Rubber band

A rubber band (also known as an elastic band, gum band or lacky band) is a loop
of rubber, usually ring shaped, and commonly used to hold multiple objects together.
The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845, by Stephen
Perry.[1][2][3][4] Most rubber bands are manufactured out of natural rubber or,
especially at larger sizes, elastomer, and are sold in a variety of sizes.

Contents
Manufacturing
Material Standard amber rubber bands
Rubber band sizes
Measuring
Size numbers
Thermodynamics
Red rubber bands
Ranger bands
Elastration
Model use
Balls
Notable rubber band balls
See also
References
External links

Manufacturing
Rubber bands are made by extruding the rubber into a long tube to provide its general shape, putting the tubes on mandrels, curing
the rubber with heat, and then slicing it across the width of the tube into little bands.[3][5] This causes the tube to split into multiple
sections, creating a rubber band.

Material
While other rubber products may use synthetic rubber, most rubber bands are
primarily manufactured usingnatural rubber because of its superior elasticity.[3]

Natural rubber originates from the latex of the rubber tree, which is acquired by
tapping into the bark layers of the rubber tree. Rubber trees belong to the spurge
family (Euphorbiaceae) and only survive in hot, humid tropical climates near the
equator, so the majority of latex is produced in the Southeast Asian countries of
Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Rubber bands in different colors and
Once the latex has been tapped, and is exposed to the air, it begins to harden and sizes
become elastic, or rubbery.
Rubber band sizes

Measuring
A rubber band has three basic dimensions: length, width, and thickness. (See
picture.)

A rubber band's length is defined as half its circumference. Its thickness is the
distance from the inner surface to the outer surface, and its width is the Measuring a rubber band

distance from one cut edge to the other.[6]

If one imagines a rubber band during manufacture, that is, a long tube of rubber on a mandrel, before it is sliced into rubber bands,
the band's width is decided by how far apart the slices are cut, and its length by the circumference of the tube.

Size numbers
A rubber band is given a standard or quasi-standard number based on its dimensions.

Generally, rubber bands are numbered from smallest to largest, width first. Thus, rubber bands numbered 8–19 are all 1/16 inch wide,
with lengths going from 7/8 inch to 31⁄2 inches. Rubber band numbers 30–35 are for width of 1/8 inch, going again from shorter to
longer. For even longer bands, the numbering starts over for numbers above 100, again starting at width 1/16 inch.

The origin of these size numbers is not clear and there appears to be some conflict in the "standard" numbers. For example, one
distributor[7] has a size 117 being 1/16 inch wide and a size 127 being 1/8 inch wide. However, an OfficeMax size 117[8] is 1/8 inch
wide. A manufacturer[9] has a size 117A (1/16 inch wide) and a 117B (1/8 inch wide). Another distributor[10] calls them 7AA
(1/16 inch wide) and 7A (1/8 inch wide) (but labels them as specialty bands).

Rubber band sizes

Size Length (in) Width (in) Thickness (in)
10 1.25 1/16 1/32
12 1.75 1/16 1/32
14 2 1/16 1/32
31 2.5 1/8 1/32
32 3 1/8 1/32
33 3.5 1/8 1/32
61 2 1/4 1/32
62 2.5 1/4 1/32
63 3 1/4 1/32
64 3.5 1/4 1/32
117 7 1/16 1/32

Thermodynamics
Temperature affects the elasticity of a rubber band in an unusual way. Heating causes the rubber band to contract and cooling causes
expansion.[11] Stretching a rubber band will cause it to release heat, while releasing it after it has been stretched will make it absorb
heat, causing its surroundings to become a little cooler. This effect is due to the higher entropy of the unstressed state, which is more
entangled and therefore has more states available. In other words, the ability to convert thermal energy into work while the rubber
relaxes is allowed by the higher entropy of the relaxed state.

The result is that a rubber band behaves somewhat like an ideal monatomic gas inasmuch as (to good approximation) that elastic
polymers do not store any potential energy in stretched chemical bonds. No elastic work is done to "stretch" molecules when work is
done upon these bulk polymers. Instead, all work done to the rubber is "released" (not stored) and appears immediately in the
polymer as thermal energy. Conversely, when the polymer does work on the surroundings (such as contracting to lift an object) it
converts thermal energy to work in the process and cools in the same manner as an ideal gas, expanding while doing work.

