Rock Island Argus., 1896-11-10
REDUCING RUBBER.
HOW ARTICLES OF Use sss MADE
FROM THIS VALUABLE PRODUCT.

A Long List From Rubber Bands 70 Sur
gical Supplies-An Interesting Descrip-
tion OF How Bulb. For syrinses aad
Atomjxers Are Made.
Rubber is one Of the most staple and
useful articles in modern use. There are
but few uses to which the wonderful
product cannot be put. 1t can be made
as pliable as putty or as hard as wood,
and is just es adapted for use as hair
pin as for q golf ball or a waterproof
jacket Few people, however, are as IA
miliar with the process Of manufacture
as with the product itself.
The larger Part Of our rubber goods
comes from Brazil, which is the great
est rubber producing country in the
world. Here, Of course. rubber workers
handle their elastic material with an
ease and CELEBRITY which is a revelation
to the man who has wasted the greater
part Of a forenoon trying to mend hole
in his punctured tire. Although the
larger part CT rubber manufacturing is
done by machinery there is still consid-
cradle done by hand. In making up
goods for druggists, statiODers and sur
gical supplies the best grades of Para
rubber, the best in the world, are gen.
orally used.
The ordinary commercial rubber is
gray, but its coioring is an easy matter.
This is done by mechanically mixing
| with the rubber, after it is washed and
dried, different kinds Of pigmcnts-ox-
ide Of zinc for white, lampblack for
black. golden sulphuret of antimony for
yellow and vermilion fer red. The rub
ber mixed with the pigment is run
through heavy steam heated rollers into
| thin sheets.
The making Of rubber bands is a SIM
| pie process Thin sheets Of pure gum
are wrapped around form until it is
| shaped into fat tube of the required
| thickness. This tube is tken vulcanized,
| when it is shipped off the form and run
through machine. which cuts il cross
wise into strips.
Rubber erasers contain finely pow
dered pumice stone o- emery dust The
abrasive materials are mixed with the
rubber mechanically, which is then
nodded into shape and vulcanized un-
| der steam heat.
One OF the most interesting processes
in the manufacture Of rubber ,.ootis is
that of bVibs. Long bulbs, such as syr.
inges and atomizers, are made from two
pieces Of rubber, but round bulbs, such
| as pumps ard balls, are made from
three pieces. For cutting the rubber
zinc or galvanized iron patterns are
used. Considerable care is necessary
in this, as the strength of the seam de-
ponds upon the smooth fitting of the
edges. The three parts fer hollow ball:
may, however, he cat with u die. IL tie
bulb has neck, small pegs Of iron are
first prepared by being cemented arc
wound with strips of rubber as nu.
cleus.
After tie rubber is ont into .fo u. per
parts 1T is then brushed with cement the
whole length of the skived edges ant
thoroughly heated. The bultmaker ther
takes the softened rubber. ard tax
ing prepared peg places the necl
ON one piece on one side of the rubbe'
core and another neck piece ON the on
posite side, then presses them firmly to
gether. and. rolling the whole tub,
shaped piece between thumb and fore
finger, has finished the neck Of the bulb
The next process is that Of knitting tn
edges which form the seam. This i
done by holding the finished neck TO
ward the operator in his left hand
while with the thumb and forefinger @
the right he pinches the edges f,rml,
together for nearly the whole distanc
around. Into the side aperture. whicl
is left open, is poured a little water O
liquid ammonia. The opening is thel
made still smaller, and as a final toucl
the maker puts his lips to the orifice AZ,
blows full and hard into the bulb. TIL
softened rubber under this pressure ex
pands, the fiattened shape is lost in
fuller and more rounded outline, Will
the operator, with q quick nip Of hi
teeth, closes the opening, the imprisone
air and water holding the sides apart il
symmetrical corpulency.
The partly made bulb is now passe
On to the turner's, who, armed with scis
sors with curved blades, carefully circl
the seams, cutting away all unevenness
till the whole exterior is ready fer th
mold.
The bulbs. as soon as they leave tn
! trimmers' hands, are laid in shallo,
pans filled with chalk. When take
from here, they are carefully duste
with tale, SO that the rubber will nc
adhere to the insHle Of the mold. .
. mold worker then takes one-half Of til
! mold in his left hand and with his rigt
gently forces bulb into it, Gaping
with the second half. Each bulb, if tt
| pattern worker is skillful, will fit j,
mold otherwise the finished bulb is al
to be imperfect.
The molds are run upon small tracl
into the vulcanizer. After fhev hay
. been cured a sufficient time the yulcal
y izers are opened ard the cans are ru
n under an ordinary shower bath. whic
z quickly cools them. They are then III
keyed, the molds twisted open and n
. bulbs taken out. If the work be we
. done. the swelling Of the liquid with
its rubber prison has exerted 80 inten,
a force that every hno aud letter with
| = l.