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By Oliver Bowles

The wire saw, introduced by the Bureau of Mines about two years ago, has revolutionized slate quarrying in Pennsylvania. The success of the saw since its early accomplishments has become greater and greater as the equipment has been perfected and skill acquired .in its use. In the first test made, a cutting rate of 9.7 square feet per hour was attained; in the next four cuts, made early in 1927, the average rate of cutting was increased to 12.8 square feet per hour; in 1928 a maximum of 34 square feet per hour had been attained, with a general average of about 20 to 25 square feet, The wire saw is now regarded as essential equipment in practically all of the quarries in the Bangor, Pen Argyl, and Windgap districts. The wire saw consists of a three-strand steel cable of 3/16 or 1/4 inch diameter running as an endless belt. The driving pulley is a 40-inch double-groove cast-iron sheave. A tension pulley supported by a frame mounted on wheels may travel back and forth on a short track. A weight of 800 to 2,000 pounds gives the desired tension on the wire. The driving units consist of electric motors with direct-drive compactly enclosed gear reduction, or double-belt speed-reduction units; the former is preferred. Silent chain and. pinion gear reductions are used to a limited extent. The travelling speed of the wire is about 15 feet per second. The driving and tension equipment are shown in Figure 1, A.

Jan 1, 1929

By S. H. Ash

THIS REPORT covers the third in a series of five projects into which the Conowingo tunnel system has been divided for geographical and practical reasons. It outlines the work constituting Project No.3 that consists principally of the following: (a) To sink the No. 15 shaft and extend the Alden, Sugar Notch, Baltimore No.2, and Laflin shafts from their present depths to tunnel level; (b) to drive a tunnel off these shafts to connect with the western end of the tunnel in Project No.1 (Lackawanna) and to a point 1 mile south of the No. 15 shaft; (c) to construct an emergency pumping plant at the No. 15 shaft, complete with 3 centrifugal pumps of 200-cubic-foot-per-second (c. f. s.) capacity each, and a discharge-water shaft and a discharge tunnel for conducting the water from the pumping plant into the Susquehanna River; and (d) to construct a lateral tunnel 1 mile long off the main tunnel in the vicinity of the No. 15 shaft, to be known as the Wyoming lateral. The project, as outlined, is a self-contained drainage unit that will permit unwatering inundated mines and safeguarding active mines in the Wyoming Basin of the Northern field and also will handle the water in the Lackawanna Basin, thus permitting the temporary pumping plant provided in Project No.1 to be discontinued. The pumps installed in the temporary pumping plant provided in Project No.1 can then be moved to the emergency pumping plants recommended in Projects Nos. 2 and 3, to be installed as the third or standby unit.

Jan 1, 1955

By Robert E. Barieau

A list of 163 references to original experimental PVT data on helium is presented for the period 1895 to 1968. The list is complete as of the start of the Helium Centennial Year, 1968, to the best of the author's knowledge. Citations were keypunched for easy updating and are listed alphabetically by author.

Jan 1, 1968

By L. J. Prosser

The Bureau of Mines has completed an underground degasification project in which an underground piping system was used to transport methane from the coalbed to the surface. In a la-month period four horizontal holes were drilled to an average depth of 1,450 feet. All four holes were surveyed vertically and azimuthally. In 991 days of degasification, 255 MMcf of gas was drained from the coalbed. The underground piping system proved to be a safe and effective means of transporting methane from the coalbed to the surface.

