The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-07-13
Uncle Sam Publishes
First Baby Book

care OF the baby" bulletin. by Mrs.
Max West
Beginning next Friday July II, ex.
perts of the United States bureau OF
standards VIII
v. S. 20 Test start one OF the
Bridge Work. most important
tests OF structural
materials yet made either by the\
government or by any private cor
poration. This will be the test on
one OF the huge steel latticework col
umns which is the standard used for
bridge construction by the New York
| Central railroad. The test will start
Friday morning. and with the slow
application OF pressure II is believed
that the steel latticework shaft will
not fail or bend under the strain
before the middle OF the following
day.
This, column. which is the most sub
, tantlally constructed piece OF steel
work which has been tested by the
government is 80 feet long, with a
diameter OF 22 inches in one direc.
ton and Is inches in the other. II
weighs approximately 1000 pounds
and is built Of heavy latticework, held
together with stout bolts. and is re-
inforced with heavy plates and steel
ldiaphragms IL is built 10 stand about
10000 pounds pressure TO the square
! inch
! rhe purpose OF testing the huge
column will be TO find out its exact
breaking strength. so that in the
building of bridges in the future there
may be available absolutely accurate
Information with which the engineers
will have TO go upon. The demand for
safety In bridge construction Is be-
coming more insistent every year.
and the engineers tables OF strength
OF steel columns do not always in
clude accurate data on many OF the
newer types OF steel columns and
| Orders.
The machine in which the 1000
pound steel column will be tested next
Friday is perhaps the most unique
instrument to be found in the equip
ment OF the United States bureau OF
standards In appearance IL reminds
one of a huge building jack resting
in horizontal position. The ma.
terial 10 be tested is placed between
two heavy steel jaws OF this jack, the
.
BY two tremendous steel screws
which are 35 feet long and II inches
in diameter This large testing ma.
chine. which has a power OF compress
sion amounting 10 100000 pounds,
also has tension OF pulling power
OF l,150.000 pounds The machine is
made SO accurately and is so careful
i ~ adjusted that IL Is possible TO eth
.s,,11 a No.
press a steel shaft or concrete col
Iumn 20 the bending or breaking point.
10 is expected that the large steel
column to be tested during the COM
ing week will require a pressure OF
more than 100000 pounds before il
shows signs OF bending. This pres
sure will be registered by a device
4 which will show 10 the smallest frac-
tion OF pound the compression
strength OF the steel This machine
is so delicately adjusted that immedi-
ately after the test Of the huge steel
column is made the Jaws could be
regulated to compress a globe OF the
thinnest glass and register the
strength OF this glass as accurately
az the strength OF the steel is tested.
This large bureau OF standards test
ing machine was built al a cost OF
$50 900 and is the largest OF the
kind Ia the world The government
has one larger testing machine Of an
entirely different character at Pitts
burgh II has a capacity OF about
10000. 900 pounds. whereas the Wash
. ington machine has 2.300nn0 pounds
capacity, but the Pittsburgh machine
|, does rougher kind Of work and Is ar.
ranged for vertical tests whereas the
machine in Washington is of the hort
: aOntal type and is for pulling com
preston tests Of steel and other ma
} terials, and It is perhaps more accur-
ately adjusted than any other test
I, ing machine large or small