Firearms manufacturing created

One can only wonder what the late Eliphalet Remington and son might be thinking these days, about five states courting the Remington Arms Co. Inc. plant in Ilion to relocate to more “gun-friendly” states.

The efforts have been under way since the passage of the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement, or SAFE Act, in January. If Remington stays, it will mark its bicentennial in Ilion in 2016, having employed thousands from northern Otsego County and the Mohawk Valley throughout its history.

Remington and his wife, Elizabeth Kilbourne, were among the many people who headed west from New England after the Revolutionary War. The Remingtons left Connecticut in 1800, finding some acreage to their liking in the hills just south of Ilion. Eliphalet built a forge and blacksmith shop to help in making his own farm equipment.

Among the Remington family was Eliphalet Jr., who was age 23 in 1816. He wanted a rifle for hunting, but one was quite expensive. His father offered him the use of the forge to make one of his own. Young Eliphalet collected enough scrap metal until he could shape a thick, oblong sheet of metal around a rod. He then lap-welded the edges, removed the rod and had the first Remington barrel. With help from a Utica gunsmith, the firearm became ready for use.

Young Eliphalet obviously had some skill in forging, as neighboring farmers soon wanted similar rifles. The Remington’s forge in Ilion Gulph became a shop for making not only guns, but also a variety of farm tools. Orders for Remington’s guns were so good that once the Erie Canal was dug through the valley in 1821, they could be shipped and sold in remote areas.

Remington’s forge was a bit remote from the Erie Canal, a four-mile journey. By 1828, Eliphalet saw the need to be closer to sources of transportation. With financial assistance, Remington bought 100 acres south of the present East Main Street and east of Otsego Street, and built his first armory.

The village grew with the Remington factory. It soon became evident that a post office was needed, as well as a permanent name for the village. It had been called a number of names, including Remington’s Corners, but Eliphalet Remington had refused the honor of the village being named after him. David D. Devoe became the first postmaster and came up with the name Ilion, which he remembered from ancient history as the Greek name for Troy. Devoe sent the name to Washington, D.C without consulting the citizens, and Congress approved the new name. The village was incorporated in 1852.

While guns made for good business, the Remington armory continued making farm utensils and other iron articles. It wasn’t until 1845 that the gun business expanded, with the armory’s first government contract for the Mexican War. The Civil War meant even more business, as Remington received over $2-million for arms delivered. By now, Eliphalet joined forces with his three sons, forming a company called E. Remington and Sons.

By the 1870s a letdown in work at the armory came as other countries began to establish their own munitions factories. According to “Ilion — The Town Remington Made” by Warren E. Schulz, the Remingtons had thought about retiring, but continued operations and diversified their manufacturing into peaceful lines, including agricultural implements, sewing machines, electric light systems, typewriters and much more. The first 100 velocipedes made in the United States were produced in the Remington plant.

E. Remington and Sons had hit grave times by the mid-1880s, and was bought in a sale in 1888 by a firm called Hartley and Graham. The company was reorganized and named the Remington Arms Company. The company continued to struggle, but prosperity returned in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

During World War I, when the U.S. entered, normal employment of 900 jumped to 11,000, in producing nearly 3,000 rifles per day. The same escalation was true during World War II. Employees came from near and far, some commuting by rail and later by car. Relatives have told me that my grandparents, James and Emma Cleary, met at the Remington factory in World War I. The day after they met, the war was over and they were let go, amongst many others. The couple later married and eventually made their way to southern Otsego County.

