The Iron Age 1933-01-19: Vol 131 Iss 3

re of yund- n the ‘d in auto- , be- , the e of erial ‘den- ance also ring ; the -day aled To ecu- and ring | of nine dths y be TOW um- ons, hed 30. y of and tain oad fec- our ‘ing oar _THE IRON AGE... ESTABLISHED 1885 JANUARY 19, 1933 Vol. 131, No. 3 “BANKOCRACY"—Avn Industrial Answer to - TIECHNOCRACY” E have the plants anxious to W oroduce and we have the people eager to consume, but both production and consumption are at record low levels. What is the matter? A chorus of voices, including those of Socialists and Communists, politicians and financiers, academi- cians and “technocrats,” gives us a common answer: “Production is at fault.” With monotonous frequency we are told that production creates technological unemployment, that production is without plan. The remedies offered by these critics are various, but most of them call for further coordination and synchroniza- tion of the component parts of our in- dustrial system. Whether the recom- mendation be price control through revision of our anti-trust acts, larger corporate consolidations, Government ownership of the means of production, fascism after the Mussolini pattern, communism a la Stalin, or technocracy according to Howard Scott, it invari- ably points in one direction—toward further restriction of competitive in- dustrial enterprise. The Evils of Excessive Industrial Centralization It is true that individual and group freedom have undergone steady sup- pression as civilization has progressed. Politically and economically man has gradually given up more and more of his liberty of action for the sake of larger social benefits. Theoretically, it seems only logical that he should go the whole distance and submerge all of his rights in the interests of the ‘“ommon good. But extreme centrali- By G. L. LACHER zation of authority, whether it be economic or political or both, inevita- bly results in excessive centralization of power. And eventually sueh power is always abused, whether the pos- sessors be of high or low degree. We need only cast our eyes toward Russia to get an idea of what extreme eco- nomic centralization means in prac- tice—a huge, inefficient and wasteful bureaucracy with tyranny at the top. Economic autocracy can be just as odious as political oppression, which drove so many lovers of freedom from the Old World to our shores. To illustrate what has happened in Russia it is only necessary to cite a recent conversation between a Russian workman and a foreign engineer. The workman, a former peasant, said: “It is not generally realized abroad that the real winners of the Bolshevik revo- lution were the peasants. They won freedom, land and bread, but now all three have been taken away from them.” When asked about the lot of Russian industrial workers, he said that they lacked much, but what they wanted most was “freedom of work” and “freedom of movement.” 127 It is the custom these days to dis- parage freedom, “rugged” individua- lism and private incentive, but never- theless it must not be forgotten that yur great industries have grown up in the soil of free enterprise. And those great industries have to their credit that they raised the standard- of living to the highest level in the ex- perience of man. Industry Was Caught Napping After all, why should an industrial system which produced so much for the benefit of so many be so generally blamed for the present crisis? Why is it that industry’s tool, the machine, is so generally condemned? Perhaps the best answer is that men who have been engrossed in prob- lems of technique and production are inarticulate when it comes to the dis- cussion of broad economic problems. Professors, bankers, politicians and journalists are experienced and skilled in the art of economic phrase-making, so skilled in fact as to convert many industrialists to their views. It was only when the technocrats made the front pages of the newspapers that men of industry were aroused from their lethargy. They now realize that the question of guilt for the depression can no longer be ignored and that the sooner it is threshed out, without fear or favor, the better it will be for all concerned. And, with customary engineering approach, they are commencing to do their own studying and their own thinking in the realm of economics. They are no longer accepting the warmed over opinions of others. Prob- ably the first thing they are learning is that we live in a “credit economy.” That sounds like a clue! And, in the opinion of the writer it is a most im- portant clue. The Real Culprit—the Credit System \ ore of our present ills, variously 4 ascribed to overproduction, tech- nological unemployment, price malad- justments, international and domestic debts, etc., are due fundamentally to the essentially unstable character of our credit system. Before the advent of modern banking, when goods were exchanged for actual specie (silver or gold), prices were affected primari- ly by the supply of goods and the sup- ply of specie. Today we have an added factor, which alternately greatly ex- pands and sharply contracts the ef- fective supply of money. This is our credit mechanism. Let us see how the modern bank operates. It is not merely a place for the safe-keeping of money. It is a meeting place for lender and bo! rower—a place where debts are con- tracted and corresponding credits are built up. To make the exposition simple, let us assume that A and B each deposit $25,000 in gold in a bank. Each has the right to draw the entire amount on demand. But if we mul- tiply A and B many times, we find that no large part of total deposits is likely to be withdrawn at any one time. For the sake of simplicity, let us as- sume that the bank just cited regards it safe to lend half of its deposits on a note at interest. If the loan is made to C, who in turn redeposits the sum in the bank, the balance sheet becomes as follows: Assets Liabilities Gold reserve. $50,000 Deposit of A $25,000 Promissory Deposit of B 25,000 0) eee 25,000 Deposit of C 25,000 $75,000 $75,000 While the deposits now exceed the eash of the bank, they do not exceed its assets, because the promissory note is backed by an equivalent of cash in property. So long as a