VOL.7 NO. 4 MAY, 1954 Only STEEL can do so many jobs so well 7C1 L _ SCOOp! And a big one, too . . . it can scoop out 21.5 cubic yards of earth per minute. has a boom 215 feet long! The drag lines, boom support cables and hoisting ropes on a behemoth like this must have great strength. durability, flexibility, fatigue resistance. Tiger Brand Wire Ropes, made by U.S. Steel, meet all requirements. OPPORTUNITIES WITH U.S. STEEL If you're thinking about what you're going to do after graduation . . . if They CheW Their Way tO Wealth. These teeth are capable of chewing through earth, sand you're interested in a challenging, re- ami rock for thousands of feet until they reach Nature's buried treasures of gas and oil. warding position with a progressive Kiick bits like this need super-strength, amazing toughness, high resistance to impact, company . . . then it will pay you to abrasion, and shock. So, many of them are made from USS Alloy Steels. And United States look into t h e opportunities with Slid also provides many other essentials for oil drilling, such as wire lines, drill pipe, cement, drilling rigs. United States Steel. Your placement director can give you more details, or we'll be glad to send you the in- formative booklet, "Paths of Oppor- A Man Needs a Cookie once in a while! tunity." United States Steel Corpo- And when cookies are kept in a tight r a t i o n , 525 William Penn Place, cookie tin like this, they'll be fresh and Pittsburgh 30, Pennsylvania. appetizing for him. The can is steel, of course . . . made out of the same USS Tin Plate that is produced by U.S. Steel to make millions of "tin" cans every year for the protection of food, oil, paint and countless other things. For further information on any product mentioned in this advertisement, write United States Steel, 525 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh 30, Pa. U N I T E D STATES STEEL This trade-mark is your guide to quality steel A MESSAGE TO COLLEGE ENGINEERING STUDENTS from D r . J . A. H l l t c l i c s o n , Viir-i>irsiil, tcristics of the finished product. The realiza- tion is attributed to the decisions you have made regarding the basic design of the com- ponent parts, cost analysis and availability of materials, production procedures adapted Men who look forward to leader- to your company's manufacturing facilities, ship will give thought to the ideas maintenance considerations when the fin- \ ished product is subjected to customer ser- > expressed in this editorial from vice, and prototype units designed for the Design News. And men who want replacement market when the original equip- ment reaches obsolescence. In directing the the rewards of leadership will look company's overall activities, the executive is j for broad opportunity, the kind of faced with the same basic types of problems, in addition to other duties required of him opportunity that Pontiac can offer regarding the correlation of product priori- you—with the challenge of automo- ties and budgetary measures. As the design engineer becomes experi- tive design as your steppingstone enced, he realizes that the academic solution to a future virtually unlimited. to an engineering problem does not com- pletely satisfy all of the requirements of com- r petitive product design. In many cases the final decisions are determined by the eco- T nomic structure relating to the proposed I design and its market potential. The achieve- I ment of creating an acceptable design de- mands a thorough analysis as well as sound judgement and competence from the de- signer. These characteristics are also impor- | Automotive engineers know no finer "home" tant prerequisites for executive leadership. * than Pontiac's new Engineering Building— 200,000 square feet of air-conditioned, well- lighted, completely modern offices and design rooms, testing laboratories and workshops. It contains every conceivable facility for designing ever-better Pontiacs. DESIGN N E W S - J U N E 15. 1953 PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION Spartan Engineer Career Opportunities There's a future for you seniors of 1954 at The Detroit Edison Company—a career opportunity best described by the fact that many of the execu- tives in the organization at this time began their climb to success in positions similar to those offered graduates today. There are important jobs to be done in Power System Engineering; Engineering Planning, Design and Construction; Research. When you join Detroit Edison, you are assured every opportunity to fit into the job you like best —and, once there, you will be encouraged to advance as rapidly as your ability and energy will carry you. Detroit Edison is a fast-growing electric utility company. In the past year we started up two turbine generators at our new St. Clair Power Plant and broke ground for our sixth major power Plant, River Rouge, where the world's largest steam turbine generators will be installed. We also moved forward with atomic energy research to be ready for the time when this great new power resource can be utilized by the electric industry. To you young men thinking about your careers, expansion like this is heartening evidence of ever- growing opportunities for advancement. Detroit Edison offers a firm foundation on which to build a career. You may find just what you want in this thriving electric company. Drop in and see us when you're in Detroit; or write . . . r— THE DETROIT EDISON COMPANY \ DETROIT EDISON '• It 2000 Second Avenue, 3 ! • • in Deiroil 26, Michigan 1 3' l> 2. For the full story of career oppor- 11 3* a tunities at Detroit Edison, simply call or write for a free copy of this new booklet, "Detroit Edison Engineering. May 1954 • Cort Kegley received his Masters Degree in A turbo-propeller governor is bolted to the Physics from Connecticut Wesleyan in 1951. shake table of the exciter, which is controlled When the above picture was taken he had from the panel at the left, to determine if simu- been on the job less than a month, and was one lated engine vibration will cause the unit to of a group of young graduates then in training malfunction. The large MB exciter has the ca- at Allison. pacity to exert a vibratory force of 2 500 pounds, Much of the experimental and test equipment with a frequency range up to 500 CPS. A smaller at Allison is entirely different from any other. MB exciter, shown on the bench in the back- And, Cort—like other new engineers on the job ground, is rated at 50 pounds peak force avail- —must first learn about these various facilities able to 2000 CPS. which he will be using in instrumentation and testing. Our long range program calls for additional He is pictured here getting acquainted, s o to engineering personnel. Why not plan early tor speak, with some of the equipment used in your engineering career at Allison where un- vibration and shock qualification testing. One limited opportunities are offered to young gra - of the many electronic accessory units used with uates, especially to those with degrees m Me- the Allison jet engines is here undergoing a chanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, "shake test" on the large MB vibration exciter Aeronautical Engineering and Industrial tag, shown in the foreground. neering. For further information about engineering career at ALLISON, discuss it with your P l a c e n ^ u r lor and arrange for an earl iew with the ALLISON representative the next time he visits y . Or, write now for further G. Greenwood, Engineering College Contact, is 6, Indiana. DIVISION GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION • Indianapolis, TURBINE ENO.NES PRECIs,oN Spartan Engineer EDITOR PHIL SANFORD BUSINESS MANAGER LEE MAH ASSOCIATE EDITOR ARTICLES TOM CLARK 13 Presenting: Dr. John R. Ryder ASSISTANT EDITOR ALICE JACOBSON 14 The New Basic Industry PHOTOGRAPHER AND PHOTO EDITOR 16 Leisure Is an Essential Element in an Engineer- RAY STEINBACH ing Education NEWS EDITOR HARLOW NELSON 17 The Successful Engineering Executive FEATURE EDITOR 18 SCEL not SKOL BRUCE HARDING ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER 20 Mackinaw Straits Pipeline Crossing JOHN ROOD 22 Materials for High Temperature Service ADVERTISING MANAGER BILL BARTLEY 30 Microfilm and the Engineer PROMOTION MANAGER 36 The Big Brake JOE MYERS CIRCULATION MANAGER DOUG COULTER FEATURES STAFF 24 Picture Page JAMES A. GUSACK AL SUMMERS 46 Index to Advertisers JIM JOHNSTON EUGENE SPELLER EMORY GEISZ 48 Sidetracked TOM AYRES MADELYN FERGUSON COVER: Looking up at stained glass windows of MSC Chapel 2IGURDS J. LEVENSTEINS DICK TOMPKINS RALPH POWELL LEONARD EFRON MICHIGAN STATE COLLtbb tas• L y, 25] Ent£red as ^ d class DAVE MITCHELL f ' ° ° r ° f ^ h^Pt^ce ^ P t O« ,in Lo ing yfe Michigan, under the act of March 3, 1879. m a t t e r at m £ t L a n s | |nnaa MMi ci chh| g| gaann ADVISORS Publishers representative Litfell-Murray-Barnhill, Inc. D. D. McGRADY 101 Park Avenue, New York 605 W Michigan Avenue, Chicago PAUL G. GRAY Subscription rate by mail $100 per year. Single copies 25 cents. W . E. LIBBY May 1954 Ball-and-so cket joint cast iron pipe for water main crossing river at Newark, Ohio. Where installations are planned for long-term service to assure low cost per service year, engineers rely on cast iron pipe as a dependable and adapt- able material. Consequently, it is specified for a wide variety of applications, both utility and in- dustrial, including water supply, sewerage, fire protection, process industries and many forms of special construction. Long life and low maintenance cost are proved results of the high beam-strength, compressive-strength, shock-strength and effective resistance to corrosion of cast iron pipe. Cast Iron Pipe Research Association, Thos. F. Wolfe, Manag- ing Director, 122 So. Michigan Ave., Chicago 3, 111. C a s t i r o n w a ter main still functioning in Philadelphia after 135 years of service. (CAST IRON PIPE Sff.'»Bt Spartan Engineer Colorful display bins are an important part of consumer sales One of the early steps in the production of Saran-Wrap—the "bubble" Strategy and explain the advantages of Saran- Wrap. that becomes a film, after being deflated in a series of rollers. TAKING CHEMICALS TO MANY MARKETS... another milestone in a continuing effort to move into new Dow succeeds through the careful fields of endeavor and to increase the variety as well as the size of its operation. Well-planned and executed projects, coordination of group effort introducing varied industrial and consumer products, have been responsible for Dow's rapid growth to a position of prominence in the chemical industry. in research, marketing and sales Whether you choose research, production or sales, you can The high consumer acceptance gained by Saran-Wrap is a find a challenging career with Dow. Write current example of what happens when extensive research to Dow's Technical Employment Depart- an d production planning is followed by coordinated ment today for the booklet, "Opportunities marketing and sales strategy in launching a new product. with The Dow Chemical Company"—you'll find it interesting. THE DOW CHEMICAL This amazing new plastic food wrap is certainly a useful COMPANY, Midland, Michigan. product-but it is much more than that. For Dow it marks depend on WWCHEMICALS Dow you can May 1954 Foreground: Boeing RB-47E, world's fastest day-or-night long-range reconnaissance plane. Background: Standard B-47E six-jet bomber. What do you want most in an engineering career? Is it room to grow? Then join a company Do you want variety of opportunity? Avia- as well as schools of higher learning. that's growing. Boeing, for example, tion is unique in this respect. It offers The company will arrange a reduced has grown continuously throughout its you unmatched variety and breadth of work week to permit time for graduate 37-ycar history of design, production application, from applied research to study and will also reimburse tuition and research leadership. There's always production design, all going on at once. upon successful completion of each room up ahead—and Boeing promotes Boeing is constantly alert to new ma- quarter's work. from within. Regular merit reviews are terials and new techniques, and ap- There are openings in aJJ branches of held to give you steady recognition. proaches them without limitations. In engineering (mechanical, civil, elec- Do you want long-range career stability? addition, Boeing's huge subcontracting trical, aeronautical and related fields) Boeing today employs more engineers program—requiring engineering co-ordi- for D E S I G N , P R O D U C T I O N and than even at the peak of World War II. nation—offers you contacts with a cross RESEARCH. Also for physicists and Here you'd work on such projects as section of American industry. mathematicians with advanced degrees. pilotless aircraft, research on supersonic flight and nuclear power for airplanes, Boeing engineering activity is concen- For further information, on America's first jet transport, and trated at Seattle, Washington, and consult your PLACEMENT OFFICE, or write the world's outstanding jet bombers. Wichita, Kansas—communities with a JOHN C. SANDERS, Staff Engineer - Personnel wide range of recreational opportunities Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle 14, Wash. Spartan Engineer Spring thoughts on the subject of... rambunctious sheepskins the engineering point of view, as shown by the number AN engineering senior can hardly be blamed for feel- of key GM executives in both divisional and top I \ ing rambunctious now that the years of hard management who began their careers as engineering study are nearly over and the sheepskin's in view. graduates on GM drafting boards. But the sheepskin comes at Commencement. Commence- Naturally, all this spells genuine opportunity for the ment means you're set to start on your career. And that s young man who has what it takes. Your College Place- certainly worth some serious thought. ment Office can arrange an interview for you with our To help you decide which job to pick, you'd do well to college representative. Or you can write direct to us. weigh the many reasons for choosing an engineering career at General Motors—reasons like these: • At GM, an engineer has a real chance to follow his natural bent and work in the field of his choice. That's GM positions now available because GM produces a variety of products - automo- in these fields: biles, trucks, Diesel engines, refrigerators, bombsights, Just to mention a few. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING • At GM, you get the chance to work closely with top ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING engineers, sharing their knowledge and experience. METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING That's owing to GM's decentralization: 34 manufactur- INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING ing divisions, 117 plants in 57 towns and cities. Yet CHEMICAL ENGINEERING each division draws upon GM's vast central research BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION laboratories. • At GM, there's a congenial climate for the personal and professional advancement of engineers. We respect MOTORS CORPORATION GENERAL Personnel Staff, Detroit 2, Michigan May 1954 Editorially Speaking The goal of the Spartan Engineer staff, as expressed in this space six months ago, was to make ours the finest engineering college magazine in the country. With this final issue of the 1953 - 54 school year, we feel that we can truthfully say we have come a long way towards achieving that goal. To do so, however, we needed — and received — your help. In the form of friendly criticisms, comments, and suggestions for specific topics for us to cover, you have all helped us on our way. As editor of this publication for the past school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, the reader, for the help you have given us; and to urge you to continue to support this magazine in the same fine way under its new editor, Ray Steinbach. Ray may set up for himself and his staff a different set of goals than was ours in the past; but whatever they are, I'm sure they're worthy of your support and active participation in their achievement. So, I'll say thanks in advance for Ray, thanks again for your past support, and so long to you all. PLS Spartan Engineer OUR recently published annual report to stockholders tells more than the financial story of the progress of Standard Oil and its subsidiary companies in 1953. Its facts and figures also reflect the achievements of engi- neers and chemists. For example, the report points out that: More new and improved products were introduced by our company last year than in any other year since World War II. Our scientists developed the Ultraforming proc- ess, a new and better catalytic reforming method for improving the quality of the straight-run portions of gasoline. Three new research laboratories were completed. More than $200 million was invested last year in new and improved facilities. (This year and next we expect to invest a total of about half a billion dollars.) This continuing program of physical expansion and product development at Standard Oil provides many opportunities for engineers and chemists. Men with Nearly a quarter of a billion dollars will be invested technical and scientific training have found great during 1954 and 19.r>!> in development of new crude personal and professional satisfaction in our steady oil production and reserves. industrial advance. Basic research on lubrication is one of the many activ- "les at Standard Oil's extensive Whiting laboratories. Standard Oil Company 910 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago 80, Illinois 11 May 1954 >^ —TTI 00 D U 9 IL. ON BEHALF EN&NEEUI III II — . 