The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-14

sisted IN tho immersion OF the fabrics in acids.
entirely covered with rubber, they would be par
TALLY destroyed; hence much difficulty attended
the treatment and but few articles could be sue
cessfully produced, SO that this invention was
abandoned for all general purposes.
About 1885, gentleman now connected with the
Erie Railroad Comp ANY, with Col Barrett, of Staten
Island, formed company which was chartered by
the State Of New York, and located on Staten Is
land This company SO far improvedon DIR. Howe's
method, as TO produce rubber shoes OF a compost
ton which presented the appearance of fine kid
This was accomplished by Incorporating about so
per cent, by weight, OF calciaed lampback with
the rubber. Up TO this period, the process most
generally used was 10 mix a smaller quantity of
iampblack, which generally had the effect of de-
composing the rubber, after a few months ex-
posure.
Dr. Howe himself did not describe the quantity
in his patent and from the time of his discovery in
1877, or 1873, until Daniel Winslow, the foreman Of
the Staten Island company, made his discovery of
large proportion OF ampblack, the manufacturing
OF India Rubber proved in most establishments an
uncertain, and unsatisfactory business. This sim
pie discovery lot the quantity of lampblack 10 be
used) enabled all who knew the secret, TO produce
good fabrics; and the goods which were made by
mixing so parts OF lampback with 100 parts of rub
ber continued, until 1916, to be the most perfect
fabric in The market ana millions Of dollars worth
OF them have been manufactured and sold ADD up
to the present time treatmen of India rubber
has been discovered, by which II is capable of
withstandine exposure 10 sunshine and weather,
for single year, except this. The article of car
rage top CLOTH now much used is thus prepared,
and has been substantially by the same process for
fifteen years. Shoes were always made in this
manner until 1916. when vulcanized rubber began
10 lake their place.
There is one Article which has been m anufactured
extensively and succe ssfuly, in which these COM
pounds were omitted-we refer TO the article
known as the 80 Providence shoes" They were
made by process somewhat different from the or
binary treatment, and we will glance at il.
portion Of solvent, just enough to cause the
rubber TO swell, was poured upon it, and, during
the mastcaung process, just lampback enough
was added 10 color the rubber Shoes pre- pared Ia
this manner have been sold tor more than million
OF dollars and constituted one style of shoe in the
market from 1899 till lS49, when Inc manufacture
ceased altogether.
resulted partly from the discovery Of Dr. Howe,
and partly from the sulphur process of Hayward,
and about which so much controversy has existed.
II is now about ten years since the fret successful
develepement OF IL came TO the public notice, since
which, successive improvements have been made,
and eight nine patents granted, tor as many
different modes OF making vulcanized rubber, a
majority Of which are American discoveries.
When this process is fully explored, il will proba-
bly, supersede most, il not all others, for many
articles.
great deal of controversy has existed about
the authorship OF these various improve ments, and
We shall describe the goods they came before
the public. The hrst specimens of rubber, which
were cured as 10 resist the changing effects Of
heat and cold, were MADE by Daniel Hayward,
brother of Nathaniel, al Easton, Mass. Hayward
built oven before 1887, which served for great
variety of experiments; and, in connection with
the use OF sulphur, and other materials, he made
cloth (samples Of which are yet in existence),
which would Withstand the changes of heat and
cold The partial success which attended these
discoveries led the Haywards to other and various
experiments, TO produce what they called " IRE
proof rubber" In the winter of 1910 and Il, the
fabric which had been made by the mixture Of
paints and sulphur was successfully treated, and
shoes and other articles then made, on q small
scale, at Woburn, near Boston; and, during this
period, Till 1877, the same general process con-
tnued in their production and manufacture ia the
United States; and, although uniform or certain
results were obtained, yet the fabric which had
acquired the name of " metallic rubber" from the
fact that white lead formed part of the compound,
was found TO answer many useful purposes. This
fabric was made by mixing rubber % pounds
sulphur pounds, and white lead pounds, and
submitting the compound 70 an atmosphere heated
10 20 degrees, Fahrenheit. One Of the great OBJ
jections thus process Of treating rubber was its
uncertain results. Another was its offensive smell,
and a third was lis rapid destruction wben ex-
posed TO The sun and atmosphere, for ii was soon
discovered that after being exposed TO sun and at
moephere for few months, 1t cracked and lost all
ts elasticity. Various efforts made 10 obviate
these difficulties, but with very hItie success until
the discovery made by Hancock, IN Manc hester,
England, in 1913 BY careful chemical analysis, he
disc overed that the metallic basis the Cause Of
the injury TO the fabrics when exposed, and natu.
raj earth was substituted. There was still, how
ever another difficulty. By mixing the rubber
with sui hur and this natural earth. the necessary
change could no longer be produced by an atmos
pheTe OF heat; but by substitution OF steam, the
object was accomplished. The presence OF nitro.
gen in the atmosphere, and its absence in steam
heat, will readily account for this. Although this
discovery patented in England ia November,
1913, the knowledge OF IL was not published IN
books Till late in 1916; and IL was not introduced in
the United States. in our manufactures, till lst7.
In ISIS, the process Of treating rubber, by mixing
II with sulphur alone, and curing II by steam, was
ALEC made in England, by Charles kean, while
engaged in experiments with rubber and gutta pur-
cha, as We have ascertaned from the London
jon nal OF 1876 II II well established fact, that
rubber mixed with sulphur, and exposed to heat
ed atmosf here, cannot be vulcanized; hence the
use Of some other agent. The application Of lead,
as used by DR. Howe, and sulphur, used by Hay
ward, making q triple compound-which was pa
tented In lSii-was the only successful process
known IN the United States, nll the English
discovery of what was termed vnlcanIxlng,
was introduced. DR.. Thomas, chemist OF
New York. discovered, In 1876, that mi xture Of
rubber and hypo-sppbste OF lead, prepared and
submitted to steam heat, without the presence of
sulphur, would produce good fdbrlc. The arti-
clts made by this combination, were, however,
subject to the came difficulty, as the English mix
ture Of natural eartn with the rubber and sulphur.
II cannot be yucanIzed IN heated atmosphere;
but when heated IN the presence Of large prOpor-
lions Of by drogen, (contsned IN seam,) 1t becomes
perfectly yucanized. THIS u the only vuicanized
fsbric ever yet made which Is entirely free from
ofie nsiye smell
NJ In the year 1917, I've believe) another gentlemtn
OF New York, took out patent for combining mag
nesia with rubber and sulphur, submitting his CON-
pound 10 a high degree Of heat. the ruooer vul-
canned By TINS compound, had all the appearance,
and apparently useful propertes,of that discovered
by Hancock; but II WIS to ind that simple expo
sure 10 the atmosphere, even IN the shade, made II
stiff, and IL was found 10 crack, and this process
u manufacturing has gone entirely out OF use; u
Il All a Tact hat afmOeoherIC heat WOuld
bot produce the desired change on the rubber, I'M
der this process; hence steam was resored to
Next IN order, the discovery OF Tyre and
IL M lsi6, and subsequently patented by themi
which consisted IN mixing large proportion OF
M oayde 81 ziLc, with minute quantity OF sui
1hug, end ek9o~lng u 20 steam, fabric was thus
produced vhch wIthstood the effects Of etmos-
phenc changes, and is alec ugeful in producing
! hgtt csl0fed fabric. The greater propor-
Icn u fzbYcs now IN the market, known az
> Eg.cznlzsd India rusber," are made by mix
NJ sb1gt four paris, by weight, Of whiting,
.eced - orr part By weight Of other sub
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