288 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1, 1914. 



with a hole through the middle into which the wearer puts 

 his head. All through the West and Southwest where Mexi- 

 can miners are employed they prefer the india rubber poncho 

 to the india rubber jacket worn by miners of other races. 

 Thousands of the Cornish, Welsh and Scotch miners em- 

 ployed in North American mines go to their homes in the 

 old country once a year for a few weeks, and when they re- 

 turn they usually bring two pairs of india rubber boots and 

 a jacket and hat of the kind made by British manufac- 

 turers for miners. Many of the mining captains of North 

 America who are from Great Britain and who rarely go to 

 their old homes import what they wear in india rubber 

 through the express companies that traverse the mining areas. 

 The question of price is not considered by these men. They 

 want exactly the same make of india rubber garments and 

 boots and hats that they wore when at work in Cornwall. 

 Wales or Scotland. 



CARBON BLACK I ROM NATURAL GAS. 



.\l ihc Wilsiinburg (.West Virginia) plant of the Union Gas & 

 Carbon Co., manufacturers of carbon black, that product is ob- 

 tained from the Hamcs of natural gas. This result is attained by 

 impingement of the flames on a smooth surface and the final re- 

 moval of the deposit by steel scrapers, the product being used in 

 the manufacture of printing ink, paint and rubber. 



The natural gas is furnished by a well 3,000 feet deep, at a 

 pressure of 950 pounds. It was formerly conducted to the carbon 

 buildings through a 4-inch main, steam power being used for the 

 scrapers, but the initial pressure of the gas is now utilized. It is 

 now passed through the cylinders of the steam engine, thus obvi- 

 ating the use of steam. The piping was rearranged and the re- 

 sult is said to be quicker and more uniform response on the part 

 of the engine. It not only provides free power, but reduces the 

 labor. 



A SENSIBLE SIZE FOR GARDEN OR LAWN HOSE. 



By F. C. Anderson, of the Electric Hose & Rubber Co. 

 IN the early days of the rubber business ^4-inch water pipe 

 ^ and hose bibbs, or faucets, were general in plumbing specifi- 

 cations, which led to the manufacture of 3/J-inch hose as most 

 suitable for garden or lawn use. 



For many years past, however, j4-inch pipe and J^-inch or, the 

 so-called 5^-inch hose bibbs have been used almost exclusively. 

 Half-inch pipe is .623 of an inch in internal diameter, virtually 

 5^-inch, but, the opening through the valve seat of all J^ or 5^- 

 inch bibbs is but }4-inch, and the bent neck is usually still 

 smaller. It is therefore manifestly impossible to get more than 

 a ,H"inch diameter stream of water through the bibb, regardless 

 of what may be the pipe size. 



Half-inch might be thought the ideal hose size were it not 

 for the increased loss of pressure through friction as compared 

 with the loss in hose of larger diameter. Furthermore, the 

 internal diameter of Yz-mch. hose couplings ranges from a little 

 over f^-inch in the cast, to about 7/16-inch in the pressed brass 

 styles, still further retarding the water. 



Three-quarter inch continues to be the principal size, simply 

 because so few hose manufacturers make or offer an inter- 

 mediate size, and the hose buyer has no choice but to buy either 

 J/^-inch. which is too small for the best results, or J^-inch, 

 which is too large. 



Here are three circles representing diameters of Yn, Yz and 

 y& of an inch. I submit that it is a waste of material, money 

 and energy to use hose of this size (Fig. No. 1) to convey 



water from an opening of this size (Fig. No. 2) when this size 

 (Fig. No. 3) will do it as well and last longer. 



To determine the relative efficiency of different sizes of gar- 

 den hose the following test was made, from which it will be 

 seen that, for all practical purposes, 5^-inch is fully equal to 

 '}4-inch hose. 



Test to Determi.n'e Comi>.\k.\tive Qu.^NTlTY of Water Sup- 

 plied Through Fifty Feet Each of J/^-Inch, 5^-Inch 

 AND 'K-Inch Garden Hose, Under Aver.^ge 

 Conditions of Service. 

 Size of hose. Y2 in. Yt, in. Y '"• 



Water pressure on 



main 45 lbs. 45 lbs. 45 lbs. 



Time required to fill a 



50-gal. tank, with 



nozzle on hose 11 min. 8}4 min. 8;4 min. 



Ditto, without nozzle. 9 min. Sj4 min. 5 min. 



Time required to sup- 

 ply 1,000-gal. with 



nozzle on hose 3 hr. 40 min. 2 hr. SO min. 2 hr. 45 min. 



Ditto, without nozzle 3hr. Ihr. 50min. 1 hr. 40 min. 



Ordinary "Gem" spray nozzle, having J4-i"ch discharge, used 

 in test, and hose attached to }^-inch hose bibb on standard Yi- 

 inch pipe. 



For several years I have advocated the sale and use of fl- 

 inch hose, for the following reasons, viz. : 



Five-eighths inch hose will deliver practically as much water 

 through the nozzle in a given time as will ^^''fch, imder usual 

 service conditions. 



Five-eighths inch hose, when full of water, weighs very much 

 less than Ju'inch, and is easier for women and children to use. 



Five-eighths inch hose, weighing less than Y^-mch, will not 

 wear out so quickly when dragged over stone, cement or gravel 

 walks, etc. 



Five-eighths inch hose will withstand greater pressure than 

 will l-^-inch of the same quality. 



Five-eighths inch hose will not kink so readily as will -)4-inch. 



Five-eighths inch hose will outwear ■34-inch under like con- 

 ditions of use. 



Five-eighths inch hose costs less than 54"inch, but may be re- 

 tailed for about the same price. 



Nearly all hose manufacturers now make from ten to twenty 

 grades of garden hose, necessitating the manufacture uf both 

 Y2 and ^-inch sizes in each and every grade, and the stocking 

 of both sizes in all grades in the parent and branch houses, 

 also in the hands of consignment agents. Whereas, if manu- 

 facturers would make the Y2 and J^-'nch sizes in only the same 

 limited number of grades in which they now make larger sizes 

 of water hose, and sell these two sizes by the same list and 

 discount plan, then adopting 5-^-inch as the standard garden 

 hose size, and the only size on which net prices per foot are 

 to be made, they could cut their stock necessities at least one- 

 third. 



Instead of, say, 2,000 feet Y2 and 5.000 feet ->4-inch in any, or 

 all, grades, they need stock but about 4,0(X) to 5,000 feet of %- 

 inch only. This would release considerable capital, reduce the 

 renmant assortment at the end of each season and minimize the 

 probability of carrying over to the next season some one or 

 more grades, or sizes that had to be stocked to meet possible 

 trade demands that failed to arise. There would be the same 

 quantity of hose sold, both in feet and dollars, with a decided 

 reduction in stock necessities. 



Retail dealers would also welcome this change as doing away 

 with the present necessity of buying both Y2 and ^^-mch, and 

 "guessing" how much of each size they could probably dispose 

 of the next season. It would cut their "guessing" problem in 

 half at any rate. 



These observations art ofTered after some thirty-eight years' 

 rubber experience on and off "the road." 



