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By B. M. Loring, I. R. Kramer, F. M. Walters

No observations on the mechanical properties of iron-manganese alloys have been published since pure manganese became readily available, either distilled manganese or electrolytic manganese. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether iron-manganese alloys are essentially brittle, as reported by Hadfield,1 or whether the lack of ductility observed was due to impurities in the alloys that he studied. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The alloys were melted in a 100-lb. high-frequency induction furnace with a magnesia crucible, using ingot iron and electrolytic manganese. The heats were split, the first giving six 18-lb. ingots and the second three. Each successive heat was higher in manganese and about 0.3 per cent silicon [ ] was added as ferrosilicon. The alloys forged without difficulty-and were given a 90 percent reduction to 3/4-in. rounds. The chemical analysis of the alloys is given in Table I. The forged rods were homogenized for [ ] 24 hr. at 1150°C. (2100°F.) and air-cooled. The alloys were tested in two conditions of heat-treatment: (I) as normalized from 870°C. (1600°F.) and (2) normalized from 870°C. and tempered for z hr. at 540°C. (1000°F.) and air-cooled. The tensile specimens were 0.505 in. in diameter with a 2-in. gauge length, and the impact specimens were V-notch Charpy. The proportional limit and yield strength were taken from the stress-strain diagrams drawn by a Peters recorder. The data obtained from the tensile test and the hardness measurements are given in Table 2. Specimens that were normalized are designated by N; those that were normalized and tempered by T. Alloy G was tempered after forging (D).

Jan 1, 1941

By Heinrich Ries

The manufacture of fire-brick represents one of the oldest branches of the clay-working industry in New Jersey, and is of more importance than is commonly imagined. The New Jersey clays were first used for fire-brick after the war of 1812, and one of the earliest records, according to Professor Cook, shows that clay was taken from Woodbridge to Boston in 1816, arid used for that purpose. The value of the clays of the Woodbridge district does not seem to have been well and widely recognized for some years, however, although in 1855 the statistics, given in the Geological Report, show that clay for making 50,000,000 fire-bricks was then taken annually from the pits at Woodbridge, Perth Amboy and South Amboy. Perhaps the oldest works in the State was that known as the Salamander works (no longer in existence), where brick were made as early as 1825. A little later, in 1836, John R. Watson established a factory at Perth Amboy, and in 1858 Sayre & Fisher began the manufacture of fire-brick at Washington. The works of W. H. Berry at Woodbridge began operations in 1845, and have continued up to the present clay, although in 1896 the name was changed to J. E. Berry. The works of Henry Maurer & Son were established in 1856, and those of M. D. Valentine & Brother in 1865. These latter were started for making bath brick; later, sewer-pipe, and, finally, fire-brick and other refractory shapes were produced. A branch-works, located at Valentine on the Central railroad of New Jersey, was started in 1887. Even in the last two years several works have begun the manufacture of fire-brick. These include factories erected by

Jan 1, 1904

EARLY in November attention was focused on the interchange of views between Paris and Wash- ington with respect to the proposed examination of Germany's capacity to pay. It appeared finally that the limits imposed by the French were too narrow and consequently the conversations were discontinued. In Germany there were stirring events. Hitler, with Ludendorf in the open, attempted a coup d'etat in Bavaria, but failed quickly and ignominiously. The former crown prince re-entered Germany, with the sanction of the republic, and took up his abode at his castle in Silesia. On Nov. 13 Chancellor Stresemann informed repre-sentatives of the Rhineland and the Ruhr that those territories thenceforth must shift for themselves politically, economically and financially, the federal treasury being no longer capable of caring for unem-ployment in the occupied territory. This was equiva-lent to putting the burden of supporting the people of that region upon. France and Belgium. There have been negotiations toward the creation of a Rhenish-Westphalian state, independent of Prussia, but under the sovereignty of the Reich. Failing to receive a vote of confidence at the end of this month, the Stresemann Ministry resigned. President Ebert considers it may be necessary to create a government independent of Parliamentary authority. The Ruhr Industrialists have signed an agreement with France until April 15, 1924 by which they have agreed to pay back coal taxes for the first ten months of this year, and deliver 18 per cent. of their production as reparations until the expiration of the agreement. The British government found itself in a precarious position with respect to support and a dissolution of Parliament was announced, with a general election to occur early in December.

