Motor and Cycle

Otago Witness, Issue 3954, 24 December 1929, Page 67

Motor and Cycle

'By

DEMON.

The United States autmobile industry produced 4,443.350 motor vehicles in the first eight months of this year, showing an increase in production of 1,206,986 vehicles. Foreign sales comprised 18.2 per cent, of the production, an increase of .6 per cent over last year. “If your dog or your ball, or whatever it may be, runs out into the street, wait on the footpath until the road is clear ” —this is the advice given on one of a series of blotters which the Shell Oil Company of New Zealand is distributing throughout the schools of the Dominion in pursuance of the “ Safety First ” movement Over a quarter of a million oF such blotters have so far been distributed to the various schools.

The executive of the Otago Motor Club has appointed two patrol officers for the road between Dunedin and Palmerston in the north and Dunedin and Milton in the south. They are being provided with cars which will carry spare parts to provide motorists with a means of getting home should a breakdown occur. The club's representatives will canvass for members, and the men appointed are expert mechanics, but only running repairs will be undertaken. The Auckland Automobile Association has a very up-to-date patrol system which has proved a great success and has been the means of largely adding to its membership.

WATER SHOULD BE BOILED. Motorists who like a jaunt into the country during week-ends are warned against, drinking unboiled water taken from streams owing to the risk they run of catching hydatids or enteric fever. At the present time a good many streams streams in parts of Canterbury province are low because of the rather prolonged spell of dry weather, many, in fact, whicn are generally of a goodly size being mere trickles with green slime at the bottom. It is a well-known fact that sheep are prone to hydatids, and that dogs which live among them pick up the disease. The danger to human beings arises when the dogs go to streams to appease their thirsts, the water keeping the germs alive unless it is boiled. Enteric germs may also be contracted unless boiling is resorted to. Another reason why it is wise always to boil water taken from country streams is that it is not uncommon for animals to be drowned in it. A party which re-

cently visited Motunau Beach stopped in the valley leading to it from the Main North road, and after having drunk tea made with water obtained from the stream which flows beside the road were shocked later to find that a little distance upstream were the carcasses of two sheep which had fa-11 en in and been drowned. PARKING IN PARIS. What is going to happen when the decision to prevent the parking of motor cars in the centre of Paris takes effect? This question has been put to M. Chiappe, the Prefect of Police, who has replied that decrees approved by the State Council give him the light which he now seeks to enforce. In his new decree, however, he has inserted words which suspend the previous regulations, absolutely forbidding the parking of vehicles. The situation has become so serious that immediate measures had to be taken, but M. Chiappe admits that they are only palliatives, and that other regulations will have to be made.

The Prefect of Police is not a partisan of underground garages. This is a matter which does not concern the police, but the prefect wonders whether the ratepayers would be willing to submit to increased charges amounting to millions of francs for the creation of underground garages, which would only be used by motorists. He is in favour of surface garages, and' is studying a plan for making them in the centre of the city.

There are, however, authorities who believe that underground garages would solve the traffic problem. Though the cost of making them would be between 20,000,000 fr and 30,000,000 fr (£160,000 te £240,000) the kilometre (five-eighths of a mile), it is held that they would save the omnibus service at least 50,000,000 fr (£400,000) a year. At present the loss caused by the bottling up of traffic is put at 300,000,000 fr (£2,400,000) a year. PRODUCER GAS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 26. Experiments are being made by the Sensible Heat Distillation, Ltd., with a new fuel which promises to be an .alternative to petrol in its application to traction and general propulsion purposes (says the Morning Post). This alternative fuel is a product obtained from British bituminous coal by a distillation treatment. It might be described as a synthetic charcoal, and when used in gas generators is said to produce a gas which, in an internal combustion engine, provides the motive power equally as well as petrol, and is safer.

