The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-01-18
Manufacture OF Emery Wheels.

lishcd in 1872, the manufacturing of emery
wheels is not mentioned as one of the in
dustres of this country. The utility, how
ever, of crushed emery moulded and COM
pressed into a solid wheel to be run by rapid
machinery, for grinding away metals, was
previously known, and their manufacture
on a small scale had been tried. At the
present time, to such a state of perfection
has it been brought that the emery wheel is
indispensable in the various processes Of
shaping hard metals into implements for
mans use.
In the earlier arts, crushed or powdered
emery, which was found in and imported
from Turkey, was used by lapidaries in pol
ishing gems, it being as hard as any of the
precious stones, except the diamond. 1t
was also used upon leather wheels, and ce-
mented to cloth and paper, for giving a high
polish to metals, etc. But, as might be ex-
pected, it was an expensive article of COM
merce, and for this reason, if no other, any
project conceived of to shape it into ponder
Gus wheels with purpose to supercede both
the time honored file and grindstone in our
iron and steel working shops, whould have
subjected the protector to the suspicion Of
being a candidate for the mad-house.
But the progress of chemical and geologi-
cal research, extending from the first of the
present century to the present time, devel-
oped the fact that Turkish emery, a natural
formation of aiumina and iron, in its mas
sive variety, was allied to corundum or ada
mantne spar, found in abundance in the
mountains of Armenia, Hindoostan and in
other parts of the Orient, which in its trans
parent form is the oriental sapphire, ruby,
topaz and emerald. AT q still more recent
date corundum, of a superior quality, and
in massive quantities, has been found in
Chester county, Pennsylvania, and at other
points in the Blue Ridge mountain - in
West Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and
Alabama, some handsome specimens of
which, richly studded with sapphire and
ruby, are on the desk before us at this writ
ing. Add to this the fact that our noun
tans contain unlimited quantities of quartz
and other argilaceous formation adapted to
the purpose, and the subtle American genius
saw that, by the combined forces of mechan-
ism and chemistry, an artificial grindstone
could be made that would not only master
any substance brought in contact with it ex-
cept the diamond, but at mere nominal
cost.
These discoveries, coupled with the useful
ness of the emery wheel, in the mechanical
arts, has called into existence numerous
factories in different sections of the country,
engaged in making the wheels, and others
in crushing and preparing the material used.
The wheels, by their shape, are adapted to
the widest range of purposes as tool in the
machine shops and other establishments
engaged in metal working. The cursory
observer who watches the various processes
of making these wheels will conclude that
it is easy and simple, with the perfect ma.
chinery used for the purpose, forgetting that
the compounding involves a thorough in
sight into chemistry and geology, combined
with skill and experience in mechanics.
Like ali new industries in which science
and art are involved, making the wheels
is one capable of continual improvement
and although some manufactures have at
tanned to high degree of perfection, new
discoveries and Improvements are daily be-
ing made.
Among the first companies of the country,
and one which has made the greatest stride
towards making perfect wheel, is the "Le-
high Valley" whose works cover an extern
sive area Of ground in Weissport. Through
the past years of business stagnation, this
company has helu its own, doing larger
business in 1878 than in the previous year
and controls, by the superiority of its goods
a large and steadiast trade for the current
year.
The company's charter is dated July l3,
1874, and the charter members were Amos
W. Marsh, Isaac Butteriield, DR.. j. g. Zern
'Ni'9l''iUj 'A'' N"ShClJ lloH' w hl' NJ
Rapsher, Lehighton; Gen. VIM. Lilly, A.
W. Butler, W. r. Butler, Mauch Chunk
The first officers elected were VIM. Wagner
president; W. r. Butler, treasurer, and
VIM. M. Rapsher, secretary. The present
officers are Gen. VIM. Lilly, president; and
L. Z. Wills, secretary and treasurer. The
Board of directors now are Gen. VIM. Lilly
VIM. II, Stroh, VIM. R. Butler, VIM. Wag-
ner, Hons. VIM, NJ. Rapsher and j. G. Zern
and L. Z. Wills.
Mr.. L. E. Wills acts as superintendent OF
the works, giving the most minute attention
to the manufacture of the wheels, commen-
cling with the selection and procuring of the
materials, some of which are secret with
this establishment, and extending to the
mixing, the pressing, drying, testing, dress
ing with the diamond tool, inspecting and
shipping them to the trade. With the CO.
operation of a board of directors composed of
men of well-known business enterprise and
sagacty, and with a corps of skilled and
experienced workmen and perfected ma
chinery, 1t would be impossible for the
works not to turn out the highest grades OF
goods, and they do.
To the curious in mechanism, few hours
can be spent at the works with profit and
pleasure, where Supt Wills, or if he happens
go be busy, the polite ana obliging book
keeper, Mr.. John F. Zern, will explain the
modus opcrGndi of making and using the
wheel after it is made.
The Mixing-room is a neurological and
chemical laboratory, and contains the secrets
of the company, by which the reputation of
the concern has been made in the CONNER
cial world. The room in which the wheel
is pressed contains hydraulic machine,
operated by a double force pump, capable, if
desired of putting 1000 tons pressure in the
cylinder of the hydraulic. Some idea of the
immensty of this pressure may be formed
when it is known that twill force the water
through the pores ofan iron cylinder G lnche.
thick. The cylinder in use now is of gun met
al, and is a piece of the rided Parrot gun,
known as the "Swamp Angel" which was