Red rubber bands

In the UK during 2004, following complaints from the public about postal carriers
creating litter by discarding the rubber bands which they used to keep their mail together,
the Royal Mail introduced red bands for their workers to use: it was hoped that, as the
bands were easier to spot than the traditional brown ones and since only the Royal Mail
used them, employees would see (and feel compelled to pick up) any red bands which
they had inadvertently dropped. Currently, some 342 million red bands are used every
year.[12]

Ranger bands ≈10 Royal Mail rubber bands,

on a letter size guide
This type of rubber band was popularized by use in the military. Ranger bands are
essentially sections of tire inner tubing cut into various sizes. They have the
advantage of being versatile, durable, and resistant to weather and abrasion. They
are commonly used for lashings, and can also be used for makeshift handle grips,
[13]
providing a strong high-friction surface with excellent shock absorption.

Identical loops of inner tube are used by cavers and cave divers, and in that context
are called snoopy loops by the British caving and cave diving community. When
they get lost they are recognizable as a common form oflitter.[14]

Snoopy loops are easily cut from discarded car and motorcycle inner tubes using a
pair of scissors. A knife cut may leave a notched edge which can lead to tearing. Ranger bands made from moped
inner tube
Varying sizes of inner tube are used for different tasks. Uses in caving include
sealing cuffs of oversuits and collars of boots against the ingress of water, holding
kneepads and elbow pads in place or securing dive lines to small rocks[15]
. and have
been used for first aid for strapping injured joints tightly in place[16]
.

Technical divers use small snoopy loops made from bicycle inner tubes to prevent
backup lights clipped to a dive harness from dangling, and larger loops cut from car
tubes are used to stow hoses against sling or sidemount cylinders.

The exact origin is unknown and has been subject to much speculation.[17] The
practice of using snoopy Loops has been claimed to have originated in Greece and
spotted by Cave Diving Group members in the late 1970s. The practice was then
propagated in Yorkshire Dales.[17] Another claim is that snoopy loops were named
by Dave Morris, a Cave Diving Group caver who noticed how they 'snooped' around British cave diving style sidemount
boulders. It was considered a ridiculous name at the time.[18] None of these claims harness showing snoopy loops used
to stow hoses against the cylinders
are particularly plausible as the use is obvious and is likely to have originated
independently in several places at earlier dates.
Elastration
In animal husbandry, rubber bands are used for docking and castration of livestock. The
procedure involves banding the body part with a tight latex (rubber) band to restrict blood flow.
As the blood flow diminishes, the cells within the gonads die and dehydrate. The part eventually
drops off.

Model use
Rubber bands have long been one of the methods of powering small free-flight model aircraft, the
Latex rubber elastrator
rubber band being anchored at the rear of the fuselage and connected to the propeller at the front.
rings and pliers
To 'wind up' the 'engine', the propeller is repeatedly turned, twisting the rubber band. When the
propeller has had enough turns, the propeller is released and the model launched, the rubber band
then turning the propeller rapidly until it has unwound.

One of the first to use this method was pioneer aerodynamicist George Cayley, who used rubber band-driven motors for powering his
small experimental models. These 'rubber motors' have also been used for powering small
model boats.

Balls
A rubber band ball is a sphere of rubber bands made by using a knotted single
band as a starting point and then wrapping rubber bands around the center until the
desired size is achieved. The ball is usually made from 100% rubber bands, but some
instructions call for using a marble[19] or a ping-pong ball[20] as a starting
point.[21][22]

Notable rubber band balls

The world's largest rubber band ball
as of November 19, 2008 was
created by Joel Waul of Lauderhill,
A rubber band ball made of over 300 Florida. He is the current World
rubber bands. Record Holder according to the
Guinness World Records.[23] The
ball, which previously sat under a
tarp in Waul's driveway, weighs 9,032 pounds (4,097 kg), is more than 6 ft 7 in
(2.01 m) tall (which implies about a 20.68 feet (6.30 m) circumference), and consists
of more than 700,000 rubber bands. It set the world record on November 13, 2008, Milton's former world record size ball
in Lauderhill, Florida with rubber bands contributed by Stretchwell.com, a physical
therapy company.[24] The ball is now owned byRipley's Believe it or Not!.[25][26]

Steve Milton of Eugene, Oregon previously held the record for the biggest rubber band ball beginning in 2006. During the
construction of his rubber band ball, he was sponsored by OfficeMax, who sent him rubber bands to use for his ball.[27] His ball was
approximately 175,000 rubber bands, 5.479 feet (1.670 m) tall (circumference: 18.996 feet (5.790 m)), and weighed 2,088.14
kilograms (4,603.6 lb). He began building the ball, with help from his family, in November, 2005 and would store the ball in their
garage.[28]