Tests over a considerable period with heavy road vehicles propelled by producer gas instead of petrol, in this country, and more particularly in France, it is claimed have proved definitely and conclusively that gas made from synthetic charcoal is in every way as suitable as petrol. It is an economical fuel. It can be made and sold at a profit at a price which, when compared with petrol for equal power production, works out at only one-eighth to one-sixth of the cost of that commodity, taking petrol at Is 2d a gallon. One of the objections in the early days to internal combustion engines worked on producer gas for road purposes was that the motor originally designed for petrol gave I<> to 15 per cent, less power when operating on gas. With properly designed engines and super-chargers, a given sized engine producing 100 h.p. from petrol would, it is he’d, produce the same amount of power from gas at onesixth to one-eighth of the fuel cost. In addition to beingT'safe and economical, this new fuel can be handled and stored as easily as raw coal or coke. Another important thing in its favour is that it is a home product.

HOME GARAGE PRECAUTIONS. A valuable contribution-to the Safety Fust movement is a handy wall sheet containing sound, simple precautions that ■should be observed by motorists and others when handling motor spirit: when running a car in the garage; or when attempting to extinguish a petrol fire. Most motorists -re familiar with thee i facts, but like most familiar things, they are often apt to be overlooked. Motorists and their families should know what to do in an emergency, or, better still, prevent the emergency. Copies of these wall sheets are free on anplication to the nearest branch of the Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary, Ltd. BALLOON TYRE SIZES. Reduce the number of sizes and styles in balloon tyres for passenger care. This is a demand which has been growing in volume throughout the automotive trade, and which already has resulted in action being taken by the Society of Automotive Engineers to bring about sv 'h a reduction. Seventy-five per cent, of the balloon tyres produced in 1928 were made in nine sizes, according to the Canada Tyre and Rubber Co.. Ltd. But. to cover the entire field of present production cars, it is etill necessary to produce 20 or more sizes scattered over eight cross-sections and four different wheel diameters, or annroximately more than 200 styles for original equipment. During the war a sharp move towards standardisation of tyre sizes was made as a result of the forced economy due to th r shortage of rubber. At that time, ‘h more than 100 styles in use were cut to nine sizes. However, with the advent of the balloon tyre, came a swing in the other direction until to-day more than 200

styles are in use. But if 55 per cent, of the balloon tyre original equipment sizes now in current nse were eliminated, it would affect only 25 per cent, of the present c r production. This shows an economic waste which is startling, and a direct challenge to efficieny. It means that tyre dealers are forced still to carry a large stock of tyres for present production tyres, not taking into account many sizes made obsolete in the past three years, many of which are slow moving, which is directly against the trend in business to-day of small stocks and quick turn-overs.

HINTS ON OILING. Hearing a squeak somewhere in the bearings of his machine, the motorist who is not an engineer, either by training or instinct, injects oil into the complaining parts, observes that the unpleasant noise is silenced, and drives on content. Lubrication experts say this is well, but not enough. If the motorist knew the injurious effects of friction and the mollifying effects of oil, he would save a great deal of wear and tear in his machine, for then he would develop a mechanical sense, and he would be able to hear many friction warnings, of which, in his untutored state, he is unaware. The foundation of this desirable knowledge is that when a shaft is rotating and oil is fed to the bearing a film is automatically formed of such density that the shaft will be held from the bearing even though a pressure of many tons to the square inch may be applied. Even when protected by a film of oil rubbing surfaces wear because here and there dust gets into the oil and forms clots in the film, breaking its surface. Oil must be free from dust, and it must be so fluid that it will flow readily to the friction points as soon as the engine is started from cold. TYRE WEAR AND ITS CAUSES. Interesting data about tyre wear and its causes is provided by Mr L. J. Lain; bourn. M.Sc.. A.lnst.P., A.1.R.1. (Sc.), of the Fort Dunlop research laboratory. There' is considerable difficulty in obtaining definite data about tyre wear if the research is confined to tyre service on the road. In comparing one tyre with another, speed, the type of driving, the type of car. the kind of road surface, the weather, the air temperature, all vary so much that it is not easy to get accurate results. Jn order to wipe out all these variables, a special machine has been developed and patented in which conditions representative of rough roads, wet roads, roads covered with dust, quick acceleration, wheel spin, high temperature, can all be reproduced and controlled. The relation between abrasion, or wear of tyres, and slip, which, of course, is always taking place when tyres are running, can be quite accurately determined. Approximately, the rate of wear increases not in direct ratio to the slip, but rather as the square of it up to values of about 25 per cent. Above that value the relation is approximately linear. As showing the accuracy with which the machine and road results can be compared, samples of the actual treads of tyres were made into test wheels, while the real tyres were run under average conditions, and the rate of wear of the tyre on the road and on the machine was compared. The value of 100 being taken to represent the standard tread compound, the following were obtained:—