bank’s loans are arranged to mature in such a way as to maintain a cash reserve sufficient to take care of probable de- posit withdrawals there is no serious obstacle to this method of hypothecat- ing property. In fact, banking, as Irving Fisher aptly says, is a device for “coining into dollars land, stoves and other wealth not otherwise gener- ally exchangeable.” How Credit Inflates and Deflates No one can find fault with such a functioning of banking, because gen- eral well-being is promoted by facili- tating and increasing the exchange of goods and services. But this does not tell the whole story. Banking lives on interest. When, for any _ reason, prices begin to rise, interest rates ordinarily advance less’ rapidly. Hence, a manufacturer or trader can borrow money to produce goods or to buy goods or securities and can sell 128—The Iron Age, January 19, 1933 them later at a profit that exceeds the increase in the price level. (If the profit merely compensated the bor- rower for the decline in the purchas- ing power of money he would gain nothing.) In a period when borrowing is profitable, both bank loans and bank deposits gain in volume and velocity, thereby further encouraging the rise in prices. Finally a point is reached where interest rates overtake the price rise and the advance is halted. Borrowers lose on their transactions and must liquidate additional assets to repay their loans. Liquidation begets liquidation. Price declines beget price declines. In other words, on the rise“*the great majority of people are busily engaged converting money into goods, land or securities, because money is declining in purchasing power. Contrariwise, on the decline, there is a rush to con- vert goods, land or securities into money, because prices are declining and the buying power of money is in- creasing. As Marshall, the great British economist, put it—‘*When cred- it is shaken and prices begin to fall, every one wants to get rid of com- modities which are falling in value and to get hold of money which is rap- idly rising; this makes prices fall all the faster, and the further fall makes credit shrink even more, and thus for a long time prices fall because prices have fallen.” Credit Dangerously Elastic [* can be seen, then, that the credit system is dangerously elastic. In a time of rising prices it marshals all forms of tangible property into the effective circulating medium. In a time of deflation it purges itself of this substitute money (hypothecated prop- erty) and shrinks toward the base of credit—the actual amount of cash in the banks. Frequently, as in the pres- ent depression, the shrinkage goes even below the credit base, i.e., cur- rency in large quantities is withdrawn from the banks and hoarded, or gold is withdrawn by foreign lenders. The process of deflation is defended as “natural” and “salutary” by re- actionary economists, but it is calami- tous and damnably unjust. It crushes the weak and enriches the strong. The masses are deprived of work, their homes and their savings. The few who can hold on to a little cash or a few equities are bound to have propor- tionately larger claims on the wealth of the country when values again ap- preciate. The great mass of our people are not economists; they have little control over their employment or their incomes. When, as the result of the most drastic deflation in history they are deprived of their life’s savings, it cannot be justly said that they are being penalized for their lack of prudence and thrift. The charge that all America indulged in an orgy of extravagance in the 20’s is an ugly lie, summoned now to excuse the de- predations of the acquisitive. Those “keen” and “shrewd” business men who are now buying the properties of the dispossessed “for a song” are economic vultures. They are taking advantage of a paralysis of our credit system that has no more relation to the normal values of goods and serv- ices than death has to life. To be sure, they can find support for their actions in the sage advice of economist wise- acres who say that the only way to start recovery is to deflate to the ut- termost bottom. But that remedy will ruin a generation and will stir up more dissatisfaction and dangerous social unrest than technological un- employment multiplied many fold. The machine has taken away jobs but it has provided many more. With a properly controlled credit system, in- genuity and invention would create countless tasks to employ, feed, shel- ter and clothe men. Gradual Inflation Salutary Credit control which would bring about a gradual decline in the pur- chasing power of money would pro- mote a steady growth in the exchange of goods and services. Possibly new economies in banking practices, as time went on, would take care of that. Possibly more gold than is now being mined is the need, I am not prepared to say. But there is no denying that whenever inflation has taken place naturally and slowly, without being allowed to build up into a great specu- lative bubble, it has been beneficial. The cyanide process of recovering gold, together with the discovery of new mines, really pulled us out of the low nineties and provided the impetus for the prosperity of the 1900’s. The discovery of America and the introduction of a large volume of precious metals into the trade of Europe was one of the most important stimuli to the growth of Western civi- lization in the seventeenth and eigh- teenth centuries, The advantage of gradual inflation is that profits, even if in terms of de- preciating purchasing power, stimu- late business. What is lost in pur- chasing power per monetary unit is made up for in increased volume and more rapid turnover. Must Stop Creeping Paralysis of Exchange Medium N the other hand, deflation be- cause it prevents profit-making paralyzes trade. Money, after all, is essentially of a token character. It is an acceptable substitute for goods or services. Hence when money is gaining in buying power, people be- come more interested in accumulating the tokens than the goods the tokens stand for. Some effective way must be found to stop this creeping paraly- sis of our exchange medium. Of course, steps have been taken by the Federal Reserve authorities which it is hoped