Crankshaft Specialisation.
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Extensions of Messrs. Stringer and Company's Works at Wincobank.
One of our representatives took the opportunity, while the trials vehicles and tractors were halted at Sheffield, to visit the Wincobank Steel Works of Messrs. Stringer and Co. This coin pany's chief protluots are cra.nkshaits —of every conceivable size and shape— for motor vehicles, and on its order list may he found the names of many wellknown motor manufacturers. Crankshafts in all the various stages of manufacture were to be found in the wellequipped departments, and a representative group of these is shown in our illustration on this page. The old works are quite small, but the amount of machinery which has been crowded within its walls has made the different shops much too packed for the growing demands upon the tools therein contained. Extensions were undoubtedly necessary, and the fine new shop, which is now completed, will give the muchneeded space for the development of this important branch of the business. The whole of the machinery in the old machine-shop is driven by a 3oh.p. Tangye gas engine, which has as much as it can do on account of its large amount of overload.
Although this company will make crankshafts to any drawing, and of any steel specified, its own special mixture of steel is used unless otherwise desired. The quality of this particular steel is well shown by the Sheffield Testing Works' certificate No. 68,317,
which we reproduce on page 146. This certificate shows that a torsional test, on a specimen 8 inches long by one• inch in diameter, was twisted through 1,390 degrees, or 3.86 revolutions, before fracture. The ultimate breaking stress was 35.6 tons per square inch, and the yield-point, or point at which twisting commenced, was 14.4 tons per square inch. Such a steel would undoubtedly give some indication of weakness long before fracture took place.
The steel is received in blooms, and " forgings for the crankshafts are all knocked out under one or other of the three powerful steam hammers which were seen in the smiths' department. All crankshafts by this maker are first forged as a slab, which is drilled out and slotted so as to leave the forging in the condition shown by the bottom one of the group illustrated.
In the new shop, part of which is shown in our illustration on this page, some fine new machinery was being installed. The Parkinson milling-machine, which can be seen on rollers in the foreground, had only just been removed from its packing-case. It is a fine tool, with an all-gear head. The row of three, Parkinson, 12-inch-centre lathes shown on the right of the illustration are specially suitable for work upon crankshafts, as also are the somewhat heavier " Eclipse" lathes on the left. The latter machines are shown separately, in our other view of this corner of the new shop. None of the machines were on the belt at the time of our representative's visit. A new Crossley gas engine, of 6oh.p., had been installed, as is depicted in the general view of the shop.
The old works have had considerable demands for output, and Mr. Stringer personally informed our representative
that his company has every reason to be satisfied with the contracts which have been made for the supply of large number of crankshafts. These contracts practically assure the full employment of the new shops, as soon as they are ready for the belt.
The numerous specimens which were examined showed that only the best workmanship is put into them, and the Enished crankshafts-which, by the way, are 0-round dead true and circular on one of Guest's automatic grinderswere above reproach.
There is a small, but well-equipped iron foundry and pattern-shop in connection with these up-to-date works, and the possession of these important departmentsenables the company quickly to make and to prepare the ;many jigs and fixtures which are required for much of the special work that is turned out from this factory.