently heated fire distinct from the fire affected the blast current air, and generally will better that the air vessel and the fire which heated should inclosed brickwork masonry, through which the pipes tubes connected with the air vessel should pass. The manner applying the blast the air ves- sel is, however, immaterial the effect kept proper temperature.” The far reaching effects this invention the iron in- ustry and prosperity the world general have fre- quently been described. marked the first step fuel economy and consequent high output blast furnaces; these turn have given the world cheap iron and steel. Stimulated Scotch Iron Making The immediate effects hot blast applied the early nineteenth century blast furnaces were truly astound- 512—August 30, 1928, The Iron Age ing. 1829 stove was built the Clyde Ironworks, giv- ing preheat only 300 deg. Fahr., but this resulted the coal consumption (as coke) being reduced from 8.05 5.15 tons per ton pig, together with greatly increased out- put. 1833 the blast temperature had been raised 600 deg. Fahr. and the coal consumption (now fed into the furnaces raw avoid heavy coking losses) had come down 2.25 tons per ton pig. was not until some years later that Faber Faur’s idea (patented 1832) using the waste gases from the furnace heat the blast came into general use, the above figures include the raw coal burned under the stoves. practice was found that 250 lb. coal burned under the stoves saved ton coal the charge. The resulting growth the iron trade Scotland fol- lowing the general adoption Neilson’s patent another indication its importance. 1830 the total output all furnaces was only 37,500 gross tons, but 1840 this had increased over 200,000 tons. Product “Industrial Research” The invention was not “shot the dark,” but the out- come scientific observation and reasoning. Neilson, the son engine wright, was self-educated man. After serving his apprenticeship with the firm that em- ployed his father, took work the City Gas Works, Glas- gow. Studying his spare time best could, rose foreman and finally manager. this position was able establish one the earliest industrial laboratorits for works control and training his men. was while ex- perimenting here that realized the importance pre- heated air combustion, though improbable that realized the time how far reaching his discovery would be. That its most important application came another industry illustrates again the value sound scientific education with its wide and fruitful results. “The Employment Interview” the title the second series manuals employment practice, which being issued the Policyholders’ Service Bureau the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., New York. Methods various companies conducting hiring interviews are out- lined the booklet, and particular interest the policy the Curtis Publishing Co., Philadelphia, emphasiz- ing the undesirability over-stressing the good features the job. | Carbonizing Dodge Parts Electrically Parts Quenched from Pot Given 1614 Hours’ Heat Turret Furnace—Pot-Cooled Parts Stay Twice Long Straight-Line Counterflow Furnace 16, page 389, was noted that nearly all heat treating operations the Detroit plant manufacturing Dodge motor cars have been electrified. Not only are forging and finished parts heated electrically, but carburizing done special types furnaces, heated electrical resistors. equipment will now described. should under- stood that this modern installation does all the case hardening required, with the exception those parts which are heated cyanide, either for superficial case merely for heating out contact with air. For such purposes oil-fired cyanide pots conven- tional type are retained. Parts whieh from the box are carbur- ized furnaces with ro- tary hearths. Work that counterflow recuper- ative furnaces, thus sav- ing considerable heat en- ergy. previous article, published THE Aug. Rotary Electric Furnaces All parts that are quenched from the box carburizing tem- perature are treated three naces built the George Hagan Co. These are ft. in. outside diameter, ft. in. high above floor level and extend ft. in. below level. The outside diameter the rotating table ft. in. and its inside diameter ft.; its total loaded weight be- tween and tons. This hearth supported balls riding hardened gear race and supple- mented eight dead eyes and rollers riding circular track. The table connected with shaft projecting through the center the furnace, which mounted 6-ft. driving gear. 220-volt motor, operating through Foote Brothers speed transformer, gives prede- termined table speed 10%, 13% and hr. per revolu- tion respectively the three furnaces. The table equipped with alloy bucks piers equally spaced, which are active, the twenty-seventh being either unloading loading. (These bucks support the Fig. 1—Double-Ended Counterflow Carburizing Furnace. Two pot loads ring gears single tray about charged into furnace work in. above the hearth, allowing the heat strike the under side the boxes. This elevated