Newspapers / The Echo (Pisgah Forest, … / July 1, 1954, edition 1 / Page 11
Part of The Echo (Pisgah Forest, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
No one knows who first discovered that a stream of molten lead will form into spheres when it is dropped and allowed to fall freely from a considerable height. The sporting arms and am munition industry depends upon this useful phe nomenon for the manufacture of the lead pellets used in shot shells. Today Olin Industries has two shot towers, one at East Alton, Illinois, and one at New Haven, Connecticut, producing untold millions of tiny lead pellets for the company’s famous red shot shells which are sold everywhere under the fa miliar Western and Winchester brand names. Although the principle of making shot has re mained unchanged, there have been innumerable improvements in the lead alloys and in the equip ment in a highly efficient and uniform manner. Gravity plays an important role in the pro duction of shot. The operation begins when a molten alloy of lead, at a temperature of 700° Fahrenheit, is poured into a shot pan with a per forated bottom. The size of the perforations de termine the size of the pellets which are to be formed. As the molten metal flows through the pan, an automatic hammer strikes the pan and shakes droplets of lead in a continuous stream into a tank of water. At the East Alton shot tower shot falls 190 feet, at New Haven 154 feet. The surface tension of the falling droplets forms them into spheres and by the time they strike the cushioning water, they are hard. The hardness of the shot is determined by the alloy of the lead and falling into cold water has no affect upon hard ness. All of the pellets are not perfect spheres so it is necessary to sort out the culls. Another simple but ingenious idea is used to sort the imperfect from the perfect shot. Raised to the sorting de partment of the shot towers by an endless bucket Lead pig slides into melting pot on ninth floor of Winchester shot tower. Pot has capacity of 11 tons, temperature maintained is about 700 degrees Fahrenheit. A dropping pan for No. 6 shot, containing 2,400 holes through tvhich molten lead pours separated into droplets. IS
The Echo (Pisgah Forest, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 1, 1954, edition 1
11
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75