MOTORDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 January 1928, Page 4

MOTORDOM

t NEWS OF THE ROAD

(By

“Gearbox”)

NOVEL CHASSIS. MINIMISING ROAD SHOCK. Motor-car design has become so standardised in its main features that interest attaches to any attempt to break out. on a new line. An example of the attention being given by European designers to the problems of suspension, including the reduction of shocks caused by inequalities and roughness of road surface, wheelshimmy and allied troubles, is offered by a novel chassis which was to be presented to the public for the first time at the Paris Salon, according to an illustrated description published in the “Autocar.” The car simply bristles with novelties, although its transmission is not new, having been on the road for about five years, but is nevertheless, of a most unusual type. This car has a cast chassis, tjae frame consisting on a one-piece casting of an alloy of aluminium and silicon, known as Alpax metal, and comprising the floor boards, instrument board, spare-wheel and luggage carriers, and several other accessories in one piece. In fact, it is stated that it. is only necessary to place a cushion on the chassis to have a complete car, and the body is merely a protection against the weather. The frame has a tunnel for the drive-shaft, four wells, in which the passengers’ feet repose, a platform across the full width on which to place the seats, and has the dash board, also of Alpax, bolted to it. The frame is, therefore, perfectly rigid, which feature is accentuated by the cast dash, which is bolted to it at the edges and at the head of the propeller shaft tunnel. This rigidity absolutely prevents “weaving” action, and makes it possible to reduce the weight of the body. It is claimed, in fact, that the weight of the car, with four passengers of average Size, an enclosed body, petrol spares, etc., will be less than a ton. The petrol tank and battery box are carried in a compartment at the rear of the frame, closed by a hinged Alpax door, which has the spare wheel support cast in it. On top of the compartment is the luggage carrier, the body being extended to the extreme rear, of the chassis, and the rear portion forming a luggage compartment. No form of suspension is visible, and laminated and coil springs are conspicuous by their absence. Mounted on the rear of the frame, just above the axle housing, are two vertical steel tubes, not visible from the outride, enclosed by the luggage compartment in the body. Inside these tubes are rods, each with a bronze bushed spherical attachment to the outer extremity of the axle housing, and carrying a large number of superimposed rubber discs specially manufactured for the purpose to which they are put. The spherical attachment of these rods permits each side to rise independently without any thrust on the walls of the cylinder. In addition, to avoid lateral movements of the axle in relation to the chassis the extremity of the axle housing is received in a guide under the frame. At the front, a pressed steel welded banjo-type axle is used, in all essentials similar to the rear axle casing of a modern car. There is, however, a short, large diameter vertical tube welded to each end. Projecting about four inches from the front of the frame is a cast steel tube having a diameter of about nine inches. This tube is cast in with the frame, and forms an integral part of it. The front axle is mounted on this with a special rubber bushing, and its thrust is taken by a couple of rings of ferodo, one being in front of the other, behind the axle casing. The electric generator driven off the nose of the crankshaft is housed inside the tube, the end of which is covered by alumuiniuni plate. This’ construction gives an oscillating front axle, and three points suspension, for the entire chassis, as it is obvious that either wheel can rise a considerable distance over an obstacle without altering the level of the chassis. There is, within the steering pivots, the same kind of rubber block suspension as at the rear.

BALLOON TYRES. IDEAS WHICH CAUSE TROUBLE. Is your car really equipped with balloon tyres, or are you taking it for granted because of the words moulded on the side-walls of the tyres? A little thought on this matter reveals to the owner just why the set of balloon tyres on his new car has failed to give satisfactory service. To illustrate the point clearly we shall quote a concrete instance. A man bought a car after some v study of the merits and demerits of a number in the competitive price field, and finally decided on a Bitza. The car gave him absolutely no trouble, but he was at a loss to understand why on getting his first puncture the tyre was broken in the casing. He sent the tyre to the car agents and they referred him to the tyre manufacturers, who, after examination of the casing, and also the car, disclaimed responsibility, informing the owner that he was not entitled to an adjustment as the car was undershod, and recommended that be should fit larger-sized tyres that would suit die same rims. The owner was perplexed and inquired why the car was equipped with a tyre which was admittedly undershod. The tyre company's adjuster said this was a matter for the distributors of the car. In the first place the tyres are supplied in bulk to the distributors in accordance with their orders, but the manufacturers do not recommend that particular size as the most suitable for the car in question. Thus the question arises: Are the majority of cars at present on the road really shod on balloon tyres’? Are you obtaining the results you were led to expect from your tyres and can you further reduce your running costs by equipping a. more sensible size tyre in proportion to the weight and size of your car? The fallacy is at once obvious. A smaller tyre is expected to do the work of a larger size, resulting in a condition of overloading or under inflation, the consequences of which are exactly similar in effect to the casing. It is not a matter of who is responsible for this —rather is it in the hands of the owner to remedy the same. By his own actual experience must he determine if he is obtaining most satisfactory results, and if there is a defect lie should have it immediately rectified by using the correct size,

