-May 1, 1915.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



427 



the best service is sought. There are no figures available giving 

 the mileage of the wiring, but such installations are growing 

 rapidly in number ;m<l expanse. In addition, the rescue helmets 

 contain telephones, ami each of these portable equipments is now 

 provided with about 2,000 feet of rubber-insulated wire. Among 

 these personally-conducted telephone outfits might reasonably be 

 numbered the modified dictaphone for the use of the deaf — a 

 telephone in all essentials, but differing from that ordinarily in 

 use by reason of its greater sensitiveness and certain facilities of 

 adjustment The other form of the dictaphone is that for inter- 

 office communication and fur detective work. In all of these 

 rubber has its part to pla> 



The wires for the transcontinental line have a diameter of .165 

 inch. The ordinary city circuit that comes into one's office is 

 about one-third this size, insulated with a coating of soft rubber 

 and then covered by an external finish of braiding. 



I lie method of covering telephone wire first with rubber and 

 then with braiding is an interesting one, but there is hardly space 

 here I" describe it in detail. In the process of covering tele- 

 phone receiver curds a cord braiding machine is used which has 

 .12 carriers, arranged in such a way that the heavy portion of the 

 cord is covered with 32 strands. When the required length has 

 been made an automatic switch mechanism at the back of the 

 machine changes the motion so that two tubular braids are 

 lurmed, each of 16 strands. These 16-strand braids make the 

 forked connection with the receiver. 



It may gratify our national vanity to learn what "The Telephone 

 Review" has recently announced. According to that authority, 

 " I he telephone has attained its largest measure of usefulness in 

 the land of its birth. It is sufficient to make but one comparison. 

 In the two cities we are joining together telephonically — New 

 York and San Francisco — there are 685,000 telephone stations- 

 mure by 50,000 than the number in London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, 

 Brussels, Amsterdam and Petrograd combined." 



SPEAKING TUBES FOR AUTO RACES. 



When engaged in a motor car race where the speed is almost 

 or quite two miles a minute it is utterly impossible for the 

 driver and mechanician to communicate with each other. The 

 terrific speed of the car, together with the continual explosions 

 of the engine's cylinders, makes communication between the two 



Driver and Mechanician Talking Through Rubber Tubes. 



quite impracticable. To obviate this unhappy situation, Mr. E. 

 V. Rickenbacher, who has taken part in a number of these 

 races, has invented helmets to be worn by the driver and the 

 mechanician, which are connected by two rubber tubes, leading 



from th of one helmet to the ear of the other. In this 



way, conversation is possible regardless of outside noise. The 

 front of these helmets, where they fit over the face, is made oi 

 flexible rubber so that they will fit snugly but comfortably. The 

 illustration shows the inventor and his mechanician equipped 

 with these speaking helmets. 



THE GREAT PROBLEM FOR THE GERMANS TO 

 SOLVE. 



/^ERTAIN branches of the German rubber trade affected 

 ^-' by the war have turned their efforts to manufacturing 

 enterprises entirely new to them. In fact, German industry 

 in general has adapted itself rapidly to the unusual conditions 

 created by the war. Soon after the outbreak of hostilities 

 many manufacturers recognized that they would not be able 

 to find enough business in their particular line to engross 

 their activities, so they turned their attention to new lines of 

 manufacture. It was not very difficult for most industries to 

 adapt their plants to new undertakings. Furniture factories 

 took up the manufacture of ammunition cases; metal ware 

 manufacturers made supplies for the artillery; embroidery 

 factories made underwear for the troops; hotel kitchens were 

 turned into meat packing plants, etc., etc. 



But for the rubber industry the problem was a harder one. 

 The difficulties were great. The government decree prohibit- 

 ing the use of rubber for other than military purposes alone 

 was an obstacle impossible to overcome. Many articles could 

 have been manufactured and sold in quantities to the troops 

 in the field, but for the lack of raw material. But German 

 manufacturers fee] that there is no reason to despair or to take 

 the attitude that nothing can be done. Moreover, raw ma- 

 terials being scarce, or not to be had, much attention is being 

 given to substitutes. Germans have always been noted for 

 their ability to make use of all available materials. 



A writer in the "Gummi-Zeitung" looks upon the present 

 situation as offering extraordinary incentives to the discovery 

 and use of substitutes for rubber, which it is now impossible 

 for German manufacturers to get. He writes as follows: 

 "The rubber industry has before it a great and important 

 problem that must be solved. Substitutes can be used to 

 manufacture certain technical articles, which, on account of 

 the prohibition decree, cannot be made of genuine rubber 

 Of course it will not be an easy matter to break away from 

 routine, but the task, though difficult, is not impossible. 

 Necessity compels; demands must be satisfied. All should 

 make up their minds to get at the problem immediately. A 

 permanent business can be built up in the substitute line — a 

 business that will last even after the terrible war is over. 

 There is a chance for big profits for the firms which enter the 

 field first. 



"The field is enormous; the possibilities great. Tent ma- 

 terials, knapsacks, bread sacks, parts of uniforms, helmets, 

 helmet parts, canteens, eating utensils, all sorts of technical 

 articles and fixtures are now in great demand and will con- 

 tinue to be in demand after the war is over. The layman 

 cannot realize how immense the possibilities are. Great 

 things can be done, but we must cut away from routine and 

 not be afraid to take up problems and methods entirely new 

 to us. Every merchant should show interest in articles made 

 of rubber substitutes. There is a great future for them, even 

 after the war is over. Capitalists should remember their 

 former ventures in crude rubber; they should not hesitate to 

 finance good substitute enterprises. We must all apply our- 

 es to the problem and solve it. The possibilities certainly 

 justify the efforts." 



Soft rubber goods to the amount of 2,052,249 pounds were 

 imported into Sweden in 1914, against 2,137,212 pounds in 1913. 