position also facili- tates loading and unloading). Thus the time cycle di- vided among parts the heated zone and one part for discharging and charging one pier carburizing boxes. After removing the hot boxes carburized charge, the furnace op- erator presses the motor control button and moves the table forward until the empty buck matically stops and in- dexes front the charging door. baffle wall between the dis- charge and charging doors insulates the ingo- ing from the outgoing boxes. lift-platform elec- tric truck used for loading. brings five carburizing boxes from the The truck moves into po- sition front the charging door, its arms the boxes are raised the proper level, compressed air cylinder opens the door and the truck moves ward, the arms dling the pier. The arms are then lowered, depos- iting the boxes the pier, and the truck backs away. interesting detail the construction the three-piece carburizing in. dimensions. They have cast corners and rolled alloy sides that are cast into the corners. The Dodge company finds that with this type less breakage occurs than with the more conventional cast boxes. Boxes are made Q-alloy nichrome heat-resisting alloy. Direct Labor Reduced One-Half Each rotary furnace requires 500 kw. five 220-volt, three-phase circuits arranged for three-point con- trol. Settings three Leeds Northrup recorders control these circuits through their respective thermocouples; limit stops these recorders actuate relays that control the power input switches. The first thermocouple, approximate- ft. from the loading door, controls two circuits and set for 1725 deg. Fahr. The second, controlling two cir- cuits, approximately one-half the travel and set 4 The Iron Age, August 30, | | | | 7 | | « | 3 1700 deg. Fahr. The third close the discharge door and set for 1650 deg. Experience the Dodge plant has shown that the higher temperatures the charging side reduce the heating portion the cycle without danger overheating the work. saving approximately hr. has been made the cycle this arrangement. Heat- ing elements suspended from both side walls are 80:20 nickel-chromium ribbon operating density approxi- mately watts per sq. in., giving maximum temperature the ribbon approximately 100 deg. Fahr. higher than the furnace atmosphere registered the thermocouple. These three furnaces produce the work that formerly re- quired oil-fired 11-ft. furnaces. While the heat cost somewhat higher, stated that the direct labor cost the furnace operation has been reduced one-half and that the quality work produced approaches the ideal condi- tion, e., uniform penetration carbon and rejects. Hot carburizing boxes are carried from the furnace the electric truck motor-operated dumping machines located back the furnaces. The box clamped the machine and inverted, dumping the contents screen, through which the carbonizing compound falls. The work slides down the screen into oil bath. Counterflow Carburizing Furnaces Camshaft, ring gears, pinions and some miscellaneous parts are box-cooled. Such parts are carburized seven furnaces 159-kw. capacity, built the Electric Furnace Co. These furnaces are ft. long and have hearth in. wide, with dividing wall. Fig. shows the end door. The furnace “double-ended,” that is, loaded and discharged from both ends. Furnace 11, for instance, loaded from the near end (Fig. and unloaded from the far end. Furnace (not separated from No. any way) contains row pots moving the opposite direction. The rows boxes are pushed forward predetermined rate from opposite di- q rections, that the discharge end one row alongside the charging end the other. With this arrangement the cold boxes absorb heat they enter from the hot boxes passing the other rollers. the 71-ft. furnace length the preheating zone either end ft. long. Next comes ft. heating zone, and the center the holding zone, ft. length. The power for the holding zone kw. and for each heat- ing zone kw. These three zones are separately con- trolled, and are powered top and bottom with T-grid ele- ments. Current transformed from 220-volt, three-phase circuit, single-phase each zone, obtain the required current density the heating element. Fig. shows the automatic control operating from Leeds Northrup re- corders. Packing and discharging done roller tables the side the furnaces shown Fig. shown the left, the boxes are packed with work and carbonizing compound and tight-fitting cover placed. Then the box moved forward into roll-over device and emerges the far side upside down—the lid now forms the base which have been cast the lugs necessary keep the track through the furnace. narrow-gage truck carrying roller table then transports one loaded box the furnace end, shown Fig. When the truck the proper position the charging point, locked place, the door opened and the pot shoved into the furnace. cooling box may also withdrawn from the other row the same time. Six rows Q-alloy rollers are placed each furnace, shown Fig. Each pot-base attached the pot just ahead inverted link, and the string