Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-26
WOULD WELD PLATES
no RUSH SHIPBUMDTNG
Electrical Engineers Tell Fleet
Corporation Time Would
Be Saved

Tho substitution of electric welding
for pneumatic riveting Is a more or less
Revolutionary proposal first put up to
the Emergency Fleet Corporation by re-
asoarch and experimental engineers in the
belief and expectation that It will
greatly speed up the shipbuilding pro-
gram Though electric welding is by
TO means new. it has never been used
en- an extensive scale and not at all on
ship plates.
Its advocates. who among others In
clude James G., Dudley, research and
experimental engineer OF tho Chester
and Merchant Shipbuilding Companies
claim for it a vast amount of time saved
and the enabling Of one man TO do the
work of four.
The strength of electric welding as
compared with pneumatic riveting, Mr.
Dudley emphatically declares. is shown
by numerous experiments and actual
tests
IL was through Secretary Lane that
the electric welding advocates got a
hearing, and at once there was u meet
ing of engineers representing the Coy
ernment and electrical experts i'll this
city to consider the proposed innovation.
This meeting was held last Thursday in
the Medical Arts Building, and in addi-
ton TO the experts representatives of
all the shipbuilding plants on the Della
ware were present. No definite action
was taken.
on Saturday another meeting was held
in New York, at which were present,
~ Alfniru |
Bowles; Prof Comfort \. Adams. of the
Boston Institute of Technology, and
other leading electrical engineers. 1t is
said that the consensus of opinion was
in favor of the adoption of the electric
welding as fast as II can be done. This
only means. however. that the proposal
is put up to the Government with ia
vorable report, as no official action las
yet been taken. Discussing the mi ;er,
Mr.. Dudley today SAID;
The substitution of electric welding
as fast as it can be done for pneumatic
riveting will speed up the building of
ships Engineers are agfe feed upon IL,
and 1t should be put into effect at once.
Ii is not a new idea but tho trouble
has been red tape in Washington and
inertia ON tile part of shlpbuilders.
ut is my belief that the time is near
at hand when there Will be no more
riveted boilers or bridges or plates or
ships.
"The strength Of solidly welded
piece of steel is greater than that OF
two rlveted pieces, and this has beet
demonstrated We are at war speed
is necessary and this is no time to east
/ aside any proposal because it is new
one; or at least new in some branches oi
work. Nobody will be thrown out OF
work, because riveters will be taught &c
be welders. and they will do four times
as much work as they do now. That's
the whole story in II nutshell
Mentioning numerous invention!
known to him as having probable merit
DIR. Dudley severely criticized the Gov
ernment authorities for not at leas
giving them a reasonable tryout. HI
advocated board of eXpe It's to examine
each and every ~device ubmitted fo
winning the war, and. IL recommended
by this board. to be given an immediate
trial by the Government and at Govern
snent expense. Patents should be poole
or suppressed during the period of tn
war was another suggestion of Mr.. Dud
ley, and he added that as a matter o
fact all inventors are willing TO forgo tn
mere making of money at this critica
period.