March i, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



203 



HASDMAN RUBBER CO RECEIVERS SALE. 



On December 23 last Vice Chancellor Garrison made an order 

 adjudging the Hardman Rubber Co. (Belleville, New Jer- 

 sey) insolvent, and appointed William A. Smith, a counselor at 

 law of Newark, New Jersey, receiver, and fixed his bond at 

 $25,000. The bill was filed by Pitney, Hardin & Skinner, repre- 

 senting James Hardman, Jr., the president of the company. The 

 reason for filing the bill was to prevent numerous small creditors 

 from obtaining judgments and liens. The appointment of Mr. 

 Smith was made permanent on January 7, 1908, and he wa^s 

 directed to continue the business of the company so far as neces- 

 sary to complete unfinished stock on hand. The nominal assets 

 are stated in the bill at $51,377.99, and the nominal liabilities 

 about $37,000. The receiver proposes to sell the machinery and 

 equipment of the company by bids to be submitted on or before 

 March 14. 



The rubber business of wliicli the Hardman Rubber Co. is the 

 outgrowth has been conducted by Mr. Hardman for a great many 

 years. Tliis company was incorporated April 7, 1900. It was 

 engaged principally in the manufacture of hard rubber goods — 

 such as syringes, syringe pipes and atomizers. The plant of the 

 Hardman company was destroyed by fire March I, IQ07. The 

 company resumed business in the fall of 1907, having had a plant 

 especially built for it. The cash realized from the insurance was 

 spent in improvements, and when the company started it found 

 itself short of working capital, and during the recent financial 

 stringency it was iniable to procure sufficient funds to carry on 

 the plant. The machinery to be sold was purchased in the sum- 

 mer of 1907 and cost about $25,000. There is also a large and 

 valuable lot of molds and dies. The plant can be inspected daily 

 between 9 and 12 a. m., and the receiver will supply a catalogue 

 of the assets to be disposed of. 



A RECLAIMING PLANT REMODELED. 



While a number of factories were closed down or were work- 

 ing on a short hour basis during the past two months, the em- 

 ployes of the Derby Rubber Co. (Shelton, Connecticut) have been 

 working overtime. It was considered by the management the 

 best opportunity for making important improvements to their 

 plant, and they set to work to do this. The main source of power 

 at the No. I mill — the two 300 hp. waterwheels — were over- 

 hauled. The vertical shafts and bearings needed adjustment 

 after the 24 working-hour days of the season past. One line of 

 mills was returned to the shops of the builders, even to the bed 

 plates, for complete readjustment. They were all fitted with new 

 style roll neck bearings, so constructed that the lubricant can be 

 fed only through compression cups. It is expected that the new 

 bearings will entirely eliminate the possibility of grease getting 

 into the mill pans, where it would be liable to injure the stock. 

 Incidentally there will be an economy in the matter of grease. 

 Safety throw out clutches have been added to every mill where 

 hand work is done on the rolls. A complete system of conveyors 

 has been installed, and great care has been exercised to construct 

 them in such a manner that the stock in process cannot accumu- 

 late any foreign substances in transit. Heavy iron floors have 

 been put down wherever it is necessary to receive heaps of stock 

 during manufacture. Improvements have been made in the ar- 

 rangements for drying stock at different stages. The boiler room 

 has received attention, also. One i6'X72" horizontal tubular 

 boiler has been dispensed with, and all drips from the factory 

 returned to a new steel hot well. Three pumps and an air com- 

 pressor have been installed. With a strong belief that the clean- 

 liness of the product depends largely on neatness of the opera- 

 tives' surroundings, the management decided to paint the whole 

 interior of the plant. So it is that the Derby Rubber Co.'s No. 

 I mill has undergone a transformation which has placed them in 

 the front rank of reclaimers as regards equipment. 



The No. 2 mill has also received attention. The source of 

 power in this mill is a 225 HP. .'\. C. motor, which is connected 



to the main shaft by a rope drive. This mill is used for the fine 

 washing and finishing of the higher grade stocks, and is also 

 equipped with a vacuum dryer. One of the chief features of this 

 mill is the well equipped laboratory where analytical and physical 

 tests are made on reclaimed stocks, and where it is hoped some 

 interesting research work will be done in the reclaiming field. 

 The staff of the Derby Rubber Co. has been reorganized re- 

 cently, and as they are all energetic and young men it is ex- 

 pected that they will achieve a liberal measure of success in their 

 undertaking. 



NEW YORK CITY BUYING FIRE HOSE. 



The New York board of aldermen on February 18 voted 

 $200,000 for the purchase of hose for the city fire department, 

 in addition to $50,000 voted about two weeks earlier. The tire 

 commis.sioner has advertised that bids for supplying hose as fol- 

 lows will be received at his office until March 3 : 



For the Borough of Manhattan : 30,000 feet 3-inch rubber 

 fire hose, for high pressure system, 6 ply; 20,000 feet 3-mch 

 rubber fire hose, 5 ply; 30,000 feet 2^-inch rubber fire hose, 



4 ply. 



For the Borough of Brooklyn : 10,000 feet 3-inch rubber 

 fire hose, for high pressure system, 6 ply; 10,000 feet 2^-inch 

 rubber fire hose, 4 ply. 



The figures above — 100,000 feet of hose called for by the city 

 practically at one time — may make of interest, for purposes of 

 comparison. The following figures compiled from a New York 

 municipal document entitled : "Report by the Commissioners of 

 Accounts to Mayor George B. McClellan Upon the Operations 

 of the Fire Department at the Parker Building Fire, January 10, 

 1908." The table shows the amount of fire hose of all kinds 

 received by the city from January I, 1904, to January 27, 1908, 

 the dates in the first column relating to the years in which the 

 hose was bid for, rather than the dates of contract or of delivery: 

 Year of Length 



I)idding. Cost to City. in feet. 



1904 $78,785.25 92,S0Q 



1905 74,000.00 79,500 



1906 96,258.00 83,100 



1907 ^ 



Total, four years $249,043.25 255,100 



MR. MINOTT VISITING CUBA. 



The Havana Daily Post, of February 10, says: " Frederick 

 Shepard Minott, president of the Goodyear Rubber Insulating 

 Co. and secretary of the Goodyear Rubber Co. of New York, 

 is in Havana on a trip which combines business and pleasure. 

 He is investigating the rubber and copper resources of Cuba 

 and because of an interest in the Bell Telephone Co., is watch- 

 ing the contest for the Havana telephone franchise. Mr. Minott 

 paid his first visit to Havana in 1893 and on that occasion 

 brought the first automobile to this island for touring purposes. 

 He and his car created a sensation on that occasion. He is ac- 

 companied by Mrs. Minott. They have planned a long tour 

 through Centra! America and the Caribbean islands and expect 

 to return to New York late in April." 



TRADE NEWS NOTES. 



Mr. Russell Parker, of Parker, Stearns & Co. (New York), is 

 the inventor of a tire protector, that is patented both in the 

 United States and abroad. 



Mr. Frederic C. Hood, of the Shawmut Tire Co. (Boston), 

 is the inventor and patentee of a quick removable tire and rim 

 for automobiles. 



The Empire Automobile Tire Co. (Trenton, New Jersey) have 

 brought out a butt end inner tube for motorcycles, which they 

 supply in either gray or red. 



Mr. Quincy Tucker, formerly with the Safety Insulated Wire 

 and Cable Co. (New York), has become New England agent 

 for a new periodical. Tropical and Sub Tropical America, of 

 New York, with headquarters at Dorchester, Massachusetts. 



