run on an angle iron track so arranged that the carriage can be shifted back and forth. Because the material is not evenly rolled, it is necessary to shift the roll in order to keep it against the guide, which regulates the width of the strip that is to be cut. The roofing is drawn up over the top roller at the left end of the frame and thence across to the right end and passes between the two wooden rollers at 1, Fig. 1, and continues through to the roller marked 3. A handle is attached at either end for rolling up the material that has Steaming Tank for Wood By Michael Piasecki Assistant Carpenter Foreman, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, West Allis, Wis. THE illustration shows a device that is being used successfully in the coach shop of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, at West Allis, Wis., for the purpose of bending wood to be used on the hoods of passenger or express cars and Knife Blade --7 *6 Fig. 2 Detail of the Knife, Showing the Manner of Attaching It the Machine been cut. The scrap material can be rolled on another sleeve or allowed to drop to the floor. The large pieces can be saved for repair work or otherwise disposed of. A loose sleeve is placed over the roller, 3, Fig. 1, to take the end of the strip in order to hold the roofing while it is being wound around the roller. This loose sleeve is fastened to the roller by means of a set screw. Sleeves of different lengths are furnished, depending on the width of the material that is required. The knife, Fig. 2, is adjustable and is fastened by means of set screws to a bar on the right end of the frame so as to cut the material as it comes from between the two rollers. If the material furnished is wider A Roll of "Mule Hide" Being Run Through the Cutting Machine than required, two knives can be used so that two strips for the sides of a passenger car roof can be cut at one time as the operator may desire. By measuring along the surface of the material at the top of the frame, the length can be ascertained as it is being wound up. After the roofing is cut to width and length, and then rolled, the set screw which locks the sleeve on roller 3, Fig. 1, is loosened and the roll removed. It is then ready to be taken to the car, where it can be unrolled and applied. A Handy Device for Coach Shops also for bending the molding used to hold the glass in oval windows. All of this work was formerly done by hand, and as a result 75 per cent of the roofing material would break while being applied. This wasted considerable material and required 16 hours of labor to complete a job of this nature on a car roof. Since this device has been placed in service the material formerly wasted has been saved and the amount of time formerly required has been reduced to five hours. The device consists of a tank which is constructed of No. 10 gage iron. The frame is made of heavy 2-in. angle irons well braced and securely riveted. A 34-in. perforated steam pipe for supplying the steam is run the entire length of the tank. After placing in the tank the wood that is to be bent the steam is turned on for 20 minutes. At the end of this time the material is ready for bending. STANDARDIZATION of industrial production has been one of the important factors in enabling Germany to maintain its industrial machine intact, in the face of the multitude of obstacles now confronting that country, states a recent bulletin of the American Engineering Standards Committee. An example is cited of the efficiency of national standardization as it has been developed in Germany, in the case of a rush order placed with German manufacturers for 200 locomotives for delivery to Russia. Production of different parts was allotted to 17 different manufacturers to be produced strictly upon the plan of interchangeable parts, no one manufacturer making a complete locomotive. The inspectors made a striking test of the feasibility and accuracy of the plan by ordering a complete locomotive to be assembled from parts chosen at random from the parts furnished by the 17 manufacturers. It proved to be ready for service immediately after assembly without the necessity of any disassembling for readjustment. Standardization engineering is now said to be a recognized profession in Germany. The rapid development of standardization organizations within the companies has made a large demand for such work. An interesting development of the last few years is the appearance of consulting engineering firms specializing in standardization work. There are now five such firms in Germany. Side Elevation and Plan Drawings Showing the Detail Construction of the Rock Island Refrigerator Car w Refrigerator Car Built for the Rock Island by the General American Car Company New Refrigerator Cars Improved Side Construction Has Reduced Maintenance Costs and N order of 250 refrigerator cars has recently been delivered to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific by the General American Car Company, Chicago, Ill. These ars are being placed in regular service as soon as received The designers have incorporated in the cars a number of new features in the method of insulating the outside of the car and in the system of ventilation. The usual dimensions used in building refrigerator cars in recent years have been followed throughout. The height from the rail to the top of the running board is 12 ft. 10% in. The end sills are built flush with the ends of the car and the distance over the striking castings is 41 ft. 81⁄2 in. The inside length between the bulkheads is 33 ft. 234 in. Insulation Massed Together The new refrigerators are equipped with Bettendorf trucks and underframes; the superstructure is of wood and the outside roof of steel. Particular attention has been paid to getting maximum efficiency from the insulation, and, in line with recent investigations, it was decided to mass the insulation material rather than apply it in layers with air spaces between. Experience has shown the difficulty of keeping the walls of dead air spaces tight in movable structures such as refrigerator cars, and unless these walls are tight so as to prevent all circulation of air, the effectiveness of the air spaces as an insulating medium is largely destroyed. Massing the insulation on the outside of the car also simplifies repairs, and is a particular advantage in case the car is side swiped and the sheathing and insulation damaged without piercing the inner lining. Repairs can then be made much more easily than if the insulation is split, part being on one side and the remainder on the other side of the posts. Another advantage of massed insulation on the outside of the car is that it permits the location of the side framing. about 2 in. in from the edges of the sills, thereby giving