300 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1, 1913. 



ized. A great advantage of the mass is that it contains but a 

 very small proportion of india-rubber; but for all that has about 

 the same properties as the pure material. The price depends 

 entirely upon the greater or less proportion of india-rubber ; the 

 efforts of the manufacturers being always in the direction of 

 obtaining perfection in the product witli as low a proportion of 

 india-rubber as possible. 



"FELRUBITE" AND "MASCOLITE." 



A COMPARATIVELY new material has come upon the 

 ** market for use in covering floors and walls where it is 

 especially desirable to avoid vibration and sound. It is called 

 "Felrubite" and consists of a layer of felt covered with a layer 

 of rubber. These two layers are joined together so effectively 

 that they produce practically a solid uniform material which 

 does not come apart under any conditions of use. The specially 

 prepared felt backing acts as a cushion and gives resiliency that 

 materially decreases the wear on the rubber surface, and thus 

 increases its serviceability. This material is made in various 

 thickness from 1/16 to 1/4 inch and even thicker. The accom- 

 panying illustration is made from a photograph of a section 

 nearly 1/2 inch thick. 



The advantages of this material in places where it is desirable 

 to deaden noise and stop vibration are obvious. It is particu- 

 larly serviceable in railway cars, motors and boats, and for all 

 vehicles where there is more or less jar from machinery. It is 

 well adapted, too. for passage ways and corridors which are not 

 particularly well heated, as it is proof against cold as well as 

 against sound. As a wall covering it can be fixed to any surface 



A Car Platform with "Felrubite" Flooring. 



and is not shaken loose even where there is considerable vibra- 

 tion. As all the joints are made with a special pliable water- 

 proof cement, preventing the penetration of water below the 

 rubber surface, it makes a water-proof and moisture-proof cov- 

 ering. It is less expensive than solid rubber covering, and is 

 made in all the ornamental designs, marbles, mosaics, etc. — in 

 which rubber tiling is usually made, and in whatever colors the 



design may call for. It can be used to advantage in lavatorie* 

 and other places where rubber flooring is particularly desirable. 

 It makes a specially good flooring in a billiard room. 



Another material similar in principle and made by the same 

 English manufacturers who Iiave put "Felrubite" on the market, is 

 "Mascolite,'' which has been in use on the Continent for quite a 

 number of years. "Mascolite" is made in several different ways. 



Insul.\ted "Mascolite" ok Felt and Rubber. 



One form is simply a layer of felt made of a special mixture of 

 fibers selected after long tests as the best sound and vibration 

 absorbers, and then treated so that it is damp and insect-proof, 

 and will stand any climate changes without alteration. A little 

 more advanced form consists of interposing between layers of 

 this prepared felt layers of cork; and a still different form 

 which is used for insulating purposes, consists of five layers of 

 material, the two outside and the middle layer being of felt, and 

 the two alternating layers being made of vulcanized rubber. In 

 its various forms this "Mascolite" is used as a bedding for ma- 

 chinery where there is a great deal of jar, or in the roadbeds of 

 railroads for the purpose of absorbing the vibration. Its useful- 

 ness under machinery is obvious, especially where machines ar« 

 installed in buildings with steel frames, as is often the case in 

 this country. Here, if the engine or machine — particularly if it 

 it is a grinding machine — rests upon the floor or even is placed 

 upon a bed of cement, the vibration is communicated to the steel 

 structure of the building; and the effect — particularly where 

 there are many machines, as in buildings occupied by printers — 

 is to impart to the entire building a continual quiver which is not 

 only uncomfortable, but which greatly increases the wear and 

 tear of the machinery. The layer of "Mascolite" — particularly 

 of the thicker varieties — absorbs practically all of this jar, and 

 many machines can be in operation simultaneously in the same 

 building with little effect, either upon the building or upon one 

 another. 



It is also a useful material in the roadbed of railroads, and 

 especially in underground railroads where the noise, unless means 

 are taken to deaden it, is almost deafening. This material has 

 been used in certain Russian" railways for the last seven years, 

 and the result in decreasing the wear on the rails and on the 

 rolling stock has been very perceptible. It is used in railway 

 tracks to best advantage by putting a layer under the chair or plate 

 that holds the rail to the sleeper. Where the railway is an ele- 

 vated structure, "Mascolite" can be used to advantage at the 

 foot, or at the top, of the column, or in both places, and also be- 

 tween the rail and the sleeper. This material is so thoroughly 

 water-proof that it is not affected by exposure to the weather, 

 and, it remains resilient, while at the same time it will stand 

 the greatest weight without being pressed out of its original 

 shape, or taking what builders call a "permanent set." 



