carry on a thermos? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #16 10-23-2012, 02:18 PM

I have my grandfather's old gray painted metal lunch box and thermos that he carried to work in the ball ban factory in South Bend. I need a stopper for the thermos. I presume in the forties the stoppers would have been cork.

Air&Road · #17 10-23-2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I have my grandfather's old gray painted metal lunch box and thermos that he carried to work in the ball ban factory in South Bend. I need a stopper for the thermos. I presume in the forties the stoppers would have been cork.

Yes, when you and I were little kids Tom, they were cork. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find something on ebay though.

That's a really neat family artifact to have.

Sorry for the ignorance, but what was the "ball ban" factory?

t walgamuth · #18 10-23-2012, 02:53 PM

Ball Ban made (perhaps still, I'm not sure) rubber products including self sealing fuel cells in WW2 (when my dad worked there too). Their most famous product that you might remember is "Red Ball Jet" sneakers.

I'm actually not sure if I have it spelled correctly.

t walgamuth · #19 10-23-2012, 03:11 PM

Ball Band History Parallels Story of Mishawaka Growth
"What Mishawaka Makes, Makes Mishawaka"
By MILTON BOCK

From a small woolen mill employing about 25 persons and established in, 1838, the Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Manufacturing company has grown to a gigantic plant employing 5,000 and manufacturing about 12, different products in 1937.

The history of the plant is the history of Mishawaka. The small woolen mill was established four years after the town was founded. In 1867 the mill was purchased by Jacob Beiger and his son, Martin, but not until 1896 did the company begin to produce on a large scale. Between '67 and '86, blankets and felt boots were its only products.

Invention of the knit boot in 1886 by Martin Beiger and Adolphus Eberhart marked the beginning of large scale production. The manufacture of the new boots brought with it the official trademark of the company.

How Trademark Began
These boots were made with a black band around the top, while the red ball was added to the band later. In 1901 the red ball on the black bard was registered as the official trademark of the company.

In 1889, lumbermen's long socks were added to the list of products and Ball Band rubber shoes were first manufactured in February, 1898. Light rubbers were added in 1916, leather work shoes in 1917 and canvas sport shoes in 1922.

Now the largest single source of automobile mats in the world, the company developed the improved auto mat in 1933. After several years of experiment, Mishawaka cushions, a cellular rubber product for upholstery, cushions, mattresses, etc., was introduced in 1935.

The crude rubber is obtained from the sap of rubber trees in the natural rubber forests of South America, Asia and Africa, and the cultivated rubber orchards of Cey lon, Sumatra and the Malayan states.

Raincoats, the only United States Rubber company product made here, were first manufactured in 1933 by the local plant.

The demand for the company's products caused production in creases and created a need for more working space. Since the purchase of the old woolen mill in 1867 by Mr. Beiger and his son, the company has made four additions.

The additions were made through purchases of buildings in 1888 and 1898, but a $350,000 light rubber plant was built in 1915 and '16. The half million dollar warehouse was built in 1922 and covers five acres of floor space.. The total floor space of the company covers about 43 acres.

"Ball Band" products are sold by about 200 salesmen to more than 60,000 retailers and jobbers in export trade. . About 10,000,000 persons wear some product of the company.

It says production peaked in the forties and tapered off. I presume it is now closed.

Air&Road · #20 10-23-2012, 03:18 PM

Interesting read Tom. Thanks for posting it!

barry12345 · #21 10-23-2012, 07:40 PM

Yes it is interesting that many companies that once where very strong eventually fell into demise. It makes one wonder or very aware of the severe price paid if calling the wrong shots in large companies. Perhaps even a relatively simple decision done badly can finish them off over time.

We had a fairly large presence in the domestic appliance manufacturing market for a lot of years locally. Furnaces, kitchen stoves, etc. Rather than sell the company the original families decendants looted the company and collapsed it. I think selling it would have resulted in more money for them. Their products were extremely good quality wise and not overpriced.

Some other local employees tried to buy a still profitable division of the dominion bridge company after the bankrupcy. Instead the government arranged basically to give the profitable new plant to a friend of theirs. The workers refused to work for him as he got what they had been willing to pay for free with him having no past involvement. It was pretty hot and heavy locally over this. This division was the robbs engineering works until dominion bridge purchased them. Always very busy and a highly capable steel fabrication company. They even built massive stationary steam engines in their early days. Building sits empty now for years and not much chance a new manufaturer would need that much space.

jplinville · #22 10-23-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

I don't know, mine is probably 25 years old. I had my dad's but it got run over by some dipstick's pickup.

You can still get new cups and stoppers for the old ones. Mine definitely keeps temp better than sonny's new one.

Pops used this one for years. I remember him filling it before work when I was in kindergarten, and that was 35 years ago. Mom seems to think that it's older than I am. He replaced the stopper with a newer style about 20 years ago...the type that you can turn about a half turn and pull to pour. I bought one like his when I was 19, and used it often...same color hammertone green. Both have been beat to hell and back and still work well.

I also ended up with dad's old stonewear mug he got from Jed's Steakhouse in the 1970's...I've seen him drop it from feet onto concrete and it didn't break.

They sure don't make things like they used to...