Device To Prevent Vehicle Fires

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32216, 7 February 1970, Page 1

Device To Prevent Vehicle Fires

A device said to protect vehicles against fires caused by wiring faults has been developed by a Christchurch man, and he hopes to build examples of the unit for local sale at $6.95 each.

Mr G. H. Frew, the head of the home appliance department in a large city store, said it had taken him two years to perfect the device, which fits on a vehicle’s battery terminal. Any electrical short-circuit or overload anywhere in the car’s wiring system causes the device to cut off all power at the source, the battery, within two seconds. Mr Frew intends to demonstrate his device to representatives of the Christchcurch Metropolitan Fire Board in a week or so, with the aim of obtaining a recommendation which will make it possible for him to obtain a licence to import certain components for his device.

If he did not succeed in getting a licence for the parts he ( required, he would probably ' go to Australia, and try his luck there, he said yesterday.

The device itself was more than just a simple fuse, for as well as being able to handle a large current when operating normally it must respond immediately to any malfunction, Mr Frew said. The problem with normal fuse systems was that there was usually up to 10ft of wiring between the battery

Ji and the fuses, and this could i - catch fire. , Mr Frew agreed that if a ' wiring fault developed in a 1 car being driven at night his* t device would cut off alii r power, including that to the ; headlights. But this problem I*had been given a lot of •! thought, and could be overfl come in many cases by dual f I systems, he said.