Motor and Cycle

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 66

Motor and Cycle

by

DEMON.

The issue of a title deed with a motor car when it is purchased was advocated at a convention of Victorian garage proprietors held in Melbourne recently. Mr W. R. Payne said that if title deeds were issued with motor cars garage owners and dealers would be protected. Mr A. L. Hare said that every car and motor cycle should have a title deed. No one could purchase or sell a motor’ car or motor cycle second-hand if the title were “ tied up ” in a hire-purchase agreement. The garage proprietor or dealer could hold the title in his own name until the whole payment had been made by the purchaser. It was decided to recommend that a title deed be issued with each new car and motor cycle, and that the title remain in force until the machine was “ scrapped,” when it would be returned to the Police Department.

Unemployment, the petrol tax, and. it may also be suggested, the continued agitation of motorists as represented by the Otago Motor Club, may be regarded as the main contributing factors in respect to the general reconditioning of the Main North road between Dunedin and VVaikouaiti, which is now rapidly nearing completion. The infamous Kilmog Hill no longer holds any terrors for the motoring public, and from its present state it is reasonable to expect that before holiday travel commences in the coming summer it will have reached that state of near perfection which has distinguished the Mount Cargill highway for the past few years. The work of widening the Kilmog Hill and rounding off some of the dangerous corners is now almost finished, and the gangs are at present busy adding another surface to that which has been rendering good service for some weeks. The metalling and blinding of the northern slope of the hill is proceeding rapidly, and the new surface extends now practically to the Merton Flat. This stretch of the main northern highway has been a thorn in the side-of users of the road for many years, and its complete remodelling should be a source of considerable gratification to those whose business or pleasure takes them constantly to and fro On this road.

SQUARE DEALING.

An any moment of the .day a car may pull up at any service station or garage in California and disembark a party which proceeds to inspect the pumps and equipment and the quality of the goods sold. They are inspectors with the authority of the Legislature behind them. The State has made it unlawful to (1) falsely represent one product as that of another manufacturer; (2) to sell oil or gasoline from any container which does not bear in letters of the size as provided by law the true brand or trade name; (3) to display any sign describing a brand not actually sold; (4) to adulterate oil or gasoline and represent such product as that of another. Pumps and equipment are checked just as are weights and measures generally, and must not be tampered with.

CREED OF SAFETY.

The Creed of the Careful Motorist, as reported to Public Safety Department of the California State Automobile Association is as follows: — I will drive my car as though “ half the world was deaf, dumb, and blind,” and their safety in my keeping. I will keep my car under control at all times so as to be able to meet any emergency that may arise. ' I will keep uppermost in mind the rights and privileges of other drivers and pedestrians and observe the Golden Rule. I will slow down at crossings, intersections, and schools and other places where care and caution must be used.

I-will never pass slower-going vehicles on the brow of hills, around curves, or at crossings. *' " • "

I will signal when about to stop or make a turn out of the traffic line and watch for signals of the cars ahead. ' I will adapt my driving to weather and road conditions and be on guard against rain, slippery roads, ruts, obstructions, and' traffic jambs.

I will obey all traffic and parking regulations. I will make sure the road behind me is clear before backing up, and will give proper signals before pulling away from the kerb.

I will practise courtesy at all times.

ELIMINATING THE “KNOCK.” An ingenious apparatus, known as the “ knock ” demonstration mechine, has recently come into widespread use in the United States, for giving convincing de- ‘ monstrations of the merits of a new fuel. The apparatus enables one to see the “ knock" eliminated, and is made possible by the Midgely bouncing pin, a device attached to the demonstration engine, which causes a group of lamps on an instrument board to flash every time a ' “ knock ” occurs. A wattmeter registers the power being developed, and a tachometer shows the revolutions per minute at which the engine is turning over.

In the demonstrations, the engine is run first on ordinary fuel. It “knocks.” the lamps flash, and the spectators note the position of the needles of the tachometer and the wattmeter. The valve controlling the fuel is then turned, and the fluid is introduced. The “ knock ” becomes fainter and the flashes glow dimmer end dkanpoar. while the engine runs mpro smoofh’y and quietly. At the same time the observers see that added

power is being developed, and that the revolutions are increasing in proportion.

OUTLAW MEETING.

