December 1, 1920 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



165 



upon, the paper patterns are turned over to the patternmaker to 

 be gotten out, and a set of lasts ordered from the last factory. 



The making of patterns has been greatly simplified by the use 

 of a grading machine such as shown in the illustration. Rubber 

 shoe patterns for hand cutting are cut out of tin or planished 

 iron from the cardboard originals and perforated with two 

 holes, so that they can be fastened to the grading machine. 



The pattern, which is usually a model size, such as 8 on the 

 men's, and S on the women's, etc., is set in the machine, and 

 the length and width measured on the indicators. A sheet of 

 cardboard is then inserted in the lower bed of the machine and 

 held in place by a clamp, operated by a foot lever. The movable 

 carriage traverses the edge of the tin model, while at the same 

 time a knife cuts its exact counterpart from the cardboard. 

 The indicator is then reset for the other sizes in turn, which are 

 cut in the same manner. This set of cardboard patterns, when 

 stacked together, will be a run of sizes of the same model, as 

 shown in the accompanying illustration of sole patterns after 

 grading. 



The patterns for cutting are made from these. In the rubber 

 industry they are cut from tin or planished iron on a pattern 



Hartford Bnillu n 



Br.\.s.s .\nd Steei.-Bound P.\tterns 



shears, the edges ground smooth, and the pattern Hattened out 

 with a few taps of the hammer on a metal plate so that It will 

 lie evenly on the stock for cutting. The sizes, widths, name of 

 the part, last and date are stamped on the pattern for purposes 

 of identification. In the leather industry, patterns are usually 

 made of heavy cardboard, and edged with brass binding. For 

 this work the pattern binding and corner cutting machines are 

 employed. 



The outsole pattern is of a different type from the others, in 

 that an indentation must be made along the line that separates 

 the shank and heel, and a hole cut out so that the trade mark 

 or manufacturer's brand can be centered by the cutter. Wellman 

 outsole machine patterns arc made of thick composition metal 

 with a beveled edge, so that the knife may traverse the edge 

 and give a proper skive to the sole. 



On all shoes that have steady and large sales, the pans, such 

 as linings, insoles, fillers, etc., are cut by dies on clicking ma- 

 chines or beam presses. These dies are made by the dicmaker 

 from the paper patterns furnished by the patternmaker. 



It will thus be seen that the shoe designing and pattern depart- 

 ments of a rubber shoe factory, large or small, are increasing 

 in their importance and usefulness. And it is not to their dis- 

 credit to have a new last go out to the trade, be welcomed as 

 a perfect fit and desiRii, only to have it discarded a few months 

 later and have the manufacturer's supply of dies, lasts and 

 patterns sent to the salvage department to be sold for firewood 

 and old metal. Styles arc fickle things, and often are beyond 

 human power to predict. 



There are countless other features of rubber footwear design- 

 ing which change from time to time, but fortunately do not 

 always involve a change of lasts or patterns. Among some of 

 the improvements brought out in late years may be mentioned 

 extension toes and heels, self-acting features, suction non-skid 

 soles on athletic footwear, various color combinations on uppers, 

 soles and trade marks. All of these have been developed by 

 rubber shoe designers for the expansion of business through 



Hartford Brothers 



Samples of Graded Soles 



increased utility of the finished product. In this field the rubber 

 chemists, production, sales and technical men work closely 

 together, that all factors may be considered. 



The introduction of machine-made gaiters and arctics has 

 brought new fitting problems into rubber footwear, and with 

 it has come a closer relation between rubber and leather shoe- 

 making, the machines for the most part being adapted from 

 the leather shoe field. How far this relation will be carried will 

 be answered by the measure of success attained by machines 

 in displacing hand labor, which has stood the test so many years 

 in rubber footwear manufacturing. 



INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING IN RUBBER 1 



FACTORIES 

 By Malcolm C. W. Tomlinson' i, 



T-'iiK mechanical and electrical eciuipmeiit of any factory repre- 

 1 sents a very large percentage of the capital invested. Un- 

 less such expenditures are analyzed carefully the net returns 

 will fail to pay the interest on investment after operating ex- 

 penses are met. Furthermore, analysis will often save a man- 

 ager from tying up money in side issues such as power plants. 

 But it must be borne in mind that analysis of technical questions 

 is impossible without costs based on solid ground and also with- 

 out technical aid. As the purchase and operation of equipment 

 is seldom the result of intensive study, remarkable savings are 

 often possible where such methods are put in practice. .\ num- 

 ber of cases will serve to illustrate the point. In two factories 

 ihe bill for drinking water ran over $2,200 per year and averaged 

 from $3 to $5 per employe. The installation of refrigerating 

 systems cut down the water bill to less than $1 per person and 

 paid out in two years' time. A boiler room was able to dispense 

 with five boilers and three firemen as a result of a daily log and 

 thus saved $9,000 yearly without the expenditure of one cent. 

 In another plant a fortune was spent on grease and oil for lu- 

 brication but no attempt was made to recover one drop by 

 filtration or separation when a saving of from IS to 25 per cent 

 was easily possible. .A power plant which contained a low pres- 

 sure turbine was producing electricity for S cents a k.-w.-hour 

 with coal costing $3.50 per ton and a much smaller plant with 

 poorer equipment located in the same town sold power at a slight 

 profit for 2 cents. Similar examples of waste are occurring every 

 day in most of our rubber factories and the facts usually remain 

 hidden until the proper investigations are undertaken because 

 these items can not be analyzed by cost departments. 



The average executive will frankly admit that his costs are 

 only worked out to the tenth or hundredth of a cent but will 

 insist that they are accurate to that point. His accountants know 

 better but believe that the expense of obtaining accuracy is ex- 



'The aiillior. .1 i)-ominent consulting engineer, writes from a wealth of 

 knowledge gained by tiis connection with such firms as the Baldwin Loco- 

 motive Works, the National Tube Co., the laboratories of the National 

 Board of Fire Underwriters, The B. F. Goodrich Co., The McGraw Tire & 

 Rubber Co., etc. 