Jan 1, 1981

By Clinton C. Knox

Attention of mine operators and engineers in the Picher zinc-lead field has been drawn increasingly in recent years to marginal ore deposits lying at greater than normal depth below surface in the marked structural depressions known as the Miami and Bendelari troughs. Not only mining but prospect and development drilling is relatively costly in the bottoms of the structural depressions known as the. Miami and Bendelari troughs which cross the center of the Picher field. Nevertheless, operations by various mining companies in recent years have shown that no insuperable problems exist, and with the gradual lowering of grade cut-offs throughout the field, certain potential deep-ore areas, previously only partly explored seemed worthy of further investigation. Some such areas were called to the attention of Bureau of Mines engineers by lease holders and operators, while others were noted in the course of Bureau's systematic investigation of Tri-State ore reserves. The writer was assigned to make a study of. those possible "trough extensions," in the course of which all available nine maps, drill logs, and prior reports were assembled. Subsequently 41 churn drill holes were bored by the Bureau in the periods October 1944 to May 1945 and October 1946 to April 1947. The general area under investigation this project is indicated on figure 1, which likewise shows its relation to nearby towns, roads, and railroads. The location of individual deposits included in the report is indicated more clearly on figure 3. Minable ore was found in only two holes, and the structural information procured by drilling was less encouraging than anticipated. This report, however, presents all factual data obtained, in the belief that they may be useful in subsequent prospecting and development projects in the areas investigated. There are also set forth some of the stratigraphic data relative to the Picher field ns a whole and the Miami and Bendelari troughs which were assembled in the preliminary investigation of this project.

Jan 1, 1949

By Clayton M. Rumsey

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated prospects and mineralized areas in and adjacent to the Indian Pass and Picacho Peak study areas in 1983 and 1984. The Indian Pass study area contains 33,640 acres and the Picacho Peak study area contains 5,450 acres. The study areas are located in the southeast corner of California and are underlain by Precambrian gneiss, Pre-Tertiary metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks, and Tertiary volcanic and non-marine clastic rocks. Low-grade gold-silver resources may be present in hydrothermally altered gneiss in the upper plate and altered schist in the lower plate of the Chocolate Mountain thrust fault. The thrust fault is exposed in the study areas for about 3.5 miles west and 5 miles east of Indian Pass. Mineralized zones in the thrust plates were not discovered until 1983. Earlier prospecting explored areas containing minor copper carbonate occurrences in schist and sedimentary and volcanic rocks that are younger than the thrust. Twenty-three mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences inside the study areas and fourteen outs; de were examined for this study. These surficial copper occurrences have been prospected extensively in the study areas; large areas have been scraped, pitted, and trenched by bulldozers. However, they appear to be of limited economic significance. Slightly mineralized zones are in the northwest part of the Indian Pass study area where granite contacts sedimentary and volcanic rocks.

Jan 1, 1986

By Horace T. Reno

This information circular surveys the iron are industry of the world. It presents a comprehensive statistical record through 1970 of the U.S. iron ore industry and world trade patterns. The supply position of the United States and the other principal industrial countries of the world are summarized; detailed information is given on iron are production, consumption, imports, exports, mine capacities, substitutes, properties, and uses. There is a generalized discussion of the technology of mining and smelting iron ore, with a selected bibliography on the current state of these arts. The circular contains a summary economic account of world iron are resources, and discussions of the structure of the domestic and principal foreign mining industries, iron are mine employment and labor productivity, research and development, legislation, government programs, and strategic factors.

Jan 1, 1973

By John P. Carter

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted research to determine suitable construction materials for use in brine and steam environments produced from high-salinity geothermal brines. The high-temperature, high-salinity geothermal brines in the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resources Area (KGRA) are a valuable source of energy and mineral values. The brine and steam produced from them are corrosive and cause early failure of many common materials of construction. Mass-loss and electrochemical corrosion measurements were conducted on over 60 metal alloys in brine and steam environments produced from geothermal well Magmamax No.1, located at the Salton Sea KGRA, at temperatures from 1800 to 2150 C, and in synthetic Magmamax brine at 105° and 232° C. General corrosion, crevice and pitting corrosion, and stress corrosion were examined along with the effects of dissolved gases. The alloys with the most acceptable corrosion performance in high-temperature, high-salinity geothermal environments were the high-chromium ferritic stainless steels, the Inconels and Hastelloys, and the titanium alloys. Specific alloys that performed well in wellhead brine included Fe29Cr4Mo, E-Brite 26-1, stabilized Fe26Cr1Mo, 6X, Inconel 625, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy S, Hastelloy G, Ti5OA, TiO.2Pd, and TiCode 12.

