THE MOTORIST

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1935, Page 7

THE MOTORIST

PNEUMATIC EQUIPMENT. HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES. It is reported that during the past two years, there has been a remarkable development throughout Great Britain in pneumatic equipment for horse-drawn vehicles. Not only are pneumatic tires being extensively used on vehicles for haulage on farms, but a great many business firms utilising horse-drawn lorries have had their vehicles converted to pneumatics on account of the many advantages associated with their use. Carts for the transport of milk, aerated waters, bread, etc., by the thousands are now running on air-tires because horses become less fatigued, maintenance charges are reduced, loads are protected from jolting and comparative silence is achieved, a feature much appreciated by town-dwellers, particularly in the early hours of the morning. This equipment enables 50 per cent, heavier loads' to be carried than when hauled on iron tires. Higher speeds can be maintained, and smoother progress made. Air supports the load instead of iron. Draught is eased on rough roads, and as the load is distributed over a large tire surface, vehicles so fitted can be hauled over surfaces that are practically impassable to the ordinary iron-tired wheeled vehicle.

Property taxes in California must be paid before a motorist cansecure licence plates for his motor-car. Production of a receipt for taxes, however, will not secure the desired end; the certificate of registration of the vehicle, must itself carry the stamp of the tax assessors, both town and county.

SILENT RUNNING. AS WELL AS SPEED. Silence - was an outstanding feature of the Olympia Motor Show, held in London recently. Sports car manufacturers have decided that the day of the “healthy sports note” is over* and that the purchaser now wants silence 'as well as speed. Two of the largest sports car manufacturers in England have arranged to introduce standard models with larger and more efficient silencer systems. In one car two silencers are introduced into the v exhaust system in tandem, and the result is a great reduction in noise compared with the similar model of last year. In another type of car a silencer of greater size than hitherto is being tried and will probably be introduced on at least one of the models. In the ordinary touring cars higher degrees of silence are also being sought, and a great deal of attention has been paid to such things as transmission noises. But touring cars for long have been reasonably silent; it is the small sports machine that has usually aroused adverse comment on account of noise. A manufacturer said he believed that it was partly the result of'the'public attention that has been directed to silence by the recent Ministry of Transport regulations.

A huge plant for the manufacture of petrol from coal is to the constructed in the North of France in the LievinAngres district at a cost of over half a million sterling. The French Minis- / ter for Labour and the various municipalities concerned have given their consent, and only a few formalities remain to be completed before work on the new factory begins.

UNIQUE FRAME DESIGN. AMERICAN EXPERIMENT. INDEPENDENT SPRINGING. Independent springing with leaf springs for all four wheels, and a tubular ' wishbone-backbone type frame, are major features of the latest experimental car developed for the j benefit of the American automobile j industry co-operatively by members of the Leaf Spring Institute and other manufacturers. The car, aside from its highly interesting mechanical design, represents (says the American Automobile’s overseas edition) what probably is the finest piece of co-operative development the industry has ever seen. Fathered I by the Leaf Spring Institute, it represents a further development of the independent springing research programme instituted some time ago by this association. Whereas former cars developed by the Leaf Spring Institute were adaptations to stock cars, the newest car is developed from the ground up. In the work the institute has obtained the ready co-operation of virtually every major parts and accessory manufacturer in the industry, supplying specialised technical advice, and in some cases specially developed parts for the actual assembly. The suspension itself does not depart materially in principle from that of the original suspension announced several months ago. It consists of a double transverse spring, one behind the other, with the spring, eyes double (military) wrapped for maximum road safety. i Above the springs, extending from the frame to the knuckle support, are devised rods forming a spring and rod “parallelogram” resulting in relatively small track changes in combination with a minimum of camber variation under spring deflections. The leaf springs are provided with progressive spring seats to shorten the effective length of the spring under heavy deflections. This cut is at about one inch of spring deflection from normal position. For deflection of less than one inch, therefore, the maximum of freedom is permitted with minimum rate, for a good boulevard ride. With larger deflections there is up to approximately 50 per cent, of effective “shortening” of the spring. This provides an automatic increase in spring stiffness and spring rate for bad road conditions. The same general suspension conception has also been applied at the rear in an interesting manner, details of which we are not permitted as yet to reveal. It also incorporates the progressive spring seats and double transverse springs.

