The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

ROLLING MILLS. 81 heating iron or steel, as the case may be, but never simul- taneously. The charging and discharging of the furnaces is effected by means of long trucks ; these are pushed over the flooring of the works, which is formed of cast- iron slabs. Under the bay, next to the one covering the furnaces, are the shears for cutting up the puddled bars for making the piles. In the rear of each of the milis are the neces- sary machine tools for cutting the rolied bars to length, either hot by means of saws provided with carrying rollers, or cold by means of shears, to and from which the bars are carried mechanically. The bars are then straightened, and carried on rollers to the delivery wharf. Rail Manufacture.—Messrs. Schneider and Co. were among the first in France to manufacture rails. They began rolling them in 1832 at their old forge, and they continued making both iron and steel rails in their new works up to 1880. Two large miils were set apart for this manufacture on a large scale until 1885, when they eeased to roll heavy rails. In their Creusot works they now only roll light sections, but they have established in the east of France, in conjunction with Messrs. De Wendel, rolling mills for heavy railway material. Appended is an interesting tabulai- statement giving the quantities of iron and steel rails rolled at Creusot during a period of fifty- six years, from May, 1841, to May, 1897 : — Iron Rails. Steel Rails. Total. F or France... tons 706,611 tons. 667,061 tons. 1,373,672 For export to Switzerland 20,696 11,950 2,458 32,546 ,, Germany ... 2,458 ,, Denmark ... 500 500 ,, Sweden 6,669 307 522 7,191 ,, Russia 66,242 66,549 ,, Turkey 8,021 8,021 ,, Austria-Hungary ... 35,985 3,253 39,238 ,, Italy 42,970 35,008 77,978 ,, Spain 18,278 18,278 ,, United States 11,500 11,600 ,, Brazil 3,829 3,829 ,, Argentine Republic 13,558 13,558 Total export 125,305 156,341 281,646 Grand total ... 831,916 823,402 1,655,318 Rolling Mills and Accessories.—Near the centre of the main building, beyond tlie sectional rolling mills, are others which call for some detailed description, owing to their importance, and to the improvements which have been embodied in them. These are the blooming and the armour-plate rolling mills. They are driven by one 3,000 horse-power reversing engine, which is placed between them. The space in the building beyond these is occupied by the plate and sheet mills. The plate mill has two rolls 2.200 metres (7 ft. 2f in.) long, by .740 metre (29j- in.) in diameter. Near this is a universal ir.ill with four rolls (two horizontal and two vertical), and a hot shearing machine. Hydraulic lifting platforms are placed front and back ; they are fitted with feed-rollers, driven mechanically, with a receiver for depositing the ingot, and an apparatus for turning it over in course of rolling. This mill is worked by a two-eylinder 600 horse-power Woolf engine. The two furnaces for the mill are served by a 12-ton electric travelling crâne. The ingots treated do not exceed 2 tons in weight ; they are håndled by a light C-shaped carrier, similar to that already described (see page 35, ante). The rolled plates are deposited on slabs in the rear of the rolling mills, from which they are lifted by a portable steam crâne, and taken to be annealed in an adjoining furnace. Powerful shearing machines are conveniently placed near the mills, each one being provided with carrying arrangements which reduce hand labour to a minimum. Plates of medium thickness are rolled in a Lauth three-high mill; the top and bottom rolls are 1.850 metres (6 ft. 0^- in.) long by .700 metre (27T%- in.) in diameter. Power is applied to these two rolls, the smaller and middle roll being free to turn in its bearings. Hydraulic lifting platforms, carrying feed-rollers, are placed in front and at the rear of the mill. Near by is the mill for rolling chequered plate, and beyond is the universal rolling mill for wide flåts, provided with hydraulic lifting platforms on each side, carrying feed-rollers driven mechanically at a high speed. The two vertical rolls are in front. This part of the plant is completed by a hot shearing machine and by a special cooling arrangement for wide flåts, with a rectifying machine driven hydraulically. These mills are worked by a 600 horse-power vertical Corliss engine, running at 60 revolutions per minute, and carrying a heavy flywheel. The plates of medium thickness are de- posited on slabs in the rear of the mill, and are annealed in the same furnace which serves for the thick plates. The last train at the end of the building is used for making large sheets, as well as for planishing. It is driven by a 250 horse-power horizontal engine fitted with Meyer expansion gear. The principal sheet mills are placed under the lateral bay. The most important is a three-high mill for sheet bars, driven by a special engine. The mill is fitted with lifting platforms, provided with. feed-rollers. The bars are rapidly cut hot into two, four, six or eight slabs, which are then rolled out direct in the five adjacent mills ; these are driven by a 600 horse-power vertical Corliss engine. The roll-setting wedges are moved me- chanically. Doubles and lattens are rolled in twelve other pairs of rolls of three neighbouring trains, each worked by a separate engine. Horizontal furnaces face the mills ; hydraulic sheet-doubling machines, and shears for cutting off the sheet corners before doubling, are placed between the furnaces and the mills. Four large guillotine shears and other shearing machines serve to cut the sheets to varions sizes and shapes; the sheets are planished in several machines provided with a series of rolls. They are afterwards annealed in a large closed oven 40 metres (131 ft.) long, heated by eight fires, and served by a lo-ton electric travelling crâne of 16 metres (55 ft. 6 in.) spån. The bar dépôt, already referred to, is M