Jan 1, 2010

By R. T. DeWoody, J. W. Chester, W. C. Miller

The work was done to develop a relatively efficient muffler for quieting the exhaust of a rock drill . The exhaust of a pneumatic rock drill is the source of the major part of the noise generated by the drill . The exhaust noise can be reduced in a number of different ways , but this study involved only reactive mufflers . The reactive muffler can be simulated by an electrical circuit . Information obtained from analogous electrical circuits was used to design an efficient exhaust muffler for pneumatic rock drills . Electrical analogies proved to be a valuable tool in the design of mufflers .

Jan 1, 1964

By F. Sillers, R. T. C. Rasmussen

"INTRODUCTION This is the fourth report of investigations dealing with the cooperative tests between the Bureau of Mines and industry on the use of electrolytic manganese in steelmaking. The first report dealt with the use of electrolytic manganese in the manufacture of stainless steel 3/ the second with its use in acid electric steel practice, 4/ and the third with its use in low-carbon basic open-hearth steelmaking. 2/ A résumé of those investigations E7 appeared in the magazine STEEL. 5/ The present report deals with the use of electrolytic manganese in the manufacture of four types of stainless steel and the new Timken 16-25-6 alloy. The Bureau of Mines supplied The Timken Roller Bearing Co. with 62,000 pounds of electrolytic manganese for use in the tests.The electrolytic manganese was produced at the Bureau of Mines pilot plant, Boulder City, Nev., by the process developed by the Bureau and described in Bulletin 463, Operation of Electrolytic Manganese Pilot Plant, Boulder City, Nev., by J. H. Jacobs. J. W. Hunter, W. H. Yarroll, P. E. Churchward, R. G. Knickerbocker, R. W. Lewis, H.A. Heller, and J. H. Linck. The workcarried out under the direction of R. S. Dean, formerly assistant director, Bureau of Mines, and R. G. Knickerbocker, formerly chief, metallurgical branch, as part of a long-range program involving the development, manufacture, and use of manganese from domestic ores. Preliminary arrangements for the plant tests were made by the late A. A. Dow. 7/"

Jun 1, 1947

By W. W. Roepke

The Bureau of Mines has developed an interactive computer program that enables mine operators and others to identify the effect of cut-ting system changes on relative dustiness at the face. The program, which simultaneously evaluates machine parameters, coal seam parame-ters, and operator-controllable parameters, was developed for use on any microcomputer using BASIC programming language. The program allows the user to change one or more of the cutting system parameters at a time to see how these changes affect relative dustiness. A complete program listing and flowchart are included along with operating in-structions and sample outputs. An example showing how to use the program is also included.

Jan 1, 1985

By Roger G. Long

In May 1973, the Bureau of Mines asked Arthur D. Little, Inc. (A DL) to investigate existing industrial communication standards that may be applicable to the problem of developing standards for mine communication, considering that the standards that may ultimately be developed will require simple field procedures for the industry and the inspectorate to determine that communication systems are properly functioning. The emphasis on this study is on telephone communications as related to coal mine applications. B. TASKS The tasks agreed upon for this program were as follows: 1. "Investigate the current practices and existing standards of other industries under government regulation. 2. Determine applicable methods for industry personnel and inspectors to ascertain conformance on-site with minimal test hardware. 3. Review the Bureau's approval, testing and inspection procedure as it may impact the development of such standards. 4. From the above studies investigate the development of installation and performance standards for mine communications, including voice and telemetry. 5. Prepare a written report specifying what standards and field inspection techniques are applicable with recommendations for development of subsequent data and ultimately standards and field inspection techniques. 6. Prepare a written summary of the findings of various investigations with an appendix covering the detailed findings of each investigation. 7. Prepare a list of suggestions of additional assistance the Bureau might require in subsequent phases of developing communication standards and means of ascertaining performance."

