[War Winning Suggestions in the War Production Drive]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

WAR WINNING
SUGGESTIONS
in the
WAR PRODUCTION DRIVE
INFORMATIVE TECHNICAL BULLETIN
NO. 5
AUGUST 1943
WAR PRODUCTION DRIVE HEADQUARTERS
War Production Board • Washington, D. C.
•FOREWORD -
A ME RI CAN workers throughout the country are helping to win this war. They XJL are helping with their heads as well as their hands, through the production suggestions they make in our factories, mines, mills and shipyards. Everyday, they are contributing Ideas for Victory.
This bulletin is a compilation of suggestions which have been certified to War Production Drive Headquarters by Labor-Management Production Committees enlisted in the Drive. These are not untried suggestions. They are practical ideas which have been tested in the shop or laboratory and have been adopted as standard practice in the plant where they originated. They have been further reviewed at the War Production Board by the Board for Individual Awards, composed of technicians and engineers in various industrial fields. This Awards Board has accorded appropriate recognition to the originators.
In order to make these war-winning suggestions available to all of Allied industry, both at home and in the factories of the United Nations abroad, they are described briefly in periodic Informative Technical Bulletins, of which this is Number 5. This bulletin, the first to be printed, includes all the important suggestions given in the first four bulletins plus hundreds of new ideas. They are classified according to the industry in which they originate, such as Automotive, Aviation, etc. Many of the suggestions apply to more than one industrial field. Therefore, they are cross indexed as to type of suggestion under such headings as Machining Methods, New Tools and Fixtures, Safety, etc. It is recommended that use be made of the cross index in the back of this bulletin so that suggestions of a general nature are not overlooked.
NUMBERED SUGGESTIONS
Complete information on all the numbered suggestions is available from the Suggestion Exchange Section, War Production Drive Headquarters, War Production Board, Washington, D. C. This data usually contains a sketch, blue print, or photograph, as well as full descriptions with necessary specifications.
Labor-Management Committees, qualified representatives of war plants and services, union officials, and individuals engaged in war work are at liberty to request this information on all suggestions which they feel may be profitably adopted in their operations to increase the quantity and improve the quality of war production. Editors of newspapers and trade publications are encouraged to utilize this service.
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537648—43-1	*
Please order by number—Address your request to:
Suggestion Exchange Section
War Production Drive Headquarters
War Production Board
Washington, D. C.
SHOP SHORTS
Each industry section has, in addition to the numbered suggestions, a group of shop shorts. These are simple ideas on which further information is not necessary. Perhaps you can use some of them “as is” or they may stimulate your own thinking about short-cuts to victory in the battle of production. Please do not request more information on these shop shorts, since none is available.
Regular readers of the Informative Technical Bulletins will note that this bulletin contains a recapitulation of the four previous issues, including ideas numbered up to 600, as well as many pages of new material. Hence, they may wish to concentrate their attention in each section on ideas numbered above 600.
This publication is made possible only through the cooperation of the Labor-Management Committees which are active participants in the suggestion activities of the War Production Drive.
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AUTOMOTIVE-
232 A special arbor for loading brake cross levers into milling machine.
Result: Now 40 brake shaft levers are milled where only 2 were milled before. Actual time saved is one-third of the former operation. Instead of a time of 0.012 hours to mill 1 piece, it is now done in 0.008, increasing production 33% percent.
233 A special tool which combines two coupling rings on a splined arbor and then the whole assembly set up on an automatic lathe. Formerly a general drive coupling ring was turned out on a standard lathe and then chamfered in another operation on another machine.
Result: In addition to two coupling rings being turned at the same time, the chamfering operation is also completed simultaneously. A saving of approximately 200 hours a month is made and production is increased 68 percent.
234 An improved method of boxing Army trucks for shipment to all parts of the world.
Result: In a 60-day period, made possible a saving of over 40,000 feet of lumber and 68 hours of work. This method has since been adopted in three other plants in different parts of the country.
279 Change in method of manufacture of a track roller frame assembly, which eliminates an operation on two parts in the assembly and saves time and welding rod in assembling.
Result: Saves 120 pounds of welding rod and 400 man hours per year.
283 Indexing tool block to rough and finish turn spherical ball on king bolts, eliminating a
second set-up, handling a second time, and reducing chance of scrapping piece.
Result: Saves 150 man-hours annually.
395 Change in dimension on reinforcing channel on steering column bracket support assembly to make the part square.
Result: Saves time and eliminates scrap caused by putting wrong end of piece into the brake.
436 Change in sequence of operations and addition of power feed for drilling spring shackles.
Result: One man operates two machines simultaneously. Former drilling time, 0.032 hour; present, 0.021 hour.
455 New method holding gear blanks on machine whereby 3 various size cones do the work of from 50 to 60 bushings.
Result: Savings in time and materials.
456 Improved method of mounting and removing straddle truck side frames from welding jig. Four previously fabricated and machined corners are set on corner posts of welding jig and lined in position for welding with solid bushings.
Result: Reduces time per frame from 1 hour to 15 minutes.
565 New method of shipping and handling batteries.
Result: Saves three handlings. (In this instance a total of 19,500,000 pounds shipping weight.)
584 Concerns the use of a Land-O-Matic die head mounted in an Armstrong boring bar holder
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. which in turn is held the usual way on an engine lathe and threading done with die instead of single tool method.
Result: Saving on 2,100 threads is 10,080 minutes and 168 hours of machine time.
587 Adapter for rod holder made from ordinary cold rolled steel. Mushroom-shaped, stem is held by regular scissors-like holder; head acts as backing plate for welding rod.
Result: Estimated savings of almost 60,000 pounds yearly of critical chrome and nickel-steel.
700 Gage protector rings for use in scout car fuel tanks.
Result: Eliminates a bottleneck. Saves 35,200 annually.
712 New method of handling fenders on conveyor lines.
Result: One man instead of two men now does the job. Handling of eight hooks eliminated. Safety conditions improved.
713 Fourteen special band saw fixtures.
Result: Eliminate danger hazard and increase production by eliminating marking operation. At least 30 percent increase in production on each fixture.
718 Improvement in driving knuckle on old-style industrial truck.
Result: Reduces wear on drive knuckle. Means longer truck operation and less repairs.
719 Change in position of resistor on 5-ton Yale & Towne electric trucks to eliminate lost time due to break-downs.
Result: Eliminated expense of replacing resistors, and reduced lost operating hours of the trucks.
725 An adjustable drop center to be used on No. 1% or No. 2 Cincinnati tool grinder.
Result: Saves 675 man-hours per year and reduces set-up time.
726 Method of making master jaws on all Ter-romatic grinder chucks so that all such jaws are interchangeable.
Result: Seventeen sets of scrapped chuck jaws salvaged at a saving of 3450 and cost of manufacture of new jaws reduced to 37 per set.
737 That a boss be welded on all cam links used on equipment clutches for Diesel motor test to act as a positive stop to prevent clutch from going over center.
Result: By welding a boss on all clutch equipment cam links, not only hundreds of dollars in equipment repair was saved, but a danger hazard was also eliminated.
801 Installation of wet pad around spindle of each pressure-greasing fixture.
Result: Prevents grease sticking to table; saves cleaning time. Should be useful wherever bearings are pressure-packed with grease before being assembled into machine or vehicle.
894	Better method of handling and enameling step
hangers, a small part for “Six by Six” army trucks.
Result: Three hundred percent increase in production.
895 Combination of two machine operations on lever assembly.
Result: Saves 1,000 man-hours and 1,000 machine-hours every 60 days.
896 Use of standard clevis pin in place of special pin that required a cotter key at both ends. Result: Saves 1,200 man-hours in machining and assembly.
979 Loom and insulation slitter which slits entire length of loom instead of cutting it by hand with a pair of snips.
Result: Saves approximately 80 percent in time over old method and does better job.
980A Punch holder for use in punch press.
Result: Reduces cost of breakage approximately 78 percent.
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980B Change on a standard punch holder for a gaged or drop punch press of the Cleveland punch and shear type.
Result: Saves time in removing old punches.
991 Substitution of common plywood for lead seats on dies.
Result: Saves 17,700 pounds of pure lead annually. Can be used in hundreds of factories and on thousands of dies.
994 More efficient blank nesting for deep-drop trailer rails.
Result: Twelve percent less steel needed to make bars. Saves 23.6 percent of labor cost.
1038 Change in design of adjustable chain anchor on lift truck to eliminate milling machine work.
Result: Saves 160 milling machine-hours yearly.
1039 Change of design to expedite assembly of fender of lift truck.
Result: No grinding or fitting necessary— saves 300 hours of assembly time yearly.
1040 Loading jig for use in carburizing shifter rods in Perliton pot.
Result: Eliminates a 20 percent breakage formerly experienced.
1041 Special tool holder with multiple turning head on bar stock turret lathe.
Result: Saves 300 man-hours per year and can be used in any shop where bar stock turret lathes are used.
1138 Gage for use in resetting blades in inserted tooth milling cutters and reamers.
Result: Increases life of blades and grinding wheel and decreases time required to set blades out and regrind cutters.
1139 Tool holding collar to be used on drills for counter sinking and drilling holes at same time when hole is drilled without use of drill bushing.
Result: Saves 120 man-hours annually in limited us^ at one shop.
1204 New drill holder for use in drilling hole in oil dome over oil pump.
Result: Cuts 17 man-hours from every job or about 5,100 man-hours annually.
1205 New procedure in I-bolt assembly—army trucks.
Result: Saves almost 2,000 man-hours annually.
1206 New method of packing differential.
Result: Increased number of. units packed by saving 600 man-hours per year; also eliminated a safety hazard.
1207 New method of preparing springs for shipment.
Result: Makes a better package, saves 1,500 bolts, 6,000 board feet of lumber, 9000 feet of banding iron per year; conserves box-car space.
AUTOMOTIVE SHORTS
A line painted on the floor of the erecting department, directly below the chain hoist rail, facilitates spotting trucks for changing batteries on tests and setting frames in the correct location for assembly.
Increase in efficiency noted since areas have been marked off for the specific purpose of receiving parts when short.
In a shop manufacturing trucks, it was found that sectioning off the inspection department facilitated inspection of parts in process, eliminating holding up parts between operations, and treatments.
The elimination of all lead and babbit plugs used to fill up holes drilled for special attachments in the side frames of T75 and T69 caterpillar tractors saves approximately 600 pounds of tin and 185 man-hours per year plus the cost of material.
Mounting storage battery on live skid and assigning it to assembly floor has proved helpful during various stages of assembling and testing.
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AVIATION
117 Use of pressed wood fiber punching jigs.
Result: Saves vital steel—speeds up operation.
120 Cable stretcher to prestretch cables so that there will be no undue take-up required in service.
Result: In addition to prestretching the cables, this device allows the stretching of four cables at the same time, without overloading the remaining cables should one break.
137 A portable device consisting of guided knife actuated by an electrical solenoid, for rapidly cutting rubber tubing used in airplane construction, to proper length.
Result: Reduces this operation to its simplest form.
139A Indication on assembly blueprint of size and length of screws required for assembly, enabling workers unfamiliar with operation to perform same with minimum of supervision. Result: Saves supervisors’ time.
139B Use of flush rivet at certain point of fuselage assembly, eliminating interference of round hard rivet with bolt.
Result: Saves time.
139C Elimination of practice of assemblers on one shift locking up tool boxes used in assembly. Result: Time saved.
160 Duo-Nut plate riveter. This device is an improved riveting anvil providing means for holding the nut plate square and concentric while the rivets are being inserted and upset. Result: Since the nut plate is held square and concentric, it reduces the time and effort
required in riveting these plates to sheet stock and insures a better product.
161 A tool for the easy insertion and seating of bushings and strainers in fuel tanks. Consists of a combination wrench which will receive the bushing and strainer providing means for locating the strainer threads in the bushing so that the bushing may be worked into the tank receptable.
Result: Speeds up operation, reduces difficulties due to crossed threads.
162 Brake gage. An adjustable gage which may be set so that small parts may be engaged in a sheet metal brake rapidly and at the proper angle and depth, thus facilitating the bending of small parts.
Result: Saves time in set-up of job, since the gages require only one set-up for each type of bend and definitely insure that all parts will be bent alike.
181 A thin, triangular-shaped metal tool to insert between a stringer and the thin metal skin which permits any dented area of a metal surface to be struck with a fiber mallet until smooth.
Result: This removes the necessity of reworking or scrapping the part, thus saving time and costly material.
182 Bins installed on dollies which carry airplane wings along production line. Formerly workers, while installing hydraulic tubing, gas lines, vacuum lines, etc., on airplanes, had to keep their materials on the floor or in a bin some distance away.
Result: No loss of time on production line every time wings are moved, which happens
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often during an 8-hour day. Suggestion has been in effect for 2}^ months, resulting in a saving of 360 man-hours per week.
185 When changes are to be made on large jigs and fixtures, a permanent record of the changes should be affixed to the piece to avoid confusion and mistakes.
Result: Provides accurate interpretation of status of any jig or fixture at any time.
195 Pitot tube installation time can be reduced substantially by the use of six 16-inch spacers of aluminum alloy or dural, placed under the four clips which are on the center spars.
Result: Has saved approximately 33 minutes installation time on each plane of model affected.
221 Special head for a speed screw driver to use in assembling metal shell on Boeing fuel tanks. Operators were not permitted^to use speed screw drivers on bolts having screw type heads because if screw driver slipped from bolt, tank would be injured.
Result: Saves approximately 10 minutes of assembly time on each fuel tank.
222 A rubber expanding plug to replace wire-tied fitting on hose for testing tanks with air pressure. Used in all tank fitting.
Result: Saves time on operation, eliminates injuries to tanks.
225 Improved method of charging Hydic.
Result: Speeds up charging approximately one-half hour per charge and eliminates waste.
226 A power knife to replace a hand operation in handling any size plaster form which needs to be changed.
Result: Reduce the time required for cutting an average 1% hours per airplane fuel tank. Original idea that will enable women to do work formerly done by men.
227 New method of replacing fittings in fuel tanks.
Result: A better job can be accomplished with a saving of time and material.
287 Tube squaring cutter. A method of squaring and finishing aluminum ends by means of specially designed cutter that can be used in any ordinary small drill press. This replaces former method of cleaning tube ends off by hand file or disk sander. Tube used for oil, fuel, hydraulic lines, etc.
Result: Tube ends are squared and machine finished without burrs in considerably less time.
288 Glass distortion tester consisting of a shadow box lighted from within and strung with heavy black wires crisscrossed on the face. Result: Any distortion noted more quickly and efficiently than was possible by holding glass up to daylight.
289 Revo clock for adjustment of limit switches on electrically operated oil cooler doors. Former time required 7 man-hours-—three men.
Result: Method using an alarm clock sets the mechanism on the bench in 8 minutes, using only 1 man. In other words it used to take 52 times as long to do this job as it does now.
290 Mixture for making two-piece or compound moulds used in casting drop hammer dies; composition of plaster and asbestos to make moulds of complicated forms, impossible with sand.
Result: Enables plant to make more than one-piece moulds and a neater casting results.
336 Deals with contour grinding from template and provides means for producing accurate cutters from comparatively inaccurate templates.
Result: Greatly reduces time and precision . necessary when making templates.
337 Adjustable plumb bob holder, which provides an easily adjustable means for varying the height of plumb bob and easily attaching and detaching same.
Result: Greatly assists in regulating height of plumb bob. Fewer plumb bobs used.
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452 Design of a special chucking device responsible for the reduction of scrap by salvaging special finished products (bronze castings) used in aircraft fabrication.
Results: Direct bearing on increased plane production.
463 Tool for tightening stabilizer surfaces when depressions form around rivet holes.
Result: The depressions which this tool remedies do not occur frequently, but the proposed method has been successful in avoiding rework or scrapping of parts when depressions occur.
464 An adjustable jig for bending tubes by hand used as a stop in repetitive bending.
Result: It can be used on approximately 75 percent of all tube bending operations and reduces the time of such operations 35 percent.
550 Design of pattern to facilitate installation of the glass nose section on certain type bombers.
Result: Estimated saving of approximately 4 man-hours per bomber.
557 Design for tank boss wrench. To be hung onto the tank bosses, while starting screws through floor of ship into the tank bosses.
Result: Greatly facilitates this operation.
558 Development of a clamp to be used in the production of priming sheet stock in the paint shop.
Result: Increased production from 30 to 50 sheets per hour and eliminated cleaning of racks. Saves 3 to 4 hours a week and space formerly required by racks.
560 Use of air-mixing chamber on natural gas torches.
Result: A hotter flame is obtained, oxygen further utilized, and acetylene gas conserved.
561 Wrench for use in adjusting propeller governor.
Result: Saves time and prevents damage to vital parts.
562A Threaded driftpin which eliminates use of drift punches and cleaning out of holes by filing.
Result: Prevents drift punches becoming stuck in holes.
562B Hole thickness gage to determine the exact length of screw, bolt, or rivet required.
Result: Improvement on former methods.
564 Design of a clamp compressor to install clamps on carburetor duct rubbers and oil cooler duct rubbers.
Result: Will save at least 1 hour’s time on each unit and may possibly be used elsewhere on the ship. Also prevents injury.
586 Design of a holding device on template filing operations.
Result: Template is not scratched or marred by clamps, and does not have to be washed after filing. Firm hold on template makes possible faster and more accurate filing. Saving in time by experienced operator 623 percent.
600 Attachment for a Holgun router, used to route skins that have to be trimmed flush with an extrusion or stiffener, after the skins have been assembled and riveted.
Result: Increase in production on this operation 228 percent.
605 Tool for installing rubber grommets on radio control cables, or other cables which have a fitting on the end which is larger than the inside diameter of the grommet.
