door of practically any size necessary to meet operating conditions. The pouring spout is located at a point whereby it is possible to entirely empty the full charge of the furnace with a spout movement of only 234 inches. If necessary as in ingot pouring for the rolling of copper or brass sheets, a connection can be made to the rear driving shaft whereby the

FIG. 3-A TYPICAL THREE FURNACE PLANT

ingot carriage will be synchronized with the movement of the furnace spout.

Fig. 3 shows a typical layout of three 1-ton furnaces. It is included to show the possibilities of installation of this type of furnace. When it is realized that each one of these furnaces would have a capacity of 20 heats per day of 24 hours, giving a total daily capacity of 60 tons within approximately a floor space of 60 x 60 feet, it will then be appreciated what this development has made possible in the way of increasing plant capacity without the necessity of additional floor space.

Theoretical Advantages

It may be well to mention briefly the theoretical advantage that the electric furnace has over the ordinary oil-fired furnace. Operations and experiments have proved that such is the case, but the theory is also interesting in that it shows that we have not yet reached the ultimate possibilities which

will come when the art has been finally developed to its

highest point of efficiency.

The electric furnace may be made practically a sealed instrument preventing the access of air which means that so long as the vapor pressure of zinc in the charge does not exceed atmospheric pressure, the maximum possible loss of zinc must be the furnace fuel of zinc vapor.

At the usual pouring temperature of a 20 per cent zinc brass each cubic foot of gas saturated with zinc vapor contains approximately 0.025 pound of zinc. In a perfectly closed electric furnace of 150 cubic feet capacity (one of Weeks' experimental furnaces) heated uniformly, the maximum loss due to volatilization would be 3.75 pounds zinc, and this would be practically independent of the total amount of brass in the furnace, and also independent of the length of time the metal was kept at that temperature. With a 2-ton charge the loss would be 0.094 per cent. Similarly the loss of zinc from a 40 per cent zinc brass at its usual pouring temperature would be somewhere near 0.12 per cent. The loss of copper would be negligible so far as volatilization is concerned.

On the other hand, we have seen that the fuel-oil fired furnace requires that some 10,000 cubic feet of hot combustion products leave the furnace for each 100 pounds of red brass melted. If these gases left the furnace saturated with zinc at the final pouring temperature, they would carry with them many times the amount of zinc originally charged. Fortunately the gases do not by any means all leave the furnace saturated with zinc at the final pouring temperature, not even the gases towards the end of the heat, since with a uniform gas velocity the gas does not remain in the furnace for more than a fraction of a second. But if brass in left is an oilfired furnace, under blast, after it is ready to come out, it does certainly follow that the zinc percentage in the melt will drop off at an alarming rate.

The same arguments might be used in comparing opportunities for oxidation. Considering both practices in practical operation, it is quite certain that the electric furnace has the decided advantage.

It can therefore be seen that the possibilities of a furnace of the design submitted operating on brass has tremendous possibilities in connection with the saving of zinc that is now being lost through volatilization.

Results already accomplished on material such as electrolytic copper show a loss not exceeding 0.75 per cent and in high zinc mixtures the losses run anywhere from 1% to 32 per cent varying with the zinc contents.

Theoretically and practically there is no loss in copper, but in actual practice small amounts become impregnated with the lining or pass off in the slag.

In closing the writer would like to explain the apparent lack of submission of technical data supporting the claims made herein. This is intentional for the reason that the usual brass foundry problem is individual and not collective. For instance, the average brass foundry in the Detroit district. catering to the automobile trade may be using mixtures which would be quite different from those that would be used in the Philadelphia foundry catering to the shipping industry, and as the user will want to know the operating conditions surrounding his own problem, it was decided to make the paper general.

It might also be mentioned that guarantees of operation are many times confusing. By this statement it is not meant to intimate that engineers or manufacturers misrepresent their product, but to point out that they are highly specialized in the handling of their own individual product, whereas the installation must be adapted to a human organization and into problems of general metallurgy enters more human intelligence and co-operative ability than probably in any other. Although a special trained corps of experts may be able to produce specific results, this is no guarantee that the ultimate customer will obtain these same results unless the organization is always available for co-operative work.

In other words, the engineer or engineering contractor should take a new place in general industrial operations. The mere design and installation of equipment should not sever his relations. The practical man recognizes the necessity of the expert to his organization and the expert should recognize and promote closer relations with the practical man.

The Care of Foundry Equipment

By G. L. GRIMES, Detroit

Many foundrymen own automobiles. What is their attitude toward properly caring for them? It will be admitted. that most of them, if they oil their cars themselves, attend to the parts most accessible. They place oil in the crank case of the motor and screw up the grease cups on the springs because these parts are conveniently near at hand. Many of us have had the speedometer stop working and have been told at the repair station that the lower end had not been lubricated.

Although the motor car has to contend with the dust of the road, it operates under far better conditions than obtain in the average foundry where dirt and grit attack the bearings of equipment. Most men make it their business personally to see that their automobiles are oiled, but how many give as much thought to the care of their foundry equipment?

Machines to Offset Labor Shortage

It is generally expected that there will be a large exodus of foreign labor and probably comparatively little immigration. The second generation of foreign labor does not care to go into the foundry but prefers the machine shop. With the decrease of labor and the increased demand for better output, combined with the growth of the idea of the conservation of material and resources, the foundryman faces new conditions and must develop new methods and processes by which he can elevate the plane of his profession and make up for the shortage of men by the installation of more machinery. The addition of machinery brings with it the problem of maintenance.

In the future will manufacturers consider the foundry a necessary evil while they take great pride in the machine shop? The writer hopes not. Manufacturers realize that they have made an investment for capital account when

they buy a lathe or milling machine for the machine shop. They install it in a clean, well lighted shop. Each operator is required to keep his own machine clean and many shops allow special time for this purpose. Machinists are trained to oil their own machines, and a man is made responsible for oiling the lineshafts and motors. A tool room, with the best mechanics in the shop, is usually provided to repair the equipment when it breaks down.

Many of the automobile machine shops have extra machines so that in an emergency a new machine can be substituted quickly and production continued. The machine that is taken out is turned over to the tool repair department and properly repaired.

Foundry Machinery Often is Neglected

But this policy does not seem to hold true in regard to foundry machinery. In many cases, the machinery is purchased, and no more attention is paid to it as long as it The foundry process is a dirty one. The sand and dust that flies when the molds are being shaken out covers everything in the foundry, and many foundrymen act as if it is useless to attempt to keep machinery clean. When installing equipment, many neglect to provide a proper place for it. Think of installing a motor driven air compressor in the dust of the cleaning room! But it is done.

Some foundrymen allow the night gang to shovel the sand back, covering the molding machines so that the operators have to dig them out every morning. This delays production and damages the machines.

Did Not Want to Pay for Own Carelessness

A steel foundryman called the manufacturer of his sand mixer and claimed it would not work properly. The equipment manufacturer found that the main bearing had not been oiled and the brass was nearly worn out, yet the foundryman wanted it replaced free of charge.

If an automobile begins pounding and the garage man has to put in new rods or bearings, the owner does not expect him to replace the parts and throw in the labor