256 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



I.May 1, 1911. 



NEW USES FOR RUBBER. 



NOTWITHSTANDING the high price of crude rubbir, until 

 recently prevalent of which we have heard so many com- 

 plaints, new uses are constantly being devised for this sub- 

 stance, which must result in increasing, to some extent, its con- 

 sumption. Some of the more recent of these new uses, which 

 have come to our attention, are sufficiently unique to be inter- 

 esting and afford an insight into the diversified utility of this 

 remarkable material. 



One of the most remarkable and, at the same time, one of 

 the most beneficent uses suggested for rubber, is for the con- 

 struction of artificial or supplementary muscles for children 

 suffering or threatened with infantile paralysis. By the local 

 application of strips of elastic rubber over the weakened 

 muscles, in a manner devised and described by Dr. Roland O. 

 Meisenbach, Buffalo, N. Y., the tensile strength the muscle lacks 

 is supplied, a local stimulus effected and contractions prevented, 

 while the application being painless and not inconvenient and 

 the effect being continuous and independent of the patient's 

 volition, the remedy is especially applicable for children. 



Carpet sweepers are equipped by a manufacturer with corner 

 buffers, by means of which the furniture is protected from 

 injury and they can be applied to cither new or old sweepers. 

 .\nother manufacturer employs rubber in the manufacture of a 

 pad that protects table tops from defacement by hot dishes. 



In the future development of the flying machine, rubber 

 seems destined to prove an important factor. Rubberized 

 fabric for planes has been given the preference by the most 

 successful practical aviators, while the extent to which a safe 

 and successful landing depends on the quality of the rubber 

 tires w^ith which the "plane" is equipped, has induced leading 

 tires manufacturers to bestow particular attention on the produc- 

 tion of "aereplane tires." 



In the form of hose, rubber comes into use in an ingenious 

 machine, employed by paviors in Germany, for ramming or tamp- 

 ing paving blocks into place. The pneumatic ramming tool is 

 connected by rubber hose with a portable air compressing plant, 

 and the compressed air, acting on its mechanism, causes it to 

 deliver a rapid series of hard blows on the paving stones that 

 are being set. 



Another use to which rubber'bose is put is in the operation of 

 an ingenious vacuum cleaner, for which a stream of water from 

 an ordinary faucet furnishes the powder. Passing down one arm 

 of a Y branch, it creates, by suction, a partial vacuum in the 

 other arm, and this in turn is connected with the cleaning tool. 

 The dust laden air, drawn up the tube, encounters the water 

 at the junction of the Y and the dirt is washed down the 

 drain. Rubber tips for furniture; rubber toe-caps for shoes, 

 rubber heels, rubber tiling for floors, rubber trays and dishes 

 are made for photographers, while rubberized cotton fabric for 

 balloons is much less expensive, lighter and more impenetrable 

 than the water-proofed silk heretofore used. In addition to its 

 extensive employment in tires, rubber has found very many 

 uses in connection with the automobile ; mats for the floors, pads 

 for the pedals, hand grips for the levers, all are made of rubber, 

 and to some extent it enters into shock absorbers and similar 

 devices, to say nothing of the tubing for gas lamps, electrical 

 insulation, hose connections for radiators, etc. It would be 

 possible to enumerate a thousand and one purposes for which 

 rubber in various forms is employed, that have been added, 

 within the past few years, to its uses. It is a question whether, 

 with all the additions that have been made to the output within 

 the past few years, in the shape of plantation production, re- 

 claimed rubber, etc., the "new uses" have not more than made 

 up for the increase in production, so that, as far as the volume 

 aj. the disposal of the consumers is concerned, there is but little 

 improvement to be recorded. 



PROTECTION OF THE PRODUCTS OF AMAZONIA. 



(Translation from .-i Proviancia do Para, ;\pril 7, 1911.) 



THE ProvHincia do Para has dealt in detail with the matter of 

 the rubber business, from the standpoint of protecting same 

 against speculators who are doing their best to bear the market. 



Not long ago we had an opportunity to give the details of 

 the purpose of Congressman Dr. Justiniano Serpa's trip to 

 Manaos, on behalf of Dr. Joao Coelho, Governor of the State 

 of Para, Dr. Serpa transmitting to the Governor of the State 

 of Amazonas Dr. Coelho's intention of protecting the rubber 

 business through the establishment of a banking institution. 



This protection has afterwards been extended to all the 

 natural products of the two States, keeping in the foreground, 

 as the most important, rubber. Dr. Serpa transmitted yesterday 

 to Dr. Coelho the results of Ijis trip, as follows: 



The basic ideas of Dr. Coelho were, with some modifications 

 regarding the market of Manaos, entirely accepted by Colonel 

 .\ntonio Bittencourt, Governor of the State of Amazonas. 

 These ideas having thus been accepted, Dr. Coelho, as Colonel 

 Bittencourt had done, decided to transmit to the market of 

 Para the resolutions arrived at, and, therefore, invited the 

 Commercial Association to attend a meeting, which will be 

 held today at 8, in the Governor's Palace. 



The plan for protecting the products of the Amazonia con- 

 sists chiefly in the establishment of two banking institutions, 

 at Para, and at Manaos, each with a capital of three million sterl- 

 ing, with separate boards of managers, but identical by-laws. 



These banks will have a department of mortgages on country 

 lands, to help farmers, also a department of discounts, for 

 which purpose one-third of the capital will be set aside. 



The governments of the two States will guarantee the in- 

 terest of 6 per. cent, (gold) on the capital. 



In the plan there is also the idea of trying to get the backing 

 of the Federal Govermnent for a loan of six millions sterling 

 intended for the standardization of the prices of rubber. 



For interest and refunding on this loan the two States will, 

 together, impose a duty of 400 Rs. per kilo of rubber exported, 

 and will try to get the States of Matto Grosso and Goyaz to 

 concur in the same duty, in order to standardize the selHng 

 conditions of the production of the four States. 



Furthermore, the two States will issue laws to protect the 

 planting of hcvea and decrease the cost of production, also 

 to ensure one quality only being exported — the highest grade — 

 thus eliminating the intermediate and low types. 



In due time the Assemblies of the two States will meet to 

 discuss and approve these laws, also efforts will be made to 

 obtain from the Federal Government laws conducive to the 

 protection of the products of the Amazonia. 



This is an outline of the plans submitted today by the 

 Governor of the State to the market of Para. 



In the utig.\tion so long in progress, regarding the right 

 to the use of the process of manufacturing and mounting solid 

 rubber tires, on which United States Patent No. 554,675 was is- 

 sued to Arthur W. Grant in 1896, the Supreme Court of the 

 United States rendered an important decision on April 11. The 

 court aflirmed the decree of the lower court in the case of the 

 Diamond Rubber Co. vs. the Consolidated Rubber Tire Co. 

 and the Rubber Tire Wheel Co. and declares the Consolidated 

 Rubber Tire Co. to be the exclusive owner of the Grant process 

 rubber tire. The court holds that the fact that the defendant 

 company uses the Grant tire and not the tire covered by the 

 Willoughby patent, disposes of its contention that the Wil- 

 loughby patent covered the purpose that the Grant patent sought 

 to attain and that in using the Grant tire the company recog- 

 nizes its superiority. The Diamond Rubber Co. is enjoined 

 from manufacturing the product. 