Result: Reduces installation time from 2.95 to 0.186 minutes per grommet. In addition, the rubber grommet is stretched evenly, an advantage because many grommets are now made of reclaimed rubber and are not as elastic as formerly.
629 Improvement on slings used to cure bulletproof fuel tanks.
Result: Eliminates damaged tanks—saves $200.
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630 New method of building carlock risers for life rafts or rubber boats.
Result: Saves one-third of operation time, reduces waste.
632 Improved method of removing tack strips from fuselage and center sections.
Result: Saves 50 percent of removal time, 25 percent rework time.
633 A jig to check rear landing gear lift leg. Result: Saves from 30 to 40 minutes assembly time per ship.
634 Four jigs for installing lock in nose door. Result: Does away with all hand fitting of component parts. Saves at least 30 minutes per assembly.
635 Rudder balance bracket jig.
Result: Saves about 20 minutes of each assembly. No rejects or rework.
637 Jig for setting propeller controls.
Result: Job formerly took two men 30 minutes. Now one man does it in 15 minutes.
638 Shaper jigs to make blocks formerly run on planer.
Result: Time for 100 parts reduced from 24 man-hours to 14 man-hours.
683 Use of a masking solution instead of paper and tape to protect parts in painting operation. Result: Reduces hours required per turret from 25 to 1 and eliminates danger of scratching.
699 Improvement in construction of door frames for bullet seal fuel tanks.
Result: Saves $110,000 annually in labor and material.
I 702 Use of cut-off tools of different designs in turret lathe operations to remove centers from solid round stock where center is ordinarily removed by drilling and boring.
Result: Saves $1,250 in material at one plant.
537648—43-----------2
746 Portable drill jig to drill motor mounts on trusses.
Result: Saves 30 minutes on each main truss, reduces drill breakage, improves safety conditions.
747 Skin trimmer.
Result: Saves 4 hours per plane.
748 Outside exhaust shroud fitting jig.
Result: Saves one man per installation and eliminates rejections.
749 New spider for heat treating center sections. Result: Increased output of heat treated center sections by 300 percent.
750 A hook which permits hanging and unhanging of templates in storage without disturbing other templates when one of certain design is required.
Result: Saves time in distributing templates.
761 Press for inserting bearings and bushings.
Result: Saves 45 minutes per plane.
763 Portable drill jig.
Result: Permits accurate drilling of straight holes through thick material.
764 Dzus fastener tool.
Result: Doesn’t slip, avoids skin scratches.
765 Gage for A. N. bolts, clevis pins, etc.
Result: Facilitates measuring.
766 Fairing tool to “bump out” rivet depressions. Result: Better control, neater job, no finger injuries.
767 Wrench for restrictor valve.
Result: Better control than regular screw driver and does not mar screws.
768 Gun mount post puller.
Result Effective way of removing defective gun mount posts from completed wings.
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914 Development of light-filtering hood to aid in inspection of chrome plating on airplane parts.
Result: Greatly reduces chances of defectively plated parts being installed in airplanes.
915 Tipping with hard-drawn copper certain spot welding arms formerly constructed entirely with bralium.
Result: Increased number of welds per tip from 50 or 60 to several thousands. Saved 200 pounds of copper and reduced man-hours by 75 percent in one plant.
917 Foot-pedal control for a chamfering machine used in press cutting department.
Result: Releases one man for other work.
1022 Fixture for heat treating airplane seat columns.
Result: Triples the capacity of the furnace, releases one man for other work.
1037 Fixture to hold tubing or round stock in process of cutting to length, using metalcutting saw.
Result: Saved more than 300 man-hours per year in one shop.
1049 Simplified method of cutting (breaking) magnesium.
Result: No lost time, material, dust, or filings. No chance of undercutting or ruining the part.
1050 Air-gun clamp to form flanges and radius on circumferentials.
Result: Production increased from 100 to 500 parts an hour—present method 8 times faster.
1051 Adjustable drill bar.
Result: Reduces margin of error to minimum*
1052 Method of holding and locating bellcranks which makes for quicker installation of engine control cable.
Result: Saves time, permits accurate rigging by less experienced mechanics, saves 3 hours per plane.
1053 Special tool for removing and replacing hose connections in intake manifold of airplane motors.
Result: Saves 15 minutes per hose; 4 manhours daily on engine installation.
1055 Cerro matrix tie without use of dowel pins.
Result: Halves the time required for setting proper location points on jig and offers quicker and entirely satisfactory means of fixing points.
1056 Foot-operated sheet-metal air hardness tester.
Result: Lessens fatigue of operator and thereby increases production.
1057 Roll forming tool.
Result: Saves 7.30 hours per day.
1070 Metal forming blade adapter for use on blade of metal brake.
Result: Saves 1,000 hours on 20 jobs as well as $600 in dies.
1107 Improved method of truing up brass elbows used on spark plug conduits for planes.
Result: Production doubled, 921 man- and machine-hours per year saved.
1162 Flaring tools for use in flaring steel tubing with rivet gun instead of using hand punch.
Result: SaVes 100 man-hours, offers less possibility of metal fatigue or hardening. Tool is adaptable to copper and aluminum.
1163 New punch and die with special set-up to blank out mast holes on flap nose sections.
Result: Cuts time on this operation from 30 to 10 minutes per flap nose section. Also eliminates safety hazard.
1164 Special lead balance weight trimming and drilling jigs on ailerons.
Result: Saves 20 mintites per set of leads.
1184 Combination core drill reamer.
Result: Eliminates scoring and scratching of soft metals with hard chips and shavings.
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1185 Machining fixture to line up bosses on steel forged ring mounts.
Result: New trainees can do job. Production increased from 8 to 24 rings in 24-hour period.
1186 Prop feathering stand pipe—brazing stand pipe to casting and welding boss for water drain cock to prevent freezing up of lines. Result: Saved several thousand man hours, solved difficult engineering problem.
1187 Die leveling device.
Result: Now possible to repair and rework three times the number of dies formerly reclaimed.
AVIATION SHORTS
One man increased a marking, cutting, buffing, and cleaning operation tenfold simply by bolting 10
pieces together instead of doing one at a time on baffles for bullet-proof tanks.
Sequence of brake operation placed directly on templates saved time and gave operators confidence, knowing if they followed directions they would not run into trouble.
In constructing large airplane fuel tanks, a suggested method of cutting the tie gum for the corners as one piece saved time and increased production.
In the manufacture of airplane fuel tanks, it was found that guiding or dowel pins could be used to force tank fitting mold to close properly. Previously molds had to be recut because of misplaced cavities.
By utilizing former automobile freight cars, one concern saved many hours and much material in shipping airplane fuel tanks. Use of these cars with their metal corrugated sides equipped with slots eliminated crating and uncrating, thus reducing freight costs.
H
CHEMICALS AND SYNTHETICS-
465 A revision of guides on Day roller mills in the research laboratories used for paint grinding.
Result: Labor savings of $187.50 per year effected.
535 Method of stripping low-quality yarn.
Result: Conservation measure which results in 4,500 pounds of nylon yarn per month being put to military use which otherwise would be cut to waste.
701 Heater regulator for curing life rafts, pontoons, boats, etc.
Result: Outside heater, requires no adjustment before putting boats in heater, maintains inflation of pontoon with minimum of fluctuation, permits curing boats more tightly inflated to preserve shape, requires but one connection to outside, does not mark or discolor boats or pontoons, can be applied to cure of any inflated articles of any shape or size and permits more rapid deflation.
703 Improvement in construction of tool kits used for repair of life rafts in actual service.
Result: Saves 1,000 man-hours per year. Decreases time needed to produce 25 pockets from 8% hours to 7% hours.
975 Improved filtering procedure fully utilizing equipment on hand.
Result: Increases capacity of present equipment 22.5 percent.
976 Tool to remove stuck cones from Foster coning machines.
Result: Formerly 90 percent of cones were tagged for back winding. Now less than 1 percent must be backwound.
977 Proposal to close plug cock a fixed period of time before removal of spinning unit to eliminate extra handling of nylon polymer and to reduce a source of scrap polymer.
Result: Sixty-five percent of the scrap polymer originating in melt pool is now converted to first grade yarn.
1019 Improved procedure in life-belt production.
Result: Saves 350 man-hours per month, reduces percentage of end leaks, requiring repair before belts are passed by inspection from 10 percent of total production to but 1 percent.
1020 Method of prolonging useful life of large airbags for larger tires.
Result: Saves 3 tons of rubber and 100 manhours per month.
1046 Rubber expanding plug for use in leak proof testing for pressures up to 90 pounds per inch.
Result: Valuable plug.
CHEMICAL AND SYNTHETIC SHORTS
One committee reports that the use of an inhibited acid to remove deposits of calcium carbonate from the outer walls of a reaction vessel carrying a continuously flowing film of cooling water will dissolve the scale but leave the metal wall untouched.
Increase in size of the air line to an Oliver filter from % to %-inch pipe. This air line to the filter supplies air to that portion of the filter at which the pigment cake is released from the cloth by means of air pressure from this line. Former line did not furnish enough volume of air to blow off the cake properly, hence the filter cloth would plug up. Twenty percent saving of essential materials noted and 160 man-hours per year.
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ENGINES-
165 Special dowel bolts for proper alignment in 171 assembling intake manifold gasket to cylinder head.
Result: Eliminates leaks and has stopped scrapping of gaskets.
172
166 Special locking plate to hold engine scavenger pump gear while tightening its retaining nut.
Result: More accurate adjustments—saving in production time.	U3
167 Adaptation of standard socket wrench to remove eyebolt nuts without removing rear bearing race. 4 hours of labor saved on repair of this nature, in production or in service.
Result: Quicker method of repair, valuable when used in emergency.
1/b
168 Reversal of feed of Carboloy cutting tool to face and machine a gear.
Result: One tool now used instead of three.
Time required for tool changes saved.
177
169 Regrinding of cutting tool and reversal of feed of Carboloy cutting tools to give slicing or shaving action instead of a gouging one.
Result: Less heat generated and faster feed 179 is permitted.
170 New method of lapping diamond pointed tools used for dressing wheels of thread grinders.
Result: On each lapping, the cutting life of the tool is increased 300 percent at an added cost of 25 cents. In total 18 cutting edges 180 are secured from a single diamond as against its original 2.
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Fixture for holding and spinning cylinder lining while performing polishing action.
Result: Use of fixture saves approximately 1.2 hours per engine.
Elimination of super finish on half the faces of bolt head.
Result: Eight operations in place of 16—50 percent operation time saving.
Pulling device to remove cotter key.
Result: A multiple operation immeasurably simplified.
Fixture to hold gear in place while drill replaces hand chamfering operation for burring.
Result: Saving of four hours per engine.
Alteration of special gage to check four points in one operation on machine surfaces below face of wheel case.
Result: Increased accuracy—operation can now be performed by one less skilled.
Soluble oil solution to replace lard; oil on milling machines.
Result: Saves three drums of oil per week.
Change of assembly of wheel case, gear case,
and supercharger of an aircraft engine by dividing assembly into progressive steps with*-* two to each step and 1 utility man for the^Q
complete job.
Result: Nine men required instead of 14 and*"^
only 2 sets of tools instead of 14.
Drilling operation sufficiently' accurate to permit piloting of counter sinking operation. This process enables operator to perform bor-
ing and reaming operations on the same machine and the part is chucked but once.
Result: Eliminates one operation and frees a machine for other work.
189 A fixture for an operation on a shaft. Instead of holding part between centers to be milled, it is held in a special V-block fixture and has a locating finger with a 60° V which locates on trunnion.
Result: Oil flat comes perfectly true; saves times on truing up part; set-up time cut in half and set-up made easier.
190 Device which prevents chips from getting into pump of Cleveland Gear Hobbers and machine running out of oil.
Result: Pump trouble eliminated. Labor saved as it was previously necessary to clean the pump sometimes as often as eight times a day.
191) | Redesign of adapter on shaft to eliminate necessity of loosening and tightening of four cap screws taking top half of adapter off and on for each piece, cleaning out chips, blowing out split collett indicating each piece.
Result: New device keeps all chips, oil does not get into collett or adapter and cleaning of adapter is eliminated. Increases production from 30 to 32 to 40 or 45 in 8 hours. With this new designing, 5 new adapters will do the same amount of work 8 old ones did.
192 Work support ring for retainer and disk to prevent work from springing away from turret lathe as unsupported parts pass in a facing operation. Support is given at 9 equally spaced points.
Result: Device eliminates second and third cuts and rework and is flexible enough to produce satisfactory work despite fact that parts are warped in heat treat and do not present a flat surface that will permit solid backing.
238 New design holding fixture for grinding form tools. By this holding fixture, the tool can very quickly be set at the proper angle for
grinding with the assurance it will remain indefinitely in that position.
Result: The life of the tool is increased by accurate grinding and machine scrapping of parts is thereby greatly reduced. A saving of 66 percent is realized in the setting-up operation alone.
239 A special bracket to serve as a platform for indicator when checking operating mechanism piston travel when in assembly with engine which eliminates removing the wheel-case-gearcase assembly from the engine in order to check the operating mechanism piston travel.
Result: A reduction of time from 18 hours to one-half hour if adjustments are necessary or 10 minutes if checking is all that is required.
240 Special socket wrench to facilitate the assembly of the cam and rocker bracket, which eliminates the need to turn bolts by hand until a tongue wrench can be applied.
Result: Increased production from 8 pieces per hour per man to 15 pieces per hour per man or a 90 percent increase.
241 Tool to assist in checking the supercharger high and low speed clutch operating mechanism, after assembly with Servo-Cylinder. Result: A 30 percent saving in time besides being a better method of doing the job with no danger of injury to parts.
242 Tool to assist in taking “free period” and “contact” readings on supercharger clutches before Servo-Cylinder is attached. The use of this tool gives the mechanic full control over the movement of these levers without danger of injury to operating levers or to the shaft on which they operate.
Result: Because of greater efficiency, a sav- I ing of 25 percent can be reasonably expected. I
244 A new method to combine two polishing op- | erations on outside of cylinder barrel into one I by using 2 wheels simultaneously with spacer I in between. Suggester later developed a 1 double wheel.
Result: Output was increased by 50 percent I from 64 to 96 pieces per shift by new method. I
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Formerly used 12 single wheels per shift, now use 3 double wheels per shift, due to greater rigidity of double wheel and consequent less wear. Also obtained better finish.
245 Elimination of two operations on fork and blade rods. Connecting rod is held in special fixture. Operation is milling of bosses on pin end. A hollow mill cutter, descending on piece, mills the outside surface and radius at the bottom of boss. Rod is then turned over and same operation performed on other side. Cutter blades are held in head.
Result: Two machines and four men are eliminated, thus effecting an annual saving of $14,000 plus the cost of two machines. There is also some saving of time by eliminating second set-up.
246 Elimination of one operation on cylinder head by having core plug set at same level as cam bracket, thus eliminating the spot facing operation. Both faces must be machined to extreme accuracy and in perfect parallel with bottom face of head.
Result: Spot facing was eliminated, thus saving one radial drill and the time of this operation. More accurate surface on core plug face was obtained through milling than by spot facing.
247 Better method of checking camshaft gears for fit and backlash by a special horizontal fixture comprising four vertical posts fixed in a plate. Result: Under the old method, if backlash was not within tolerance limits, it was necessary to remove the nuts and take the gears out of the assembly. As now measured, an unsatisfactory gear may be quickly replaced and once the set is perfectly matched, they can be assembled on the camshafts and rocker shafts with assurance of the same fit. This change in checking methods has resulted in considerable saving of time.
2481 Different method of machining the outside circumference of the top plate of the cylinder by designing a fixture for an engine lathe which"eliminated the old method of machining on a vertical mill.
Result: Output increased by 60 percent from 40 to 65 pieces per shift and a simple turning tool is used without undue breakage. Finish has been greatly improved, manual labor and costs substantially reduced.
294 Gage for the outside of a flushing machine consisting of a glass tube which better indicates when supply tank is full or empty.
Result: Is a convenience and saves many hours of labor.
295 An improved simplified fixture for making water test on the chamber of the crankcase nose section. Its use requires that only 4 bolts be tightened instead of former 18.
Result: Thirty percent saving in time over old method as 26 crankcase nose sections can now be tested in same time it formerly required for 20.
296 Sleeve for centering the retainer for the tachometer drive shaft oil seal on the shaft and bushing assembly complete for the tachometer drive gear.
Result: Previously parts were aligned by use of a feeler gage which was not always positive. New tool increases production approximately 20 percent.
297 Covers to prevent chip from collecting on slide rails in operation on a front crankcase part.
Result: Previously chips collected, preventing fixture from moving or jamming machine until removed. Device prevents this trouble.
302 Magnetically operated automatic gap setter for aircraft spark plugs. Replaced a feel system which was tedious, eye-straining job, requiring several months to learn.
Result: Eight machines now give output of previous 18. Beginner can learn to operate at once and turn out 800 a day with practically no rejects. Removed a major bottleneck at this plant.
332 Method to remedy trouble caused by extruding dies pulling out of die plates and getting
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under descending punches, causing breakdown on presses for extruding radiator tubes used for cooling airplane motors. It was suggested that underside of die plate be counterbored and a flange be put on outer ring which is part of the die. The ring is thereby securely fastened in die plate so that it is prevented from pulling through.
Result: Based on 6 machines now in operation, annual saving is $5,000 as follows: $3,750 machine shop repairs for 25 smash-ups per year; $1,250 for tools.
366 That portions of circumference of grinding wheel be cut away to enable operator to obtain good clear view of seat while it is being ground.
Result: No longer necessary to guess how deeply to cut. Prevents wasting of stock and saves valuable time.
367 A new fixture to grind the tongue on the shaft for supercharger clutch control valve.
Result: Makes it possible to grind six pieces or more at a time instead of one. Also eliminates necessity of removing fixture and turning it over to grind other side.
