The Delta independent., 1888-01-24
A Coil of Wire.

How are cakes or Jumps of steel
made into fine wireP The process is
interesting How do the steel blooms
become finely polished wire? The man
ufacture is peculia ar. The bloom as
we follow it in the wire factory. is first
cut into billots some twenty inches long
and four inches square. These are
brought red hot from the furnaces and
slipped between the rolls. In a mo-
ment the billet of steel becomes stout
fibery serpent A man at the opposite
side of the furnace nips il around the
neck with the tongs, and slips is head
between the next and smaller pair of
rolls, so tnat before the tail of the red
serpent has emerged from between the
larger rolls, the head has been squeez-
ed to smaller dimensions in the second
rolls. The same process is repeated
again after the rod has passed through
the second roll, workmen being ready
to seize the serpent. twist his body
around and let his head be caught by
the third roll. Thus it is passed on, each
time becoming longer and thinner.
and the billet, after passing through
eighteen rolls. becomes wire rod. As
the rod passes through the last roll it
is conveyed through pipe three inches
in circumference. AS it wriggles out of
the pipe in twisted form it is thrown
across the iron floor of the factory or
wire mill. The rolls are kept constant
ly at work, for one rod has no sooner
passed through the first roll than
another enters it, and as the rod grows
in length one end may be passing out
across the floor while the other is half
dozen rolls in the rear Thus it
twists its dull-red. thread-like length
like serpent in and out of the rolls,
often near the ankles of the workmen,
ready with their tongs to guide it on.
ward in its devious windings. When
the rod is at last spun out upon the
floor the end is taken up and twisted
upon a reel, which rapidly winds it in.
to coil.
After the rods leave the "blooming
mill'' they are taken to the ''wire MILL"
where they are hung around wooden
blocks perhaps half a dozen coils- on
each block. which are lowered into
huge tubs of sulphuric acid. and al
lowed to remain there until the acid
has removed the impurities from the
surface. The blocks are then raised
by pulley. and the rods are thrown
upon the floor and washed with the
hose. Having been loaded on trucks
and dried, one end of each rod is point
ed by revolving machine SO as to
pass into the die which is to draw the
rods into wire. Having been removed
TO the wire blocks, the rods are then
drawn by being passed through tap
ering hole in steel die.
The steel rod. having thus been
transformed into wire, IS taken to the
annealing furnace, where it is anneal-
ed and polished by secret process. Tho
wire, which has hitherto been of n dull
brown color, is given bright polish
by the .annealing and the cleaning
which it afterward receives. Having
oCcu iCLloNeu " tho B"aNauiAiuS houSo
the wire is run over a series of wheels
and slides which stretch it from tho
floor horizontally. and. working au-
tomaticnlly, dips the wire in lime every
time it reaches the floor. In galvaniz-
ing. the process consisting of the wire
passing through, solution of muriatic
kacid and gravel. next through drying
Furnace, ana afterward through n
metal bath of zinc. The wire next
passes a ''wiping box filled with min
feral wool, which is agltated by num-
ber of rollers. This substance wipes
off the surplus zinc, and bestows upon
the wire smooth surface. The long
line of wire, which now has a bright,
silvery appearance, is then bundled up
in reels ready for the market, each reel
weighing about 100 pounds. -Pittsburg
Cor. Wheeling Register.