ring to any general catalogue that may describe, say, high-speed four-valve engines. The system described below has been in use in a small engineering office for several years and fulfils all the requirements indicated above. In its operation the usual rule has been observed that any person may withdraw a catalogue, but only one man is allowed to file them, and to him also is entrusted the care of the card index, which must be kept continually up to date as new and revised catalogues arrive in the office. In the first place a topical index with a decimal system of division was compiled, as a basis for filing. The index in its final development is reproduced below. Topical Index for Catalogue Filing Steam Boilers and Engines 1.0 Boiler and Engine Catalogues, General 1.12 Water Tube Boilers only 1.18 Boiler Fittings only 1.20 Engines only-General 1.21 Throttling Med. Speed only 1.22 Automatic H.S 1.23 Corliss Engines only 1.28 Engine Fittings only 1.3 Steam Turbines only 1.4 Grates, Furnaces and Stokers 1.5 Smoke Stacks and Flues 1.6 Economizers 1.9 Boilers and Engines N. O. L. (not otherwise listed) Pumps, Air Compressors, Condensers, etc. 2.0 Pumps, Air Compressors, Etc., General 2.1 Large Dir. Act. Pumps only 2.2 Power (Triplex, etc.) pumps only 2.3 Vacuum Pumps only 2.4 Centrifugal and Turbine pumps only 2.5 Air Compressors only 2.6 Condensing and Cooling Towers only 2.7 Artesian Pumps only 2.8 Pumps, etc., Fittings only 2.9 Pumps, etc., N. O. L Steam and Water Fittings 3.0 Pipe and Fittings, General 3.1 Valves only 3.2 Separators and Traps only 3.3 Feed-water Heaters only 3.4 Instruments (Thermometers, Pyrometers, Gauges, Meters, etc.) only 3.5 Packing, Gaskets, Pipe Covering, etc., only 3.9 N. 0. L Water Turbines, Etc. 4.0 General Catalogues 4.1 Water Turbines only 4.2 Impulse Wheels only 4.3 Water Wheels only 4.8 Fittings only 4.9 N. O. L. Gas Engines, Producers, Etc. 5.0 Gas Engine and Producer Cat's, General 5.1 Gas and Gasoline Engines only 5.2 Oil Engines only 5.5 Gas Producers and Gas Power Plants only 5.8 Fittings only 5.9 N. O. L. Electrical 7.0 Electrical, General 7.1 Electrical Apparatus only 7.2 Electrical Supplies only Conveying, Hoisting, Elevating and Power Transmission Machinery 8.0 General Catalogues 8.1 Pulleys, Shafting, Hangers, Gearing, etc., only 8.2 Conveyors and (Material) Elevators only 8.3 Freight and Passenger Elevators only 8.4 Derricks, Hoisting-engines, Wire-rope, etc., only 8.5 Cranes and Hoists only 8.6 Chain only 8.8 Belting 8.9 Material and Machinery N. O. L. Mining Machinery, Rock Crushers, Etc. 10.0 General Catalogues 10.1 Mining Machinery only 10.2 Rock Crushers only 10.9 N. 0. L. Sugar Machinery (Specialty) 11.0 General Catalogues 11.1 Evaporators only 11.2 Vacuum Pans only 11.3 Filter Presses and Mech. Filters only 11.4 Centrifugals only 11.7 Distilling Machinery only 11.9 N. 0. L. Railway Supplies, Agricultural and Road Machinery 12.0 General Catalogues 12.1 Cars, Locomotives and Railway Supplies only 12.2 Wagons and Trucks only 12.3 Agricultural and Road Machinery only 12.4 Scales only 12.9 N. O. L. Foundry Supplies 13.0 General Catalogues 13.1 Cupolas only 13.2 Blowers only 13.9 N. 0. L. Tools 15.0 General Catalogues 15.1 Machine Tools only 15.2 Wood Tools only 15.7 Hand tools only 15.9 N. 0. L. Construction Material for Buildings and Machinery 16.0 General Catalogues 16.1 Structural Steel, Plates, etc., only 16.2 Concrete Systems, Reinforcement, Machinery, Cement, etc. 16.3 Bricks and Brick machinery 16.4 Roofing and Flooring 16.5 Paints and Waterproofing 16.6 Hardware 16.8 Copper, Brass and Bronze 16.9 N. 0. L. Office Supplies, Books, and Instruments 20.0 General Catalogues 20.1 Drawing Office Supplies, Instruments, etc., only 20.2 Office furniture, etc. 20.5 Book Catalogues 20.9 N. O. L. Miscellaneous 22.0 General (Dept. Store Mail Order Cat's, etc.) 22.1 Refrigerating and Ice-making Machinery 22.2 Tanks, etc. 22.9 N. (. L. Such a classification as the Dewey System was not thought entirely satisfactory for the use of a small office. Due consideration was given to the usual methods of compiling trade catalogues; and to the peculiar needs of an office where general mechanical engineering and the design and construction of an industrial specialty were the principal operations. The headings may be subdivided indefinitely according to the decimal system (see p. 416); the first heading only is here shown subdivided. As the catalogues came in they were recorded in the card index (see below) and were assigned to their proper location in the decimal classification, the figure being printed on a gummed label stuck on the upper left-hand corner of the cover. The catalogues were filed on shelves, and, as it became necessary to provide an expandable system of divisions, metal book supports of a special pattern were procured (see Fig. 218), the standard article not being high enough to show the decimal label above the tops of the catalogues. Pamphlets, etc., that might become crushed and lost were filed in stout envelopes with the decimal number pasted on the outside. 