FEBRUARY, 1958
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Oilers Play Vital Role
In Textile Production
Somewhere not far from the
dawn of man’s sojourn upon
earth, necessity became reason
for invention. First, perhaps,
came fire—with its power to
bless or to destroy. Then, likely
next in importance, the primi
tive citizen fashioned a crude
circular disc and set it to revolv
ing on an axis. He may not have
understood all there was to know
about his creation, but his in
vention represented a great step
in the human march toward civi
lization. '
The wheel—basis of complex
machines — allowed its inventor
to modify and transmit motion.
With its introduction there came
a baffling problem: How to re
duce friction at points of contact
between hub and axle.
Ere long, primitive ingenuity
discovered that animal fats and
vegetable oils when applied to
moving parts made a cart roll
much easier. It cut down wear
on parts. It silenced the squeak.
Did you ever stop to consider
how great a contribution oil and
grease have made to the world
of mechanization? It’s a romantic
chronicle from that primitive
day when man first learned to
fight the battle against friction
to the story of the oiler at Fire
stone.
The men and women who keep
thF intricate' “inachinery "rolling
smoothly at the five-floor mill
here are an indispensable go-be-
tween in the process of sending
tire fabric and sales yarn prod
ucts on their way to market.
THE WORK of keeping ma
chines oiled requires plenty of
technical “know-how.”
Two New Plants In Operation
Two more Firestone manufac
turing plants in foreign countries
are now producing tires. The fac
tories, put into operation in re
cent weeks, are in Havana, Cuba;
and Manila, Philippine Islands.
J. E. Trainer, executive vice
president, explains that the new
construction was part of an over
all expansion, construction and
modernization program intended
to fulfill products demands from
all parts of the world in the
years to come.
The plant in Havana will be
producing passenger, truck and
off-the-highway tires for Cuba’s
growing number of motor ve
hicles. A skeleton force of tech
nicians and supervisors went
from the Akron, Ohio plants of
the Company to direct beginning
operations.
About 300 Cubans are employ
ed at the plant.
Arrangements for building of
the Cuban facility were complet
ed in April, 1956, following a
conference between Harvey S.
Firestone, Jr., chairman, and
Fulgencio Batista, president of
Cuba. At that time, President
Batista pointed out that it was
the wish of his government that
enough tires be produced within
the country to meet domestic re
quirements of the 150,000 ve
hicles on the Island.
THE MANILA plant is the
first to be set in operation by
Firestone in the Far East. It
will supply passenger and truck
tires for Philippine automobile
assembly plants, and replace
ment tires for retail outlets in
the Philippines.
Mr. Trainer said that much of
the raw material used in the
making of tires in Manila will be
purchased locally. Most of the
300 employees have been hired
from Manila and vicinity.
A 2,500-acre rubber plantation
is being developed near the new
Manila factory. This acreage
will supply raw materials for
tires manufactured there.
Ever stop to think how U.S. Paper money presents the faces
of great men in American history? Generally, the most widely-
known persons’ faces grace the bills of lower denomination, while
bills of higher value have on them the pictures of less-known men.
Here is the list: Washington, $1; Jefferson, $2; Lincoln, $5;
Hamilton, $10; Jackson, $20; Grant, $50; Franklin, $100; McKinley,
$500; Cleveland, $1,000; Madison, $5,000; Chase, $10,000.
SMOOTHING THE WAY—These four employees represent the
many men and women who apply oil and grease to moving parts
of machines and other equipment throughout the mill. Power-trans-
mission oilers for the entire plant are Alva McCarter (left), and
Wade Ledwell (at overhead motor). Avery Carpenter lubricates
spindles from a mobile pump, as Annie Lunsford oils spooler bear
ings with a hand dispenser. High speed of spindles and spoolers
require particular care in keeping them properly lubricated.
The plant Mechanical Depart
ment orders oil and grease in
the different viscosities, as re
quired by the various jobs. A
lubricant must stand the test of a
minimum of internal cohesion,
or “stickiness.’’ It must be of
sufficient body that it won’t be
squeezed out of place between
bearings, gears and other moving
parts. Good oil and grease must
not absorb oxygen, must not be
come gummy nor corrode.
Whereas the earliest lubricants
were vegetable and animal fats,
oil and grease used commercial
ly are derived from petroleum.
Oilers at Firestone know what
grade to apply to the different
types of bearings—ranging from
delicate ball and roller mechan
isms to the giant babbet-lined
bearings of heavy power shaft
ings. They also know just the
right amount to apply for the
smoothest, cleanest operation of
machinery on the go.
At Firestone, a two-man team
has the special assignment of oil
ing and greasing all motors and
overhead shafting bearings. This
is the broad category of power
transmission. In addition, these
men — Wade Ledwell and Alva
McCarter—see that miscellane
ous equipment such as window
fans, pumps and compressors are
kept humming smoothly.
ON THESE jobs alone more
than 900 gallons of oil and grease
are applied in the course of an
average year.
Besides the oiling done by
these men during the first shift
of every working day, there are
oilers who operate in every
major department where ma
chinery and other moving-parts
equipment are involved. For this
extensive continuing project, the
annual consumption of oil and
grease is measured in barrels.
Annie Lunsford in Twisting, in
her eleven years on the job, has
dispensed hundreds of barrels of
oil—^figuring on the rate of some
seven gallons a day.
Then, there is Avery W. Car
penter, who tends the bearings
in Spinning. On his regular shift
he takes care of around 36 spin
ning frames. For these, he puts
out about six gallons of lubricant
a day. By taking up where he
leaves off from the day before,
he is able to make the rounds of
all spindles on the floor before
the bearings grow thirsty.
Mr. Carpenter rides up and
down the aisles on a small, foot-
propelled cart which also carries
his oil supply and applicator
equipment.
IN OTHER major departments,
a designated person is respon
sible for oiling. In Weaving, for
example, a workman combines
this job with other duties. Here
—as in all other operations
where materials are being proc
essed—the kind of oiling affects
the quality of the finished prod
uct. Oil mistakenly deposited on
yarn or fabric can cause a de
fect in the product. As in the
case of dyeing and gum-dipping,
oil interferes with the processes.
In the Multi-State Nylon unit
a special arrangement and
schedule provide for a mainte
nance man to do oiling of parts
not associated with power trans
mission.
Outside the plant, all machin
ery and equipment is lubricated
by operators as a routine part of
their work. This includes the
fork-lift trucks, hand trucks,
woodworking machinery in the
carpenter shops and a host of
other pieces of equipment.
Plant Engineer W. G. Henson
summarizes the part oil and
grease have in the manufactur
ing operations here.
“In our age of machines, such
commonplace things as oil and
grease are easily taken for grant
ed. Our experience has taught
that proper lubrication means
efficiency of production, reduc
tion of wear on machines and
equipment, and a higher quality
product.”
HEy Ep / car a pait^ of
SAFETY SHOES - RIGHT FOOT
SIZE 9 - LEFT 29
NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL