February 1, 1914/ 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



243 



SOME INTERIOR 



VIEWS OF 

 FACTORY. 



THE FIRESTONE 



THE Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., of Akron, Oliio, has re- 

 cently sent an expert photographer through the different 

 departments of its factory and he has taken some exceedingly 

 interesting pictures. There are nine in the scries. The first 

 picture shows the room where the crude rubber is put into the 

 vats of hot water and soaked and run between rollers innu- 

 merable times to free it from the various kinds of dirt which 

 the seriiigUL-iro seems to take great pleasure in incorporating in 



No. 1. C.M.KNiJKk R(Mi.\i, WiiEiu-: THE F.vBRic Is Fkictioxed. 



the biscuit which he ships to market. The second picture shows 

 the drying room, with the long sheets of crepe-like rubber, which 

 has been well masticated by the calender rollers, hanging up to 

 dry. The third picture shows the compounding room, where 



picture shows the department where the inner tubes are con- 

 structed. This work requires skilled workmen, because defective 

 w-ork in the making of an inner tube is, of course, disastrous 



No. 2. Building Inner I'rEEs. 



the perfectly clean, dry rubber is mixed with various chemical 

 ingredients to give it endurance and wearing qualities. 



Then there follow six photographs showing the actual proc- 

 ess of tire making. These six pictures are herewith reproduced. 



No. 3. \Vr.\pping Inner Tubes Before Vulwnizing. 



No. 1 shows the calender room, where the Sea Island cotton 

 is run in between steel rollers with the compounded rubber un- 

 til the fabric is entirely impregnated with the rubber. The next 



No. 4. llvuR.M,i.ic Hk.xters, Whehe i iKtb Receive First Cure. 



to its usefulness. The third picture shows another department, 

 where the inner tubes are being wrapped before vulcanizing. 

 Then comes a view of the department where the tires get their 

 first cure, in hvdraulic heaters. This is followed by a view of 



No. 5. VuLC.\NizEKS, Where Iires Receive Final Clkk. 



the vulcanizing department, where the tires get their final cure, 

 in gigantic vulcanizing ovens. The last of the views shows the 

 inspection department, where the inner tubes, having been con- 

 structed and wrapped and vulcanized, are very minutely gone 



No. 6. Fix.vL Inspection of Inner Tubes. 



over by skilled inspectors so that none shall leave the shop 

 which has any discoverable defect. 



The annual stockholders' meeting of the Adamson Machine 

 Co. was held on January 13 at the company's oflfice at Akron, 

 Ohio, when the regular dividend was declared and the board of 

 directors of the past year re-elected, these in turn electing the 

 following ofiicers: Alex. Adamson, president and general man- 

 ager; W. E. Slabaugh, vice-president; R. B. Koontz, secretary 

 and treasurer. 