Jan 11, 1923

THE TRANSACTIONS of the Institute for the early years display but Little interest in physical metallurgy-indeed, it is striking how thoroughly process metallurgy absorbed attention until quite recent years. The first volume carries no article that can be strictly described as physical metallurgy, unless one on the rolling and hammering of ingots be doubtfully so described. Nor does the second volume contribute more the interest then was in mining, and in production methods, both ferrous and nonferrous, with much attention to the new methods of making steel. The third volume records papers on: the condition of carbon in gray and white iron, a paper devoted to chemical rather than microscopic analysis; the annealing of spiegeleisen; phosphorus and carbon in iron and steel, similarly chemical. Much attention was given, and continued to be given for years, to the manufacture and behavior of rails. The question of the nature of steel appeared early (Vol. 11)-What is Steel, by A. L. Holley-where arguments on nomenclature were already active; and Holley also bemoans, in modern spirit, the Inadequate Union of Engineering Science and Art; Pearse wrote on cast iron for guns (reflecting again the ironic beneficence of war in metallurgy), and said that Captain Walbach was the first to insist on chemical analysis of gun irons; he quotes Major Wade's study of comparative hardness, using penetration hardness measurements (Brinell was to come later), and quotes the important Reports on the Strength and Other Properties of Metals for Cannon, by H. C. Baird, Philadelphia, 1855, in which the advanced state of tensile testing at the time is shown. Hewitt, in Vol V, comments upon the function played by technical schools and technical societies upon the growth of metal-

Jan 1, 1948

By D. H. Yardley

Diversion of the American Falls of Niagara to permit investigation of ways and means to stabilize the falls while retaining or improving its natrual attractiveness is the geoengineering work that has received greatest public attention this year. The falls are re- treating slowly as rock falls occur while talus de- posits at the base have increased in size. One of the noteworthy questions is whether the talus should be removed-i.e. is it providing support to the base, and so what will happen if it is removed? Certainly the appearance would be improved if the talus were taken away. Geoengineering studies involve mapping of joints, stress measurements, core work and rock sampling and testing, Present work will provide data and interpretation for design of a long term stabilization system, Once basic information is obtained, water will be returned to the normal channel until such time as the detailed design is decided upon. The falls will then be diverted a second time while necessary work is performed. A number of site-environmental studies were carried out for the location of nuclear power plants. These projects involve geology, foundation engineering, hydrology, seismology, meteorlogy, marine geology (in some cases), rock mechanics and occasionally blast monitoring. In one case (investigated by Dames & Moore) the site area was underlain by caverns in limestones at shallow depths but with no surface expression. The geotechnical problems consisted of determining proper spacing of drill holes to locate caverns. Spacing was dependent on the smallest size of cavity that could constitute a support-stability problem for the plant. The finite element method of analysis was used to determine stress conditions around cavities of various size and depths, to assist in determining critical parameters.

Jan 1, 1970

By A. D. David

The object of this paper is to reduce to the simplest possiblc discussion the recent developments in refinery technology without resorting to detailed technical descriptions of the various items. During the year 1929, the most noteworthy tendencies have been towards the installation of more flexible plants, more unified operations, more balanced performance and greater fuel economy. In no other year in the history of petroleum refining has the industry witnessed to as great a degree the crystallization of so rnany developments in almost every phase of the art. Economic pressure has been the controlling factor, supplemented however by a market demand for more volatile anti-knock gasoline and higher quality of lubricating oils, resulting from the extended use of high-compression motors. Catalytic Hydrogenation Possibly the outstanding achievement during the year has been the beginning of construction of plants by the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey for the catalytic hydrogenation of the so-called heavier and inferior petroleum oils to produce therefrom not only high yields of anti-knock gasoline, but also lubricating oils equal in quality to the best grades obtainable. It is reported that the plants will operate at a pressure of 4000 lb. or higher and temperatures in excess of 900" F. will be used. The hydrogen required for the conversion will be produced from refinery gases. This type of processing will doubtless be an important factor in balancing future operations; in other words, it can be used to eliminate present waste products and permit production of high-grade products from low-grade crude. Improvements in Lubricating Oils Another important development during the past year has been the extended use of vacuum stills, making possible the production of lubricating oils from what was formerly classed as "fuel-oil crude," or crude from

