Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-28
A KNIFE OF FLAME.
Wonderful Work Done by tht
0XyacetyIene Torch.

One Of the most curious instruments
used by the structural iron workers
shd steel shipbuilders. the most as
tonishing in its performance and the
most spectacular when seen at work
is the Oxyacetylene torch. 1t is made
In two fOrms-a welding torch and
cutting torch. With the former cast
Iron. cast steel. steel. wrought iron.
aluminium. brass. copper. platinum
and various alloys can be welded wiki
ease. while a perfect weld can also
be made between any combination
Of cast iron. steel. brass and copper.
Yields are often made in stsei and iron
with this torch up TO eight and nine
inches in thickness. the heaviest Well
OF which there is any record being
fourteen inches
With the cutting torch steel and iron
(other than cast from are readily Cue.
with the aid OF mechanical devices for
guiding the torch. up to g thickness OF
eight or nine inches. This means that
with the oxyacetylene torch a piece of
steel eight of nine inches thick and Of
any width can be cut squarely In two.
just as a carpenter saws through q
board or a beam. The kerr in cutting
the steel-that is the part of the metal
that is burned away where the cut is
Pnade-is only about ope-eighth OF an
Inch wide
Steel six inches thick can be cut in
this way at the rate Of one foot in
three minutes.
TO the man who knows nothing of
chemistry or what actually takes place
when any object burns this seems In
credible. When the process OF conlbus-
/ ton is explained the mystery is swept
away. Combustion. then. in its sim.
| plest terms. consists 10 raising the
] temperature Of an object to a point
! where it will mite chemically with the
/ oxygen OF the air. When this Chemi
/ cal action takes place it is accompani.
/ ed by light and heat. and the object is
said to burr
This temperature varies greatly with
different objects or substances. Many
substances that burn at a comparative
! ly low temperature can be set on fire
with match With these substances
every one is familiar. and other sub
stances that will not readily burr
when a match is applied TO them are
popularity regarded as 'fireproof."
But this is n wrong view. 1t ma.
simply mean that the temperature Il
which the object will burn-called tn,
"kindlinG emperature"-is too high u
be reached by the burning match. This
Is the case with iron and steel. AM
/ when the oxyacetylene fame cut
through a bar Of steel nine niche
thick and three feet wide ii simpl
burns up a layer OF the metal one
eighth of an inch in thickness.
The welding torch. 10 describe It a
simply as possible. consists Of handl
through which extend two tubes O
brass. These tubes are connected wit
two gas tanks. one containing oxyge
and the other acetylene. and thes
gases are admitted 10 the tubes b.
valves at the rear. the oxygen enterin
the upper tube and the acetylene tn
lower. Both tubes open into the hea
Of the torch into which is screwed
nozzle or tip The gases enter this ii
by separate passages and are Their
mixed together and. being under pre-:
sure, spurted from the jet The acety
lene is first turned on and Lighted
This is the fuel Of the flame. Then tn
oxygen is turned on. This support
the fame.
The quantity Of each gas can be ref
ulated by the valves, and thus there
produced what is called q ''neutrt
fame"-that is to say. it contains ne
Their an excess of oxygen nor Of acct!