190 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March i, 1904. 



feet, the quantities of material that will be required can always 

 be known in advance, and upon such information buying orders 

 should be based, and the " guessing " method eliminated. 



Doubtless most large factories have such a system, but many 

 small factories have none, and hence are more or less at sea 

 throughout each season as to just how much material they re- 

 quire, with the result of constantly running short, and thus 

 delaying the execution of orders, or finding on their hands a 

 surplus possibly unsuited to orders then in hand, and in which 

 a considerable value in money is tied up. Certainly this rep- 

 resents a weak spot in any factory system, if the lack of some 

 such method as above outlined can with propriety be called 

 system. 



Every factory large or small, therefore, for its safeguard, 

 should possess knowledge on at least two important points : 

 First, the quantities required with which to execute orders; 

 second, the cost per pound to execute them. Some factories 

 have what are called " theoretical estimates." That is to say, 

 estimates based on past experience. Good as far as they go, 

 perhaps, and may be relied upon in a carefully managed fac- 

 tory. But even then they should be checked against, or veri- 

 fied frequently. The variation in condition and character of 

 ingredients, the changes in personnel of the working force, 

 brought about by additions or dismissals, thus affecting the 

 skill attained in any department of work; accidents or inci- 

 dents more or less avoidable, such as breakage of molds, ma- 

 chinery, or appliances, each and all affect the cost of a particu- 

 lar article, or the entire daily product, so that review of and 

 revision of cost should be as carefully attended to as the 

 monthly balance sheet from the ledger. The prices of crude 

 material are constantly changing ; no two invoices of gum show 

 the same percentage of shrinkage, hence the compounds should 

 be looked after sharply and their cost revised, especially on a 

 rising market. Every factory takes pains to have, in some con- 

 venient form, samples of all their mixed stocks, but the specific 

 gravity of each is equally essential, as it makes a lot of differ- 

 ence in the quantity used to execute an order, whether a 25 

 cent stock has a specific gravity of .85, or 1.05. Yet I knew a 

 prominent manufacturer, a few years ago, who actually did not 

 know how to work out this simple but important problem. If 

 there is a manufacturer who has maintained the " guessing 

 system " and who proposes to verify his supposed costs, the 

 chances are that a series of disagreeable surprises await him. 

 Money is well spent that secures for a manufacturer the cold 

 facts regarding his business. 



The Master Mechanic— The duties of this position are 

 exacting and carry with it responsibilities second only to those 

 of the superintendent. He should be preeminently a man who 

 "knows that he knows." The superintendent may, on occa- 

 sion, have "guessing " or experimenting to do, but the master 

 mechanic, scientifically trained as he should be, should have 

 the ability to so " set up " every piece of machinery that there 

 can be no question as to its future successful operation. He 

 must be equal to emergencies, with a cool head and quick 

 judgment, and know that his arrangement of piping, shafting, 

 belts, and pulleys is in strict accord with scientific adjustment 

 and economical practice. On him lies responsibility for 

 changes and repairs, and repairs and changes are constantly on 

 the tapis in the modern rubber factory. He should appreciate 

 that each piece of machinery is a unit, capable of producing 

 well defined quantities of material or goods, and his care 

 should be to see that, so far as his duties are concerned, it is up 

 to the superintendent whether the goods are produced or not- 

 A very good plan is to open an account with each piece of ma- 

 chinery, giving it a " No.," charging it with original cost, and 



cost of installation, and making further charges for repairs and 

 changes as they occur. 



All such changes or repairs should be executed on registered 

 orders issuing from the general office ; otherwise " repairs " ac- 

 count becomes in time a blind item, that is dissected only after 

 much backward labor. Such a method of registering orders for 

 all repairs serves also the purpose of directing special attention 

 to carelessness and neglect on part of employes, which, under 

 the usual loose methods in common practice, would be kept 

 sub rosa by the men most interested. 



The Compounder. — This position is one of especial trust, 

 although the pay of such men would not as a rule suggest it. 

 In his hands are placed the formulas to which a factory rightly 

 attaches a particular value. He should be by nature and prac- 

 tice a careful man with whom the making of weights should be 

 a second nature. Nevertheless, it should be part of the fac- 

 tory system to weigh mixed stocks each day, and check the 

 weights against the compounder's report. 



In the general treatment of factory help an exacting but 

 broad gage policy should be pursued. And specially should 

 the inventive faculty be encouraged. Labor saving devices are 

 not uncommon in factories where proper encouragement is 

 held out to the men. The American workman is naturally in- 

 genious, and many a wealthy manufacturer can credit the foun- 

 dation or continuation of his success to the inventive faculty 

 possessed by some obscure workman in his employ. 



To most factories there comes each year a season of dullness. 

 Orders for the season are practically filled, the large contracts 

 satisfied. Then is a good time to provide against next season's 

 requirements by keeping the mills going merrily in reducing 

 waste and scrap to "ground springs," thoroughly drying and 

 sifting them, and storing them away against the urgent de- 

 mands which are sure to come. This is also a good time in 

 which to overhaul machinery, and give presses and pipes a coat 

 of asphaltum, for no one item speaks so loudly of bad manage- 

 ment as dirty appliances, rusty pipes and molds, and machinery 

 out of repair. 



The foregoing presents but a small portion of the problems 

 with which the manufacturer of rubber goods is confronted, 

 and which he is expected to solve. A business full of fascina- 

 tion for those who successfully grapple with it and a "hair- 

 raiser" for those who fail. 



STOCK CUTTER FOR RUBBER WORK. 



THE illustration herewith shows a very convenient and 

 rapid three speed power cutter for rubber work. It is 

 specially adapted for cutting raw stock, from a tubing machine 

 into suitable lengths for molding. The rapidly revolving cam- 

 shaped knife severs the stock with a shearing cut as it is fed 



through the proper 

 size die against a 

 stop which deter- 

 mines the length. 

 Several dies, accom- 

 modating various 

 sizes or shapes of 

 stock, are shown 

 grouped at one side of the illustration. These permit of cut- 

 ting any sizes up to \% inches diameter and i% inches long. 

 Adjustment to required size, by changing dies, can be effected 

 in one minute. The capacity of the machine, when belted ac- 

 cording to the recommendation of the makers, ranges from 

 9000 to 15,000 pieces per hour. Designed and built by Holmes 

 Brothers, No. 218 East Washington street, Chicago. 



