Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-01-30
HERALD AND NEWS.
WEST RANDOLPH, VT.
RUBBER CLOTHING.

Intricate Processes Necessary to Fashion .
Gossamer for My Lady's Use.
The preparation and curing of rubber
for heavy clothing is similar to that en-
ployed for boots and shoes. The cloth
is coated with rubber by the steam cal
endering machine, as for boots and
shoes. The same care is necessary to
insure perfect dryness and eyenness as
to the cloth. The fabric then passes to
the cutting-rooms. In the manufacture
of gossamer clothing an altogether diff
ferent process is employed. Instead Of
being ground up and compounded in the
mixing-room, the rubber is dissolved
with naphtha in churn made expressly
for this purpose. These churns are iron
cylinders, in which the plunger works
in much the same manner as the old
dasher butter-churn. The mixture is
reduced to about the consistency of
printers ink. 1t is then allowed to run,
or drop, on the cloth, which is rapidly
passed under machine, or spread
or, the rollers of which distribute the
compound over the cloth as it passes
through.
Thus web OF cloth, the ends Joined
together, and forming and endless band,
is run under the knife from six to six
teen times, according to the kind of
goods to be made. Each time the fabric
takes a very thin coating of the COM
pound, the naptha being rapidly dis
sipated. The cloth is put on the rolls
and then taken to the curing tables in
the open fields, which sometimes oc-
cupies acres in extent. With favor
able sun the rubber cloth will be cured
in about three hours, and from that
time up to days, according to tho state
of the weather. The process of vulcan
izing is known as sun-curing, and is not
employed for heavy clothing, which is
cured in heaters. Gossamers are also
vulcanized that way. In vulcanizing
boots and shoes and heavy clothing
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
waterproof coating is between the out
side of the garment and the lining, the
goods are coated on a 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
steam-heating drying surface. The lin
ing is coated with rubber cement, and
the prepared surface OF the cloth and
lining are joined together 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 ma
ture, 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 different factories. The cutting is
done by men, and they are also employ
ed in finishing the mackintoshes and in
a few other capacities, but the garments
are made up by women and girls. The
cutting is done in much the same man.
ner as in the manufacture OF regular
clothing. Several thicknesses of tho
cloth are laid on the table and cut 90 tho
pattern at the same time. After cut |
ting, strip is cemented round the arm
sizes and pockets and over the button
flaps 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 cement- |
ed and not sewed Mackintoshes and |
gossamers are stitched on machines, but
ton-holes made, and buttons sewed on. |
After being stitched the gossamers are |
foldedu in little bags, and are packed in /
cases for shipment. Mackintoshes, |
after being stitched, have a strip of +
cloth cemented over the seam to prevent /
water from coming through the holes
made in stitching. The pocket-faps, |
ETC., are then cemented on, and the gar
ment is then vulcanized in the heater. |
This completes it. The final vulcaniz-
ing renders them much superior to
English goods for standing the extremes
of temperature. In finishing heavy rub
Der surface luster clothing the garments
are sponged with varnish and vulcanized
by being hung in the heaters or dry
rooms for about five hours. With dull
finished garments she final process con-
sists in sponging with soap and water,
after which the garments are aired and
Observation-Disclosures and Furnisher.