The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-02-15
STEEL BAKED AND l,ICIlLED
Strange Sights and Sounds In the
81 Bit Factories OF Connecticut.

Strange Sights anu Sounds In the
f. Bit Factories of Connecticut. F
There are in the United States four
teen bit factories, and eleven of them
are in Connecticut, and here in the town
Of Chestrr, within Il radius Of two miles
can be found no less than six of these
eleven. The visitor here is sure to have
his curiosity aroused by the din of many
trip hammers. On visiting one of the
factories he will first enter the forging
room on the ground floor, where a busy
and curious spectacle is presented. His
sense of hearing at once become useless,
as the clatter and clang of u multiplicity
of heavy running machinery makes con
versation impossible except for a man of
strong lung power. From the ceiling
are suspended long rows of
heavy shafting filled with driving pull
diameter. Instead OF a floor the visitor
walks on clay, packed as hard and
smooth as cement, and on which are
carelessly thrown in heaps tons and tons
Of red-hot bits. He sees long bars of
cold steel placed between strong shears,
which cut them into appropriate lengths
as easily and quickly as a lady would cut
"a piece of string with her scissors. Here
a line Of sturdy men stand beside glow
hing FORCES in which these bars of steel
are placed until they are heated to a
white heat. when they are Immediately
Iput under trip hammers, which striking
hundreds of blows in a minute, hammer
the bars fiat on n md. round i'll the
the center, and square Oh the other end.
The bit has now started into existence,
and is called in this forms "plate." 1t
is neYtpassed to the crimpers, who again
heat il to Wilderness aud run it TIN rough
machines which twist the flat end into
n ''pod," Dor spiral of beautiful reg ularity
The "swedgers" seize it now, and again
under the influence OF the blowpipe the
steel is o 20 red hot, when one blow
end into q shank properly beveled for
the bit brace; again it is heated and
passed under another drop which stamps
on its shank a figure telling the size O
the hole 1t will bore when finished.
Once more it endures the fiery ordeal,
and, glowing red, passes through the
heading presses, which, with a hug and
a squeeze, crush two inches otthe twisted
n into q mass IN which you family
discern tho point spurs and cutting edges
ofthe future bit. 1t is next carried into
the %annealing room, where, with thon-
sands of others, it is buried beneath
heaps of charcoal and thoroughly baked
until the steel is we'll softened or an.
nealed. Next it is pickl.d for severaI
hours in watts containing a strong solution
of sulphuric acid, which eats off all the
scale left by the many previous heatings
in the torges. & lI,
The bit now passes into the machine
room, where the rasping machine cuts
out all sup rfluous stock in the head
forming and cutting edges. The milling
machine cuts the point smoothly to The
correct level, ready for the screw to le
made upon it. The leveling machine
smooths the bottom of the bladIs, the
facing. back machine GUS the edges O,
the blades straight, the s~crew-Cuttinf
machine for ms the threads on the point
and the sizing machine cuts the boring
end to the exact diameter required. AnC
still the bit is but half made.g 7
You pass into ane,her department
and there you see long row Of skilled
Mechanics seated upon high stools, each
man having in front of h;1h q heap o
bits and 9 lot Of files Of various sizes ant
forms. known as square,, round
fiat" "~half-round,'' s'humpback,'
ground off," and feather edge" and
each of these is used in to form and
smooth the various parts and cuttins
surfaces oftlle bit. The s~queaking of {
hundred files Of almost as many Sizes
and shapes fills the air with shrill notes
aud sets your teeth on edge.
You pause fora moment to watch {
couple OF men,, who, seated in front O
tiny FORCES, are heating the bits to 6
CHERRY red color and then dipping then
III dishes oil oiland water. You learn tina,
they are tempering them to the proper