368 That 4 additional holes be drilled at center point of slots milled in support shaft centerbearing. Heavy cut of slots for size and mill and tough metal causes mill to walk or climb and results in crooked slot which will not fit mating part.
Result: Time for milling operation reduced from 40 minutes per piece to 6 minutes per piece. Time to drill added 4 holes is approximately 2 minutes.
369 Gear-dual accessory drive—internal drill jig. Former jig used 2 bushings; drill bushing and ream bushing. In new jig, holes are drilled from one side of jig with six pressed drill bushings, which do not have to be removed.
Result: Time saving of 15 percent, and cuts down scrap.
373 A fixture to assure the accuracy of a previous facing operation and the finish grinding of the
wrist pin hole of the connecting rod in parallel with the hole in the crank end.
Result: Eliminated the rejection of 2 percent of connecting rods. Saved $500 a day lost previously. Connecting rod is partly completed at this stage of operation and is costly part of engine.
374 New tool which gives quicker method of polishing internal face of gear.
Result: Increases number of pieces polished approximately 50 percent.
375 A change in the boring tool used on a Potter and Johnson turret lathe for rough boring on inside of cylinder. Designed new tool holder which eliminates trouble of turnings clogging ahead of cutters to point where machine has to be stopped for their removal.
Result: Increase from 7 to 21 pieces machined per shift. 2 machines and 6 operators on 3 shifts are being saved, in addition to cost of extra tools. Annual saving of $18,000 in operators time and 6 men available for other work.
377 A holding fixture to simplify burring of cylinder top plate. Burring formerly done by hand with half round file, operator holding piece in one hand, file in other. With holding fixture, piece can be held and turned, leaving both hands free so operator can do burring of holes and edge of flange at same time.
Result: Operation now performed in %th of time formerly used.
379 Fixtures for alignment of reduction gear bearing races and gear casing. When there was improper fit of reduction gears, formerly necessary to completely disassemble engine.
Result: Saves 212 hours per engine and makes Lucas Boring Mill available for other work.
380 Reversing the set-up for grinding form-cutting tool and using larger dimension grinding wheel. Made simple holding fixture to set up cutting tool in vertical instead of horizontal position, decreasing burning effect of tool.
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With large diameter wheel it requires only one operation per blade.
Result: Saves 70 percent in tool-grinding time and increases life of tool by 50 percent each time ground.
383 Combining two finish facings and reaming operations on hub on one machine.
Result: Made Oster lathe available for other work. Savings in cost of machine $1,950.
481 A lifting fixture to simplify the removal of the carburetor elbow from the supercharger without damage.
Result: Eliminates damage to bushings (formerly 4 or 5 a day). Teardowns and penalty runs eliminated. Saves approximately 100 man-hours per day.
482 A new radius and end mill cutter used in salvage operations on reduction gear bolts. Result: One engine lathe freed for other work; time of operation greatly reduced; perfect finish obtained, eliminating frequent reworking of part. Ten bolts now produced in time formerly required for one.
483 An improved method of slotting small screws used in salvage operations.
Result: Time of operation has been reduced to Xo of that formerly required.
484 A checking device to prove the accuracy of screw bushings before assembly.
Result: The proper fit thus obtained eliminates oil leaks, the necessity of retapping the holes in the aluminum castings to an even greater size, and many damaged bushings. Saves a great amount of time in salvage and corrective operations.
485 A change in the fitting for flushing carburetors to save time in attaching and disconnecting. Result: Saves approximately 50 percent of time formerly required.
486 Replacement of an engine lathe by a circular saw for the removal of centering boss on cylinder barrel.
Result: Saves the cost of three machines and $1,500 per year in tool expense.
487 A change of fixture to simplify control and eliminate lost motion in a drilling operation.
Result: Production increased from 60 pieces per shift to 80.
488 A locking device used on a radial drill to correct faulty design of machine and prevent breakage.
Result: Breakage eliminated.
489 Redesign of a driving dog and arbor to eliminate the necessity of reversing pinion gear in the grinder for second operation.
Result: All five operations now performed without removing the piece from machine. Production increased 37 percent.
490 The employment of trip stops on a milling machine to permit two separate operations on a gear shaft without the removal of the piece or resetting of the machine.
Result: Increased production from 50 to 72 pieces per shift.
494 Combination of two operations into one to save time and eliminate one operation by use of a specially designed form cutter.
Result: The combined operation will produce more accurately at least 6 additional work hours per day. It will also eliminate the use of a large vertical mill making it free for other jobs.
495 Modification of design of crank case nose section making possible a combination of two operations.
Result: Eliminates the use of another machine which would require additional fixtures. Present time for combined operation is less than former time for individual operation.
498 . Improvement on radial and spindle drill operations in ¿the manufacture of aeronautical crankcases.
Result: Saving in production time.
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667 Fixture to check accuracy of machine spindles and run them in after replacement of bearings and prior to their use in machines.
Result: Saves 60 to 120 hours of production time per week on 30 spindles.
668 Box to segregate and hold chills used in making cores.
Result: Increased production on wheel case cores per man from 13 per 10-hour shift to 20 per 10-hour shift.
669 Substitution of natural gas and compressed air for acetylene and oxygen in preheating aluminum prior to welding castings.
Result: Saves time and critical materials.
670 Simplification of turning operations on outer surfaces of a stepped oil and water pump drive shaft and a saving of set-up time by replacing turning tools with form tools.
Result: Increases production nearly 100 percent.
671 Substitution of Ross wheel dresser diamonds to dress crankshaft grinding wheels.
Result: Saves approximately 36,800 on this operation.
672 Index chart to eliminate necessity of locating each bolt hole when fitting a new reduction gear casing to an old crankcase upper half as a salvage operation.
Result: Time to perform operation reduced from 2 hours to 15 minutes.
673 Adjustable collar used on shank of tool post of automatic checking machine to set and retain cutting tools in proper position.
Result: Tool post held in fixed position— constant adjustments eliminated.
674 Method of measuring a gear-cutting hob to insure correct pitch diameter on gear without taking trial cut.
Result: Saves 1 hour per day per machine.
675 Fixture to facilitate impregnation of porous casting where leakage occurs through stud and bolt holes.
Result: Reduces set-up time immeasurably.
676 Fixture to simplify testing of oil tubes and to eliminate damage to nut and ferrule connection.
Result: Possibility of stripping threads is eliminated and connection can be made in half the time formerly used.
739 Reclamation of old reamers for use as pilot reamers on Diesel engine part.
Result: Reduces tool cost.
756 Elimination of plating operation and substitution of one coat of special cement for two coats of former cement in production of ignition wire sleeves for aircraft engine.
Result: Saves 500 pounds of brass a year, 704 man-hours a month, and eliminates loss of inserts in plating tanks.
808 Combination screw driver and socket wrench for attaching wires under head of bolt, which passes through fiber strip for insulation and is fastened by washer and nut on opposite side. Result: Enables women to do this work easily, reduces time required for operation, and eliminates possibility of damage to fiber block in a vise.
818 A quick method of stopping large grinding wheels by introducing reverse current into driving motor.
Result: Decreases time for stopping wheel from 3 minutes to 7 seconds; totaled 311,000 of savings in time at one plant.
819 Simple and quick method of checking extent of stellite coating on exhaust valve seats. Result: Protects hands of women workers, cuts time of inspection check in half.
820 Improved positive acting bushing driver which diminishes damage to threads in aluminum castings and eliminates constant repair resulting from sheared and jammed pins in type formerly used.
Result: Eliminates many hours of repair work on part of toolmaker.
821 Replacing standard drills with oil drill permits drilling and turning operations on marine
18
engine bearing spacers to be done simultaneously.
Result: Production increased 100 percent, finish of holes improved, and oil drill needs sharpening less frequently.
822 Special stop on milling machine to permit two keyways on stepped gearshaft to be cut without removing shaft or changing machine setup.
Result: Production doubled.
823 Method of distinguishing between oil and coolant leaks on liquid cooled aircraft engine.
Result: Saves time and this test can be used on any liquid-cooled engine using this type of coolant.
824 Change in methods of machining supercharger clutch plate flange of airplane engine to obtain better finish and more than double production.
Result: Production increased from 35 pieces per shift to 80 pieces per shift; finish improved so that scrap on grinders eliminated.
825 Boring camshaft bearings with diamond tools to facilitate accuracy.
Result: Production increase of 300 percent from two to six bearings per hour. Diamond tools do not need attention as frequently as carboloy tools.
826 Fixture to crimp water jacket seams and replace former method of hand hammering over wood block form.
Result: Frees six out of seven sheet metal men for other vital work and reduces number of scrapped parts.
827 Method of insuring adequate tightening and maximum use of material of connecting rod bolts by stretching them approximately to or beyond their elastic limit; also of obtaining uniform tightness on all bolts by measuring amount of stretch.
Result: Engine failure because of broken rod eliminated. Method adaptable to air cooled as well as liquid cooled aircraft engines.
1080 Form tool for turning a diameter and a radius on camshaft gear simultaneously.
Result: Production increased from 56 to 80 pieces per shift, and finish improved.
1081 Change of boring and radius forming operations on pinion drive shafts from screw machines to drill presses.
Result: Production increased from 30 shafts per shift to 70, and finish improved.
1082 Fixture to check accuracy of torque wrenches. Result: Exact tightness of bolts and studs in engines vitally important; this checking device therefore valuable.
1083 Method of reclaiming cardboard parts boxes. Result: Salvaged 1,500 out of 2,500 boxes scrapped daily.
1084 Centering block used to quickly and accurately set a tool bit in automatic screw machine.
Result: Accurate centering can now be accomplished in 1 to 2 minutes.
1085 New method of grinding external splines using one-cut system.
Result: Production increased from 100 to 300 percent; wheels are dressed but once per six or eight pieces compared to at least once per piece previously.
1086 An arbor to facilitate burring of lockplates. Result: Forty can now be burred in little more time than it previously took to burr one.
1087 Trip stops added to milling machine used on cylinder blocks.
Result: Production increased from 55 to 75 blocks per shift.
1088 Special driving dog to facilitate grinding of gear shafts.
Result: Production increased from 25 to 50 pieces per shift and former repairs eliminated.
1089 Indicator gage mounted on head of grinding machine equipped with hydraulic feed so as
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to enable operator to correctly measure depth of grind without stopping machine.
Result: Increased production from 7 to 20 gears per hour and reduced scrap.
1172 Air valve on moulding machine.
Result: Has been applied to approximately 35 sand moulding machines with uniform success and has eliminated lost production incident to frequent renewals of old type valve.
1191 Plating racks for gears to facilitate handling in solution.
Result: Time for handling cut 50 percent.
1192 Double spline diameters ground in place of one.
Result: Saves 3,245 hours annually.
1193 Rubber mask for plated end of cluster gears for use when flash is stripped from pinion gear after copper plating.
Result: Former method of wrapping required 1% man-hours per release for the six releases or 9 hours per day. Now six releases require only 3 man-hours per day.
1194 Hardening rack for certain part.
Result: Production capacity of hardening furnaces increased 108 percent. Good basic design for other type racks.
1195 New improved arbor for portable handy grinders.
Result: Saves time and almost $1,000 worth of material.
1196 Redesign of oil seal for Newark Gear Hobbers.
Result: Saves $500 yearly on nine machines and 1,460 gallons of lubricating oil.
1197 Redesigned carburizing fixture for three parts.
Result: 25 percent increase in production and saving of man-hours.
1198 Stamping die blocks for certain parts to replace hand stamping methods.
Result: Saves 3,311 hours annually on two parts.
1226 Holding block to assist in measurement of small gears.
Result: Reduces time for measuring one gear from 5 minutes to one-half a minute.
1227 Elimination of roughing operation on an engine gear extension.
Result: Production increased from 12 to 20 pieces per shift.
1228 Specially designed adjustable spring head-stock center in conjunction with indicator gage to locate tapered surface of engine camshaft.
Result: Assures accurate grinding.
1230 Salvaging no go thread plug gages by grinding off worn threads.
Result: Salvaging 50 gages per week at cost of $1. Original cost is $14.
1231 Form tool to speed production of steel plug.
Result: Releases one machine for other work, doubles production, improves finish.
1232 Improved method of grinding I. D. of a splined hole in drive gear so it retains proper relationship with root diameter.
Result: Reduced from 60 to 2 percent numbers of finished parts requiring reworking. 600 hours of corrective labor per month saved.
1233 Use of “dark light” to detect cracks and defective brazing in carboloy tipped tool bits. Result: Saves grinding time spent on defective tools.
1234 Form tool to face ends, and taper surfaces, and finish cut central groove on reverse gear clutch cone of marine engine.
Result: Saves 8.7 hours of machining time per day.
ENGINE SHORT
A water test fixture to be used on all water testing of super-charger fronts to act as a turntable and to take the place of a chain hoist in the inspection of engines in the crankcase department. This elimi-l nates the danger of turning castings over while inspecting for leaks.
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MINING
201 Tool with a 1%-inch offset handle, made of a small piece of %-inch plate with a %-inch pipe handle, to replace stick or hammer handle used by various trippers.
Result: Prevents hand injuries.
202 A simple clamp for adjustment to pair of cables from which grappling hooks are suspended in unloading timber to handle varying lengths of timber which require changes in lengths of cables.
Result: Saving of time in operation—3 to 5 minutes saved at each change. Clamp made of materials at hand.
855 New rope-operated device to replace electrical device for signaling between working face of mine chamber and discharge end of shaker chute coal loading machine.
Result: Saves critical material, removes safety hazard, gives quicker method of signaling.
1223 Belt conveyor changes in roaster plant.
Result: Saves critical material for other uses.
MINING SHORTS
Overloaded rabble arms caused by wet ore were relieved at one smelter by cutting a hole in the outer rim of the top hearth.
One miner suggested that bolts and nuts could be reclaimed by rethreading and retapping. The idea spread and a great deal of various types of salvageable material was reclaimed.
At one mine, the addition of leaded rectangular rods on top of 6 by 8 inch posts on common walls of leaching tanks saved a great number of posts which used to break when the rods were eaten through by acid or rust.
Substitution of hardwood scrapers for iron scrapers on filters prevented wear on blanket and wire at one mine.
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MISCELLANEOUS
116 Work schedule which enables plant to operate 24 hours per day 7 days per week with provision for time off for relaxation."
Result: Solution of transportation problem —satisfactory wage scale.
118	Multiple-legged compass to provide rapid
mechanical means of drawing elliptical figures. Result: Device useful in many branches of industry.
136 Photographing of job set-ups for less-skilled workers unable to read blue prints.
Result: Saves man-hours formerly needed for making set-ups—50 percent.
150 Special fitting for loading grease guns from grease barrels, which eliminates waste of grease and saves time.
Result: More efficient and less wasteful than old methods.
152 Program for training women to replace male workers where jobs are vacant and no male replacements available.
Result: Helpful in labor-shortage situation.
155 Program utilizing knowledge and experience of senior employees to assist foreman in training new employees.
Result: Lightens the load on supervision.
187 That standard snap gages be cut in half and mounted so that go and no go ends would be side by side. Previously go and no go ends were at opposite poles of gage.
Result: Adopted in plant and estimated savings is 0.02 minute each time gage is used.
220 Multiple torch arrangement for brazing tool tips to tool shanks. Device uses three torches which play equally on tool tips to give even brazing of carbide tips to tool shank. From the source of supply, the fuel passes through regulators to snap-off valve, then to manifold pipes, escapes through needle valves and then to blowpipes, where it is mixed. It feeds all three torches.
Result: This method replaces that of doing tool tip brazing by hand torch and electric furnace, which caused scale. Production of shells suffered because of tool tips breaking due to poor brazing. New method adopted and proven most successful.
229 Repair of broken squeezers for squeezing rivets.
Result: Can replace broken shafts without damage to head of tool.
252 Safety device on all electric hoists for prevention of accidents.
Result: The addition of the safety guard not only strengthens the rollers from spreading, but also stops the fall of the hoist if the pressure is still too great, resting on the rail holding up the hoist until repairs can be made.
284 That cut-off tools for Cone Automatics be ground with a double cutting edge, thus doubling the life of the tool.
Result: Grind can be used on 50 percent of their cut-off tools; therefore total consumption of cut-off tools is reduced by 25 percent.
285 A set of spacers for Roto-Mill cutters, smaller in diameter than the previous ones, to permit the cutters to be re-cut two additional times. Result: Doubles the life of cutters.
22
286 Reclaiming cement from used adhesive tape to hold masking template in painting insignia and letters on Army aircraft.
Result: Template adheres to surface at the edges and makes possible a workmanlike painting job. Saves time over old method.
329 Fork type hook tool for bending copper tubing with fittings into different bends.
Result: Does not slip when man is pulling tube around fixture. Eliminates soreness of fingers. Increases production 50 to 60 percent.
330 Ingenious method for separating and sorting random lengths of tubing.
Result: Increased production 55 percent. Could be used anywhere random lengths of stock need to be separated.
335 Guard for large tank press, consisting of a trigger operated gate which is pulled down into a cocked position, thus operating a limit switch, which permits operation of press. When the press has returned to its uppermost position, trigger is released and gate raised by counterweights.
Result: Protects the operator from the press. Design of gate and operating mechanism is such that normal operating switches could be dispensed with, thus utilizing the gate as the press control.
378 That a plastic guard be added to micrometers to serve as a protection against rough handling or dropping on hard surface.
Result: Prevents damage to barrel or thimble of micrometer and maintains accuracy of reading. Micrometers widely used and difficult to obtain so suggestion is timely.
440 A stop for parts having five bends at various angles and degrees. Can be used on many bending jobs. Formerly a pin was inserted and removed from five different holes. The suggestion makes it possible to place the part into a set hole and by turning to the desired angle, necessary bends can be made. Result: Increases production 5 percent.
