The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
FORD CARS GROW UP
BY MAGIC METHODS
Assembling Process Is Even
Faster Than 1t Was
Before.
CONVEYOR BUSHES WORK
And Motor Is Started Without
Cranking and Goes Out
to Shipping Yard.

DETROIT, Mich. Feb 2s.-The Fort
Motor Company. continually prodded By
tho extraordinary growth OF its bushes.
to speed UP It's production and 10 dis
cover time and labor saving devices, re.
Gently adopted a new system for the fna
assembling of cars which gives "a visitor
to the plant an as,onlshingiy vivid i'm.
preston OF the significance Of the Ford
output. One sees thirty rear axies grow to
real motor cars within an hour and what
was, a comparatively few feet away, ar
inert piece Of metal roll out tho door q
completed. complicated automobile run.
ming under It's own power.
Heretofore the final assembling Of Ford
cars was a matter OF showing II section o:
. partially completed car on 10 a group
OF men. WHO put In another part and
showed the car on to tire next group
Cars were thus Kept moving along in four
long rows. Tho same system now prevails,
the assembling being done in four rows.
each 900 feet long. but one OF tho four
rows has the advantage OF a new ar
rangement In ths way OF conveyor.
With the aid OF the conveyor production
is speeded up so that the line produces
thirty completed cars in an hour There
Of the four different assembling lines,
especially since the adoption OF the me-
chanical conveyor which IL really being
tested out.
At the beginning OF the assembling line
Is a heap of rear axles. These are showed
along from group to group. until the
skeleton or chassis with wheels is
evolved Then the conveyor Is reached.
This consists merely OF two endless rows
OF revolving steel Wheels set in grooves
on which the car rests. Each car Is
coupled to the one In front. and a power
device with coupling attachment, and
starting lever shoves the row OF coupled
skeletons up the line. Every few feet
stands group of workmen, under their
own foreman. whose duty Is to do one
simple operation In assembling.
Ore group fastens on the gasolene tank !:
another drops In the complete engine an
other fasteIs the steering apparatus IN
place another puts on certain bolt, Sc
The long line OF skeleton cars, always
srowins a little more like real automo-
ollie every few feet moves Just slowly
enough over the rollers OF the conveyor
20 give each group of men time enough
TO do one special job. Naturally there
can be no loafng. As soon as IA radiator
is on or a sasolene tank arranged the
next car has crept up and Is waiting to
be similarly treated. The factory is so
eiIoH6td tHaS tAcSc val parts VI inc
car are easily accessible. Some drop
from the floor above by gravity Just
where they are needed, some are carried
TO their place In the assembling line by
power conveyors.
When the upper end OF the line 10
reached the car Is complete. every part In
place and ready to run. TIE back wheels
are set spinning by the conveyor on which
they rest. That starts the engine without
the necessity OF cranking II. A tester hops
into the seat. There IL a shove OF a
lever from behind which starts the car
or the conveyor' The clutch is thrown IN.
and the car rolls off TO the floor. the
front wheels hit a swinging door 20 ar
ranged that this action opens It auto
natically. and the car is in the shipping
yard, where there remains only the Jack
ing up of the rear wheels for a brief test
before running onto the freight car.
The car you See rolling out into the
yard IL the very one you have watched
grow in that line OF magic. II Is the
evolution of that rear axle you saw sixty
minutes ago 800 feet away.