The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-02-08
STEEL BAKED ANDP1CKLEI
Strange Sights and Sounds In III
BIT Factories of Connecticut.

teen bit factories, and eleveA of them
are in Connecticut, and here in tho town
of Chest, r, within 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 ofmany
trip hammers. On visiting one of this
factories he will first enter the forging
room on the ground floor, where busy
and curious spectacle is presented. His
sense of hearing at once become useless,
as the clatter and clang of a multiplicity
of heavy running machinery makes con.
versation impossible except for man Of
strong lung power. From the ceiling
are suspended long rows of
heavy shafting filled with driving pull
leys from six inches to as many feet in
diameter. Instead of q floor the visitor
walks on clay, packed as hard and
smooth as cement, and on which are
carelessly thrown In heaps tons and tons
cold steel placed between strong shears,
as easily and quickly as a lady would cut
piece Of string with her scissors. Here
a line of sturdy men stand beside glow.
ing FORCES in which these bars of steel
are placed until they are heated to a
white heat. when they are Immediately
put under trip hammers, which striking
hundreds of blows in minute, hammer
the bars fiat on one ind. round in the
the center, and square on the other end.
The bit has now started into existence,
and is called in this form 'splate" It
is next passed to the crimperS, whoagain
heat it to wilderness and run IL through
machines which twist the fiat end into
a "pod." or spiral of beautiful regularity.
The 'swedgers" seize it now, and again
under the influence of the blowpiEe the
steel is soon red hot, when ono Glow'
from powerful drop fashions the square
end into shank properly beveled for
the bit brace; again 1t IL heated and
passed under another drop which stamps
OH its shank figure telling the size Of
the hole it will bore when finished.
Once more it endures the fiery ORDEAL,
and, glowing red, passes through the
heading presses, which. with hug and
a squeese, crush two inches Of the twisted
END into mass In which You family
discern the point spursand emitting edges
of the future bit. It is next carried into
the annealing room, whore, with thou
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 picked for several
boursin watts containing strong solution
of sulphuric acid, which eats of all the
scale left by the many previous heatings
in the iorges. w.
The bit now passes into the machine
room, where the rasping machine cuts
out all sup:rfuous stock in the head,
machine cuts the point smoothly 10 the
correct level, ready for the screw to lie
made upon it. The leveling machine
smooths the bottom of the blades, the
facing. back machine cuts the edges OF
the blades straight, the screw.cutting
machine forms the threads on the point.
and the sizing machine cuts the boring
end 10 the exact diameter required. And
still the bit is but half made.
You pass into another department.
and there you sec long rows of skilled
mechanics seated upon high stools, each
man having in front OF him q heap ol
bits and q lot of files Of various sizes and
forms, known - Square" round
"aat." :shalf-round," 'humpback,'
'.ground off," and "feather EDGE" and
each of these is,used in turn to form and
smooth the various parts and cutting
surfaces of the bit. The squeaking of q
hundred flies OF almost as many sizes
and shapes fills the air with shrill notes
and sets your teeth on edge.
You pause for q moment to watch q
couple Of men, who, seated in front Of
tiny FORCES, are heating the bits to q
cherry red color and then dipping them
in dishes of oil and water. You learn that
they are tempering them to tho proper
degree of hardness for cutting. You
also learn that although they can control
the temper of the steel, they cannot
control tLeir own-when they burn
their fingers.
You now open a door lettered "Polish.
ing ROOM" and start back 1t the scene
which meets your gaxe. A living re-
production of Dante's dream is before
you. Men with faces blackened by
charcoal dust and emery stand in long
rows, while sheet Of fire five or six
lighting M their blackened features and
making them look like veritable de.
mons. Each man holds in his hand q
Bit and presses 1t upon the polishing
wheel, which makes many thousand rev.
olutions in q minute, causing by ito
friction q great sheet Of sparks 70 ~ ont
In front Of the operator. You behold
the many different processes Diminishing
the bits until at last they look a. bright
@ FURNISHED silver.
In the packing room many men are
sharpening the flashed bits, and 4
few inspectors are examining them with
|1nanifying glasses to see il they can de.
tect any scratches that havo been left by
the p0lisher. Here aleo tho bits are
scstsd into the first and sscoDd Quality.