Obviously in development work of this kind manufacturing and service problems arise in the study of the original engineering design. The availability of virtually all the best brains in the automobile parts plants has therefore proved of real benefit to the Leaf Spring Institute in the development of this car. A case in point is in connection with the method of attaching spring ends to the knuckle support arms.

Obviously the use of two parallel springs would on the face require an accuracy of spring length control in manufacure that would increase manufacturing costs and also aggravate servicing problems. Co-operative research, however, uncovered an ingenious design of eccentric bushing and pin assembly, the use of which not only permits considerable manufacturing variations in spring lengths (within the usual reasonable limits of course), but also provides an extremely simple method for the service Adjustment of caster and camber angles. As to the new frame, which is of the* tubular backbone plus double wishbone end type, the general idea is not new, of course. It has been in use for some time, but most of the designs have been rather complicated and certainly more expensive to produce than would have been justified to meet popular needs.

What has been done for this experimental car is to take the general idea and apply it to latest principles of design and production methods. The net result is a frame which appears to offer no major difficulties in production, is simple in design, and of decidedly lower weight than frames for Comparable weight in prAsent-day cars.' Actual figures on torsional stiffness and weight are not released as yet, but it can be said that the frame (for a 3,000 to 4,0001 b. car) can actually be handled by one man, an interesting sidelight on shipping and handling costs aside from the over-all reduction in manufacturing costs achieved by a major weight reduction.

An elderly taxi-driver with an unblemished record had to explain in a Paris police court recently how and why he had crashed broadside on into a private car. He said that a Paris family returning ‘home after seaside holidays had hired his cab at the station. They , had a lot of hand luggage, and their maid, a particularly pretty girl, had to sit nevt the driver; this arrangement being permitted under Paris taxi regulations. The girl was wearing a light sleeveless summer frock, exposing rounded, sun-tanned arms, and the driver’s altogether novel explanation of the accident was as follows:—He said that although middleaged, he was still susceptible to feminine beauty, and his mental balance had been completely upset by the proximity of such an attractive driving companion. The magistrate, evidently tickled at the excuse and perhaps having some sympathy, let the driver off with a caution, leaving the rest of the matter to be settled by the insurance people.

