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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



March 1, 1921 



The business of Summcrscalcs, Limited, Phoenix Foundry, 

 Keighlcy, as far as the rubber machinery section is concerned, 

 has been taken over by The Cherry Tree Machine Co., Limited, 

 Cherry Tree, Blackburn. It is the intention of this company 

 to continue the manufacture of rul)ber machinery from Summer- 

 scales' patterns and to continue to use the same registered names. 



NEW FACTORY ACT REGULATIONS FOR THE RUBBER TRADE 



Rubber manufacturers have recently received a draft copy of 

 the proposed new regulations relating to the use of the cold cure 

 process which supersede the special rules for the vulcanizing of 

 rubber tirst established in ISS^S. In the course of last year legis- 

 lation was passed entitled "Women and Young Persons (Em- 

 ployment in Lead Processes) Act 1920," and it is now proposed 

 to apply this act to the rubber trade where "lead processes" are 

 in use. The two sets of regulations are issued on the same sheet 

 of paper and no definition is given of what is to be considered a 

 "lead process" in a rubber works beyond that it is the weighing, 

 manipulation, or other treatment of "lead material" which is de- 

 fined as being any compound of lead or any batch of materials 

 containing any such compound. Presumably, then, the lead process 

 means the handling of litharge, white lead, or red lead in the com- 

 pound room and the mixing or calendering of a batch of rubber 

 containing any of these. This means that no female or boy under 

 sixteen can be employed in the mixing or spreading department of 

 a rubber works if there is litharge in a batch of rubber and as 

 women arc still to be found in these departments it rather looks 

 as if they will have to be dismissed or the use of litharge aban- 

 doned. 



I am not saying that no precautions ought to be taken in the 

 use of lead compounds, as I have long been of opinion that too 

 much laxity has prevailed in rubber works in this matter. In 

 the covering letter sent out with draft of the new regulation 

 from the Home Office reference is made to the cases of lead 

 poisoning which have occurred from the use of lead compounds 

 in certain processes. It would have been more satisfactory if 

 more definite language had been used. I have no personal knowl- 

 edge of cases of lead poisoning among rubber workers, but if 

 such are known to the Home Office it would be useful to have 

 them cited and let us know in what particular process of the 

 manufacture they were incurred. 



NEW AND OLD REGULATIONS COMPARED 



The old regulations for cold cure had reference only to bisul- 

 phide of carbon and chloride of sulphur while the new include 

 also benzene, tetrachloride of carbon, trichlorcthylene and any 

 other carbon chlorine compound or mixtures containing them. 

 These carbon chlorine compounds, though not widely used as yet 

 in the rubber trade, are now known to be powerful anesthetics. 

 Where any of the above are used the process is known as a 

 "fume process" and no person shall be employed at it for more 

 than five hours a day nor for more than lYz hours at a time 

 without a rest interval of at least one hour. The scheduling of 

 benzene as a fume process is quite a new thing and not really 

 of much importance, as under ordinary conditions its use is very 

 small. It is satisfactory to note that there is no reference to 

 solvent naphtha as there has been a good deal of talk in Factory 

 .\ci officialdom about classing it with benzene. The new rules 

 state that where benzene, whether pure or in the form of com- 

 mercial benzol, is used in the process of spreading in the manu- 

 facture of water-proof cloth or in the preparation of the dough 

 for such spreading a mechanical exhaust draught shall not be re- 

 quired if a standard of general ventilation of 30 changes of the 

 air of the room per hour is maintained during working hours. 

 Probably in fear of a prosecution for having only 29 changes of 

 air the management of a works will abjure benzol for toluol or 

 xylol and be free from care. Where a pressure system is used 

 for the supply of fresh air to a room in which a "fume process" 

 is carried on, the air supplied by such system must not enter the 

 room at a velocity which exceeds 350 feet per minute. 



With regard to boxing in the cold cure machines the regula- 

 tions arc much the same as before, while other rules relating to 

 the provision of special mess rooms for workpeople eating on the 

 premises will probably be complied with in the si)irit by small 

 firms by forbidding such workpeople to remain on the premises 

 during meal hours. A month's grace has been given to the trade 

 to enter protests against any of these new regulations. 



BRITISH DUNLOP SECURES FINANCES 

 .\ cable report states that the Dunlop Rublicr Co., Limited, 

 has sought assistance from eastern bankers, through the British- 

 Foreign and Colonial Corporation. The necessary credits have 

 been arranged, pending a permanent form of financing. The 

 crisis in the financial world has rendered the financing of the 

 Dunlop American company impossible, so the P^nglish company 

 has assumed the responsibility for it and the position of the 

 English company has been safeguarded through the American 

 company's assets. 



FIFTH INTERNATIONAL RUBBER EXHIBITION 



In connection with the Fifth International Rul)ber and Other 

 Tropical Products Exhibition, to be held in London from June 

 3 to 17, 1921, the Rubber Growers' Association announces four 

 competitions, as follows : 



COMPETITION NO. 1 



For the best commercial sample of plantation rubber taken 

 from a consignment of not less than 50 cases, the consignment to 

 contain the usual estate assortment of three grades as follows : 



I. ^75 per cent ■{ No. 1 sheet and/or crepe. 



^- I r Clean light brown crepe from cup washings, 



[•25 per cent i. lumps and anything not good enough for No. 1. 



■'•J \_ Light or dark brown crepe. 



Samples are to be aljout 6 pounds of each grade wharf-drawn 

 in London. Marks will be equally divided between the three 

 grades, and condition and general packing will be considered in 

 making the awards. .\ separate set of awards will be made for 

 rubber produced in each of the five following countries ; Malaya, 

 Ceylon, Netherlands, Indies, South India including Burma, and 

 Borneo. The aw'ards for each of the countries named include : 



First Award — Gold medal and cup or prize. 



Second Award — Silver medal and il5 cash. 



Third Award — Bronze medal and £10 cash. 



Additional prizes will be awarded according to the number of 

 entries. Medals and diplomas go to the estate owner, cups and 

 cash prizes to the manager in charge at the time the consign- 

 ment was made. 



In the Malaya section C. E. S. Baxendale offers a special prize 

 for the best sample of scrap rubber, to be awarded to the factory 

 superintendent responsible for its preparation. 



COMPETITION NO. 2 



For the best commercial sample of plantation rubber produced 

 in countries other than those included in competition No. 1 

 medals and/or diplomas will be awarded according to the number 

 of entries. 



COMPETITION NO. S 



For the best exhibit of rubber flooring prepared either in 

 blocks, tiles, linoleum or such form in which rubber constitutes 

 a large part in its manufacture. Medals and/or diplomas will be 

 awarded according to the number of entries. 



COMPETITION NO. 4 



For the exhibit composed of the greatest variety of articles 

 made from rubber for commercial purposes, medals and/or 

 diplomas will be awarded according to the number of entries. 