Before Steve Milton, the record was held by John Bain of Wilmington, Delaware beginning in 1998.[29][30][31] In 2003, his ball
weighed around 3,120 pounds (1,420 kg), consisting of over 850,000 rubber bands and is 1.52 metres (5 ft 0 in) tall (circumference:
4.6 metres (15 ft)). He put the ball up for auction in 2005,[32] but he and his ball participated in Guinness World Records Day 2006.
The bands were donated by two companies:Alliance Rubber and Textrip Ltd./Stretchwell Inc.[22]

The former world record was set in 1978.

Date Name Place Diameter C Weight Bands

Nov 13, Joel Lauderhill, 6 ft 7 in 23 ft

4.516 t ≈726,500
2008 Waul Florida (2.01 m) (7.0 m)
Nov, Steve Eugene, 5 ft 6 in 19 ft
2.3018 t ≈175,000
2006 Milton Oregon (1.68 m) (5.8 m)
John Wilmington, 4 feet 12 feet 8 in
1998 1.004 t unknown
Bain Delaware (1.2 m) (3.86 m)

See also
Hair tie
Rainbow Loom
Rubber band gun
Silly Bandz

References
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0-19-957355-4, archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20171212023457/https://books.google.com/books?id=K7Qb_
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2. "March 17 – Today in Science History – Scientists born on March 17th, died, and events"(http://www.todayinsci.com/
3/3_17.htm). todayinsci.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20081028011012/http://www .todayinsci.com/3/3
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org/web/20061018005348/http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Rubber-Band.html)2006-10-18 at the Wayback
Machine.. This reference states that the rubber is vulcanized before it is extruded. The rubber is then cured on
mandrels. The "Made How" reference appears to directly copy text from other sources, some of which appears to be
incorrect. The exact same text regarding Thomas Hancock appears in a 1995 book entitled "CD's, super glue and
salsa: how everyday products are made" by Kathleen Witman, Kyung-Sun Lim, Neil Schlager . Contradicting other
sources, both credit Thomas Perry rather than Stephen Perry for the invention of the rubber band.
4. British Patent 13880/1845, "Specification of the Patent granted to Stephen Perry
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wood, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, and Thomas Barnabas Daft, of Birmingham, Manufacturer , for
Improvements in Springs to be applied to Girths, Belts, and Bandages, and Improvements in the Manufacture of
Elastic Bands. — Sealed March 17, 1845","Archived copy" (http://todayinsci.com/Events/Misc/Perry-ElasticBandsPa
tent.htm). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20150423141855/http://todayinsci.com/Events/Misc/Perry-ElasticBa
ndsPatent.htm) from the original on 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
5. Lee Rubber Products, How rubber bands are made.(http://www.lee-rubber.com/howmade.htm) Archived (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20071215032328/http://www .lee-rubber.com/howmade.htm) 2007-12-15 at the Wayback Machine.
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6. Staff. "How to measure a rubber band"(http://www.progressinterrubber.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=article&Id=539
174285). www.progressinterrubber.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003311/http://www.progres
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bigwigbands.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110812111147/http://bigwigbands.com/page/rubber-ban
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r.com/sizes.htm). lee-rubber.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080113175045/http://www .lee-rubber.co
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(https://web.archive.org/web/2008010
1090638/http://www.dykemarubberband.com/products.php). dykemarubberband.com. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.dykemarubberband.com/products.php) on 2008-01-01.
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doi:10.1119/1.1969535 (https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1969535)
12. The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article716493.ece): "Posties' red rubber bands stretch public's
patience"
13. "Ranger Bands (Rubber Bands on Steroids)"(http://www.instructables.com/id/Ranger-Bands-Rubber-Bands-on-Ster
oids/). instructables.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20100628042444/http://www
.instructables.com/id/Ra
nger-Bands-Rubber-Bands-on-Steroids/)from the original on 2010-06-28.
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05/32/1/9/) from the original on 2007-10-08.
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. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2017
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(https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031600/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-rubber-b
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External links
http://www.rubberband.com/about-us/common-rubber-band-terminology– Common Rubber Band Terminology
http://www.the-rubber-band.com/ – The Unofficial Rubber Band Website
http://benkrasnow.blogspot.de/2016/08/a-refrigerator-that-works-by-stretching.html- A refrigerator that works by
stretching rubberbands

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