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Fi le D S2.39 / 78 McCOOK FIELD REPORT, SERIAL No .~ 332

AIR SERVICE INFORMATION CIRCULAR

( HEAV I E R- THAN-AIR )

PUBLISHED BY THE CHIEF OF AIR SERVICE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Vol. II September 15, 1920 No. 110

REPORT OF CONTROL CABLE

GUIDE RUNNING TEST
\ (MATERIAL SECTION REPORT NO. 96)

Prepared by Enginee_ring Division, Air Service

McCook Field, July 26, 1920

Rafph Brown Draughon

LIBRARY

MAR 2 7 2013
Non-Depoitory
Auburn University

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1920
 REPORT OF CONTROL CABLE GUIDE RUNNING TEST.

A 600-pound tension allows the cable a slight deflection,

PURPOSE.
To determine the wearing and moisture and gasoline
resisting qualities of micarta cable guides of composition
No. 131, submitted by the Westinghouse Electric & Manu-
facturing Co.
CONCLUSIONS.
Due to the widely varying test results obtained the
material used in these guides appears to be very unreliable
and not as good as the micarta, formica, red fiber, or copper
guides of former tests.
MATERIAL.
Cable guides of bakelite composition under patent name
of "Micarta.'' Formula 131. (See Results table.)
Cable ~ -inch 7 by 19 flexible control cable. (Speci-
fication No. 10,281-A, Roebling & Sons.)
METHOD OF PROCEDURE.
Water and gasoline absorption tests.-Two guides were
carefully weighed and measured with micrometers, then
as would be the case in service.
All guides were run dry and under the same conditions
as were those in former tests, save that the cable travel
in the former tests was 65 feet per minute, while in these
tests the travel was only 53.66 feet per minute.
RESULTS.
Absorpt·ion tesls.-The specimen soaked 24 hours in
gasoline showed no appreciable difference in weight nor
in measurements, but the one i=ersed in water gave the
following results:
Grams.
Weight after i=ersion 24 hours in water ........ 3. 9409
Weight before immersion 24 hours in water. . . .... 3. 8745
The guide also showed a slight increase in all its measure-
ments after i=ersion.
Wearing tests.-Three tests were run on guides of Micarta,
formula No. 131, from the Westinghouse Electric & Manu-
facturing Co. The cables ran slightly warm, but showed
very little wear after tests.
..., ;; ,.....,
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one was immersed in distilled water and the other in .8 'O i 'a a) ~ i" '"'
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aviation gasoline. After 24 hours they were both removed Test run §§ ,,.;i
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bl)
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+'
No.
-a~ _ .,
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and dried 1{ hours in the room atmosphere before being .... ~bO
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+'C/) bl)
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~-8 "@0 ,s"
"a 'a l
olO .,... a:>
.El
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reweighed. A () ~ "'
Wearing tests.-A specially designed reciprocating - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
a" Fl "'
A A "'"
oE
machine was made with a frame for holding a piece of Hr.min. Fert. In. I n. In. In. In.
1. .. - .... 39 00 125, 600 1 0. 240 0. 209 0. 031 0. 000247 ·w arm.
control cable in the same manner as a hack-saw blade. 2 ........ 40 35 130, 700 1 . 251 . 070 . 181 . 001380 Do.
The cable was thus run in a firm horizontal position at a 3 . ..... .. 23 30 75, 724 1 . 236 . 051 .185 . 002440 Do.
constant speed of 92 seven-inch pulls a minute.
The guide specimen was clamped in a holder on the end DISCUSSION.
of a special balanced lever, which held the guide up
against the running cable with a constant pressure main- The results of the three tests show this material to be
tained by a definite weight hung from the opposite end rather inconsistent. While the guide in the first run
of lever. The lever had an extra wide fulcrum bearing showed up practically as well as the best one of the former
to prevent side play. tests, the average of the three is far below that of sinlilar
Test specimens 16 inches long, with loops at either end, guides in the former tests.
were made up from ~ -inch 7 by 19 extra flexible cable In test No. 3 the guide began cutting almost as soon as
for use in the machine. A new cable was used for each the test was started and continued to do so. It seemed to
guide tested. be softer than the others.
A cable tension of 600 pounds and a guide pressure of In the above tests the reciprocal motion of the cable
10.2 pounds were maintained throughout the test runs, was quite similar to what would be found in service, but
the same as was the practice in former tests made on guides the travel per minute was necessarily greater. The run-
in this laboratory. I n that case it was found that a guide ning temperature could not be measured, but it was not
p1essure of more.than 10.2._pounds caused the cable to heat. very warm to the touch and its effect would be negligible.
9406-20 (3)
 4

-
In view of the fact that the cables run in the former The following table of results obtained in the forme r
tests showed no appreciable loss i n tensile strength after tests is inserted for comparison with the present res ts. >-/
the wearing tests, the cables used in these tests were not
0
It is arranged in the order of the depth of wear per 1,000-
pulled for tensile strength. feet test run:

Tab le from cable guide report No. 98.

Test ·Hours Cable Depth Depth

run Material of guide. run. run. wear in per 1,000 ComparatiYe cffeet on cable.
No. guide. feet run.
---- ----
I nches. J,nchrs.
6 Formica .................... , ..................•...... 92 357, 435 0. 07 o. 00020 Slight wear.
4 Red fiber ........................................... . . &5 330,590 . 075 .00023 Do.
2 Formica ............................................. . 40 156, 715 . 04 . 00026 Do .
5 Redfiher ............................................ . 85 330, 720 . 12 . 00036 Heated; some wear .
14 Copper, t sheet .......................... . .... . ... . .. . 57 224,575 . 081 .0003fi Heated: 73 breaks in wire.
1 Micarta .. . . ............. ... . ............ ...... ...... .. 23 97,500 .047 . 00048 Slight wear.
10 l'opper, thin tube .................................... . 15 59, 73G . 035 . 00056 H:eatcd: 7 breal<s, some wear.
11 .... . do .............................................. .. 10 40,115 . 0275 . 00068 H eated; 33 breaks, much wear.
3 Red fiber. ..................... . .. . .... .... .. . . .... .. . 34 132,730 .125 . 00094 Heated; some wear:
8 Steel, thin tube .... ............. .... ...... .......... .. 5 18,200 . 02 . 00111 Do .
9 .. . .. 1 0 ............................................... . 2 9,360 . 02 . 00214 Do.
16 Camagon wood ............................... .. .. ... . 16 63, 830 . 23 . 00360 Heated; no wear .
13 Aluminum, cast ......... . .. .. ...... . .. .. .... . .. .. .. .. 15 58, WO . 241 .00412 4 breaks: some wear .
12 ..... do .. .. ....... ... .. .... .. . .... ...... ............. . . 12 48, 230 . 215 .00448 Do .
Oiled guides:
17
7 Steel, thin tube ...... . ......................... .. .
Wood, Cama.~on . ... . .... .. ... .. ................. .
54
85
210,080
348, 725
.002
. 112
. 00001
. 00032
I Practically
No wear .
no effect.
15 Wood,patentedprocess .......................... . 5 19,305 .124 . 00624 Do.

The Formica guides in the above table were made of

many la?ers of sh eet ca.avas impregnated with a bakelite
I inghouse
The Micarta guide was formula No. 121 from the West-
E lectric & Manufactw-ing Co .
preparation.