Ai'RiL 1. 1913.J 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



357 



REPORT OF THE RUBBER COMMITTEE OF THE 

 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATE- 

 RIALS: STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS 

 FOR RUBBER PRODUCTS. 

 By E. B. Tilt, Chiiiniiait of the Committee. 



PRESENTED AT THE TIUKD INTER.NATJOXAL RUBBER 

 CONFERENCE. 



THE Executive Committee of the American Society for 

 Testing Materials, appointed in December of 1911, a 

 committee known as "Committee D-11 on Standard 

 Specifications for Rubber Products." The first meeting for 

 organization and the appointment of sub-committees was 

 held in Xcw York in February, 1912, and anollier meeting 

 was held in Xew York in March, 1912, for a continuation of 

 the organization and the distribution ot work. Since then 

 the sub-committees have been completing their organiza- 

 tions and gathering information relative to their work and 

 data upon which to base specifications. Another meeting 

 was held in September, 1912, in Xew York, and the present 

 situation with reference to specifications on rubber products 

 and the work of the different sub-committees was discussed. 

 It is expected that a report of material progress, with per- 

 haps one or more specifications covering rubber products, 

 will be presented at the Annual Convention of the American 

 Society for Testing Materials to be held in 1913. 



The organization of a committee on Standard Specifications 

 for Rubber Products by the American Society for Testing 

 Materials is due to requests from a number of sources that a 

 committee be organized to draw up specifications covering 

 the following: Rubber Tubing, Air Hose, Steam Hose, Hot- 

 water Hose, Cold-water Hose, Rubber Belting, Gaskets and 

 Rubber Insulation, as well as Rubber Inner Tubes and Cas- 

 ings for Automobile Tires. Sub-committees have been ap- 

 pointed for all of these, excepting Rubber Tubing, Inner 

 Tubes and Casings for Automobile Tires. In addition, sub- 

 committees have been organized to gather data for specifica- 

 tions for rubber valves and for rubber tiling, and it is prob- 

 able that committees will be appointed to cover cement, 

 rubber rolls and otiier important rubber goods just as soon 

 as the work at present in hand will permit. 



It is expected that the specifications which are to be forth- 

 coming will cover each product with tests, physical or chem- 

 ical, or both, with instructions for making these tests, as 

 well as description in detail of the construction desired, to- 

 gether with such physical dimensions as will permit of the 

 manufacture of a standard product. It is not intended that 

 other than commercial materials or articles shall be de- 

 scribed b}' these specifications, and where necessary dif- 

 ferent grades will be included in the same specification, with 

 such difference in the tests as may fix the limits. The in- 

 tent is not to liamper the manufacturer, but to assist him 

 to establish standards which will be the basis for the making 

 of a reasonable price and which we hope will also be the 

 guarantee of reasonable service. 



It is unnecessary to debate upon the advantage from the 

 consumer's point of view, of securing standard material in 

 rubber products, ilany of us are familiar with the difference 

 in service given by similar materials, sold by different manu- 

 facturers. It is for this reason that standard materials are 

 at this time most necessary. 



The question as to what extent chemical analyses will be a 

 part of these specifications, it is impossible now to answer, 

 but each material will be covered by a chemical analysis in 

 so far as our present information warrants such analysis; 

 but the dominating feature of these specifications will be 

 physical tests of as simple a character as is consistent with 

 the characteristics it is intended to expose and the service 

 demanded of the material. 



The American Society for Testing Materials is fortunate 



in being able to select from its members a committee which 

 represents the producer and the consumer, and the regula- 

 tions governing technical committees are very clear on this 

 point as they read: "On committees dealing with subjects 

 having a commercial bearing, either an equal numeric bal- 

 ance shall be maintained between the representatives of 

 consuming and producing interests; or the former may be 

 allowed to predominate with the acquiescence of the latter. 

 Unattached experts shall be classed with the representatives 

 of consuming interests." This means that a committee will 

 include men having the data relating to the service given by 

 material as well as men having knowledge of the theory and 

 techni<iue of manufacture. It seems to us that the only 

 other essential to make a specification which may be pro- 

 nounced a success is the use of judgment in its application. 

 It is intended of course to co-operate with all other so- 

 cieties having similar interests in so far as that is desirable, 

 as well as to do such additional research or investigation 

 as may be required. 



If I may be permitted to say a word about specifications 

 generally, I should like to add here tliat the manufacturers 

 who fear a specification have been unfortunate in their ex- 

 periences with the use of specifications, and I can truthfully 

 say that after a number of years' experience on various 

 materials, bought with and without specifications, that the 

 greatest satisfaction has been on those materials covered by 

 a specification. Referring to rubber particularly I may say 

 that the most satisfaction is gotten with the material at pres- 

 ent bought on specification. I am not prepared to say that 

 the unspecified materials are not made as good as they would 

 be if covered by a reasonable specification. It is. however, 

 a fact that a great deal of dissatisfaction exists in the use of 

 these materials. A guarantee of service by a reputable 

 maker is, in the abstract, the sweetest thought that ever con- 

 soled a purchasing agent worried with the fear that he was 

 not getting value for the purchase price. It may be possible 

 in a closely consolidated plant to take advantage of a guar- 

 antee, but on a large railway, a guarantee on small rubber 

 mechanical goods is probably not worth the time of con- 

 sideration. 



Our policy in drawing up these specifications will be to do 

 justice to manufacturers and consumers alike, and we shall 

 be open always to suggestions or ideas from those interested 

 in our work. We may go further and say that we invite 

 criticism, though we realize that we cannot hope to satisfy 

 all. It is believed that progress is made when the majority 

 are satisfied. We would welcome to membership on our 

 committees any of those here now or any others who are 

 interested, and again we can assure the manufacturer and 

 consumer that our attitude is that of friendliness and a de- 

 sire for progressive co-operation. 



Regarding the use of specifications that we may offer, we 

 believe that the governments of the United States and 

 Canada, and large corporations such as railways, will wel- 

 come them, and as a recompense for our work we shall have 

 the satisfaction of knowing that their use will be immediate 

 and general, if not in toto, at least in their main essentials. 



ASSESSING THE DUTY ON TIKES. 



The Board of United States Genera! Appraisers in a case 

 that recently came before it decided that tires should be as- 

 sessed separately from automobiles. The Collector of X'ew 

 York had held that tires and wheels were assembled articles 

 and they should, therefore, properly be assessed at 45 per cent, 

 ad valorem as "parts of automobiles." But the Board decided 

 when the case was appealed to them that tires should be assessed 

 at 35 per cent, ad valorem as coming under the head of "manu- 

 factures of rubber," and that they were not dutiable under the 

 classification of finished parts of automobiles. 