13.2 Made of #18 Gauge Steel By this method of filing, a draftsman or engineer who wished to get information on feed-water heaters, for example, found from the index that all catalogues relating to them were filed in 3.3, with a possibility that other information was contained under 3.0, which fact could be ascertained by consulting the card index. "slivers" etc., that might Flattened Rivets Two card indexes were maintained, one based on the name of FIG. 218.-Metal book-support for cata- the manufacturer and the other on logue file. the article catalogued. A card il lustrating the first classification is given in Fig. 219. These cards were filed alphabetically, the first name of the firm determining the location, cross-indexing being resorted to if necessary. The "topical" or article card was prepared as shown in Fig. 220. Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. Air Compressors Air Hammers, Hoists, etc. FIG. 219.-"Manufacturer's" card for catalogue index. 2.5 15.7 These cards were filed according to the topical index given above. Consultation of these card indexes and the catalogues on file gives quick information as to whether the catalogue of any manufacturer is on hand, where it may be found, and what manufacturers handle a given article. Some knowledge of the system, and of the output of the larger dealers, is, of course, necessary to the best use of the files; this is inevitable unless a vast amount of cross-indexing is resorted to, the needs of each office must determine the amount of clerical work thought advisable. As a case in point; the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. illustrate Air Hɔists in their general catalogue, which, as shown on the card is filed in 15.7 (Hand Tools). Hoists, however, are classified under 8.5; and to take care of this, the 8.5 card should contain the name of the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. with the notation after it "(see 15.7)." In some offices the memory and general knowledge of some individual can be depended upon to locate such matters; larger offices, again, may require a still further amount of cross-indexing to make the collection of the greatest general value. SEC. V. DRAWING OFFICE MISCELLANY METHODS OF OBTAINING VARIABLE PRINTS FROM AN ORIGINAL TRACING It frequently happens that a tracing, with slight modifications, can be used on a new job or on a number of jobs. It is usually not admissable to alter the original tracing because records will thereby be destroyed; and the time and expense of making a new tracing are also to be avoided. The following descriptions show the usual methods of obtaining the desired ends, ranging from the crudest to the most systematic. (1) By Altering Prints.-As many prints as desired are taken from the original tracing, and figures, etc., altered to suit; either by obliterating the original lines by blue pencil (on the blueprint) and re-writing in ink or colored pencil, or by the use of soda solution or Chinese white. It is necessary that a "record print" be kept to be filed under the new contract or estimate number. Some method, also, is necessary to differentiate original and changed. drawing numbers. Thus, supposing that the tracing bears the serial number "8104," it will be necessary to modify or alter this in some manner on the changed print, or confusion may arise in the future as to the drawing actually used on the job. A sure and simple method (although a clumsy one) is to designate the changed print as "No. 8104, Special Edition of June 21, 1913" for example. (2) By "Blackspotting."-This method consists in placing blackened rectangles or circles on the tracing at all locations where figures, etc., may vary. These places print white on the blueprint, and the figures, etc., may be put in in ink on the print. A good example of the utility of this method occurs in the case of beam-detail sheets for office or loft building steel, where a large number of floors are alike. The girders framing between columns are often of the same section on all floors but differ in length, growing slightly longer from floor to floor on the way up as the column-section decreases. The length dimensions and the "Floor numbers" may be "blackspotted" on the tracing, and inserted on the blueprints. "General Dimension Sheets" |