The record-union., 1896-07-05


ing mill is the kind denominated
scrap" it follows as natural conse-
quence that the ''scrap shop is a very
Important department.
Here are heaps and heaps of old iron
of every description under the SUM-
Here are giant cranes, car axles, bars,
bolts, nuts, screws, plates, horseshoes-
in fact, every description of forging
under the sun. Thousands upon thou-
sands of tons of old iron are here heap
ed in promiscuous regularity, ready TO
be beat and hammered and rolled into
such condition as to recover the tensile
strength and elasticity they originally
possessed, and which the workmen
know so well how to accomplish.
Then, there are machines in the scrap
yard, too-ingenous and cunn1ngly
contrived machines. which are well
worth an examination by any mechan-
ic, and which would be wonder to
an ordinary layman.
Here is a powerful shear which clips
q cold iron or steel rail in two with as
much ease as a lady will sever thread
with her scissors, and with 1t all scrap
Gails and bars) is cut into suitable
lengths prior to being heated ana
placed in the rolls or under the ham
mer to renew their strength and elias
ticity. After being cut into proper
ler gths the scrap is weighed and bum
died together ready for the furnaces.
The tensile strength of ordinary bar
iron is about $4,000 pounds to the
square inch sectional area, and It's
elastic limit about 22,O00 pounds; and
Z the construction of particular aru-
cles, such as are turned out of the
blacksmith shop daily, care is taken
that that strength is maintained un-
der any and all circumstances.
All scrap iron that has been used for
several years, subject to heavy strains,
sudden shocks etc, distorting the hbers
and disarranging the molecular struc-
ture of the iron, is cut into lengths, put
into 200pound piles, placed in the
blooming furnace, brought to the prop
er heat, and then hammered into SLABS
or billets. These slabs are again cut
into two or three lengths, replied, and
subjected TO the same treatment as
before being shaped into any dlmen-
sions required for forgings, such as are
used in the Locomotive, Car, Track or
Construction Departments. When these
processes have been concluded the ola
scrap iron will be found to have re-
gained it's original strength and elias
ticity and is ready for forging.
All good bar iron which is brought in
with scrap iron is cut into lengths
such as may be required for car re-
pairs or other purposes for which the
dimensions are suitable. Old bolts are
cut into shorter lengths, and old, rusty
nuts or badly oxidized iron is passed
through the refining influence of the
reyerberatory furnace and steam ham,
mer.
All old iron that comes to the yard
that has been bent to a sharp angie or,
say twenty-five degrees or over, or that
has been strained beyond its elastic
limit. subjected to sudden shocks, COM
pressed beyond it's limit, or which has
been continuously vibrating for a num-
ber of years, is condemned as scrap.
wrought iron bent while cold by sud-
den shocks becomes elongated from the
neutral axis to the outside and pro-
nortionately compressed on the inside.
The compression is far mpre injurious
than the elongation, as the molecular
structure will have been displaced the
atoms forced past each other, and the
whole structure distorted. To straight
en- the piece while cold would fracture
it ins.ide. and while it can be straight
ened by heating, the fact remains that
.he original structure has been dislo-
Gated. The only method that can be
adopted 10 bring it near to its original
strength is 10 reinforce it large enough
a the strained point to permit it to be
brought to welding heat and submit
ted to the necessary lamination to
bring the disaranged molecules to
their original positions. This process
would cost more than would new iron.
and consequently it is better that all
such iron should go into the scrap pile,
and to the scrap pile it goes accord
ngly.
The accumulation of old, worn and
beat car axles is an important item in
the scrap yard, and a very particular
item. too. inasmuch as their quality
after being worked over must come up
10 the original standard for strength
ard elasticity The method employed
in the rolling mill to secure this effect
is to roll the old axles into bars six
feet long and three-fourths of an inch
thick The bars are then cut in two
pieces and laid together in sufficient
numbers to make the sized axle re-
CURED BY this method the molecules
OF CRYSTALS of the old iron become
elongated. producing fibrous iron. This
method has been found to be far supe-
rior to the one formerly employed. of
tlattening the axles under the hammer,
ing. as in that case the iron was not
Al. nd 70 1n
essary elongation of the minute atoms
into fibeys.
Sound Judgment is required in sorting
scrap iron and throwing out worthless
material, such as old band iron, oxi-
died thin sheet iron. etc. This, If there
is a market for it, Is sold: If there is not,
1t is carted away, as the space occupied
by 1t is very valuable.
In 1887 scrap cast steel had accumu-
lated at the shop In large quantities
there being no market for it. and the
question arose as to whether 1t could be
economically utilized AS an expert
ment TO this end, Foreman Uren put it
NJ In 40 pound piles, the same as
scrap iron. placed the piles in the furnace
and brought them to a welding heat,
similar to the manner of working scrap
iron. The steel was then compressed
into solid ingots by placing 1t into a
cavity in a large cast iron block pre-
Pared for the purpose. BY blow of
the steam hammer the upper die fitting
into the cavity In the block below, the
ingot was formed after which it was put
into the hands of the smiths and worked
into any shape desired. such as crow
bars tamping bars, guide bars for loco
motives. etc. BY this process the ma
In