will produce the desired re- sults. A large amount of surplus reserve credit has been built up to (Concluded on Advertising Page 10) $ men ties of ” are raking credit ion to serv- > sure, ctions Wise- ‘ay to he ut- 2medy tir up erous 1 un- fold. s but ‘ith a n, in- ‘reate shel- bring pur- pro- lange "new 3, as that, being ared that place veing pecu- al. ring y of f the vetus the > of 2 of tant civi- igh- tion de- mu- pur- t is and Threading Dies — Their Manufacture and Cutting Efficiency —| HE great variety of tools and [Vie that industry has accum- ulated in the last 50 years num- bers among them a class rightfully called both tools and dies. Threading dies, or chasers, as they are commonly called, are one of the important time and money-saving tool classifications of our industrial life. Manufactured by necessity to almost gage accuracy, and in many cases actual gage ac- curacy, these chasers whether one or 48 threads to the inch must be hard and tough enough to accomplish the commercial threading of the gamut of machinable materials. Today practically all threading dies or chasers are made of high-speed steel. Some little carbon tool steel and oil-hardening tool steel are used for a few special applications. The carbon and oil-hardening types of tool steel are used chiefly on those low-strength, soft and high-heat con- ductive metals such as copper. Here the ability of the tool to maintain a very keen edge is essential to de- veloping a smooth thread. High-Speed Steel Best Suited The 18 per cent tungsten, 4 per cent chromium, and 1 per cent vanadium, or the 18-4-1, type of high-speed steel still stands preeminent as the steel best suited for threading dies. This steel is used in the carbon range of 0.68 to 0.72 per cent for bolt chasers and for some pipe applications; and in the 0.58 to 0.62 carbon range for pipe chasers. Generally speaking, bolt chasers denote the class applied to developing straight threads; pipe chasers, the class applied to develop- ing tapered threads. Another steel used for pipe chasers contains approximately 18.50 per cent tungsten, 4.25 per cent chromium and 0.60 per cent vanadium. This steel is used in the 0.58 to 0.62 carbon range only. It has proved a relatively tough steel and develops a very good and uniform hardness in this low- carbon range. The 18-4-1 and the low- vanadium types possess the desirable property of not decarburizing readily in the threads during heat treatment or when quenched in air, air blast, oil or hot liquid baths. The numerous tests that have been made on the various cobalt high-speed steels show them to be inferior to the 18-4-1 type. Cobalt tools must be By J. G. MORRISON Metallurgist, Landis Machine Co. Waynesboro, Pa. ground all over after hardening. The chief disadvantages of cobalt high- speed steel for chasers are (1) tend- ency to decarburization, (2) brittle- ness, and (3) the ability to hold a cutting edge is not as good as the 18-4-1 type. The 14 per cent tungsten, 4 per cent chromium and 2 per cent vanadium type and the 18 per cent tungsten, 4 per cent chromium and 2 per cent vanadium type, as well as the various molybdenum types, have not found favor, due more or less to the fact that these steels do not possess the “refractoriness” of the 18-4-1 type. Refractoriness is meant to imply the ability of a steel to undergo heat treatment without the delicate points of the threads becoming decarburized or fused, or losing undue amounts through scaling when heated for hardening or when quenched by any of the various methods that may be used. When one considers that these chasers may be milled to 20, 32 or even 48 threads to the inch and to a sharp 60-deg. angle, are heated from 2250 to 2350 deg. F., and must not lose unduly through fusion or scaling in heat treatment, it would appear just to call a high-speed steel meeting these requirements a refractory high- speed steel. Carbon is the element giving steel its capacity to harden by heat treat- TANDARD high-speed steel still ranks as the best mate- rial to meet the exacting demands on threading dies, says the au- thor. He discusses the experience of his company in purchasing uniform material, emphasizing the necessity for uniform carbon content. In a concluding instalment of this article the effect of nickel on the efficiency of these tools will be fully discussed, as well as the harm due to carburization. CV + ment. It is the chief determining fac- tor in the hardness and brittleness of high-speed steel. Because of this, it is almost imperative in the manu- facture of threading dies, if the uni- formity of product from month to month is to be maintained, to use a high-speed steel with as restricted a carbon range as possible. This does not mean that a steel having a carbon content outside of a certain specified range would not be _ suitable for threading tools. However, by using high-speed steels that vary only a little in carbon content from heat to heat, there is better assurance of a final uniform product, and a multi- plicity of hardening and tempering treatments is avoided. Steel Bought on Five-Point Carbon Range In view of the importance the writer’s company places on the uni- formity of the carbon content of its high-speed steel, the following may be of interest. All high-speed steel used for chasers is purchased to a five- point carbon range. A summary of our bolt chaser steel purchased—0.68 to 0.72 per cent carbon, 0.70 per cent desired—over a period of four and one-half years is given below. On 434 purchase orders calling for 595 sizes or lots, many of course being duplicate sizes, the carbon contents were distributed over the 0.68 to 0.72 per cent carbon range as follows: O60 n> ccetenneseneatonsae .- 27 lots C.F a cn vague sene av sire 148 lots Resins aie mane ed Cece icebe . 