At a dirt-track meeting held recently in England many of the competitors appeared masked, evidently' to escape recognition. As the meeting was run without the sanction of the British A.C.U., no fewer than 34 riders and nine officials have been suspended.

VALUE OF TRACTORS.

It is now a fact that tractor work is done more cheaply than where horses are employed, and, in addition, much of the work is done better and quicker. Many public demonstrations have been held in England recently, and it has been proved beyond doubt that the tractor is a capable and efficient machine. British farmers have come to recognise, too, that in order to meet the demands for increased production and to keep productive cost at an economical level, power is the first necessity. Consequently, thej' are more vitally interested in tractors and in other power-propelled implements. At the shows which have already been held inquiries for tractors and tractor implements have been much more numerous than in other years, and, although the sales cannot, of course, be expected to equal inquiries, the change indicates new interest.

There is still another point that ghould make the tractor more interesting to all concerned. It is that horses become scarcer every year. It is known that a considerable number of horses is in demand for certain kinds of heavy citywork. but even these are being so reduced in number through farmers not breeding them that a first-class horse will cost practically as much as a tractor. Therefore we arrive at a point when it will not be possible to use the old argument against a tractor, that horses are cheaper in capital outlay. Actually a team of good horses for farm work now costs more in this respect than a general-pur-pose tractor. The Royal Agricultural Society is alive to the importance of developing the _ tractor industry for the benefit of agriculture, as is shown by the organisation of tests that it is now carrying out and of the public demonstration at Wantage, England, to take place this month.

USES OF RUBBER.

Rubber in motor cars is not confined to tyres alone.. Rubber for deadening shocks and vibration has found a new part in the design of motor cars. Motor impulses are coftened by rubber engine mountings pads and strips eliminate squeaks and rattles, while rubber spring mountings protect the car from road shocks. It is estimated that nearly 500 pieces of rubber besides the tyres, are used in the average modern motor car as noise or shock insulators.

WORLD’S MOTOR CARS.

Interesting facts are available in the recently issued Automobile Statistical report of _the National Chamber of Commerce of New York. According to this authority there are to-day 7,800,000 miles of h ghways in the world. In the United States over 24 per cent, of the drivers are women, but they are only in 6 per cent. of the motor accidents. All told, there ar e 34.876,837 motor vehicles in the world, of which 76 per cent., or 26,501.443 are running in the United States. England, (excluding Scotland and Wales), up to the end of 1929, had registered 1.242,839 automobiles Canada had 1,168,188, about double the number of the 581,310 cars and trucks Australia is credited w : th

NEW COASTING DEVICE.

During the past few years free wheels nave been tried to a considerable extent in England and on the Continent, but American engineers have taken very littie interest in such mechanisms. Consequently it is worthy of note that quite recently /P^c 11 ’ 0118 form of free wheel has beeii developed by the L.G.S. Manufacturing -> of n^la napohs This concern has fitted up a model A Ford with the mechanism in question and has been giving demonstration runs which have cheated cons:derable interest. nreL stat S d in the American press that these demonstrations have S™? f 9^ e econom y varying from 15 per owL? Per c ? nt - ( due to coasting), exceptional ease of gear changing without the necessity for declutching, a reduction form^ ? ° n9U ? lptlo 1 n ° f Oil, and the rate of a " d “

CAR AS ALIMONY.

rhYo 0 ?™? 11 J he n S ws tha t com es from wo™™ fr f Eanf tfoni and racketeers, A woman of Cicero, a suburb of Chicago had non? er husband f° r divorce, and acoPaHmon™ ° ar ’ a 1927 modeI ’ in lieu inju?red y th e t j ®e. the eXchan^e fair?” }y e P.' , even if I have to crank it, it wont kick me in the back.” said the woman as my husband did.” coif * C^ n -it? xV? man w h° invented the self-starter that the automobile will not kick her at all, comments an American paper, for she will not have to crank it at all probably If the self-starter had not been invented not many women would be driving cars, and the automobile industry would not have become giant size.

CARRIAGE OF LUGGAGE.

It is not ea.sy to find space on the average medium-sized car for the luggage required for four persons on an extended

tour. In addition to the luggage grid, however, the running-board on the off-side may also be utilised, and extending screwon racks can be obtained in order to secure small suitcases or long articles, such as golf clubs, in this position. Care should be taken not to allow the bodywork of the car to be chafed, felt padding being used where necessary, and the luggage securely fixed eo that it cannot move. It is usually- possible to find room for two very small cases in the rear compartment, although naturally they may restrict the leg-room available for the passengers. In view of the extra load it may- be desirable to increase the inflation pressures of the rear tyres slightly, and possibly to readjust the rear shock-absorbers.

