The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-14
u. S. RUBBER PLANTS DEVOTE
---- - ENERGIES TO MAKING GAS MASKS
American Product Superior to Anything Yet Devised and Is
Rapidly Being Improved; How Gas Masks Manufactured
eY FREDERICK M. KERRY
N. e. A. Staff Corresuonden ut.

Cleveland, o., Aug. l4.-Gas mask
protection for American boys at the
front is the most complete and eff
Gent in the allied armies. The gas
mask being turned out by our plants
is the finest so far devised, and offers
practically complete protection against
any gas the HUNS have SO far in
ventedA
1t is the sixth type inFthe evolution
of the mask, bue even now expert
ments are being made that will still
further improve it.
II have been permitted ITO watch the
complete operation Of manufacture Of
our masks in one of the plants Of the
United States Rubber Company here.
A large percentage of all our rubber
manufacturing industry has, now been
turned into the production Of parts
for masks The breathing hose, the
'mouthpiece, the "flooder valve" and
the sockets for the eyepeces are all,
made of rubber, and they must be per-
feet. The slightest leak may be- fatal.
The highly perfected mask in its
present form has been developed from
"a pocket handkerchief The first real
attempt at providing wholesale pfotec-
ton was the use Of gauze bandage
strips dipped in 'hypo'-the chemical
used for fixing" Photographic prints.
American Mask Exceis. 4
Then, the British devised mask
with a canister containing the chem
icals, breathing arrangement con
nected by tube with the canister, and
a pincer arrangecent to suose the nose.
This was the first mask the United
States troops used.
our army is now making a mask
which is the superior of anything so
far devised. 1t uses the same canister
but the materials instead of being in
layers are mixed; the nose is left en-
tirely open, but the breathing is
accomplished through the mouth.
From the time the crude rubber
comes into the factory to the time
when the completed parts are shipped
to the big assembling plant on Long
Island, inspection is constant. The
slightest defect results in rejection of
the part.
The first order placed by our war
department was with the B.. F. Good
rich. company, at Akron. shortly after.
war was declared. This order called
for 100000 masks to >be produced in
ten days The manufacturers were fur
,nished with sample British mask and
told to do their best. This order was
followed at once by a second order
for. 100000 masks. Other orders fol-
lowed lf..-...
Improve on Hose.
The hose connecting the chemical
canister with the breathing apparatus
must have great flexibility; in addi-
ton it must he perfectly impervious,
and it must be reinforced on the out.
Side with stocking net to stand
wear. Our manufacturers produced a
lconcentric circles hose of great flex-
Utility. IA.
The "flooder valve was another
problem worked out by our rubber
manufacturers 1t is a small flat
valve, made SO that when the wearer
exhales, itpermits the air to pass out.
but when Inhalation begins it doesn't
permit particle of the gas-charged at
mosphere to enter the mask. n
American women are doing much OF
the work of making gas masks.
The gas mask industry is an exam
tple of how peaceful manufacturing in
dustries have been turned int war
work plants and have produced bet
ter product than, German scientists
: no had years to prepare their dia.
bolical devices of warfare.