moved through the furnace hydraulic pusher mechanism man- ufactured the Oilgear Co. Time regulated the setting Stromberg clock. Boxes which have passed through the furnace are trucked the racks shown the left foreground Fig. After further cooling, the pots are lifted and contents Fig. 2—Control for Battery ounterflow Carburizing Furnace. Oil gear pushers regulated motor driven con- tactors foreground. Power input regulated switches above, controlled recording pyrometers 514—August 30, 1928, The Iron Age | Fig. 3—Loading and Unloading Equipment for Pot Carburizing. dumped the screen, which catches the metal parts and passes the compound into pans placed beneath. Long narrow boxes have capacity camshafts. Ring gears are packed round pots, which ride through the furnace pairs. Incoming boxes are heated the preheating zone temperature 750 800 deg. Fahr. the center the box. The pyrometer settings are for 1650 1660 deg. the heating zones and 1670 1680 deg. the zones. case 0.060 in. deep obtained total time 32% hr. Economy operation shown the low power consump- tion: the output 16% per kwhr. gross the above Definite heat-treating schedules follow: The rear axle drive pinion, chrome-vanadium steel, first annealed 1700 deg. continuous electric furnace, Straight-line counterflow furnaces the rear remaining the furnace hr., which one hour full temperature. then cooled boxes and machined. Threads are copper-plated prevent carbon penetration during carburizing. The rest the pinion carburized average depth 0.035 in. then heated cyanide for min. 1320 deg., transferred lead pot for min, 1450 deg., and then quenched. The final operation drawing min. oil 300 deg. The pinion after these successive operations tested its teeth for file hardness. Camshafts, made series 1020 S.A.E. steel, are rough- machined after forging. Then they are copper-plated all over, the copper ground off the cams and bearings, and they are carburized depth 0.060 in. After this they are hardened out cyanide pot, quenched solution and drawn. They are held scleroscope hardness 90. Japanese Scientists Study Crystal Lattice Martensite found decrease the carbon goes up, from about 7.860 for quenched Armco iron 7.757 for quenched cent carbon steel. The reason for this expansion may (a) high internal tensile stresses, (b) the presence sub-mi- cavities (c) the expansion the space lattice. Sinkiti Sekito has tested the last assumption means X-ray analysis, and the results are published Science Reports Imperial Tohoku University for June, 1928. used carefully prepared rods quenched Swedish steels, varying from 0.1 1.0 per cent carbon. Measuring the distance between spectral lines function the space lat- tice) and interpreting his results finds that the space lattice quenched 1-per cent carbon steel 0.45 per cent greater than quenched carbon free iron. Since this agrees with the 0.44 per cent calculated from specific grav- ity experiments, concludes that the expansion quench- ing due general increase size space lattice. Diffusion the spectral lines also more marked quenched high carbon steels. Breadths these markings were measured refined methods and appear func- tion the carbon content. Prof. Honda believes this phenomenon indicates distortion the lattice balanced internal stresses, some positive, some negative, caused carbon atoms present the interspaces between iron atoms. this assumption, the observed widening the spectral bands would require internal stress 275,000 per sq. in., which nearly the ultimate tensile strength quenched high carbon steel. the other hand, the Swedish investigator Westgren believes that the broadening the spectral bands indicates great refinement the size the ultimate crystal grain. Mathematical analysis the experimental results indicates that average grain size 150 Angstrom units would produce the observed effects, size which far below the limit microscopic resolution. The Japanese investigators reject the supposition that the well defined crystals mar- tensite observed under the microscope are further composed large number elementary crystals, oriented ran- dom, called for Westgren’s hypothesis, and Jef- fries and Archers’ slip interference theory hardening. The Age, August 30, 1928—515 | Making Nuts and ELF-CONTAINED from raw material finished prod- cut, rolling its own steel bars and drawing its own steel wire, the Buffalo Bolt Co., North Tonawanda, Y., one the country’s largest manufacturers nuts and bolts. These are hot forged cold headed and then carefully heat treated. Rolling done mill which includes two stands 16-in. and six stands 12-in. continuous train and five stands 10-in. and two stands 8-in. Belgian trains. These roll down in. the hot rods pass from the finishing stand, they are coiled machines which auto- matically discharge the coils 125-ft. muffle conveyor for slow cooling. The coils are picked off from the other end and placed industrial cars for delivery different departments. There also 240-ft. cooling bed for straight bars and rotary shear for cutting these