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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1907. 



CONCERNING COTTON MILL HOSE. 



THE great insurance companies that not only insure factory 

 buildings against fire, but exercise a paternal interest in 

 tlie manufacturers of fire extinguishing equipment, are divided 

 into two distinct bodies — the Associated Factory Mutual Fire 

 Insurance Companies, representing the Mutual companies, and 

 The National Fire Protection Association, representing the stocK 

 companies. Both of these bodies have not only inspection de- 

 partments, but laboratories. The Mutual inspection department, 

 for example, has laboratories in Boston, where fire extinguish- 

 ers, sprinklers, hose, and hose devices are examined and tested, 

 and for which printed specifications are issued to manufacturers. 

 The National Association has its main laboratory in Chicago, 

 where work similar to that done liy the Boston inspection de- 

 partment is carried on. 



The Mutuals were first in the field in their investigation of 

 fire hose, and the result of their recommendations has been 

 what is known as "Underwriter's Hose," which numbers of 

 rubber manufacturers produce and which is recommended by 

 the Mutual companies. Hose that has not been admitted as 

 "Underwriter's" is not lecommended, although it is manufac- 

 tured and sold. 



The specifications of the Mutual companies cover the mark- 

 ing of the hose, the weave of the fabric, the weight, the general 

 composition of the rubber lining, its jointing, cementing, number 

 of plies in the calendering, and the thickness of the plies. There 

 are also specifications on weight and flexibility, strength, elon- 



experts have acknowledged to be the best for fire purposes, and 

 that they should refuse to insure risks where inferior hose is 

 used. 



It is not to be understood that there is any feeling of dis- 

 agreement between the two boards of underwriters above men- 

 tioned, or between the rubber manufacturers and the National 

 Association. The discussion is to-day largely academic and it 

 is without doubt probable that within the near future the Mutual 

 companies, the National Association, and the rubber manufac- 

 turers will get together on seme common ground advantageous 

 to all concerned. 



The India Rubber World for November i contained an article 

 on the factory inspection of insulated wire. This work is done 

 by a special bureau affiliated with the same Underwriters' Labo- 

 ratories that are mentioned in the preceding paragraphs. 



Cotton Hose Label (Factory Inspection). 



(Goods made according to the specifications of the National Board of 

 Underwriters, and testtd by the Underwriters' Lalwratories are so 

 marked.] 



gation, and twist, and a manufacturers' guarantee covering all 

 of the above points. 



It is proper to say here that the Mutuals declare that since 

 August, ipco, a period of 7 years, there has not been one piece 

 of hose returned as faulty which was thus made under their 

 specifications. 



The National Association, which came later into the field, 

 adopted the specifications of the Mutual companies, with only a 

 few exceptions. For example, where the Mutual specifies 40 

 per cent, of Para rubber, the National specifies 40 per cent, ot 

 pure rubber. In addition to this, there are chemical tests to 

 determine free sulphur, combined sulphur, resins, substitutes, re- 

 claimed rubber, mineral matter, and so on. The radical de- 

 parture of the National Association from the Mutual's procedure, 

 however, lies in their recommendation of inspection labels whicK 

 they supply and which are intended to go with a factory in- 

 spection service ; that is, they send an inspector to a rubber 

 factory who takes samples of each length of hose and forwards 

 them tn the main laboratory for analysis of lining compound, of 

 strength, tests, etc. They then select a certain number of 50 

 foot lengths from each lot of hose, and test it up to 200 pounds 

 bursting pressure. If the hose passes the inspection a rubber 

 label is put on it, each length bearing its own serial number. 



As the matter now stands, most of tlie rubber manufacturers 

 making the cotton mill hose have refused to accept the Na- 

 tional's label, not that they object to factory inspection or the 

 most searching investigation that the National Association may 

 institute, but because they believe that if the matter is as vital 

 as the National Association claim, and further if they pay for 

 such inspection, that it should put upon the Association the 

 moral obligation of not only recommending such hose as their 



STEPNEY SPARE 'WHEEL. 



AT the first meeting of the Stepney Spare Motor Wheel, Lim- 

 ited, (London, October 11), a report on operations cov- 

 ering nine months from the date of incorporation, November 23, 



1906, to August 31, 1907, showed net profits of £20,930 [=$ioi,- 

 855.85], and a dividend of 20 per cent, was voted on the subscribed 

 capital of £87,550. A branch factory has been established in 

 Berlin, to work the German patents, under the style Stepney 

 Auto Reserve Rad, G. b. m. H. 



The Spare Motor Wheel of America, Limited, with £85,000 

 [=$413,652.50] capital, was registered in London October 14, 



1907, to acquire the United States patents on the Stepney spare 

 wheel, and certain other patents relating to automobile acces- 

 sories. The factory has been acquired of the St. Anne Kerosene 

 Motor Co., at St. Anne, Illinois (about 60 miles south of 

 Chicago). The directors are English, with the exception of 

 Lester E. Broyles, late president of the Bradley Stillwell Co. 

 (Kansas City, Missouri), who becomes managing director. The 

 resident secretary in America is Ivor F. Thomas, at St. Anne. 



The "spare wheel" is intended to be carried on a motor car, 

 with the tire inflated ready for use. In case of a puncture of or 

 other injury to one of the tires in use, the spare wheel can be 

 attached quickly and securely alongside the wheel in trouble, 

 without waiting to remove the latter until the tour is finished. 

 The spare wheel is referred to as being carried as easily as a 

 spare tire or interchangeable rim. There were recently reported 

 to be 30,000 of these wheels in use in England alone. 



A SYKTHETIC HUBBER ENTEKPRISE. 



THE Synthetic Rubber Co., Limited, was registered in London 

 Sept. 25, with £100,000 [=$488,650] capital, "to adopt 

 an agreement with F. W. Kinyon and L. Gottschalk, and to carry 

 on the business of manufacturers of and dealers in natural and 

 artificial rubber, gutta-percha, balata, and similar substances, 

 dealers in synthetic rubber, manufacturers of and dealers in 

 articles made wholly or partly of rubber, gutta-percha, balata, 

 and the like, including waterproof fabrics, insulating compounds. 

 and cables, tubing, hose piping, motor and other vehicle tires, 

 synthetic, analytic, manufacturing, and experimental chemists. 



Wire Hose Accident. — In New York a laborer was instantly 

 killed by an electric shock when the wire wound around a rubber 

 hose he was carrying struck the "shoe" of a car which was in 

 contact with the third rail by which the car was operated. 



The American .Association of Commerce and Trade in Berlin 

 gave a dinner recently in honor of the Hon. James B. Reynolds, 

 assistant secretary of the treasury of the United States, and 

 two members of the United States board of appraisers, the three 

 forming the American export commission which recently visited 

 Gernianv. 