441 Spring to pull open a book die door. Frees one hand to handle stock.
Result: 2 percent production increase.
479 A formula for improving operations in the etching room in connection with the production of printing on material.
Result: Saving in spoilage of prints. Total yearly savings amount to $1,092.
723 Reversing thread and punching operations on automatic screw machines on card brush clamping screw on tabulator by designing new cam.
Result: Saves scrap—$1,168.44 per year.
727 Rack to mea’sure gauze strips—can be applied to all types of narrow fabrics where large quantities of the same length and width strips are required and where automatic equipment is not available.
Result: Increased production from 700 cut strips per hour to 6,000.
735 Method of salvaging Monel wire.
Result: Saved 15 pounds of wire previously scrapped, means few replacements of screen per year.
736 Droplight, extension cord, and portable electric tool tester.
Result: Simplifies work of checking extension lights, droplights, extension cords, and electric tools.
744 Rearrangement of operations in manufacture of card index cabinets.
Result: Saves 1,200 man-hours per year.
745 Elimination of intermembering plate on all horizontal sectional filing equipment.
Result: Saves 30,300 man-hours and 6,500 pounds of steel per year.
759 Quick clamp for all machines.
Result: Saves time taken tightening nut with wrench and cuts down fatigue of operators.
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802 More efficient handling of dies on truck.
Result: Eliminates possibility of accident and injury; also saves time.
813 That all steel pipe flanges of the four-bolt size be made square instead of round.
Result: Saves 40 percent of steel formerly used.
856 Fixture used for grinding and polishing toggle and crank pitmans on horizontal heading machines.
Result: Reduced time for finishing knuckle bearings from 3 hours to 30 minutes.
905 Collet chuck for studs.
Result: Saves chucking t;ime and prevents battering of threads already turned.
1026 Set of four combination roller and casters for moving machines.
Result: Saves time and is safer.
1032 Jack for lining joints for welding.
Result: Gives quick alignment of heavy pipe, saves time, makes job easier.
1044 Method of signaling for welder’s helper when welding fixtures are to be loaded in welding booth.
Result: Prevents loss of operator’s time.
1064 Master block for use in setting Swedish bore gages.
Result: Excellent means for adjusting hardened blocks for grinding to a true bore after some wear has occurred.
1071 Salvage of steel straps which bind various stocks of wirebars, billets, cut cathodes, etc., during transit.
Result: One length of strap can be used three times—saved almost $1,000 in 10 months at one plant.
1101 Device for cutting three pieces of wire solder in one operation.
Result: Time required to cut solder reduced 67 percent and 1,703 man-hours per year saved.
1105 Device to relieve strain on operators’ fingers when inspecting grommets.
Result: Relieves strain and doubled inspection output. Estimated 6856 man-hours per year.
1106 Method of facilitating inspection of nuts— three separate improvements.
Result: Saves 29,472 man-hours per year.
1188 Automatic stop for progressive dies.
Result: Press is stopped if strip stock deflects and touches contact bars or if plunger does not pass through die-cut hole in strip and is forced down upon contact lever.
1224 Improvement in refacing gages and gate seats of worn acid valves.
Result: Eliminates purchase of new valves, saves time required to send valves to factory for repairs.
MISCELLANEOUS SHORTS
Here’s a new method of cleaning oil-covered castings. Use two tanks—one filled with hot soda compound for dipping the castings, and the other filled with hot water for rinsing. This saves time over old method of blowing and trying to wipe out oil and chips; gives a cleaner casting, removes danger of chips getting in eyes of operators.
The materials department should keep the engineering department up to date on the changing critical materials situation in order to prevent use of same in new developments.
When two Woodruff keyways are to be cut in the same shaft, make them of the same size and in the same plane so as to obviate necessity of changing cutters and resetting shaft on milling machine.
Installation of guide lugs clamped a large honing machine table to guide the cylinder on to jig pins when being lowered by the crane saved time and was safer for honing machine operator at one plant.
Wherever possible one shop substituted pipe for rubber air hose thereby reducing the total amount of hose needed and eliminating the replacement of damaged or worn hose.
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Two hundred^and fifty dollars was saved at^one plant as a result of a suggestion that 25 watt light bulbs be used instead of 50-watt bulbs. Be sure that there is still ample light by which to work however.
A simple suggestion that scotch tape be used to cover process tags keeps them clean and makes them easy to read.
One plant reports time saving by paying off men at their machines.
A priority system for plant-maintenance crews insures that most important things will be repaired first.
The suggestion that each operator of a diamond tool keep the tool on a specific job until it wears out added to the life of tools at one plant.
Suggestions for the employment of women’s counselors are meeting favor all over the country.
If you have to stencil shipping information, etc., on parts, etc., don’t bother stenciling it on boards first, just put it on directly. That obvious suggestion at one plant saved 36,000 square feet of lumber in 60 days.
To repair snap gages, weld them with stellite first on one side and then the other.
A listing service for advertising tools and instruments got a lot of otherwise unused tools into circulation at one plant.
At one plant it was found helpful for a sample of all pieces of work done on screw machines, about 1 inch of stock on end of finished product, to bfe held in chuck or collet for next set-up. It gave the operator a definite size to which to set his tools and stops.
Using small carts capable of carrying 300 pounds relieved the necessity of two men carrying boxes of parts back and forth and saved 300 hours in one shop.
A suggestion that only 20 to 30 percent of reels or coils of flat, round, and square bare wire be checked on the hardness testing machine instead of all reels or coils saved thousands of pounds of copper in one shop.
I	One plant salvaged 50 pounds of solder in 6 weeks by I placing boxes at the benches of workers who were I tinning and lugging wires to save drippings.
537648—43-----------4
One plant reported that the life of electrodes could be increased by silver soldering discarded worn down ones of the same type together.
To relieve a very congested area in the frame shop, a change in location was suggested of the oxygraph. (From the present frame shop to a location in the steel plant storage area under an existing over-head handling equipment.)
Providing blacksmith with an indicator in order to permit him to check drive shafts to be straightened saves much handling and restraightening.
In the Engineering Department, a file, cross indexed by part names, found to be of assistance to detailer. Before he designs a new part he can consult the file and use, if possible, an existing part or casting.
To save time in moving material, it was suggested that one of the shop industrial trucks be assigned to stock chasers exclusively and that this truck be so marked.
Man hours are saved and unnecessary scrappage eliminated by a control card to keep succeeding machine operators informed as to status of set-up in operation of milling machines.
It was suggested that many jigs and dies could be made from copper tubing lengths otherwise scrapped. Metal in broken down shot and grit, previously lost, reclaimed with large magnet. Savings worthwhile. One man appointed to service all machine tools with oil instead of each operator serving his own proved efficient in one shop.
It was suggested that all company men who have completed first-aid course be identified with some sort of button and/or a list of their names be published on company bulletin boards. Also that first-aid kits be placed in convenient places throughout the shop. This makes assistance readily available and keeps all employees informed as to the identity of first-aiders.
Appointment of safety deputies on each shift for specific departments—a precaution which lessens danger of injury when employees have had little or no machine shop experience.
A more effective control of tools in a manufacturing operation. Provides that tools required for each operator be kept in one box supplied on one check and so returned to tool crib. Set of sleeves provided for each drill prevents loss of time from production.
25
A substantial increase in production and 10 percent elimination of scrap has resulted from raising 6 inches a machine used to trim flash on gun clips after forge. This is due to the fact that operator is not in cramped position, hence more efficient.
Air used to clear the chips out of Timken tubes on boring operation. A valve is installed at end of boring bar, the oil pressure shut-off and the air
forced through the bar and back reamer. By revolving the tube, air forces the chips through and tube is cleared.
By increasing the height of baskets used to hold chips in heat treat unit, 18 percent increase in production has resulted. Formerly baskets were so small as to allow chips to spill out in transportation to draw furnace.
26
•ORDNANCE
114 Fly cutter capable of producing rack teeth with increased speed and unusually close tolerance.
Result: Now in use and proving very satisfactory.
119 Suggestion to rough and finish turn fuse bodies by using a stub arbor and live center tail stock with tang-driven fixture.
Result: Increased production 31 percent— eliminating three machines and 1 operator per shift.
127 It was suggested that on a reaming operation on the trip of the Thompson submachine gun the working area be rearranged so as to eliminate extra hand and arm motions and attachment supplied for foot operation of spindle. Result: Has increased production on this item as well as making the operation less fatiguing.
130 Special grinding wheel adapter which facilitates the use of very small internal grinding wheels with ultra high-speed grinding spindles.
Result: Increases worker’s effectiveness.
131 Special internal grinding spindle wheel adapters to reduce number of adapters used and provide a quicker method of attaching to the nose of the machine spindle.
Result: Effects saving of time and changing set-ups.
132 Precision screw adjustment adapted to vertical column of dial indicator gages to provide rapid means of obtaining fine adjustments.
Result: Eliminates damage to a delicate and valuable instrument.
133.	A series of test arbors for a portable testing fixture for testing concentricity of internally ground parts.
Result: Saves breakage and wear on precision plug gages.
148 Adaption of tooth form of metal-cutting saw having a 22 percent rake angle and a special side clearance grind to the production of tank parts.
Result: Reduces time of saw cut from 7 or 8 minutes to 10 seconds—no breakage.
156 Special fixture for machining 57 mm. recoil parts.
Result: Saves 260 hours per year, $300 in immediate labor costs and machine time.
158 New tool for milling breechblock.
Result: Increased production 500 percent.
203 Simple portable grinding device to smoothly grind and blend steel barrels with riveted brass end flange.
Result: Saves 2,500 man-hours per year plus advantage of using unskilled labor rather than relatively scarce skilled labor.
204 New method which reduces machining and fit-up time on Diesel engine split air starting cams.
Result: A saving of 8 hours per cam is realized by this new method which over a period of 1 year will amount to better than 3,100 man-hours.
205 New method of milling torpedo tube T guide used for main spoon.
Result: Forty-eight guides now machined in 8 hours instead of 8. At least 1,500 man
27
hours saved. Crane time eliminated not figured in man-hour saving.
209 Adjustable pilot for countersink. It is threaded, allowing adjustment for wear.
Result: Adjustable pilot countersink can be used considerably longer than solid countersink.
210 Improved method of machining radius on torpedo tube rollers.
Result: Saves approximately 260 man-hours per year and enables the plant to use a small engine lathe.
228 Tank support bracket parts were made originally by welding the inside and the outside of the joint and then grinding the outside weld flat so that bracket would fit against the mating part. Suggestion to omit the outside weld and grinding operation as inside weld would be sufficient.
Result: Time saved.
236 Revolving dressing tool for forming emery wheel which grinds tools, cutting the crimping groove on 90 mm. shells.
Result: Increased grinding operation from 1 to 3 or 4 tools per hour. Quality very good.
250 An improved method for making steam coils used in plating and Houghto-Black equipment, which are used in production of tank shoes, tank shoe pins, carbine parts, and other war products.
Result: Reduces coil making time by 80 percent; releases expert welder for other war work, as less experienced operator can do the job with the new method; down time for repairs greatly reduced as replacements are made in shorter time.
251 A method for changing from a milling operation to a hand-grinding operation on a shoulder rest piece on the Oerlikon shoulder rest assembly.
Result: Saved 425 man-hours per month— released a milling machine and a grinder.
255 New method of drilling cotter key holes on connecting rods. This method provides for one man to operate two spindles on a four-spindle sensitive drill press by tying handles together with a bar.
Result: It is estimated that this will effect a savings of 4,000 man-hours in a year.
257 By building up a continuous supply of parts to be drilled, reamed and chamfered, and changing the method of machining so that one hole could be drilled and another reamed at the same time, the loss of time caused by waiting for the tools to cut is eliminated. This operation is performed on a three-spindle, power fed, multiple head drill press. Result: Three thousand man-hours saved per year.
261 Wrench for applying nose to mandrel, replacing old method which was bolting clamp on nose.
Result: Eight percent increased production on this operation.
262 A device to facilitate inspection of shell. A shell holder, equipped with ball casters instead of rollers. Allows shell to be moved along conveyor, as well as rolled around, and to be inspected all over.
Result: Device now in use. Found to be very good. Speeds up handling of shell on conveyor belt and renders inspection easy.
263 A device to be used in removing copper bands from shell.
Result: Speedier operation, stepping up production from 20 to 50 per hour.
265 Combination of two operations in the manufacture of various types of milling cutters, by designing a single-gash cutter which does in one operation what two gash cutters previously did.
Result: Man-hour saving of 4,197.4 in 1 year.
304 Hand lever and automatic releasing device attached to a Logan air press. Eliminates necessity of operator having to apply foot pressure to foot pedal of press, hold pedal
28
and watch gage until required pressure is reached in air cylinder of press.
Result: Device tested and adopted. Has improved working conditions for press operators and doubled output of press.
328 Improved type burr-removing tool for bandfinishing operation in 37 mm. M74 projectile production.
Result: Better tool.
331 Device to eject loose shells on reducing press dial. Loose shells, if not checked, previously could break dies or injure dial.
Result: One operator can now take care of two machines instead of one. Eight operators were eliminated in three shifts. Annual saving of $18,000. Also reduction in down time, therefore increase in production and saving in tools.
338 Grinding operation on receiver body of 20 mm. gun. Suggested the use of parallel blocks instead of fixture used on Blanchard grinder.
Result: Formerly could grind only 2 pieces at a time—averaging 30 pieces in 9 hours. Now grind 4 pieces at a time—between 70 and 80 pieces in 10 hours. Reduced settingup time from 2 to 3 hours to % hour.
387 Fixture for National Acme grinder. Taps now machine ground instead of by hand.
Result: Lead of tap more uniform; thread of better quality; scrap eliminated and life of taps prolonged.
388 An adapter for grinding convex lead on collapsible tap chaser.
Result: This adapter eliminated approximately 20 percent of rework and scrap, besides obtaining uniform grind on chaser by eliminating tap breakage.
391 Purchasing metal gilding band with one-thirty-second-inch wall thickness reduces cost of gilding band. Former specifications supplied one-sixteenth inch too much stock for finish turn after pressed on shell.
Result: Has resulted in a saving of 27,700 pounds of copper.
401 Gage to overcome problem of maintaining correct finished weight of machined 155 mm. shell. Cavity is controlling factor in loss or gain in weight. Gage weighs the hole, making possible maintenance of finished weight. Result: Three gages now in use to check total production 24 hours per day, 6 days a week. Gages durable and easy to handle. Saved $26,624 for inspection and “hospital” labor. Reduced scrap charge to material account 50 percent.
451 Pertains to modification of grinding, especially a change in relief or clearance angles on 28-inch diameter high speed segmental type 96-tooth cold saws used in cutting parts, 3% inches round corners square billet steel for 90 mm. shell forgings.
Result: Has increased blade life 4,190 cuts and has further resulted in an increase of 260 percent in the number of cuts per grind.
459 A method of forming the recess in a gun part. Result: Ten minutes now required on this job as against 29.50 formerly. Savings per piece, 19.50 minutes. Finish superior in quality and breakage of tool bits practically eliminated.
480 A special arbor for polishing various types of work. Arbor consists of a special steel core covered by a wall of sponge, over which is attached, by adhesive tape, emery cloth of correct abrasive properties.
Result: One-third to one-half time saved over filing and polishing by hand. Estimated annual gross savings of $3,000.
500 Improved grinder which has facilitated production, reduced scrap, and released valuable skilled labor for other work.
Result: Saves time of about three men per year per machine.
505 A tap holder for use on radial drills to tap plunger holes in breech rings by machine instead of by hand.
29
Result: Tighter and better threads obtained, work lightened for operator, saves 1% manhours per day and has increased production 15 percent.
506 Design for tool holder for vertical slotter and a tool that permits more secure set-up. Replaces design requiring a great amount of grinding time.
Result: Saves high-speed steel. Ten percent increase in production.
507 New forming tools to machine the extractor plugs for 75 mm. gun part. Plugs were being planed with round-nosed tool and sized by a sample plug used as a template. Plugs were made in bar length and then cut. By new method, one bar 5 feet long can be finished in about 2% hours.
Result: Five hundred percent gain in production. Savings of 3 man-hours per day. Two machines released for other production.
510 Two milling operations done with same cutter and same general set-up to save time used in taking piece off one machine and putting it on another in the manufacture of firing pin guides.
Result: Thirty percent increase in production; savings of 3 man-hours per day; releases one machine for other use.
512 Six extra holes drilled in a fixture used for checking and grinding all surfaces showing warpage in a breech block operation.
Result: Seven blocks can now be ground at a time instead of three.
513 Combination of manufacturing operations in the manufacture of breech rings.
Result: Thirty percent increase in production; saves 3 man-hours per day; releases one machine for other use; saves trucking and setting-up time and does a better job.
514 Conservation of lard oil on machine operation.
Result: Estimated savings, 25 gallons of lard oil per day.
516 A change in the method of manufacturing sears (gun locks).
Result: Eliminates one entire operation. Increased production by 150 percent and released six critical machines for other work.
517 A change in the process of machining stops and the design of form tools to transfer the operation from lathe to screw machine.
Result: Two operations serve where formerly six were necessary.
518 A new method of making the sears for 75 mm. guns.
Result: One man and one machine replace four men and four machines.
520 A gage to determine the amount of stock to leave for machining on the profiler when drilling and reaming the work hole. Refers to right- and left-hand extractors.
Result: Eliminates guess work; 15 percent gain in production; 1% hours per day saved; assures accuracy and thus improves quality.
523 Combining of cut off operation on milling machine with chamfer end operation on lathe on Foster machine.
Result: Eliminates one operation and releases lathe and milling machines for other work.
524 A design for fixture (back rest) to machine one-half-inch hole in spline shaft in the Foster machine instead of on lathe.
Result: Eliminates necessity of changing six different tools or using new turret heads.