Jan 1, 1973

By Forrest T. Moyer

Injury experience at metal mines and mills (excluding officeworkers) in 1964 was 60 fatal and 3,672 nonfatal disabling work injuries during an exposure time of 149 million man-hours worked. These injuries occurred at a frequency rate of 24.57 per million man-hours and had a severity rate of 3,687 days lost or charged per million man-hours. Employment at 2,363 metal mines and 291 mills, excluding officeworkers, was 68,140 men in 1964. The average number of days worked was 274 The principal cause of fatal injuries at all mines and mills was haulage accidents and in underground mines, only, was falls of ground. The principal cause of nonfatal injuries was handling material accidents. The frequency rate at metal mines and mills in 1964 was slightly below that of 1963, whereas the severity rate was higher. Injury experience at 94 primary nonferrous smelters, refineries, and reduction plants (excluding officeworkers) was 8 fatal and 999 nonfatal disabling work injuries during a worktime of 98 million man-hours worked. The combined injury-frequency rate in 1964 was 10.29 and the injury-severity rate was 1,005. The 36,956 employees worked an average of 329 days during 1964. The principal cause of injuries at these plants was handling material accidents.

Jan 1, 1968

By H. W. Gillett, E. L. Mack

"This report describes the trend of developments in electric brass-furnace practice in the last two years, and supplements Bureau of Mines Bulletin 202, ""Electric Brass-Furnace Practice"", which was published in 1922. In that bulletin it -as pointed out that some of the lines on which electric brass-furnace progress would take place were clear, but others were less so.Developments in foreign countries.Foreign brass-melters have not yet adopted electric melting to an extent comparable to its use in the United States. It is doubtful Whether all foreign countries combined use 100 electric brass furnaces; of these about 35 are of American make (Ajax, Detroit, Baily) and are operating in Canada, Mexico, England, France, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Argentina and Czecho-Slovakia.`The Rennerfelt furnace finds some use in Sweden (1)c, notwithstanding its high metal loss on alloys high in zinc, Two German firms are reported(2) to be using the Rochling-Rodenhauser induction furnace on bronze, the average energy consumption being given as 400 kw.-h. per ton. No comment is made on any trouble from the ""pinch effect"", A firm in Switzerland is reported (3) to use three 600-lb., direct-arc furnaces of its own design to melt babbitt, antimonial lead, coinage silver, nickel, copper, and brass. The metal loss on yellow-brass turnings is high. Use Of a direct-arc furnace in England, with precautions aimed to prevent surface overheating, vas abandoned (4) in favor of an Ajax furnace."

Apr 1, 1924

By Brian T. Brady

The year 1992 recorded unimpressive economic growth and uncertainties over what changes would occur for the financial market. Falling interest rates in the United States and elsewhere tended to exert a number of positive influences on financial markets and, indirectly, the mining and quarrying industry. The interest rate declines during 1992 were no exception. Lower rates prompted many investors to turn their attention to long-term investments such as stocks that offer potentially greater rates of return, causing large cash inflows into the equity market. Lower rates made it easier for businesses to finance growth and for consumers to finance the purchase of products businesses made. Also the rates enabled many companies to increase their health and profitability by refinancing their existing loans at lower rates. Falling interest rates were not confined to the United States. With Japan and Western Europe in the midst of economic slumps, marketing authorities in many countries overseas lowered rates in an effort to stimulate business activity. True to form, that contributed to stock market rallies abroad. Stabilizing inflation and lower interests stimulated the industry during 1992 and will likely influence favorably the industry for the next few years.

Jan 1, 1992

By Oliver Bowles

The term" sandstone" is applied to a rock composed of mineral grains smaller than pebbles, cemented together more or less firmly. "Conglomerate" is the name given to a rock composed of pebbles, or pebbles and bowlders, of various sizes cemented together. If the pebbles are large and well rounded the rock is sometimes called " pudding stone." Although the term "sandstone" includes all varieties, certain specific terms are applied to types characterized by particular compositions, colors, or uses. "Quartzite" is a variety in which the individual grains are so firmly cemented together with quartz that the rock will fracture as easily through the grains as through the cement; "ferruginous sandstone" is one rich in iron as cementing material, or as grains, or both; "micaceous sandstone" is one in which mica is prominent; " arkose" is a feldspathic or granitic sandstone composed of angular grains; "calcareous sandstone" is one containing considerable calcium carbonate; and" argillaceous sandstone" is one containing considerable clay. The term "flagstone" is used for a rock that splits readily into sheets suitable for flagging; "freestone" for rock than can be cut or carved readily, and with equal ease in all directions; and" ganistel'," in the United States, for sandstone suitable for the manufacture of refractories. Others are named from their characteristic colors such as " bluestone," " redstone," or " brownstone."