356 lots Dias «dudes wa aaleeade bees 59 lots Qeeasivensacueened oeewas 5 lots It will be seen from the above that 94.6 per cent of all steel used for bolt chasers analyzed within one point of the desired carbon content. Each purchase order size is specified to be made from one heat of steel only. The steel manufacturer supplies a com- plete analysis of each lot, which is checked by our own laboratory. No tool is permitted to lose its identity from the heat from which it came. Each tool is stamped with combina- tions of two or three letters, such as, “AA”, “AB”, or “AAA”, “AAB”, etc. Each combination of letters repre- sents a heat of high-speed steel. This system of identifying the tool with the heat number acts as an addi- tional safety valve. Suppose that a heat of steel has been accepted and (Concluded on Advertising Page 12) The Tron Age, January 19, 1933—129 Planning and Budgeting During thiD EVERAL months ago at a meet- S ing of a well-known group of executives a controversy occurred on the practicability of making plans for future operations during a period such as the present. The thoughts expressed ranged all the way from a statement that plans could accurately be made for the entire coming year, to a denial that any forecast unde present conditions was possible. To state that an organization can correctly plan its special operations for an entire year is probably as in- accurate as saying that no forecast whatever can be made. But there is no reason why there should not be prepared the best possible estimate of sales, expenses and net income, with the provision, however, that when ac- tual sales vary from the original esti- mate a different rate of expenses be provided which will be commensurate with the changed rate of sales. As a matter of fact, every individual is obliged to pursue this same course in planning his personal expenses within the limits of his income, whether that income remains fixed or be reduced. And this anticipation of probable ex- penditures against expected income is budgeting, whether it be for personal expenses or those of an_ industrial enterprise. 3udgets first became an important factor of control when they were ap- plied to State and municipal finances. Here the expense requirements of the various departments for the ensuing year are compiled and a tax rate set to yield the required income. But industry has had no such compara- tively simple problem. It has had to reverse the procedure by estimating its probable income (sales) and then setting expenses at a rate which will permit a reasonable return of profit. If business conditions were static, it would be a fairly simple matter to determine future income. Unfortu- nately, the economic pendulum swings widely, causing unexpected peaks and valleys of production, with their re- sulting high and low prices. There- fore any plans for future operations cannot ignore— (1)—The possibility of increased or de- creased production from that now anticipated. (2)—The effect of price revisions which may have to be made during the period. The first of these two conditions is ever present and must be constantly provided for by means of a variable 130—The Iron Age, January 19, 1933 IDE fluctuations in business volume and prices make budgeting a difficult problem. But the author, who is director of budgets, Worthington Pump & Machinery Corpn., New York, and director of the New York chapter, National Association of Cost Accountants, declares that the difficulty is not insuperable. He describes a plan under which changes in volume are taken care of by a variable budget of ex- penses while reductions in sales prices are met by salary and wage cuts, the doubling up of duties, the abandonment of certain rou- tines and the introduction of short-time employment. budget. This should be simple and direct, as it involves only the selection of a unit for measuring the activity of a department, and the listing of expenses necessary to process various quantities of the unit. Determining Expenses for Varying Operating Rates The unit of output for a department may be yards, pounds, pieces or gal- lons processed, or it may be direct hours worked. The output of such units measures the volume of work performed. One hundred per cent ca- pacity of any department is usually determined by calculating its possible output if all productive facilities are employed for the full number of work- ing hours per week. These can be stepped down in even percentages of every 5 or 10 per cent to cover the entire range over which it is probable the individual department will be called upon to operate. A form such as that shown, herewith, could be used for accumulating these data. The ex- penses necessary to produce the quan- ‘tity of units specified for each operat- ing capacity are then listed. The best plan is to determine the present rate of capacity, review all current ex- penses incidental to such operation, eliminate unusual expenditures, and reduce all others 5 or 10 per cent as a budget or mark to aim for, and list these in the column representing pres- ent capacity; then in collaboration with the departmental head, step the variable expenses up and down with the rates of operations, as determined upon. Some labor accounts will vary directly with volume of production, while others will only change with possibly every 20 or 30 per cent varia- tion in capacity. Every item of expense must be con- sidered separately, and this review alone frequently discloses some _ in- teresting possibilities for reductions, Having established the allowable amount of each class of expense for each rate of operating capacity, the columns are totaled to show the al- lowable departmental expense for every capacity, and a copy of the sheet furnished to the interested de- partmental head. This serves as ad- vance information of the limit of ex- pense which may be incurred for any rate at which production is proceed- ing. The routine of comparing actual expenses with the budgeted allow- ances, and taking steps to enforce adherence, is the same as for fixed budgets; and is so well known that it will not be discussed here. Means Equitable Burden for Each Department It is surprising that so few organi- zations have adopted this feature of control because it can be made so sensitive to variations in production as to provide for immediate reduction of specified expenses when sales vol- ume declines. This means that there is no lag in reduction while waiting for business to improve; that there will not be the usual indecision about having to reduce but not knowing where or how; and assures that each department will bear its share of the burden, regardless of the