The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-06-22

to remain a period of time to per-
NIT it to become acclimated, so to
speak.
7 The dripping process is neces-
sary in the manufacture of many
items of rubber sundries, and that
department is generally an i'm
portant one in the average factory
making sundries.
Favorable atmospheric condi-
tions are essential to the dripping
process and the writer knows of
one factory which has assured uni
formity both of temperature and
humidity, by spending thousands
of dollars in installing a humidity
ing plant. All outside air enter
ing the factory is washed and treat
ed and moisture added to or taken
from it as conditions demand.
As the dripping process neces-
states the use Of rubber in liquid
form the preparation of the stock
is carried on in an entirely diff
fercnt manner than when used in
the moulded process. The rubber
is taken to the mixing room, where
it is placed in revolving mixers,
with proper solvents and mixed
until it has become liquid.
From here it is taken to the dip
rooms and placed in tanks having
q reversible upper structure, from
which the forms are suspended.
The forms used are shaped to
Faithfully reproduce the article re-
quired which may be a nipple, a
glove, a bulb, a cap or a rubber
balloon. They are carefully clean
ed and mounted on boards; the
boards then fastened to the revers-
ible rack above the tank. They
are lowered until the forms dips
into the rubber solution. Every
| precaution must be taken to avoid
agitating the liquid causing air
bubbles. which forms blisters in
the finished article. After the dip,
forms are raised and allowed to
drip, the rack reversed to bring
the forms right side up and the
forms dry Then the dipping is
repeated until the proper thickness
has been obtained. Some goods
require more dips than others,
from 10 to Is not being unusual.
Between dips, the tanks must be
covered to keep the solution clean
and free from dirt specks, and
such foreign matter.
When the dripping is completed
the boards are carried to the finish
ing room, where the various finish
ing touches are given them. From
here the goods, still on the forms,
go to the curing rooms. Here
they are subjected to a number of
cures depending on the nature OF
the goods.
Before the curing or vulcanizing
is effected, the goods are utterly
useless for service, as theyTdo not
have elasticity, strength or any Of
the properties usually associated
with rubber, the curing process
being necessary to bring them,out.
From the cure the goods pass to
the shippers who remove them
from the forms and send them on
their way to the clearing house for
examination and packing ready for
market.
You may well wonder why it is
that water bottles, for instance,
vary in grade inasmuch as they
are all made of rubber, and in
more or less the same way. They
are all made of rubber, true, but
not all the same kind of rubber;
not all have the same compound
ing ingredients and not all are
made with the same degree Of
skill. Rubber itself is one of the
most inconsistent of raw materials.
1t may be said to never be the
same, and give the same rubber,
the same ingredients and the same
facilities, two men will secure
widely different results.
Pure Para" is a misleading
term-and a much abused one.
Practically all rubber is pure