525 Transferring an operation to a Blanchard grinder and design of a fixture which permits grinding 100 pieces at a time instead of 1.
Result: New fixture low in cost. Obvious production increase.
526 Change in sequence of operations in the manufacture of part-support B-163352. It was suggested that operation “40” (sawing) follow other operations, to prevent unnecessary filing and handling and save time placing block on magnetic chuck.
30
Result: Blocks sized correctly in half the time.
527 On an operation to rough and finish mill recess between ears, by milling one-half inch radius, the usual procedure is to take two cuts with the finish cutter, both cuts averaging 0.030 each. By making a gage to be attached to the fixture to determine how far to go on the finish cutter, it is possible to finish with one cut, saving 30 minutes on each ring. Result: Thirty percent gain in production; 3 man-hours saved per day.
528 Improvement on a fixture in a thirty-six-inch Bullard operation. A breech ring fixture on which is a cast iron oblong ring with 8 screws, 4 that fasten the ring down and 4 in the fixture itself. Having all screws in the fixture prevents loosening of screws in cutting operation and enables the operator to put on and take off ring in much less time.
Result: Fifteen percent gain in production.
530 Reducing pilot dimension on finishing broach.,’ enables operator to get his pieces on and lined up before broaching after heat treatment of part (Crank).
Result: Increases production 30 percent; saves three man-hours per day and lightens work of operator.
531 Reducing set-up time by use of cutter set blocks on three separate milling operations. Result: 15 percent increase in production; 1% man-hours saved per day.
532 Blending and polishing threads and shoulders of 75 mm. gun tubes on a lathe instead of by hand.
Result: 30 percent increase in production; ten hours saved per day; eliminates one operation; releases a man for other work; makes a smoother job and reduces costs.
533 Improvement in an operation on a duplex miller in manufacture of breech rings. Suggestion provides that ends of clamp irons on the fixture be notched, so that they can be made to slide under the nut on either end
of fixture after nut is loosened instead of taking nut off after every operation.
Result: 20 percent increase in production; saves 2 man-hours per day; lightens work of operator.
539 Forging die to forge the Lever Trip on 57 mm. guns in one piece. Eliminates welding and milling operations.
Result: Effected an increase of 2,242 production hours in welding and milling machine time.
540 Use of flat-head screw of brass composition in the manufacture of 57 mm. gun carriage. Result: Releases stainless steel for other uses; reduction in cost.
553 Changing a drill jig to drill six parts on Turret Basket Bottom at a time, by laying them on top of one another and clamping down.
Result: Increased production from 17 to 60 pieces per day.
583 Redesign of piping on Bonderizing Machine to eliminate sediment in nozzles. Eliminates Sunday cleaning job for four men. Result: Eliminates work stoppage.
619 Special machine which holds eight pieces (spanner wrench in tracer igniter body) horizontally in collets revolving in one head, drilling two holes at same time.
Result: Increased production 200 percent and saved 8,070 man-hours.
620 Replacement of hand tool with air method of removing part from die.
Result: Increased production 85 percent and saved 266 man-hours.
621 New method for blanking pieces staggered in strip on plate part.
Result: Saves 17 percent material.
622 Repair of grinder blades by welding new carboloy inserts.
Result: Saves 60 percent cost of new blades and 1,500 man-hours.
31
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Socket to hold shot body during lacquer-spray operation.
Result: Increased production 20 percent, saved 700 man-hours.
Cams for automatic screw machine and magazine feed used in reaming sleeves.
Result: Production increased 33 percent.
Saves 250 man-hours.
Multiple jig to mill two pieces at a time.
Result: 26 percent increase in production.
Method of holding irregular pieces of steel for machining.
Result: Eliminates building and setting up of jigs.
Improved inside diameter pin gage.
Result: Provides adjustment points which stay in position while in use and which are replaceable.
Change from rivet hammer opreation to heat reduction operation for rivet of stud in small cams.
Result: 100 percent savings in material.
Fixture to retap small nuts.
Result: Eliminates scrap.
Snap pin, threaded lock ring arbor used in grinding and thread mill on bronze castings for 3-inch 23-caliber gun.
Result: Eliminates scrap resulting from previous fixture. Gives 100 percent quality production.
Radius scraper and burring tool.
Result: Saved almost $5500 in one plant in limited use.
Combination turning tool to eliminate grinding operation on lever on 3-inch gun.
Result: Saves 4 hours on each 100 pieces.
New drill bushing for No. 9 drill used on ring for 57 mm. gun, increasing size of hole for tapping from 0.190 to 0.196.
Result: Increases production, saves 150 manhours, reduces tool cost, eliminates time spent removing broken taps, improves quality.
740 That cap used on 57 mm. gun carriage be made from forging instead of machined from round stock on automatic screw machines.
Result: Saves 8 pounds of stock per piece, or $55,039.20 worth, and 1,918 productive manhours per year. Cost of forging die was $5600.
741 That bushing for 57 mm. gun carriage be made from steel-backed bronze instead of 3% inch round phosphor bronze stock
Result: Saves 40,000 pounds of phosphor bronze, reducing material cost 318,400.80.
807 New method of removing broken taps and drills from bronze and aluminum castings.
Result: Excellent method for accomplishing purpose.
828 Rearrangement of operations of weighing, stamping, and gaging 20 mm. shot.
Result: Releases one operator for other work; saves approximately 5,000 man-hours at one plant.
833 Box to hold tracer igniter bodies while drying and being transported to inspection department.
Result: Saves 950 man-hours per year.
836 Improvement in shaving sides of rotor to thickness.
Result: Saves 10,850 man-hours annually.
878 Lubrication of inside of mouth spreader punch in Bliss No. 80 horizontal presses for forming neck of 0.50 cal. shell, known as reducing.
Result: Eliminates a wash and dry operation, saves scrap, at least 34,000 worth per month,
929 Elimination of one boring operation on gun barrels.
Result: Saves time spent in grinding and conditioning extra reamer, increases production 33^ percent, 3^ man-hours saved per day, and one machine released for other production.
34
930 Replacement of rubber hose by telescopic connections on boring lathe oil lines.
Result: Now use’d on all boring lathes as well as some other machines. Diverts rubber to other uses.
931 Reduction of second bore diameter of pack reamer from 2.85 to 2.80 leaving more stock for finish bore, in order that the finishing reamer may remove run outs occurring in two previous roughing bores.
Result: Saves raw material, eliminated spoilage of tubes on this operation.
932 Combination of operations on breech rings. Result: 25 percent gain in production, 1% man-hours saved per day.
933 Use of No. 50 grit metalite cloth instead of No. 80 on small hand operated buffing wheel. Result: Fifty percent reduction in amount of cloth purchased for this operation.
934 Special extension arbor with stop for use on rear of Cincinnati monoset machine for use in grinding radii on radius cutters.
Result: Improves quality, life of cutters prolonged.
935 Use of cam clamps instead of wrenches in machining parts.
Result: Saves time in machining small parts.
937 Combination of two milling operations in manufacture of breech rings for 57 mm guns. Result: Thirty percent gain in production, 2% man-hours saved per day.
938 New tools for holding and straightening gun sight extension bracket.
Result: Five hundred percent gain in production, 16 man-hours saved per day, work easier for operators.
939 Extension handle on ordinary bore dial indicator to check diameter of bore in M-3 tubes before they are sent to honing machine.
Result: Furnishes insurance against the waste of labor and man-hours on machining
of tubes which otherwise might be found defective on subsequent operations.
940 Attachment for quick adjustment of head of Norton grinder up and down.
Result: Fifty percent gain in production, saves 2 man-hours per day.
941 Attachment to replace magnetic chuck on grinder, to hold pack reamer while grinding. Result: Fifty percent gain in production, 2 man-hours saved per day.
970 Miniature tumbling barrel or revolving scrap separator to segregate and remove chips collecting in cartridge cases, following trimming operation.
Result: Releases one operator per shift for other work. Total reduction 5,700 man-hours per year.
986 Adjustable driver for Norton grinder to be used on shafting.
Result: Saves 150 man-hours and facilitates set-up so that live center does not have to be removed and position of tail stock changed.
989	Salvaging of rubber cut-off wheels.
Result: Saves $695 worth of material per year.
992 Elimination of operation in gun carriage straightening.
Result: Increased production 100 percent, saved 16 to 20 man-hours per day.
1005 Improved method of burring Navy metal instrument dials and all perforated Navy parts.
Result: Much faster method and leaves dial in good condition to be filled.
1007 Special (fly cutter type) milling cutter for slot milling in soft or nonferrous and ferrous metals.
Result: Increased production, saves over $5,000 in labor and other costs and reduced scrap on job to a minimum.
35
1009 New method of broaching parts on large horizontal broaching machine.
Result: Eliminates having to take broach out of machine and carry to other end after each operation. Saves cut hands and lessens fatigue.
1011 New tool to cut to length tabulator screw insulation made of bakelite rolled tubing.
Result: Saves 31,359.57 yearly—tool life between grinds increased from 4 or 5 hours to 35 or 40 hours.
1012 Use of solenoid and switch in bench lathe operation replacing a foot pedal usually operated with an automatic system.
Result: Eliminates fatigue.
1013 Improved method of tapping hex nuts required by Ordnance.
Result: Faster and more satisfactory method.
1014 New moulds for use in assembly of 75 mm. recoil mechanism.
Result: Saves 5 minutes per unit—can be used on 105 mm. as well as 75 mm.
1015 Single tooth rack cutter.
Result: Satisfactory performance.
1023 Gear shaper fixture.
Result: Increased production of acceptable gear sectors by 12 percent, saving 104 manhours per month on this one operation as well as substantial quantities of critical material.
1031 Change in size of casting for Ampco bronze worm blank for barring gear on diesel engines. Result: Saved 2,200 pounds of critical material and 5 minutes of machine time per piece.
1033 Improved fixture for machining depth setting box on torpedo tube mounts.
Result: Saves 2 hours per unit.
1034 Template for cutting spoon on torpedo tube. Result: Saves additional grinding, layout and results in better workmanship. 360 hours per year saved in one shop.
1035 Stand for assembling gyro brackeCto barrels on torpedo tube units.
Result: Saves erection time,.eliminates possibility of damage to vital parts. Saved 750 hours per year in one shop.
1036 Fixture for holding air drill.
Result: Saves 800 man-hours per year.
1045 Device for removing faulty oil seals from finished parts without scoring or injuring the finished seat.
Result: All parts previously rejected now being salvaged.
1063 Use of low temperature salt bath in obtaining proper hardness for band assembled to 37 mm. A. P. shot.
Result: Saves over 31,000 annually.
1136 Automatic work driver to provide rapid and easy method of dogging pieces which are turned on small-type bench lathes.
Result: Eliminates a great deal of handling, has proved to be a time saver, especially where women workers are employed.
1173 New type fly cutter for straddle milling ordnance parts.
Result: Eliminates scrap, gives a cooler and cleaner cut.
1175 Improvement on indexing system used-on tool grinder.
Result: Saves time, eliminates fatigue, increases production.
1189 Improvements on West tire setter machine.
Result: Permits operator to have ample time to complete subassembly of parts to be I crimped during machine cycle. Reduces fa- I tigue, increases production.
1190 Fuse body centering tool.
Result: Has salvaged all scrapped parts.
36
ORDNANCE SHORTS
An electromagnet was successfully used at one plant to remove ferrous metal and foreign material from crumb stock on a conveyor before it could break the mill roll.
A brush on filler method was used to replace knive glazing on various castings to good advantage.
Use of crank type wrench instead of open end wrench in tightening 57-mm. gun carriage frames in fixture, loading and unloading, is much safer, prevents bruising of hands when wrench slips out of operator’s hands, made oily from coolant used on machine.
The finishing cut on the facing operation of the pressure plate for tank clutches was eliminated by increasing the depth of the roughing cutters so that the following grinding operation can properly finish the part. Production increased 35 percent and 318 manhours per month were saved, which leads one to ask, “Are you taking more cuts than are needed ?”
If boxes in which rings are shipped overseas are dipped in wax, rust can be prevented. Also, rings should be wrapped in regular manner in rolls; then placed in cardboard mailing tubes, sealed with cloth tape. Tube should then be dipped in melted paraffin to make it moisture and corrosive proof.
To plate and remove burrs from outer edge of funnel used with Ski stoves, plating should be done in revolving barrel, to wear off sharp edges, instead of being round off on polishing wheel.
In sizing the outside diameter of rotors, an improvement was made by laying them flat on rotating disc and feeding them in die with plunger. Formerly they were loaded into channel attached to punch press, and the parts were shaved for outside diameter. To salvage unused portion of 18-inch saw blade, one man suggested cutting 4 inches off the used end, punching a hole in this used end, anchoring same and using blade on 14-inch saw.
The substitution of a grinding operation using a small bob on the grinding wheel arbor for hand filing on the magazine catch lug hole in the frame of the Thompson Submachine Gun to remove burrs left by drilling increased production and gave a smoother finish to the part at one plant.
A towing shackle on the 57-mm. gun carriage was being threaded and welded into the bracket. It was suggested that the welding could be eliminated because the threading was sufficiently strong enough for the job. This idea, which was approved by the Arsenal, saved 730 hours at one plant as well as facilitating interchangeability of parts in the field.
Increasing tolerances on a stop used on 57 mm. gun carriage from O.O^S'7 to 0.005,/ enabled a semireaming operation to be eliminated, reduced scrap, facilitated machine operation, and increased production by 130 man-hours.
Substitution of malleable iron parkerized for bronze castings for knobs used on 57 mm. gun carriage, saved 1,000 pounds of bronze at one plant.
If numbers are worn off micrometers, here’s a method for repainting them: Clean graduations and figures with suitable cleaning fluid, apply black lacquer; wipe surplus lacquer from tool, leaving graduations and figures more distinct.
In one plant, a worker noticed 300,000 pieces of obsolete magnet cases in a stock room. Because of his suggestion, 200,000 of these were reworked into active parts, thereby conserving much otherwise idle material.
To do away with roughing operation and save time of changing cutters, it was suggested that the 2%-inch end mill be used with %-inch radius for finishing left side panel on 5-inch housing on profiler instead of using a 2^-inch end mill to rough cut and then a %-inch end mill with X-inch radius ground on end for finishing.
It was considered worthwhile at one plant to use a pictorial record book of each job in place of blueprints. This eliminates large drawings and replaces them with a book of sketch operations showing only the dimensions included in each operation. Not a new idea but worth considering.
Discontinuance of washing operation on breech blocks afterl hardening and direct shipment to grinder was found feasible and time saving at one plant.
Use of a low melting liquid flux applied to the brazing connector assemblies for 37 M-23 gun mount secures
37
a more uniform and cleaner braze which will not require polishing before grinding.
By substituting a power driven sander for hand filing to remove machining burrs, production was increased 100 percent.
The job of burring tubing cut on radiac cut-off machine was formerly done on a lathe and each piece had to be chucked separately. They now use a tapered pipe reamer driven by an air motor placed on a stand next to the cut-off machine to burr inside of pipe and tube after it is cut off.
Previously spoon extensions were cut with square corners by torch and the corners then rounded by grinding. A suggestion that the corners could be cut round instead of square with the torch originally saves 200 hours per year and grinding wheels.
A portable type vacuum cleaner speeded up cleaning of carburizing retorts by hours.
In manufacturing breech blocks, it was discovered that the first operation of these two could be eliminated: Square shell recess end and broach shell recess.
Formerly holes in the bearing caps for the 57 mm. gun carriage were drilled only % inch deep. It was found that drilling them completely through eliminated tap breakage and rework cost.
To salvage tools used in forming band grooves on 75 mm. shells, it was suggested that the broken tooth could be ground out, a piece of carboloy welded on and the tool reground.
On 57-mm. gun carriage, weight of casting for right and left hand brackets, No. D-42285, averaging 125M pounds has been reduced to 116}$ pounds. This removal of excess stock has eliminated grinding, filing and chipping, has resulted in a saving of 20,000 pounds of steel, plus elimination of excessive man-hours.
Previously, parts to be formed on draw dies were covered with a drawing compound applied with a brush. This suggestion recommended that on certain small parts drawing compound be applied by dipping. (Requires a somewhat thinner compound.) Has effected a reduction of 42 percent in production time on parts which can be included in this idea.
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RADIO, RADAR AND ELECTRICAL
123 Improvement of the finishing operation on clamping nuts for Navy sound-powered tel-phone units.
Result: Faster method.
128 Method of finishing diaphragm of sound-powered telephone.
Result: Faster method.
134 Substitution of silicon steel for high nickel content.
Result: Conservation of rare material.
143 Cutting of quartz bars into radio crystals in a way which saves saw set-up time, X-ray measurement time, and permits bar to be sampled without cutting intermediate wedge blanks.
Result: Conserves scarce material.
146 Substitution of redesigned aluminum bracket for more complicated one of stainless steel with high chromium content in production of radio equipment.
Result: Conservation of vital material.
147 New design jig for performing slitting operation on quartz crystals by means of diamond charged saw.
Result: Prevents 75 percent breakage of crystals.
196	New method to remove plate or punched parts
from mechanical press in stamping plate material for precipitron air cleaner parts.
Result: Press output increased 70 percent from 585 to 1,000 pieces per hour.
260 Use of a punch and die in place of milling machine for notching tube ends. (Electrical precipitator.)
Result: Since adoption of the punch and die method, production has been stepped up to 200 per man-hour. Releases milling machine which is needed continuously for other essential work.
267 Eliminating final check on ceramics used on 4 power tube types which have a yearly production of approximately 1,855,000.
Result: Labor saving of 1,890 hours per year.
268 New set-up to cut and form filament tension springs. Previously filament tension springs were made by cutting spring, removing mandrel and forming. New set-up cuts and forms springs at same time mandrel is being removed.
Result: Production increased from 200 to 750 per hour.