1 - * SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING ( AT M ICH I G A N S T A T E C O L L E G E the SP ARTAN FMRIIUFFR WISHES TO WELCOME TO THE EAST LANSING CAMPUS D r. John D. Ryder NEW DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 12 Spartan Engineer Presenting: Dr. John D. Ryder Dr. Ryder is the new Dean of the School of Engi- neering at Michigan State College, his appointment becoming effective July 1, 1954. He succeeds Dr. Lorin G. Miller, who retired last summer. Dr. Ryder comes to us from the University of Illinois, where he was head of the department of electrical engineering. One of the most significant differences between the Champaign school and ours, as pointed out by Dr. Ryder, is the huge size of the electrical engineering department at the University of Illinois — over 200 people in teaching and research — as compared to the smaller size here. But, he said, he hopes to see that department here built up more and expanded, as he does for the rest of the School of Engineering. Included in the plans he hopes to see carried out is the erection of one, or possibly two, buildings for engineering use only. This tall, rather mild-mannered man brings to Michigan State a wealth of experience and knowledge, from which he may draw the necessary requirements to help build up the Engineering department. He was born 47 years ago in Columbus, Ohio, and stayed right in his home city for his scholastic career. college's experiment station. He was graduated from Ohio State University in While at the Iowa school, Dr. Ryder began work electrical engineering in 1928, and, as a Robinson on the design and development of a high-frequency fellow, received his MS from the same school the network analyzer, a form of computer used now by following year. many electrical utilities. He transferred his work to After his graduation, Dr. Ryder took a brief excur- the University of Illnois in 1949, where until now he sion to New York, where he worked in a test course has been the head of the department of electrical at General Electric Company, specializing in his work engineering. on electron tubes suitable for heavy power use. Soon, Besides this experience in the engineering industry, however, he returned to his native state — this time Dr. Ryder has to his credit membership in several to Cleveland — where he worked in the research de- professional organizations and honorary fraternities, partment of the Bailey Meter Company. Here he and the publication of a number of textbooks and was in charge of electrical and electronic research articles. Included in the latter are three textbooks and development. already published, and one now in preparation; four articles on the technical phases of engineering, and While with the Bailey Company, Dr. Ryder expand- four articles about the more general aspects of ed upon and "came into his own" in the field of engineering. electronics. His work there included thyratron motor Outside of the field of engineering, Dr. Ryder lists control circuits, temperature measuring devices, tele- as his main interest travel, more specifically, moun- metering systems, smoke recorders, and an early form tains: climbing them and taking pictures of them. of electrical computer for process control. From this Recently, he and his wife took a trip to South America work evolved 24 patents, including two under which and returned with many colored slides of the sites — are being manufactured a well known recorder and particularly mountains — that they visited. a photo-electric potentiometer. From his predecessor as Dean: Lorin G. Miller, and Although doing some work at Case Institute of from his immediate predecessor: Andrey A. Potter, Technology while in Cleveland, Dr. Ryder in 1941 as a special consultant to the School of Engineering, returned full time to scholastic endeavors. He entered Dr. Ryder has a high standard to maintain. But, with Iowa State College as an assistant professor, becom- his vast interest in engineering in general, in electrical ing a full professor and receiving his Ph.D. in 1944 engineering, and in engineering education, we feel For a period of 20 months, he was acting head of that Dr. Ryder is eminently qualified to not only the department of electrical engineering there, and maintain, but to even better, that standard. shortly thereafter became assistant director of the 13 May 1954 The new basic industry by Harlow Nelson, M. E. '56 Chemistry is a relatively young science. It was standard of living, job creation, and a >nore dynamic only about 150 years ago that Lavoisier layed the economy. This World War II period is when the groundwork when he explained the nature of sub- chemical industry, as a basic industry, evolved. Sup- stances and the role of oxygen in combustion. The plying all other industrial groups, it ra.iks in tonnage early colonial settlements in America demanded and value of output alongside the ocher industrial common chemicals for meat-pickling, tanning, dying, giants. Calculating its value becomes complex, for and soap-making. John Winthrop, Jr., responded with the products sold are increased in value by further the first chemical plant in 1635. The industry grew foreign operations. The value of che»picals manu- slowly during the expansion of the west and in 1850 factured alone ranks the industry ninth. In view began to assume some importance. The demands of of the diversification and integration* of chemistry the Civil War expanded the industry 500%. Sulfuric with other industries, a better picture is given by acid and the phases of starch and glue manufacture viewing the chemical process industries 1juch as rub- dominated the mushrooming industry, while dyes, ber processing and petroleum refining. With this drugs and fine chemicals came in from foreign sources. definition we find the industry producing 15% of Nitrates were purchased from Chile. In the 1880's the value of U.S. output of all goods and services. the organic chemical industry, based on coal tar, The industry's influence seems headed for an even began to develop. Sulfuric acid and other inorganic materials remained the big volume items in the later more widespread scope in the future with even half of the 19th century, with chemicals made by "mechanical" industries such as the steel industry electricity appearing before 1900. The 20th century becoming integrated. Post-war expansion continued produced new frontiers thru commercial processes. after the multi-million dollar expansion of the war In the period prior to World War I a number of the period, until the American chemical industry of today leading companies of today were established. Ameri- stands far above that of any other nation. Its com- can production of sulfuric acid and alkalies exceeded ponent to America's might serves as an influential that of England, Germany, and France combined. deterrent to aggression and a powerful factor in the Because of the war's demands, it became a major domestic economy. Every phase of the chemical field industry. A start was made on the domestic dye has been characterized by this tremendous growth, industry. The foundation stones for American inde- with the advance led by plastics, agricultural chemi- pendence from foreign sources of supply in the entire cals, antibiotics and the newer synthetic fibers. The synthetic organic field were in place. Research teams capacity in 1955 is expected to be one-third more than of specialists replaced the lone investigator in most in 1950 due to the present national preparations. programs which experienced expansion in the '20's. The first substantial contributions to medicine by A greater understanding is possible if one knows American chemistry were made at this time. The what the industry makes and the classifications used study of the complex molecules of materials such as therein. The principle classes are: (1) basic chemi- wood, silk, rubber, and cotton led to the production cals, such as acids, salts, and tonnage organic chemi- of valuable products. Synthetic plastics and fibers cals, (2) chemical products to be used in further appeared with superior qualities to natural materials. manufacturing, such as synthetic fibers, plastics ma- Around 1925 commercial production of petrochemi- terials, solvents, colors and pigments, and (3) finished cals was under way. products, including drugs, cosmetics, paints, deter- gents, and fertilizers. The chemicals themselves are The important chemical growth is a phenomenon classified as organic or inorganic. Origirally the dis- of the 20th century. Public acceptance and the desire tinction was based on whether the chemical was of the chemical industry to create and improve new derived from living or dead, matter; that is, plant or materials that serve needs better while reducing costs, animal tissue, or whether it was derived from matter are important factors in this growth. Here is another that never lived, such as rocks and miner; Is. But when example of the incentive enterprise system fostering it was found that members of both cla< ;es could be an industry that serves as a stimulus to all other indus- chemically changed to the other class, the basis be- tries and ultimately to prosperity. Research of the came the absence or presence of the carbon atom. depression years produced products that helped win Compounds containing carbon atoms cr e classified World War II. In the late '40's many new products, as organic chemicals. When fine chemica, are spoken curtailed by the war emergency, began to stimulate of, the term refers to chemicals made fc r a specific business. Textile fibers are a case in point. Consumer use and sold in smaller quantities at a higev-unit price. profits are less over-all costs, better quality, higher (Continued on page 14 Sport in Engineer teeth for a 1000 h.p. bite.. Undoubtedly you will recognize more fully — gain recognition and this application of a familiar tech- advancement. nique for studying stresses. In this Many of our engineers who had case, it was used to develop gears important roles in developing the that are less than 5 inches in most powerful jet engine known to diameter yet easily transmit over be in production — rated in the 1000 horsepower. 10,000-pound thrust class — are still in their twenties. Inherently, the design and de- velopment of aircraft engines offers To those young graduates who unusual opportunities for applying can see the career possibilities in basic engineering principles the rapidly evolving field of air- learned in school. In few other craft propulsion, we can offer a places can a technical graduate real opportunity for growth and utilize his education and abilities professional development. PRATT & WHITNEY AIRCRAFT Division of United Aircraft Corporation East Hartford 8 , Connecticut May 1954 15 II Leisure is an essential element in an engineering education /;;/ C. Ip, Ass't Professor of Mechanical Engineering No person works harder than the engineers. Many was a French military engineer of no mean skill. a successful engineer in industry confesses that he Albert Einstein, on education, remarked: "Educa- has never worked as hard out of engineering school tion is that which remains, if one has forgotten every- as he did when he was in it. It seems then, in being thing (else) he learned in school." Again he said, industrious, our engineering students are MEN OF "The development of general ability for independent THE YEARS (Freshmen, Sophomores, etc.). And examinations - ah, examinations! - the time when they thinking and judgment should always be placed fore- stand alone against all elements: the designing pro- most, not the acquisition of special knowledge. If a fessors, the ensnaring problems and what not, are (to person masters the fundamentals of his subject and misquote Sir Winston) the FINEST (or CURSED) has learned to think and work independently, he will HOURS. surely find his way and besides will better be able to adapt himself to progress and changes than the To glorify our engineer as a hero does not make person whose training principally consists in the his job of getting an engineering education any more acquiring of detailed knowledge." pleasant. Is it possible for our engineer to do less work and have just as good, or better engineering Now then, from the aforesaid reasoning, it is not education? Now engineers are experts in talking only possible but desirable to do less work — the writ- about efficiency. Let us assume first that the answer ing of reports, the performance of routine experiments, to our question is in the affirmative, and let EFFI- the solving of detailed problems, etc., which can be CIENCY, E, be defined by the equation, grouped together as details and complicated develop- U ments of engineering — and to do more thinking, inde- E = pendent thinking, which is not hampered by what W the textbooks say, but which must be based on logical where, U is the degree of understanding of engi- reasoning and guided by established fundamental neering principles, a quantity somewhat hard to principles. After all, the average college engineering measure, and W is the amount of Work put in for education consists of but roughly twenty books and the noble purpose of acquiring an engineering edu- a dozen engineering principles. Time spent on pon- cation. (Here W is measurable by the number of dering over these books as a whole, seeking out the hours of sleep lost, or the number of foot-pounds of fundamentals from the details, and relating the ex- muscular energy spent in pushing the slide-rule, or the number of cups of black coffee hastily gulped amples and applications of these principles to the down at night.) Now if U, the numerator of our principles themselves will be most profitable. Leisure fraction, is given a fixed value, that is to say, if the is the best companion to independent thinking. The student of engineering aims at being an engineer of time when our engineer is plotting hundreds of points a certain calibre, he will be a more efficient engineer in an experimental curve, or when he is boning up if he cuts down on his work (i.e., W, the denomin- the assignments for the Friday quiz, is hardly the ator). Continuing the process of being efficient, ulti- time to realize that the basic assumption in his text mately the engineer will be most efficient when he book might be erroneous. It is the case of trees and does no work. the forest. Leisure and the right environment help creative thinking. We thereby recommend the beauti- Still, efficiency is not synonymous as possibility in ful M.S.C. campus to be the more desirable environ- our equation, "Is it possible to do less work?" Let ment than the cold Saratoff prison. us look into a historical case. Jean-Victor Poncelet (1788-1867), who was a prisoner at Saratoff, Russia Are you telling us, while we are taking seven engi- after the defeat of Napoleon's Grand Army, had only neering subjects a quarter and participating in numer- scraps of charcoal for drawing diagrams on the wall ous essential extra-curricular activities, to sit down, of his cell, and much time to kill. He made the inter- smoke a pipe, and day-dream? Why, yes! We highly esting observation that practically all details and advocate day-dreaming; and hoping that the pro- complicated developments of the mathematics he fessors will give fewer assignments, fewer problems, had been taught had evaporated, while GENERAL and fewer quizes, is just part of it. Seriously speaking, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES remained as dear the engineering institutions all over the country can as ever in his memory. The same was true of physics nave still further integration in their curricula; the and mechanics. He went further to give lasting contri- text-book writers can further standardize their defini- butions to projective geometry. Furthermore, Poncelet (Continued on page .V2) 16 Spartan Engineer II The successful engineering executive by Emory Geisz, M. E. '56 Every college engineering student looks to the this is what the MSC Catalog states on the School of future for success. Of course, we all have our own Engineering: conception of what constitutes success, stemming A knowledge of the fundamental principles of from our environmental backgrounds, etc. This dis- the sciences which are the basis of MlgiaMtiag cussion is directed to those engineering students who practice are among those things which the courses feel success arises from the following desires: of study here offered are designed to provide. The curricula of the various departments are planned: a. The stimulation of approaching new problems, mak- (1) to train the senses in accurate habits of obser- ing outside contacts and exchanging concepts with vations, the mind towards logical deductions from others. observed facts; (2) to acquaint the student with b. The personal satisfaction of achievement; of having approved methods of engineering practice, and with others in your circles recognize your success. the use and limitation of instruments; (3) to offer c. A chance to work with broad problems rather than opportunity for experimental work on engineering exclusively with detailed matters — less time devoted problems; and (4) to provide a true conception of to a fixed routine. the duties and privileges of the engineer as a citi- d. The satisfaction of providing well for your family. zen and as a member of his profession. If these satisfactions appeal to you, then you will Yes, this is what they indicate the courses are accept and find enjoyment in the challenge of designed to accomplish, but they should state more management. explicitly that they are aiming at the ideals set forth, The present day college engineering curricula does and maybe someday when more nearly reached, the not provide the engineering students with the neces- students will be better prepared to meet the business sary tools to enable them to hold successfully mana- world as