On the road. On machine. 100 100 139 139 142 150 225 200 93 95 117 117 92 92 Other tests, on the road, showed that one tyre on a car ran 8400 miles during December to March, while another, used during April, May, and June, ran oniy 6000 miles. Another test, in which two exactly similar tyres were run at the same period on the rear wheels of two cars of the same type, showed that the rate of wear on the one run on rough roa<ls was twice that of the other, run on tarmac. Two tyres were again run on the rear wheels of a touring ear and a sports car respectively. The tyre on the touring car ran for 5000 miles under average conditions, but the other tyre was worn to this same extent after running only 335 miles at an average of 90 m.p.h. on a racing track. Considering fast touring speeds, the rate of tread wear on tyres which average 50 m.p.h. was found to be about 0.17 rn.ni. per 1000 miles, and this is about twice the rate of wear of tyres run at an average speed of 30 m.p.h. Above 65 m.p.h. the increase in wear is very rapid. Excessive toe-in has a very bad effect, and it has been found that a toe-in of an eighth of an inch should not be exceeded. otherwise the tyre will not last its full life. A tyre run with a toe-in of half an inch was nearly worn out after 3700 miles. Another with a toe-in of one sixteenth of an inch has run 9000 miles, and is not yet nearly worn out. Tests made for wheel slip with a motor cycle combination showed that on a crosscountry run at normal speeds there was a total slip of only 11 per cent., but on a rough road a short run at 62 m.p.h gave a slip of 41 per cent. By fiercelyengaging the clutch for rapid acceleration a slip of 16 per cent, was obtained. In a similar “getaway.” measuring the slip on the first 33yds only it amounted to the very high figure of 48 per cent. If the slip be doubled, four times th ■ ? of tread rubber wi'l I It is of interest to note how the wear of tyres varies aceoiumg ... the year partly due to the temperature and partly due to the wetness or dryness, ror instance, the rate of wear of a large quantity of tyres in July of three successive years was 9-10 millimetres per 1009 miles, while in January of the corresponding years it was only 6-10 millimetres per 1000 miles. PETROL ANDSLTS SOURCE. Apart from food the most vital necessity in the world to-day* is motor spirit, commonly called “petrol,” and yet how many of the millions of people who are driving motor vehicles every day have any idea of what it is and where it comes from ? Petrol is a product of crude petroleum, which is found • in many parts of the

world, and it is produced from this petroleum by a process called distillation. In 1857 the first petroleum well was drilled in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., by Colonel Drake, and in 1860 the total world’s production of crude petroleum was only 500,000 barrels. Incidentally, one barrel is equal to 35 imperial gallons. In the year 1928 the world's production amounted to no fewer than 1.322,896,000 barrels, equal to over 46,000,000,000 gallons! The following table shows the principal oil-producing countries and the quantities each produced in 1928:— Percentage of Country. the world's total. 6'B 2 Venezuela .. .. .. .. 8.0 Mexico 3.8 Persia . . . . .. .. .. 3.2 Rumania l. . Columbia 1.5 Peru 0.9 Argentina 0.7 British India 0.6 Trinidad 0.5 Poland 0.4

