Light Thin Castings Industry

LIGHT (THIN) CASTINGS INDUSTRY. A highly specialized development of the ironfounding industry. Its prod ucts are designed almost exclusively for use in connection with the building trades, domestic purposes, and municipal and archi tectural requirements. Its development has depended on, and kept pace with, development in municipal enterprise and a rising standard in both public and private hygienic habits. Its product is cast in thin section and to this end requires an iron of high phosphorus content, giving the necessary fluidity. The actual process is quite similar in principle to that applied to any other branch of founding, but it has become so highly specialized a trade that the average ironfounder not so specializing cannot produce castings of such fine section or finish.

Classification.—For purposes of the trade light castings are classified under the following main heads : I. Unfitted Goods, including such articles as rain water and soil pipes, hot water pipes, gutters or rhones, drain pipes, gas and water pipes and the various connecting pieces required therewith, electric and gas pillars, roof lights, school desk and stable fittings, manhole covers and frames, etc.

2. Fitted Goods, including such articles as coal, gas, electric, and steam cooking ranges, grates, stoves, boilers, etc.

3. Baths and Sanitary Ware, including cisterns, sinks, etc.

4. Hollow-ware, including kettles, pots, pans, coppers or furn ace pans, etc.

5. Light Structural and Ornamental Castings, including spiral stairs, fire escape stairs, verandahs, railings, gates, bandstands, shop fronts, etc.

The development of the industry as a distinct and separate branch of ironfounding may be said to date from the beginning of the 19th century, and it was with the setting up of the Board of Health under the Act of 1848 and the powers conferred and duties devolved on local authorities thereunder that the demand for light casting sanitary products became really substantial. With the awakening of public interest in sanitation as a preventive measure against disease, individual requirements in the way of hygienic appliances also grew, and the tendency has since been for what were first deemed luxuries in the way of sanitary equip ment to become necessities, with an ever advancing standard. The light castings industry set itself to cope with these demands and a real appreciation of what it has done and is doing in that direction can best be gained from a consideration of what light castings articles are included in the structure of a modern dwell ing house, and of the various functions which they perform.

Gutters, etc.

The outside requirements are gutters or rhones, rain water pipes and soil pipes cast in 6f t. lengths and varying from i i to 6in. diameter. The gutters, which are made to many patterns, intercept rain water from the roof and conduct it to an outlet hole to which is attached the rain water pipe which leads the water down the outside of the house to an earth drain at the foot and thence to the public sewage system. The ordinary rain water pipe and gutter are round and half round respectively, but for buildings more pretentious in design, rectangular rain water pipes and ornamental gutters are frequently required and supplied. All waste matter from the house is taken away by an outside pipe of heavier make than the rain water pipe, known as a soil pipe, which connects the lavatory, bath, and sinks with the earth drain and main sewer. It projects up to the roof of the house, the up per part acting as a ventilating pipe.

As regards the inside structure of the house, light castings re quirements comprise the bath, range, interior grates for living rooms, mantel registers for bedrooms, lavatory cistern, and port able wash boiler.

Baths.

At first baths were merely painted inside. Demand for higher quality and better finish led to the introduction of what is known as the metallic enamelled bath, which was grained on the inside to give a marble effect ; but this type has been al most entirely superseded by what is known as the porcelain enamelled bath, which may be either in green or white. Baths are made either parallel or taper, generally with a square end and a scoop end, although in some patterns both ends are square. The popular sizes are 5 and 54ft. long, of varying widths and depths. Better quality baths are made with wide rolls or rims and in some cases are cast or fitted with outside panels reaching to the floor. The normal bath type, however, stands on feet which are cast separately and bolted to snugs on the bath casting. A mod ern development to suit the small modern house where bathroom space is limited is the combined bath and basin, the basin being either cast in one piece with the bath or cast separately and fitted on at the square end. The whole is fitted with swivel taps for hot and cold water serving bath and basin. Better class baths are also, if required, fitted with canopies for douches, sprays, etc. These canopies are generally of plate glass.