36 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[November i, 1907. 



Standardization of Electric Lighting Materials. 



AT the seventh annual convention of the National Electrical 

 Contractors' Association of the Uoited States one of the 

 principal addresses was by Mr. C. M. Goddard, represent- 

 ing the Underwriters' National Electrical Association, who dwelt 

 at length upon the "Factory Inspection Service" which for two 

 years past has been maintained successfully. Mr. Goddard was 

 identified closely with the formation of the Underwriters' national 

 association and of the national electrical code. Referring to the 

 development of the code as it now exists, the speaker quoted 

 from the first printed rules regarding insulation issued in this 

 country (in 1881), two of which were: 



"Wires to be thoroughly insulated and doubly coated with some 

 approved material. 



"All wires to be securely fastened by some approved noncon- 

 ducting fastening." 



There has not always been uniformity of interpretation or ap- 

 plication of the rules, either when in the earlier and briefer 

 forms, or now when the national electrical code fills a book of 

 150 pages, but progress is being made all the time in the direction 

 of uniformity. But there was a matter apart from the letter of 

 the code which the speaker defined clearly when he said : "I be- 

 lieve it is fully as necessary that you contractors make it your 

 business to always use fittings and materials which have been 

 carefully examined and found to meet all requirements as it is 

 to follow the code in your work of installing such devices and 

 materials." Following are other extracts from Mr. Goddard's 

 address : 



Work of St.'\ndardiz.\tion. 



"Our laboratories have lately made a very decided step in ad- 

 vance along this line of approved devices, which as it is further 

 developed will, I think, be recognized as of great advantage to all 

 users of electrical apparatus. It is known as 'Factory Inspection 

 Service,' and has, I am glad to say, apparently met with cordial 

 approval and cooperation from the great majority of the reputable 

 manufacturers. 



"It was started in connection with the manufacture of rubber 

 covered wire as the 'Wire Inspection Bureau' [See The India 

 Rubber Woklu, September i, 1905 — page 398.] and has since been 

 extended by the laboratories to other electrical products, such as 

 conduit, etc., as well as to fire protection devices, such as chemical 

 extinguishers, watch clocks and the like ; it will in the near future 

 be further extended and it is expected that eventually it will 

 include the whole list of approved devices. 



"Arrangements are made with as many of the manufacturers, 

 say of approved rubber covered wire, as desire to be included, by 

 which It is first ascertained that they have the proper factory 

 facilities for the manufacture and testing of rubber covered wire 

 and that their 'shop practice' is generally good — in other words, 

 that they can produce a standard article. 



"Then, in order to assure ourselves that they will produce a 

 standard article, we employ a corps of inspectors whose duty is 

 to periodically visit all of these factories as often as circum- 

 stances demand, say once or if necessary twice a week, for the 

 purpose of looking over the factory and its product, making tests 

 of coils selected at random, checking up the tests made in the fac- 

 tory and satisfying themselves that the entire output is being 

 kept up to standard. 



Stamped Goods. 

 "To such manufacturers as show good results, stamps are sold 

 at so much per 500 feet of wire, and you are undoubtedly all 

 familiar with the 'Wire Inspection Bureau' stamps that have been 

 for some time attached to the tags on approved rubber covered 

 wire, although you may not have known just what they meant. 



"If an inspector finds that the product of any factory is fre- 

 quently below standard, then the stock of stamps on hand, if any, 

 is taken up and that factory can purchase no more stamps until 

 the trouble is remedied and the product again brought up and 

 kept up to standard. 



"The cost of this service is covered by the sale of stamps, each 

 manufacturer thereby contributing in proportion to his output, 

 and it is gratifying to be able to say that the price of stamps 

 has been twice almost cut in two since the service was started, 

 so that to-day it cuts no figure at all in the selling price of the 

 wire. 



"This service you will readily see partakes very largely of the 

 nature of the engineer who supervises the manufacture of all com- 

 modities under large government contracts, and gives you, as 

 users of such goods, the benefit of knowing that you are getting 

 what you are paying for, and this without any added expense. 



"As this service is extended you will be able, by insisting on 

 'stamped' goods, to be sure that whatever you buy is what it is 

 represented to be." 



Factory Inspection Service. 

 Another address of importance was that of Mr. Hugh T. 

 Wreaks, secretary of the Wire Inspection Bureau already men- 

 tioned. He said that electric lighting w^as at first welcomed by 

 the insurance people as being safer than other illuminants then 

 in use, but after some costly fires this confidence in the safety 

 of electricity was destroyed. In spite of all the work done to 

 restore confidence, many fires are still caused by electric lighting 

 installations, caused either (l) by use of defective material, or 

 (2) defective installation, or (3) carelessness in handling, or by 

 any or all of these. The principal interest of those who support 

 the Wire Inspection Bureau is to eliminate as much as possible 

 the fires due to the first of these causes. In the early struggles 

 of the organization in behalf of higher grades of material, the 

 active resistance was encountered of manufacturers, jobbers, and 

 contractors, and the support of the insurance interests was very 

 indifferent. But gradually all of this has been changed, and co- 

 operation on the part of all those classes is becoming the rule. 



After recounting the earlier methods of seeking the standardiza- 

 tion of supplies, and the maintenance of high grades of products, 

 and their very limited success, Mr. Wreaks said : 



"In 1905 a happy conception was arrived at, that much better 

 results could be accomplished through factory inspection service 

 carried on continually, in place of the intermittent field inspection 

 of sample goods previously obtained, and to start this service 

 manufacturers of rubber covered wire were approached with this 

 end in view, and the Wire Inspection Bureau was formed and 

 factory inspection service started on rubber covered wire. 



"In rapid succession other services were started, until to-day 

 factory inspection is an established fact on rubber covered wire, 

 flexible cord, rigid conduit, flexible tubing and insulating joints, 

 and as soon as minor details are adjusted, will be established 

 on various other electrical fittings. As is to be expected, the 

 service has many friends and others who criticize same. I think 

 the criticisms are due more to misunderstandings and to lack of 

 recognition of the conditions the service is struggling against, 

 and what the service really means, rather than to any opposition 

 against factory inspection label service per se. 



"One plea that has been made against the service is that it un- 

 necessarily increases the cost of the goods themselves, but a little 

 reflection will sliow this not to be an item of consideration when 

 it is considered that in no case does the cost of inspection amount 

 to more than one per cent, of the selling price of the goods, and 

 generally it is appreciably less than one per cent., and the in- 

 creased cost, if any. caused by factory inspection service is in 