ELECTRICAL GEAR. DEVELOPMENT BY AUSTRALIAN. enoo Mr F. Norwood Bland, an Australian is in England to develop an electrical gear whereby the poppet, valves of an engine are opened and closed by means of solenoids, etc., coils carrying a current with iron cores. Mr Bland is now pursuing his experiments in England, and has converted a four-cylinder Ailsa Craig motor boat engine to the electrical system, which has been in successful operation on a test bed. To simplify the work of conversion a new cylinder head was made carrying poppet valves for cylinders one and four only the remaining cylinders running idle. The valves incline outwards from the cylinder head, and each is worked by a solenoid. The current supply to the solenoids is controlled by an electrical distributer, which is driven at half crankshaft speed; a novel feature is that, by means of a lever, the valve timing can be varied in much the same way as ignition timing is controlled in an orthodox car. Each exhaust valve stem is fitted with a small cast-iron plunger, Working inside a pair of coils of the solenoid, and these coils are fitted with an iron plug at each end. When current is supplied to one coil the corresponding plug attracts the plunger, and the valve is opened in about one-tenth of the time required in the case of a cam-operated valve. At the end of the required period the distributor cuts off the supply of current to this coil, and the second coil becomes energised/ returning the valve to its seating with equal rapidity. This quick opening and closing of the valves enables a prolonged “full-open” period to be obtained. The inlet valves are operated in a similar manner, but at ■present solenoids are used only for opening them. It is the intention of the inventor, however, to build a. new and improved valve gear with the experience gained on this engine, in which a double acting solenoid will probably be used for both the exhaust and the inlet valves. The engine we examined operates quietly, and has successfully been run up to speeds of 2,200 r.p.m. The crankshapt, tappets, and valve springs of an orthodox engine are, of course, all obviated when the Bland electrical control is employed. Almost any desired degree of cushioning effect could be obtained if necessary. This interesting system is backed by an Australian company. Bland Magnetic Valves, Ltd., and Mr Bland intends to undertake further experimental work in order to perfect his invention.

MOTORING OR FLYING. WHAT A WAR PILOT PREFERS. * I have often been asked which I prefer —motoring or flying, to which I promptly answer—flying, said Mr R. C. Nelson, winner of the last R.H.C.A. reliability trial. Then, that which I would rather own—an airplane or a car—and my reply is: A Car. But if I could afford it I would own both. That reason for choosing the car of the two, although I prefer flying, is that the uses of an airplane are so very much more limited. For instance, one could hardly park his airplane on the esplanade, near the band> nor could he ride In it at night time. It would be useless for shopping or city work, and, during severe weather, its place would be in the hangar. One has only to become accustomed to the air to get much more enjoyment out of a flight than a motor trip, and it is impossible to convey in words the sensation of flying.. But it is nearest to my own ideal state of transportation. It is the freedom of moving in what can be termed space, with no restriction as to direction. The special thrill of swinging round in a turn, Avith the wings banked to balance the centrifugal force, which would otherwise cause sideslip. Then the scenery—anyone who has noticed how a few feet up to the top of some buildings makes an interesting view can understand what rising hundreds and 'thousands of feet in the air might mean. These things grip an aviator’s mind more firmly than anything a car can offer. I have taken many people on their first flight people whom I have had to persuade hard to get into a machine, and, with a few exception's, it has been easily the greatest thrill of their lives. One very doubting gentleman made a lot of sardonic remarks about the plane in which I offered to take him up from Mascot, and would not get into it until he had seen it make a long trip or two. That man, however, soon overcame his doubts and fell so much in love with the air that he asked for more, and it was only the second time he was up, I think, when he was holding the dual joy-stick. A few days later he was advertising in Sydney and Melbourne foi- a machine, and he was taught to, fly, and is now a seasoned pilot, with some excellent performances to his credit. The gentleman in question is Mr S. L. Tyler. He is what I call one of the lucky people of this world —he owns a car and two airplanes. He would think life was. not worth bothering about without his beloved Curtis. But I often wonder which Mr Tyler would surrender if he had to his airplanes or his ordinary, but infinitely more useful, car.

largest bus. JULES VERNE CREATION. The largest motor-bus in all the world has just appeared upon the streets of London, like some invention out of a tale by Jules Verne. It is made of aluminium, and it has two decks and six wheels. For the comfort of the passengers, and to lessen the wear and tear of the streets, the usual solid tyres have been discarded in favour of Dunlop pneumatics and the upper deck of’the bus is covered in to protect the occupants from the rain. There are seats on the two decks for 66 people and the vehicle is 29 1 feet long. It is being tested iioav with another huge bus some four inches shorter and made of steel. Whichever of the twin monsters proves to be the most reliable will be selected as a model for a. fleet of others to ease the traffic problem on the streets of London.