Timber Conn ectors

Washington, Feb. 1S-Giving "sinervs of Steel" to wood structures, the steel-ringed timber connector, which is used to increase the strength of joints in wood construction, saved more than 400,000 tons of steel for essential war production in 1942, the Conservation Division of WPB announced today.

"These savings were particularly important during 1942 when structural and reinforcing steel were in less plentiful supply than they are at present," said Harvey A. Anderson, Deputy Director of the Conservation Division. "However, structural and reinforcing steel are not always readily available in all sections of the country. fn some instances, obtaining it for construction purposes might place an unnecessary added burden on transportation facilities. Under these conditions, wood construction reinforced with timber connectors makes a highly satisfactory substitute."

Towers, bridges, hangars, warehouses and numerous other government war-time construction requirements have been built of wood reinforced with timber connectors.

Timber connectors are pressed steel rings or malleable iron plates 2l to 6 inches in diameter. Placed in circular grooves between adjacent faces of overlapping timbers, the rings provide a larger supporting area than that attained by other methods of joining timber. In contrast, a relatively small supporting area is furnished by bolts, customarily used for this purpose in joints. Spreading the load on a joint more equally over the cross section of the wood by means of a timber connector brings more fully into play the structural strength of the timber.

The ring connector originated in Sweden and was further developed in the United States.

The highest wood tower that could be built before the development of this improved technique was limited to 80 feet. Height was restricted because of the weakness of supporting joints. With the strength-utilizing property of the

A typical example of steel conservation accomplished by the use of the improved method of wood construction is its effectiveness in the construction of a Navy blimp hangar. The structure is 1,000 feet long, 153 feet high, and has a roof span of 237 feet. Had this not been built of wood, a total of 2,050 tons of .structural steel would have been required. Such a structure could not have been built of wood by ordinary methods without the use of timber connectors.

Approximately 200,000 tons of structural steel have been saved by the use of timber in a single military construction program.

Items o[ lnterest

Frank Brush, son of E. S. Brush, sales manager, Loop Lumber Co., San Francisco, was recently graduated from the University of California, and has received orders to go to infantry officers training school at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Harry G.. Dowson, sales manager of tion, Medford, Ore., has returned from a Francisco.

John W. Gamerston, son of Harry B. Gamerston, Gamerston & Green Lumber Co., San Francisco, recently completed a course in the anti-aircraft school at Camp Davis, North Carolina. He was commissioned aZnd, Lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Anti-Aircraft and left for San Diego February 11.

Medford Corpora. lGday visit to San Fred Stanley gon, was in San of Oregon Lumber Sales, Eugene, Francisco recently on a business trip.

Bob Raymer, assistant sales manager, Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Co., Merced Falls, Calif., has resigned and is awaiting a call for War Training Service for transport pilot, ferry command or instructor.

Stanley. M. Long, member of the office staff of MacDonald & Harrington, San Francisco, is a cadet in the Army Air Corps, stationed at the Air Corps training school at Fresno, Calif.

C. A. Cunningham of Cunningham, Lamb & Price, wholesale lumber dealers of Charlestown, Mass., was a business visitor around the middle of February in San Francisco, and went on from there to the Northwest.

R. F. (Bob) Fleming of Hallinan Mackin Co., San Francisco, reported January 25 lor basic training in the Army. He expects to enter officers training school on completion of this training.

D. R. Smith, salesman for this con,cern, also entered the Army January 25, and will enter officers training school after basic training.

William Lewis Frese, son of Otto W. Frese, San Francisco wholesale lumberman, is now a cadet in the U. S. Army Air Corps at Santa Ana, Calif. For the past seven months he was employed by the Maritime Commission, and during two summer vacations worked for Rockport Redwood Co. at their mill in Rockport, Calif.

Ore- sales manager, Strable Hardwood Cominducted into the Army on Februarv 26

Donald Nicholson, who is in training at the Navy PreFlight School at San Luis Obispo, Calif., is the son of Mrs. Sara Nicholson, who has been a member of the office staff of MacDonald & Harrington, San. Francisco, for the past 16 years.

Jas. B. Overcast, pany, Oakland, was at Monterey, Calif.

Gene Hall, until recently a salesman for Harbor Plywood Corporation of California, San Francisco, is now an instructor in navigation at the United Air Lines training center, Oakland Airport. Gene gained his experience in navigation in the merchant marine service.

Raymond Gates, Chicago commission lumber salesman, was in San Francisco recently on his way back from visiting mills in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Chas. P. Henry, turned a few days Northwest.

Los Angeles wholesale lumberman, reago from a business trip to the Pacific

Frank Evenson of American Products, Inc., San Diego, returned recently from a business trip to New york and Washington, D. C. He came back by way of the pacific Northwest, where he looked over the company,s mill and logging interests.