October 1, 1919.1 



THF, INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



Salvaging, Sorting, and Stripping Tires. 



THE VAST NUMBER of automobile tires discarded by tlie motor- 

 ing public includes a notable percentage capable of yield- 

 ing considerable additional mileage at low cost when re- 

 built. In fact, the business of tire rebuilding is becoming na- 

 tion-wide in extent and increasing in volume. The great unre- 

 pairable mass of old tires contains also a large tonnage of salable 

 fabric of great value, useful for 

 many manufacturing purposes 



The salvaging operations on 

 rejected automobile tires provide 

 profitable work for rubber scrap 

 dealers who are developing it to 

 the uttermost. The large scrap 

 dealers are specializing exten- 

 sively in automobile tire scrap. 

 It is their business to receive old 

 tire stocks from the collectors 

 and sort them into the recog- 

 nized grades of the waste rub- 

 ber market. These are officiallv 

 described in the circular E of lli. 

 National Association of \\'a.-.tr 

 Material Dealers and listed in 

 the order of their relative value. 



(See The Ixdi.\ Rubber World Curvikg Lpward i«i.m^ 

 August 1, 1919. page 658.) The 



grades and current prices are: standard white auto, SjA cents; 

 standard mixed auto, 5 cents; stripped, unguaranteed, 4J^ cents; 

 white G. & G. (Goodrich and Goodyear), 5J4 cents; white M. & 

 W. (.Morgan & Wright) and While, U. S., SVg cents, 

 SORTING OLD TIRES. 



Sorting old tires is not a highly specialized operation but a 

 simple matter of skill in in- 

 spection and quick indi- 

 vidual handling. The most 

 expert sorting is picking 

 out guaranteed makes suit- 

 able for rebuilding which 

 means selection of tires 

 with perfect beads, only 

 minor defects of fabric, a 

 limited number of small 

 blow-outs, and no rim cuts 

 or loose plies. 



Repairable tires are 

 graded into No. 1 inners, 

 which are good stripped 

 carcasses ; No. 2 Inners, 

 containing only a single 

 blow-out ; and the ordinary 

 repairables with more than 

 one blow-out. Repairable 

 tires are sold on a graded 

 price-list according to dam- 

 aged condition, the price 

 running from 8 to IS cents 

 per pound. All unrepairable 

 tires are subjected to the 

 processes of dissection fur 

 salvage of fabric and sep- 

 aration of the various rubber scrap qualities used by the trade. 



BEADING OLD TIRES. 



The first operation is the removal of the bead from the casing. 

 This is quickly accomplished in a simple machine known as a 

 bead trimmer. 



Lou/enthal Co.) 

 Stakting Fabric I lies. The Svccessive Steps Mai 

 Right in the Iicture. Comprising Reversing the 1 

 THE Piles to be Pulled. 



The lire is thrown over the machine and rests on a series of 

 rollers. On one side it is slipped over a crowned roller which fits 

 the inner surface of the tire, while on the outside at the corre- 

 sponding point is a circular knife. Pressure on a foot treadle 

 revolves the tire by action of the crowned roller inside the tire 

 and sends the circular knife downward through the tire side- 

 ^ wall just above the bead, which 

 is rapidly severed, allowing its 

 removal by the operator. The 

 tire is reversed and by repeti- 

 •inii of the operation the other 

 I ad is removed. 

 I'rom the beading machine the 

 > ircass passes on to receive 

 ; reparation for the operation of 

 lulling out the fabric plies. This 

 incparatory operation is starting 

 ilie plies by hand. 



STARTING THE PLIES. 

 The conveniences for starting 

 the plies of a bead-free tire car- 

 cass are extremely simple. They 

 consist of a stout timber about 

 five by eight-inches and two 

 feet long, supported horizontally 

 at a convenient height for working. The tools consist of a 

 screw-driver with a short blade, a short knife with the point 

 curved after the manner of a pruning blade, and a heavy pair of 

 ordinary hand-nippers. 



The stages of the work of starting the plies are shown in suc- 

 cession in the illustration, beginning in the background. The 

 worker places the carcass 

 upon the beam or support, 

 then depresses it as he turns 

 it half inside out near the 

 blow-out. Ne.\-t he holds it 

 securely in position on the 

 support by resting a portion 

 of his weight in the lower 

 loop of the carcass, while 

 with the point of the knife 

 he cuts through the number 

 of plies, three for example, 

 which are to be started up 

 for stripping. The cut is 

 made near the blow-out and 

 the plies separated across 

 by means of the screw- 

 driver. Once started, they 

 are pulled back with the 

 nippers a distance of about 

 a foot. Following this the 

 carcass is cut apart at a 

 point just beyond the blow- 

 out and is thrown aside 

 ready for the pulling ma- 

 chine. 



PULLING FABRIC STRIPS. 



There arc various ma- 

 chines used for pulling tire fabric from the carcass. They com- 

 prise means for holding the tire and for seizing the free ply- 

 end, also a power connection to effect the separation. Some pull- 

 ing machines are arranged to separate the plies in long lengths 

 from the endless tire, and others operate on cut tires. The one 

 shown in the illustration is of the latter type. 



