Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-14

with the lead at some pressure. The
press Is then stopped for a brief time,
a minute or two. The lead works bet
ter for the very slight cooling, and the
pressure makes the mass more uniform
Then the press Is set IN operation again.
The cooling pressure had been or about
2OO tons; the working pressure In making
pipe IS up TO 400. possible up to 90
tons. The pressure IS tremendous and
continuous: II there Is an opening In
the cylinder anywhere the lead must go
under that pressure. It cannot escape
at the top, for the upper end Of the
lead cylinder is occupied entirely by the
lead-ram; but there is an opening at
the bottom Of the cylinder, the annular
space between the core and the die, and
the lead is forced out through that.
If Il were a V-shaped opening, or an NJ
shaped or whatever il might be, the
press would force 1t out I'm q continuous
bar of that shape, for, while Il remains
very hot for a time after II leaves the
press. II becomes perfectly fixed In shape
the moment it leaves the mass Of melted
metal and the die. Forced through the
annular opening steadily and continuous
T., It issues forth in the form or pipe;
couldn't do anything else.
Fresh lead-pipe has almost the frosty
press II is led away in an inclined wood
en- trough 10 be reeled up on drums, in
the coils in which lead-pipe is so COM
monty seen, or II may be sawed or in
lengths for other uses or TO order. The
men who handle the hot pipe carry thick
felt pads. which serve as gloves, ana are
active while the press is In operation
for the pipes keep coming steadily.
In the top-delvery press the lead-ram,
or plunger. remains fixed. and the lead
cylinder rises. just as in the bottom-de-
livery press; but the die and the core
are exactly reversed In situation. The
die IS placed in the lower end Of the
lead-ram. and the lower end Of the core,
the head as Il is called, Is set In the
bottom OF the cylinder; the head fits into
a place made for II there. and Is cen
tered and held in place by set-screws
The core rises up in the centre or the
cylinder. and just higher than It's upper
edge. The bottom OF the cylinder Ia
closed. There is an opening up through
the lead-ram. When in operating the
press the lead-cyllnder and the lead-ram
are brought together. the core goes up
through the die. The bottom OF tho
cylinder being closed. the lead Is. of
course. crowded out through the open
ing I'm the die al the top. In the under
delivery press the core Is held suspended
in the die; here the core moves up
through the die, with the motion OF the
cylinder. IN which its base Is set; but
II is. Of course, always at the same dis
lance from the die all around, and the
lead. formed into pipe, Is crowded up all
around It,
when first seen coming out at the top
of the press, the lead-pipe seems almost
10 shoot up-it rises so rapidly. one
man operates the press; two more men
handle the pine. One Of the men bends
the rising pipe over. so that IT Hes n
the groove of wooden wheel, set un.
right over the press. After II Is wHl
started its own weight Is sufficient to
keep II on the wheel. and 1t IS led thence
10 drums. The top-delivery press works
with about 5 per cent. less power. am
&c moro convenient in operation.
Lead-pipe is made in many STANDARD
sizes. varying in calibre rom one-eishth
of an inch to six inches, and each 'of
these different sizes is made in pipe OF
different degrees OF thickness