well-rounded, educated gentlemen, ready gerial positions. This situation is most easily viewed to go out and take a fitting place in society. The fact by stating it as a simple problem of subtraction: of the matter is, engineering curricula is not properly Characteristics constituting an executive minus teach- designed to develop prospective industrial leaders. ings of the school equals knowledge the student lacks. Too bad we cannot blame some tangible element If there is a formula for the successful engineering as a cause for insufficient curricula, but as time, being executive, the basic ingredients are technical knowl- this factor, is eternal and everlasting, no punishment edge plus practical experience plus top personal quali- can be inflicted. From any curriculum of any feasible ties. The Encyclopedia Britannica says, "Qualifica- length, a great part of the ideal subjects are neces- tions (for a successful engineer) include intellectual sarily excluded. In fact, the whole time of the theor- and moral honesty, courage, independence of thought, etical curriculum would suffice to present a small fairness, good sense, sound judgment, perseverance, part of the matter presented above. Time is important resourcefulness, ingenuity, orderliness, application, in our lives and no practical student, especially those accuracy, and endurance. He should have extreme dedicated to management, wishes to spend the rest knowledge . . . of other branches of learning." Having of his life in school. The engineering educators are been endowed more or less completely with such striving toward the ideal curricula and although it is qualifications and capacities requisite, the school infinitely out of reach, year by year continual progress advances them nearer and nearer toward their goal. should realize that the engineer is under obligation to consider the sociological, economic, and spiritual One of the greatest curricula weaknesses necessary effects of engineering operations and to aid his fellow- in executive development is the lack of emphasis on men to adjust wisely their modes of living, their in- communication. Theoretically, the engineer should dustrial, commercial and governmental procedures, have a working knowledge of the written and spoken and their educational processes so as to enjoy the language of all countries which notably contribute greatest possible benefit from the progress achieved to the development of engineering and engineering through our accumulating knowledge of the universe sciences. As mentioned, the time element makes this and ourselves as applied by engineering. nearly impossible. But, at least if teachers kept the engineering student as continually conscious of his Theoretically, an engineering curriculum for a imperfections in speaking and writing as they do of particular field or subfield should include all perti- the shortcomings of his drawings, undoubtedly at nent parts of fundamental subjects not required for graduation he would be as good a self-critic of his entrance upon the curriculum, all professional sub- English as he is of his drawings; and thus would be jects peculiar to the field or subfield, and all other removed the grounds for the long lament that engi- pertinent parts of professional subjects peculiar to neering students lack interest of good practice in other fields. Using Michigan State College's School speaking and writing. The courses in English of of Engineering as a typical example of the type of curricula being offered in today's engineering colleges; (Continued on page 34) 17 May 1954 SCEL not SKOL by Capt. Edward D. Meares, U.S. Army Signal Corps At the beginning of time for the mammals of this much more than point to the enemy and call "Follow earth, the prehistoric man was at about the same me and the devil take the hindmost." Throughout level of existence as the animals about him. The pri- the history of warfare there are examples of battles mary concern of each was to avoid becoming a meal that were won or lost or uselessly fought because while attempting to convert another mammal into of the lack of adequate intercommunication. For a meal. Since that time man has steadily risen above instance, the Battle of New Orleans in the War of the level of animal, primarily because of two abilities. 1812 was fought after peace had been declared, These two abilities in addition to that spiritual qual- because of inadequate means of communication. ity endowed by the Almighty are simply the ability Today the U.S. Army's Signal Corps is dedicated to reason logically and the ability to communicate to the task of providing communications that can the results of this reasoning to other humans and keep apace of modern warfare. The Signal Corps from one generation to a succeeding one. Granted, has an unlimited field to work in, with a never-ending animals possess these abilities, but not to the same need for improvement. The Dick Tracy two-way radio degree as man. The opposable thumb has also played is not so fantastic as it may seem. Such a device a part in man's rise but the simian has not only would be extremely useful both for Army and civilian opposable thumbs but opposable big toes as well as use. With the advent of printed circuits, peanut tubes, highly versatile tails. Still, they remain incapable transistors and other modem miracles of miniatur- of rising above the animal level. Essentially then, ization, the perfecting of this small radio transceiver these two abilities are two of the primary reasons is just a matter of time. The Signal Corps is also why man, not animal, is master of the world today. getting into the fields of Rockets and interspace Of particular interest to the engineer of today is travel. The remote control devices of the NIKE and the communication factor. The unlimited fields to other rocket devices were developed in part by the improve with the corresponding unlimited challenge Signal Corps. This opens up new areas for the Signal to improve are the particular realm of the electrical Corps scientist in the research and development of and mechanical engineer. The fields of military devices for remote control of rockets and communi- communications and interspace communications offer cations for inter- and intra-space travel. a special challenge to these engineers because of The Signal Corps is well-equipped to continue the the unique requirements of this type of communica- research and development necessary to keep abreast tions. of the needs of modern warfare and to expand into Communications in the beginning of time must the field of space communications. At Fort Monmouth, have consisted of crude gestures and grunts. Un- N.J., the Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories doubtedly when the Neanderthal said to his son, (SCEL) have the very latest in laboratory facilities. "Run, Percival, and get the women and children SCEL's mission is research and development for im- off the streets, the dinosaurs are coming!" we of today proved radar, meteorological, photographic and radiac would have had trouble understanding him. However, equipment. SCEL develops some equipment for the when one Bau Brummell of Cavetown Heights waved Air Force and Navy as well as the Army. To fulfill his club in the face of some Cro Magnon Casanova this mission, SCEL has about 4100 civilian employees his meaning of "Get the meat hooks off the skirt" would in three main laboratories within a 15-mile radius be quite clear even today. Our present day efforts of Ft. Monmouth and at field stations in New Mexico, at thought transmittal are somewhat more refined New Hampshire, Alaska and Canada. The Military than the grunt and gesture methods used then. assigned about 77 officers in addition to the SCEL And yet, with all the refinements that the modern detachment of 17 officers and 450 enlisted personnel. scientist and his skill have made, communications These men work as Engineering Aides and furnish have not kept up with the needs of modern civiliza- teams for the introduction of newly developed equip- tion. ment to the troops in the field. In particular the communications of our modern Briefly, the breakdown and function of SCEL's army have not kept apace of the needs of the Army three main laboratories are as follows: Commanders. In days of old when two armies gath- Squier Signal Laboratory on the grounds of Ft. ered to do battle, the leaders massed their armies Monmouth has six operating branches covering facing each other across an open space. The leaders Photographic, Components and Materials, Power waved their swords, the trumpets sounded and the Sources, Frequency Control, Specifications and Draft- opposing hordes advanced. Once the battle was ing, and Service. joined, it was mostly every man for himself until the It performs research and development, improve- end. Army communications had not been developed ment and test on the following: internal combustion beyond the point where the commander could do engine-driven power units, primary and secondary 18 Spartan Engineer batteries, battery chargers, dynamotors, power sup- plies, rectifiers and battery substitutes; materials used in electronic equipments and finishers thereof; com- ponent parts (circuit elements); equipments and tech- niques for the design and manufacture of frequency stabilizing devices, analyzes climatical and biological conditions on equipment developed by the Signal Corps, especially component parts, and develops methods and equipment to overcome abnormal deter- ioration caused thereby; conducts research and devel- upment on precision frequency control oscillators and filters; conducts qualification, developmental, and con- tractual testing of all components and materials devel- oped by SCEL, and performance tests for which Squier Signal Laboratory is responsible; conducts research and development on standardized test equip- ment, all photographic and supplementary type equip- ment used by the Army Field Forces and other using forces as directed by higher authority; accomplishes TRANSOCEANIC AMPLIFIER: In developing the responsibilities of SCEL for the standardization world-wide communciations systems, the Signal program in conjunction with the Armed Services Corps uses high-powered amplifiers with its long- range radios. At the Ft. Monmouth laboratories Electro-Standards Agency; prepares procurement a radio engineer adjusts experimental amplifier. information. equipments. Also maintains basic and advanced re- Coles Signal Laboratory, Red Bank, N.J., has five search and development on vehicular and mechanical operating branches covering: Radio Communication, devices and acoustical systems. Administers a pro- Wire Communication, Suppression and General Engi- gram of research and special investigations for the neering, Specifications and Drafting, and Service. advancement of the state of the art, and to improve It is responsible for the development, design and technical performance of the above equipment. Pre- test for Army Field Forces and other services, of pares procurement information on those equipments communication equipment, both tactical and fixed for which it is responsible and acts as technical con- plant, including all communication radio such as sultant in the preparation of JAN and Department vehicular and pack equipment, mobile and fixed plant of the Army specifications. equipment; radio relay systems, telephone and tele- Evans Signal Laboratory at Belmar, N.J., consists graph equipment, field wire, cable, communication of eight branches covering: Countermeasures, Radar, systems; television equipment, radio interference sup- Nucleonics, Meteorology, Thermionics, Applied pression systems, and mobile installations of com- Physics, Specification and Drafting, and Service. munication equipment; studies and reports on foreign It performs research, design, development, test, and improvement on the following types of ground signal equipment and special electronic devices; ground radar; special equipment involving direction finding and ground-based countermeasures techniques; vacuum tubes; detection, identification and measure- ment devices and instruments for use in radioactivi- ties; executes and evaluates all aspects of Signal Corps participation in atomic weapons tests. Coordinates with outside organizations developing signal equip- ment for which Evans Signal Laboratory is responsi- ble to insure conformance with design and material standards; develops, standardizes, tests and performs type approval activities pertaining to vacuum tubes used by the Army and the Air Force, designs, devel- ops, and improves items of test equipment for which it is responsible; prepares procurement information. To tell of the equipment that has been developed by SCEL would take entirely too much space so only PRINTED CIRCUITS REDUCE SIZE: Signal a few developments will be mentioned. For instance Corps printed circuit techniques developed in the in World War II, the Secret Service called on SCEL laboratories at Ft. Monmouth, have led to tre- to produce "immediately" a series of portable special mendous reductions in size and weight of military duty FM radio sets that could precede and follow and commercial equipments. When used with tran- sistors, a circuit for a frequency meter, as the President Roosevelt wherever he travelled. It just one held by this scientist in his hand, plus small so happened that SCEL, looking ahead, had developed battery at right, replaces all the parts shown in conventional vacuum tube model pictured at left. (Continued on page 44) 19 May 1954 II Mackinaw straits pipeline II crossing by Bruce Trudgen, M. E. '54 In the province of Alberta, particularly around Edmonton, there are vast oil fields which supply crude oil to the Canadian refineries at Sarnia. A thirty- inch underground pipeline to carry this flow of oil was completed during the summer of 1953. Previously, CAU5EUAY the oil was piped as far as Duluth, at the western end of Lake Superior, and then carried the remaining distance by a fleet of tankers. The short navigation season, plus the inherent expense of operating the fleet, made the continuation of such a system econom- ically unsound. The obvious answer to the problem TRAITS OF MACKINAC was to extend the pipeline. It was realized that if the oil could be piped directly from the oil fields to the refineries, the wells Din could operate the year round, rather than lie idle for five months each winter, waiting for the ice to The big problem of the pipeline was to lay the break up in Lake Superior. pipe across the Straits of Mackinac. The feat was an experiment in that it was a bigger job Laying the line from Duluth to St. Ignace presented than had ever been endeavored. no particular problems, and similarly the line from Mackinaw City to Sarnia was relatively easy. The The north shore was chosen for the launching area one bottleneck lay between St. Ignace and Mackinaw because of the wide expanse of low, level ground City; namely, the Straits of Mackinac. There were which was available. Although the area was heavily many obstacles to be overcome in stretching a pipe- wooded, it proved to be ideal for the use intended, line across four miles of open water. The water was because bedrock was very near the surface. This found to reach a maximum depth of 246 feet, with made for good foundations, which was of prime im- currents up to two miles per hour. Also, there was portance. wind — lots of wind. A continuous flow of commercial The first big job was to clear the land. Each of shipping thru the straits imposed certain limitations the two pipelines required a clearing over one-half on the construction procedure. This problem was mile deep and wide enough to handle eight strings solved by the use of a unique and relatively new of pipe plus several roadways. method of launching the pipe. At the north, the two pipelines were twelve hundred The first problem confronting the contractor for feet apart, while the spacing at the south shore was the job was to determine the best method of laying thirteen hundred feet. the pipe. It was decided that the pipe would be The south shore was far from level, which meant welded together on the north shore, placed on a that the pulling engine was placed quite some dis- series of launching rollers, and then pulled into the tance above water level. water by means of a cable extending from the head of the pipe to a large pulling winch located on the The pipe arrived at the job site in sections 27 feet south shore. long. For each line, the pipes were welded into eight 2500 ft. strings, so that when the eight strings were The next problem was to obtain the best pipe for welded together the result would be one piece of the job. The result was an order for eight miles of pipe 20,000 ft. long. The pipes were arc welded by twenty-inch steel pipe with a wall thickness of 13/16 hand, each joint having eight passes of weld. The inch and weighing 166 pounds per lineal foot. Two Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory x-rayed each weld 20" pipes were used, rather than one 30" pipe, as after the second pass and again after the eighth pass. was being done overland. There were several reasons for doing this. First, the greater flexibility of the Washing the pipe was the next step in preparing smaller pipes allowed a smaller minimum radius of it for launching. The pipe was passed thru the round curvature, which meant that the pipes would con- section under the motor of a pipe washing machine form themselves to the bottom more easily, and less which contained several dozen scrub brushes. As dredging would be required. Second, if one pipe the machine moved along the pipe, the brushes rotated. were disabled, the flow of oil could continue through After the pipe was washed, it was coated with tar the other. Third, it was possible to use a smaller and wrapped with fiberglass