Jan 1, 1930

By E. F. Northrup

THESE brief notes respecting the properties of pure tin that make it useful as a pyrometric substance summarize information gathered by the writer In an extensive experimental investigation on the electrical properties of metals in the molten state. Tin in quantities sufficient for pyrometric purposes may be obtained at relatively low cost and in a state of high purity. The metal melts at 232° C. and, according to determinations made by Greenwood,. 1909, does not begin to boil until a temperature of 2270° C. is reached. The writer can assert, from personal observations carefully made, that tin shows no tendency to boil at a temperature of 1680° C. If Greenwood's observations are correct the temperature interval, 2038° C., in which tin exists as a liquid under atmospheric pressure, exceeds that of any other substance. It has never been observed, as far as the writer is aware, that tin forms any chemical union, as carbide, with carbon at the highest temperatures at which it can exist as a liquid. It is quite certain from the writer's personal observation that tin heated in Acheson graphite to 1680° C. remains chemically uncontaminated. Wires of pure tungsten do not dissolve in molten tin at temperatures at least as high as 1680° C. Tungsten wires or rods may, therefore, be used as electrodes dipping into molten tin when required for measuring the resistance of the molten metal at very high temperatures. When tin is raised to a high temperature in a covered graphite container, the CO atmosphere that exists above its surface has a reducing action, which maintains this surface of mirror brightness. Incidentally, tin maintained molten in a crucible of Acheson graphite makes a most excellent bath into which may be inserted several pyrometers that are to be intercompared at the same temperature.

Jan 8, 1919

By Herbert A. Everest

Discussion of the paper of HERBERT A. EVEREST presented at the New York meeting, February, 1916, and printed in Bulletin No. 109, January, 1916, pp. 165 to 167. NEWELL G. ALFORD, Earlington, Ky. (communication to the Sec-retary*).-Mr. Everest's statement concerning the economies in a small coal mine has interested me very much. The majority of discussions on coal-mine economy omit the small operator and for this reason Mr. Everest's paper should lead to productive thought. I agree that close concentration of working places and constructive supervision of labor are two items of salvation to the small operator. It is also true that small mines often yield as much profit per capital invested as their larger neighbors. Mr. Everest also says that the small operator has so keen a regard for the inroad on his profits that even one extra day hand is an extravagance not tolerated, and this is rightly so. But, does not this earmark of the small operator in many cases offer a clue to his vital weakness? A credit balance is the acid test of success in any enterprise. With the small operator who owns practically all the capital stock this is particularly significant. He never takes his eyes off the market price and at the same time strains every nerve to cut down his payroll. In several cases I have noted that the resultant close supervision of labor was in fact too close. The "stitch in time" was not applied to the repair of this or that, with a decided increase to the cost of the work when it had to be done at the expense of cutting off the run when orders were on the books.

Jan 5, 1916

By W. J. Sharwood

Discussion of the paper of W. J. SHARWOOD, presented at the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 104, August, 1915, pp. 1671 to 1675. FREDERIC P. DEWEY, Washington, D. C. (communication to the Secretary*).-Even if the data given should be considered sufficient to support properly the empirical rule as stated, this rule would be of extremely limited application in miscellaneous assaying. Tile fixed conditions must include equality of gold and silver where mixed beads are concerned, owing to the wide variation in the specific gravity of gold and silver. Also, the fixed conditions must include the presence of the sane amounts of other base metals besides lead. Such an agreement is .often lacking even in the beads from two fusions of the salve ore. In practical work it is sufficiently general to be called universal that cupellation beads are not pure precious metal. An apparent loss in cupellation is an algebraic sum and in many cupellations the gains exceed the losses, especially with large beads where tile gains lie so completely in the judgment of the cupeller. For several years I have been engaged in an investigation into the conditions affecting the accuracy of gold-bullion assaying, and have just completed an examination of cupels which included the assaying of 10,000 used cupels. The grand result of the cupel work is an emphatic warning against drawing rigid conclusions regarding cupellation. It is so easy to say "If all other conditions remain the Same," but it is extremely difficult, and in practical work impossible, to maintain equal conditions. Cupel absorptions, which constitute such a large proportion of cupellation losses, and in many cases the only loss, may vary considerably in different parts of the same row of cupels, even in carefully regulated work.

