Part 55 (1/2)

ARMOR PLATE MACHINE SHOP. (See page 423.)

The varied and complex machining required on armor plate demands tools of enormous size and strength as well as varied capacity. The equipment of this shop consists of large saws, planers, etc., together with numerous portable drill presses, grinders, etc. In this shop the different groups of armor are a.s.sembled in the positions they will occupy on the vessel and are finally inspected before s.h.i.+pment.

FORGING ARMOR. (See page 423.)

After heating, the ingot is placed under a 14,000-ton hydraulic forging press and forged to the required dimensions. The press is served by two 200-ton cranes with hydraulic lift and pneumatic travel. Weight of the porter-bar and chuck which hold the plate for forging is 125,000 pounds, exclusive of counterweights used.

SPECIAL CAR BUILT FOR THE s.h.i.+PPING OF LARGE AND HEAVY MATERIAL. (See page 424.)

Length of car over couplers, 103 feet 10-1/2 inches; capacity, 300,000 pounds. Weight of car, 196,420 pounds. Shown here loaded with casting of large 5,000-ton flanging press. Weight of casting, 252,000 pounds.

THE LARGEST STEEL CASTING IN THE WORLD. (See page 424.)

Combining the product of five 40-ton open-hearth furnaces. Steel casting forming part of a 12,000-ton armor-plate hydraulic forging press. Weight of casting, 325,000 pounds (145 gross tons).

[Ill.u.s.tration: BENDING ARMOR PLATE

After being rough-forged to size and re-heated, the plate is sent to the bending press to be straightened or bent to shape. The one shown is a nickel steel side armor plate, 14 inches thick. The press exerts a hydraulic thrust of 7,000 tons, with two independently operated plungers, and is served by direct-fired furnaces with movable car bottoms and two seventy-five ton hydraulic cranes.

_Courtesy of the Bethlehem Steel Co._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ARMOR PLATE MACHINE SHOP.[42] (See page 421.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FORGING ARMOR.[42] (See page 421.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: SPECIAL CAR BUILT FOR THE s.h.i.+PPING OF LARGE AND HEAVY MATERIAL.[43] (See page 421.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE LARGEST STEEL CASTING IN THE WORLD.[43] (See page 421.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BATTLEs.h.i.+P TURRET.[44] (See page 427.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: NICKEL STEEL FIELD RING FORGED WITHOUT WELD FOR A 5,000-HORSE-POWER DYNAMO.[44] (See page 427.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: TURRET FOR TWO TWELVE-INCH GUNS FOR UNITED STATES BATTLEs.h.i.+P ”ALABAMA”.[45] (See page 427.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CONNING TOWER AND ENTRANCE s.h.i.+ELD FOR UNITED STATES BATTLEs.h.i.+P ”Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.”[45] (See page 427.)]

BATTLEs.h.i.+P TURRET. (See page 425.)

Twelve-inch turret carrying two forty-five caliber twelve-inch guns for the U. S. Navy. These guns can be loaded at any angle of elevation or azimuth or while in motion. The turret is equipped with a broken or double hoist. The lower hoist supplying ammunition from the magazine to an upper handling room immediately below, and revolving with, the turret pan. This makes the upper or gun hoist shorter and increases the speed of ammunition service, besides interposing two fireproof bulkheads between the guns and the magazine handling room.

NICKEL STEEL FIELD RING FORGED WITHOUT WELD FOR A 5,000-HORSE-POWER DYNAMO. (See page 425.)

Forged dimensions: outside diameter, 141 inches; inside diameter, 131 inches; width, 51 inches. Rough machined dimensions: outside diameter, 139-3/8 inches; inside diameter, 130 inches; width, 50-3/4 inches; weight, 28,840 pounds. Average physical properties shown in United States Standard test bar taken from full-sized prolongation of end of forging: Elastic limit, 53,560 pounds per square inch. Elongation, 27.05 per cent.

TURRET FOR TWO TWELVE-INCH GUNS FOR UNITED STATES BATTLEs.h.i.+P ”ALABAMA.”