The starting and lighting equipment of the automobile, being made up of a number of pieces of material, requires considerable machine work, which will not be described here. The armature, which is made up of a shaft, laminated core, and a commutator, is all built in a sub-assembly department, after which the armature passes to the winding department, where special machines are operated. The operators of these machines do not need to be experts, but they do become very efficient at this kind of work after a short time. The wire is wound on the armature in the proper slots and the ends come out to the proper length. The sleeves are then put over the ends of the wires for insulation and the wires trimmed to exact length, after which the wire ends are soldered to the proper commutator bars.
The generator also has field coils or windings. These windings are wound on jigs for this work and are later placed in the fieldpieces of the generator. Each coil is tested before it is assembled to the field, and each armature is tested before it is assembled. After the pieces have been made in the various departments the generator is sent to the assembly department. Here the assembler is furnished with the generator castings, coils, pole pieces, bearings, armature, plates, brushes, and such other fittings as may be necessary. He proceeds to assemble the complete generator, after which the generator passes to the inspection department where it is inspected and tested as to its output.
The starting and lighting factory offers a number of splendid opportunities for the placement of disabled men. Handicapped men could very efficiently wind armatures. It has been said that a blind man could wind an armature after some practice. Men without legs could do the soldering of these armatures; men without legs could wind and test field windings and could assemble generators; men with one arm could test and wind field windings and do several other operations.
The starter motor as used in the automobile is a piece of equipment similar to that of a generator, about the only difference being that the starter motor is a little heavier machine, and the armature is wound with heavier wire. It is made for the purpose of cranking the automobile engine, and must withstand considerable abuse. Disabled men could make the tests on generators and starter motors with very little difficulty.
The output of a generator must be controlled to a limited degree. This is done by what is known as voltage regulation. There must be some kind of a relay to disconnect the storage battery and generator when the engine is not running. This is done by what is known as the circuit breaker. The voltage regulator and circuit breaker of the automobile starting and lighting system is made up of coils, springs, and breaker mechanism, depending upon the type of regulator and circuit breaker used. This work is all light work, usually handwork, and could be done by disabled men to a large extent. The assembling of this work requires the free use of both hands and a man must be able to see the work that is being done.
As a whole, work in ignition, starting and lighting departments is very desirable work. The working conditions are considered very good, the hours reasonable, and the pay about the same as in other manufacturing concerns.
PLAN No. 1134. RADIATORS
The demand for efficient radiators for the up-to-date automobile has almost created a separate industry in itself. Cooling systems for automobile engines have developed to such a point that a large force of experts are employed in the work of improving such systems. There are a number of factories which employ hundreds of employees in the manufacture of radiators for the automotive industry. These factories use a large amount of steel, tin, copper, and brass. They have developed special machines for the purpose of making peculiarly shaped cores in an endeavor to increase the radiating surface without increasing the cost. Large punch machines are used in making these shapes, and these machines have been so perfected that practically all the operator has to do is to feed through the machine one continuous roll of metal and take away the shaped cores. The cores are sent to the assembly department where they are then placed in proper formation. They are then dipped in a molten bath of solder which closes the ends of the tubes or solders them together, and then go to the final assembly department where each core is incased in the proper shaped casing and the radiator pipe and hose connections are soldered on. The radiator is then ready for testing, which is done in a tank where compressed air is forced into the radiator. If there are any leaks, they will show by bubbles arising from them.
The work as done in these factories requires some experts and some novices. Some of it can be done by men who have been handicapped, and there is considerable demand for men capable of handling this particular branch of the work. Working conditions as found in the radiator factories are good and hours are reasonable.