cloth and tarpaper. As pulling cable and a smaller pulling winch. the wrapping machine moved along the pipe, the 20 rolls of wrapping material rotated around the pipe- Spartan Engineer After being wrapped, the pipe was painted white. it meant that in shallow water the pipe was put in Next, the lower half of the pipe was covered with a trench and back-filled, and in deep water the pipe 1 x 3 inch pine, and the top half was covered with lay exposed on the bottom, the dredging being simply roofing paper, all held on by steel bands. The pine a process of cutting down the high spots. The was to protect the bottom of the pipe from abrasion trenches were made 15 feet wide at the bottom. during the pulling operation. In shallow water along both the north and south With the addition of a special pulling head, the shores, there was a lot of rock that had to bfl blasted. pipe was ready for launching. Offshore from the rocky areas the bottom turned to An elaborate triangulation system was set up to sand, and then as the water became deeper there provide a means of accurately locating the dredges was nothing but red clay. All the bottom in deep and derrick scows. water was red clay. Eight range lights were erected, one on each end The red clay held a trench very well. That is, of each line at water's edge and one on each end of each line about one-half mile back from water's edge. This solved the problem of keeping the float- ing equipment on line. Next, a base line was established. One end was on the north shore, mid-way between the two pipes. The other end was on the south end of the causeway. A transit was permanently set up on the east end of the base line. Then by measuring the angle between the base line and a line from the transit to the particular piece of floating equipment in question, an accurate fix could be obtained. Communication from the boating equipment to the causeway was by radio. In addition, four survey towers were erected. They were made of structural steel and set in about 70 feet Here the pipe, with floats attached, is fed to the pulling cable, which attained a velocity of of water. The platforms of the towers were canti- 20 feet per minute. levered out over the pipelines, so that transits could be set up directly over the lines. They were used once a trench was dug, there was no appreciable very little, simply because they wouldn't hold still. back-filling due to currents in the water. On the There were five things that kept them on the move - other hand, the areas of sand created quite a problem. wind, wave action, currents, small boats bumping It was necessary to dig. the trenches somewhat wider them while transferring personnel, and the men and deeper than was wanted, and then estimate how moving about on them. The story of the towers serves quickly they would refill. This provided the correct to illustrate again the experimental aspect of the depth on the date of launching. project. The dipper-dredges Mogul and Sullivan were used The amount of dredging to be done was determined for rock, the hydraulic dredge Niagra was used for by studying three specifications in the design. First, most of the sand, and derrick scows were used wher- the pipe was to be buried 15 feet deep at water's ever the water was deeped than 40 feet. A 20-ft. edge, and was to remain buried 15 feet deep until Jafco utility runabout, equipped with a Raytheon recording fathometer, was used for checking the progress of the dredging. Profiles and cross-sections were taken periodically to see that the trenches were meeting specifications. The west trench was completed about a month before the east trench. As soon as the dredging was terminated, equipment was readied for the cable- laying operation. The pulling cable was a 2 inch, 6 x 19 wire rope. It was made up into 2500 ft. sec- tions, each section on a separate spool. The largest derrick scow available (the Cherokee) was anchored over the trench at the south shore. On the stern of the scow was mounted a two-drum winch with the first section of cable on one of the drums. The end of the pulling cable was secured at the pulling engine Pipe washing machine designed for the pipes on shore. Four concrete anchors were put out on used in the crossing. each side of the scow. Each anchor cable was attached it reached a depth of 65 feet below low water datum. to a deck winch. These were to keep the scow on line, Second, the maximum unsupported span of pipe was and were continually moved north by two smaller to be 75 feet. Third, the minimum radius of curva- derrick scows. From the bow of the scow were put ture of the pipe was to be 1700 feet. Simply stated, (Continued on page 26) 21 May 1954 II Materials for high temperature service /;;/ Joe Myers, Jr., Met. E., 54 Recent years have witnessed a remarkably rapid tivity. Probably the most vital of these is the capacity development of equipment to operate at high temper- to resist oxidization, because structural strength is atures. Many examples are to be found in the fields useless if the metal rapidly burns away. of chemical processing, in the generation of power The ability of a metal to resist oxidization at ele- and in new types of engines. Recent advances in jet vated temperatures is largely determined by the propulsion, turbo-superchargers, and gas turbines type of oxide scale it forms. Laboratory investiga- were possible only because new alloys were developed tions show that many metals form a tough impervious by research metallurgists. Jets, in particular, have scale which retards progressive oxidation, while others spurred metallurgical research. The impetus for this form a porous type of scale which continues to build research is the pressing need for materials for "hot up and flake away, eating into the metal. However, end parts" which can defy the consuming heat of over prolonged periods of exposure almost every jet engines, some of which can blaze away 2,000 type of oxide film tends to break down due to com- gallons of fuel an hour. pressive stresses which are set up. The effects of Rapidly becoming as familiar as pistons and cylin- repetitive heating and cooling cycles experienced in ders of the conventional engines are hot end parts of jet engine operation cause compressive stresses in jet engine combustion chambers, exhaust cones and the oxide film because the underlying metals tend to afterburners. contract faster than the oxide scale. Alloys having Jet planes fly at supersonic speeds above 50,000 high coefficients of thermal expansion aggravagate feet in routine flights and the turbojet is already 5 this condition because they exhibit greater dimen- times as powerful as the largest piston propelled drive. sional change under varying temperature. Yet, engineers declare that the potential of the jet When considering pure metals, scaling may be engine has scarecly been tapped. Compact engines classified in two types, linear and parabolic. The with power equivalent to 30,000 horsepower are possi- linear type of scaling will in general occur when the ble if temperatures and pressures can be increased. oxide has a smaller specific volume than the metal. This is where the metallurgical engineer is pacing The scale is thus porous and offers little obstruction performance. New alloys with the prescribed high to the inward flow of oxygen to the metal surface. temperature properties must be developed to meet Scale also has a tendency to spall and fall off from the challenge. the metal. Among metals which show linear rates of What are the temperatures encountered in the jet oxidation are calcium and lithium. Metals of the engine? The highest readings are found in the com- linear type have little if any application for extended bustion chambers and afterburners where flame tem- service at elevated temperatures. The parabolic rate peratures as high as 3700° F. have been recorded. type of scaling is to be expected when the scale is Since this is 1000° hotter than the melting point of adherent and the oxide has a specific volume equal the? alloys presently used in these structures, it is evi- to or greater than the underlying metal. Metals like dent that wall temperatures are considerably lower chromium and iron form a dense adherent scale. than these figures. Actually, the metals operate be- This parabolic type of scaling, with increasing thick- tween 1200° F. and 1800° F. This disparity between ness of oxide offers increasing resistance to the in- flame and wall temperatures is accomplished by in- ward diffusion of oxygen and outward diffusion of genious design innovations which insure the centering metal. of the combustion flames within structures and provide When alloying elements are added to a metal, its a blanket of cooling air around each component. scaling behavior may become quite complex; the Why are metallurgists facing a dilemma in finding effects of time, temperature and amount of alloying alloys to withstand operating temperatures of 2000° F. additions on rates of scaling are not simple and when a number of metals have melting points in ex- behavior is not readily predictable. New phenomena cess of this figure? For instance, tungsten melts at such as selective oxidation and precipitation of phases 6200° F., molybdenum melts at 4800° F. and colum- from solution may occur. bium melts at 4400° F. But melting point is not the The second vital quality which a metal must most important consideration in determining whether a metal can withstand the rigors of jet engine use. possess for jet engine use is good strength at high temperatures. This involves all kinds of strength The four characteristics which metallurgists search exhibited by alloys, such as ultimate tensile strength, for in an alloy for high temperature application are creep strength and stress rupture strength. There oxidation resistance, high temperature strength, corro- is a striking difference in the behavior of metals at sion resistance, and thermal expansion and conduc- room temperature and at those temperatures experi- 12 Spartan Engineer enced in jet power plants. A good conception of this charged ions in solution lose electrical charges to can be obtained when it is realized that structural the metal being corroded. The elevated temperatures carbon steel with a room temperature strength of of jet engines amplify and accelerate the factors 140,000 psi would have an ultimate tensile strength causing corrosion, which are products of combustion of only 1,000 psi after exposure to 1400° F tor and atmospheric elements. Fortunately corrosion re- 1000 hours. sistance is the least important obstacle in the (most The design of load bearing structures for service for high temperature materials, because the elements is generally based upon yield or tensile strength, which which provide alloys with good oxidation resistance is determined in ordinary room temperature tests. also contribute to their capacity to resist corrosion. In service at ordinary temperatures a metal behaves Chromium and nickel, present in many high temper- essentially in an elastic manner. At elevated temper- ature alloys, are examples of these elements. atures the behavior is quite different. A structure A fourth group of characteristics arc thermal ex- will continue to deform with time after load applica- pansion and conductivity properties. These must be tion, even though the design may have been based controlled to provide the lowest induced stresses re- upon tensile tests taken at elevated temperatures. sulting from localized hot areas. Also included in This is due to the fact that tensile tests are relatively this group is thermal shock resistance. Thermal shock short term affairs, accomplished in a few moments. is a very high instantaneous stress induced on a Under prolonged application of temperature and stress turbine or compressor blade by a rapid temperature metals tend to deform at a slow rate. This deforma- change. tion is called creep (expressed in terms of pounds The alloys presently in use are chrome-nickel steels, per square inch required to produce an elongation chromium steels, nickel base alloys and cobalt base of one percent in 10,000 hours at the specified temper- alloys. ature). For jet engine parts where precision and The chrome-nickel steels are austenitic with an exact dimension are a necessity, high creep strength 18-8 ratio of Cr to Ni. This group of steels is most is of prime importance. Certain rotating structures widely used for high temperature applications be- have a creep strength which will resist a one percent cause of its good characteristics of oxidation and elongation in 100,000 hours of service — equivalent corrosion resistance and high strength at elevated to about 11 years. temperatures. These steels have six times the elec- Creep of a metal under constant load and temper- trical resistance of unadulterated steels and respond ature occurs in three stages. First, the metal elon- readily to welding techniques. However, since they gates rapidly but at a decreasing rate. In the second have a high coefficient of expansion and low heat stage, usually of a longer duration, the rate becomes conductivity, they require special care to prevent dis- constant. The third stage occurs when elongation tortion during welding. They do not need heat treat- increases rapidly until the metal fails. ment after welding to develop maximum physical At the beginning of a creep strength test, the metal strength. They are non-magnetic and cannot be will exhibit an elastic extension before it starts to hardened by heat treatment. They may be hardened flow. Also, if the test is not carried to fracture, the by cold working and then they become slightly mag- metal will contract a similar amount when the load netic. Cold working enhances their structural strength is removed. From these phenomena it is apparent at the cost of ductility. These steels are difficult to that metals creeping under stress at high tempera- machine unless they contain added amounts of sul- phur of selenium. The addition of columbiuin or tures possess both elastic and plastic properties titanium protects against precipitation of harmful simultaneously. carbides at high temperatures. A metal will not stretch indefinitely without frac- turing. Therefore, it is important to the designer The straight chromium steels containing no nickel are either martensitic or ferritic in crystalline structure of high temperature metal components to know when depending on their hardening characteristics. Because a metal will rupture under conditions which produce they respond to heat treatment, they are capable of creep. Since creep tests are usually long term under- being given a wide range of mechanical properties. takings (some have been run for 10 years) another Corrision resistance in these steels is a function of means has been evolved to disclose the stress rupture the percent chromium contained, so for oxidation point of metals. Similar to the creep test, this test resistant applications 10-30 percent Cr steels are utilizes a greater strain than the creep test in order designated. These Cr steels exhibit inferior creep to speed up the elongation process. By extrapolation resistance compared with the Cr-Ni steels. The 25 of creep and stress rupture data, it is possible to percent Cr steels are designed for severe heat and determine when a metal will fail under prescribed corrosion applications and may be used at tempera- conditions. This failure occurs at a lower stress level tures as high as 2000° F. These alloys are embrittled than the ultimate tensile strength of the material. by welding, therefore careful welding techniques must The third characteristic which catches the eye of be followed. the high temperature metallurgists is corrosion resist- The elements which are most commonly added to ance. Corrosion is the destructive alteration of a steels for high temperature use are molybdenum, solid body by chemical or electrochemical reactions which is the most active in giving creep resistance arising on the surface. Usually metals are corroded to iron; chromium, which gives resistance to oxida- by chemical solutions in which some of the positively (Continued on page 33) 23 Moy 1954 • / " 1 I; m£k >. iv M ^ ^ 4 r \\\ * i . * < * • i '.1 , • ' "1 Li INK ^ if r H m | - i ^«-y^"'f ?v. A L- f*^ *! . ^ •*: ^ V '«• ith old PHOTOS BY RAY STEINBACH teens for New Vi mile deep while being made ready for the pipe, and then returned to an anchor point in front crossing. of the winch. Two foundations were built on the south shore A standing hold-back was used to hold the pip e for the pulling engine, one on each line. Each founda- while another section was being welded on. It was tion was made by drilling four holes in the ground located between water's edge and the welding sta- 20 ft. deep and four ft. in diameter. In the center of (Continued on page 31) 26 Spartan Engineer A CAMPUS-TO-CAREER CASE HISTORY Fresh out of school, Bob Wilson, '5.3, was put to work on a Transistor project at Bell Laboratories. He explains why he never had time to be awed. (Reading time: 39 seconds) Bob Wilson uses a "breadboard" circuit, studying the electrical properties of a carrier system "T the great new discoveries continually turned out by An some ways it was hard to believe. the Labs. I had received my B.E.E. at the University of Dela- "Now I'm in the Communication Development ware in June, 1953, and a week later I was working Training Program, continuing my technical educa- in the world-famous Bell Laboratories. tion and learning what all the Laboratories sections "But I didn't have time to be awed because do and how their work is integrated. they put me right to work. They gave me responsi- "In a year I'll be back working with the group bility fast. with which I started." "My group was working on the experimental application of transistors to carrier systems. My assignment