machines in factories

machines in factories


You can't really go anywhere on the planet without realizing just how much we depend on machines for our existence today. You could look outside and see construction on new Oakville, Ontario, real estate or turn on your computer and do a Mandarin translation on a complete document. In fact, the mode of transportation you are using to go anywhere on the planet is more than likely a type of machine.
It's inevitable to see machinery every hour of every day, but there are literally hundreds of different machines that you will probably never see. These are the machines that drive the manufacturing process, also called factory machines. They are typically huge, fast, and used for the production of most of the items in our households, as well as for producing the parts vital in so many other types of machines. For example, even if you prefer to garden by hand, the Bahco tools you are using were made by machines.
There are, of course, many different types of factory machines, from those that drive conveyor belts and are fairly simple to hugely complicated combinations of mechanics and the latest computer technology, used in production, manufacturing, even in science, finding medical discoveries and producing industrial water treatment chemicals.
As diverse as factory machines are, they generally share a few common qualities, largely related to their function within the factory. Let's take a look.
Speed up production. Without exception, the main purpose of using machines in a factory setting is to allow the production within the factory to go at a faster rate. Machines have the ability to work much faster than human beings, and in a demanding, profit driven world the faster goods can be created the better. An example of this that you've probably encountered is with printing services. You can now get discount postcard printing done in no time. Imagine if there was no photocopier to do all of that and it had to be done my hand. It would take what seemed like forever.
Allow more production. Machines are also able to work at a steady pace, hour after hour. There is no need for a machine to take a coffee break, to work a shift, and they are always at work (they do tend to take sick days, but that's another story). Limitless energy means that factory machines can produce more goods; in turn, this means greater profit and also an increase in availability, generally for the good, as far as the consumer is concerned.
The creation of a safer work environment. While it is true that machines do pose a new set of risks, as far as the factory setting goes, most of the time machines can alleviate risk in other areas. The use of machines eliminates the risk of sleep related work accidents; often machines are used to complete tasks that previously put the health and even lives of workers at risk.
Although you probably will not see even a small percentage of the factory machines, the fact is that they are responsible for virtually every part of your life, from the Oshawa home you could live in to the car you drive. The clothes you are wearing were likely produced, at the most basic level, by an industrial sewing machine. The chair you are sitting in as you read this was likely assembled on a machine chain at a plant; the computer you used to pull up this page was not only assembled by a factory machine, but every single part in it was likely assembled by a separate set of specialized factory machines. And if you're using online collaboration software to connect to the office, that's another whole set of machines.

The conveniences - and pitfalls - of automated teller machines

There's probably not one adult in the U.S. who does not use an automated teller machine on a regular basis. You no longer have to stand in line inside the bank to make deposits, withdrawals or inquiries on your accounts. If you're going shopping, you can use your bank card to pay for purchases and even get cash back, withdrawn automatically from your bank account. Automated teller machines are not confined to bank premises either. They're everywhere, at the mall and inside stores, from large department stores to the local mini-mart. Automated teller machines make our lives easier, often eliminating a trip to the bank among our errands. If these handy money machines were to disappear altogether, the entire society would be thrown into a tizzy.

However, there are negative aspects to the automated teller machines that you need to be aware of in order to save money, keep your finances straight and be safe from thieves and muggers.

Most important is the safety factor. It's unwise to use an automated teller machine on the street at night, even if other people are waiting in line behind you. Thieves lurk around these machines and are practiced in looking inconspicuous. A person standing nearby may look as though he's waiting to hail a taxi or looking out for a friend he's meeting. In fact, he may be idling there, waiting for you to withdraw some cash and then mugging you. If you're withdrawing money, find an automated teller machine inside a store in a well-lit area.

Another aspect of using automated teller machines can be dangerous to your financial standing. When banks first installed these machines, you were not charged a fee to get a mini-statement of account or to withdraw cash. As the automated teller machines began populating small stores and malls, transactions became a bit more complicated.

Now, if you use a machine in the mini-mart, chances are that the machine is owned by someone other than your bank. When you withdraw cash, you are charged a fee by the owner of that machine, which is clearly spelled out on the screen before you complete your transaction. You accept the fee and make note of it in your bank book. What you may not know is that your own bank will also charge a fee for processing the outside transaction. If your bank balance is not high and you make a number of such transactions, your account may become overdrawn, and a hefty overdraft fee will be assessed.

When you use automated teller machines, keep an eye on those hidden fees, be conscious of your surroundings and enjoy the conveniences they provide.

