Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-08
STEEL BAKED AND PICkLED
Strange Sights and Sounds ia the
Bit Factories OF Connections.

Strange Sights ana 0Ou1uS LA &H0
Bit Factories OF Connecticut.
There are in the United States four
teen bit factories, and eleven of them
are in Connecticut, and here in the town
of Chester, within radius of two miles
can be found no less than six Of these
eleven. The visitor here is sure to have
bis curiosity aroused by the din ofmany
trip hammers. On visiting one of the
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 elatter 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 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 lady would cut
a piece Of string with her scissors. Here
| line of sturdy men stand beside glow
ing forgea 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 md. round III the
| the center, and square on the other end.
The bit has now started into existence,
and is called in this form "plate." 1t
is next passed to the crimpers, who again
| heat it to Wilderness and run it through
| machines which twist the fiat end into
pod" or spiral of beautiful regularity.
The 'swedgers" seize it now, and again
| under the influence OF the blowpipe the
| steel is soon red hot, when one blow
| from powerful drop fashions the square
end, into shank properly beveled for
the bit brace; again it is heated and
passed under another drop which stamps
on it's shank figure telling the size of
i the hole 1t will bore when finished.
| Once more it endures the fiery ordeal,
and, glowing red, passes through the
a squeese, crush two inches Of the twisted
!
discern the point spurs and cutting edges
of the future bit. It is next carried into
the annealing room, where, 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
| hours in watts containing strong solution
of ulphuric. acid, which eats off all the
scale left by the many previous heatlngs
| in the 1orges. ~ ...
The bit now passes into the machine
room, where the rasping machine cuts
out all cup rfiuous, stock in the head,
forming and cutting edges. The milling
machine cuts the point smoothly to the
| correct level, ready for the screw to lie
made upon it. Ehs leveling machine
smooths the bottom of the blades, the
| facing. back machine cuts the. edges of
the blades straight, the screw-cuttiug
machine forms tue threads on the point.
and the sizing machine cuts the boring
end 10 the exact diameter required. And
IstilI the bit is but half made. g5
You pass into another departm ent.
/, land there you see long rows OF skilled
mechanics seated upon high stools, each
man having in front Of him heap OF
| bits and q lot Of tiles OF various sizes and
| ..fiat,'' '.half-round," hump back. !"
ssground off, and feather edge,a and
each Of these is used in turn to form and
| smooth the variaus parts and cutting
Isurfaces of the bit. Tire squesk ingsof a
| hundred flies of almost as mtny sizes
and shapes fills the air with shSill notes
AID sets your teeth on edge.
! You pause for q moment to watch q
couple of men, who, seated in front oil
/ Tiny forges, are heating the laits to d
4 ciierrv red eoIor AMI then dipping them
ii dishes OF oil and water ! on learn tllat
Z they are tenn periIlg them to- the proper