bars length. continuous billet heating furnace fired with gas fuel brings the steel rolling temperature. This furnace ft. long and ft. wide and equipped with 20-ft. charging table and electric pusher. Nine gas burners, lo- cated the discharge end, fire above the hearth. tem- perature 2500 deg. Fahr. obtained. The waste heat flows back the charging end, where passes out through opening the roof furnace, over which mounted the air preheater. Fresh air, taken through this heater, premixed with the gas and this gas-air mixture fired through the burners. ft. long, lying right angle the long axis the fur- nace, are pushed through from one end the other skids. The side-door discharge principle employed; another *Vice-president Surface Combustion Co., New York. Top Page Shown Battery Continuous Automatic, High-Speed Hot Bolt-Heading Machines with Their Heating Fur- naces. Wire fed from coils through the furnaces and thence, properly heated, into the machines. Section Forging Department, with Row Forging Ma- chines, Each Served Its Own Heating Furnace (top right- hand page). 30, 1928, The Age — pusher forces the hot billets out endwise through small opening the discharge end, right angle their line travel through the furnace conveyor which takes them directly into the roll train. Other departments this plant include the following: wire mill, cold heading and cold nut department, hot forge and hot punch department, pointing and trimming depart- ment, bolt threading and nut tapping, tumbling and nut storage, machine shop and tool department, and hot galvan- izing and electroplating sections. addition there the jobbing department for special work. Nut Department Laid Out for High Production the cold heading and cold nut department are long lines cold heading machines for upsetting the bolt ends and batteries punch presses for cold punching nuts. Raw material for the bolts and small sizes nuts comes coils, while that for the large work bars. This material, delivered industrial cars, unloaded and distributed the individual machines overhead cranes. Finished work discharged automatically into buckets and removed the same cranes and industrial cars. this department there are made, every working day, 2,000,000 nuts and 1,000,000 bolts. Some these nut ma- chines produce high 10,000 nuts hour. layout this nut department typical the labor- saving methods utilized elsewhere the plant. The ma- chines are placed two long parallel rows with aisle between. crane spanning this aisle distributes the raw material from the industrial cars the machines. One man suffices for this work. The finished product discharged the other sides the machines into buckets, which are han- dled monorails operating the outer aisles. Long lines mechanical headers for bolts and punch presses for nuts are the hot forge department, all served with furnaces which the material heated. This depart- ment capable turning out 1,000,000 bolts and 500,000 nuts daily. Most the furnaces are the box slot type, 5 q = 4 7 J Bolts from Billets and many them are fired with gas. They are about ft. wide, ft. high and ft. deep. Another type furnace with about the same cross section, but ft. long, heats 25-ft. bars over their entire length. These bars are then removed and put through automatic and continuous bolt- heading machines. Cembination Furnace and Hot-Heading Machines Many the machines this plant were designed and made the company engineers and mechanics. There are seven high-speed hot bolt-heading machines fed wire coils, the first end one coil being welded the rear end the preceding coil, that the machines run without interruption. The principal feature the forging furnace which coupled each. The wire from the coils passes first through the furnace, where acquires the correct forging temperature, and then directly into the machine, which heads, shears and ejects the bolts automatically. This one the few instances industry where the two operations heating and forging have been synchro- nized into straight-line mechanical production. This ne- cessitated automatizing the heating operation and the de- signing furnace with sufficient capacity deliver wire forging heat very high speed. How successfully this was accomplished reflected the fact that each unit will turn out 85,000 bolts day. They are served with over- head cranes front, bring the raw material, and monorail the rear remove the finished work. For pointing and trimming department equipped with several types machines. Here battery auto- pointing machines for carriage bolts and gimlet point- ing machines for coach screws. The first are hopper fed and continuous operation. Automatic flash trimmers shear the flash from the heads the forged bolts, while others trim cold upset heads, either square hexagonal. Some these were designed and built the plant. One type provided with hopper which feeds the bolts into it; rotary cutters trim two sides, the bolt given quarter Automatic Machines, Associated With Gas-Fired Furnaces, Give Large Output—Heat Treating Important turn