Strange, if True. A CURIOUS ACCIDENTAL WELDING OF STEEL SHAFTING. .

Progress, Volume III, Issue I, 1 November 1907, Page 26

Strange, if True. A CURIOUS ACCIDENTAL WELDING OF STEEL SHAFTING. .

Mr. P N. Bockaroff, ME , of Mockba, Russia, tells in a valued publication, in interesting story of a very curious accident which occurred recently m a large cotton mill near Moscow From a ste?_m engine of Tearly 1 500 horse power, 3)0 horse power is transmitted by ropes to one of the stories of the mill The driven shaft makes 320 revolutions per minute The main shafting in the rope drive is arranged so that the power from the flywheel is transmitted by ten ropes to the rope pulley on the first shaft, then by a pair of bevel wheels to the second shaft, and then by a Wullfel's friction clutch to the third shaft, and from the rope pulley on this shaft to the rope pulley on the line shaft in the mill By some mistake of the fitter, the second shaft was put too close to the third shaft, so that it touched the latter, and all the pressure from the bevel wheel was transmitted directly to the end of the third shaft. One monrng the first bearing on the third shaft became warm The engineer, wishing to cool it, loosened the clutch and thus stopped the third shaft. Thus all the pressure from the rotating second shaft became applied to the end of the third shaft. Both shafts have the same diameter, 170 millimeters (6f- inches). As the pressure from the bevel wheel on the shaft was considerable, and the shaft was making 320 revolutions, in a few moments the touching ends of the two shafts between the two halves of the clutch were heated, not only to a red heat, but to the \* elding point as well, so that the liquid iron spurted to the walls. The engineer became very much frightened, and signalled to stop the engine, and thus both shafts became completely welded together. After the shafts were cooled, the engine was started again, -but both shafts revolved together, notwithstanding that the friction clutch was open. The bearings did not become heated, thanks to the fact that both shafts were welded in exact alignment, the mill was run till night, and all the usual machinery working from this shaft and taking 350 horse-power Next day the shafts were lifted by their free ends, together with the bevel wheel, the clutch and the pulley,^and tlxragh they weighed^some tons, r the ■welded joint did not' separate. So it was decided to leave them m the welded state till the new shafting is ready. Since that time, for more than a month, the shaft has been working satisfactorily with opened clutch, transmitting all the power without difficulty