118 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January i, 1904. 



THE INDIA-RUBBER TRADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



I CANNOT say that my eye noticed anything particularly 

 novel at the Stanley and National cycle shows, held as 

 usual in London at the end of November. That is, with 

 regard to the applications of rubber. Old friends were 

 there in abundance, with one or two conspicuous absentees, and 

 the rubber trade was rather more strongly represented 

 THE than in some recent years. At the National show at the 

 shows. Crystal Palace, The North British Rubber Co. were to 

 the fore with the Bartlett-Clincher tire. At the large 

 exhibit of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. was shown the new 

 non slipping cover which consists of longitudinal ridges rein- 

 forced by transverse projections which prevent the ridges splay- 

 ing apart and quickly wearing off. These transverse projec- 

 tions form the words " Dunlop Tyre," and thus serve the double 

 purpose of utility and at the same time of affording a means of 

 identification. Motor garments formed a prominent feature of 

 the Dunlop exhibit. The Scottish Tyre, Limited, of Glasgow, 

 showed their "Scottish de Luxe," "Scottish Victor" and 

 " Edinburg " beaded edge tires. The alliterative motto used by 

 this company, viz. : " Pure Para prevents puncture," may possi- 

 bly be challenged as to its accuracy; it certainly would not be 

 fair to take it as true in all respects, because it would imply that 

 in cases where puncture has occurred rubber other than Pard 

 must have been used. To judge by the references to the use of 

 " Para rubber only " which occur consistently in all tire makers 

 pamphlets it may be taken that the existence of inferior brands 

 is practically unknown, though of course the statements that 

 " our tires " are made of fine Para throughout may be read as a 

 warning that this is not the case with competitors' makes. 

 Other firms exhibiting at the Crystal Palace were the Martin 

 Tyre Co., and the Dawson tire, shown by the inventor, Mrs. 

 Dawson, of Southport, Lancashire. This consists of a woven 

 cord band prepared with solution to fill up all the crevices and 

 having a rubber strip placed on the band. The Williams Pat- 

 ent Tyre Co. are concerned with the exploitation of Williams's 

 patent adjustable band and fastenings by the use of which it is 

 claimed that immunity from side slip is secured. 



Turning now to the Stanley show, at the Agricultural Hall, 

 it may be mentioned that the following well known rubber 

 manufacturers had their goods on show : David Moseley & Sons, 

 North British Co., Dunlop company, Avon Rubber Co., Mid- 

 land Rubber Co., Reddaway &Co., W. & A. Bates & Co., Ca- 

 pon, Heaton & Co. and the Continental Rubber Co. As far as 

 I could see there was no particular novelty shown by any of 

 the above, improvements and developments being the order of 

 the day. Messrs. Moseley had a special exhibit in the gallery 

 for the Black Tyre Co. of Glasgow. The Lovelace patent anti- 

 slipping tread was shown by the Avon Rubber Co., the sole 

 manufacturers. The Clifton Rubber Co. announce that the 

 various legal suits which have hindered their progress in the 

 past have all been satisfactorily settled and that users of their 

 " Wapshare " and "Clifton" tires need have no fear of any 

 question of infringement being raised. This company, is loca- 

 ted at Lower Priory, Birmingham. Clipper and Palmer tires 

 formed a bold show, these firms catering specially for the motor 

 cyclist. As is well known the Clipper-Continental tyres are 

 made at the Continental company's works at Hanover. In con- 

 nection with their motor tires this company emphases the neces- 

 sity of fitting a car with tires of the requisite strength for the 



weight they have to support. The pamphlet issued by the 

 Continental Co. and entitled: "Clipper-Continental Tyres— How 

 to Treat and Repair Them," is replete with useful information 

 and should prove highly popular. The Le Paris racing tyres 

 can claim 90 per cent, of the classic road races of the past sea- 

 son and the company is naturally somewhat jubilant over the 

 fact. The Le Cuirasse non slipping band is supplied in red or 

 black rubber and is stated to be unpuncturable and everlasting, 

 though if it is made of rubber the latter statement seems a 

 somewhat bold one. This company has its location at 20, Kirby 

 street, Hatton garden, London, E. C. Beyond the Continental, 

 the only other foreign firm that caught my eye was the Fulda 

 Rubber Works Co., Ltd., which together with the Aschaffenburg 

 Celluloid Co. was represented at the exhibit of the Norton Fol- 

 gate Rubber Solution Co. One of the boldest claims made at 

 the show emanated from Stand 287, where the Azulay patent 

 horse hair tire was exhibited. It is stated that it is the nearest 

 approach to a non puncturable tire ever offered to the public, 

 and that it will revolutionize the cycle trade. Though I have 

 no reason whatever to be sceptical on the matter, I shall look 

 with interest for reports from riders. The tires are to be ob- 

 tained from Mr. Leon Azulay, Southwick, Sussex. 



The business in rubber heel pads has rapidly advanced to 



one of importance, among others who are turning out large 



quantities being the Liverpool Rubber Co. and 



rubber the pj yde Rubber Co. A recent estimate puts the 



HEEL PADS. ' r 



number sold at 30,000 a week, which is probably 

 not far from the mark, seeing how popular they have become 

 with all classes. Various reasons have been adduced for this 

 popularity, but those who have given publicity to their views 

 seem to have overlooked the question of ultimate economy to 

 the wearer. So many people rapidly wear down the heels of 

 their boots that they find the shilling or so expenditure on a 

 rubber pad to save them considerably more than this sum in 

 cobbler's bills. It is claimed for the rubber aluminium pads 

 sold at 138, High Holborn, London, that by this make the tend- 

 ency to slip on greasy pavements is overcome, though I am not 

 aware of any statistics showing the defects of the plain rubber 

 pad in this direction. The O'Sullivan silent tread heels are 

 being sold by The B. F. Goodrich Co. at 7, Snow Hill, London, 

 E. C. A point which is not without some importance is the 

 capability of the retail bootmaker or working cobbler to put 

 the rubber heels on properly. Naturally, any one may say 

 the majority of these men know little or nothing about rubber 

 and the various ways of attaching it to leather, and many com- 

 plaints which have arisen are attributable to ignorance in this 

 direction rather than to any defect in the rubber itself. 



In the course of a recent conversation with Mr. W. F. Reid, 



the inventor of Velvril, I was informed that this product is 



making steady progress in public estimation, though 



artificial j gathered that the makers have largely modified 



I FATHER 



their claims as to Velvril being a substitute for 

 India-rubber. It is in the direction of a cheap substitute for 

 leather that it is being used, in decorative work generally. 

 There is also a demand for it in the upholstering of motorcars. 

 That there is a growing market for material of this sort is evi- 

 denced by the progress being made by the Pluviusin Co., of 

 Monton, near Manchester, and by the success of the Pegamoid 

 company. This concern is by no means dead as is supposed by 