and the same cutters trim the other sides. This unit has capacity for 90,000 bolts daily. Another group consists three machines unit which point, thread and screw the nut three continu- ous operations. These are equipped with device which automatically picks out and rejects any bolts which may pass through without being nutted. There also bat- tery full automatic nutters here, which were designed and made the company. One Boy Feeds Ten Tapping Machines Most the bolt threading and nut tapping accom- plished another section, where are located batteries vertical machines designed and built the company for this purpose. One line semi-automatic tappers re- quires the services only one boy feed every ten ma- chines. There also bank machines for cold rolling threads small bolts. Close group full auto- matic tapping and threading machines, while for facing the top and bottom bolt heads line semi-automatics provided. Drill presses are used for drilling cotter pin holes and automatic bolt slotting machines for slotting the heads screws. The finished products all through huge rotary washing machine. From this they are discharged long belt conveyor which runs between two lines girls who inspect the work for imperfect specimens. Ten rotary tumblers located overhead gallery are used for pol- The Iron Age, August 30, 7 ishing. These are cranes and discharged gravity into storage bins. some these the material heated, impart better polish the product. Finished work all heat treated that shall have the greatest possible strength, toughness and resistance wear. recent innovation the heat-treatment room was the installation distinctly new type heat-treating machine furnace designed expressly for small work large scale. Known the Victor-Peninsular furnace, this unit was built the Surface Combustion Co., Toledo, Ohio. combination furnace and traveling conveyor.* The furnace, brick, equipped with automatic temperature control. The conveyor has motor drive through variable-speed gearing, that the entire unit continuous and automatic operation. about ft. long, ft. wide and ft. high, the heating chamber occupying about ft. The conveyor belt suspended between two steel pulleys, located either end the furnace, and rests di- rectly the hearth. made stainless steel and about in. width. the charging end 6-ft. roller table provided which acts aid loading, while the other end the product drops gravity directly into the quench. The burner equipment consists number tunnel burners firing be- low the hearth. These are manifolded low-pressure in- spirators which automatically proportion the gas and air for perfect combustion and the furnace atmosphere desired. Motor-driven valves actuated automatic heat control units are provided, the first control the temperature the preheating and heating zones and the second regulate that the soaking zone. The rest the equipment con- sists two thermocouples and two recording controllers. this manner the correct heat gradient maintained auto- matically and without attention workman. This fur- nace fired and the gradient regulated that the work heated gradually the maximum temperature, with *Furnaces this type were illustrated and described THE IRON the issue Oct. 27, 1927, page = id => . 4 matic Tappers, Which One Man Handles Ten. Trays nuts & move on convey- ors, as shown 30, 1928, The Iron Age > 4 minimum temperature differential between the furnace and the work. Reducing Atmosphere Avoids Scale Formation When the inspirators are set provide reducing atmosphere the furnace, the work discharged prac- tically condition. the unloading end quench tank ft. long, ft. wide and ft. deep, into which the work discharged through chute water seal, which pre- vents contact with the room atmosphere and thus avoids scale. The tank equipped with woven wire conveyor, the rotary elevator type. This carries the work slowly through the quenching and finally removes from the tank and discharges into containers. This conveyor driven the same motor that drives the furnace conveyor. Another type furnace this plant used for forging the ends the oil-well sucker rods. This unit about ft. long, ft. wide and ft. high and the slot type. Con- structed brick, heated with gas fired through Surface Combustion Co. tunnel burners. There are six these, grouped battery and located the roof the furnace, fire down the work. Gas supplied through two manifolds and one inspirator for proportioning the gas-air mixture. This system fir- ing has resulted marked fuel saving compared with the previous method used for this work. upsetter placed alongside the furnace and the ends the rods, which are ft. long, are shaped it. unique, hand-operated con- veyor consisting three endless chains utilized for ad- vancing the rods, and the ends projecting into the fur- nace, the work progresses. There completely equipped machine shop for mak- ing practically all the machines used here and engineer- ing and research department where they are designed and improved. tool room supplied for making