Jan 12, 1915

By I. N. Knap

Discussion of the paper of HOWARD R. HUGHES, presented at the Now York meeting, February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 99, March, 1915, pp. 629 to 635. I. N. KNAPP, Ardmore, Pa.-The claims made in the paper for the Sharp & Hughes cone bit are modest. I have used it with satisfactory results. It is a wonder for eating through hard, brittle rock; it will drill through iron pyrites that the fish-tail bit cannot enter. Soft ground is apt to contain concretions that are much harder than the containing ground. ?We have at times in drilling with a fish-tail bit thought the hole was partly in such hard material and partly in soft, thus making a difficult place to drill past in the ordinary way. By changing to a Sharp & Hughes cone bit such obstructions were easily overcome. This cone bit has greatly widened the range of work that may now be profitably accomplished by the hydraulic rotary method of drilling. It is not, however, adapted to drill soft or sticky ground, the old fish-tail bit being better for such purposes. The fish-tail bit usually scrapes its way through the material drilled, but not always. I believe at times it cuts and chips in soft friable rock. That is, the bit seems to bite into the rock, and when sufficient torsion is put on the drill stem it breaks its hold and jumps around and chips the rock from the bottom of the hole, like a stone cutter's chisel, and then takes another hold. This condition occurs only in friable material when the bit is sharp and the feed properly controlled. The Sharp & Hughes cone bit is a most valuable -tool for the rotary driller.

Jan 5, 1915

THE second award of the Saunders Gold Medal for "distinguished achievement in mining," of which the first was awarded last year to the late D. W. Brunton, has been made to Herbert Hoover. The main events of Mr. Hoover's life are so familiar to all through the numerous journal articles about him and his work, and the interesting biography written by Vernon Kellogg, that no attempt will be made here to touch on anything other than his achievements as a professional mining engineer, for which the award was made. He graduated in mining from Leland Stanford, Jr., University in 1895, but had served as an assistant to Dr. Branner on the Arkansas Geological Survey in 1893 and had also worked two sum-mers as an assistant to H. W. Turner and Waldemar Lind-gren on U. S. Geological Sur-vey work in the Sierra Nevada around Lake Tahoe, and on the American River. Immediately after graduation he got "a job" underground at Grass Valley, and soon rose to be night shift-boss. He then secured employment with the late Louis Janin and made such a good record as office and field assistant that he was soon placed in charge of a small mine at Carlisle, N. M. In 1897, Mr. Janin recom-mended him to Bewick, More-ing & Co., who were looking for an examining engineer for their staff in Australia. Two years were spent in hard work there which was done so creditably that his princi-pals held him and his judg-ment in the highest regard, and he came to the head of their local organization. Among the properties which he acquired for them was the Sons of Gwalia.

Jan 2, 1928

Discussion of the paper of C. A. HEBERLEIN, presented at the New York meeting. February, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 98, February, 1915, pp. 497 to 504. H. D. PALLISTER, State College, Pa. (communication to the Secretary).-Mr. Heberlein gives some valuable information concerning a branch of mining and metallurgy which has been neglected during the last few years. His results with fine grinding and Deister tables suggest the possibility of the mining and concentration of a number of low-grade cinnabar deposits. Can Mr. Heberlein give us some idea as to the loss of quicksilver during this concentration? The advances in the metallurgy of quicksilver have been few and far between in recent years. Most miners prefer to go on in the old way with the Scott furnace and the large brick condensers. The large brick condensers are expensive to build and to keep in repair, and on account of the thick walls are extremely slow in cooling the gases; and further, the joints between the bricks offer passages for the quicksilver vapors unless great care is used in building the condensers.. The escape of vapor at the top of the furnace is another source of loss and I see the people at the Oceanic mine have overcome this in a very ingenious way. I recently returned from the Terlingua quicksilver district of Texas, where the only operating company, the Chisos Mining Co., is operating a 20-ton furnace of the Scott type. They had considerable difficulty with getting a good extraction, clue to too high heating in the furnace with its .resulting diffIculties. Recently they have been running with ashpit and fire doors closed and have been able to keep the heat lower, thus getting much better results and practically verifying the results obtained at the Oceanic mine.

