1919.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



307 



New Machines and Appliances. 



"CONDITIONING'— A NEW RUBBER-DRYING SYSTEM. 



SINCE rubber lirst became an article of industrial importance 

 the. drying of the crude, after washing and preparatory to 

 compounding, has constituted a problem of great interest 

 to rubber manufacturers everywhere. 



The so-called "natural drying method," adopted at first be- 

 cause it seemed the most obvious expedient, consisted in hang- 

 ing the washed sheets over horizontal racks and subjecting them 

 to the chance effects of atmospheric conditions. This method 

 required from two to five weeks, in some cases even longer, and 

 though the quality of the rubber so dried was good, the impossi- 

 bility of establishing a routine, and the amount of money ren- 

 dered non-productive for long periods, led to the abandonment 

 of this process, in favor of more advanced methods. 



Recently there has been perfected a system which is called 

 "conditioning" as distinguished from "drying," because the re- 

 sults obtained are due to the use of conditioned air, applied 

 somewhat differently from the manner previously employed. In 

 this system the sheets are placed on trays, racked in tiers on 

 trucks, and the trucks placed within a dry-room constructed of 

 dressed and matched lumber over a 2 by 4 framework. The 



dry-room is provided with conditioned air through a set of 

 ejector nozzles in such manner that an absolutely positive and 

 uniform circulation is maintained throughout every cubic foot 

 of space enclosed by the kiln. Before the air is admitted through 

 the nozzles it is conducted through a humidifier, wherein it is 

 washed free of impurities (ammonia gas, if present) and auto- 

 matically brought to an exact, predetermined degree of humidity. 

 Leaving the humidifier, the air is drawn through a ventoy or 

 steam-coil heater, brought to the required temperature, and 

 admitted to the kiln through the ejector nozzles. 



Not only is circulation within the kiln insured by means m 

 the nozzles, but re-circulation is provided so that all of the an 

 within the kiln is periodically removed and replaced with clean 

 air. Constant humidity is thereby maintained, and maximum 

 efficiency secured by automatically recirculating as much of the 

 heated kiln air as possible. The system is entirely automatic 

 in its operation, thus avoiding expense and obviating careless- 

 ness. (Carrier Engineering Corp., 39 Cortlandt street, New 

 York City.) 



FRENCH HORIZONTAL SPREADING MACHINE. 



This type of spreader is commonly used in France, although 

 the vertical machine is sometimes preferred for special work. 

 While the horizontal type is built along the general lines of 

 spreader construction, certain details, however, arc diiTerent, and 

 therefore of interest. 



The rubber-covered feeding roller is 7% inches in diameter. 



78.7 inches long, and is provided with an adjustable spreading 

 knife and adjustable, compound .guides. The cast-iron hot- 

 plates are eight in numlier, each section measuring 78.7 inches 



French Spre-^der. 



long by 19 11/16 inches wide and being provided with steam 

 inlet and outlet connections. 



The machine is belt-driven by a 3-step cone pulley and 

 equipped with friction clutches, controlled by a bar extending 

 over the front of the machine within reach of the operator, for 

 starting and stopping the machine. 



The rear fabric roller is driven from the front shaft by bevel 

 gearing and a shaft connected by bevel gearing to the back roller 

 and operated at the front by a hand-lever. The wind-up roller 

 at the front is provided with a speed accelerator for rewinding 

 the proofed fabric. ( F. Soyer, 80-84 rue des Pyrenees, Paris, 



France.) ■ 



ADJUSTABLE ANCHORAGE FOR MOTORS. 



In setting up electric motors of SO-horse-power and over, 

 considerable skill is required to obtain perfect alinement, and 

 for that purpose clearance is usually allowed in the bolt holes 

 for final adjustment. With the adjustable anchorage device, this 

 is not necessary, as the motors can be moved accurately in any 

 direction in a horizontal plane. Installations, therefore, may be 



.Anchor.\ge for M0T0R.S. 



made without close measurements, as the linal alinement is easily 

 accomplished by adjustable wedges. 



Where very fine adjustments are required, as on magnetic 

 clutches, it is important that no eccentric movement shall occur. 