Title:

5 Keys to Choosing Plate Roll Machines

Word Count:

1109

Summary:

Between diminishing factory orders and increasing labor and energy costs, companies that use plate metal in their fabricating processes are finding their profit margins increasingly pinched.

Yet, manufacturers must still invest in new production equipment -- whether to replace obsolete equipment or to take advantage of new business opportunities -- in order to remain competitive.

Keywords:

industrial, metalworking, plate rolls

Article Body:

Between diminishing factory orders and increasing labor and energy costs, companies that use plate metal in their fabricating processes are finding their profit margins increasingly pinched.

Yet, manufacturers must still invest in new production equipment -- whether to replace obsolete equipment or to take advantage of new business opportunities -- in order to remain competitive.

Manufacturers must make careful assessments when evaluating the addition of new plate-rolling equipment. Debt capital is still available to purchase new machinery, but paying back the loan will not yield a satisfactory return on investment unless the equipment adds value to the production. Unfortunately, many buyers end up purchasing equipment that lacks the capability and flexibility to meet production volumes and tolerances, simply because they don't understand all available options and considerations.

In an effort to help manufacturers optimize plate rolling operations, 5 key considerations are offered in order to choose a proper plate bending machine.

1. Factor in the properties of the material to be rolled

Even though drawings call for a plate to be rolled down to the same dimensions, a tougher material will require a much higher-rated rolling machine. In absence of such considerations, defects will result and the manufacturer will end up with excessive scrap.

Today's steel is much stronger and requires more strength to bend. Thanks to detailed classifications by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, countless varieties of steel abound: A36, A516 grade 70, Hardox 400/500 series and AR 200/300 series, for example. And these different steels require varying pressures to roll.

A metal's temper and yield strength must be matched with the customer's application to correctly determine the specifications of the plate roller. This is especially important since steel characteristics have changed drastically over the past couple of decades. What was once known as mild steel no longer exists.

2. Work with an equipment dealer that is willing to discuss your specific plate-rolling needs

Customers must know the correct questions to ask, in order to get the correct answers. Each manufacturer faces unique challenges, and through systematic querying an astute sales representative can determine exactly what equipment will work best for their process.

Manufacturers must also carefully consider whether they wish to roll conical or parabolic shapes to take advantage of a broader market. Hydraulically operated four-roll machines are ideal for this type of work by eliminating surface scarring, thereby decreasing the need for grinding the lamination (bullnosing) on the minor diameter edge of a cone.

Accurate conical rolling is further achieved through features such as torsion bar parallelism, as opposed to electronic systems or proportional value systems that merely maintain a theoretical balance. Finite parallelism allows the machine to be adjusted to its full conical tilt and back to parallel in only five seconds.

Customers need to discuss issues such as inside diameters, material type, tolerances and the desired shape of the finished product. As an example, some products, such as those found in the pressure vessel industry, demand a maximum of 1 percent out-of-round on their diameters or they are considered defective. By using an underpowered plate roller, too much of a barrel effect can render such a product useless and quickly erase any potential profit margin.

Matching plate-rolling equipment to the specific needs of a manufacturer requires attention to detail. It is imperative that the dealer you work with is willing to sit down with you and discuss the specific needs of your business. There are many issues that need to be addressed, many of which a purchasing manager may not initially foresee.

3. Stay within ideal operating parameters of the machine

It is recommended that manufactures identify what material and what thickness represent their highest volume of work. Then (a company) can deliver a machine that will camber to that specification, thus conserving valuable production hours and eliminating large amounts of scrap.

Quality rolling machines are usually cambered at 50 percent of the full-rated value of the machine. Hence, a 1-inch machine is cambered to roll 1/2-inch plate at a nearly perfect edge.

Disregarding this important fact can result in out-of-spec product that the customer will not accept. Problems most commonly arise when rollers attempt to push the upper limits of their plate roll. If 5/8-inch plate is rolled through a 1-inch-rated machine, a small degree of barrel effect will likely occur. This may or may not be an acceptable margin for error.

