10 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October i, 1903. 



AIR DRILL WORK IN MINING. 

 [Showing ils great adaptability to positions not easy of access.] 



than a pocket pistol. The pneumatic tool has revolutionized 

 construction work from the digging for the foundation to the 

 carving on the capstones of the finishod structure. It has 

 decreased the time necessary, greatly cheapened the cost, and 

 immeasurably added to the efficiency of the work. Besides 

 these merits must always be considered the incomparable 

 merits of adaptability and convenience. The pneumatic tool 

 can be placed anywhere, in any angle, at any height, at any 

 depth. It must be apparent that this development, that this 

 advancement in the art of construction is entirely dependent 

 upon the use of rubber hose. It is the flexibility, the placibil- 

 ity, of the tool that is its most meritorious feature. The rubber 

 hose attachment is indispensable to its value. A pneumatic 

 hammer, or punch, or chipper, or drill with only a fixed and 

 rigid attachment would be of little service. The expense in 

 time and labor of moving and changing connections, or in con- 

 veying material to the tool would rob it of the greater part of 

 its present superiority over hand work. The secret of its suc- 

 cess is its hose attachment. As its uses spread, as new contriv- 

 ances are devised to further 

 utilize the power of com- 

 pressed air the develop- 

 ment of the rubber indus- 

 try that is its indispensable 

 adjunct must correspond- 

 ingly expand. The volume 

 of business for this purpose 

 is increasing every year, 

 and the use of pneumatic 

 implements is perhaps as 

 yet only in its infancy. 



The character of rubber 

 hose needed for use in 

 pneumatic machinery is of 

 the very best. It requires 

 vastly more strength and 

 the use of more rubber and 

 a better quality than ordin- 

 ary hose. The inner tube 

 of the hose must be thick 

 and perfect, the four ply of 

 heavy duck well frictioned, 

 and the cover strong and 

 the whole well vulcanized. 

 In addition, the cover is 



PNEUMATIC TOOLS IN SHIPBUILDING. 

 [Riveter at work on Side Framing. — Courtesy of the Scientific American.] 



generally protected by wire or other material to save wear 

 and tear when being dragged about over rough surfaces. 

 Among the most satisfactory hose in this service is that 

 covered with woven marline or woven cotton protection. This 

 is considerably more expensive than plain hose, but is more dur- 

 able and therefore more economical in the end. Cheaper hose 

 is in use which has a plain canvas covering and there are nu- 

 merous grades of wire protected hose, including the loosely 

 wire wound, the flat wire wound and a recent patent embrac- 

 ing a woven wire armor which entirely covers the exterior 

 rubber. It is very rare that this character of hose bursts from 

 pressure within, but unless it is adequately protected it not 



VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF PNEUMATIC TOOL WORK 



