Annual Report of the Director Bureau of Standards to the Secretary Of
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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR UREAU OF STANDARDS TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1921 (Mijcellaneous Publications—No, 47) WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR BUREAU OF STANDARDS TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1921 (Miscellaneous Publications—No. 47) WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921 Persons on a regular mailing list of the Department of Commerce should give prompt notice to the " Division of Publications, Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C," of any change of address, stating specifically the form of address in which the publication has previously been received, as well as the new address. The Department should also be advised promptly when a publi- cation is no longer desired. 2 CONTENTS Chart showing functions of Bureau facing 17 I. Functions, organization, and location 17 1. Definition of standards 17 Standards of measurement 17 Pliysical constants (standard values) IS Standards of quality . 18 Standards of performance 19 Standards of pi'actice 20 2. Relation of the Bureau's work to the public 20 Comparison of standards of scientific and educational institu- tions or of the public with those of the Bureau 20 Work of the Bureau in an advisory capacity 21 3. Relation of the Bureau's work to the industries 21 Assistance in establishing exact standards of measurement needed in industries 21 The collection of fundamental data for the industries 22 Simplification of standards 22 Elimination of industrial wastes 23 Training of experts in various industrial fields 23 4. Relation of the Bureau's work to the Government 24 Comparison of standards of other Government departments with those of the Bureau 24 Performance of tests and investigations and the collection of scientific data of a fundamental nature 24 Advisory and consulting capacity 24 The Bureau as a testing laboratory and its work in the prepara- tion of specifications on which to base the purchase of ma- terials 25 5. Organization 25 6. Location 27 II. Scientific and technical divisions 28 28 1. Weights and measures , General ' 28 The importance of weights and measures 28 Length ' 28 Investigations in precision length measurement 28 Status of standards ' 2& Routine testing 29 Visitors and travel 30 Mass 30 Tests 30 Rejections ^ 31 Standards tested for the States and for manufacturers 31 Assistance to the Motor Transport Corps 31 Shortening the work on high precision tests 31 Changes in weight of celluloids 31 Standards and apparatus 32 Recommendations 32 Time 32 Investigation of stop watches 32 Drum chronographs 33 Advisory work 33 Improvements in equipment 33 Routine testing__ 33 Future work 34 Additional equipment 34 5 4 CONTENTS. II. Scientific and teclinical divisions—Continued. 1. Weiglits and measures—Continued. Page. Capacity and density 34 Research 34 Testing , 85 Visitors 86 Additional space needed 36 ' Gas measurement ! ^_ 36 Field work 86 , Research and preparation of ta'bles 37 Routine testing of gas meters 37 Expansivity of solids 87 Research, investigation, and tests 37 Travel '38 Improvement of equipment 38 Commercial scales 39 Investigation of railroad track scales 39 Testing and calibration of master scales 40 Bureau of Standards' master track scale 40 Mine-scale investigation 41 Grain scales 42 Quick-weighing scales 42 Adjustment of scales 43 Cooperation with States and other interests in weights and measures administration 43 Cooperation with States 43 Fourteenth Annual Conference on Weights and Measures 44 New legislation , 45 Compilation of weights and measures laws 45 Cooperation with other Government departments 45 Cooperation with outside interests 46 Gauge section 46 Research and design 46 Testing of gears and gear-cutting tools 47 Routine testing of gauges 48 Testing of gauges for commercial concerns 48 Finger-ring gauges 49 • Shopwork 49 Travel 49 National Screw Thread Commission 50 American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Sectional Com- m ttee on uiiiflcation and standardization of screw threads. 50 American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Sectional Com- mittee on plain limit gauges for general engineering work_ 50 Standardization of buttons 50 Publications 51 Progress report of National Screw Thread Commission 51 Jewelers and Silversmiths' Circular 51 Thermal expansion of copper and its alloys 51 Report of annual conference . 51 Screw-thread pitches 51 Thermal expansion of metals 51 Testing of large capacity scales_l 51 Technical data and information 52 2. Electricitv 52 General 52 Scope of the electrical work 52 Public utility investigations 53 Standards of resistance 54 Routine testing 54 International comparison of standards of resistance 54 Refinements in resistance measurements 54 Units of resistance '. 