The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-09
MAKING RUBBER CLOTHING.
Various Processes Required to Fash
ion q Dainty Gossamer.

ion Dainty Gossamer.
The preparation and curing Of rubber for
heavy clothing is similar TO that employed
for boots and shoes. The cloth is coated
with rubber by the steam calendering ma
chine as for boots and shoes. The same
care is necessary to insure perfect dryness
and evenness as to the cloth. The fabric
then passes to the cutting-room. In the
manufacture OF gossamer clothing an alto
gether different process is employed,
says the Clothier and Furnisher.
Instead OF being ground up and
compounded in the mixing room, the rub
Der is dissolved with naphtha in a churn
made expressly for this purpose. These
churns are iron cylinders in which plunger
works in much the same manner as the old
dasher butter churn. The mixture is re-
duced to about the consistency of printers
ink. 1t is then allowed to run or drop on
the cloth, which is rapidly passed under a
knife machine or spreader, the rollers of
which distribute the compound over the
CLOTH as it passes through.
Thus web of cloth, the ends Joining
together and forming an endless band, is
run under the knife from six to sixteen
times, according to the kind of goods TO be
made. Each time the fabric takes very
thin coating of the compound, the naphtha
DSluk OlSSApdbcu- ne ClOJl Is DuE
on the rolls and then taken to the curing
tables in the open fields, which sometimes
occupy acres in extent. With favorable
sun the rubber cloth will be cured in about
three hours, and from that up to DAYS. ac-
cording to the state of the weather. The
process of vulcaniZing is known as sun-cur-
ing, and is not employed for heavy cloth
ing, which is cured in heaters. Gossamers
are also vulcanized that way. In yulcan-
srrer hn0fc nd nd IL
what is known as dry heat is used, but in
all mechanical goods steam heat or live
steam is employed.
In making mackintoShes where the water
proof coating is between the outside OF the
garment aud the lining, the goods are
coated on spreader in the same manner as
for the other clothing, but better
quality of rubber is used than on
ordinary garments. The goods are then
cured by being run over a steam-heated
drying surface. The lining is coated
with rubber cement, aud the prepared sur
face OF the cloth and lining are Joined TO-
gether by passing them under rollers By
this means they are practically one piece
and skill and experience are required that
the goods shall retain their soft flexible
nature, and not be rendered stiff and tinny
by the layers of rubber.
In making up the garments about $500
women and girls are employed by the diff
ferent factories. The cutting is done by
men, and they are also employed in finish
ing the mackintoshes and in a few other ca
pacities, but the garments are made up by
women and girls The cutting is done in
much the same manner as in the manufact-
ure of regular clothing. Several thick
nesses of the cloth are laid on the table and
cut to the pattern at the same time. After
cutting strip is cemented round the arm
sizes and pockets and over the buttonfiaps;
pieces are also put on where the button
holes are to come, and all are carefully
pressed on by hand rollers. In heavy
clothing the seams are cemented and not
sewed. Mackintoshes and gossamers are
stitched on machines, buttonholes made
and buttons sewed on. After being
stitched the gossamers are folded up
in little bags, and are packed
in cases for shipment. Mackintoshes, after
being stitched, have strip of cloth CO.
mented over the seam to prevent water
coming through the holes made in stitching.
The pocket-haps, etc., are then cemented
on, and the garment is then vulcanized in
the heater. This completes it. This final
vulcanizing renders them much superior to
English goods for standing the extremes of
temperature. In flushing heavy rubber
surface luster clothing, the garments are
sponged with varnish and vulcanized by
being hung in the heaters or dry-rooms for
about Ave hours. With dull finished
garments the final process consists in spong-
ing with soap and water. after which the
garments are aired and vulcaniZsd.