The record-union., 1896-08-16

mace. A dozen times is it withdrawn
and each time is the pine stick applied
before the mechanic is satisfied. But
at length the piece Of pine leaves an
exceeding dark line along the red-hot
knows Though no one else does) that
the proper heat for tempering has been
secured
Experience is the springmaker's only
educator. His eye notes every change
of the piece of steel in the furnace, and
those mysterious lines left by his in
significant piece of pine is an open
book to him, though as meaningless to
the ordinary plodding mortal as Aztec
hjeroglyphics.
Next the leaf of steel is passed-still
red-hot-tO the smith, who, with his
hammer, beats it into the exact shape
TO tit onto its fellow. His is particu-
lar work, for each and every inequality
must be smoothed out until the two
p,eces fit as though they had been
welded together; and while the smith
works the pliable steel into the de-
sired shape the springmaker is once
again at his post; and SO it goes with
them all the long day through.
Until recently the position of the
heater was one of the most extreme
heat. Each change in the steel had to
BE- carefully noted by him. His place
was in front of the furnace door, which
though small, threw out an extreme
amount Of heat to the square inch. To
partially overcome this extraordinary
and continuous heat, Foreman Smith
devised an outer radiating shield
which was fastened about four inches
from and in front of the door proper,
by means of a bolt passed through the
center of each, compelling the heat to
rebound against the furnace door and
allowing it to escape from either side,
on top or at the bottom, but shielding
the mechanic from it's intense fierce
ness.
After leaving the smith, or filter" :"
the leaf is carried TO another workman,
who carefully measures out the space
for the slot which is to receive the
play-bolt 1t is then taken to the hy-
draulic hammer, fitted under an oblong
punching die and placed in position
Then the hammer falls one, two, three
or four times, and the first half of the
slot is made. Next a reverse die is
fitted onto the leaf, the hammer again
brought into evidence and the slot for
the reception of the play bolt is fin
ished
But the steel may contain flaw, and
it is possible the springmaker may have
made a miscalculation. The workman
ship and textile strength remains to be
proven, and each leaf before being en-
bodied into a spring, is tested under
hydraulic pressure severe enough to de-
tect any flaw either in the material or
tempering.
Then the leaves are collected and
placed in position by another mechanic,
who deftly YIELDS four inch band
around the middle of each bunch of
springs, and after being connected at
the ends with the other half which has,
in the meantime, undergone a similar
process. the elliptical spring is finished
and ready for its place under car or
locomotive. Besides the four elliptical
spring furnaces there are nine ordinary
smiths forges and one large spiral
spring furnace.
The spiral spring is almost universally
facture is extensively carried on in the
spring shop. The steel used for making
he spiral spring is drawn down to the
proper thickness in bars eleven feet long
AZ the rolling mill, and undergoes much
the same process in tempering as does
ne elliptical spring. 1t is first heated
and carried to queer looking machine,
-hich though simplicity in itself, is one
~ the greatest successes ever turned out
ny q mechanic in the shops. 1t is merely
an ordinary looking roller, connected to
.ile rotor power by betting, and rests di-
stly above another and smaller roller.
one end Of the heated bar is attached
o this larger roller, the machinery
started. aud the bar is wound up as
easily as one winds a thread upon a
spool: and presto, your bar has disap-
t.Cared and in it's stead you see a spiral,
or coued spring. ready for the car for
which il was designed. This machine is
rom d design made by Foreman Smith
and is one Of those things which are now
1nsidered Indispensable in the shops.
is probably unnecessary to state
mat the springs turned out at the
southe.1 4 Pacific spring shop are consid-
cred to be the best made in the United
states.
Ellipical springs are built especially
70 order. those for the drivers of a loco
motive being composed of seven leaves
the lightest made. Coaches and sleep
ars rest upon springs having from thir-
teen TO seventeen leaves, while the little
ta-oder. groaning under its enormous
toad. is furnished with springs COM
posed of twenty leaves-the heaviest
made.
The names of the men who do the
work in the springshop follows:
q. H Smith foreman.
f. H. Duval, timekeeper.
Springmakers:
J. Forest. H. Fedleinder.
y Huss G.. Johnson.
q T O'Rrien. J. Mcdonald.
Patrick York. j. Menke.
T F.. Patterson. w f. Uhe.
he.