was the electrical design of a variolosser Assuming responsibility fast is a common experi- for the compressor and for the expandor to be lo- ence among the engineering, physical science, arts cated in the terminals. and social science, and business administration "The supervision I received and the equipment graduates who join the Bell System. Bob Wilson I had were tops. I quickly discovered that I had to went with Bell Laboratories. There also are job rely on my ingenuity as much as on the college opportunities with the operating telephone com- courses I had taken. Perhaps that's one reason for panies, Western Electric and Sandia Corporation. BELL TELEPHONE SYSTEM 27 May 1954 KEY POSITION OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY Abundant Raw Materials From mine, forest, sea, air, farm, oil, brine and gas wells. The Chemical Industry converts them into more than 7,000 compounds in more than 10,000 plants operated by hundreds of chemical manufacturers. Chemicals Chemicals such as acids and alkalies, salts, reagents, synthetics, solvents, medicinal chemicals, compressed gases, pigments, dyes, fan out to The Process Industries The Mechanical Industries (chemically modify and mix materials) (cut, shape and fabricate) leather plastics yarn building materials cement rubber textiles cannery and meat rayon cosmetics apparel packing products metals drugs lumber beverages oils and fats soap millwork tobacco paper sugar furniture machinery petroleum and others shoes appliances paints containers hardware electrical equipment automobiles The Ultimate Market (fundamental human needs) Health, food, clothing, shelter, transportation, com- munication, defense, and other materials and appli- ances. Heavy chemicals are the big tonnage, workhorses ment of products in regular use. Many examples are of industry, which are basic materials and are sold at available, but a suitable one is the fact that present large volumes and low-unit profit, but the demand is engine oils stand up under high temperatures and relatively stable. Other groupings are based on the remain free flowing at sub-zero temperatures due source of the chemical, giving us wood chemicals, to chemical additives. These products also replace coal chemicals, petrochemicals, and electrochemical' materials made from scarce natural materials with The end-use of the chemicals give us such classifica- material made by transforming plentiful raw materials tions as photographic chemicals, rubber chemicals, into synthetics. Many times these synthetics have agricultural chemicals, etc. desirable properties not found in the natural materials The accomplishments of this industry are phenom- and ultimately are applied to new uses. In 1921, enal. It is responsible for the creation of a multitude aluminum and plastics accounted for twenty percent of new products, which in turn create new jobs and of the non-ferrous metals and plastics produced. In industries. It was estimated that forty percent of the 1949, seventy percent of the total volume was made 1951 sales were in products unheard of in 1936. This up of aluminum, magnesium and plastics, thus con- is less surprising when one considers that research serving scarce metals. Magnesium was added to the turns out ten thousand new chemicals yearly, with light metals and plastics in the mid-'30's. There are some companies introducing ten to thirty new products cases where the raw material used to replace the annually. The prices on these products are kept low scarce raw material was not only abundant but through keen competition and extensive research. previously unused. 1,100 tons of titanium, which These same factors also contribute to the improve- (Continued on page 35) 28 Spartan Engineer put yourself in A year ago he was knee-deep in textbooks, plugging for his B.S. Tonight he's on his way to Vancouver, or Miami, or Portland, Maine. Tomorrow he'll help an Alcoa cus- tomer make a faster ship, a stronger shovel, a lighter highway trailer. In Alcoa laboratories, plants and sales offices from coast-to-coast, ambitious young Sales Development Engineers are helping to make aluminum more useful, in more ways, to more people. We need more men just like them to help us meet ever-growing demands for Alcoa Aluminum . . . Alcoa "know-how". Maybe you are already thinking about trading your textbooks for a position in production supervision, industrial research or sales engineering. Tell us about it, give us an idea of your background in Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Metallurgical or Industrial Engineering. Good men go places fast with Alcoa, in their daily associations with leaders in the aluminum industry. Right now it may be quicker than you think from a seat in the classroom to your career with Alcoa. Why IBESS not find out? Your Placement Director will be glad to make an appointment for you with our Personnel Representative. Or just send us an application, yourself. ALUMINUM COMPANY OF AMERICA, 1825 Alcoa Building, Pittsburgh 19, Penna. ALUMINUM ALUMINUM COMPANY OF AMERICA TV brings the world to your armchair with "SEE IT NOW" featuring Edward R. Murrow. Tuesday evenings on most CBS-TV stations. ALCOA ON TV brings 29 May 1954 II Microfilm and the engineer by Ray Steinbach, Geology '55 Every engineer may be required at some time to on paper can be microfilmed and many small, three- make copies of his work, if only for his own records, dimensional objects can be photographed directly on to say nothing of the many other possible uses for microfilm. This includes pictures, drawings, blue- such material. Thus, it would seem that it would be prints, and even pencil work in addition to printed advisable for an engineer to be able to make repro- matter. The material is copied on a special film known ductions of his work, such as written reports, plans, as microfile film, which is the same size as standard photographs, drawings, etc. 35 mm film. When it is needed again, the film may At the present time the most versatile method of be projected or prints may be made for longer periods reproduction of such material is photography. In of reference. most cases, photography will provide a maximum of results with a minimum expenditure of time and money. Nearly everything imaginable can be photographed, including such things as sound and shock waves, and objects illuminated by infra-red or ultra-violet light. X-rays can be photographed, rapid motion may be stopped, and pictures can be made in places in which a person could not get, or could not survive once he got there. This would include extremely hot and cold places as well as very small or radioactive places. 100 WATT FROSTED LAMP P-ZTT 3' 7° A photograph as reproduced by the Kodak Tone- Line Process. The equipment needed for microfilm work is com- paratively simple and even a large setup for constant use requires only a space a few feet square. With a microfilm system set up for constant use, POSITIVE MASK two operators would be necessary; one to do the film- CONTINUOUS-TONE ing and one to do the processing and reproduction NEGATIVE work. If the volume of work done is not that large, KODALITH ORTHO one person would be sufficient to do it. F I L M , TYPE 2 Since the printing press is an extremely common TURNTABLE method for reproducing material, it would be well to Method of exposing film to produce line effects consider how it compares with photographic reproduc- with the Kodak Tone-Line Process utilizing the tion. The printing press is easier to use when large turntable method of exposure. quantities of material are required. However, for With proper use and a little initiative, photography small amounts of material, photographic reproduction can be a very valuable tool for producing permanent is the best and, also, it is considerably cheaper. The records of anything desired. space required for a photographic reproduction and One of the simplest methods for producing copies photo records-setup is much less than would be re- of material for permanent records is microfilm. This quired for a printing press setup capable of handling has the advantages of speed, ease of operation, and the same volume and variety. little storage space is needed to contain a vast amount Another useful technique is converting a continuous of material of all types. Anything that can be put tone image into a line imaee. image. This makes many (Continued on page 33) 30 Spartan Engineer Mackinaw Pipeline A small scow was attached, by a cable, to tbe head of the pipe. Each time the pipe stopped moving to (Continued from page 26) weld on another section, a diver was scut down from tion. It was merely a large clamp which was put on the scow to check the head of the pipe, providing the pipe and secured to two concrete foundations the water wasn't too deep for diving. At the same by means of cables and turnbuckles. time, other divers were sent down at other points When welding the 2500 ft. sections of pipe to- along the pipe. gether, eight passes of weld were put on, leaving The maximum tension on the pulling cable, as a small hole at the top. Then the weld was wrapped measured at the pulling engine, was 75 tons. The with sensitized paper and a small piece of radio- minimum tension was 25 tons. The maximum occurred active cobalt was lowered in through the hole. As at the beginning of the operation, when the engine soon as the x-ray picture was complete, the cobalt was pulling nearly four miles of cable and very little was removed and the hole welded shut. It took pipe. The minimum occurred in the final minutes, about three hours for each weld — that is, three hours when the engine was pulling four miles ol pipe. from the time stopped moving until it started moving again. A small cable was run along the top of the pipe. When the 2500 ft. sections of pipe were joined, this While the pipe was being welded on the north cable was also joined. After the pipe was all the way shore, the crew at the pulling engine was busy clear- across, this cable was pulled from the north shore. ing the drums for the next pull. These two jobs could At each float there was a mechanism attached to this be done simultaneously because of the fact that both cable which released the small floats. All the small the cable and the pipe were in 2500 ft. sections. floats came to the surface simultaneously, each carry- Two side-boom tractors were used for moving the ing up with it one end of its rope. Then the large pipes onto the rollers. Hanging from the boom of floats were released individually by pulling on the each tractor was a small cradle equipped with rollers ropes, which caused the severing of the steel bands for the pipe to rest on. Once the cradles were under holding the floats to the pipe. the pipe, the tractors could drive right down the The next order of business was to subject the pipe line, lifting and moving the pipe as they went. to a hydrostatic test for leaks. A long four-inch pipe The floats weren's put on the pipe until after the was welded up and shoved inside the twenty-inch pipe was up on the rollers. Then, after the floats pipe, until the end of the four-inch pipe was at the were attached, they were inspected several times and lowest point in the twenty-inch pipe. Water was closely guarded, so that they wouldn't be tampered pumped in through the small pipe, filling the large with. (Continued on page 3H) i mini Established 1910 DROP FORGE COMPANY Incorporated 1923 Manufacturers of HIGH GRADE DROP FORGINGS LANSING 3, MICHIGAN 2830 SOUTH LOGAN TELEPHONE 4-5403 31 May 1954 Leisure (Continued from page 16) L A Successful tions and symbols; and the teachers can further eliminate the non-essentials in their assignments, and teach their own subjects as part of the whole engi- A Stamping Service neering education and that the division of engineering into different branches is artificial and arbitrary. N to Industry Everybody realizes that four years is insufficient time to produce a proficient engineer. In fact, it is even insufficient time to acquire an adequate intro- S Since 1914 duction to engineering. The major part of a person's education comes after graduation through self study. If during his years in college he acquires a distaste I in engineering, then all is lost. Many a practicing engineer boasts that he never has had an occasion to use calculus in industrial problems. More likely, he has never liked the subject or fully understood N what he was taught. He makes long detours around calculus looking for tools to solve his problems. Hence, here is another point in favor of less work and G more leisure. What is to prevent leisure from degen- erating into mere idleness? Only the right academic atmosphere will prevent the abuse of leisure. Member- ship in a community of scholars where scientific inves- tigation is the style is the best way to cultivate a creative engineer. If over cups of coffee, enriched by pipe smoke, we are as hepped up about the chance of the engineers building a space platform as T we are about the chance of winning the football championship, we are getting somewhere. Yet the major responsibility to streamline engineer- A ing education and to find leisure rests on the indi- vidual. After all, engineering education is less a program than a state of mind, and leisure is where M one finds it. Perhaps no single factor is as detrimental to a leisurely, orderly engineering education as the hold- ing of a part-time job. Even economy-wise the hold- Serving ing of a part-time job and going to engineering school Manufacturers of at the same time often turns out to be penny wise AUTOMOBILES I and pound foolish in the long run. Not every chief engineer had a paper route in his youthful days, and that working through college ensures success is more AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT INDUSTRIAL N myth than fact. A part-time job should be considered only as an emergency measure. Lastly leisure can take the form of some spare- EQUIPMENT DOMESTIC G time task or occupation that makes some call on one's intelligence and gives one pleasure. As to mak- ing the choice it is everyone for himself. We quote here Izaak Walton: EQUIPMENT As inward love breeds outward talk, LAWNMOWERS The hounds some praise, and some the hawk: 1159 Pennsylvania C Some, better pleased with private sport, Use tennis, some a mistress court: But these delights 1 neither wish, Nor envy, while I freely fish." Avenue Lansing, Michigan O "Of recreation there is none So free as Fishing is alone; All other pastimes do no less Than mind and body both possess: My hand alone my work can do So I can fish and study too." Spartan Engineer High temperature service also worthy of interest, but have been less studied. (Continued from page 23) The titanium carbide base cermets are being con- tion; nickel, which is indispensible for hardening of sidered for jet engine application. Some of the prop- large pieces by heat treatment; and vanadium, which erties of cermets are high thermal conductivity, high strength, resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, increases tensile strength at high temperatures. As good thermal shock resistance and poor impact re- was mentioned above, austenitic steels are more sistance. The thermal shock resistance is attributed resistant to creep than ferritic steels. The nickel base to low thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity alloys which are in use at present, contain 70-80'/ and the fact that no structural transformations occur Ni. Inconel is one alloy which is tailored for high until the melting point is reached. temperature as it has excellent oxidation and corro- sion resistance at temperatures up to 2100° F. Inconel Ceramic products can also be used as protectors and variations, Inconel X and W, have good machin- against oxidation for metals, or materials with high ing, forming and welding properties. Another alloy tensile strength at elevated temperatures but subject in use is Hastelloy C. It contains 70-80 % Ni plus to oxidation. For example, coatings for parts made Cr and Mo. Hastelly C shows successful perform- of unalloyed tungsten or molybdenum. Various ance under high stresses and thermal shock. It can processes have been tried. Two will be mentioned be machined, formed and welded satisfactorily. An- particularly. The first consists of covering the parts other alloy which is used is Nimonic 95, essentially with borides or refractory silicides formed by direct reaction of an appropriate gas with the metal to 60 % Ni, 20% Cr and 20% Co. Nimonic 95, which be protected. The second method is to cover the was recently put in use, is similar to Nimonic 90 part with an appropriate alloy which is then oxidized but its short time creep resistance has been increased to a tight ceramic coating. by increasing the content of precipitation hardeners like Ti and Al. Another alloy is Nimonic clad sheet, Borides and nitrides offer immediate possibilities Nimoply 75, a metal sandwich of copper between but the disilicides offer the biggest future because sheets of Nimonic 75. This sheet has many potential of their good oxidation resistance and high strength. uses in the field of high temperature engineering. This is apparently due to the fact that silicon forms The cobalt base alloys are dubbed the super alloys a series of oxides and dioxides with the refractory because of the generous amounts of hard to get metals which resist further oxidation. Also the crystal materials such as W, Co, Ni, and Cr which they structure aspects give these materials an inherent contain. Because these alloys are expensive, they ability to resist further oxidation, and this structure are used only in critical applications where their is also a contributing factor to the strength of the material. Many of the recent developments in the exceptional properties outweigh other factors. Haynes high temperature