|
SECTION 1]
|
SHELL BODIES
|
9
|
|
WOMEN ON 18 - PDR. AND 4.5 H.E. SHELLS
|
|
ENGINE LATHE OPERATIONS
|
| The operations of rough
turning and finishing the profile together with the boring of the
cavity have now been carried out by women in all parts of the country
and with complete success. The number of wasters produced has been
materially reduced by sub-dividing each complicated operation into
a number of simple ones. Further, the addition of stops which prevent
the tool turning below a certain size and also automatic cut-off devices
on boring lathes have still further decreased the chance of spoiled
work. In the roughing operations the women have proved to be capable
of operating not only one lathe, but two. It has been found
that, owing to several minutes being occupied whilst the tool is traversing
across the face of the shell, it is easily possible to remove the
finished blank from the other lathe and replace it by another, ready
for machining, without any loss of output due to this duplication
of work. |
| It is not suggested
that women be asked to operate two machines as a general rule.
The sole object of this and the foregoing example is to show that,
if one woman can continuously operate two machines, the handling of
one machine is, without doubt, a perfectly simple achievement. |
| To the left, in the upper
illustration on page 10 [top photograph here], women are operating
two machines each on 18-pounder shell bodies. These particular tools
are fitted with a type of tool-post which enables a spare tool to
be carried, so that, in the event of one failing, the other can be
quickly brought into operation without stoppage of output. The automatic
stops fitted to the lathes give the women confidence that they can
proceed with the work boldly without spoiling the shell. |
| The lower illustration
[lower photograph here] gives a general view of a shop carrying
out all the operations, up to band turning, on 4.5 H.E. shells. |
| In this particular factory
there are three shifts per day of 24 hours, with two breaks for meals
and an additional break of ten minutes in the middle of the long shift. |
| Time-keeping in the factories
employing women on projectile work is excellent, the record being
so good as to make it difficult to express lost time as a percentage. |
TEXT ON PHOTOGRAPHS:
|
10
|
SHELL BODIES
|
[SECTION 1
|
|
It will be noticed that one woman is working two
engine lathes.
|
|
General View of 4.5 Shell Gallery.
|
|
It has been found that up to 4.5 shell, lifting
appliances are unnecessary, and all the illustrations are taken
from factories in which hand-lifting is employed on shells up to
the size mentioned.
|
|
