The record-union., 1897-11-01
POWERFUL MAGNETS.
Will Lift Tons of Red-Hot Steel
Plates.

Think of a magnet that will lift five
tons of red hot steel. Not only that,
but a magnet that will pick up half a
dozen huge steel plates and drop them,
one at time, with as great regularity
as the farmer sows his corn. This is
not what might be, but what actually
is, and anyone who cares to visit the
plate mill of the Illinois Steel COM
pany, can see this electric marvel ex-
ecuted hour by hour
The magnets almost seem endowed
With human intelligence, so cleverly.
so quickly, so quietly do they conduct
themselves. No machinery could be
more regular, and certainly none more
satisfactory. One almost thinks to
himself that the very attraction of
derful than the lightness anad swift
ness with which these great pieces of
magnetized steel pick up the steel plates
that would require a derrick to hoist
under any other circumstances. They
pick them up as easily as you would
take a penny from the table and place
them in the desired spot just as easily
as you would place that penny in your
pocket
The magnets in use at the plate mills
are of the double pole type The first
one was designed for loading AKA inch
biilets from a pile in the stock yards
upon cars for shipment. 1t was found,
however, upon putting this magnet into
use, that it did not operate on account
of the billets being so thoroughly en-
ta 1aI in, he U,t.1
were then attached to a crane in the
plate mill and used for handling plates,
as stated. AS matter of fact several
other large concerns have followed
the example of the steel company, and
with very satisfactory results
Magnets for this work in connection
with an electric travelling crane are
specially we'll adapted for handling
plates, as the connections to the mag
nets are placed on the bridge of the
crane in the same manner as the con-
nections for the operating motors. Af-
ter the magnet is placed on the plates
to be lifted, the electric connection is
made by means of an ordinary switch
placed in convenient position in the
operators cage. The magnets are so
terproof and can be used for handling
plates and other materials out of doors.
The double pole magnets in use by the
steel company can, as stated, handle
with. safety five tons of metal, and for
this only require about four amperes
with a 240-volt current.
1t was not long after the Introduction
of electricity for this purpose before
this operator became very expert in op-
Grating the switch. 1t came to him one
day just what ought to be done to
bring the magnet up to the one plate
standard. So after the magnet had
been lowered on to the pile of plates
and several plates taken up. the opera
tor pulled the switch out, thereby
breaking the current for an instant.
He found that by this operation one
or two plates could be dropped off at
each breaking of the currents, the
plates next to the magnet retaining
sufficient magnetism to hold them TO
the steel of the magnet itself until the
current was again switched on. TINS
operation was repeated until only one
plate remained attached to the mag
net. and it was then an easy matter
to deposit it in the desired location.
The concentric pole magnet, as one
of these in use is termed, was es-
pecially designed for handling the hot