•34 



TH-E INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



Jn V 1, 1921 



To protect the rubber surface, one style of rubber mitten has a 

 binding to which cloth or other fabric may be cemented and sewed 

 on whichever side the wear is most likely to occur. Some rubber 

 mittens have net. wool and fleece lining, especially those worn by 

 motormen and tanners, and may be worn on either hand. 



Mittens may be repaired by curing on patches in much the same 

 manner as indicated for heavy rubber gloves. In patching the 

 palm of mittens, a flat, hollow spatula is excellent, and allows the 

 repaired part to be firmly pressed on the hot-plate while the upper 



part is kept cool. 



TANNERS' MITTENS 



Net-lined rubber mittens are largely used by tanners in sizes 

 from 9 to 11. and are made of a compound similar to that used 

 in tanners' rubber gloves. For special work the mittens are 

 made so that the wearer may use not only the thumb, but aho 

 the first and middle fingers, and they are reenforced between tbunih 

 and index finger. 



ACID WORKERS' MITTENS 



Acid-workers handling extra large articles often prefer to use 

 mittens. These arc made of the same material as the acid- 

 workers' rubber gloves, are usually net-lined for rough wear, and 

 come in sizes from 9 to II. 



RUBBER FINGER COTS 

 A cheap substitute for rubber gloves, and an article often 

 preferable by reason of convenience, is the rubber finger cot or tip, 

 as well as thumb cot. They are made in a wide variety of sizes 

 for men and women, and the material ranges from the finest 

 Para tissues used by surgeons for minor operations to the light, 

 medium, and heavy compounds used in cots worn by masons, 

 bricklayers, oystermen, printers, photographers, and others. The 

 fine tissue cots are usually rolled up when sold, and the heavier, 

 or molded ones are delivered in nests of three or four, set one 

 within another. The heavier cots are often well-reenforced at 



Repairmen working on heavy gloves can often utilize a finger 

 cot to take the place of part or all of a torn finger. In order 

 to cure on such a patch, the hot-tube, with a little tapering, is 

 necessary. A repairman with a little pains can often, by such 

 means, practically make a new glove out of even the most dilap- 

 idated specimen. 



RUBBER PATCHES FOR LEATHER GLOVES 



A good opportunity for the rubber repairman lies in repairing 

 leather gloves. A great many electric linemen who wear plain or 

 rubberized leather gloves, over or w'ithout rubber gloves, have 

 to discard the leather ones as soon as the slightest break appears, 



Leather Gi.ove Repair 



which usually occurs on the palm. Few leather repairmen care 

 to mend such gloves as they cannot make a neat and satisfactory 

 job. Using suitable cement and repair stock, or self-vulcanizing 

 material, a rubber repairman can patch such broken leather 

 gloves neatly and substantially. 



Equipment for Testing Linemen's Rubber Glove.s 



the closed end, leaving the lower part of lighter, more elastic 

 material, so as to better grip the linger. 



Reinforced rubber finger and thumb cots are also used by 

 mirror-makers handling mercury and tin amalgam, as well as 

 the substitute for the latter, nitrate of silver, now much used 

 for coating looking-glasses. Finger cots obviate the necessity of 

 frequent use of the irritant cyanide of potassium solution for 

 removing the silver nitrate stains from the fingers. 



RUBBER BATH MATS AND MATTING 



. Non-slip matting and rubber rrats, usually of white, but their 

 attractiveness being enhanced by variegated colors, are becoming 



popular for use in the bath, in 

 place of linoleum for passages and 

 around the edges of public baths. 

 Each bath mat is supplied with 

 eight red molded suckers fixed four 

 on each side, to hold the mat in 

 position when placed. The sizes 

 are 38 by 12, 36 by 12, 36 by 

 10 and 34 by 10, with a thickness 

 of i/^-inch, in either solid or 

 punched styles. The punched style 

 is more popular. 



Some factories buy the sheet- 

 ing in rolls already punched, 

 others buy the unpunched rub- 

 ber sheeting, and calender the 

 rubber onto cotton duck, such 

 as is used for belting. If the 

 material is not shrunk at the time 

 iif calendering, it will contract 

 during the cure, and this must be 

 allowed for. The duck is then 

 removed from the cool material 

 and punched tin or paper patterns 

 of the correct size and shape are 

 laid on the rubber and dusted 

 with chalk or chalk and zinc oxide mixed. In the majority of 

 cases holes are hand-punched, though there are machines available 

 for this purpose. Holes are punched in sizes from J4-i"ch to 

 ^-inch, with a solid edge around the mat from one to one and 

 one-half inches wide, to prevent tearing. The ends of the mat are 

 rounded off before vulcanizing, to prevent unnecessary waste, and 

 the mat is then press-cured in the usual manner. — The Jndia- 

 linbbcr Journal, London. 