55 The statement of the conducting quality of conductors 55 Resistance of human body 55 Electrical method for the measurement of the rate of natu- ral corrosion in sheet metal 56 CONTENTS. -5 II. Scientific and technical divisions—Continued. 2. Electricity—Continued. Inductance and capacitance . 56 Inductance and capacitance laboratory 5& Inductance research 5*5 Capacitance research 57 Ballistics and allied problems • 57 Cooperation with Navy Department 57 Study of the variation of gun pressures vt^ith time 57 Primer explosion times — 57 Ejection velocities 57 Firing-time intervals 58 Interior ballistic formulas 5S Pressure in recoil cylinders 58 Velocity of the projectile inside the bore of the gun 58 Photography of projectiles in flight 58 Sao Paulo report 58 Measurements on the U. S. S. Tennessee 58 Physical constants for submarine mines 59 Design of oscillographs — 59 Investigations of turret movements and strains during gun- fire 59 Study of soluble washers 59 Electrical measuring instruments 59 Testing of electrical instruments 59 Electrical tests of ignition apparatus 59 Cooperation with national associations 69 Cooperation with manufacturers 60 60 Development of new apparatus . Magnetic measurements ^ 61 General magnetic measurements . 61 Magnetic analysis 61 Magnetic compasses 62 Miscellaneous activities : 62 Photometry and illuminating engineering 62 General problems in photometry ^ 62 Instruments for measurement of reflected light 63 New specifications for incandescent electric lamps 63 Inspection and life tests of incandescent lamps 64 Interlaboratory comparison of lamp measurements 6.5 Radio communication 6-5 Radio research and Information 65 Standardization of terminology 66 Variations of radio signal intensity 66 I Measurement of received signal intensity 66 Antennas 66 International Union on scientific radio telegraphy 66 Electron tubes ^ 66 Radiotelephony 67 Phenolic insulating materials for radio use 67 Miscellaneous insulating materials 67 Radio testing 67 Measurements of telephone receivers 68 Properties of inductance coils 68 Airplane radio 68 Direction finding 69 Radio fog signaling 69 Radio receiving sets 69 Radio broadcasting 69 Miscellaneous applications of radio 69 Electric batteries 70 Tests of electrical batteries 70 Electrical performance of dry cells 70 Storage-battery investigations 70 Effect of low temperatures on the voltage of batteries ^_ 71 Comparison of American and foreign make of dry cells 71 Signal Corps textbook on radio telegi-aphy 71 CONTENTS. II. Scientific and technical divisions—Continued. 2. Electricity—Continued. Electric batteries—Continued. Page. Preparation of specifications for electrical batteries 72 Standard cells ' 72 Radio activity and X-ray measurements 73 Gamma-ray measurements of radioactive material 73 Self-luminous materials 73 X rays 74 Electrolysis prevention 74 Electrolysis problem among public utilities 74 Economic Importance of tbe electrolysis problem 75 Inconvenience and hazard due to electrolysis 75 Investigation of lead corrosion troubles iu St. Louis 76 Cooperation with the American Committee on Electrolysis 76 Development of apparatus for making electrolysis surveys 77 Electric telemetric devices 77 Safety engineering and safety standards 78 National electrical safety code 78 Electrical safety conference 79 Industrial safety standards 79 Heads and eyes code 80 Logging and sawmill code 80 Aeronautical safety code 80 Gas engineering 81 Gas-appliance investigations 81 Gas-service inspections 81 Investigation of the cost of manufacture and distribution of gas in -the District of Columbia 82 Cooperation with the California Railroad Commission 82 National gas safety code " 82 Electrici^.l and related service standards 82 Standards for electric service • 82 Standards for heating service S3 Standards for water service .. 84 Engineering standardization directory 84 Telephony 84 Telephone service studies 84 Other telephone problems . 85 General condition of the division 86 Publications ^ 86 3. Heat and thermometry : 88 Thermometry ^ 88 Clinical thermometers : 88 Laboratory thermometers , 89 Thermometer testing 90 Platinum resistance thermometers-^ 91 High, temperatures 91 Industrial pyrometry 91 Standard samples for thermoraetric fixed points 92 Research in pyrometry 92 Heat treatment of glass : 93 Investigation in electronics 94 Heat measurements 94 Refrigeration constants 95 Specific volumes of superheated vapors 95 Specific heat of gases 95 MoUier chart . 96 Pressure-relief diaphragms 96 . Cryogenic laboratory (low temperatures) . 97 Production of low temperatures 97 Production of liquid air on a laboratory scale 97 Fire-resistive properties of structural materials 97 Fire tests of concrete columns 98 Fire tests of building columns 98 Fire tests of brick