eloquence of the foreman or departmental head in explaining why reductions are possible elsewhere but not in his own division. A supervisor may be perfectly honest in his conviction that_he can make no . reductions, due largely to the fact that the management has not provided him with the necessary information re- garding his operations. The second condition mentioned above is that of adjustment to meet revisions which have to be made in u s r V ; g I ( ‘ the ‘ation, » and nt as id list pres- ‘ation p the with mined vary ction, with raria- + con- view 2 in- tions, vable » for , the e al- for the | de- ; ad- r ex- any eed- ‘tual low- orce ixed that ch ani- » of so tion ‘ion vol- ere ing ere out ing ach the in ble on. no at a ed et epression the selling price of the product. As practically all such price revisions during the past two years have been downward, business has been faced with the necessity of immediately re- ducing its costs a corresponding amount or having its profits affected adversely to the extent of its failures to so reduce costs. During a period of falling prices, it will usually be found that costs of raw materials and supplies can be reduced in at least the same proportion as the reduction in selling price of the finished prod- uct, through effective purchasing. Supervision, clerical and labor costs must be reduced through salary and wage reductions and eliminations. When the two elements of material and labor have been reduced, that of maintenance is automatically de- creased, as this usually consists of a combination of the first two items. Adjustments to Meet Revisions of Prices But such fixed expenses as depre- ciation, insurance and taxes cannot be proportionately reduced, and it is here that the ingenuity of the departmental head must be exercised. If average selling prices have been reduced 15 per cent he is asked to reduce the total line of his budget allowances a similar percentage. If the salary and wage reductions (made effective by the general management throughout the plant) and the fall in material and supply costs is insufficient to yield the required reduction, other steps must be taken by the departmental super- visor. This may mean the doubling up of certain duties to permit elimina- tion of one or more workers, placing others on short time, or the abandon- ment of certain routines not consid- ered worth their cost under the pres- sure of circumstances. It is really surprising to note the results that are obtained when a supervisor has a definite objective for cost reduction, and when the combined skill and in- genuity of every responsible head is brought to bear on the problem. Results of Plan The implication of the foregoing is that a plan or forecast can and should be made for the entire period, but should provide for the usual or ex- pected fluctuations, and be subject to adjustment for unusual conditions as they occur. The thought required to initiate the plan, and effect its realiza- tion, makes every employee economy- WORKS INDIRECT EXPENSES NORMALS FOR VARYING OPERATING CAPACITIES SUSU a ~ . | 48 | Fiask Equipme a Pe Re-arrangement of Equip’t. [Miscellaneous Equipment | _| ansaiinsenslsal a Teall nesitdl asinceeltateeasten commended 3 ures ce minded and conscious of the results of his efforts. Now, as since the begin- ning of time, accomplishment requires i this form the expenses necessary to produce quantity of units specified for each operating capacity. may be listed. an aim or purpose, a planned means of its attainment, and the initiative and skill to secure its consummation. Ship Construction Fell 65 Per Cent in 1932 —— seagoing vessels under con- \J struction in private shipyards in the United States on Dec. 31 aggre- gated only 101,552 tons, compared with 286,000 tons on Dec. 31, 1931, ac- cording to a report of the National Council of American Shipbuilders. No merchant vessels were contracted for in the past year, while only one Government-owned ship was ordered. Employment in Seaboard shipyards on Jan. 1 of this year numbered 10,- 000, or practically 40 per cent less than that on Jan. 1, 1932. A total tonnage of 2,105,088 tons was scrapped throughout the world last year, of which more than 44 per cent represented United States vessels. The brightest prospect for replace- ment tonnage, the report declares, is offered by the fact that a large per- centage of American seagoing tonnage is well over 20 years old. Shipbuilding abroad suffered a simi- lar setback last year, as revealed by Lloyd’s latest report, which showed the total amount of foreign tonnage under construction on Sept. 30 at only 901,067 tons, in contrast with 1,531,- 120 tons on the same date-for 1931. The Iron Age, January 19, 1933—131 HE method of applying lubri- cants to gears varies according to the arrangement of the gears. For completely inclosed gears either circulation oiling or splash oiling is employed. Open or guarded gears may be equipped with a slush pan or hand oiled. Under certain conditions it is advisable to employ grease for open or semi-inclosed gears. ' In either circulation or splash oil- ing, the oil is used continuously over a long period of time. The greater the capacity of the system, the longer is the cycle of circulation and the easier it is to maintain the oil in good condi- tion. Furthermore, a large system provides a greater heat radiating ca- pacity, thereby keeping the oil at a moderate temperature. And since oil oxidation is materially accelerated by heat, it is important to keep the op- erating temperature as low as pos- sible. For cooling purposes, it is sometimes advisable to spray a copi- ous amount of vil to the outgoing side of the gear teeth mesh. Oil to be suitable for use in a cir- culation system must not only be of the correct. body to form an effective film over all contacting tooth surfaces, but also be capable of separating readily from impurities which may gain access to the system, It must resist oxidation which may lead to the formation of sludge, and it must act as a coolant by absorbing the fric- tional heat generated by the rapid en- gagement of the teeth. The operating temperatures encoun- tered in circulation systems are gen- erally moderate, hence oils of rela- tively