field are still shrouded with secrecy, Stellite No. 25, which has excellent strength and but it is known that experiments and creep rupture resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, is a studies are in progress with molybdenum, Cast Stellite- good example of cobalt base alloys. This alloy has 21, Nimonic 90, molybdenum disilicide and borolite. good ductility and can be worked hot and cold. It is hardly to be expected that the maximum temperature The future of gas turbines, jet engines and other of service can be raised for metallic alloys. Minor high temperature equipment depends now on the improvements may be looked for if optimum equi- development of "alloys" which are non metallic or librium can be found in the Fe- Co- Ni alloy and semi metallic in nature. hardening additions. One fabrication process should be mentioned which shows promise: the technique Microfilm (Continued from page 30) of powder metallurgy. Powder metallurgy allows us things much easier to reproduce and, in some cases, to use metals of highest melting point which can makes pictures much easier to understand. hardly be alloyed otherwise. The tone to line process, in operation, combines a In order to further increase the operating tempera- negative with a positive of nearly equal contrast. ture and efficiencies of jets and other engines, ma- The positive is used as a mask for the negative to terials even more refractory mechanically and chem- produce the line effect. ically than metallic alloys must be investigated. Work The positive and the negative are taped together has been centered on ceramic products, which com- in register and placed on a sheet of lithographic film. pared to alloys, have the advantage of not being The exposure is then made by rapidly spinning the subject to oxidation and being generally very stable printing frame with the negative, positive and film chemically, even after prolonged exposure at high in it, underneath a fixed light, or by rotating a movable temperature (1800° F.). They are of low density and light above a stationary frame. This lets some of the maintain static tensile strength at high temperatures. light work its way around the edges of the mask and The disadvantage of ceramics usually cited are their negative, and produce a line image on the film. fragility when cold and poor resistance to thermal The film is then processed in the same manner as shock. An example of a ceramic material is the silico- any other film would be. aluminate of lithium, which is resistant to thermal This process allows one to produce line pictures shock. from a variety of subjects easily and rapidly. Figure Materials which cannot properly be called ceramics 2 is an example of what an ordinary photograph looks but which have the same advantages are the metallic like after converting from tone to line. carbides and borides. The nitrides and silicides are 33 May 1954 through contacts with others which go a long way Successful Executive in making him successful in the daily walk of life. (Continued from page 17) While many an alumnus or employer will argue that immediate as well as lasting value are exposition, campus activities are more important than grades, it argumentation, and public speaking. Indeed, many would be far more accurate to state that they are of engineers finding themselves handicapped in practice equal importance. They are an indicator of the by lack of training in these subjects have had to physical, moral, and leadership factors for the record. acquire the training by attending evening classes. Lack of an extra-curricular record can throw a stu- The biggest curricula weakness which each present dent completely out of balance in the eyes of employ- day engineering student shooting toward an executive ers unless there are extenuating circumstances. The must remedy for himself in view of the fact that engi- great value of extra-curricular activities is the oppor- neering schools do not provide adequate courses is tunity to acquire maturity through the many responsi- leadership development. Today's courses do very bilities and testing of capacity and talent you en- little to develop and encourage this important charac- counter. Employers examine carefully your extra- teristic. The future executive is going to have to curricular record to determine whether you have develop that all important leadership knack by him- shown evidence of leadership ability. There is more, self — that means extra, besides school studies. How by the way, to campus activities than simply the fact can one accomplish this? It is not very difficult once that you were in them; it is the quality of the partici- the knack of planning time effectively is attained. pation that counts. Few managers are born. Fewer still inherit the title. A study by D. S. Bridgman of the American Tele- If you are the one in ten thousand with a natural for phone and Telegraph Company points some light on managing things, you're lucky. Look for opportuni- which means more to a future executive, superior ties to be a leader. Make an effort to serve in clubs, scholarship or participation in campus activities. societies, all types of activities. When a job must be Mediocre or little achievement in campus activities done, volunteer to do it, even though others may was found to have little, if any, effect on success. hesitate. Make suggestions, then follow them up with Campus achievements in the nature of leadership and action. The habit of leadership grows with practice. managerial work has considerable influence on pro- Good scholarship is not intended to be, nor is it fessional success. However, he also showed that often interpreted, as an accurate gauge of probable there is a direct relationship between scholarship success in the business world. It is possible and often record and professional success. Probably the best happens that a man has developed personal qualities (Continued on page 42) MELVIN • There's a K&E slide rule for every purpose. Whether designed to meet the modest needs of the beginner or the exacting require- ments of professionals, all K&E rules feature "built in" accuracy ond reflect the skill and craftsmanship of America's most experi- enced slide rule manufacturer. KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. EST. 1867 NEW YORK • HOBOKEN, N. J. Chicago • St. Louis • Detroit • San Francisco • Los Angeles • Montreal Spartan Engineer New Basic Industry Welded Steel Designs Cost (Continued from page 28) Less because: evolved from a laboratory curiosity in 1944 to a 1. Steel is 3 times stronger than gray iron. material highly suitable for aircraft and marine parts, 2. Steel is 2'/ 2 times as rigid. were used in 1952. The ultimate conclusion one 3. Steel costs a third of iron. draws is that chemicals have worked their way into Ultimate savings are limited only almost all industries and have been integrated to by the ingenuity of the designer. such an extent that they are invaluable to these industries and their effects are felt directly and in- SIMPLIFIES DESIGN directly by all consumers. To say that the outlook for future progress looks CUTS FABRICATING COSTS bright would be an understatement. Though it is the backbone of industry now, some forecasts predict WITH WELDED STEEL a 75% increase in the next decade, which would The successful industrial designer is probably be four or five times faster than the growth one who can suggest ways of cutting of other industries. A 400% increase is looked for the costs. That's why the engineer who by 1975. Chemistry is expected to attack the prob- knows how to utilize savings through lem of health and also to increase food production welded steel finds his designs readily through fertilization and protection of plants from accepted. pests and weeds. Also, it will play an increasing role Here, for example, is how steel design has eliminated 356 pounds of in clothing and textile materials. Expansion can be metal in the manufacture of the hase seen in all directions. The industry will be justly for this machine. All former machin- expected to meet the challenge of serving the needs ing has been eliminated. There are no of industry and the consumer, through the use of bolted joints to cause leakage of coolant. cheap and abundant raw materials. Cost of manufacture has been cut 20%. There are distinctive characteristics of this industry; a few of interest will now be noted. The field is extremely broad, which would be expected from the 7,000 different end-chemicals currently made. The capital investment per worker is very high, and in- tense, widespread competition is also characteristic. Fin) redetlgn to Competition is on every level: between products for steel . . . weighed similar markets, between processes, between raw ma- 764 pounds. Re- q u i r e d only 31 terials, and the usual competition between companies. hours to fabricate. A high rate of equipment obsolescence and a rapid new product growth are also prevalent. Many raw materials are used for a multitude of various processes. Coal, petroleum, and agricultural products are the important ones. Though it buys and sells to many Final design more persons and industries, the industry itself is its own compact in con- struction, weighs best customer. Because of its high productivity per 692 pounds . . • worker, its labor force is less than comparable indus- takes less floor space, r e q u i r e s tries, but it still retains the status of a major em- only 24 hours to ployer. Moreover, the continual flow of new products fabricate. add cumulatively to the employment. Because of its highly technical nature, much of its personnel is scientific trained. The industry also leads in expendi- tures for research, with even small companies partici- pating. Both basic or fundamental research, and Original design re- applied research are practiced. Basic research is the quired 1048 lbs. of search for unknown facts, where applied research has castings bolted together. Each a practical objective behind the investigation. As one casting re- might suspect, there are huge capital requirements quired costly machining and in the industry, but returns to shareholders are not fitting. as attractive as one might think, due to the need for large retainment of earnings for reinvestment. Truly, it has the earmarks of the type of industry we encour- HOW TO PUT STEEL'S SAVINGS TO W 0 R K - age here in America, for we cater to competitive in- DESIGN DATA for welded construction is available to engineering students in the form dustries with high productivity obtained through the of bulletins and handbooks. Write: application of scientific skills. THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY A major portion of the industry is devoted to serv- Cleveland 17, Ohio ing other industries, and the benefits that trickle down THE WORLD'S LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF ARC WELDING EQUIPMENT (Continued on page 42) 35 May 1954 II The big brake by Leonard Efron, C. E. '57 Man has put the wheel to work for him in various foot pipe line had been built and through it was manners and devices. However, centuries elapsed being pumped compressed air to power the rock drills between the invention of the wheels and the comple- within the tunnel. Three thousand feet being longer mentary invention of an "adequate and reliable" brake than any train of the day, he began studying the for controlling its motion. possibilities of using compressed air to operate rail- The building of faster and heavier trains was ac- road brakes. Finally on April 13, 1869, he received companied by the invention of new brakes. By 1870, patent number 5504 for the first air brake. over 600 patents had been granted, in the United The superintendent of the Panhandle division of States and England, for various forms of brakes for the Pennsylvania Railroad made available a train railroad vehicles. for the purpose of testing the new air brake. The Nearly all trains used manual brake systems. Each Steubenville test train, consisting of a locomotive, car had to be braked individually. At the sound of tender and three cars, was equipped with air brakes. the engineers "down brakes" whistle the brakemen, The trial was to be made on the tracks between Pitts- carrying pick handles, ran across freight car tops or burgh, Pennsylvania and Steubenville, Ohio. through passenger coaches. At one end of each car The train left the Panhandle Station in Pittsburgh, they turned a horizontal handwheel that tightened a and headed across town to the bridge over the chain under the car which forced the brake shoes Monongahela River. Precautions were supposedly against the wheels. If the train was going to stop taken to keep pedestrians from using the two surface short of the station, the engineer opened the throttle. crossings between the station and the river. Running If the train was going to overshoot its mark, the at thirty miles per hour, the train emerged from engineer "plugged" the engine by throwing it into Grant's Hill Tunnel and rounded a curve. Coming reverse. out of the curve the second crossing came into view. New methods were tried until one day in 1866, At that moment a huckster was driving his loaded between Schenectady and Troy, New York, two cart over the crossing. The driver applied his whip freight trains crashed into each other on a level, to the horses, causing them to rear, and was thrown straight stretch of track. Because of the accident, onto the tracks. The engineer reached for the brake a Troy bound passenger train came to an unscheduled handle and pulled. The brakes took hold and when stop. One of the passengers on that train was George the train came to a halt there was four feet of Westinghouse. space between the locomotive cow-catcher and the Talking with the brakeman from one of the trains huckster. For the first time in railroad history, a involved in the wreck, he learned that the engineers train traveling at thirty miles per hour had been had seen each other and had tried to stop, but there brought to an emergency holt in less than two hun- wasnt enough time. On being asked if the brakes had dred feet. Within a few months the Westinghouse taken hold, the brakeman answered, "Oh, yes, the Air Brake Company was formed and the commercial brakes worked fine. We clamped them on the moment production of air brakes began. we saw what was ahead of us. But there just The operation of the air brake depended entirely wasn't enough time to stop before the crash. You on compressed air and a movable piston. A pump on know, sir, you can't stop a heavy freight train in a the locomotive compressed air to seventy pounds per moment!" square inch in a tank. The tank was connected to a Upon arriving home, George Westinghouse set pipe line beneath each car and connected between to work to design a new automatic railroad brake. cars with a hose coupling. To stop the train the engi- In the course of his work he considered buffer and neer opened a valve that sent compressed air through chain operated brakes, and a steam pipe to cylinders the pipe line. The air pushed against the movable under each car. He also considered the use of elec- piston in the brake cylinder under each car. As the tricity as a power source, but gave all these schemes piston moved it caused the brake shoes to press up as "impractical or inadequate." against the wheels. In 1869, while at work in his< Schenectady shop, he Westinghouse claimed that trains of any length bought a two dollar magazine subscription to The could be controlled by mechanical methods alone. Living Age. His first copy of the magazine con- He did further work on pneumatic control and in- tained an article titled, "In the Mont Cenis Tunnel." vented the triple valve. The triple valve provided a In it was described the construction of the Mont relay action which distributed control through all Cenis Tunnel through the Alps in Italy. A 3,000 cars of the train. (Continued tm page 3H) 36 Spartan Engineer MORTON R. BERGER, CASE INSTITUTE 1951, tells graduate engineers... "I chose Worthington for opportunities in international trade" • "Worthington was my choice," Mr. Berger says, "be- them—at home and abroad. cause of the excellent training and the unusual experiences "I began my career with Worthington's training pro- that are possible with a manufacturer having a worldwide gram in the Research and Development Laboratory, where reputation, and worldwide distribution. Then, when a full-scale equipment is designed, tested and improved. company has seventeen divisions, including air condition- This experience gave me an understanding of the tremen- ing, refrigeration, turbines, Diesel engines, compressors dous part the company plays in the everyday life of mil- and pumps of all kinds, construction machinery, and lions of people. Within fourteen months I was sent to power transmission equipment, a graduate engineer's Mexico to inspect the facilities of our distributors there. chances for getting into his chosen field are even better. "The opportunities for first-hand laboratory experience, "Supporting these divisions are research, engineering, sales training and contact, travel and field trips, among production, purchasing, and sales, domestic and export. many others, make Worthington a first-rate company for The real opportunity, however, is in Worthington itself. the young engineer with a desire to learn and progress in This is a company that is growing, just as it has for more his work." than a century. It is always looking for new, related When you're thinking of a good job, think high—think products and good men to engineer, produce, and sell Worthington. 