March i, 1906.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



187 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



'T^O THE Editor of The India Rubher World : The citi- 



-'■ zens of this city who are acquainted with the rublier in- 

 dustry believe that they can consistentlj- claim for Akron the 

 leadership in the rubber manufacturing business of the United 

 States. One company in this city last year did business 

 amounting to $8,817,000, it is stated on pretty good authori- 

 ty. This same company manufactured rubber tires to the 

 amount of $2,500,000, while another company, it is stated, 

 had an output of tires amounting to $3,000,000, the latter 

 devoting its efforts more generallj' to tires than the other. 

 There are here 14 general manufacturers of rubber goods, 

 and in all 17 companies that make rubber goods and tires. 

 Besides, one large plant is engaged exclusively in the rubber 

 reclaiming business, and several others are entering into the 

 same branch of the industrj-. Within seven miles, three 

 other rubber plants are located. Two establishments in the 

 city turn out a large amount of rubber factory machinery. 



The amount of capital invested in the rubber business in 

 Akron is shown by the fact that ten of the companies have 

 a total capitalization of $15,475,000, and none of these has a 

 capitalization of less than $50,000. These companies have 

 all of their capital actively engaged in their business. The 

 two largest companies here had to double their capital stock 

 the past j-ear. The plants in this city are not parts of anj- 

 large combine, being almost exclusively locally owned and 

 operated. For these reasons Akron claims to be the center 

 of the rubber industry of the United States, and especially of 

 the rubber tire industry. The total output of rubber tires 

 in this city last year has been established at from $7,000,000 

 to $9,000,000. 



The International Process Co. has been incorporated under 

 the laws of Ohio by D. Galehouse, O. S. Hart, J. A. Braden, 

 C. B. Myers, and H. E. Riker. It is reported that the com- 

 pany will deal in patents, but the incorporators decline to 

 make any statement for publication. All of them are con- 

 nected with The Diamond Rubber Co. The capitalization of 

 the company is $10,000. 



The annual meeting of the Faultless Rubber Co., who 

 have plants in Akron and at Ashland, Ohio, was held Febru- 

 ary 16. The old board was reelected : H. B. Camp.G. D. Bates, 

 H. E. Andress, and T. W. Miller, all of .\kron, and A. Vogt, 

 of Rochester, New York. H. B. Camp was elected president ; 

 A. Vogt, vice president ; C. K. Campbell, secretary ; G. D. 

 Bates, treasurer ; and T. W. Miller, general manager. The 

 company have had a busy year. 



The Diamond Rubber Co. are having erected in Chicago a 

 building which is intended to be the finest mechanical rub- 

 ber goods and tire store in the country. Three shifts of men 

 have been working daj' and night on the structure in order 

 to have it ready for occupancy by May i. The building will 

 be of stone construction, three stories high, with a frontage 

 of 100 feet on Michigan avenue near Si.xteenth street, and a 

 depth of 80 feet. At the rear through an alley a large cov- 

 ered space will be accessible for automobile repair work and 

 deliver}' of goods. The Diamond company' will combine 

 their present tire store at No. 1241 Michigan avenue and their 

 main branch at Nos. 167-169 Lake street in this new build- 

 ing. 



Mr. A. H. Marks, vice president of The Diamond Rubber 



Co., has returned from a visit of two months in Europe. His 

 main object was to look after the affairs of the Northwestern 

 Rubber Co., Limited, at Liverpool, but he also spent some 

 time touring in France, Germany, and Italy, seeking pleasure 

 and investigating trade conditions. 



The Swinehart Clincher Tire and Rubber Co. are installing 

 a new vulcanizer, manufactured by the Biggs Boiler Co. 

 The Swinehart company are now turning out a small quan- 

 tity every day of their reclaimed rubber, made by a process 

 which will not be patented. After the installation of new 

 machinery it is expected to turn out a ton a day of the rub- 

 ber. A new rubber mill and a large new hydraulic press are 

 also being installed. The company report large sales in 

 tires, with greater results obtained at the Chicago show than 

 at New York. 



Since publication was made in the trade papers of the fact 

 that Alexander Adamson was looking for a site for a larger 

 foundry, he has been overwhelmed with requests to locate in 

 different cities. He has received proposals from probably 500 

 other towns. He has not yet done anything, but instead is 

 putting new machinery in his present plant. 



INDIA-RUBBER GLOVES v. BOOTS. 



[i-ROM " THE ELECTRICAL REVIEW," LONDON.] 



TN view of the freqvient — all too frequent — deaths by 

 -^ electric shock which have occurred of late jears, not 

 only to unskilled laborers, but even to highl}- trained and 

 experienced station engineers, it is important that no means 

 of guarding against such disasters should be overlooked. 

 The inconveniences inherent to the use of India-rubber 

 gloves are painfully evident to those who have to use them, 

 and it is not surprising that not seldom they are dispensed 

 with, no matter what the risk. 



We have observed that, apart from cases where contact 

 with high pressure apparatus has been brought about una- 

 wares, the victim having had no intention of touching or 

 handling the dangerous parts, and where, therefore, gloves 

 would not be worn, there are many accidents due to shock 

 from hand to foot ; these are, in fact, by far the most com- 

 mon in the limited class with which we are dealing. Shocks 

 from hand to hand are comparatively rare. Gloves are a 

 nuisance — why not use rubber boots ? 



We submit that if the left hand were gloved, and both feet 

 encased in rubber boots outside the ordinar}- footwear, the 

 right hand might safely be left bare and unhampered, thus 

 enabling the most delicate adjustments to be effected with 

 ease and perfect safety. Thus the clumsiness of rubber gloves 

 would be be avoided, while a much greater thickness of rub- 

 ber could be employed in the soles of the boots without in- 

 terfering w'ith freedom of movement. Rubber mats, of 

 course, are used in front of most switch-boards, etc., equipped 

 with high pressure apparatus, but one maj- step off a mat 

 whereas one cannot step off one's boots. Moreover, in many 

 positions mats are quite inapplicable The danger of con- 

 tact with the head and hand simultaneously is, of course, 

 present, whether rubber boots are worn or not ; but shocks 

 from head to foot are prevented. The same is true of other 

 parts of the bodj', the clothing being of little protection 

 against high pressure shocks ; the danger is certainly less 

 with rubber boots. We commend the suggestion to the con- 

 sideration of station engineers for what it may be worth. 