Jan 5, 1915

By William R. Webster

In view of the great interest now taken in the tests of castiron and details of foundry practice, with the number of investigators at work, and recent improvements in the methods of research, it would seem that the time is ripe to attempt the solution of some of the many problems with which iron founders have to contend. Recent papers and discussions on these subjects* have opened up s large field for investigation, and have emphasized the importance of many considerations generally overlooked. With the view of promoting a comprehensive and systematic discussion, I have attempted to tabulate, in conveilient form, some of the most important points for investigation, on the general plan suggested, with such good results, by our former President, H. M. Howe, for the discussion on the Physics of Steel, at the Virginia Beach meeting, last year. This table can, no doubt, be modified or enlarged to advantage, and put in shape to serve as a guide or reminder to all who are interested in this line of work. Suggested Lines for Discussion and Investigation. I.—Correspondence between chemical composition and melting point, fluidity, shrinkage, fracture, chill, micro-structure, and other physical properties. II.—Influence of: I. Cupola mixture, use of steel and other scrap, oxidized or clean material, 2. Manner of melting, flux, etc., 3. Casting temperature, A. Fracture. 4. Manner of handling melted metal and B. Micro-structure. method of casting, C. Physical properties. 5. Size and form of casting, D. Shrinkage. 6. Kind of mould, green sand (under dif- on 1 E. Chill. ferent conditions of ramming, amount F. Residual stress. of moisture, and skin-dried), dry sand, G. Condition and quan loam, and chills, tity of carbon and 7. Rate and mode of cooling castings, other elements. 8. Manner and temperature of heating for annealing, 9. Additions of nickel or aluminum,

Jan 1, 1896

By R. C. Beckstrom

Russia's first "Petaletka'' has ended. Technically it did not succeed but practically it has been a great achievement in the petroleum industry. Out of the chaos of revolution and civil war Russia has developed her oil industry to second place in the world's production. For 1932 production of crude oil is estimated at 150,000,000 bbl. and refined products at 145,000,000 barrels. Russia has been able to give the petroleum industry every advantage that a government can extend to a fast growing industry. She has obtained all of her property by confiscation. Under government ownership, operation and control, her petroleum industry is not handicapped in any way by state rulings or by unnecessary competition in production, refining and marketing. There are no damage suits resulting from offsetting, flooding, repressuring, laying of pipe lines, building of docks or other necessary work. Russian oil fields2 have been easy to develop and operate. They lie advantageously to transportation for foreign markets. The chief disadvantages have been a lack of credit and technical cooperation, but the former is being overcome by the sacrifice of the people. They go without the comforts of life that all salable articles may be exported for the imports of modern machinery. Modern machinery is fast replacing the obsolete and worn-out equipment. Technical cooperation has been difficult because it has been necessary to train thousands of adults to do technical and mechanical work. Great quantities of pipe, tools and electrical equipment were necessary for the rapidly developing fields and refineries. The supplies have been inadequate and the quality poor. This lack of equipment, along with the untrained technical supervision, has been the cause of the proposed quota falling short. Fig. 1 shows the production for 1931 and 1932. During 1932 a large percentage of the oil was produced in the proven fields of the Caucasus.