However, when plate thickness approaches the upper end of a machine's rating, then severe defects can occur. Unless corrected with a shim, it will not be sellable. Conversely, when very thin material is rolled through a machine rated for very thick plate, the finished product may come out tighter in the center than at the ends. Again, time consuming shimming is necessitated to correct for this "hourglass" effect.

4. Carefully consider bending diameters

The tighter the diameter, the more bend pressure required. For instances where thick material must be rolled into tight inside diameters (ID), the diameter of the top roll and the layout of the machine can make the difference between a product whose cylindrical edges meet and one that won't close.

As a rule of thumb, most machines can roll plate at 1 1/2 times the upper roll diameter. Hence, given a 10-inch-diameter top roll, inside diameters as tight as 15 inches can be obtained. However, new machines that incorporate planetary guides are able to keep approximately 50 percent more area of the plate under bend-pressure during the rolling operation, thereby achieving ratios of 1.1 times the upper roll diameter. This creates a 30 percent advantage on tight diameters.

All machines achieve precise measurements at 50 percent of the full-rated value. Therefore, given a 1.1 roll geometry, a 3/8-inch machine with a 10-inch top roller can consistently roll 3/16-inch plate to 11-inch ID without any barrel defect.

5. Incorporate both side and vertical supports to prevent unwanted bends

Adequate support requires both side and vertical roller-supports, as designed by the manufacturer of the plate-rolling machine. Once employed, plate rolling becomes a one-man job instead of two. This frees up valuable manpower that can be re-routed to other jobs.

When rolling a cylinder, once the inside diameter is more than 200 times greater than the thickness of the material, the weight of the material becomes sufficient to bend the cylinder as it exits the top roll and gets further away from the machine. Without proper support, unwanted radii result.

Purchasing a machine with both side and vertical roller supports easily solves this problem.Some manufacturers attempt to skimp on this ancillary equipment by resorting to "makeshift" support such as a forklift or overhead crane. However, this shortcut ties up the use of equipment that can best be utilized elsewhere. Because it cannot adequately support the material, unforeseen bends can still appear.

antique farm machinery

It might seem like a niche market, and in a way it is, but there are a lot of people out there who like to collect antique farm machinery. This is something that is not commonly heard about, but it has a devoted following who are always looking to expand their collection. There are even museums that showcase this type of antique, and they do rather well. These things are a part of history, and they can tell a lot about where we came from and how far we have come.

Some of the most popular antique farm machinery pieces are ones that are made by John Deer. There are a lot of other things that John Deer made that people collect as well, and some of them are toys. Some like to collect the baseball caps as well. However, the antique farm machinery is by far the most appealing thing. Some take them and display them, and others use the old parts from each one that they find to try to build one that will work. It’s much like finding and buying old classic cars and fixing them up as well.

Though a lot of antique farm machinery is too big to be found in many antique stores, you can find other farm and building items. There are some dealers who have nothing but old tools and other related farm items. These can go for quite a bit of money, depending on what the item is, where it came from, how old it is, and of course, how rare of a find it is. These might include old hammers, saws, building nails, items that are no longer used, and some that might have historical importance.

When looking for antique farm machinery, one of the best ways to find new things is to look online. There might be problems with moving large pieces over a long distance, but you can also look for things that you know you could go pick up. There are plenty of websites that have this sort of stuff, and there are always finds on eBay for those who don’t mind fighting it out with others. These items can greatly go up in value if cared for properly, so treat each item as an investment, and enjoy the hunt. As with any type of antique, these are not always going to be easy to find, but the good pieces are out there if you know where to look and how to negotiate.

Title:

A Guide to Antique Sewing Machines

Word Count:

311

Summary:

Sewing machines have been mass-produced worldwide for more than two-hundred years. Early models featured unique designs to add beauty and appeal to buyers. The wide variety of styles and manufacturers make antique sewing machines a favorite collectible. Because of the quality workmanship and heavy materials of the early machines many of the antique sewing machines are still working models.

