April i, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



259 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



"T^HE prominence of Akron as a tire making center has been 

 indicated by a count of the tire equipment on cars exhibited 

 at all the automobile shows during the past season. Four Akron 

 companies are stated to have supplied the tires on 60 per cent, 

 of the cars appearing at fifteen shows held since January i. Out 

 of a total of 2,039 cars, 1,371 were equipped with quick de- 

 tachable rims, and in this line also the Akron manufacturers have 

 predominated largely. 



The .^kron rubber trade is anticipating an unusuallj' early 

 motoring season this year, on account of the open winter, and 

 partly on account of the depression in the automobile business 

 in 1908, They are making preparations accordingly, and all 

 attention is now turned toward the distributing agencies and 

 the branch stores of the various tire making companies. There 

 has been an unusual extension of selling facilities for the present 

 season, and a large number of new branches and agencies have 



been established. 



* * * 



The close of the long-continued litigation between the Good- 

 year Tire and Rubber Co. and the Consolidated Rubber Tire 

 Co. was recorded in March, when the United States supreme 

 court for the second time denied a petition for certiorari (a writ 

 for review) in the Grant patent case. The Rubber Tire Wheel 

 Co. (now included in the Consolidated Rubber Tire Co.) sued 

 the Goodyear company in the United States circuit court for 

 the northern district of Ohio, eastern division, alleging infring- 

 ment of patent No. 554,675, issued to Arthur W. Grant for solid 

 rubber tires for vehicles. The decision and opinion of Judge 

 Wing were in favor of the plaintiffs. The case was appealed, 

 however, to the United States circuit court of appeals, sixth 

 circuit, and after a hearing before Judges Lurton, Day and 

 Severens, at Cincinnati, in an opinion written by Judge Lurton 

 and filed May 6, 1902, the decree of the circuit court was re- 

 versed. [Details of this case have been reported fully from time 

 in The Indi.\ Rubber World, as well as the litigation over the 

 same patent in other circuit court jurisdictions, resulting in con- 

 flicting decrees. This case has afforded a strong argument for 

 the creation of a special court of appeals for patent cases, a bill 

 for which is now pending at Washington. — The Editor.] 



* * * 



F. A. Seiberling has begun an infringement suit against the 

 Standard Universal Rim Co., of Columbus, in the United States 

 circuit court, eastern division of the southern district of Ohio, 

 at Columbus. The petition charges infringement of the Seiber- 

 ling patents covering Goodyear rims. Five patents are involved, 

 covering the features of a reversible side ring, a spreader, and 

 a split lock ring. The Goodyear company have been .manufactur- 

 ing this rim since 1905. The Standard company is a new con- 

 cern. 



The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. are manufacturing a new 

 non-skid tire, with what is designated as a "Block" tread. The 

 surface of the tread is covered with blocks, ■>4 of an inch square, 

 and raised 3-16 inch above the surface. The company have been 

 experimenting with the tire on the New York taxicabs and will 

 now place it on the market extensively. 



* * * 



Tire manufacturers are watching with interest the result of 

 the completion by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. of a tire 

 making machine. The device was invented by Frank A. Seiber- 

 ling, president of the company, and after a long period of ex- 

 perimentation, the company has installed four of the machines. 

 They are claimed to fee an improvement over the machines of 

 foreign make and are said to be capable of making perfect tires 

 at the rate of fifty a day, when operated by a workman of average 

 skill. It is claimed that they will make large size tires as fast 

 as those of smaller dimensions, and afford an even tension 



throughout the construction. The officers of the company declare 

 themselves satisfied with the results of the machines and are 

 preparing to install four more. It has been understood for some 

 time that the Diamond and Goodrich companies have also had 

 their experts at work improving the foreign machines, but as 

 yef no announcement from them has been made. 



* * * 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. announce a new motorcycle tire which 

 they claim possesses the strength of an automobile tire, com- 

 bined with the resilient features of a bicycle tire. The company 

 have manufactured a number of tires for motorcycles, but in this 

 latest type they believe they have perfected a design that will 

 answer all the requirements of two-wheeled motor vehicles. It is 

 built by the same method that is used in making an automobile 

 tire, and is designed with a rib tread. 



* * * 



The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. have established a district 

 agency in Baltimore at No. 518 West Baltimore street, in charge 

 of W. Milton Norris. About the middle of March they opene>l 

 a branch in Cleveland at Nos. 918-922 Euclid avenue with W. .A. 

 Harshaw manager. An unusual feature of the Cleveland 

 branch is a garage for commercial and pleasure vehicles. 



Mr. H. S. Firestone, president of the Firestone Tire and 

 Rubber Co.. accompanied by Mrs. Firestone, is expected to re- 

 turn from a tour of the South by April i. They left February 

 24 and have traveled as far as Cuba and the Bahama Islands, 

 incidentally taking in the Ormond and Daytona automobile races. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN SAN FRANCISCO. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



■ I 'HE business situation this month is much more favorable than 

 ■^ last month. The rainy weather is over, and the fine 

 weather is directly responsible for the opening of a lively business. 

 The rubber establishments depend most largely on the business 

 from interior sections, and the country districts are prospering to 

 a marked degree. Conditions in the interior are, generally speak- 

 ing, better than in San Francisco. There is still some com- 

 plaint to be heard among the general lines of business in the 

 city, and there is still the cry of money scarcity and unemployment 

 of labor, but with the rubber houses who are getting in big 

 orders from the country all say they are doing well. Conditions 

 in San Francisco are unsettled, owing to the fact that there is 

 a continued movement of retail merchants back to the oil-time 

 retail district, and even the wholesalers are not entirely settled. 



The Pacific Coast Rubber Co., a western firm which has four 

 branch stores in the Pacific northwest as well as in San Fran- 

 cisco, has made a change in the control and management of the 

 San Francisco establishment. Mr. H. C. Norton, president and 

 manager, has severed his connection with the firm, and is now 

 preparing to associate himself actively with the American Rub- 

 ber Manufacturing Co., in which he also owns an interest. This 

 latter concern has its headquarters in Oakland, across the bay, 

 and Mr. Norton will probably make his headquarters there in 

 future. Mr. Bushness, who was also with the Pacific Coast 

 Rubber Co. in San Francisco, has gone with Mr. Norton over 

 to the American company, and it is understood that he will here- 

 after handle the water front business for that firm. 



The new manager for the Pacific Rubber Co. is Fred S. Wins- 

 low, who has been associated with the San Francisco branch 

 during the past four months as general salesman. Prior to 

 that he was for many years identified with the wholesale hard- 

 ware business so that he has a thorough acquaintance in that 

 line. The selling force of the company's San Francisco branch 

 has been increased. A larger stock is being carried, and im- 

 provements will be made in the arrangement of the store at No. 

 416 Mission street. 



Mr. U. R. Grant, formerly with the Gorham Rubber Co., has 