269 Change made for feeding wire into machine. Previously double helical filament was hand positioned, inserted and fed into filament winding machine. Change has been made for feeding wire into machine by air pressure through metal chute fixture.
Result: Gross production increased from 150 to 500 per hour.
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270 Addition of 4 heating elements and improvements of existing technique to control main sealing of mounts on power tubes. Usually annealed and preheated to bring stem temperature up and to avoid cracked seals.
Result: Three percent reduction in main sealing shrinkage.
271 Salvaging of anodes for special type power tube by cutting out filament and grid mounts and splicing a short length of glass to each end of glassed anode. Anode is then retubulated, annealed, cleaned, and reused.
Result: Anodes previously discarded for scrap copper. Now 25 percent of shrinkage anodes saved.
272 New tool with offset prongs acting as stoppers for inserting plate to bulb assembly on special type of power tube.
Result: Improves quality—reduces shorts and rejects.
273 Development of glass^cutting and splicing technique and recovery process to salvage anode for special power tube.
Result: Forty percent of shrinkage tube anodes now salvaged.
274 Elimination of side, wing, or positioning micas on 2 types of receiving tubes which have a yearly production of approximately 855,000.
Result: Change has been standardized. Direct labor saving is 1,330 hours per year.
305 Change in filament connector on high frequency test sets which reduces set-up time 80 percent.
Result: Helps eliminate test set breakdowns; reduces shrinkage.
306 Change of gas (hydrogen) used for main seal on cathode ray tubes to eliminate bubbles in seal. Also suggested tipping off tube with hydrogen instead of exposing it to air by placing tube on a hydrogen flush after main seal was made.
Result: Yearly saving of $1,999.30 in material and 1,141 man-hours.
308 Method of salvaging tubes that are rejected due to cracked bulbs, stems of flares by removing cage and rewelding it onto a new stem.
Result: Possible to recover over 100 shrinkage tubes per month.
310 Device for splicing cable to save wire glass serve or any other type of insulation.
Result: Original device for splicing one size of cable. Now splices for every size cable in use daily. Saves 40 minutes per shift, or 2 out of every 24 hours for this operation.
313 That containers or racks be provided for spools of wire so that they will not be damaged in handling and transporting between departments. That all wire be weighed and inspected before delivery.
Result: No longer is wire rejected because of damage in handling.
314 Device to connect heavy rubber cable without splicing for washing rubber cord.
Result: Makes a continuous run instead of using 3 minutes out of every 6 formerly needed for hand splicing. Reduces scrap and has increased production.
347 Packing and handling of GT glass tubes and metal tubes from 100 to 400 or 500 tube cartons.
Result: Saves hours of labor in painting and packing; saves materials and warehouse space.
349 Change in plate design of a specialized power tube, eliminating two tantalum tabs and substituting nickel, changing welding operation.
Result: Direct labor and material savings of impressive proportions.
356 Simple change in design of bulb punchout, bead inserting and sealing machine made double instead of single operations possible.
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Result: Production increased from 23 to 47 per operator-hour.
362 A new way of machining and assembling latches, substituting rivets in place of screw and saving tapping and countersinking operations.
Result: Saves the difference in cost between rivets and screws and increases production approximately 25 percent.
394 An interlocking device installed on all dynamometer test panel boards making it impossible for anyone to operate shunt field reversing breaker while main field rheostat is in high voltage.
Result: Permits use of proper sized fuses; curtails damage to instruments and prevents delays in production.
408 Use of test jig to reduce hook-up time on transformer test operations. Now possible to place transformer in position and by simply closing a quick-acting lid, make contact with all terminals which must be connected with test equipment.
Result: Eliminates necessity of employing two additional men to handle production.
409 Jig to hold hermetically sealed transformer can lids. A device which enables terminals, washers, etc., to be assembled to the lids, eliminating much wasted motion and conversion due to mixed materials, etc.
Result: Valuable work simplification contribution.
413 A jig to turn condenser shaft on 1,000 volt break-down test on condensers.
Result: Releases one man from what was a two-man job.
415 That cams for automatic screw machines for short run jobs be made from sheet phenolized canvas, and that a fixture be made for cutting them.
Result: Saving of strategic material. Have proved successful in runs of 25,000 parts.
416 Increasing the speed of a screw machine operation, involving a set of three synchronized cams, lead, cross-slide, and cut-off. Special set of cams suggested.
Result: Saving of 15 seconds per part.
417 Use of chute to separate strippings from wire and the accumulation of wire for easy bundling on strippirig machines.
Result: On annual number of strippings per 20,000,000 pieces, the saving and clean-up time less the cost of the set-up machines is 2,000 hours.
473 Redesign of filament positioning apices above the cathode in the manufacture of radio tubes.
Result: Annual cost saving of $1,100; 1 percent elimination of shorts.
475 Improvement in assembly of specialized power tubes, resulting in elimination of the tantulum flux and welding of flux, the operation of wrapping with moly wire and the elimination of electrolytic cleaning.
Result: Annual saving of 3,000 labor hours.
476 Change in the procedure for transportation, assembly and the welding of parts and assemblies for cathodes and cathode-grid units of cathode ray tubes.
Result: More efficient operation and saving in shrinkage of $500 in material and 930 hours per year.
491 An improved method of removing cathode coating in the manufacture of tubes.
Result: Annual saving of $1,610 in material and 900 man-hours.
492 Elimination of the counterbore on half of specialized ceramics. (Tubes.)
Result: Annual saving of 3,000 hours labor.
644 Improved terminal board assembly for high production tnetal tube.
Result: Production per operator-hour increased from 45 to 110.
645 Adoption of mount short checking device for midget tubes.
Result: Production of approximately 9,500 extra tubes made possible by savings.
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646 Improved method of construction of special purpose tubes.
Result: Increases mounting operations from 35 to 46 per operator-hour. Saves 2,600 hours of labor per year.
647 Salvage operation on shrinkage mounts and tubes.
Result: Saves 'approximately $1.40 per M.
649 Double row instead of single row fixture for spraying filaments.
Result: Saves 1,360 hours annually.
650 Elimination of unnecessary inner shield of high production power tubes.
Result: Saves $800 worth of material and 1,120 hours direct labor per year.
651 Improvement in radiator soldering technique on tubes.
Result: One percent reduction in shrinkage. Saves $257 per 1,009 tubes.
652 Change of method in welding stopwires.
Result: Saves $600 in material and 930 hours direct labor per year.
654 New method of testing mounts for shorts in tube production.
Result: Production increased from 24 to 40 per operator-hour.
655	Improved method of treating “Dowmo”—“H”
and Moly Ingots.
Result: Saves 330 man hours annually.
656J’ Change from trolley to sealex exhaust on special purpose tubes.
Result: Saves 14,100 man hours yearly plus 10 percent shrinkage decrease.
657 Elimination of electrolytic cleaning of filament mount.
Result: Saves 1,500 man-hours annually.
659 New test set to incorporate five previous tests into one unit.
Result: Saves 2,680 hours of direct labor per year.
660 Change in cleaning operation on power tube. Result: Saves 50 tubes per year.
661 Improvement in exhaust technique on various power tube machines by substituting shaved ice for liquid air.
Result: Eliminates bottleneck and saves approximately $2,300 per year.
662 Positioning and welding jig to replace tweezers in tube production.
Result: 1,670 man hours annually saved.
663 New multiple welder.
Result: Saves 4,800 man-hours annually.
664 Substitution of nichrome for brass for beading tips.
Result: Saves material, maintenance, machine and operators’ time.
665 Electrical method of forming tungsten filament leads.
Result: Operation increased from 200 to 500 per hour.
666 Pad to replace wooden trays used in transportation and storage of tubes.
Result: Saves $930 worth of breakage annually.
688 Chart for use in computing regulation and efficiency of power supply used in testing.
Result: On 1,000 sets, reduced time required from 510 hours to 210 hours.
690 Change in design of terminal assembly used on relays and recording instruments.
Result: Insures better electrical current contact and saves 166 man-hours per year.
693 Improved method of tempering permanent magnets for small instruments.
Result: Curtails time required for quenching operation.
694 Change of design of grooving tool used in automatic screw machine to make stud used in small instruments.
Result: Better tool.
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752 Special tool for tightening loose contacts on switch wafers.
Result: Rejects eliminated.
754 Use of a silver solution in a more alkaline phase to obtain more substantial silver plate on crystals.
Result: Heavier and more uniform plate; eliminates rejects due to poor plating; improves quality of product.
804 Change of layout for cutting of expanded metal for doors and hoods on power-plant units.
Result: Saved over $6,000 of material—at least 18,000 square feet of expanded metal, and considerable time.
805 “Swageing Tool” to smooth off ragged edges at point where casting gates are sheared from die-cast squirrel-cage rotor of electric motor.
Result: Now process 350 average-size rotors in same time that 60 were formerly hand filed.
859 Wire braid shielding stripper to remove metal shielding from wire ends.
Result: Saves 73 percent production time.
860 Elimination of separate knurling operation on terminals.
Result: Eliminates an operation, frees men and machines for other work.
861 Method of salvaging long nose pliers and side cutters.
Result: Increases usefulness of tools from 90 percent to 100 percent. Saves at least 60 cents per pair.
862 New process for lapping electrodes.
Result: Reduces time per electrode from two minutes to eight-tenths of a minute.
996 Stand to support spray bars holding grids during spraying.
Result: Saves $2,700 in labor costs annually.
997 A rack to hold tube bases while being plated.
Result: Reduced cost on job.
999 Use of one-half wire guide on grid machines to guide wire into notches on wire support. Result: Eliminates bad spacing and adds newly installed skip space cams.
1000 Die for use in slitting cathodes.
Result: Saves almost $10,000 in labor cost and eliminates loosening cathodes.
1001 Swedging four stops on support wire at same time instead of hand welding them to prevent grid from sliding through mica.
Result: Production increased from 90 to 800 per hour.
1002 Double-point lathe-tool holder to eliminate changing tool setting face and turn operation. Result: Can now do simple jobs on engine lathe, relieving load on semiautomatic or screw machines.
1003 Manufacture of counterbores from old of broken drills.
Result: Reduces pilot breakage, cuts faster.
1004 Tool for tightening metal straps.
Result: Reduces operating time more than 20 percent, eliminates use of solder and improves appearance and quality.
1047 Improved two point thermocouple.
Result: Gives months instead of days of service—saves 750 man hours per month.
1062 Method of salvaging bent, warped, condenser plates used in radio assemblies.
Result: Saves almost a $1,000 annually.
1099 Enclosure of watercooled-copper coils used on induction heating equipment for trolley exhaust in fiber-glass sleeves.
Result: Prevents sweat, oxide, scales from short circuiting turns of coils.
1165 Small electric oven, thermostatically controlled, to give improved method of heating “DT” type crystals.
Result: Now used on all 200 kilocycle “DT” test positions.
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1176 New method of insulating compensating joints on special generators for Navy use.
Result: Saves 1,564 man hours per year and 800 square yards of glass cloth.
1177 Rearrangement of sequence of operations on Baird Automatic machines.
Result: Saves 500 man hours a year and material lost on mandrel breakage.
1178 Use of hectograph in preparing identification tags for spare parts.
Result: Saving of 1,600 man hours per year.
1179 Various methods tending to improve silver plating of small parts.
Result: Save 450 man hours per year.
1181 Use of table salt in shrinking felt jackets on machines used for applying water glass solution to electrical sheet steel.
Result: Saves 250 hours per year plus savings in felt replacement.
1182 Use of cut-off die instead of power saw on long copper bars.
Result: Saves 512 man hours and 4,230 pounds of brass per year.
1199 New cable board for use in making harness cable assemblies.
Result: Saves approximately 400,000 feet of extremely critical wire material.
1208 A satisfactory substitute for friction or rubber tape.
Result: Successfully tested up to voltage of 440.
RADIO, RADAR AND ELECTRICAL SHORTS
Elimination of two unnecessary wing or positioning micas formerly used to hold the mount central in the bulb saves 1,850 man hours and 3190 worth of material annually.
Use of Universal mounting jigs and rearrangement of operations changing from a six- to a three-operator group saves 7,390 man hours annually.
Use of one 30,000-ohm spool instead of two 15,000 ohm spools in manufacture of large size switchboard instruments saves more than 800 hours of labor per year in one shop.
Elimination of an unnecessary overload test of thermocouples saves 1,200 man hours a year in one plant. By the use of small steel covers gas flames were spread causing the flares on power tube stem machines to heat equally, thus preventing cracked flares and stems. This idea cuts down shrinkage of sealing units, saves 1 percent of stems and flares made on machines, saves 31,000 in material and 120 man hours annually at one plant.
The suggestion that a staking press be rebushed with 1%-inch bushing to hold other-type tubes than those for which it was originally intended, saved buying a new machine and made it possible to rapidly convert machine being used from type it was making to any type requiring immediate delivery.
The use of tansite stops for grid and plate-seal operation on power tube type meant that more heat could be applied without distorting grid and plates. This suggestion reduces material loss at bulb preparation by 5 percent. It also reduces the number of tubes requiring repairs.
As originally set up for a screw-machine operation a shaft for a radio dial was machined from a %-inch-diameter stainless-steel rod. This method proved wasteful of material and required a large number of screw-machine hours. By making the pieces from two different diameters of stock, then pressing together and riveting, 2,754 hours on the screw machines and 2,970 pounds of stainless steel have been saved.
A solution of one-half nitric and one-half hydrochloric acid will dissolve copper and nickel on tungsten leads and permit the recovery of the tungsten.
A girl at one radio plant discovered that the weld of the tungsten-top leads to the platinum-covered grid side rods in tubes could be successfully made without the use of nickel flux, thus saving over 3500 worth of nickel annually.
A suggestion that when cutting two materials used for making glass cloth in preparation for molding operation, the two materials be stacked alternately as cut instead of separately before putting into
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storage, saves the time required to draw the material from stores and stacking alternately before using— in all 1,336 man hours annually.
Retiming Xenon gas dosing valve on 2050 sealex and reducing gas pressure 50 percent obtained an increase of from 1,250 to 2,800 in the number of tubes processed from each bottle of gas.
Standardizing the size of feed gears used on all types of ceramic-firing feeders reduced firing to a minimum for all ceramics.
By changing an assembly operation from individual operators working until a particular mount was finished, into a 3-operator finishing group working after 2 parts had been mounted in a fixture saved over 14 hours for 1,000 tubes at one communications plant.
The elimination of stem numbering on small power tube types in the factory and the branding of serial numbers directly in the warehouse instead saved much direct labor at one shop.
Previously a filament stem for a specialized power tube was electrolytically cleaned at 15 per hour before flux and filament welding. After the necessary engineering tests were run, it was proved that
the above operation was unnecessary and stand-* ardization notice was placed for elimination.
Substitution of “Blacosolv,” ether alternate, in the cleaning operations of various parts, processes, and laboratory technique, releases ether for Armed Forces.
Substitution of nichrome forming head plungers for stainless steel in the manufacture of transformer terminal assemblies eliminates 80 percent of trouble due to glass sticking to plungers.
Method to eliminate mount shrinkage caused by burned grids in the manufacture of power tubes. Provides for insertion of small strips, the width of a cathode tab, down along the grid, bringing it up around the mica, then rewelding to the grid. Most of this otherwise shrinkage is repaired and cages saved.
Shielded leads rubbed with a rotary sanding wheel operated by electric motor instead of being rubbed with sandpaper by hand.
Use of kick press instead of pliers to assemble grid caps to the leads. In the manufacture of 1,000 pieces, this saves 5 hours and 40 minutes on a former 16-hour and 40-minute operation.
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•RAILROADS
449 Ladder device for raising metal side sheets in the construction or repair of box cars. New method releases crane truck for other work.
Result: Releases cars for service in less time.
477 That car body ballast for locomotive cranes be made of concrete instead of metal for the duration.
Result: Estimated savings per year—90 tons of scrap metal.
547 Jig to reclaim bolts in rethreading locomotive superheating bolts.
Result: Increased production 325 percent.
677 Use of old oil that comes out of stoker engines for special cutting oil.
Result: At least 3,540 gallons of oil returned to service as car oil instead of being used for miscellaneous purposes where inferior grade oil could be used.
678 Change in office procedure on compiling and writing home route wires.
Result: Releases clerks for other duties, reduces number of telegrams, speeds up disposition of cars returning them to service more quickly.
679 Shields for wagon tires.
Result: Conserves rubber.
1100 Use of fibre liners instead of brass washers to take up lost side motion in locomotive valve gear.
Result: Saves 750 pounds of copper per year and gives improved performance.
RAILROADS SHORTS
Underground water pipes with sufficient outlets expedite the washing of stock cars in winter when pipes laid above ground are disconnected. Lack of sufficient outlets means frequent switching of cars, increasing cost and additional service. One railroad saved 70 switching engine hours by providing sufficient outlets from underground pipes.
The use of alemite grease fitting on retarder gear cases used in bumping operations relieves the strain on the retarder motor, saves a lot of oil and eliminates delay caused by freezing in cold weather.
One road found it worthwhile to print up special round trip tickets for coach travel since 90 percent of travel is now by coach. Previously these tickets were printed round trip only in first class.
One road adopted the suggestion that scoop shovels on stoker—operated engines be assigned to engines instead of individuals and found it worthwhile. They also collected a lot of small pieces of scrap by placing large buckets painted red, white, and blue with “V” on them on switch engines.
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SHIPBUILDING
113 Tail bolt. Welding a tail on the heads of bolts, has resulted in saving a very large quantity of bolts which would otherwise be ruined under the old system of tacking the heads directly to the decks or other members to be flanged in place.
Result: 80,000 bolts salvaged.
198 Set of gages for hand-operated elbow-edging machine.
Result: Has tripled the production of elbows.
