December i, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER V/ORLD 



91 



PETERSEN'S RECLAIMING PROCESS. 



C±l 



ANEW process of reclaiming rubber is the subject of 

 United States patent No. 774.727, granted to Ludvvig T. 

 Petersen (Akron. Ohio). The specification points out that the 

 practice of reclaiming rubber hitherto by chemical processes 

 has involved a liability to impair the strength of the rubber, 

 while it has been practically impossible to work reclaimed rub- 

 ber without the addition of new rubber of a character adapted 

 to soften the mixture and act as a flux, to prevent the forma- 

 tion of lumps or blisters during the process of milling. It is 

 pointed out that alkalies at the high temperature requisite for 

 destroying the fibers in worn out rubber goods have a tendency 

 to destroy the caoutchoucine present in the rubber, and thus 

 hardening it. The new process is designed to efTect both the 

 removal of the fiber and the devulcanization of the rubber, 

 without attacking this necessary oil. 



Petersen's process consists in subjecting shredded or ground 

 rubber waste to the action of an alkaline solution raised only to 

 a boiling temperature, but preferably under hydraulic pressure 

 to insure permeation, whereby the fiber is converted into sol- 

 uble form or cellulose hydrate. The caustic solution being re- 

 moved, the remaining mass is subjected to an aqueous solution 

 containing a small percentage of hydrocarbon or oxyhydrocar- 

 bon, such as phenol, under high temperature and pressure, 

 whereby any remaining alkali is combined, the rubber devul- 

 canized, and the resulting product rendered easily workable. 



A suitable apparatus for the process is indicated in the pat- 

 ent drawing. The rubber waste is placed within a double 



walled cylinder, having 

 the necessary steam and 

 hydraulic connections, a 

 caustic solution being 

 added. Steam being ad- 

 mitted to the jacket to 

 raise the contents of the 

 cylinder to the boiling 

 point, power is applied 

 to a rotatable shaft 

 armed with paddles or 

 blades for the purpose 

 of stirring the contents 

 of the cylinder. Next 

 hydraulic pressure is ap- 

 plied to the interior of 

 the cylinder for securing 

 the thorough permea- 

 tion of the mass, and 

 the conversion of the 

 fiber into cellulose hydrate, after which the mass is placed in 

 a centrifugal drier to remove the soda solution. The mass is 

 then returned to the cylinder, with a dilute solution of a hydro- 

 carbon—as a I to 10 per cent, solution of phenol. Steam is 

 again admitted to the jacket to create a temperature within the 

 cylinder of 300° to 375°F., insuring a pressure of 50 to 175 

 pounds. Following the latter treatment, the rubber mass is 

 washed, dried, and milled for working in the usual manner. 



Associated in interest with Mr. Petersen in securing this 

 patent is John F. McGuire. Both were until recently in the 

 employ of The B. F. Goodrich Co. (Akron). It is reported now 

 that they are seeking to organize a company for the exploita- 

 tion of the new patent, and that encouraging promises of capi- 

 tal have been secured. 



So far as is apparent from the specification, the only novelty 

 in the process described is the limiting of the temperature in 



the first stage to the boiling point. The assertion that rubber 

 as reclaimed under the existing practice is workable only with 

 the addition of new rubber, »»ould indicate that the inventor's 

 library of compound books has not been brought up to date. 

 To the Akron correspondent of Thk I.vdia Riijbkr World 

 Mr. Petersen said, of his process : 



" It is somewhat similar to the process already patented by 

 Mr. A. H. Marks, the inventor of the process used by the Alkali 

 Rubber Co. here, but yet it is different in many respects. I do 

 not care to explain the difference." 



In regard to a published rumor that the Goodrich company 

 might bring suit to establish a claim to the new invention, on 

 the ground that it was developed in the course of work done 

 under their direction and at their expense, Mr. Petersen stated 

 that he had nothing to say. 



MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER NIPPLES. 



A SPINDLE for forming rubber nipples lor nursing bottles is 

 the subject of United States patent No. 772.161, granted to 

 Charles E. Longden. assignor to The Falcon Rubber Co. (New 

 Haven, Connecticut). The shorter figure in the illustration 

 gives a side view of a nipple constructed on such a spindle, par- 

 tially broken away at the open end. The other ^ x 

 figure is a side view of the spindle with the 

 nipple removed. The object of the invention is 

 to form spindles whereby "seamless" nipples 

 having an inwardly extending rib may be pro- 

 duced. The spindle is formed at its outer end 

 corresponding to the form of the desired nipple, 

 the spindle being dipped repeatedly into soluble 

 rubber until the requisite thickness is attained. 

 By the use of a spindle with a groove, not 

 only is the nipple provided with an inwardly 

 extending rib— to enable the nipple to more closely grip 

 upon the neck of the bottle — but the groove also forms a 

 guide for the operator in forming the rib, so that the nipples 

 are always of the same length, and therefore give a better ap- 

 pearance when packed in boxes for the market, than when they 

 vary in length, as must be the case when made in the ordinary 

 manner, without such guide. 



LIMITING JOBBERS' SELLING PRICES. 



AT the annual meeting of the American Hardware Associa- 

 tion, at Atlantic City, New Jersey, on November 17, Mr. 

 George Reuter, Jr., general manager of the American Wringer 

 Co., spoke on the methods of distribution employed by his com- 

 pany. As reported by the New York Commercial, he said : 



"After several years of ruinous competition, our machine 

 became so unprofitable to the jobbers that we decided the only 

 way to afford him a profit was to limit the price at which he 

 could sell our goods. This we did on February i, 1902. Al- 

 though alone in this move, we had the cooperation of a majority 

 of the jobbers, and therefote met with great success, and the 

 limited price system proved most satisfactory for two years, and 

 it no doubt would have been equally successful this year, but 

 for the fact that the very high cost of crude rubber necessitated 

 three advances in prices of wringers within four months. 



" Some jobbers, having old stocks, could not resist the temp- 

 tation of turning paper profits into cash, and other manufac- 

 turers did not limit their jobbers as to prices ; therefore there 

 has been more or less irregularity in prices this year, but I still 

 have the greatest faith in a maintenance of price system for the 

 sale of standard goods. It takes from the catalogue house the 

 strongest weapon it now has, and benefits all business men, be 

 they retailers, jobbers, or manufacturers." 



