July t, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



35i 



BUFFING MACHINES FOR RUBBER WORK. 



"\ T EARLY every mechanical goods factory has more or less 

 ■I- ' need for a machine for grinding or buffing rubber sur- 

 faces as, for example, in the grinding of printers' blankets^ 

 deckle straps, heavy rubber sheet stock, sheet tiling, and so 

 forth. Such machines are frequently homemade contrivances, 

 and, being usually single drum sanders, leave much to be de- 



i_i 





ROYAL" BUFFINQ MACHINE FOR RUBBER SURFACES. 

 [Made by the Berlin Machine Works, Beloit, Wisconsin.] 



sired as regards accuracy and perfection of working. The drum 

 may consist of a rubber covered iron base, upon the surface of 

 which sand paper is glued, but is quite as often a built up 

 wooden cylinder on which the sand surface is formed by dust- 

 ing the sand into a coat of glue applied to the wood. The 

 cutting drum is generally supported on two 

 stout posts, and immediately under it is 

 placed a much smaller rubber covered roll 

 for supporting the stock as it is being cut or 

 ground. A pair of small rubber covered grip 

 rolls placed in front of the cutting drum serve 

 to regulate the feed of the stock through the 

 machine. There is usually an oscillating end- 

 wise motion of the cutting drum to prevent 

 any scratching of the surlace of the rubber 

 by imperfections in the sand cutting face. 

 With such a machine only the most ordinary 

 buffing can be done and frequent accidents occur by holes or 

 depressions in the surface being cut due to dirt getting under- 

 neath, correspondingly raising the surface which being buffed 

 down level leaves a depression at that point. 



For buffing large work perfect- 

 ly true, no tool has been found \<— z& 

 equal to the heavy metal framed 

 sanding machines known as the 

 Royal sanders, of which the il- 

 lustrations show a general view 

 and details of the cutting drums 

 and method of covering. The 

 first machine of this type was in- 

 vented in 1877. Originally a 



single drum machine, it was successively followed by the 

 double and triple drum modifications, because of the demand 

 for better work than could be done by single or double drum 

 machines. The latest, or three drum machine, was perfected 

 in 1895, and is very heavy, built entirely of metal in ten widths 

 to work from 30 inchesto 102 inches. The three drums are in- 

 tended to carry as many different grades of paper — coarse, me- 



dium, and fine. Following them on the work comes a brush 

 cylinder for removing the dust from the finished surface, and 

 also serving to keep the lower feed roll clean so as not to mar 

 the finish. 



The piper can be easily and quickly applied to each drum, 

 and in case of accident they can be conveniently removed from 

 the machine without dismantling it. The details of the drums 

 and the method of applying the sand paper covering spirally is 

 shown in the illustrations. It will be noted that there is no 

 opening for dust to enter and cause the drums to get out of 

 balance. By thus arranging the sand paper spirally the drum 

 is made continuous cutting. On all widths of machines the 

 same width of sand paper is used, thus effecting a large percent- 

 age in the cost of this item. Each drum has an oscillating 

 endwise motion for the purpose of removing any scratches which 

 imperfections in the sand paper would otherwise leave. 



Above the drums are adjustable idle pressure rolls for reg- 

 ulating the amount of cut desired, or by means of hand wheels 

 at the feeding in end of the machine the drums may be raised 

 simultaneously at each end, accomplishing the same result. 

 Four large feed rolls above and four below the bed serve to give 

 a steady and uniform feed to the stock passing through. There 

 is an adjustment for each roll and platen or bed plate, and a 

 method of locking it securely so that a proper alignment, once 

 secured, may be maintained. The upper frame, carrying the 

 top feed and pressure rolls, is regulated for different thicknesses 

 of stock by means of a hand wheel or by power controlled by a 

 lever convenient to the operator. 



With such a machine it is possible to produce the most per- 

 fect and highly finished surfaces and to regulate the buffing to 

 a nicety as regards accuracy of thickness and the true parallel- 

 ism of surfaces. 



DRUM OF ROYAL " SANDER. 



f 





COVER OF SANDPAPER. 



The directors of the Amazon Steam Navigation Co., Lim- 

 ited, at the thirty-second annual meeting of the shareholders, 

 in London, on June 29, recommended the payment of a final 

 dividend 3 per cent. (7s. €>d. per share), in respect of the 

 second half of the year 1903, making 5 per cent, for the year. 

 This shows an improvement, the dividend for the preceding 

 year having been 4 per cent. 