tools, dies, jigs, Laboratories, both chemical and physical, are used analyze and test all material coming into the plant and finished work going out. All lots raw material are imme- diately analyzed receipt and are tagged with this analy- LZ ¥ q = sis. The same tag put the material after rolled and follows through the plant. this manner any de- Long Line Au- Thread- ers, With Bolts Ready Threaded fective products can traced back the original ship- ment raw material. Using Business Statistics Improve Business the recently issued publication, “How Use Current Business Statistics,” prepared Mortimer Lane, editor Survey Current Business, published the De- partment Commerce, shown how business men can make the best use current statistics. pointed out the foreword William Steuart, director Bureau Census, the use current statistics widespread and varied that description the methods must draw its materials from many sources, and this has been done Mr. Lane. deals with number specific industries, among them those making metals and machinery. pre- cedes discussion use statistics the various indus- tries with rather detailed description the problems in- volved and their solution, the different phases statistics and the results obtained from their use. his comment metals and machinery, Mr. Lane points out that great range statistical data used steel manufacturers planning their business policies. One company, stated, watches particularly the statistics agriculture, building construction, automobiles, railroads and exports, see how the consumption steel may affected; while prices, wages and living costs are watched bearing wage questions. manufacturer sheet steel products compares his new orders with those allied in- dustries, find out and improve his weak points. fab- ricator structural steel watches the figures building construction and the trends the various industries, ascertain their prospects for expansion, which would mean larger sales structural steel. manufacturer steel barrels, Mr. Lane says, uses the monthly steel barrel statistics publicity material his monthly price bulletin companies using steel containers for shipment storage. This manufacturer also deter- mines regularly the proportion the total business that getting, well the proportion each territory, that weak spots the sales organization can picked out. Another firm this line has compared its productive ca- ‘pacity with that for the industry whole months for three four years, and has found that its business becoming more stabilized each year. Statistics the iron and steel industry, stated, are used extensively another firm planning its sales pro- grams and checking the results. company man- ufacturing tools and hardware finds that the curve its sales preceded construction figures three months ahead, speculation nine months ahead and money rates, inverted, months ahead. Study the proportion the individual business the machine tool in- dustry whole led two managers this field deter- mine the cause for the reduction their proportionate share the total business, although gaining actual value. This study led one case reconstruction the selling department, this being the weak point the organi- zation. Other manufacturers this same line found from fig- ures stocks, shipments, etc., that they had locked larger amount capital for each unit sold than had their competitors group. This led revamping their pro- duction system, installing better methods process and in- ventory control, and the liquidation stocks, resulting the accumulation interest-bearing investments. The sales manager machine tool company uses the trade statistics concentrate his efforts the prosperous centers, and distribution the business statistics throughout the sales department has been found produce new confidence business. Adoption commercial standard for 250-lb. iron steel screwed unions will the subject conference under the auspices the Commercial Standards Unit, De- partment Commerce, Monday, Sept. 24, the Com- merce Building, Washington. Notification the confer- ence has been given producers, distributers and consum- ers Fairchild the Commercial Standards Unit, and has been accompanied copies the proposed stand- ard. The Age, August 30, SETS Two Shifts and Hours Week Morgan Plan Worcester, Mass., Gives Each Worker Nearly Half Day Daylight Out the Shop six years the Morgan Con- struction Co., Worcester, Mass., builder rolling mill and wire mill equipment, has been operating its ma- chine shops schedule hours per week, 4500 hours year. This unique arrangement continued with satisfaction the management and evidently the 600 employees af- fected. Company officials state that the double shift has produced econ- omies, particularly wider distri- bution overhead. One the two shifts goes work 6:30 a.m. and ends its day 2:30 p.m.; then replaced the sec- ond shift which until 11:42 p.m. With minutes out for each shift for meal, and with the first shift working 12:30 noon Satur- day, each shift has 44-hour week. The first has for five days daily work schedule