764 



NATURE 



[February 10, 192 1 



organisation, however, is such that if at any time 

 the association develqps to such an extent that it 

 would be an advantage to separate from the tech- 

 nical school, this could be done without difficulty. 

 In any case, the work that the association has set 

 before itself can be done efficiently only by 

 national effort, and as interest in the work 

 spreads, the question of the relation of the asso- 

 ciation to other centres of industry and to educa- 

 tional institutions will ha\e to be reconsidered. 

 The main objects of the association are : 



(i) To establish a reference index for the trade by 

 the systematic collecting, filing, and circularising of 

 information, and the building up of a technological 

 museum. 



(2) To establish a scientific laboratorx for analysing, 

 testing, and standar<lising materials used in boot and 

 shoe manufacture. 



(3) To investigate the applications of science and 

 scientific methods to the industry. 



(4) To investigate suggestions for new materials 

 and processes. 



(5) To improve scientific and technological te.-icliing 

 ill connection with the industry. 



The boot and shoe industry is somewhat peculiar 

 in its character. It does not effect any chemical 

 or physical change in the structure of materials, 

 but simply collects the highly finished products of 

 other industries, assembles them, and converts 

 them into boots. There are a large variety of 

 materials used, the chief one being leather, and 

 little attempt has been made in the past to apply 

 scientific tests to these materials or to standardise 

 them. The materials have to fulfil certain tech- 

 nical conditions, both in manufacture and in wear, 

 and the Research .Association will study these 

 materials with the object of expressing their pro- 

 perties in terms of physical and chemical con- 

 stants, and of seeking the correlation between 

 them and the practical properties required in 

 manufacture and wear. 



In the manufacture of boots there are also a 

 very large number of small processes of a highly 

 specialised character, for which a large variety 

 of extremely complex machines are required. The 

 development of these machines comes to-dav 

 almost entirely from the engineering side, 

 although they are subject to the criticism of the 

 practical boot and shoe man who operates them. 

 So far there has been little effort to reduce these 

 processes to written descriptions with the object 

 of arriving at an agreement as to the best methods 

 of performing them. 



.'\ materials chart and a processes chart have 

 been printed and issued to members (copies of 

 which may be obtained from the secretarv, Tech- 

 nical School, Northampton). The objects of these 

 charts are as follows : — 



(a) To present in a concise form a survey of the 

 problems which nia\ arise in the working of the 

 association, and of the questions on which information 

 mav be desired. 



(h) To form a basis for the systematic filing of 

 information. 



(r) To secure the co-operation of members of the 

 association in collecting the most useful information. 



NO. 2676, VOL. 106] 



Specimen i-ntries from these charts are given 

 below : 



Mathriais Chart 



Deparltnenis 

 Lasts 



Measuremcnu 



I'i Patterns 

 34 Clicking 

 37 Clicking 



Gtometiical tools 

 Calf (full chrome) 



Linen linings 



126 Attaching 

 153 Finishing 

 187 cleaning 



Welting needles 



Kidge trimmer cutters 

 Parent abrasives 



r c 



S'S*;* 



1% 



< <.^ ^\<, ^Ue •:•<< 



Pkocesses Chart 



1 



-!-i-r 



Each square in the charts is intended to sug- 

 gest a field of investigation — e.g. M. iii b would 

 deal with the chemical analysis of toe hardeners. 

 P. 120 h with the various machines used for pull- 

 ing over. The materials chart contains 192, and 

 the processes chart 200, entries. 



In the preliminary period to date, the associa- 

 tion has investigated problems proposed by 

 members, some minor and some important, and 

 has separated out the problems for immediate in- 

 vestigation. .\mong those which have been 

 attacked are : — 



(1) -Vnalyscs of tanning liquors. 



{2) Detection of ,'idulterants in linings. 



(3) Detection of free acid in insoli^ leathers. 



(4) Tensile strength of threads, waxed and un- 

 waxed. 



(5) Tensile strength of linings, loops, etc. 



The most important of the questions demanding 

 prompt in^•estigation are : — 



(i) The suitability of various leathers for welted 

 insoles, the properties require<l, and the methods of 

 manufacture most likelv to yield those results. A 

 special committee is conducting this investigation. K 

 general investigation of sole leathers is to come later. 



(2) The cr.icking of patent leather. 



(3J Complete analyses of gums .md adhesives used 

 in the industry . 



(a) The testing of all threads used in the induslr\ , 

 and the effects of gums and waxes on them. 



(^) Finishing of chrome leatlier .soles. 



(6) 'Ihe c'tTecls of perspiration on Uather. 