Keywords:

Sewing Machines, Industrial Sewing Machines, Embroidery Sewing Machines, Antique Sewing Machines

Article Body:

Sewing machines have been mass-produced worldwide for more than two-hundred years. Early models featured unique designs to add beauty and appeal to buyers. The wide variety of styles and manufacturers make antique sewing machines a favorite collectible. Because of the quality workmanship and heavy materials of the early machines many of the antique sewing machines are still working models.

The antique sewing machines will typically be made of cast iron and feature the patent information in a visible location. The machines may have a hand crank or a treadle, which was a flat pedal for both feet to provide the motion for the sewing mechanism. The treadle machines would be mounted onto their own table or cabinet, while many other machines would be in a carrying case and the machine would be placed on the kitchen table.

Miniature, antique sewing machines are some of the most desirable, as they are smaller working models that served as salesmen’s samples, used while traveling or for mending. These small machines doubled as children's sewing machines specifically for use by young girls, since they were expected to learn how to sew. Machines that were intended to be marketed as a child's machine were often painted in a different color or have floral motifs painted onto the body of the machine.

Over the past two centuries many sewing machine companies were successful for a time before closing operations, making for the wide variety of machines to be found. Many companies were not able to survive having their manufacturing facilities converted for wartime use, but also lost to post-war Japan's ability to produce cheap products.

Singer is the first sewing machine company and continues to have antique sewing machines that are the most recognizable and most popular with collectors. The Singer Featherweight model #221, referred to as the Perfect Portable, continues to be a favorite of quilters.

Title:

Bank on It Slot Machine

Word Count:

446

Summary:

Some of the new slot machines have so many side games that they are confusing. It almost becomes a game of inserting your money, hitting a button, and seeing what happens. If you want to have fun, and know what you're doing, Bank on It may be just the ticket.

Keywords:

bank on it, slot machine, games, jackpot, play

Article Body:

Some of the new slot machines have so many side games that they are confusing. It almost becomes a game of inserting your money, hitting a button, and seeing what happens. If you want to have fun, and know what you're doing, Bank on It may be just the ticket.

No, Bank on It doesn't have 293 reels and 216 bonus games. It's a solid 3-reel game and the pay table is easy to understand. As with any great slot machine, you can play multiple denominations and there's a bonus. Bank on It has five denominations-nickel, quarter, fifty cents, dollar and five dollar.

Do you hate seeing all blanks on the pay line? Not any more! In Bank on It, when you get three blanks on the pay-line, the coins you played are put into a bank. It's called the "Piggy Bank." The game puts 150 coins into the piggy bank to start out and the bank keeps increasing every time you get three blanks on the pay-line.

To break the piggy bank you need to get three little piggies. Bank on It has a wild symbol too and that can count as a piggy. The bank is a nice addition and a welcomed side game.

As with any slot machine, you'll need to play max coins to hit the jackpot. Bank on It takes three coins to max it out. Once you're maxed, start praying for the three red 7's, because that's the magical combination that will unlock the big payday.

Game Play

Playing Bank on It is incredibly easy. It's not filled with tons of frills. After picking your denomination, you pick the number of coins to play. I never advocate playing anything less than the maximum. If you're not going to max the machine out, why play? The goal is to hit the jackpot and you can't do that on any slot machine without going all out.

I like Bank on It, because it's your typical 3-coin max. You won't need to put in 15-20 coins or more like other slot machines.

After putting in your coins, just hit the button to spin those wheels. The pay table is easy to understand and it's right on the machine. You won't need sub-screens to figure out how to win. There's one pay-line, just like the good ole' days.

Once the wheels come to a stop, you've won or lost. There aren't any side games to Bank on It other than the piggy bank feature.

Bottom Line

If you want a simple slot machine, this is it. The machine has three reels, three coins max, one pay-line and one side game. It's very simple, but it's fun to play.