light body may be used. Heavy- bodied oils should be avoided, as their 132—The Iron Age, January 19, 1933 Selecting and Applying Lubricants for Gears BY JAMES |. CLOWER Assistant Professor of Machine Design, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Va. use may lead to high operating tem- peratures created by excessive fluid friction within the oil itself. In splash oiling, it is important to maintain the correct oil level at all times. Care in this respect will aid in obtaining better and longer service from the oil, and strict observance should be given the manufacturers’ in- structions on this point. Too high an oil level will cause overheating, due to excessive churn- ing of the oil. Too low an oil level results in insufficient oil being splashed to the parts requiring lubri- cation, thereby causing inadequate cooling, metallic contact and undue wear, In splash oiling, the separation of impurities from the oil is hindered by the constant churning which oc- curs while the gears are in opera- tion. Oil-baths should be drained at regular intervals and all parts thor- oughly cleaned before refilling with clean fresh oil. The oil so drained may be reused, provided it is well fil- tered. With slush-pan lubrication it is aa em FROWSER'S perforated-pipe lubricator for herringbone gears. Note how the oil is sprayed into the incoming side of the teeth (At Left) Bowser’s flattened-steel-pipe sprays injecting oil into the mesh of large bevel gears (At Right) good practice to provide guards to catch any lubricant that may be thrown off of the gears by centrifugal force. These guards should be so ar- ranged that any oil caught will be returned to the slush pan, Obviously in this system of lubri- cation the lubricant is exposed to the contaminating effects of dust, dirt and any other impurities that may be in the surrounding atmosphere. The lubricant, therefore, should be re- placed at regular intervals, the fre- quency of which depends upon the cleanliness of the surrounding at- mosphere. For slush-pan lubrication, a heavy- bodied, tacky, adhesive petroleum product should be used. It should not be so heavy, however, as to channel in the pan. Hand oiling is generally confined to slow-speed, open gears with cast teeth and certain small, light-loaded gears. For hand oiled, rough cast gears a lubricant of similar characteristics to that used in slush pans should be em- ployed. It is advisable to apply this type of product in a heated condition, as a more even coating can be ob- tained. To secure best results, the teeth should be cleaned thoroughly. For hand oiled, light loaded gears the lubricant should possess the prop- erty of adhesiveness to an unusual de- gree so that it will protect the teeth between consecutive applications. On open or semi-inclosed gears ex- posed to considerable quantities of dirt, it is usually advantageous to em- ploy grease for their lubrication. A straight petroleum product, such as a_i. ee ee ee eee ae |e is to y be fugal 0 ar- ll be ubri- » the ; and ye in The re- fre- the at- avy- eum not el in d to cast ded ex- of m- as that just mentioned, may mix with the impurities, cake and flake off. The grease is best applied by paddle; whether it should be heated before ap- plication depends upon its consistency. As in the case of oil, the teeth should be as clean and dry as possible before applying the grease. Care should be taken to apply the grease as uniform- ly as possible. The grease employed should be of the correct consistency and character to form an effective film over all con- tacting tooth surfaces. It should not contain any filling or loading mate- rials of a solid nature; it should be neutral, that is, contain no free fatty acid or alkali. Guides to Selection of Gear Lubricants Due to the wide variations in de- sign, construction, housing, operating conditions and methods of lubrica- tion, it is necessary to consider a fairly wide range of lubricants. The requirements in a given plant, how- ever, can be cared for usually by two or three lubricants and sometimes one. The accompanying “Guide to Selec- tion of Correct Gear Lubricants” is not infallible. It is obviously impos- sible to draw up a chart of this kind that will cover the entire field of gear lubrication. The lubricants listed are intended primarily for independent a A UTLINING what must be considered in various meth- ods of applying lubricants to gears, the author then tabulates out of an extended experience the lubri- cation that should be used for each of several classes of duty. In The Iron Age of Dec. 15, 1932, in introduction to this article, he ex- plained the phenomena of gear lubrication. vvvyv gear sets, and for gears of machines in which the selection of a suitable lubricant depends wholly upon the gear requirements. Where the gears and other lubri- cated parts are lubricated from a common system and it is necessary to use one oil throughout, a compromise must be made between the gear re- quirements and those of the other parts. Under such conditions, the Guide will be found useful for pur- poses of comparison, as it indicates the type of lubricant that will meet best the lubrication requirements of the gears. The Guide is based on wide expe- rience in gear lubrication, and the specifications given are of lubricants which have proved in actual service their fitness for the service for which they are recommended. Machinery Trade Looks for Gains This Year Washington, Jan. 10.