Ogden Daily Standard | 1908-11-04 | Page 5 | Oxygen Used to Cut Steel

OXYGEN USED TO CUT STEEL little or no finishing required after the operation A stream of oxygen Is the knife that cuts metals the operation is performed by means of a blowpipe with two nozzles of which the first delivers an ignited jet of mixed oxygen and hydrogen and the second la Is a stream of pure oxygen the pressure la is regulated by a gauge attached to the oxygen tank the oxygen hydrogen flame and the stream of oxygen strike the same part of the metal which after being heated by the fame is rapidly cut or rather burned through by the tha oxygen the temperature beins being raised to 1300 or 1400 degrees fahrenheit by the combustion of the metal the cut Is as smooth as a sheared cut and requires little or no finishing armor plates can be out cut in orte one twentieth the time required for mechanical cutting and the sharply localized heating boating probably causes less strain than punching and shearing develop it if oxygen costs two cents aud and hydrogen two thirds of a cent per cubic foot the cost of cutting an iron plate four fifths of an inch th thick ck is ie about seven cents per running foot or about half the cost of mechanical cutting special machines are constructed for cutting various objects finally there is a universal machine chine which can be arr arranged hinged to make curved and polygonal cuts of any pattern in addition to the alro simpler cuts effected LV the other wa machines chines A special form of this universal machine is exceed exceedingly inglr useful in taeng apart machinery and steel buildings it operates by cutting off the heads of the rivets which are then easily driven out oui