211 Cable stripper to remove insulation and leave copper in its original form.
Result: Replaces old method of burning rubber insulation from cables and then salvaging or scrapping copper. Saves both rubber and copper, also time.
212 A new leverage stick for air drills, with a sliding swivel hook which can be adjusted for any leverage to replace former method of using long stick with bored holes and a hook with nut inserted at various points from fulcrum.
Result: Cost is nominal, has speeded up production, and removed safety hazard.
213 Tap wrench. Developed a jig which provides for manufacturing of tap wrenches out of scrap cold-rolled and tool steel. Tool steel used at place where tap is inserted.
Result: Cut cost of production from $3 to $7 each to approximately 60 cents each on thousands of various sizes of tap wrenches.
214 In the installation of engines, fans, propellers, etc., on board ship, it is necessary to use chock blocks for leveling the beds. These blocks have to be planed of uneven dimensions; therefore, it is necessary to use various
dimensions of shims placed under each corner of chock block. The fixtures devised have a micrometer adjustment and are mounted and bolted to a surface plate and set on a shaper at zero. The chock block can be raised at each corner anywhere from 0.001 of an inch to any desired dimension.
Result: This has speeded up chock-block work 75 percent over the old method, making the work more positive.
215 Combination torch guide for burning, which enables operator to burn a straight line, circle, and bevel with ease.. When it is necessary to burn an irregular line to fit the contour of another plate, this guide will facilitate this operation.
Result: Eliminates usual nerve strain which accompanies endeavor to follow straight line. Cuts are now very clean, and no time is wasted by calker or grinder removing and truing up plate.
216 An electrode holder for welding, devised by cutting off jaws of worn-out tongs, drilling a hole in rear part which accommodated the electrode. A square fiber was inserted on handle to keep electrode holder from rolling as well as grounding on metal.
Result: Standard tongs usually returned to repair department every 3 days formerly. New holder prevents this and also adds a safety feature which stops rolling and grounding.
217 Clamp for sheet metal insulation molding which aids in sheet-metal work and is used for assembling insulation moldings. It is equipped with handles which may be rotated, permitting clamp to be used where obstruc
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tions, such as piping, brackets, etc., are encountered.
Result: Use of clamp speeds up and makes more efficient work on ships.
218 Drill square to square a reamer in spot-face surfaces, especially in an inaccessible place where a regular square cannot be applied.
Result: Valuable for any type of drilling and reaming of various sizes.
342 Streamlined pipe clamp used for attaching lines of small pressure tubing to larger pipe lines.
Result: Approved by Maritime Commission inspectors for use on cargo vessels. Saves 25 percent in material and 50 percent in time.
384 Plate-hook release bar. Replaces method of pounding plate hooks from under lift with hammer, which was slow and damaged plate hooks. By use of new bar, which is put under lift as it settles into position, plate hook slides out easily by merely tilting bar slightly. Other end is used as spud bar, so it is a doublepurpose item.
Result: Saves time, equipment, and repairs.
443 Connection of light to welding clamp.
Result: Saves 60 feet of electric wire and two plugs to every welder.
444 Utility hook to push and pull barge sections in place for assembly.
Result: Simplifies fitters work twofold. Eliminates thousands of clips which are tacked, generally two sides, on shell. Saves time waiting for a tacker, burner, or clipper. Saves material—thousands of inches of tack weld and steel used to make clips. Eliminates accidents.
445 Bushing vise to hold bearing spools.
Result: Holds spools firmly and accurately, cuts time of job in the shaft alley by 75 percent.
478 Torch-cleaning device.
Result: Claimed to be excellent at plant where originated.
567 Safety net to be used in changing construction above the bilge keel to catch all types of bolts, clips, chisels, or scrap accidentally dropped off the scaffolding planking.
Result: Affords protection to the shipwrights of the launching crew working around the hulls.
568 A jig for welding pipe flanges, designed to hold the flange in position on pipe and to rotate the work so that the welding is at all times “down” welding. Idea adaptable to any size pipe.
Result: Improvement over former methods.
570 A welder’s light which does away with the work light and cord. The stinger contact is placed on the jaws of the stinger, and the ground contact is held against any part of the double bottom.
Result: Elimination of critical light cord.
571 Jack cradle rocker used in setting forepeak plates, of sufficiently heavy construction to take the pressure created by a 50-ton jack. Result: Dispenses with the dangerous practice of placing a haphazard pile of wedges against the jack.
572 Jig for welding sea chest in shipbuilding construction. Consists of a revolving tilting table to which the sea chest is clamped, permitting all welding to be done as flat welding. Result: Saves welding time.
573 Jig for aligning stem bar and casting preparatory to the welding process in shipbuilding. Result: Eliminates difficulty due to improper alignment during welding process.
574 Shaft-alley frame template jig. Clamps onto I the shaft-alley frame and holds it in position. I Result: Eliminates necessity for using a series I of different templates in laying out plant job I work.
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575 Jig for pulling the inner bottom floors to the tank tops, eliminating the welding of clips to inner bottom floors.
Result: Improvement over former methods.
576 Fitting and strongback for placing the drainwell manhole in the inner bottoms.
Result: Eliminates numerous dogs formerly used. Cuts tacking, chipping, and grinding in half.
577 Hatch-shifting-beam roller and saddle. A jig used in welding a 2j£-inch strong back on the hatch-shifting beam. Jig consists of a combination clamp and roller and saddle to receive the roller.
Result: Prevents the warping of the hatchshifting beams during the process of welding on the 2%-inch strong back.
578 Spider leg used in shipbuilding industry to hold down, for positioning, batten strips upon the mold loft floor in laying out the various contours to be drawn.
Result: Readily applied and removed. Serves to hold the batten in perfectly adjusted alignment.
579 Holder for threading nipples.
Result: Saves time over former practice.
580 Plate-burning torch to follow a curve. Consists of an adjustable arm mounted on a burning machine carriage.
Result: Provides perfect alinement between the sides of the horizontal bulkheads and the side plates of the ship in which the bulkheads are to be positioned.
581 Lifter for inner bottom floors which hooks into the lightening holes and permits the floors to be laid on the tank tops in a vertical position and under full control.
Result: Facilitates the shipfitter’s work and serves as a safety device in that it prevents the floor from tilting back and forth as it is being slung into position.
606 Stagger weld marking machine.
Result: Decreases time for marking from 5 or 7 minutes to 5 seconds per 20 feet, a production increase of 6,000 percent.
607 Burning machine guide.
Result: Saves 18 minutes per cut bar, eliminates set-ups, running off, frees riggers, cranes, burners, and laborers for other work.
608 Adjustable scribing tool.
Result: Scribes now made in 3 minutes instead of 10 or 15 minutes.
609 Pigtail bending jig.
Result: Reduces tube-coiling time by four hundred percent with no spoilage.
610 Dual purpose strongback.
Result: Cuts shell section placing time from 2% to % hours, release crane same amount of time, prevents bending of margin brackets, saves flanging time.
611 Flanging rig consisting of notched saddle for engaging floor with one of lightening holes.
Result: Eleven floors instead of three or four now flanged per day. No time is lost waiting for shipwrights to shore up shell or in obtaining material.
612 Stern flanging rig instead of clips, fingers, and bolts in flanging plates to stern post castings.
Result: Only two dogs now required. Former rippling of plate edge eliminated.
687 A jig for slip-on pipe flanges for 4-, 5-, 6-inch pipe.
Result: Aligns slip-on pipe flanges and holds them in position for welding.
695 Edge burning device in form of torch-holding attachment for burning machine.
Result: Fourteen plates instead of five cut and flanged per shift. Gives a neaterjoint which hastens work of flangers, so there is now no blow-through on tightly jointed plates.
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€96 Jig for straightening hatch covers.
Result: Time reduced anywhere from 8 to 36 hours down to 1% hours per cover and quality of job greatly improved.
697 Two strongbacks for use in flanging floors to tank top.
Result: Eliminates use of bolts and clips; cuts chippers’ time in half, and halves tacking required. Number of floors flanged increased from 6 or 8 to 16 or 20 per day.
698	“C” Plate edge-roller to force outboard edge
of plates to conform to roll of bilge so as to properly flange plates up to floors.
Result: Produces a uniform bend all along the strongbacks, speeds up flanging of plates, and eliminates waving produced by hydraulic jack.
705 Disc burner unit.
Result: Cuts a steel disc to any diameter desired.
706 Rigging for hoisting and leveling manifolds. Result: Makes it possible to set the manifold with great accuracy and without damaging gaskets between manifolds and connecting pipes.
707 Jig for burning wedges.
Result: Increases production of shipfitters wedges from 50 to 75 percent over present methods.
708 Machine to increase cutting of beveled nipples used in shipbuilding.
Result: Cuts 150 sets of beveled nipples per shift.
709 Guide holder for use on union-melt machine. Result: Welding element is automatically held over seam.
710 New chock vise which can handle any number of various sized chocks.
Result: Easier adjustment, used for more purposes.
711 Specifications for hard facing of chipping tools.
Result: Tools sharpened this way used on job for over 8 hours without resharpening.
772 Attachment for radiagraph cutting machine. Result: Eliminates scribing, center punching, chipping, fitting, and several handlings by crane.
773 Improved design for impact hand end welding machine for use on insulation quilting bolts. Result: Successfully welds horizontal and overhead jobs.
774 Improved method of shaping flanges on steel door frames.
Result: Saves expense of subsequent furnac-ing of door frames.
775 Method of spot projection welding of vertical ladder threads to replace arc welding.
Result: Number of ladders welded in 8 hour shift increased from 10 to 30. Also eliminates grinding, sandblasting, galvanizing, straightening.
776 Charts for use in classifying standard size sheets in making bins.
Result: Saves one half time in making and one half time in erecting. Bins can be made to any even inches without pattern.
777 A device for use on sheet metal punching machines.
Result: Spaces holes accurately and quickly.
778 Jig for assembly of vertical ladder stringers and threads preparatory to spot welding.
(For use in conjunction with 775.)
787 Clamp to hold transverse beams to plate. Result: Eliminates tacking and chipping of I saddles.
809 Prefabrication method for insulating 5-inch I ammunition magazines.
Result: Cuts time for job 75 percent.
50
810 New type slab dog for holding plates and angles to the slab.
Result: Proved practical in yard.
811 Improved gas cutting tip.
Result: Does a better job.
812 Wedge clamp to be used in securing templates to plates- for duplicating and one for holding templates to channel or bulb angle.
Result: Suitable clamps for above purposes.
814A Jack or chock set micrometrically to facilitate adjustment and alignment of stuffing boxes on main engine.
Result: Reduces time on job 4 hours, less skilled worker now used.
814B [Mandrel for lathe used in machining round chocks used under propeller shaft bearings.
Result: May be machined with angular faces to accommodate irregularities in surface of bearing foundation. Reduced time for production of single chock from 30 minutes by skilled machinist to 10 minutes by trainee mechanic.
Indicator to axially aline different sections of propeller shaft.
Result: Saves 2 to 3 hours in setting each coupling or a total of 21 man-hours in setting all couplings on hull.
Jack splint for use in landing deck house units.
Result: Saves 38 man-hours per unit, leaves space below deck house unobstructed, saves shoring formerly used and time required for placing and removing shoring.
Improved cable guard.
Result: Saves $100 worth of cables per ship.
Temporary scupper plug.
Result: Prevents soiling of hull from dirty water running from deck through scupper holes and down sides of shell, thereby obviates necessity of another coat of paint between launching and commissioning of vessel.
814C
815
I 816
I 817
837 One tack saddle for drawing down and squaring up reinforcing material on plates. Result: Requires half the amount of welding in setting, does not deteriorate, increases speed of securing material to plate.
838 Wrench to tighten packing nut on stuffing tubes after all cables are in place.
Result: Saves time.
839 Boom position alarm switch. Result: Prevents accidents and saves time and material.
840 Punch to eliminate necessity of hand punching tie slots in small cable marking tags.
Result: Punches four times as many tags accurately.
841 Clip for use in place of screw driver when hanging ducts.
Result: Useful in tight corners where it is difficult to handle screw driver. Cuts manhours 50 percent.
842 New type stuffing tube wrench for use in limited spaces.
Result: Time saver.
844 Appliance for hand burning torch.
Result: Can be used in places where it is impossible to use large torch. Saves time, obtains more accurate work.
845 Jig for gaging measurement of plate.
Result: Eliminates measuring and marking of plates. Faster and more accurate than old method by 75 percent.
846 Appliance used on brake box cover.
Result: Saves time and money.
848 Stowage bracket for sounding booms. Result: Saves cost of production.
849 Collapsible horse to be used by stage riggers. Result: Saves approximately 16 man-hours per day.
51
853
854
863
865
867
873
875
880
881
882
942
Clamp for placing and holding degaussing cables in exact position while they are being strapped into trough.
Result: One man can now do work formerly requiring 3 or 4.
Clamps to hold light stringers on T beams.
Result: Eliminates temporary welding of bolts to bulkheads and decks.
Improved method of attaching channel strongbacks to deck or bulkhead plating, when strongbacking for assembly.
Result: Eliminates angle bars, gives welder better access to work, requires only half as many bolts, fitting quicker and easier, and can be removed quickly.
Change in sequence of welding operations attendent upon attaching pipes, bulkheads or tank tops.
Result: Saves 25 man-hours per ship.
Deck winch pipe measuring device.
Result: Saves 500 man-hours per cargo ship.
Jig for machining chocks in a shaper.
Result: Saves 100 man-hours on cargo ships.
Automatic shut-off valve.
Result: Practical shut-off valve in airhose coupling.
Power driven chock grinder.
Result: Chocks now surfaced by grinding wheel in much shorter time and by much smaller crew. Dispenses with need for files. Saves at least 120 man-hours per ship.
Improved rivet heat—mixing pipe and valve arrangement for use with rivet heating pots. Result: Better housekeeping and considerable saving in workers’ time.
Reamer grinder particularly used for grinding and reconditioning taper reamers.
Result: Now handles 96 reamers in 8-hour shift whereas formerly had to ship out for grinding.
Jig device for rolling plates.
Result: Eliminates use of male/ template.
945 Method of grinding Clark cutters on bench grinder.
Result: Works to good advantage.
946 Gage for setting cutters in Clark cutting machine.
Result: Used to great advantage.
947 Small, compact phone jack about 3 inches square which fits any standard watertight junction box.
Result: Cheaper to produce—50 percent less labor, 25 percent less material. Just as efficient.
949 Adjustable industrial comfort poster stretcher.
Result: Eliminates fear caused by removing victims by crane from lower hatches up over top decks using basket stretchers.
951 Welding ping extension made of copper piping for welding insulation pins to deckheads.
Result: Increases tack welding operation about 400 percent.
955 Plate dryer using combined gas and compressed air for the drying of metals on slips and in prefabrication parks.
Result: Replaces method of drying metal through the use of burning or heating torches, a slow and expensive process, utilizing the I services of burner who could be employed I elsewhere.
959 Adjustable dog for the hot slab.
Result: A cam is formed upon the top of a I round pin which will rotate in the square I hole in the slab. By rotating this pin the I cam surface may be brought up to the exact I template line to be followed.
960 Adjustable template for Isherwood plates.
Result: Saves about 25 hours bulkhead. I Two men now make the cut instead of eight I as formerly.
962 New method of fitting stern casting to flat I keel.
Result: Time for job reduced from 4 days I to 1% days.
52
963 Jig for dogging down edge of plates which lie at right angles to rail.
Result: Eliminates welding and chipping of individual rail dogs and forms a standard tool which can be reused indefinitely.
964 Jig to wedge down edge of plate which falls between two rails (T2 Vessels).
Result: Formerly it took four men an hour to dog down a section. With this jig, one man now does it in 10 minutes.
965 Template for laying out through-bracket openings to be burned in bulkhead.
Result: Line being scribed will always be at correct angle.
966 Method for cutting and bending brow plates (EC-2 cargo vessels).
Result: Highly recommended by originating yard.
967 Adjustable welding table to train welders in all possible positions.
Result: Valuable training device.
968 Weld test bending jig and water ram (hydraulic press) used in bending weld test coupons.
Result: Formerly took two men about 3 minutes to a coupon. With this jig, one man can bend two coupons in 1 minute. Cost of building jig nominal.
969 Device for spacing inner bottom sections (EC-2 cargo vessels).
Result: Save hundreds of man-hours per keel.
971 Guide attachment to Airco No. 10 radiagraph cutting machine.
Result: Assures accurate cutting.
982 Jig to erect upper and second deck wing sections.
Result: Eliminates crane trouble bringing wing sections in on right declivity. Saves man-hours, increases production, is safer.
983	Progress locater—a scientific fingertip control
of weldments in sequence of construction and the various stages of completion in assembly and erection.
Result: Provides a live visual inventory of all material on hulls, platens, and in storage areas. Can be checked instantly as to movement and placement of material.
1008 Guide for oxyweld machine.
Result: Practical and efficient.
1027 Plan for simultaneous laying out of small and large parts on steel plates so that small parts are laid out on scrap area of parent plate. Result: Eliminates former man-hours lost by busy layout men on rush template jobs having to hunt for steel of right weight and size. Part is laid out automatically and supply is kept ahead of demand. Saves at least 35 tons of steel per hull and 350 to 500 man-hours in material handling time.
1028 Clamp instead of dogs and wedges formerly used for flanging bulwark rail to shell. Result: Eliminates need for number of dogs which had to be welded to and chipped from hull plates. Saves about 200 manhours per hull in erection time.
1029 Guide to be used with hand burning torch. Result: Torch flame may be very easily and accurately guided by eye along scribed line by raising or lowering the torch grip. Greatly facilitates work of welders since cuts made with torches guided by this device are devoid of irregularities.
1030 Bumper jack stand—lower support for bumper jack used in pushing up untacked ends of deck stiffeners to deck plating.
