June 1, 1920.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



567 



paired. Oftentimes the principal cost of punctures or blow-outs 

 is due to the necessity of laying up trucks awaiting new tires, 

 due to stock shortage, or sending the damaged tires to the 

 nearest factory branch for repair. Moreover, repaired casings 

 frequently deliver but small mileage due to the overeure of the 

 joined portions. This danger is most difficult to overcome in the 

 large sections due to the longer cure required to vulcanize the 

 interior portions of the new part of the casing. No doubt this 

 feature will ultimately be corrected. The tread seems to give 

 less trouble than the side walls which arc more susceptible to 

 rut wear and overloading abuse. 



FIELD OF USEFULNESS CLASSIFIED. 



The field of each type of tire may be separated into three 

 classifications within which the operator may reasonably place 

 his installation, and select his equipment accordingly. These 

 may be called: (1) The imperative field; (2) the economic 

 field; and (3) the optional field. 



The factors that would bring a truck within the "imperative" 

 field for solid tires are : reasonably hard road surface, dependa- 

 bility of delivery, regularity of delivery, and heavy loads with 

 frequent overloads. 



If delivery must positively reach its destination without fail 

 at time promised ; if regular delivery is a more important factor 

 than either speed or cost of delivery, or if it carries overloads 

 beyond the rated capacity of the tires, solid tires should be used. 



Similarly, the factors that would bring a truck within the 

 "imperative" field for pneumatics are some combination of the 

 following: traction on any kind of road surface, or off the road, 

 with cost subordinated ; speed with cost subordinated, or pro- 

 tection of merchandise from road shocks. 



The factors that would bring a truck within the "economic" 

 field for solid tires are: short hauls in cities where speed is 

 relatively unimportant ; heavy loads with tendency to overloads ; 

 traffic congestion which reduces average speed ; loading and un- 

 loading delays and need for low delivery cost. 



Similarly those that would bring the truck within the "eco- 

 nomic" field for pneumatic tires are : road conditions which will 

 not prematurely destroy the tires ; long hauls ; high average 

 speed; relatively light loads with no overloads; tire service con- 

 ditions good and low cost subordinated to quick service. 



In analyzing the "economic" field the operator must decide 

 first whether he can avail himself of the potential speed pneu- 

 matic tires would give him. This, of course, includes the possible 

 delays he may encounter due to tire trouble as a result of bad 

 road conditions and those he will find, provided the tire service 

 conditions in his locality cannot be depended upon. Next he 

 must be sure that the features of his service provided by pneu- 

 matics will justify their extra cost. 



The distinction between "economic" and "optional" fields is 

 difficult to make. In fact, the decision as to which is the better 

 equipment may be purely a matter of personal opinion, without 

 strong factors on cither side. Hence, I shall not attempt to 

 define them. One of the most interesting significant developments 

 which I have noticed in studying this subject, however, is the 

 growing tendency among truck operators to use pneumatic tires 

 on front wheels where the need for protection from vibration is 

 the greatest, and solids on the rear to carry the burden of the 

 load. This practice has much to commend it, and should steadily 

 grow in favor. 



CONCLUSION. 



The movement toward the use of pneumatics should not be 

 condemned, however, for undoubtedly it will be the means of 

 increasing the scope of usefulness of motor transportation. The 

 question is too new to be decided theoretically or from such 

 meager records as are now available. 



In concluding, I should like to urge that designing engineers 

 study to develop such cushioning effects as may be possible 



through other means than tires, such as cushion wheels, im- 

 proved springs, shock absorbers, etc. While I realize that no 

 mechanical device is as resilient as air, we have a long way 

 to go before we overcome the difficulties of making it serve us 

 acceptably in puncture and fool-proof rubber tires, although the 

 industry is making notable progress in this direction. 



TWENTY-FIVE STORY. OFFICE BUILDING FOR FISK RUBBER 

 CO. 



The new Fisk Rubber Company Building will be on the south 

 side of Fifty-seventh street. New York City, running from 

 Broadway to Kighth avenue, the site now occupied by the 



The Fisk Rubber Comp.\nv lii.ii inxr,. 

 Rutland and St. Augustine apartment houses. It will be twenty- 

 five stories high, five stories higher than any other building north 

 of Times Square. The front will be of brick and limestone, 

 with rows of marble columns from the fifteenth to the twentieth 

 floors, which are set in, giving a tower effect. The first floor, 

 which will be 21 feet high, will be used as automobile show- 

 rooms. The Fisk company will pay a net annual rental of 

 $600,000. 



The land and building for the Fisk structure will cost 

 $7,050,000. The corporation owning it is called the 1767 Broad- 

 way Company, of which H. T. Dunn, who is head of The Fisk 

 Rubber Co., is president, and includes among its stockholders, 

 besides The Fisk Rubber Co., the Willys-Overland Co. and the 

 Willys Corporation. 



The building will stand out prominently in the heart of the 

 automobile district, as the industry promises to monopolize 

 Columbus Circle before long. Close at hand are the salesrooms 

 of the Chevrolet Co., the Kelly-Springfield Tire Cn. and the 

 Ford Motor Co. 



NOSTIX COMPOUND. 

 Nostix compound, it is claimed, will prevent retread or sec- 

 tional repairs from sticking in the molds. It is a blue-gray 

 powder that is mixed with high test gasoline and applied with 

 a brush to the old gum of retreads, sectional repair side walls 

 and cold bead plates. After the cure it is brushed or washed off, 

 leaving an azurine finish. (The Siek Manufacturing Co., Carmi, 

 Illinois.) 



