NEW INVENTIONS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 171, 15 April 1933, Page 4

NEW INVENTIONS

Marvels at British Fair (Reuter —Special to “Dotriinion.”) London, Feb. 23. New inventions and ideas at the British Industries Fair at Birmingham are stated by the officials to be more numerous than at any previous fair. One Is a book binding which may be dropped into the bath water without harm 1 The “star turn” is described by the authorities as a new Diesel locoino-

tive with an automatic gear change, invented by Mr; John Alcoek, a 27-year-okU Leeds engineer.

The. chief feature of the locomotive is the automatic and power gear change,” according to an official of the Fair. “A Diesel engine of this size—--150 horse power—makes it very difficult indeed to change gear with an ordifiary motor-car type of gear box, and the problem has been solved by Mr. Alcock’s automatic change, which requires no skill, and gives a top speed in this case of 30 miles an hour. “The L.M.S. were loaned the locomotive to test, and used it for shunting for twelve hours a day. So well did It per-

form that they increased to IS hours, and recently they set it to do constant shunting for 24 hours a day. , “It has been taking the place of a steam engine more than twice its weight, and it has been operating at about a third of the cost. This is, of course, quite different from the Dieselelectric train which is running between Euston. (London) and Birmingham during the Fair. Mr. Alcock’s machine is a, self-contained locomotive, driven only liy the Diesel engine. ■