■ARY 1, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



165 



vTcatcr production, a look alicail at the tire fabric (Iciiianil ami 

 Mipply is in order. 



Tlie estimated needs ot tlie lire producers, as the trade see 

 it, are shown in the following table, which relates to standard 

 17'-:4-ounce building fabric: 



,'ARP AND FILLER 



4S.50 iTich. 54/60 inch. 72.84 inch. 



Tirt Company .\ /-oiiiirf.t 10,000.000 4,000,000=14,000,000 



Tire Company B 14,000,000 = 14.000,000 



Tire Company C 8,000,000 2,000,000=10,000,000 



Tire Company D 10,000,000 = 10,000,000 



Tire Company E 4,000,000 2,000,000= 6,000,000 



Tire Company F 3.000.000 1,000,000 1,000,000=3,000,000 



Tire Company G 1,000,000 300,000= 1,300.000 



Tire Companv H 1,000,000 = 1,000,000 



Tire Company I 1,000,000 = 1,000.000 



Tire Company J 750,000= 750.000 



Tire Company K 600,000 = 600.000 



Tire Company L 500.000 = 500.000 



Other Tire Companies 500.000 1,500,000 = 2,000,000 



Total 15,000,000 41,100,000 10.050,000 = 66,150,000 



In addition to the above, the breaker, bead and chafing fabrics 

 must be considered ; and 8,850,000 pounds would be a conserva- 

 tive estimate of the amount recjuired for these special fabrics. 

 Thus a total of 75.000.000 pounds of tire fabric will be required 

 for the production of tires in 1916. 



Now as to supply, the mills devoted to tire falirics can produce 

 about as follows : 



OF F.MIRR- MILLS FOR 1916. 



rounds 12.500.000 



No. 2 Mill 10.500,000 



No. 3 Mill 10,500.000 



No. 4 Mill 10,500.000 



No. 5 Mill 7.500.000 



No. 6 Mill 7.500.000 



Nj. 7 Mill 4.500.000 



No. 8 Mill 4,500,000 



No. 9 Mill 3.500.000 



No. 10 Mill 2,000,000 



No. 1 1 Mill 1 ,500.000 



Total 73.000.000 



While it would appear that the supply of tire fabrics is suf- 

 ficient to satisfy all demands and still have stocks to spare, a 

 condition of actual shortage is not a remote possibility. In the 

 event of long-continued strikes at the fabric mills, the produc- 

 tion would be heavily curtailed, and the balance between supply 

 and demand dangerously reduced. 



However, the mills have increased their capacities anywhere 

 from 50 to 75 per cent, and, in some cases, they have doubled 

 their plants, which would indicate that faliric manufacturers are 

 prepared to meet the market demands for tire fabrics. 



RUBBER LINED SAFETY TIRE LOCK. 



The ease with which spare tires may ordinarily be detached 

 from the sides or rear of an automobile invites their loss, a fact 

 which has led of late to an increased use of devices for locking 

 the tire to the car. A new variety of this accessory has just 

 been brought out. As the illustra- 

 tion shows, it is in the form of a 

 chain, composed of stamped har- 

 dened steel links, and a cushion of 

 rubber tubing that extends around 

 the inside of the chain. This rub- 

 ber tube prevents wear on the tire 

 through chafing of the steel links, 

 and also eliminates the rattle of the 



o 



Besides the bracelet form shown in the cut, for attaching the 

 tire to the rear of the machine, other styles — both for single tires 

 and pairs — are made, with brackets of different forms to be at- 

 tached to the sideboard, etc. Extra links can be added to make 

 the chain as long as desired : and a different style of key is made 

 for each lock. (.Safety Tire Lock Co., Pawtucket, Rhode Island.] 



degree, the trick 

 inifortant. This 



In llu- making of tire fabrics ai 

 and mechanical fabrics, although ii 

 of crimping the warp and filler th 

 gives a certain spring to the 

 goods, Hnd when perfectly 

 done in the weaving, the re- 

 sulting fabric is capable of 

 equalizing to a great extent 

 the unequal strains placed 

 upon it when in use as a tire 

 or hose. 



Crimping being such a ne- 

 cessity, a machine has been 

 devised to determine the 

 amoiuu of crimp it 

 the fabric threads. 

 These can be 

 tested before / 



the fab 

 is f r i c 

 t i o n e d 

 and 

 then 

 again 

 after 

 the 

 fal-iric has been frictioned and skini-coatcd mi the calend 



The method of using the crimp tester is as follows: Mark 

 on the fabric two parallel lines eight inches apart and cut 

 the fabric so that the threads with the marks on them can 

 be raveled out. Test the warp and filler threads separately. 

 One end of the thread with the mark on it is placed exactly 

 under the clamp on the cylinder. The cylinder is then re- 

 leased and the dead weight winds the thread around the 

 cylinder until the other mark on the thread comes even with 

 the straight edge at the bottom of the machine. The warp 

 now presents the appearance of a straight thread and the 

 percentage of crimp is read directly from the dial. 



THE THROPP TIRE MOLD PATENT NOT SUSTAINED. 



The Thropp tire core mold patent has again appeared in the 

 courts. This time Judge Hand, of the United States District 

 Court of the Southern District of New York, upheld the former 

 decisions that the patent is not valid. 



The action was brought by the DeLaski & Thropp Circular 

 Woven Tire Co., against the United States Tire Co.. and was 

 really a continuation of an earlier suit in which the patent was 

 declared invalid because anticipated, which decision w-as sub.se- 

 quently sustained by the Circuit Court of .\ppeals. The recent 

 trial before Judge Hand was granted on the plea for the ad- 

 mission of new evidence. 



The patent covers the molds generally used in liuilding up, 

 wrapping and vulcanizing tires, and is commonly used by tire 

 manufacturers. 



The successful defen.se of this case adds another to the list 

 of notable cases won by Ernest Hopkinson, attorney for the 

 United States Rubber Co., of which the defendant, the United 

 States Tire Co., is a subsidiary. Mr. Ho]ikin-;c)ii was assisted 

 by his associate, Livingston Gifford. 



Judge Hand, in reviewing the testimony, ruled that the mold 

 books of The B. F. Goodrich Co. showed that open tire molds 

 and double cure were used in 1905. He accepted the contention 

 that Thropp made the molds he claimed in 1904, liut ruled that 

 neither curing nor semi-curing were practiced in any part of 

 the tire that was not in contact with the mold. He held that 

 Thropp's press of 1904 was antedated by the Fisk cold press of 

 190.1 and 1904. 