Jan 1, 1933

By B. B. Betty

H. L. Burghoff.*—Have the authors any information on the effect of grain size in these materials? There is a material difference in the grain sizes shown for the Monel and the Inconel. Is a wide range of grain size normally found for each material, and, if so, what is its effect upon creep strength? 11. L. Eiselstein.—The grain size for Monel shown in the micrograph is the usual size found in that product. The grain size of Inconel is about the same as that, too. However, we have run tests on Inconel at higher temperatures than those reported in this paper, and have found that the coarser grain size has a better creep resistance; and that the grain size that gives the best creep resistance at 1600°F. is about 0.005 in. in diameter. We have no test on Monel with varying grain size. J. J. KANTER.†-It has been known for a long time that Monel metal exhibits ductility anomalies at elevated temperatures. Even in short-time test, it can be demonstrated in the range of 900°F. that there is a distinct falling off of the ability of Mone1 metal to elongate, and in rupture tests this shortcoming is still further accentuated. Knowledge of this rupture anomaly of Monel metal may be one of the reasons for which designer's approach certain high-temperature applications with reservations. The authors of this paper have merely demonstrated that for 900°F. the alloy has an ability to elongate 1.7 per cent over a period of some 2700 hr. Before any conviction can be expected from designers that Monel metal is applicable to stress design in such range of temperature, I think it is desirable to demonstrate the capacity for the material to elongate over a longer period of time than has been done in this presentation.

Jan 1, 1945

By F. H. McDowell

The electro-magnetic separator of Mr. G. Conkling, Glens Falls, N. Y., described by Mr. Birkinbine* in a paper at the New York meeting of the Institute, in February, 1889, has been in successful operation at the Tilly Foster 'mine for a considerable period, under the disadvantages which seem to be the inevitable attendants of pioneer enterprises in new technical fields. The results of a run of several months, which the Superintendent, Mr. S. P. Tomkins, has taken pains to collate, are here presented by his courteous permission, and that of Mr. E. S. Moffat, the energetic and skilful General Manager of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, to whom our profession is already indebted for examples of bold and ingenious practice in mine-engineering. It is believed that these figures will assist those who are planning similar operations to decide intelligently what they may, and, more important still, what they may not, expect to accomplish. The local difficulties in the way of this experiment at the Tilly Foster mine were many and great. Only about two-thirds of the waste-dump, resulting from the assorting of previous years, is ore; and this varies in content of iron from 20 to 28 per cent. The remainder is rock, some (from horses in the vein) showing particles of adhering mineral, some (from the foot- and hanging-walls) entirely barren. The expense of overhauling the dump and removing this rock is by no means the least of the numerous items which must be charged against the concentration. Associated with the lean ore are hornblende and other minerals, carrying iron in the non-magnetic state, which must necessarily be washed away with the tailings. The waste-dump was originally located without reference to future treatment, and now can only be handled by means of a locomotive,

Jan 1, 1891

By P. E. Demmler

PHOSPHORUS combines with copper in various proportions, forming true alloys, some of which are of commercial importance. These materials find wide application as deoxidizers and as a means of introducing phosphorus into other alloys, as in phosphor-bronze. Phosphor-coppers containing 10 and 15 per cent. of phosphorus are the commercial grades that are most generally offered. Each has certain advantages when used in making other alloys. The 10 per cent. grade of phosphor-copper has an advantage over the 15 per cent. in that it has a much lower melting point and can be prepared by certain methods with a much lower loss in phosphorus. The 15 per cent. grade has the advantage of lower freight rates per unit of phosphorus and, by the method to be described, a uniform product can be prepared with practically no loss of phosphorus. Alloys of copper and phosphorus containing any desired percentage of phosphorus lower than 15 per cent. can be prepared by melting together the requisite amounts of copper and 15 per cent. phosphor-copper. Processes for making phosphor-copper may be divided into two classes as follows: (1) Those depending on the smelting of phosphate rock or superphosphate of calcium with copper or copper-bearing materials, and coal or other carbonaceous material; (2) those depending on the direct combination of metallic copper and elemental phosphorus. A number of formulas for preparing phosphor-copper according to the first method have been published. The Metal, Industry' gives-the following: Superphosphate of calcium, 60 lb.; granulated copper, 301b.; finely powdered coal, 10 lb. Similar formulas are given by Brannt2 and others, and detail 'variations are covered by patents, such as those of L A Jeffs3 and H A Webster.4