Jan 1, 1917

By John D. Warne

"INTRODUCTION Initiated as a part of the Bureau of Mines program for development of strategic minerals for national defense, Investigation of the fluorspar deposits of the Northgate area was begun in June 1944 and completed in March l946. Mining Operations were active in the district during most of the period of investigation.The Fluorspar, Fluorine, and Camp Creek mines develop the two more promising vein systems known in the area, the Fluorspar group of claims covering one vein system and the Fluorine and Camp Creek groups the other. Figure 1 shows the location of the properties. The Fluorspar and Fluorine properties were operated (except during the winter months) by the Western Fluorspar Corp. The Camp Creek mine was operated during 1943 and 1944 by Kramer Mines, Inc.The properties were examined April 20 and again November 4 to 12, 1943, by C. R. Wilfley, a Bureau of Mines engineer, who recommended work to determine ore reserves and to serve as a guide for development. Investigations by the Bureau of Mines covered all three properties."

Aug 1, 1947

By D. Harrington

"FOREWORDVirtually all government agencies undertook many additional responsibilities during the period immediately preceding World War II; these responsibilities increased vastly in importance and scope after the actual declaration of war following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Bureau of Mines was one of the agencies thus affected, and it was called upon to perform many duties foreign to its normal peacetime activities.The Health and Safety Division of the Bureau of Mines, at that time designated the Health and Safety Branch, was given several important and difficult duties and responsibilities of an unusual nature because of the war while of necessity-continuing its normal functions of assisting the mineral industries in the preservation of life and health and the protection of property, this being of especial importance in wartime because of the pre-eminent importance of having maximum output of essentially all types of mineral products. Some of these additional functions were given to the Health and Safety Division because the organization of the Division, with its field set-up dividing the Nation into districts with competent, experienced personnel in charge of its work, provided the nucleus of personnel and procedure through which rapid and smooth expanded functioning was feasible.In addition to the responsibilities directly attributable to definite war activities, such as the administration of the wartime Federal. Explosives Act and the Mineral Production Security Branch a new branch (then designated division) was formed to investigate coal-mine health and safety problems after the enactment of the Federal Coal-Mine Inspections and Investigations Act, which became a law on May 7, 1941, but which actually began to function actively after the declaration of war in December 1941.The purpose of this publication is to provide a brief historical record of the activities of the Health and Safety Division as a whole and of its individual branches during the war. The detailed record has been filed in the Archives Building, Washington, D. C."

Jan 1, 1949

By David Hoadley, Kenneth R. Maser, Ashok B. Boghani, James E. Billar, D. Randolph Berry, Mackenzie Burnett, Robert H. Trent

B 5 Typical Input - Ouput The input data and the printed output for case 8 of the simulations (Section A.4) are shown in the following. The branch, level, node, miner and hoist numbers mentioned in the input and output refer to the corresponding numbers in Figures A-3, A-4 and A -5, The plotted ouput, already shown in Figures A,11 and A-12 is not repeated. The input data shown does not include the following simulation parameters: DTIME = 0, 05 FTIME = 130 JPLT(K) = 1 for K = 1, 2, 3 0 for other K TPLSTR = 0.0 TPLST P = 130

Jan 1, 1976

By T. C. Wesson

The need for elemental-analysis information on coal mine dust for use in health and safety research prompted this study by the Bureau of Mines. Neutron-activation and X-ray fluorescent techniques were used to obtain five-element analysis (silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, and magnesium) on 444 samples from 68 coal mines in 10 States. From these analyses, the average composition of the dust in coal mines was determined. The contribution of the primary dusting material (limestone dust) to the makeup of coal mines was shown. Regional differences in mine-dust composition were indicated.

Jan 1, 1974