June 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



485 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE accompanying illustration will give some idea of the 

 variety of molds made by the Die Sinking & Machine 

 Co., of Akron. This company does not manufacture any of the 

 larger molds, devoting its attention to one line of manufacture 



and specializing in molds for 

 mechanical rubber goods and 

 druggists' sundries. It wras es- 

 tal)l:shed fiftem years ago, oper- 

 ating at lirsl under the name of 

 ^\^ r^B^^^M\ '^ [^ Herrington & Son, and was the 

 T^ l^fc^^^^b / /. first in this country, or probably 



anywhere, to make a mold that 

 would successfully produce hot 

 water bottles and syringe bags. 

 While the company ilaims that 

 no mold i.s too dilTicult for it to 

 undertake, it makes a special 

 feature of its department for b^g 

 and bott'e molds. This co:iipany 

 has recently issued an attractive catalog, which illustrates molds 

 for numerous articles not shown in the cut herewith. 



* * * 



Incorporation papers have been granted at Columbus, Ohio, to 

 the Pike Rubber Co., located at 126 West South street, Akron, with 

 a capitalization of $50,000. The officers are O. C. Pike, presi- 

 dent ; Ed Voris, secretary; Frank Selzcr, treasurer, and Fred 

 Grethers, manager. Mr. Pike, who is now engaged in the manu- 

 facture of rubber sundries, is a man of large experience in the 

 rubber business. He says that the firm will remain in its pres- 

 ent location for a while. Recently a large manufacturing build- 

 ing was bought by the parties backing this company, and this 

 building, it is thought, may be occupied by the company in the 

 near future. 



'1 he Lincoln Rubber Co. has been organized under the laws 

 of the State of Ohio, with a capitalization of $10,000. John 

 Hadfield is president, R. G. Nevin secretary and treasure r. This 

 company has bought out the Hadfield Rubber Co., and is man- 

 ufacturing a line of general rubber sundries, inclutling a special 

 high grade surgeons' glove, with an additional feature of en- 

 larged knuckles, so that there will be no binding when the hand 

 is shut. This glove is known as tlie "Knukllit." 



* * * 



A series of meetings has lately been held at the factory of the 

 B. F. Goodrich Co., attended by foremen, inspectors, managers 

 and superintendents of the plant to the number of almost 1,000, 

 to hear talks on safety, and to discuss ways and means of in- 

 creasing efficiency. Mr. E. C. Shaw, the works manager, ad- 

 dressed those present on the subject of "The Idea! Working 

 Condition," while W. W. Williams, representing tlie National 

 Association of Manufacturers, gave a safety lecture, and moving 

 pictures illustrating some of the things that make for safety in 

 big plants were shown. This company maintains an elaborate 

 department of safety and hygiene, which gives advice to the 

 men on the treatment of injuries, and looks after them generally. 

 The object of this campaign is to make "Safety First " not only 

 a part of the company's tire design and construction, but to 

 have this element enter into the processes of manufacture, thereby 

 adding to the efficiency of the 15,000 workmen scattered over 

 an area of 75 acres. 



An improvement in dredging sleeves, which will be particu- 

 larly appreciated in general engineering where this is an artic'e 

 of importance, has been made by the Goodrich c mpany. The 

 durability of dredging sleeves, no matter how good their other 

 features, has heretofore been susceptible of serious impairment 



on account of excessive expansion. This difficulty has, however, 

 been largely overcome by an improvement in fabric construct. on 

 applied to both the "Pinnacle" and "Goodrich" grades of dredg- 

 ing sleeve. A fabric of special design is employed, which in the 

 new sleeve as thus perfected is said to reduce expansion to a 

 minimum. 



Public sclioolteachers to the number of 500 recently m;.de a 

 Saturday visit to the Goodrich plant on an invitation extemed 

 by the company. The party was divided into two sections, an 1 

 each group was provided with guides, who explained every 



phase of the work. 



* * * 



Tlic Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. is again making additions 

 to its plant. When plans were made for the new building 

 added in 1911, it seemed that this plant was large enough to 

 take care of the company's needs for years to come. However, 

 in 1912, it was necessary to again expand, and further additions 

 were erected; 1913 found the company again cramped for room, 

 and it again expanded; 1914 is but a repetition of the past, and the 

 demand for iMrestone tires makes it again necessary to add to 

 the factory. One of the present wings 60 feet wide and five 

 stories high will be extended on the north 125 feet. On the 

 south one of the wings will be extended 125 feet, with the base- 

 ment and first floor covering a space 140 feet in width. This 

 will give approximately 95,000 square feet additional floor space. 

 During 1913 three new boilers having a capacity of 900 horse- 

 power each were installed by this company, adding 2,700 horse- 

 power to the already large boiler capacity. A new 4,000 kilo- 

 watt generator and steam turbine is now to be installed to 

 furnish additional power needed for the extensions. The pres- 

 ent switchboard will be replaced by a new gallery board 70 

 feet in lengtli. After two years experimenting in the manu- 

 facture of bicycle tires, this line has been added to the com- 

 pany's production. These tires are made with two styles of 

 treads, the non-skid, which is an exact reproduction of the au- 

 tomobile non-skid design, and also a corrugated tread. The 

 conii)any recently added generator tubing, pump tubing and 

 horn bulbs to its line of accessory products, the horn bulbs 

 being made with a standard thread, and with either brass or 

 nickeled mountings. It is also now prepared to furnish fric- 

 tion tape in one, two and four-ounce rolls. Heretofore nothing 

 smaller than one-half pound rolls has been furnished by the 

 company. 



C. H. Sorrick, formerly head of the carriage tire sales of 

 the Firestone company, now has charge of the pneumatic tire 

 sales, taking the place formely held by George J. Bates. 

 * * * 

 The receivers of the Royal Rubber Co. have been offered 

 $34,000 for the company's lands and buildings, the same com- 

 prising 2l4 acres, with 150 yards of railroad frontage, located 

 near the center of Akron. The court upon investigation, not 

 considering the ofler high enough, instructed the trustees to 

 take care of the insurance premiums and a few small necessary 

 debts contracted by the receivers, and ordered that the land 

 and buildings be offered publicly for sale. 



The Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. has just completed one of its 

 new buildings, celebrating the termination of this work by a 

 factory ball and luncheon. 



* * * 



Since January 1 of this year, when all employes on the factory 

 payroll of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. underwent physical 

 examinations, every prospective employe has submitted to a 

 similar examination. This is not so formidable as it may 

 sound, nor does the discovery of minor ailments render a can- 

 didate ineligible for employment, but it enables the company to 

 place him where he can give the maximum of service with 



