154 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December 1, 1918. 



RUBBER TRADE INQUIRIES. 



REBUILT TIRES AND CONSERVATION. 



'T'HE inquiries that follotc have already been answered ; ncvcr- 

 ■• thclcss they are of mtercsl not only in showing the needs 

 of the trade, but because of the possibility that additional in- 

 formation may be furnished by those who read them. The editor 

 is therefore glad to have those interested communicate with him. 



(675.) An inquiry has been received for the names of con- 

 cerns manufacturing machines for fastening metal buttons on 

 raincoats. 



(676.) A subscriber desires the addresses of manufacturers of 

 machinery for cutting rubber bands from old inner tubes. 



(677.) A subscriber requests the addresses of manufacturers 

 of gasket-cuitintr machines. 



(678.) .X request is made for the address of concerns dealing 

 in burrs or hu^liini,'s for tank balls. 



TRADE OPPORTUNITIES FROM CONSULAR REPORTS. 



Addresses may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and 

 Domestic Commerce or its district or cooj>crali<'e offices. Re- 

 quest for each should be on a separate sheet, and state number. 



(27,613.) A company of importers in Japan wishes to be 

 placed in communication with .American exporters of raw rubber. 



(27,618.) .A company in South Africa would Hke to secure 

 an agency for the sale of motor car and cycle accessories. 



(27,620.) A firm in France wishes to secure an agency for 

 the sale of rubber goods. Cash will be paid. Correspondence 

 should be in French. 



(27,622.) A firm in Cuba desires to buy large quantities of 

 automobile accessories and to act as Cuban representative for 

 the manufacturers. 



(27,625.) A member of a firm in South Africa, who is at • 

 present in the United Slates, desires to secure an agency on a 

 commission basis for automobile tires and accessories. 



(27,631.) -A man from Guatemala, who is in the United States 

 for a short time, desires to secure representations for automo- 

 bile accessories. Cash will be paid. Correspondence may be in 

 English. 



(27,634.) A Belgian firm in India wishes to secure an agency 

 for the sale of motor-car and cycle accessories. Payment will 

 be made through local bank. 



(27,636.) .An agency is desired by a man in i'"rance for the 

 sale of motor-car supplies. Correspondence sliould be in French. 



(27,640.) .'\n agency is desired by a man in France for the 

 sale of motor-car accessories. Correspondence should be in 

 French. 



(27,665.) A firm in Spain desires to secure an agency for the 

 sale of artificial soles. Payinent will be made ninety days after 

 receipt of goods. Correspondence may be in English. 



(27,683.) .^ company in Chile wishes to represent American 

 manufacturers and exporters of carriage, wagon and automobile 

 supplies and specialties. Willing to pay caSh with order, to open 

 letter of credit, to place order through New York export house, 

 or to pay drafts drawn on them in Chile through local banks. 



ADJUDICATED PATENTS. 



(U, S. C. C. .\. 111.) The .Sheatfer patent. No. 1,118,240, for 

 im.provements in attachments for fountain-pens, consisting of a 

 spring-means arrangement within the casing to lift the presser- 

 bar in a fountain-pen, independent of the compressible reservoir, 

 and firmly holding lever in open or closed position. Held valid, 

 showing invention, and claims 1 and 2 to have been infringed. 

 Barrett v. Sheaffer, 251 Federal Reporter, 74. 



(U. S. C. C. A. 111.) The Gill patent. No. 1,188,370. for im- 

 provements in elastic packing-rings, and Patent No. 1.210,371. for 

 improvements in processes of making packing-rings, Held valid 

 aid infringed. Blettner v. Gill, 251 Federal Reporter, 81. 



■T'HE extravagance and wastefulness of the .American public 

 *■ have been recounted so often of late that further comment 

 on the subject can be of little interest unless it refers to unusually 

 flagrant cases. .And there is such a case that is of interest to 

 the rubber industry. This has reference to the extravagance 

 shown by a great number of automobilists in prematurely dis- 



iiips that have been discarded and which should 

 ] still further after proper repairing, is really 



t: '"<■!. ilist who would certainly have a torn 



s. wearing it is usually utterly indifferent 



t his automobile tire; and it so happens 



tl he same as the average suit of clothes. 



f-s for this wastefulness; for instance, 

 i: • indifference. Also, until recently, the 



it; ii,i'<uring automobile tires were not within 



t; L-at number of automobilists, especially in the 



I iu' :ii i< II of the situation outlined above is that there 

 is to-day ainong the discorded automobile tires in the hands of 

 the scrap dcaUrs a very appreciable percentage of tires which, 

 with proper manipi'l:Uion, can give a great deal of additional 

 service. .And this rehabilitation can be done at a cost which 

 figures out at a lower cost per mile, on the mileage still obtain- 

 able, than the cost per mile on new tires. 



The retreading or rebuilding of prematurely discarded auto 

 tires is a most fertile field for the opportunist. The various 

 elements to be conserved are, especially at this time, exceed- 

 ingly important. The importance of the three great elements 

 speak for themselves — fabric, crude rubber and labor. 



It is especially interesting to note that the conservation of 

 these damaged, but not worn out tires is in striking contrast 

 to the noriTial utilization of scrap tires. Normally these are 

 reclaimed, and although certain important results are obtained 

 from this process, nevertheless it is almost entirely a destructive 

 process. It destroys practically all of the important elements 

 which are conserved by the constructive or rebuilding process. 



Retreading or rebuilding scrap auto tires has been practiced 

 for some years. Its scope, however, has been greatly limited 

 for various reasons, one of which is that the business has not 

 been conducted on a scale which could conserve the great 

 number of tires that should be conserved. 



The discarded tires and the few raw materials needed being- 

 available, it is up to the inanufacturer to make and tnarket on a 

 large scale an honest rebuilt tire. 



INTERESTING LETTERS FROM OUR READERS. 



MORE ABOUT THE AMERICAN RUBBER TRADE. 



To Tiiii F.DiTOR OF The Inula Rubber World: 



DE.'VR SIR:— The leading editorial in your October issue has 

 just reached me. Be assured that the rubber trade in this 

 country will be in hearty accord with what you say regarding 

 the perfectly unjustifiable insinuations appearing in certain of 

 the British financial papers. T am confident that all those of us 

 who have any kn«nv'cdae of the trade with .Ainerica speak in the 

 hiahest terms of the fairness of our friends on your side. 



The remarks you quote from "Truth" were exceedingly offen- 

 sive. Needless to say, they were equally misleading as to facts, 

 and in spite of the letter I addressed to the Editor, a copy of 

 which I sent you in my letter of September 3, I was unable, to 

 obtain anything more than a half-hearled withdrawal. 



I thank you heartily for your editorial, and can assure you 



without hesitation that it is entirely in accord with the feelings 



and beliefs of the rubber trade here who have looked upon these 



offensive insinualions with the contempt they deserve. 



Yours faithfully, 



E. Stevenson. 

 London. England. 



