New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-12
TIRE STRAIN IS GREAT
Quality of Fabric a Vital Dues
ton to Motorists.
MANY GRADES OF COTTON
Inside Facts About Castings Dis
closed by President of
Firestone Company.

New angles on tires and the service
tbov should give were brought out by
II Firestone president of the Fire
..orc COMPANY. of Akron, Ohio, in a
oh with a reporter for The Tribune last
right. Few people consider. Mr.. Fire
stono explained, the vitality important
mart fabric plays in tire worth. Talking
on this point, he said;
..rahric is more than the foundation of
.b, tire. II is the keystone and the back
,o,e of automobiling and the automobile
,,dustrv. Think what a tire must stand.
rrom the outside there is the weight Of
,ho car and the load. Then there is the
odditional terrific strain when stone,
ridce or rut is struck If the car is going
cost the tire gets a piledriver blow.
From within the strain is as great and
constant. Thousands of pounds pressure
hattie against the fabric, searching for a
weakness, II only a poor thread, tiny
ninch or a bubble. Looked at in this
light. il seems that there should he but
one grade of fabric for tires-the strong
est and best that can be produced.
Yet there are more than fifty grades
Sea Island combed, in different qualities.
Egyptian combed in many more grades,
Egyptian carded in many still cheaper
grades. This accounts in part for the
many Grades of tires-the different de-
grees of quality.
"All that car owners have heard about
fabric is that Sea Island cotton is used
That makes good talking point. The
hest fabric possible TO buy is made from
Sea Island cotton. This cotton, grown on
the islands off the coast of the Carolinas
or from seed produced there. has long,
strong fibre. just suited for making a
tough, strain resisting tire body. But
even this is sold in many grades.
The highest grade and most expensive
Sea Island combed fabric-such as is used
in Firestone tires-is made of that same
tough material which is used for making
FIRST quality sewing thread. Twist eleven
pieces Of this thread into one, and you
have an idea of Firestone wrap. Weave
twenty Of these wraps into each square
inch with the cross threads in such a
WAY as 10 withstand a test several times
more severe than any possible service
strain. and you have an idea OF the
strength Of our fabric.
"An tires should be made of this quail
inv Of fabric, particularly the larger
sizes. but they are not. Furthermore
even the best fabric should be tested al
least twice TO every roll and Inspected
inch by inch for uniformity. AS proof o.
the need Of this inspection. carload after
carload Of the highest priced fabric mace
Is returned by our factory because II is
not up to the standard.
With the right kind of fabric. quality
and quantity OF rubber. care in workman
ship. skill in application and Inspection
either make or ruin the product. Com
plete adhesion is accomplished. as in the
case of Firestone building, by the use OF
enough up-river fine Para rubber. Every
mesh Of fabric must be completely anu
evenly filled, and an extra layer must be
applied between each layer OF fabric.
The next vital question is the number
Of LAYERS or walls Of this rubber-hlIed
fabric 10 use. Even the low grade is
costly and every wall added means more
cost Temptation again steps in and sus-
cests that three layers might do on size
where four are essential, and so on
They will, for little while, under the
most favorable conditions. The number
of layers do not show, so appearances
won't prevent the sale. But where quail
itv is the standard, where security,
length OF service and final economy for
the user are the aim, walls Of fabric can
not be spared.