July 1, 1919,] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



589 



them satisfactorily employed for the same purpose in spread- 

 ing. As many as 16 coats are given to the fabric to obtain the 

 best result and vulcanization is efifected in steam at 285 to 295 

 degrees F. for IVa to 2 hours, with J4-hour rise, the high 

 temperature having, it is stated, very beneficial results in the 

 impermeability of the fabric. 



At the annual meeting of the firm, held on May 2, the chair- 

 man, Sir Charles Mandleberg, gave some interesting references 

 to the war-time activities of the firm. 



The subject of gas-mask material had been investigated, he 

 said, in their laboratory and a large amount supplied to the 

 Government. With regard to airship fabrics also, special in- 

 vestigation had been carried out, this material having been 

 made in large quantities as well as airship envelopes and com- 

 plete kite balloons. The profits for 1918 were £91,089, which, 

 with the last substantial carry forward allowed a dividend and 

 bonus of 22^ per cent in the ordinary shares, the sum of 

 £82,772 being carried forward. Speaking of the future, the 

 chairman, like many others in a similar position, referred to 

 the present demands of labor and the influence that increased 

 working expenses cannot fail to have upon our capacity to com- 

 pete in the export trade. 



A HUGE NEW CALENDER. 



David Bridge & Co., Limited, of Castleton, Manchester, has 

 made recently to the order of a well-known firm of rubber 

 manufacturers, a large motor-driven three-roll universal calen- 

 der. The size is remarkable, as it weighs- 65 tons, the center 

 roll being OV- tons, while the top and bottom are 8}/^ tons. It 

 runs at the rate of 22j/^ yards per minute. 



The special gearing of the machine allows of the following 

 effects being produced : 



1. All the rolls can be run at even speed. 



2. The bottom and middle rolls can be run at friction speed 

 while the top and middle rolls remain at even speed. 



3. The bottom and middle rolls can be run at even speed while 

 the top and middle run at friction speed. 



4. Both the top and bottom rolls can be run at friction speed. 

 The rolls, which are 30 inches in diameter, are made of deep 



chilled cast iron. 



HOOLEY HILL RUBBER & CHEMICAL CO. 



In connection with the disastrous explosion which took place 

 in June, 1917, at this factory in the Manchester district, litigation 

 has been in progress with the insurance companies, which were 

 willing to pay for the damage caused by the fire which broke 

 out, but not for the further damage done by the subsequent ex- 

 plosion of dangerous material being made for the Government. 

 The arbitrator gave judgment in favor of the insurance com- 

 panies, but stated a case for the High Court which upheld his 

 judgment. The Holey Hill company, therefore, gets £12,740 

 instead of double that amount. The wrecked building was one 

 which had been specially fitted up for Government work and 

 was not the main building connected with the ordinary trade of 

 the company. 



INFLAMMABILITY OF CARBON BLACK. 



The article on this subject in the May issue of The India 

 Rubber World, is of interest as dealing with a topic that is 

 little understood in rubber work, i. e., the danger of explosion 

 when the atmosphere of a room is heavily laden with fine par- 

 ticles of a combustible substance. I find that possible danger 

 from this source is very rarely apprehended. Similar tests with 

 regard to the propagation of flame in such dusts have been car- 

 ried out in our special testing stations in connection with col- 

 liery explosions, though I have not seen any reference to them 

 in rubber journalism. From the article quoted, carbon black 

 does not seem to be particularly dangerous and now that methods 

 of working it which obviate the production of a dusty atmos- 

 phere are known, there seems no reason to apprehend anything 

 disastrous in the rubber-mixing room. 



BASEBALL IN ENGLAND. 



Baseball teams have been organized at various centers where 

 Americans are now in residence, notably the Universities of 

 Cambridge, Dublin, Manchester and Birmingham, and so the 

 public is getting an insight into the game which is generally 

 described by the non-expert as a combination of cricket and 

 rounders. I had an opportunity recently of witnessing my first 

 game, a contest between Manchester and Birmingham Universi- 

 ties, and shall now take more interest in the accounts which 

 appear from time to time in The Indl\ Rubber World of 

 matches at summer outings. In the match in question Manchester 

 won by 23 runs to nil, but the one-sidedness of the game did 

 not matter to the audience, which had no idea what the score 

 was. The applause was concentrated on feats most closely re- 

 sembling those of cricket, such as catching the ball in the long 

 field and hits out of the ground. Whether you understand the 

 game or not it is certainly interesting and exciting to watch. It 

 was a thoughtful act of the management to provide each of 

 those who paid for admission with a small pamphlet contain- 

 ing a diagram and description of the game. Though I could not 

 read the letter and watch the game at the same time, I elected 

 to keep the literature for home persual. 



THE MENACE OF THE TRUSTS. 



It can hardly escape notice that the rubber goods import re- 

 strictions favor two branches of the home trade more than any 

 others and that these two branches, viz., tires and footwear, have 

 special trade organizations of their own and are thereby able to 

 bring pressure upon the authorities. As an addendum to what I 

 said in these notes in the May issue of The India Rubber 

 World, a government committee has been considering the ex- 

 tension of trade organization and combinations from the point 

 of view of public interest. The contention is made that these 

 trade combinations are necessary in order to meet foreign com- 

 petition abroad and this view is evidently held in America, to 

 judge by the Webb Act recently passed. Whatever may be the 

 case in countries which have long lived under protection the 

 British, who have lived under free trade, are more than appre- 

 hensive that these various combinations mean high prices all 

 around to home consumers. The government committee is 

 agreed that it is desirable to institute a tribunal to examine into 

 the operation of our trusts and combines in the interest of the 

 home consumer on the lines of the tribunals which already 

 exist in American and some of our colonies. 



INSULATED WIRE AND CABLES FOR AUSTRALIA. 



The Minister of Customs of Australia has published a new 

 Customs regulation governing the standard of test and quality 

 for imported electric cables. Some of the cables previously im- 

 ported have been unsafe to use. leading to the fusing of the 

 conductors and outbreaks of fires. 



Each coil of insulated wire imported must bear a label stating 

 the manufacturer's name and address, length of coil, date of 

 manufacture, gage of conductors, and the insulation resistance. 

 These regulations are effective July 1, 1919. 



RUBBER STATISTICS FOR BRITISH INDIA. 

 The Madras Presidency, British India, through all ports, im- 

 ported from the Atlantic Coast of the United States during the 

 year ended March 31, 1918, manufactured rubber goods as 

 follows: tires and tubes, $3,666; miscellaneous, $10,570. 



A NETHERLANDS RUBBER FACTORY. 



The Naamlooze Vennootschap Vereenigde Nederlandsche 

 Rubberfabrieken is located at Doonverth, Province of Gelder- 

 land, Netherlands, and controls other factories at Doonverth 

 (near Wageningen), Hoogezand, and Amsterdam, while it main- 

 tains branch offices at Groningen, Rotterdam, Leeuwarden, and 

 in Amsterdam at 647 Keizersgracht. 