8.24 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, see your College Placement Bureau, or write to the Personnel and Training Department, Wor- thington Corporation, Harrison, N. J. WORTHINGTON THE SIGN OF VALUE AROUND THE WORLD May 1954 37 Mackinaw Pipeline The Big Brake (Continued from page 36) (Continued from page 31) He purchased a fifty-car train and had the locomo- pipe from the bottom up. Then the small pipe was tive and cars fitted with air brakes and triple valves, withdrawn and both ends of the large pipe were all at his own expense. The train, running on the level sealed. If the water had been pumped directly into at twenty miles an hour, stopped in ninety-eight feet the large pipe at too high a rate, the mass of water without upsetting a glass of water in the fiftieth car. rushing down into the gorge would have been suffi- The triple valve also enabled the train to stop even cient to buckle or break the pipe. if the air lines broke, because each car carried its Next, a pressure of 1200 psi. was applied and own tank into which air was compressed while the held for ten hours. The water was left in the pipe, train was in motion. It also stopped any runaway to be forced out by the oil when the pipe went into cars or both halves of a train in case it broke in two. use. For the first time the railroads considered their The east pipe was launched in the same fashion. brake systems "automatic." Westinghouse had substi- tuted an automatic power brake, under the direct After both pipes were across, a pumping station control of the engineer, for the hand brake, requiring was put on each side of the straits, and the crude the assistance of the train crew who acted on signal oil now leaves the north shore at a pressure of 400 psi. from the engineer. Now that the pipes have been laid successfully, Until this time both freight and passenger trains the only real risk remaining is the chance that some were controlled by the same type of brake systems. ship might hook one of them with an anchor. If The function of the early systems had been to stop this should happen, the escaping oil could easily a train in the shortest possible distance without cause water-front damage which would run into damage. Now the railroads began developing refine- millions of dollars. Fortunately, this is an extremely ments which added comfort and convenience to remote possibility because directly between the two passengers and economy to railway operations. pipes is the telephone cable, which has been there The first exclusively passenger brake was desig- for a good many years. Thanks to the telephone nated: Type P-Triple Valve. It has a high speed cable, the area has an established reputation as reducing valve which provided a braking force some- being a poor place to drop anchor. (Continued on page 40) DISTEL HEATING COMPANY Established 1922 Air Conditioning Power Plants Plumbing Refrigeration 1120 Sheridan Industrial Piping P. O. Box 298 Heating LANSING, MICHIGAN Automatic Sprinklers 38 Spartan Engineer Ever Study TERRESTRIAL ENGINEERING? Probably not. As far as we know, there isn't such a term. economical closed system for this scrubbing water? After Even so, the terrain of a manufacturing plant may have you've thought out your solution, you might like to a vital effect on the design and location of its engineer- compare it with the one given below. ing equipment. Du Pont engineers made use of the precipitous ter- It certainly did in the case of our Belle, West Virginia, rain in this way: pressure on the water leaving the plant, which is just across the road from a flat-topped scrubbers was sufficient to force it up to the top of the hill, 750 feet high. hill for CO2 recovery. The returning water thereby pro- Perhaps you'd like to match wits with Du Pont engi- vided a pressure of approximately 325 psi (750 feet of neers, for we feel that this problem was interesting— head) at the base of the hill. This gift of pressure on the and its solution ingenious. suction side of the water pumps resulted in considerable energy saving. Briefly, the situation was this: Carbon dioxide was to Do unusual problems such as this one challenge you be removed from a mixture of gases by bringing them and stir your enthusiasm? If they do, we think you'll be into contact with water in "scrubbers" operating at 450 interested in technical work with the Du Pont Company. psi (gauge). The inlet gases contained about 25% CO2 by volume. Because of its greater solubility, most of the Watch "Cavalcade of America" on television CO2 would leave the scrubbers dissolved in the water. It was necessary to reduce the pressure of this water to atmospheric and recover the dissolved carbon dioxide, since CO2 was needed for use in a chemical synthesis. The degasified water then had to be pumped back into the pressure scrubbers, to repeat the scrubbing cycle. E. I . d u Pont d e N e m o u r s & C o m p a n y (Inc.) BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING . . . THROUGH CHEMISTRY Still like to match wits? How would you design an 39 May 1954 and fifty cars. In 1870 a freight train of twenty-five The Big Brake cars weighed 1,100 tons while today's trains of 150 (Continued from page 3H) cars weigh 11,000 tons and sometimes exceed 17,000 what proportional to the speed of the train. tons. The 11,000 ton train running at sixty miles an hour will have a kinetic energy forty times that of With all these subsequent improvements not one the 1,100 ton train running at thirty miles an hour. of the original functions of the triple valve had been discarded. Instead, they had been extended and new This means a forty-fold increase in the amount of functions added. work to be done in propelling and stopping the train. In passenger trains attaining a speed of 100 or even Further refinements in the air brake were made by 120 miles an hour, the relative increase in kinetic Westinghouse when the Interborough Rapid Transit energy is greater. The horsepower attained by the Company was compelled, by the increase of traffic, first air braked trains in stopping was 4,000. On to lengthen its trains in the New York subways. The present day trains 80,000 horsepower is reached. trains also had to be operated at closer intervals. This is ten to twenty times the horsepower generated The factors of the problem were that the trains, by the locomotive in starting. the full length of which were just the length of the station platforms, were operated at one and a half Since the first application of the air brake to rail- minute intervals and their weight when loaded with way transportation all improvements in the apparatus passengers increased almost fifty percent. have been designed with the same purpose in mind: to make possible longer trains, moving with heavier Westinghouse's solution was a mechanism which loads at higher speeds, and to do this with ever- automatically weighed the cars and adjusted the increasing safety and economy. But, these changes braking force so that the stopping distance was the have not ceased. It has been applied to motor vehi- same regardless of the load. Trip cocks were attached cles, machinery and ships. In these other fields it to the trucks of each car which engaged a wayside has also undergone and brought about changes and signal arm bringing the train to a rest if the motor- growth. man failed to act at the proper point, either because This judgment may be supported by the fact that of negligence or incapacity. the Smithsonian Institute considers the invention Through developments such as those mentioned significant enough to honor it with a permanent train lengths have increased from ten, at the time exhibit along with the first electric light, the first the first air brakes were installed, to over one hundred automobile, and the first airplane. POWER COSTS ARE WAY DOWN HERE instead of way up here because ever since 13 01; when Thomas A. Edison | $ installed this B & W boiler in America's first central station on in Newark, B&Whas committed men, machines and money to a fruitful, continuing search for Letter ways to make steam and get more energy from common fuels. Today's power boiler stands this high. It stands for power progress and the (J|H pledge to keep research and engineering first—to produce even BABCOCK more steam power at lower cost. 40 Spartan Engineer Torrington Needle Bearings save weight and space in many designs Showing use of Needle Bearings in Because of its unique construc- small gasoline engines. Compact- ness of Needle Bearing lends itself tion — a full complement of small admirably to space limitations. diameter rollers retained in a one-piece thin drawn outer shell —the Torrington Needle Bearing has a small cross section. This makes it extremely useful in bearing applications where space and weight are at a premium. For a given load capacity, the Needle Bearing is the smallest and most compact anti-friction bearing available, giving the designer many opportunities to reduce the size and weight of sur- rounding members without low- ering performance. shaft stiffness and strength. straight housing bore is all that Smaller, lighter What's more, the Needle Bear- is required to locate a Needle products ing's low coefficient of starting Bearing, the use of complex re- In an application like the small and running friction plus its taining shoulders or rings is un- gasoline engine i l l u s t r a t e d , ability to retain lubricants re- necessary. And, since the Needle Needle Bearings help keep over- sults in increased power output. Bearing usually runs directly on all size and weight to a minimum. a hardened shaft—without an in- Housings can be made smaller Simpler designs ner race — additional savings in and lighter without sacrificing Since a press fit in a simple space and weight are gained. THE TORRINGTON COMPANY Torrington, Conn. • South Bend 21, Ind. District Offices and Distributors in Principal Cities of United States and Canada TORRINGTON NEEDLE BEARINGS NEEDLE • SPHERICAL ROLLER • TAPERED ROLLER • CYLINDRICAL ROLLER • BALL • NEEDLE ROLLERS 41 May 1954 New Basic Industry Flexible Shaft Fingers (Continued from page 35) to the final consumer are difficult to associate with the industry, although untold benefits surround us. 4 Feet Long We can also cite chemicals in everyday life, the bene- fits of which we readily appreciate. One of the more focus a mi€ros€ope obvious categories is chemicals in health. Here they serve as curative measures against nutritional defi- ciency, infectious diseases, the degenerative diseases. Twenty-five years ago authorities felt much was being accomplished if one major discovery resulted from 25 years of drug research. Today one is expected every six months. Mortality rates of all kinds have been cut, with a good share of the credit going to chemistry. Sanitation has been much improved through the help of chemistry, thus decreasing infectious dis- eases. Antibiotics are a further deterrent to these diseases. Vitamins have also proved their worth. Beriberi was a major cause of death in Bataan, where the native Filipinos ate white rice that lacked nutri- tional bran. In 1948 synthetic vitamins were added in one region. A decrease in deaths due to beriberi of 67.3% resulted. Hormones are also coming into use and the latest advancement promises to apply radioisotopes, by-products of the development of atomic energy, as medicine. The constructive import- When the manufacturer of this micropro- ance of atomic energy is hoped to overshadow the jector wanted to provide a means of focus- destructive potential. Chemicals play an important ing the microscope from control knobs role also in food conservation. Proper nutrients for mounted 4 feet away, he used S.S.White growth are supplied by fertilizers, hostile factors are flexible shafts. No other method offered resisted, and post harvest preservation is a contribu- the same simplicity and economy. As for tion. Many successful farmers have learned, and more sensitivity, the flexible shafts fully satisfied learn yearly, that chemicals are his most potent helper. all requirements, because they are engi- Calcium and sodium propionates are now used which neered and built to provide smooth, easy retard bread molding for about a week. control over distances of 50 feet or more. * * * * Many of the problems you'll face in indus- try will involve the application of power Successful Executive drives and remote control with the em- (Continued from page 34) phasis on low cost. That's why it will pay solution is to strike a happy medium keeping in you to become familiar with S.S.White mind that it is better to appear a man than a genius. flexible shafts, because these "Metal Get into a few of the most appealing organizations. Muscles"® represent the low-cost way to Every college campus has numerous engineering transmit power and remote control. clubs, societies, honoraries, and fraternities. Learn how to properly organize and direct men and develop SEND FOR THIS FREE your resourcefulness, self-confidence, imagination, FLEXIBLE SHAFT B O O K L E T . . quickness of action, and general alertness. Remember Bulletin 5008 contains the words of Cassius, in Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar, basic flexible shaft data who said: and facts and shows how Men at some time are masters of their fate: to select and apply flexible The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, shafts. Write for a copy. But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Learn how to be a leader by being a leader. In spite of the fact that the present day college engi- neering curricula does not provide engineering stu- dents with the necessary tools for executive develop- I N D U S T R I A L D I V I S I O N ment, the student can achieve a sufficient background PCNTAM. M F O . CO. ^g»^ D e p , c l 0 E a t l 4,,,,, s , ^ by supplementing his curriculum with active partici- NEW YORK 16. N Y. pation in campus organizations. 42 Spartan Engineer entually reach every TV home The rainbow you can see in black and white! RCA brings you compatible color TV. ment of the tri-color tube. INTRIGUING OPPORTUNITIES FOR Lets you see color programs in black The fruit of this great investment is the GRADUATING ENGINEERS and white on the set you now own! RCA all-electronic compatible color tel- You're sure to find the exact type of evision system, a system that provides for challenge you want in Engineering De- "When a modern and practical color tel- velopment, Design, or Manufacturing at evision system for the home is here, RCA the telecasting of high-quality color pic- RCA. Men with Bachelor's, Master's or will have i t . . ." tures that can be received in full color on Doctor's degrees in EE, ME, IE or Phys- color receivers; and in black and white ics are needed. You'll find your optimum Echoing down through the years, these on the set you now own. career work among the hundreds of prod- words—spoken in 1946 by David Sarnoff, ucts RCA produces for the home, sci- Chairman of the Board of RCA—have a RCA and NBC will invest an addi- ence, industry and Government. ring of triumph today. tional $15,000,000 during color TV's If you have the necessary education "Introductory Year"—1954—to establish and experience, you will be considered Behind this great development are for a direct engineering assignment. Oth- long years of scientific research, hard this new service on a solid foundation. erwise, you'll participate in our Special- work and financial risk. RCA scientists RCA color sets are beginning to come ized Training Program, in which you off the production lines in small quanti- can explore RCA's many interesting en- were engaged in research basically re- gineering operations for a full year. lated to color television as far back as the ties. Although it will probably be another Your rapid professional advancement 1920's . . . even before black-and-white year before mass production is reached, is enhanced at RCA by the free flow of television service was introduced. the promise of compatible color televi- engineering information. Since then RCA has spent over sion is being fulfilled. Write today to: College Relations, $25,000,000 to add the reality of color to RCA pioneered and developed compatible RCA Victor, Camden, New Jersey. black-and-white TV, including develop- color television Or, see your Placement Director. ^® RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA World leader in radio —first in television May 1954 43 message from a transmitter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, llOt Skol (Continued from page 19) and picking it up on a bounce from the moon with just such a radio and by working day and night in a receiver in Washington, D.C. The message, inci- conjunction with civilian manufacturers, the require- dentally, was the same one Samuel Morse flashed ment was met promptly. over his new Washington-Baltimore telegraph line Military requirements differ from civilian require- in 1844: "What hath God wrought" The SCEL ments in that military equipment has to be rugged, scientists are presently engaged in new moon experi- compact, light, portable and extremely reliable, yet ments aimed at tracking the moon as it moves and simple to operate. It is a challenge to creative finding out what happens to radio waves that pass thinking to meet these specifications. The current through the outer periphery of the earth's atmosphere. watchword at SCEL is "Miniaturization, Ruggediza- SCEL is interested in having newly graduated tion and Reliability." An example of this "new look" Mathematic and Physics majors as well as electrical in equipment is the new lightweight (22 pounds) and mechanical engineers work in the labs. There switchboard which is about the size of a portable are good prospects for a career in the labs including typewriter which replaces the old 72 pound WW II an opportunity to get a master's degree while work- board. The weight of a WW II four channel-carrier ing there. There are openings for the above mentioned telephone terminal has been reduced from 550 lbs. groups under the civil service