Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-10
WELDING BY ELECTRICITY.

Successful f xhibision of This Novel PRO
Given Boston.
In response to invitations of Mr.. H
A. Royce. general manager of the
Thomson Electric Welding Company of
this city, about fifty gentlemen assem-
bled at the station of the Maiden Elec-
trio Company, in Maiden, to witness the
novel process of welding metals by
electric current.
There were three welding machines,
one small and the other two much
larger. The first is called the inch
iron machine, for the reason that it has
a capacity of welding from quarter to
an inch bar iron. 1t will also weld
copper from one-eighth to one-half inch
in diameter, and brass of some what
largersize. One of the larger machines is
known as the two-inch pipe machine.
as it has the capacity of welding heavy
twO-inch iron pipe and smaller sizes.
The third is called the two-inch iron
machine, and will weld solid bar of
iron of that size, as well as smaller
sizes These machines are supplied
with current by dynamo having u
constant potential of about 800 volts,
and strength from 80 to 90 amperes.
The exhibition of welding was begun
on the small machine, when several
pieces of iron brass and copper were
successfully welded, much to the sur
prise and qualification of those present,
the work on this machine being closed
by the welding of bar of
iron an inch in diameter
The principle of this process is SO
is nobody thought of it before. 1t is
based on the incandescence of the car
bons in the arc light In these latter
the cartoons are placed by the trimmer
SO as. to touch, and when the current is
established in the circuit and goes
through them they are drawn slightly
apart by proper mechanism in the lamp.
The electric current encountering great
resistance from the air, produces great
heat, which, acting on the carbons,
gives a white incandescence-henc the
arc light. This principle is utilized in
welding. The ends of metals to be
welded are brought in close contact;
then the current is run through them
and when it is established these ends
are separated slightly, when the cleo
trio arc is formed between them and
heat ensues which, by IL skillful ar
rangement of tho machine, is gradually
intensified until the sired welding
heat is obtained. At this juncture the
current is shut off by the operator, and
the machine manipulated SO as TO press
the heated ends together, when the
weld is at once completed. The whole
process is clean. neat, beautiful.
In the weddings done on the small
machine the file show the homogeneity
of the metal at the point of junction,
and to show how strong this weld was
Mr.. Lemp twisted one of the joined
bars until tho metal broke, but the
break was not at the weld.
Next an exhibition was given of
welding two-inch pipe on the machine
designed for that purpose This was
as readily and as easily effected as in
the case of the smaller bars in the first
machine, tn weld be ne erfect. and
leaving but little ridge on the inside
Then or the third machine bars of
solid two-inch iron were welded with
the e eat st ease AMI in the most per-
feet manner. The metal at first as
sumes at the junction dull reddish
color. This color gradually extends
on each side about one inch or So but
while it is spreading there is a change
to a white heat whe the metals meet.
Borax is used to prevent outside oxids-
ton only. Then there is the sudden
shutting off of the current, a forcing
together of the heated ends, with the
result OF u complete union OF the met
ais. The whole process is one of mar
velous simplicity and at the same time
wonderful completeness. -Bo>ton Her