Annual Report of the Director Bureau of Standards to the Secretary Of
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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR BUREAU OF STANDARDS TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1915 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1915 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR BUREAU OF STANDARDS TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1915 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1915 CONTENTS. Page. I. Functions, organization, and location 11 1. Standards of measurement 11 2. Pliysical constants 12 3. Standards of quality 12 4. Standards of performance 13 5. Standards of practice 14 6. Relation of the Bureau's work to the public 14 7. Relation of the Bureau's work to the Government service 16 8. Organization 17 9. Location ^ 18 II. Scientific and technical divisions 19 1. Weights and measures 19 Weights and balances 19 Capacity and length measures 19 Sieve testing 20 Volumetric glassware 20 Density tables for petroleum oils 20 Barometry 20 Testing of watches 21 Precision and empirical equations 22 Inspecting and testing scales 22 Operation of test-car equipment 23 Condition of track scales 23 Linear expansion of materials 24 Annual conference on weights and measures 25 Tolerances and specifications 25 So-called net-weight amendment to the pure-food law 26 Standard-barrel act 26 Information furnished on subjects pertaining to measures of length, mass, capacity, and time 26 Publications on weights and measures 27 2. Thermometry, pyrometry, and heat measurements 27 Platinum resistance thermometers 27 A AVheatstone bridge for resistance thermometry 28 A multiple junction thermoelectric thermometer 28 The emergent stem correction for thermometers in creo- sote oil distillation flasks 28 Low-temperature thermometer comparator 29 Specifications for laboratory standard thermometers 29 Recording deep-sea thermometer 30 Other thermometric investigations 30 Characteristics of radiation pyrometers 30 Radiating properties of metals and oxides 31 Other investigations relating to pyrometry 32 Methods of testing refractory materials 32 Standard heat samples 32 Gas calorimetry 33 An aneroid calorimeter 33 Specific heat and heat of fusion of ice 34 Heat capacity of water and the mechanical equivalent of heat 34 Control of atmospheric humidity in laboratory rooms 34 Constant-temperature room . 35 Thermal conductivities of insulation and building ma- terials ^ 35 Temperature conductivity of cotton bales 36 Tests of household refrigerators 36 Liquid-air plant 36 Industrial viscosimetry 37 3 4 CONTENTS. II. Scientific and technical divisions—Continued. 2. Tliermometry, pyrometry, and heat measurements—Continued. Page. Standardization of flash-point testers 37 Refrigeration constants 38 The fire-resisting properties of structural materials 39 Fire tests of building columns 39 Thermal efficiencies of column coverings 40 Strength of steel at high temperatures 40 Thermal expansion of structural materials 41 Panel-testing furnace , 41 Building codes 41 Recommendations concerning fire-resistance investiga- tions 41 Fire tests of insulated slieet-metal cabinets 42 Melting point of concrete ^ 44 Observations in connection with the International Ice Patrol of 1915 44 Testing of heat and tliermometric apparatus 44 Information furnislied, reports, etc 45 New worli and equipment for heat and thermometry 46 3. Electricity 46 Weston standard cell 46 Mercury standard olnn 47 Silver voltameter 47 Inductance of electrical shunts 48 Simple method for testing electrical instrument trans- formers 48 Measurement of earth resistivity 48 Standard air electrical condensers 48 Galvanometers 49 Parallel-decade potentiometer 49 Circular on electric measuring instruments 49 Measurement of conductivity of electrolytes 50 Resistance and inductance of bimetallic wires 50 Magnetic method of determining flaws in steel rails 50 Correlation of magnetic and mechanical properties 50 Magnetic permeameters 51 Temperature coefficient of magnetic permeability 51 Core losses in iron at high inductions 51 Magnetic circular 52 Radium testing 52 Increase in the Bureau's stock of radium 52 Alpha ray activity of uranium oxide powder 52 Radium emanation 52 Circular on radium 52 Radio communication 53 Radio sets for lightliouse tenders 53 Radio interference 53 Promotion of safety at sea 53 Design of inductance coils for radio work 53 Proposed work in radiotelegraphy 54 Additional facilities needed in radiotelegraph work 54 Effect of atmospheric conditions on flame standards of candlepower 55 Photometry of lights of slight color difference 55 Illuminating engineering 56 Electrical testing 57 Information furnished on electrical subjects 59 Public-utility investigations 60 Service standards for illuminating gas 60 Electric light and power service 61 Cooperation with the Underwriters' Laboratories 62 Electrolysis mitigation 62 Lightning protection 64 National electrical safety code 64 National gas safety code 65 Telepliony 65 CONTENTS, 5 Scientific and technical divisions—Continued. 