— Machinery and equipment associations look for improved business in 1933. Report to this effect was made by them to Secretary of Commerce Roy D. Chapin. They formed a portion of 44 reports submitted by trade associa- tions representing a cross-section of industry, at the request of Secretary Chapin. The Secretary, in a summary of the reports, said the replies indicate that there has been a greater tendency than before for each industry to place its house in order and to stand ready to capitalize any improvement in de- mand that may be forthcoming 1933. The replies also create the impression, he said, that there is a rather wide- spread feeling that the country is grappling with its problems at the present time in a realistic manner that should bring results. The ex- pressions did not anticipate pro- nounced or sudden improvement, but rather a slow upward trend which would result in the second half of the year making a favorable comparison with the past six months. GUIDE TO SELECTION OF CORRECT GEAR LUBRICANTS (SPUR, HELICAL, HERRINGBONE AND BEVEL GEARS) OILS = 01 Specvitications————————___,, ae Viscosity— “ : Per Cent Typical Operating Method of 1 130 210 Pour, lash, Fire, Fixed Duties Examples Conditions Lubrication Deg. Deg. Deg. Deg. F. Deg. F. Deg. F. Oil Extra light Very light ma- All Circulation or 150 85 42 5 385 440 None chine tools splash Light Machine tools, All Circulation, 320 143 50 10 390 445 None small speed : splash or oil can - reducers Moderate Large speed re- Clean surround- jf Circulation or 660 270 66 25 425 480 None ducers, exca- ings all tem- l slush pan ie ne 400 70 450 540 None vating machines, peratures reciprocating Low temp’s l Splash { 320 143 50 10 390 445 None pumps Other temp’s \ + 660 27 66 25 425 480 None Heavy Presses, punches, All temperatures { Circulation 950 390 85 40 450 500 None shears, stone 1 Slush pan zs afar 600 75 450 540 None crushers, rod Low temp. h { 650 280 75 10 350 385 21 and merchant Other temp’s. f Splas 1 1900 750 140 40 540 600 5 mill pinions, rubber mill drives Extra heavy Billet and bloom- Normal and low Circulation 1550 605 118 40 500 565 None ing mill pinions, temperatures Splash 3700 1360 210 35 610 680 5 rail and plate Slush pan eae sina 900 75 450 540 None reduction gears Special Extra Blooming mill All Circulation 2600 850 150 45 540 600 None heavy pinions Splash e6 re 900 75 450 540 None GREASES Typical Operating Method of ote Duties Examples Conditions Lubrication Grease Description Extra light Timing gears Non-metallic Paddle A medium consistency (No. 3), high-grade graphite gears grease of lime soap base Light Motor Drives Non-metallic Same as above Paddle : Metal-open A soft consistency (No. 2), high-grade cup grease of lime scap base Moderate and Same examples Open or Semi- Paddle A heavy, dark gear grease of a consistency such that heavy as given above enclosed—Dirty conditions et amc ce tie RIE Bearing Notes it can be applied cold by paddle (a) Obviously, where the gears and bearings are served by the same splash or circulation oiling system, the oil should be selected for the more severe service, namely, the gears. : : (b) Where gears and bearings are served by independent oiling systems, manifestly the bearing oil should be selected with- out consideration of the gears. (c) In general, the oil employed on the gears is suitable for the bearings. The Iron Age, January 19, 1933—133 — <acronym ate ight Savings From Proper Selection of Burner Equipment By HENRY M. HEYN Sales Engineer, Surface Combustion Corpn. HERE has never been a time in the history of industry when the correct combustion of gas played such an important part as it does today. Never before has so much at- tention been given to the science of combustion. But regardless of the progress that has been made large losses still exist due to incomplete and inefficient combustion of gases and the improper application of equipment. The gas furnace has graduated from a pile of brick with a burner consist- ing of a piece of pipe set in the wall. We now have furnaces and automatic burner mechanism of alloy, firebrick and insulation built within a steel casing, so designed and controlled as to give uniformity of temperature and atmosphere. This permits the produc- tion of work of a quality that a few years ago was impossible. This has been accomplished largely through the use of autometic propor- tioning burner equipment which auto- matically and continuously maintains the correct proportion of air and gas in the mixture, thus securing the close control of the furnace atmosphere, regardless of changes in air or gas pressure. Some concrete examples will best illustrate the savings possible with automatic proportioning burner equip- ment. The Herbrand Co., Fremont, Ohio, had a continuous gas-fired hardening furnace, with two-valve control burn- 134—The Iron Age, January 19, 1933 ers. The user was unable to get a uniform temperature and had no con- trol over the atmosphere in his fur- nace. This resulted in non-uniformity of product and a high percentage of (Above). rejects with a correspondingly high fuel consumption per unit ofproduc. tion. This was, of course, very costly and could not be continued. — As the result of investigation and study by our engineers, automatic pro- portioning, two stage, high pressure burners were installed. The results were reduction in gas consumption per unit of production of 41.5 per cent, and an increase in production of 22.2 per cent. The reduction in gas consumption was a result of the proper selection of burner equipment for the particular job and the right application of this equipment to the existing furnace. The increase of production was due to two things: 1. A much faster and better heating due to the correct heat application; 2. Considerable time was (Concluded on Advertising Page 12) An increase of production per machire hour of from 15 to 18 per cent was obtained by the Doehler Die Casting Co., which recently converted all of its die casting department to gas fuel and installed automatic control equipment. (Below). Gas consumption per unit of production was reduced 41.5 per cent and pro- duction increased 22.2 per cent in this continuous gas fired furnace through the installation of correct burner equipment. high ‘oduc. costly 1 and : pro- ssure sults n per cent, 22.2 otion ction ‘ular this due and heat was 2) Automatic Gear Finishing Machine Operates Rapidly EAR teeth processed on the Red Ring gear finishing machine be- ing marketed by the National Broach & Machine Co., Detroit, are said to be corrected in profile to within 0.0001+ in. of a true involute curve. Index, ec- centricity and helical angle are also corrected, and each tooth surface is made smooth and bright. This machine cuts at an angle with the axis of the gear and generates the shape of each tooth in the same direc- tion as that taken by the teeth of two mating gears sliding over one another. Elimination of the “washboard” effect on the gear teeth is held to be one of the