214 



THE INDIA RUBBER \A^ORLD 



[April i, 1902. 



THE EUREKA FIRE HOSE CO.'S FACTORY. 



ONE of the most interesting and complete factory plants 

 in the rubber business is that of the Eureka Fire Hose 

 Co. (Jersey City, New Jersey), the building having been 

 erected after the most approved insurance plans, in 

 1892. The plant has a floor space of more than 100,000 square 

 feet, or about 2^ acres. It is of heavy timber construction 



HOSE WEAVING DEPARTMENT. 



and provided with fire walls, standard insurance shutters, auto- 

 matic fire resisting doors, wired glass windows, automatic fire 

 pumps, automatic sprinklers, electric fire alarm bells, and an 

 abundant supply of water — in fact with all of the most approved 

 fire fighting appliances in the world. Further than this, the 

 equipment includesan electric lightingand power plant, exte- 

 rior and interior telephone system, an overhead vacuum steam 

 heating system, safety appliances for the immediate 

 stopping of machinery, and practically every modern 

 appliance that convenience or economy can suggest. 



It is of interest to note that all the weaving and 

 other special machinery used was invented by mem- 

 bers of the company's staflf, and built in their own 

 machine shop. All of the cotton and linen yarns 

 used are specially spun to meet the very rigid require- 

 ments of the company's specifications, and, when re- 

 ceived from the contract factories, are carefully exam- 

 ined and tested by the most accurate of testing appli- 

 ances. The strength of the cotton yarns, for example, 

 for " Eureka " goods, is more than 13 per cent, higher 

 than the well known Draper standard. The rubber 

 used in the hose lining is prepared in a factory close 

 at hand which was specially designed and built for 

 this work, and is delivered under strict guaran'-.-s as 

 to quality and durability, and is not accepted unti\ 

 examined and tested to show if it be in perfect accord 

 with the specifications. 



In visiting the Eureka factory, it is interesting to 

 follow the handling of the raw material and the various 

 processes through which it goes until the^ finished 



product is reached. The yarns are received in the single and 

 twisted into various plies in the twisting department. They 

 are then treated antiseptically by a process which allows of no 

 sizings, or weightings of any kind, such as are sometimes used 

 for increasing the strength or weight of yarn. After the twist- 

 ing comes the weaving, and of the variety of looms employed 

 there are a great number, running into hundreds, each 

 bemg specially designed for the work it is to do. Each 

 loom has its own individual operator — always an ex- 

 pert in that particular line. After the weaving comes 

 the most rigid inspection, every inch of the hose being 

 carefully tested, and the slightest fault causing rejec- 

 tion. The next process is that of mildew proofing, 

 from antiseptic formulas, originally prepared by one 

 of the most expert of New York chemists, and after- 

 ward revised by the company as experience dictated. 

 As an indication of the importance which the manu- 

 facturers place upon this treatment, it may be stated 

 that an area of 20,000 square feet of floor space is 

 devoted entirely to this work. 



Next the Ijose is carried to the lining department 

 for the insertion of the rubber linings. This rubber 

 lining is always of the best quality Para rubber tub- 

 ing, three calendered, and lap jointed. It is a matter 

 of pride with the manufacturers that this one quality 

 of rubber has been used for a quarter of a century, and 

 has given universal satisfaction. Any one familiar 

 with the manufacture of rubber goods will understand 

 that by the term " three calendered " is meant that 

 the sheet is run three times through the calender, and 

 is really three plies of rubber forced by the calender into an 

 integral impervious sheet. This sheet is then cut into the 

 widths required to make the tubes. The edges are next lapped 

 and carefully cemented together, and the lap joint vulcanized 

 into position. The tube on its removal from the vulcanizer is 

 coated with rubber cement and drawn into the fabric by special 

 machinery. 



RUBBER LINING DEPARTMENT. 