seven hours, min- utes, followed six hours Satur- day. The second shift works five days eight hours, minutes each. The shorter week does not materially af- fect the employees’ weekly wage, which compares favorably with the average paid similar lines man- ufacturing, locally and the country over, where the hours the men are somewhat longer. The Morgan sums the advantages which time has demonstrated for the plan: Over- head costs are kept much below what they would were the machinery operated only hours per week. Investment equipment kept down, and machines yield max- imum return during the years when they are still modern; that say, before machines more efficient de- sign are available supersede them. The employees have given every evidence that they like the plan. work required them Saturday afternoon Sunday. has worked out, the younger men gener- ally prefer the second shift, with its longer hours but only five days week, for gives them very long week end, from 11:42 Friday night Steel Piling Sections Redesigned Jones Laughlin’s New Shapes Combine Strength, Stiffness and Hardness Economical Disposition Metal Jones Laughlin Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, placing the mar- ket the first two series improved sections, known the “improved double lock steel sheet piling.” The new types, invented Charles Boardman manufactured the company. per cent one the claims made for the new Jones Laughlin sec- tions. The sections are integrally rolled from blooms steel selected give them tensile strength 70,- 000 80,000 lb. per sq. in. and hard- ness sufficient prevent upsetting while being driven. The figure shows section C-27. Section EC-23.75 has exactly the same cross-sectional shape except that the wings are bent New Sheet Piling. 520—August 30, 1928, The Iron Age the Jones Laughlin organization, take the place piling sections formerly deg. from the perpendicular. Type SW-22 straight web tension section. The sections form deep channel and are primarily intended for dock bulkhead work, and driven for permanent constructions. The sections are rolled extended chan- nel general utility sections for cof- ferdam, dock and shallow cofferdam work. Sections and may used combination intermediate Weight 32.5 lb. per linear 2:30 Monday afternoon other hand, the older men prefer the first shift with its day, but something every week day. Every man has approximately half day daylight outside the shop. Every one has ample time work garden otherwise occupy himself about his home recrea- tion elsewhere. Sleeping the hot- ter hours summer day never necessary. All the men may and from their work during off- peak hours local traffic. Another advantage the company full overlapping hour super- vision. The foremen the first shift stay half hour after their men have departed and the foremen the second shift duty half hour ahead their men. The company regards its two-shift system happy medium between the one-shift and plans. Naturally where manufactur- ing processes are three-shift day But studies made the Construc- tion Co. have demonstrated that machine shop the night shift, from midnight on, the least productive, and that, all things considered, better results are obtained eliminating it. sections order economize weight. All sections have the same compact interlock, three-line contact, high tensional strength tight qualities, with ample clearance for free driving. Deflection each interlock can deg. each side center line. Interlocks are designed that they tighten under stress pressure. special engi- neering department will furnish re- ports, suggestions and plans assist the correct and economical use Jones Laughlin steel sheet piling the many forms construction for which adapted. oil-electric locomotive will used switching service Chicago the Central Railroad. The locomotive one those developed the Rand and General Electric companies. -S ; / / ft. bar On the "| ul i ; \ = ‘ ‘ means the rough devices which one might expect from the association with such high temperatures. Not only the greatest ingenuity exhibited the jigs and fixtures, but self-indexing and automatic control devices worthy the best quality machine tools are installed equipment for production work. Thus, Fig. close-up view the main drive automatic shape cutter made General Welding Equip- ment Co., Boston. This drives parallel motion device, directing the motion oxy-acetylene cutting blowpipe. floating tube mounted ball-bearing turntable presses j Precision Units for Welding Operations Fig. two sharp cones a-straddle the bent aluminum template strip. The cones are motor driven through differential, allowing one slip around square corners. Automatic drive and current control for single spot welder (Model No. 275, Thomson Electric Welding Co., Lynn, Mass.) constructed entirely different lines. Fig. shows motor and train gears which drives main cam, which through connecting levers opens and closes the welding electrodes adjustable pressure 600 The contactors shown the view control the welding current throug