Result: In eliminating welding and chipping of clips, this is safer means of seating jack. Safety lock prevents stand from being dislodged. Is light and can be easily carried or stored. Saves estimated 75 man-hours per hull.
1065 A method of making welding banks more visible at night.
Result: No loss of time in tracing or adjusting of heat.
53
1067 Jack for aligning shafts.
Result: Speeds alignment of shaft.
1068 Drum with wire filter in center to conserve oil.
Result: Fifty-five gallons of oil salvaged by one drum in 10 days.
1073 Crane hook to replace shackles.
Result: Saves 6 minutes per lift and 30 lifts per day—3 hours in all.
1074 Plug cutter for wooden plugs.
Result: Reduces cost of making plugs 500 percent.
1075 Nine foot strong back on half of shell plate.
Result: Eliminates approximately 30 tack welds on each half of shell plate, thereby saving approximately 5 man-hours on each plate.
1076 Finger bars for use in conjunction with fitting plate.
Result: Saves 150 man-hours per ship.
1077 Jig for production of hand rail corner knobs.
Result: Saves approximately 1,022 man- and machine-hours per ship.
1108 Fittings to attach reach rods or extension stems to valve stems.
Result: Neater job, eliminates need of another hand wheel, saves 40 hours per ship.
1109 New method of fitting chocks.
Result: Saves 100 hours per ship.
1110 Improvement in method of engraving name plates for boats.
Result: Jobs can be completed in half time previously required.
1111 Arrangement of launching lines.
Result: Decreases the launching crew by 16 men, saves 500 feet of 5%-inch manila line and welding on and burning off of pad eyes on shell plate.
1112 Gang drill for drilling cargo hatch handles.
Result: Cuts time on job in half.
1113 Pipe burning machine—capacity 3- to 14-inch pipe.
Result: Actual cutting time one-third saved since handling of pipe is eliminated, a true bevel is gained, cutting is accurate.
11,14 Pipe burning lathe for use in the pipe shop.
Result: “This machine does a beautiful job.” Saves man-hours handling pipe and saves riggers’ time.
1115 Jig for welding gun mounts.
Result: Formerly required a day to construct one gun mount. Now two gun mounts can be perfectly made in 2 hours.
1116 Test plug for sanitary drains.
Result: Saves 50 man-hours per ship and eliminates danger in sending man overboard for testing.
1117 Heating coil bender for use in pipe shop.
Result: Saves purchasing coils on open market which was difficult and constituted a bottleneck.
1118 Cable strap punch and cut off die.
Result: One man can perform whole operation where it formerly took three.
1119 Scribe for scribing web stiffeners to corrugated bulkheads.
Result: Saves countless man-hours.
1120 Yoder support or holder.
Result: Cuts two-thirds the time in placing longs, and crane is released for 50 hours of other work.
1121 Jig for drilling ship light fixtures, all sizes. Result: Saves 130 hours per vessel.
1141 Three new ideas to reduce maintenance work on union-melt machine.
Result: Together three ideas save about 15 man-hours in the field and 35 man-hours in the shop every day besides freeing the men formerly engaged in these duties for other work and keeping the machines running longer without shutdown.
54
1142 Bulwark sheet jig.
Result: Saves 60 hours of erection time on each hull.
1143 Buck up gun or bar.
Result: Eliminates rejects.
1144 Three jigs used in constructing circular gun fences used on C-2 cargo ships.
Result: Cuts the time for this job from 15 to 6 hours and reduces physical effort required so women can easily handle job.
1166 Corner guard.
Result: Eliminates sharp corners of plating which might result in injury to workmen.
1169 Adjustable square which may be calibrated in number of different ways depending on type ship and use for which applied.
Result: Valuable square in many different ways.
1170 Collar clamp to hold collars in place while being riveted or welded to frames of pipe berths.
Result: Reduces man-hours on job 50 percent and improves quality of work.
1213 Innerbottom clamp—jig hook to pull inner-bottom floors to vertical keel.
Result: Eliminates use of clips, welding, burning, and chipping.
1214 Punch machine template.
Result: Improves output up to 50 percent, by eliminating laying out and marking each piece of metal to be punched.
1215 Movable burning table and flange cutting guide (Dolly and track for primary flange cutting).
Result: In general use in shop, found very practical.
1216 Slide for staging tower.
Result: Increases production by permitting ease at work and also covers safety problem.
I 1217 Improved countersink bit.
Result: Good for limited purpose of all flat
head machine screws because it has pilot which allows countersink to remain true with hole. Eliminates hazard of machine jamming.
1218 Single bracket for staging both inside of hatch and underside of deck.
Result: Eliminates use of other brackets.
1219 Improvements in pipe installation in inner-bottom.
Result: More accessible to welders.
1220 Punch to be used generally on rubber gaskets used on W. T. Hatch covers.
Result: Saves time and labor and makes more precise job.
1221 Reaming jig.
Result: Cuts time of reaming pipes and bushings and improves safety factors.
1222 Change in hand rail installation lining passageway to engine room.
Result: Does away with pipe around column,, also two to three stanchions at each column.
1225 Pipe hanger for use in attaching lines of tubing along shell, frames, and bulkheads of cargo vessels.
Result: Saves time and cost—recommended for adoption as standard equipment.
SHIPBUILDING SHORTS
A simple form indicating location of hulls placed in ambulances lessens delay of arrival of doctor and ambulance at scene of accident.
Small paint cans with brushes secured to cover should be distributed to all departments, to save paint, reduce fire hazards from open cans, reduce number of brushes used and spoiled. Of considerable value to electricians in regard to insulating paints.
Install work benches and vises on fan tail of vessels for general use so that vises and tools will be available to all departments, instead of having individual departments make their own installations in a crowded space.
Shops should be identified by signs to save time and prevent confusion on the part of new employees.
55
Be sure that safety dogs get frequent inspection.
Tank tube unit should be welded to vertical keel before assembly.
Nonremovable guards should be placed over grinders used on ways to protect operators.
Exposed cranes should be covered.
Turn off motor of welding machines when not in use.
Pads, clips, dogs, etc., should be welded on strain side only to save welding material.
Give all weld markers a mimeographed sheet or book containing sizes of the welds to be marked on the different parts of the ship.
If you have any skids and water troughs on ways, strips of board should be nailed between them to prevent grease from falling through and make way for a better cleaning job.
Chocks should be put on brow plates in the yard before they are brought on ways. Formerly crews worked a full shift on one plate trying to burn chocks to fit, burning up a great deal of valuable material without getting a good job.
Rivet heating stands should be bent to an outward pitch so as not to fall over and off the ship. Also prevents coal bursts from striking the faces of the heater.
If all plates have holes burned in them for shackles when being loaded, it won’t be necessary to use dogs, which are dangerous and do not hold.
To avoid duplication and confusion, foremen, leaders, pushers, and all concerned should coordinate their efforts in requisitioning and storing materials on all shifts.
A piece of scrap air hose (if any is available) on electrode holders will protect the metal and help prevent accident.
Painting blocks and hooks on cranes black and white enables operator to see them at night as well as during the day.
A safety rail around emery wheel grinders on board ship and a sign at the entrance “One At A Time” will prevent crowding around the operator and its possible attendant dangers.
A drive gear attached to a 10-inch boring bar made that bar available for outside work on ways as well as for inside jobs at one yard, saving 184 man-hours per ship by eliminating a bottleneck.
At 1 yard, a hole cut in a wooden pier enabled workmen to recover tools and other articles which frequently fell through openings in the boards.
As a safety device, a bell was added to equipment on gantries. A bell in the cab of the operator could be rung from the ground in case the flagger saw a danger on the track and could not signal the operator by other means.
Small hand suction pumps at 1 yard proved useful for getting water out of inaccessible places when “cleaning up” a ship. They saved approximately 500 man-hours in keeping water out of ship during period it is on ways.
A suggestion to place old nuts or connections on inlet threads of all burner torches when issuing same for tool room, these to be replaced when burner torches are returned. This method protects threads on torch connection left hand threads on oxygen side—right hand threads on gas side. Previously throwing burner torches down damaged these threads, requiring a number of replacements each day. This method saves time and bronze connections and no replacements are necessary.
One yard reports that making the right angle triangle batten collapsible to a size 4 feet by 6 inches means it can be lowered through any hatch, assembled later in lower compartments of ship to save many man-hours and make for greater accuracy in work.
The identification of welding machines and cables by having the same number on a metal tag on the whip end of the cable and on the machine has proved to be a great time saver at 1 yard.
One shipyard found a suggestion that dispensaries be located at the head houses excellent.
An air manifold in the bulkhead behind the main engine eliminated a great quantity of hose and the possibility of injury there.
Battery powered lights on one ship installed in the engine room on launching days facilitate the work of the crew taking engine rooms soundings and help prevent any possible sabotage, one yard reported.
Special helmets worn by electricians help shipyard workers to locate them easily.
A rope lashing from post to davit across side of boat deck after the launching is a good safety suggestion until life boats and safety railings are installed.
56
STEEL AND FOUNDRY
461 Change in scaffolds used in rebuilding open hearth furnaces.
Result: Savings in time and money estimated at $400 per year.
715 New type pouring shank bail for use in foundry.
Result: Affords smoother operation, safety, less repairs, and saves time.
716 Pattern transporting truck.
Result: Protects patterns from damage.
717 Installation of additional screen and vibrator on the shot elevator leading to the impeller, control cage, and vanes on the American Wheelabrator machine.
Result: Improved service of Wheelabrator machine and reduced shut-downs.
720 Use of gas economizer valves on stelliting torches.
Result: Saves oxygen, acetylene gas, and operator’s time.
972 Air-cooling of antimonial lead bars on mechanical molding machine.
Result: Twenty to thirty percent increase
in rate of molding antimonial lead, cost of cooling air negligible.
1016 Method of prolonging life of board dropforge hammer boards.
Result: Useful life of set of hammer boards approximately doubled. Saves approximately $12,000 yearly.
1161 Hopper and pipe for unloading fire clay from railroad cars.
Result: Saves from 32 to 38 man-hours per car.
STEEL AND FOUNDRY SHORTS
Square steel panels for annealing trays used in conveyor type furnace increased the annealing capacity of the furnace almost 100 percent at one plant producing shells.
Method of production for head stock castings in the manufacture of lathes. Previously all sizes— that is, 13-, 14J^-, and 16-inch underneath drive head stocks—were made on the floor in two-part hinged flasks. Suggestion provided that by adding core prints on bearings, the two-part flask could be eliminated and box type flask could be used, allowing the placing of these three patterns on a jolt roll-over machine. As a result a 50 percent daily production increase was noted.
57
TEXTILES-
685 Substitution of steel rollers for rubber rollers in pulling intucks tight on sewn multiwall bag.
Result: Saves critical material.
TEXTILE SHORT
If all nuts which have to be loosened in a tuber are of the same size and shape, only one wrench would be required to do the job.
58
•CROSS INDEX-
Substitution of Materials:
Paragraph
Automotive. .__________________________________
991
Aviation____________________________________ 683,915,1055
Engines__________________________________ 177,669,671,756
Ordnance_________________________________ 540, 741,930,933
Radio, Radar. _....... 134,146,349,661,664,754,1181,1208
Railroads____________________________________________ 477
Textiles_____________________________________________ 685
Conservation of Materials:
Automotive__________________________________ 395, 587,994
Aviation________________________________________ 117,560
Chemicals and Synthetics___________________ 536,977,1020
Engines. ............................. 739,1196,1230,1233
Miscellaneous______________________________________ 150,
220,229,284,285,286,479,735,745,813,1071
Ordnance... 391,514,622,641, 740,878, 897,989,1031,1063 Radio, Radar._________ 143,271,273, 306,308,314,415,491, 647,650,656,861,1003,1062,1099,1176,1182
Railroads_________________________________  677,679,1100
Shipbuilding______________________ 443,570,1027,1068,1222
Steel and Foundry______________________________ 720,1016
Office and Shop Practices:
Automotive_______________________________ 234, 565, 737, 801
Aviation__________________________________ 139C, 182,185, 290
Engines______________________________________ 668, 672,1083
Mining______________________________________________ 1223
Miscellaneous_________ 116,136,152,155,378, 802,1026,1044
Ordnance.................. 127,257, 807, 833,935,1035,1175
Radio, Radar..____________________ 313, 347,476,666,1178
Railroads___________________________________________ 678
Shipbuilding_____________________________ 711,776,967,1065
Steel and Foundry____________________________461,716, 717
Machining Methods:
Automotive__________________________ 232,436,455, 584, 895, 896
Aviation______________________________________________ 1107
Engines_______________________________________________ 165,
168, 169, 170, 180, 191, 244, 245, 246, 247, 366, 368, 383, 483, 486, 490, 498, 670, 674, 818, 822, 824, 825, 827,1081,1085,1087,1192,1193,1227,1232
Machining Methods—Continued.	Paragraph
Miscellaneous____________________________________ 1188, 1224
Ordnance___________________________________________ 119,
148, 201, 205, 210, 251, 255, 451, 459, 510, 512, 513, 516, 517, 518, 523, 526, 530, 531, 532, 533, 553, 621, 626,836,929,932,937,992,1005,1009
Radio, Radar________________ 123,128,260, 332,362,416,1177
Shipbuilding_______________________________________ 946
New Tools and Fixtures:
Automotive_____________________________________ 233, 273, 725,
979,980A, 980B, 1040,1041,1138,1139,1204
Aviation_____________________________________________ 120,
137, 160, 161, 162, 181, 221, 222, 226, 287, 337, 452, 463, 464, 557, 558, 561, 562A, 562B, 564, 586, 600, 633, 634, 635, 637, 638, 702, 746, 747, 748, 749, 750, 761, 763, 764, 765, 766, 767, 768, 805, 1022, 1037, 1050, 1051,1053,1056, 1057,1070, 1162, 1163,1164, 1184,1185, 1187
Chemicals and^Synthetics_______________________ 701,976,1046
Engines______________________________________________ 166,
171,173, 175, 176, 189, 190, 192, 238, 240, 241, 242, 248, 294, 295, 296, 297, 302, 367, 369, 373, 374, 375, 377, 379, 380, 481, 482, 484, 487, 488, 489, 494, 667, 673, 675, 676,808,820, 826, 1080, 1082, 1084, 1086, 1088,1089,1172, 1191, 1194, 1195, 1197, 1198, 1228, 1231, 1234
Mining____________________________________________ 201, 202
Miscellaneous________________________________________ US,
187,329,723,727,736,759,856,905,1032,1064,1101 Ordnance__________________________________________ H’>
130, 131,	132, 133, 156, 158, 203,	209,	236,	261, 262,
263, 265,	304, 328, 331, 338, 387,	388,	401,	480, 500,
505, 506,	507,	520, 524, 525, 527,	528,	539,	619, 623,
624, 625,	640, 643, 704, 721, 722,	738,	934,	939, 940,
941, 970, 986, 1007, 1014, 1015, 1023, 1033, 1034, 1036,1045,1136, 1173,1190
Radio, Radar__________________ 147,268,272,310, 394,408,409,
413, 645, 649, 659, 662, 694, 752, 805, 859, 996, 997, 1000,1002,1004,1047,1165,1199
Railroads______________________________________449, 547,1161
59
New Tools and Fixtures—Continued.	Paragraph
Shipbuilding_______________________________________ 198,
211, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217, 218, 342, 444, 445, 478, 568, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 606, 612, 687, 695, 696, 697, 698, 705, 706, 707, 708, 710, 772, 773,777,778, 786,787, 811, 812, 814A, 814B, 814C, 815, 816, 837, 838, 840, 841, 842, 843, 844, 845, 846, 847, 848, 849, 853, 854, 867, 873, 875, 880, 881, 882, 942, 951, 955, 959, 960, 963, 964, 965, 968, 969, 971, 982, 1008, 1028, 1029, 1030, 1067, 1073, 1074,1075, 1076, 1077, 1108,1112, 1113, 1114, 1115,1117, 1118, 1119, 1120, 1121,1142, 1143, 1144, 1169, 1170, 1213, 1214, 1215,1216,1217, 1218, 1220, 1221, 1225
Steel and Foundry___________________________________ 715
Work Simplification:
Automotive._________________________________________ 279,
456,712,726,894,1038,1039,1205,1206,1207
Aviation____________________________________________ 139A,
139B, 195, 227, 288, 289, 336, 550, 630,'632, 699,914, 917,1049,1052
Work Simplification—Continued.	Paragraph
Chemicals and Synthetics_________________ 465,703,975,1019
Engines__________________ 167,172,179,485,495,756,819, 823
Miscellaneous_________._______________________ 330, 744,1106
Ordnance______________ 228, 250,583,620,828,1012,1013,1195
Radio, Radar________________________________________ 196,
267, 269, 270, 274, 305, 356, 417, 475, 492, 644, 646, 651, 652, 654, 655, 657, 660, 665, 688, 693, 804, 862, 999,1001
Railroads_______________________________________________ 972
Shipbuilding____________________________________________ 214,
774, 775, 809, 863, 865, 962, 966, 983, 1027, 1109,
1110,1111,1141,1219
Safety:
Automotive_________________________________________ 713, 737
Mining______________________________________________ 855
Miscellaneous_________________________________ 252, 335,1026
Shipbuilding------------------- 212,567,839,949,1116,1166
60
•EXTENT OF SUGGESTION SYSTEMS-
SUGGESTION programs are one of the most constructive and popular activities of Labor-Management Committees. A total of 93 percent of all Committees reporting their activities to War Production Drive Headquarters have suggestion systems in operation.
Drive Headquarters makes available to these Committees a wide variety of materials on suggestions, including a pamphlet, “Honors for Production Ideas”; a guidebook, “Ways of Handling Suggestions”; the four WPB award forms for national and local honors; and posters, leaflets, transcriptions, movies and other promotional aids.
61