most important factors in elimi- nating gear noise and squeal. Operation is entirely automatic and the machine may be set to take off any predetermined amount of stock. One operator can attend a battery of the machines. Rapid production is a feature; a 20-tooth gear having 9.25 pitch, 20-deg. pressure angle and 35- deg. helix angle being processed, it is stated, in 20 to 40 sec. floor-to-floor time. The underlying principle of the ma- chine is the controlled action at high speeds of a special alloy-steel cutting tool in the form of a helical gear. This tool, mating with and guiding the gear being processed, removes stock in the form of very fine shavings. The tool is gashed or slotted at one or more points along its face and the actual cutting is done by the acute cutting edges at each side of the slot. The cutting action is accompanied by traversing the work gear axially while in contact with the cutting gear. Cut- ting edges are said to handle between 300 to 500 work units before grinding is necessary. The sharpening opera- tion is merely that of face grinding the sides of the slot to a depth of 0.005+ in. Each slot is capable of about 10 such grindings. The cutter-head of the machine is adjustable about its vertical axis to bring the cutter arbor into the desired angular relation with the work arbor mounted on the table beneath. The table has a longitudinal reciprocating movement and a vertical feed—both automatic. The cutter arbor is driven by a motor in the head and the table motions are actuated by a separate motor in the base. Table travel is set an amount equal to or a little greater than the face width of the gear being finished. As the table arrives at each end of its travel, it reverses direction automat- ically; simultaneously, the direction of rotation of the cutter is reversed. In this way, both faces of each tooth are subjected to the action of the cut- ter during every table cycle. Upon the completion of each table cycle the table is automatically fed upward, and at the end of any predetermined num- ber of cycles the machine stops auto- matically. Production Miller Has Automatic Table and Head Feeds AUTOMATIC horizontal travel of 44 the table and automatic vertical travel of the cutter heads are com- bined in the new No. 120 Producto- Matic milling machine recently intro- duced by the Producto Machine Co., Bridgeport, Conn. With this arrange- ment various combinations of milling cuts can be obtained. Although usually furnished with two columns and two cutter heads as shown, the machine can be built with three or even four columns and heads. With the two column arrangement two sets of parts can be placed on the table, one set at each end and alter- nately milled, the operator loading and unloading one group of parts while that on the opposite end is being machined. Generally the heads travel vertically to bring the cutters to the exact depth of cut, at which they re- main while the table travels horizon- tally to finish the main portion of the (At left). Gear fin- ishing machine de- signed to correct protile, tooth spac- ing, eccentricity and helical angle. The tooth surface is lett smooth and bright. (At right). Produc- tion miller arranged for milling keyways in automobile rear axle shafts. With the two column arrange- ment, the operator can reload parts at one end of the table while those on the opposite end are being milled. cut. However, the cutters can be ar- ranged to leave the work at any de- sired point and return again if neces- sary. With the combined movement of cutters and table, it is possible to take cuts at any desired angle and also at various radii. The machine has been used effect- ively for milling keyways in automo- bile rear axle or propeller shafts and in electric motor armature shafts. On such work the keyways are “blind,” that is, they do not run out at the end of the shaft. It is stated that in many classes of milling the amount of stroke or travel can be lessened, production can be speeded up and the finish can be improved if the cutters can first mill to a depth before the table travels horizontally. Equipped with two columns and two cutter heads, the machine weighs about 9000 lIb., exclusive of fixtures. The cabinet base, which is 72 in. long The Iron Age, January 19, 1933—135 and 44 in. wide, contains the 10-hp. driving motor, mounted in a section in the center, and also the gear case or transmission. The latter, inserted into the rear end of the base, is a separate unit; it is in two sections, one of which contains the feed and speed pick-off gears. All shafts in the transmission unit are mounted on Timken roller bearings. The base also houses a large coolant tank res- ervoir and a chip chamber. Automatic operation of the table, which is 76 in. long and 18 in. wide, is governed by a cam drum mounted in the bed directly under the table. Con- trol of the movements of the cutter head is by means of another cam shaft, equipped with two box-type cams. The table feed mechanism provides movement of 8 in. for the work on each end of the table, and the Belts of New Polishing Wheel Changed Rapidly POLISHING wheel having an ex- panding aluminum wheel and de- mountable endless abrasive belt has been brought out by the Jiffy Polish- ing Wheel Co., 327 Frankfort Avenue, Cleveland. The wheel consists of two flanges with beveled peripheries and a rubber cushion with the same degree of taper on the inner side as on the face of the wheel. The inner flange is permanently fastened to the end of the shaft of the polishing machine, the rubber cushion is mounted on this flange and the belt is slipped over the cushion. The outer flange is mounted on a bushing on the permanent flange. The wheel is assembled by drawing the two parts together with an ad- justable collar after the cushion and belt are in place. This causes the ex- pansion of the cushion and the tight- ening of the abrasive belt. Abrasive belts of any grit can be used, and it is stated that when a change in grit is required the belt can be changed in less than a minute. The cushion may be of hard or soft rubber as required for different types of polishing work. An Aloxite cloth belt made by the Carborundum Co. is used. The belt has a perfectly flat surface,