Crude petroleum is won from the depths of the earth by drilling deep wells, the depth varying from 2000 ft to 4000 ft generally, although a record depth has been reached in Texas, where the oil was found at the enormous depth of 8525 ft, or over a mile and a-half. In some cases the oil flows to the surface, and in others it has to be pumped from the well. It is now generally accepted by the scientific world that the origin of these enormous subterranean deposits of this valuable mineral is organic-—i.e., the result of the distillation by the heat, and pressure of the earth of both animal and

vegetable matter during a period of hundreds of thousands of years. The location of these deposits is a very difficult operation, but by studying surface indications and the geological formation, and latterly by the aid of delicate geophysical instruments, geologists can t ® 11 ” a very good idea of the probability ot finding oil. The only sure test, of course, is the drill; but drilling to these depths is a very expensive operation, and many hundreds of thousands of pounds have been lost in drilling dry holes. Ihe crude oil having been found, it is then run into huge steel tanks on the oilfield, and later is led into pipe lines and pumped away to the storage tanks at the refinery. These pipe lines are often many hundred miles in length, and at frequent intervals there are “ boosting ” stations where pumps work to force the oil along to the next section, and so on, until it finally reaches the refinery plant. In due course the oil is passed into fhe stills and subjected to the process of heating. 1 ' l ‘ s ’ s t ,lc Process of distillation previously referred to. Ao the oil gets hotter it begins to give off a vapour, and this vapour is petrol in gaseous form. The vapour is passed to collecting chambers, where it is cooled and condensed into liquid form. It is then washed and purified, and finally results as the water-white liquid which is used in cars and lorries every day. The temperature at which this spirit is produced is about 150 deg C. By further raising the temperature of the stills up to about 300 deg C. the residue of crude oil gives off another well-known product—i.e., kerosene. After that come lubricating oils, gas qil, and other products; but one is only concerned with the much-needed petrol. This process is known as “straight distillation.” and produces generally about 25 to 30 per cent, of petrol from the crude petroleum, varying with the quality and district of production. Lower grade crudes, such as heavy Mexican oil, only give about 3 to 4 per cent, of petrol; but they are used tor the production of heavy fuel oil for burning under boilers and for producing asphalt. Pennsylvania crude is the highest grade of oil, and Persian oil is also of a high grade, giving as much as 32 per cent, of petrol. Io conclude with a definition of petrol: It is a liquid hydro-carbon, and its composition is approximately 84 per cent, carbon and 16 per cent, hydrogen. Its temperature of spontaneous ignition is about 265 deg C. When this liquid is vaporised and mixed with air in the proportion of about 1501 b of air to 11b of petrol it results in a very highly explosive mixture or gas, which, when compressed in a cylinder of an engine and fired by an electric spark, provides the necessary power to drive the cars of to-day.

AN UNLIGHTED TRAIN. DAMAGES AGAINST RAILWAY DEPARTMENT. WELLINGTON, December 19. Arthur John Curtis, Arthur Southwell Curtis, and Una Curtis petitioned the Crown for compensation as the result of a collision between a motor car and an unlighted train moving across a siding on the Hutt road from the Gear Meat Company’s premises. In his reserved judgment Mr E. Page, S.M., found that there was negligence on the part of the Railways Department and awarded £73 16s damages. He said he was satisfied that as the car approached there was no adequate light on the train.

SEQUEL TO MOTOR COLLISION. £3Ol 14s AWARDED. WELLINGTON, December 16. In the Supreme Court, before the Chief Justice (Mr Justice Myers), George Eli Whyborn, by his guardian ad litem, claimed £1123 damages from Albert 11 Shelbourne, carrier, of Wellington, for injuries received as the result of a collision with a motor lorry. Negligence on the part of the defendant was alleged in that the lorry was being driven at an excessive speed, and no warning was given of its proximity. The defence admitted liability, but’ denied the extent of the general- damages. The plaintiff, who was knocked off his bicycle on October 17 of last year, alleged that the injuries included fractures of the vertibrae, by reason of which he was permanently disabled for any work or exercise involving strenuous exertion. Judgment was given for £3Ol 14s, less £75 already paid. The court ordered £175 to be paid to the Public Trustee to be utilised for the benefit of the plaintiff.