Rubber band

A rubber band (also: rubber ring ) is a short piece of rubber circles. Such tapes are typically used to hold more objects. The rubber band was patented on March 17, 1845 in England by Stephen Perry.

Production

The manufacturing process begins with the rubber to form a long tube, it is then cut widthwise into thin rings. While other rubber products can be made of synthetic rubber, rubber bands are mainly made of natural rubber, since it has a higher ductility.

A modern rubber band differs from its predecessor from the time of Stephen Perry's the fact that the rubber is vulcanized now. Vulcanization makes rubber more durable and elastic, the rubber band is still practical.

Rubber bands last longer if they are kept cool.

Rubber bands can also be produced even by cutting disused inner tubes of bicycle tires into rings or strips. Rubber bands obtained in this way are extremely elastic and aging practically not. They easily hold several years to decades.

Surveying

A rubber band gets a default number, based on its dimensions. It has three dimensions: length, width and thickness ( see picture). The length of the rubber band is half its circumference. The thickness is the difference between the inner and outer radius. The width depends on the intervals at which the rubber has been cut in the manufacture of the cylinder.

Applications

Because of its spring-back properties is a rubber band wide variety of applications, many for entertainment only, but also serious.

• Rubber bands can be used as projectiles. These loops to put an end to the thumb or another finger and clamped it with the other hand. If it is released, flies off the tape. There are even rubber band guns that serve the same purpose and meet often more accurate. Rubber bands sting if they hit bare skin, but are usually harmless. It is still recommended not to fire into the faces of other people. Application, see rubber band projectiles frequently in offices or schools, where they are fired at employees or students.

• Rubber bands can be used as a drive for other projectiles, ie as a primitive form of a slingshot, eg for paper staples, so closely rolled pieces of paper, which were bent to an angle. Even a fly swatter tool features a rubber band.

• A rubber band can drive as rubber powered propeller.

• Occasionally rubber bands are used to hold hard drives in the computer case. Thus, the rigid contact between the hard disk and the housing is avoided, which reduces vibration by reducing the sound volume.

• In orthodontics rubber bands are used to align teeth again. They serve as a link between ligaments ( sl braces ) and dental.

• Can be prepared a makeshift eraser by winding a rubber band snugly around the end of a pin.

• Rubber bands can be knotted together into a rope for rubber twist. By unwinding many rubber bands around each other, one obtains a jumping rubber band ball.

• Wide rubber bands are used as a gymnastics ribbon.

• Rubber bands can be used such as a VCR as a makeshift belting in mechanical devices for consumer electronics.

• Rubber bands can be used in the punk scene as unusual handcuffs.

• In Australia, people used rubber bands for holding bank notes, so that they can easily count and transport.

• Thick rubber bands with a special tab for subsequent drawing will be used for the airtight sealing of jars when preserving of fruit or vegetables, hence the name Einmachgummi.

• Rubber bands are also a tool for wizards that can be used in many different magic tricks. Here, differently shaped rubber bands are used, for example in heart or star shape.

• In the letter delivery rubber bands have now been largely replaced the collar buckle for tying bundles of letters.