3. Electricity—Continued. Page. Relation of the Bureau to municipalities and public- service commissions 66 Necessity for increasing the public-utility work of the Bureau 67 4. Optics 68 Determination of standard light wave lengths 68 Information furnished on spectroscopic subjects 69 Investigation of vacuum tubes of the rare gases 69 Quantitative spectroscopic analysis of steel 69 Spectroscopic analysis of an alloy which is liquid at room temperatures 70 Spectroscopic tests 70 Standardization of industrial sugar testing 70 Conference of polarimetric experts 70 Constants of the saccharimeter 70 The specific rotation of pure sugar 71 The rotation dispersion of sucrose (cane sugar) 71 Pure and intense light sources for polarization work 71 Referee work upon molasses testing 72 The optical rotation of dextrose (grape sugar or glucose)- 72 The optical rotation of levulose (fruit sugar) 73 Samples of standard sugars 73 Oven for vacuum work 73 Magnetic field of optical magnet 73 Supervision of the Customs Service laboratories 73 Polarimetric tests of raw sugars and molasses 74 Miscellaneous polarimetric testing 74 Polariscope tubes for sugar testing 74 Color standards and color specification 74 Spectrophotometry 75 Color specification by means of the rotatory dispersion of quartz 76 Color of cottonseed oil 77 Method of specifying a color limit for oleomargarine 77 Investigation of proposed rosin color standards 78 Establishment of a standard method for testing the trans- parency of tracing cloth 78 Study of method of measuring the turbidity of spinal fluids 79 Study of the properties of fog at sea 79 Information furnished on optical subjects 79 Investigation of the commonly found errors in photo- gi-aphic lenses 79 Speeds of photographic shutters 79 Standard lenses for opticians' trial sets 80 Testing optical systems 80 Refractive indices 80 Information furnished as to optical instruments 80 Radiometry 80 Nocturnal radiation measurements 81 Radiometric outfit for physiological work 81 Glasses which are opaque to infra-red rays 81 The Stefan-Boltzmann constant 82 Measurements on the radiation from stars 82 5. Chemistry 82 Standard analyzed samples 82 Chemical tests of an umpire nature 83 Investigation of the methods relating to the analysis of irons and steels 84 Preparation of iron carbon alloy 84 High-temperature carbon combustions 84 Test of surface combustion furnace 85 Ladle-test ingot investigations 85 Standard methods for the analysis of pig iron and iron castings for export 85 Standard methods for the analysis of steels 85 6 CONTENTS. II. Scientific and technical divisions—Continued. 5. Chemistry—Continued. l*age. Tests on steel for other divisions of the Bureau 85 Sampling and analysis of coal 85 Chemical work in connection vs^ith paper 85 Textiles 86 Distinguishing sisal and manila 86 Lubricating and transformer oils 86 Gum arable 86 Articles involving danger to life or property 86 Chemical analysis of rubber 87 Printing ink 87 Determination of oil and resin in varnish 87 Soap 87 Paint investigation 88 Gas analysis 88 Preparation and testing of gases of high purity 89 Control of purity of the Bureau's oxygen supply 90 Colorimetric determination of acetylene 90 Determination of phosphorus and sulphur in calcium car- bide 90 Distillation of liquid air in a magnetic field 90 Preparation of naphthalene 90 Bituminous materials 90 Phosphate rock analysis 91 The chemistry of electrotyping 91 Investigations relating to electroplating 91 Standard cells 92 Chemical work in connection with refrigeration constants- 92 Conductivity of electrolytic standards 93 Platinum investigation 93 Research of the methods and standards employed in volu- metric analysis 93 Chemical testing 93 Miscellaneous chemical tests 94 Publications 94 Transfer of the work of the contracts laboratory of the Bureau of Chemistry to the Bureau of Standards 95 The new chemistry building 95 6. Engineering research and testing 96 Physical equations 96 Aerodynamics ^ 96 Vacuum cleaners 97 Radiator traps used in connection with vacuum systems of heating 97 Anemometers as speed indicators for aeroplanes 97 Water current meter rating station 97 Gasoline engines 97 Tests of miscellaneous instruments and devices 98 7. Metal lurgj' 98 Fusible tin boiler plugs 98 Properties and standard test specimens of bronzes 98 Radiation from metals and oxides 99 The quality of platinum ware 99 Causes of failures of railway materials 300 Causes of failure in car wheels 100 Transverse fissures in rails 101 Finishing temperatures of rails 101 Sound-ingot research 101 Test-ingot investigation 102 Foreign railway specifications 103 Failure