a stronger construction and one which provides less possibility of the post and brace castings being crowded out by a bulging load. Reference to the drawing, which is a cross section through the center of the car, shows in detail the insulation used on floors, sides and roof. Above the 13/16-in. blind floor a layer of cork insulation 2 in. thick is applied and waterproofing compound covers that to the depth of 1/4 in. Special care has been taken at the sides between the floor and the side insulation to fill this space with insulating material and to waterproof it so that even though water be standing on the floor of the car it cannot get down at the end of the flooring to cause rot. The main flooring, 134 in. by 54 in. face, is applied over a layer of paper on top of the insulating material. Two types of insulation are used on the car sides as This View Shows the Flooring, Insulation and Method of Applying the Roof Several operations in the construction and assembly of these cars are clearly shown in the illustrations. One view indicates how the posts and braces are erected, and how the roof, assembled on the floor as a unit, is applied on top. Another view shows the different insulation above and below the lower belt rail. Acme Ventilation System Used Another feature of the new Rock Island cars is the ventilating system, developed by the Acme Refrigerator Corporation, Chicago. This system, a description and drawing of which appears in the August, 1920, number of the Railway Mechanical Engineer, is not new having been first applied to an experimental refrigerator car in 1920. The correctness of the principle involved has been demonstrated in subsequent applications to other refrigerator cars, cold storage rooms and Rock Island dining car refrigerators, on which it is standard. The Acme System is designed to allow gases, heat and moisture from perishable food products to escape by means of two small ventilators in the top of the car without interfering with the normal processes of refrigeration and air circulation in the car. In the usual construction these gases are found stratified in the upper part of the car close to the ceiling and because of their less density they can be eliminated by the proper means at the highest point. Gases from the food products are said to have a strong affinity for water vapor, and therefore in escaping carry with them a considerable amount of moisture which would otherwise promote decay. The result is a strong tendency to prevent moisture and mold from forming on such products as meat, vegetables, berries, etc., when these are shipped long distances. As applied to the Rock Island refrigerator cars this ventilating system consists essentially of two units, one for gathering and discharging the gases mentioned, and one for equalizing atmospheric pressure and admitting enough air to balance that which escapes. One inlet A (shown in one of the illustrations) is provided in each end of the car, and there are two ventilators or outlets, one of which is shown at B, under the running board near the center of the are slightly off center with respect to the center line of the car and the openings to them from the ceiling duct are staggered so as not to present too direct an opening to the atmosphere. To equalize atmospheric pressure and supply an equal weight of cold air, the inlet A is connected to a shallow metallic air-tempering can, secured to the end lining of the car back of the ice bunker and extending nearly to the drip pan. The air from the outside entering this can and traveling downward precipitates its moisture on the cold metal, and is pre-cooled so that it enters the car both dry and cool. The small volume of air entering indirectly is thus automatically controlled by the elimination of gases and water vapor by natural means. The result of the operation of this ventilating system is said to be the elimination of gases and excess moisture, thus tending to provide a circulation of cold, dry air which is most effective in preserving perishable food products. Keeping the interior lining and insulation dry will also have a tendency to prolong the life of the car. In view of the number of Rock Island refrigerators which are to be equipped with this ventilating system it will be tested under practically all kinds of service conditions. The results of these service tests and the extent to which they substantiate claims made for the system will be watched with interest by railroad men in both the operating and mechanical depart ments. Handling Tank Cars Under Rules of Bureau of Explosives (After some brief remarks by E. J. League, Chicago, and Thos. O'Donnell, St. Louis, representatives of the Bureau of Explosives, the following discussion took place.-Editor.) A. C. Campbell (N. Y. C. & St. L.): I would like to know what is being done at interchange points about removing placards from empty tank cars that were loaded with gasoline. In our district, we are having them come in with the placards not removed. Chairman Armstrong: For the Atlantic gateway, I can say that on the failure of the consignee to remove the card, as prescribed by the Bureau of Explosives and also by the A. R. A. rules, the handling line or delivering line is penalized. T. S. Cheadle (R. F. & P.): We have the same condition in my part of the country. I believe, from the condition, somebody thinks they have removed the placard when they have put some paint over it or have run a sharp stick through As I understand the last interpretation given by the Bureau of Explosives, it is compulsory that we remove the placard and not paint it over or cancel it. I would like to ask one of the chief inspectors to verify my opinion. Thos. O'Donnell (St. Louis): If the placard is painted in such a manner as to remove the trace of its identity, painting will do. The regulations for the transportation of explosives will be satisfied if the painting is such that it cannot be recognized as an inflammable placard. F. A. Eyman (E. J. & E.): I would like to ask why that rule for removing placards from empty tank cars, which have contained dangerous articles such as gasoline or acid, was issued. Doesn't the practical man understand that a lot of those cars that they say are empty are still very dangerous? Chairman Armstrong: The regulations for the safe transportation of explosives and other dangerous articles are issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission, warning you that all tank cars, when empty, are dangerous, whether they were previously placarded or not. The general rule in the transportation of dangerous articles is to remove labels and *Abstract of a discussion at the convention of the Chief Interchange Car Inspectors' and Car Foremens' Association, Chicago, October 3, 4 and 5, 1923. |