plan in grads from to 177 lbs. Both the weight and size of the post-WW II GS-5 at $3410 pr year up to GS-12 at $7040 per year. Walkie-Talkie have been cut exactly in half while The requirements for GS-5, the starting grade for the range increased from three to five miles. Four Junior Scientist and Engineers, are either a B.S. de- pounds have been knocked off the weight of the field gree from an accredited college or university, or a telephone while its range was increased 30%. To a combination of education and experience comparable soldier nearly dropping with fatigue a few pounds to a four year college course, or four years actual makes a lot of difference, so these improvements have experience that would be comparable to the college met with the unqualified approval of those who use course To qualify as a GS-7 at $4205, it is necessary the equipment. Two new developments just coming into use are really helping the process of miniatur- to qualify as a GS-5 and have either a master's degree ization and ruggedization. First is the transistor, the or months' professional experience in the appropriate other in typical military phraseology is "Auto-sembly field. Incidentally, there is a program set up whereby System of Circuit Fabrication for Subminiature Elec- graduate engineers can continue their education while tronic Equipment." The transistor performs the same working at the labs. Rutgers University established a function as vacuum tubes in radio, TV, radar and branch of its Graduate School at SCEL where those other electronic equipment. It is not perfected yet, qualified engineers and scientists who can meet the nor has it replaced vacuum tubes yet, but it is a requirements may be admitted to the Rutgers Grad- big step toward smaller, more rugged elements. The uate School in a full graduate status while working "Auto-Sembly System" without going into great detail at the labs. Subjects included in this program are is simply a printed circuit process, whereby, instead Advanced Electric Transients, Electric Waves and of actual wiring of an electronic circuit, the circuit Radiation, Electrical Network Theory, Advanced Elec- is etched into the chassis, the etched lines filled with tronics, Ordinary or Partial Differential Equations, solder and the wiring part of the circuit is complete. Vector or Higher Analysis, Advanced Calculus, Theory These printed circuits and the transistor will prob- of Functions of a Complex Variable and thesis or ably be the basis for the "Dick Tracy Radio." Advanced Electrical Engineering Theory and Elec- trical Engineering Seminar. Another device developed by SCEL in coopera- tion with the Ordnance Corps is a robot weasel, a All in all, there is a bright future for SCEL and vehicle capable of running over rough terrain and an unlimited demand for their products. The SCEL marsh tundra, controlled by remote radio and Engineers both Army and Civilian have an unlimited equipped to transmit TV pictures to the controller. horizon before them. With the never-ceasing demand This device has been used in the Nevada Atom Bomb for better and more extensive communications systems tests. From this brief description, it's not too hard and with the immediate prospect for space travel, the to foresee robot controlled, TV equipped tanks moving SCEL scientists have their work cut out for them. against the enemy while similarly equipped planes They have need of bright young scientists capable of give the commanders a running picture of the entire creative thinking and doing. Without doubt, one of battle area. the most important groups aboard the first manned One last example of the work done by SCEL rocket ship will be the communicators. The day is engineers was "Operation Diana." In January of probably not too far distant when instead of convey- 1946 it was announced that the SCEL scientist had ing a message by a series of grunts and gestures, a made contact with the moon using high-frequency bright young man seated before a console mounted radar beams. What actually happened was a power- by a TV screen will flick a switch and transmit a ful fixed beam was transmitted to the moon some message which might say, "LUNA FIRST CALLING 240,000 miles away and some 2 ^ seconds later a EARTH CONTROL. FIRST PHASE OPERATION pip was reflected back from the moon. As a point MOONSTRUCK COMPLETE. SPACE SHIP LUNA of interest, recently the National Bureau of Standards FIRST HAS JUST MADE FIRST SUCCESSFUL in collaboration with Collins Radio Company staged LANDING BY MAN ON MOON. EXPLORATION a successful variation of this by sending a radio PARTY NOW PREPARING TO LAND. OVER." 44 Spartan Engineer A nother page for YOUR BEARING NOTEBOOK How to hold a heavily-loaded lathe spindle in accurate alignment This big lathe machines rolls for steel mills. The roll is rotated by the lathe spindle and it must be machined to very accurate dimensions. So the lathe manufac- turer, LeBlond Machine Tool Company, mounts the spindle on Timken® tapered roller bearings. Despite the great weight on the spindle, the Timken bearings hold it precisely in place—because they are made so accurately and have such high load capacity. Why TIMKEN' bearings have high load capacity This picture shows why Timken bearings have such high capacity—the load is carried on a. full line contact between the rollers and races in the bearing. Note also the tapered con- struction. This permits the bearing to be tightened up (pre- loaded, we call it) to prevent chatter in rotating parts like the machine tool spindle above. Want to learn more about bearings or job opportunities? Some of the engineering problems you'll face after TIMKEN TRADEMARK RIG. U S. M l OFf. TAPERED ROLLER BEARINGS graduation will involve bearing applications. For help in learning more about bearings, write for the 270-page General Infor- mation Manual on Timken bearings. And for information about the excel- lent job opportunities at the Timken Company, write for a copy of "This Is Timken". The Timken Roller Bearing Company, Canton 6, Ohio. H i NOT JUST A BALL O NOT JUST A ROLLER a=> THE TIMKEN TAPERED ROLLER BEARING TAKES RADIAL § AND THRUST - © - LOADS OR ANY COMBINATION May 1954 Feature Column Index To Here's one that will keep you busy for a while: A monkey is tied to one end of a rope. A weight Advertisers is on the other end. If the monkey and the weight weigh the same, and if the rope weighs 2 oz. per foot of length, what is the length of the rope if the following information is known? 1. The monkey's weight equals the weight of his mother. 2. The monkey's age plus his mother's age equals PAGE ADVERTISER 4 years. 29 Alcoa 3. The weight of the weight plus the weight of the rope equals half again as much as the 4 Allison Division, General Motors difference between the weight of the weight, 47 and the weight of the monkey added to the Allis-Chalmers weight of the weight. 40 Babcock & Wilcox 4. The mother's age is twice what the monkey's age was when the mother was half as old as 27 Bell Telephone the monkey will be when the monkey is three 8 Boeing times as old as his mother was when the mother was three times as old as the monkey 6 Cast Iron Pipe was. 3 Detroit Edison What is the length of the rope? 38 Distel Heating A few more pertinent quotations for engineering students: 7 Dow Chemical 1. There are a lot of men in this world who started 39 DuPont at the bottom — and stayed there. 2. Even a turtle doesn't get anywhere unless he 9 General Motors sticks his neck out. 34 Keuffel and Esser 3. The man who toots his own horn soon has every- body dodging when he approaches. 32 Lansing Stamping 4. Failure is the only thing which can be achieved 35 Lincoln Electric without effort. 5. Two thirds of promotion is motion. 31 Lindell Drop Forge 6. The attitude toward the job is always as important as the aptitude. 2 Pontiac 7. There is no limit to what a good man can do, if 15 Pratt and Whitney he does not care who gets the credit. No rule for success will work if you don't. 43 RCA 9 The reason a lot of people do not recognize an 11 Standard Oil opportunity when they meet it is that it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like 42 S. S. White hard work. 10. If you make your job important, it is quite likely 45 Timken Roller Bearing to return the favor. 41 Torrington Needle Bearing 1 Westinghouse Answers to Problems in the Last Issue 1. The rug problem: 37 Worthington Cut a one-foot strip along the 9-ft. side and place United States Steel it in the hole; then cut off the 1-ft. square which overlaps. Then cut another 1-ft. wide strip from Eastman Kodak the 9-ft. side and lay it along what was originally the 12-ft. side. Then fill up the corner with the General Electric 1-ft. square. 2. The fly problem: Each fly walks 10 inches. 'Inside front cover 3. The worm family: " I n s i d e back cover The baby worm hadn't learned to count right yet! : s: " Back cover 4. The balls in the box- 1944 balls. 46 Spartan Engineer says LOWELL E. ACKMANN University of Illinois—B.S., E.E.—1144 and now manager, Peoria, III., Branch Office "TV T Y EXPERIENCE with machinery in portant, specialized equipment for that or designer, production engineer, or re- _LV_L the Navy during the war convinced industry. Electric power, steel, cement, search engineer, Allis-Chalmers, with its me I needed a training course. There was paper, rock products, and flour milling wide variety of equipment and jobs, is an so much equipment on board that was a industries—to name a few, are big users ideal place to get off to a good start— complete mystery to me that I became of A-C equipment. without wasting time." very 'training-course minded'. "Before starting on the Allis-Chalmers "After investigating many training Graduate Training Course, I thought I courses, the one at Allis-Chalmers looked would like selling, preferably technical best to me then—and still does. selling but, as is often the case, I didn't "In my opinion, the variety of equip- know for sure. This course, together with ment is what makes Allis-Chalmers such some personal guidance, helped me make a good training spot. up my mind. That, too, is an important advantage of the GTC program. "No matter what industry you may be interested in, Allis-Chalmers makes im- "But whether you want to be a salesman Facts You Should Know About the Allis-Chalmers Graduate Training Course PROCESSING—Allis-Chalmers built sol- 1. It's well established, having been mills, crushers, vibrating screens, recti- vent extraction plant processes one hundred started in 1904. A large percentage of fiers, induction and dielectric heaters, tons of rice bran per day at oil processing the management group are graduates grain mills, sifters, etc. plant in Texas. • of the course. 5 . He will have individual attention 2 . The course offers a maximum of 24 and guidance in working out his train- months' training. Length and type of ing program. training is individually planned. 3 . The graduate engineer may choose 6. The program has as its objective the the kind of work he wants to do: design, right job for the right man. As he gets engineering, research, production, sales, experience in different training loca- erection, service, etc. tions he can alter his course of training to match changing interests. 4 . He may choose the kind of power, processing, specialized equipment or For information watch for the Allis- industrial apparatus with which he will Chalmers representative visiting your work, such as: steam or hydraulic, campus, or call an Allis-Chalmers dis- turbo-generators, circuit breakers, unit trict office, or write Graduate Training substations, transformers, motors, con- Section, Allis-Chalmers, Milwaukee I, trol pumps, kilns, coolers, rod and ball Wisconsin. POWER—Models show comparative size ALLIS-CHALMERS of generators having the same rating with and without super-charged hydrogen cool- ing. Allis-Chalmers is first to supply super- charged hydrogen cooling. May 1954 47 II Sidetracked They say that things are so dry in Arizona that even Girls are like newspapers: They all have forms, the trees are going to the dogs. they always have the last word, back numbers are not in demand, they have great influence, you can't believe everything they say, they're thinner than they A philosophizing friend remarks that a man never used to be, they get along by advertising, and every knows whether he likes bathing beauties until he's man should have his own and not try to borrow his bathed one. neighbors. And then there was the rather forlorn engineer who, Two bopsters, smoking reefers, were suddenly on seeing a pigeon flying overhead, exclaimed: "Go thrown into a panic by the wail of a police siren. Not ahead, everyone else does!" knowing if their apartment was going to be raided, o o a they threw their butts into the cuckoo clock. Four hours passed before the cuckoo crawled out, The house guests were assembled with their hosts looked around and said, "Man dig those crazy cigar- in the living room after dinner, chatting pleasantly, ettes. What time is it?" when the five-year-old daughter of the host appeared suddenly in the room, her clothes dripping with water. She could scarcely talk, so great was her emotion, The day after finals, a disheveled Ch.E. walked and her parents rose in amazement as she entered. into a psychiatrist's office, tore open a cigarette, and "You—you," the little girl shouted, pointing to the stuffed the tobacco up his nose. male of the house guests. "You are the one who left "I see that you need some help," remarked the the seat up." startled doctor. o * » "Yeah," agreed the student, "Do you have a match?" A freshman engineer is a young man who knows why a strapless gown is held up, but doesn't yet Student: "Have you any four volt, two watt bulbs. know how. Clerk: "For what?" Student: "No, two." Little Mary nailed the bathroom door shut and Clerk: "Two what?" then laughed and laughed, because she knew her big Student: "That's right." brother and his college friends were having a beer party that night. Old maids are bom, not made. Joke No. 495-36B. We can't tell it here, so write in for it. 7 think that I shall never see O 8 O A girl refuse a meal that's free; Mistress: "You know, I suspect that my husband A girl with hungry eyes not fixed is having an affair with his stenographer." Upon a drink that's being mixed; Maid: "I don't believe it. You're only trying to A girl who doesn't like to wear make me jealous." A lot of junk to match her hair; o O « But girls are loved by guys like me 'Cause I'll be damned if I'll kiss a tree. A country couple married and arrived at the hotel about 9 P.M. The wife got undressed and set for bed while the groom sat in a chair with his hat and Soph E. E. walking out of calculus class: "I call coat on. She asked him why he was not getting my gal a discontinuous function because she has no ready for bed. limits." He replied: "Paw said I'd be 'going to town' about 11 o'clock so there's no use getting undressed." o o • Believe it or not: Adam and Eve invented the The editor of this column points with pride to the loose-leaf system. clean, white spaces between the jokes. 48 Spartan Engineer PHOTOGRAPHY AT WORK_No. 7 in a Kodak Series Photography reads the meters 2500 an hour/ Dial a call—an accurate register counts i f - then each month photography records the total, precisely right, ready for correct billing. rr-vwENTY-FOUB hours a day, hundreds of thou- A sands of dial phones click their demands in many central exchanges of the New York Telephone Company. Little meters keep careful tally of the calls. Then the night before each bill is dated, photography reads the up-to-the-minute totals in a fraction of the time it could be done in any other way. Here is an idea that offers businesses everywhere simpli- fication in copying readings on meters, dials or other recording instrumentation. Photography fits this task especially well for two reasons. It is lightning fast. It can't make a mistake. This is another example of the ways photography saves time, cuts costs, reduces error, improves out- put. In large businesses—small businesses—photog- raphy can do big jobs. In fact, today so many new applications of photography exist that graduates in the physical sciences and in engineering find them valuable tools in their new occupations. Other graduates—together with returning servicemen— have been led to find positions with the Eastman Kodak Company. At New York Telephone Company exchanges a If you are interested, write to Business and Tech- unique camera records the dial message register nical Personnel Dept., Eastman Kodak Company, readings—up to 25 at a clip—saving countless man-hours of labor, assuring utmost accu- Rochester 4, N. Y. racy and at the same time providing a / permanent record. Eastman Kodak Company Rochester 4, N. Y. TRADEMARK THE ENGINEERING APPARATUS SALES 1 0 ways PROGRAM ENGINEERING to build a successful career MANUFACTURING TRAINING BUSINESS TRAINING COURSE Few companies can offer as broad a range of career opportunities as General Electric. Whether a young man is interested in science or en- gineering, physics or chemistry, electronics or atomic energy, plas- tics or air conditioning, finance or sales, employee relations or ad- vertising, marketing or metallurgy —he can find a satisfying, reward- ing career. EMPLOYEE AND PLANT The development programs COMMUNITY RELATIONS TRAINING shown here arc "open doorways" that lead to highly successful careers in a Company where big and important jobs are being done, and where young people of vision and courage are needed to help do them. If you are interested in building a G-E career after graduation see your college placement officer, or write: ATOMIC "TEST ADVERTISING PROGRAM TRAINING COURSE COLLEGE EDITOR DEPT. 2-123 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. ^ SCHENECTADY 5, N. Y. G E N E R A L $ | ELECTRIC