j PUBLIC SAFETY. I j CONCERN IN CALIFORNIA. | A BIG CONFERENCE HELD. j What is described as a “mammoth” conference was convened last month in California to plan a united attack on the accident problem. The sponsoring body was the public safety committee of the State Automobile Association. In reviewing the traffic accident situation and reasons for calling the conference Mr. the chairman of the committee said:— “The traffic accident situation in California has become probably more serious than it has ever been. During the first ten months of this year (1934) there were 2231 fatalities on the streets and highways of the State. This was an increase of 329 deaths, or 17 per cent, over the same period the' previous year. “It is a situation which calls for immediate. and concerted action. The conference will be attended by representatives of public safety and traffic groups, enforcement officials, traffic judges, and others who are taking a leading part in safety activities. The purposes of the conference are:— “To awaken the public to a full realisation of the seriousness of the traffic accident problem. “To unify and strengthen the efforts of those interested in finding a solution. “To co-ordinate the efforts of the various safety groups and thereby help j to render more effective the work of ■ our enforcement authorities. , “To seek a solution for some of the outstanding traffic problems now confronting California, especially the growing menace of drunken driving.” A GRAVE HAZARD. CYCLISTS TRAINING CARS. “The dangerous practice followed by cyclists in trailing motor vehicles is one whih the fullest attention by all who use the roads and all who are concerned with traffic safety,” says the latest safety-first message of the Automobile Association, Canterbury (Inc.). “Cyclists run a very big risk of serious injury or death in keeping pace behind motor vehicles,” says the message, ""and it is quite a common thing for cyclists, head down, and with a front wheel a few inches from the rear bumper bar or luggage carrier, to trail motor vehicles at high speeds for miles. This stupid procedure may be seen not only, on the open road, but also in city streets. The motorist has quite enough to do in watching the roadway ahead without having his attention divided by a cyclist who is following too close to the motor vehicle. Any sudden call for brakes through cross traffic, a stray dog, or a forgetful child, means the application of. effective brakes, and a following cyclist has no chance of avoiding a crash into the back of the motor vehicle. Cyclists, chiefly the younger ones, seem to fail to realise the grave risk they run by this car-trailing process. Even if, when a car is suddenly braked, a cyclist is able to swerve aside, he runs a big chance of a head-on collision with oncoming traffic. Cyclists should travel at a safe distance, behind motor vehicles at all times.” CLEANING ALUMINIUM. Among the most suitable substances for cleaning aluminium is turpentine, which should be applied on a clean rag. If the metal pari such as a crank case, is encrusted with mud and oil, petrol or kerosene may be used first of all as solvents, but turpentine is not only a good cleanihg agent, but also imparts a lacquer-like finish to polished aluminium, and one that will resist grease and dirt. In that respect it is superior to petrol or kerosene as a cleanser. If a high polish is desired, the metal can be treated with a mixture of brass polish, eucalyptus oil, and whitening, but should be first of all cleaned as described above and then polished vigorously.

j SAFER GLASS. | j “ARMOUR PLATE.” | ITS USE IN CARS. “Armour plate” glass has largely replaced the laminated type formerly used in motor vehicles, but the manufacturers of laminated glass are renewing their efforts to find a new plastic medium, Professor W. E. S. Turner, 0.8. E., Professor of Glass Technology at the University, of Sheffield, stated when interviewed in Wellington. In the search for a safe glass for motor vehicles the armour-plate process had been discovered and as it provided great durability without risk of discoloui'ation it had largely taken .the place of laminated glass. Armour-plate glass was produced in one piece, thus obviating the use of plastic medium, which caused discolouration, especially in . tropical climates, in laminated glass. The armour-plate glass was particularly safe because it was difficult to break, and even if it were struck by a sharpedged stone with sufficient force to shatter it the,' only result was that it broke into a cellular pattern and became semi-opaque. This certainly caused a loss of vision but apart from that it was unlikely to lead to any accident. It was possible to break the glass, the professor said, but even , if the windshield of a car did go to pieces the fragments of glass were practically innocuous; they had no sharp edges like ordinary sheet glass and were unlikely to injure anyone. The success of the armour-plate glass had riot prevented the manufacturers of laminated glass from renewing their efforts to find a new plastic medium which would not discolour. “There may be a revival in the manufacture of laminated glass,” said the professor. “I think it is probable there will be.” BE DEFINITE. WHEN GIVING SIGNALS. Too.many drivers have still failed to appreciate that giving dear direction signals is ond of their first duties (states the Motor). It is not enough to extend one’s hand vaguely, feeling virtuous in the knowledge that warning has been given; the' signal must be unmistakable. To turn, pull out or stop withgut indicating your intention is just as grave an offence against the ethics of considerate rbad-behaviour as the most callous cutting-in. Direction indicators are provided to be used. When those which are not of the self-cancelling variety are left’ extended, still showing a change, of direction which has, been effected already, and not indicating an immediate intention, it is not to be wondered that other road users question your driving capabilities. When you give a signal, it is essential to drive according to it unless there is adequate time to conceal it and give another. It is essential, too, that signals should be given in good time and deliberately, not suddenly as a fleeting concession to the convention of the road. ■ \ .Keep a barrell or pail of soil or sand in the, garage to be used as an extinguish?r in case of fire.