The Somerset reporter., 1896-10-22
REDUCING RUBBER.
HOW ARTICLES OF USE ARE MADE
FROM THIS VALUABLE PRODUCT.

Atomizcrs Are Made.
Rubber Is one Of the most staple and
useful articles in modern u.s. There are
but few uses Ia which the wonderful
product cannot be put. 1t can be made
as pliable as putty or as hard as wood,
and is just - adapted for use qs hair
pin as for Il golf ball or Il waterproof
Jacket Few people, however, are as IA
mlllar 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 forenoon trying to mend "A hole
IN his punctured tire Although the
larger part Of rublN manufacturing Is
done by machinor>& hcrc is still consid.
cradle done 10y hand In making up
goods for druggists stationers and sur
gical supplies the best grades of Para
rubber, the best III the world, are gen.
orally used.
The ordinary commercial rubber Is
gray, but Its coloring is an easy matter.
This Is done ly mechanically mixing
with the rubber, after it is washed and
dried, different kinds Of pigmcnts-ox-
ida Of zinc fer white, lampblack for
black, golden Sulphuret of antimonv fer
yellow ard vcluilon for rcd The rub.
Der mixed with the pigment is run
through heavy team 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 Ito Il fiat tube Of the required
thiChlIs -. 1iiS tube is then vulcaniZed.
wien II Is Slipped eff the form and run
through machine, which cuts il cross.
wise into su'ps.
Rul lsr craSors contain finely pow
dered pumlC" stone on emery Gust. The
abrasive malclials are mixed with the
rubber mechanically, which is then
nodded into shape and vuleanized I'M
der steam heat
One OF the most interesting processes
III the manufacture Of rubber goods is
that Of bulbs. Long bulbs, such as syr-
lngCS and atOnlZerS, are made from two
pieces Of rubber, but round bulbs such
as pumps and balls, are made from
three pieces. For cutting the rubber
zinc or galvanized iron patterns are
used Considerable care is necessary
i'll this, AS the strength of the seam de
ponds upon the smooth fitting of the
edges. The three parts for hollow balls
may, however, be cut with die. If the
bulb has IA neck, small pegs of iron are
first prepared by being cemented and
wound with strips of rubber as IA nu-
cleus
After the rubber is cut into the proper
parts it is then brushed with cement the
whole length of the skived edges and
thoroughly heated. The bulbmaker then
takes the sOftened rubber, and tax
ing prepared peg places the neck
on one piece ON one side of the rubber
core and another neck piece on the op-
poslte side, then presses them firmly to-
gether, and, rolling the whole tube
shaped piece between thumb and fore
finger, has finished the neck of the bulb.
The next pieces is that of knitting the
edges which form the seam This Is
done by holding the finished neck to-
ward the operator in his left hand,
while With the thumb and foretinger of
the right he pinches the edges firmly
I,f f., r. hp
around Into the side aperture, which
is left open, is poured little water or
liquid ammonia. The opening is then
made still smaller, and as final touch
the maker puts his lips to the orifice and
blows full and hard into the bulb. The
sottened rubber under this pressure ex-
pands, the tlattened shape is lost i'll a
fuller and more rounded outline, while
the operator, with IA quick NIP of his
teeth, closes the opening, the imprisoned
air and water holding the sides apart in
symmetrical corpulency.
The partly made bulb is now passed
on to the turner's, who, armed with scis-
sors with curved blades, carefully circle
the seams, cutting away all unevenness,
till the whole exterior is ready for the
mold.
The bulbs, as soon as they leave the
trimmers' hands, are laid in shallow
pans filled with chalk When taken
from here, they are carefully busted
with tale, so that the rubber will not
adhere to the inside Of the mold. A
mold worker then takes one-h half of the
mold in his left hand and with his right
gently forces bulb into IT, Gaping IT
with the second half. Zach bulb, If the
pattern worker is skillful, will fit It's
mold otherwise the finished bulb is apt
TO be imperfect.
The mulds are run upon small tracks
into the vulcanizer. After thcv have
been cured sufficient time the vulcan
izers are opened and the cans are run
under an ordinary shower bath, which
quickly eools them. They are then uu-
keyed, the molds twisted open and the
bulbs taken out IT the work he we'll
done, the swelling of the liquid within
its rubber prison has oXorted SO intense
force that every inc and letter within
the mold is reproduced upon tEc outside
Of the bulb. while the sulphur, ccmbin-
my with the Leaf, accomphshcs the
Inflammation.
Tie final process takes place in the
cylindc1 room, where N slowly rcvolv-
ing tumblung barre is the hHlh undergoes
Il thorouGh securing. When taken out
ri the eyhnUCr>, the dirty yellow color
1. IL