Jan 8, 1920

By Thomas Fraser

"AIR-SAND" is the term which has been given to a process of separating refuse material from coal by means of a body of dry sand artificially fluidized and maintained in that condition by a continuous stream of air bubbles flowing through the sand body. By proper regulation of the rate of air flow, this fluid air-sand body may be maintained at such a density that coal will float near the surface and the refuse, which is heavier, will sink through the sand to the bottom of the container. This separation is a float-and-sink operation similar to the separation of wood chips and stones in water; the one floats and the other sinks, irrespective of size of pieces. This was the objective sought in the development of this method of cleaning coal-a dry process which requires no preliminary sizing of the coal. METHOD OF PRODUCING THE AIR-SAND MEDIUM Figure 1 shows the cast-iron cell used for testing at the Central District Experiment Station of the Bureau of Mines, Urbana, Ill. This consisted of two castings: a. rectangular box 12 in. square in cross section and 18 in. tall, open at both ends and flanged on the bottom; and a cubical box also 12 in. square inside, with a closed bottom and flanged top. A porous diaphragm is bolted between the flanged ends of the two castings. The upper part of the cell above the diaphragm is filled with river sand screened through 20 mesh without removing the dust. Air under suitable pressure is admitted to the lower part of the cell below the diaphragm. The air passes through the diaphragm and bubbles up through the sand, distending the mass and throwing the sand particles into motion.

Jan 2, 1926

By R. B. Lincoln

THE function of a pyrometer protecting tube is to maintain an atmosphere about the thermocouple most favorable to its continued accuracy and long life, and at the same time permit the weld of the couple to attain the full temperature of the area or object being measured. In addition to protecting the thermocouple from the chemical or alloying effects of the products of combustion or bath being measured, the tube must also protect the couple from mechanical injury. The conditions met in practice vary so much that no one material is suitable for all applications. The usefulness as well as the expense of maintenance of a pyrometer system are influenced greatly by a choice of the most suitable protecting tube. The tube must protect the couple without itself becoming too great an expense item. The protecting tube should have the following qualities: (1) A melting point well above the highest temperature to be encountered. (2) Sufficient strength through the entire range of temperatures to hold up its own weight and resist such shock and jar as are unavoidable. (3) It must be impervious to the atmosphere or bath to which it will be subject. (4) It must not give off any vapor injurious to the couple. (5) It must not form any oxides fusible below the highest temperature to be measured. The proper location of the tube in the furnace is almost as important as the choice of material. The tube must be placed as near to the work to be heated .as possible. It must be kept out of the direct path of flame, both because that would give too high temperature readings and because partly burned fuel will destroy the tube faster than the quiet products of combustion.

Jan 9, 1919

By H. W. Imholz

Considerable stimulation was given to the interest in the lower producing zones of the North Central Texas area when several wildcat wells developed production in these formations. The Iron Mountain and Humble-Olander well in sec. 196, B.B.B. and C. survey, Jones County, Texas, had a potential of 7500 bbl. (after a 3000-gal. acid treatment) from the Palo Pinto limestone encountered from 3238 to 3250 ft. This well heightened the prospects for oil in commercial quantities in the Canyon, Strawn, Bend and Ellenburger formations in the adjoining counties of Shackelford, Haskell, Throckmorton and others. The Hickok-Van Parmer well in sec. 477 S.P.R.R. Co. survey, Eastland County, Texas, was good for 1040 bbl., natural, from the Ellen-burger limestone, encountered from 4024 to 4033 feet. The Hal Hughes-Cook and Jordan (Poindexter) well in sec. 350, block 6, S.P.R.R. Co. survey, Callahan County, flowed 890 bbl. in 9 hr., after acid treatment, from the Ellenburger limestone, encountered from 4369 to 4388 feet. Both of the Ellenburger wells apparently are maintaining the pressure and volume of their original potential tests, and will no doubt open up considerable area in the adjoining counties for prospecting to the Ellen-burger limestone. Production increased in the district from 12,081,871 bbl. in 1936 to 15,384,500 bbl. The increase was due to developments in Jones and Jack Counties. Jack County production increased from 896,680 bbl. in 1936 to 3,117,063 in 1937, while Jones County increased from 1,596,743 bbl. in 1936 to 2,289,322 in 1937. The remaining counties of the district showed a slight decrease in the amount of oil produced.

Jan 1, 1938