COMPULSORY REPAIRS. Good mechanical condition of all cars is essential to safety (remarks an American journal in an editorial). Not all cars are kept in a condition that is safe. In fact, actual studies reveal that a large percentage are unsafe.

These thoughts, in the minds of many traffic and safety authorities, as well as many motorists, are winning converts to the cause of compulsory mechanical inspection of motor car safety equipment. Not long ago analysis was made of the valuations of more than 109,000 cars in daily service. Virtually 30 per cent, of the cars were found to be almost worthless. The immediate deduction from the figures by those somewhat familiar with the attitude of motorists toward adequate maintenance of older cars of little value was that thousands of them would be found in an unsafe mechanical condition. The further, point was made that the only possible way such cars could be properly serviced with a view to safety

was to compel their owners to take them to a service station or repair shop. Left to their discretion, owners of machines which needed a £4 or £5 repair job would dodge the expense on the ground that the car was worth little more than that. At least, so it was assumed.

Thoughts such as these, based upon significant studies made from time to time, are winning many to the support of a compulsory mechanical inspection. Compulsion. many feel, may be odious, but safety is desirable. CAMERA AND ROAD HOGS. For three hours in London on July 25, armed with a camera and seated in a fast car, a correspondent of the Daily Mail tested the proposal that mobile police patrols should use photography to secure evidence of breaches of motoring laws.

Already Scotland Yard- were testing the efficacy of the idea, and from his own experiences the correspondent says he was able to testify to its value. He writes: — “ Before we were out of London I had to use my camera in the New Kent road. ‘Snap! ’ went the shutter, and I had conclusive proof of a petrol lorry within a few feet of the off kerb as he passed two other vehicles abreast. Only a sudden application of brakes saved an inoffensive motorist, coming in the opposite direction, from a nasty accident. “ Suddenly a two-seater roared past at a dangerous speed, then swung across the road, and turned to the right without any warning—dangerous driving with a vengeance—but I let him go. “At Streatham I was kept busy. Here a saloon car passed a lorry and an omnibus which were abreast, and forced a ‘ baby ’ car to come to a dead stop to avoid a collision. “ Further afield, at Croydon, a twoseater car with a broken and obscured number plate shot past at a blind corner. The camera proves that the whole car was on the wrong side of the white line, but before I was ready again a motor cycle tore by, cut inside a motor car, and disappeared, thus capping an extremely dangerous exhibition of driving. “I felt that at any moment we might be forced into an accident, and at Redhill it nearly happened. At about 50 miles an hour a car swung round a corner, passed a motor coach, and just missed our radiator. Our camera provides perfect evidence. . . “ Other examples of dangerous driving were at Coulsdon, where a car passed a lorry and a trailer on a completely blind corner; at Merstham, where a light van passed a car on a dangerous bend; and at Lewisham, where a ‘ baby ’ sports car tried to cut inside two lorries, and then pulled outside a tram. - ’ FLEXIBLE “GLASS.” For some years past a great deal of research 'work has been carried on in certain Continental countries toward the production of a clear, non splintering, and Comparatively flexible substance which shall take the place of glacis. The advantages attaching tp a really satisfactory solution of this problem are so manifold and at the same time so obvious that they need hardly be stressed. Glass enters into the construction of almost every vehicle employed for human transport, and when an accident occurs glass is responsible for the greater proportion of injuries received by passengers. Patents for the new substance have been taken out, and it is reported that production in. quantities on a commercial basis is to be undertaken. The price apparently will approximate that of plate glass. The new substance, of course, is not glass. Phenol and formaldehyde form the basis from which it is obtained, and the inventors claim a great advance over previous attempts to make synthetic flexible glass in the fact that not a particle of urea, CO (NH2) 2, enters into its composition, tlie latter compound having given rise to various troubles, particularly in the matter of homogeneity and in the length of time required for the material to set and dry before it could be used. The first operation in the manufacture of the substance consists of a cold mixing of phenol and formol; the process is, therefore, the exact opposite of that employed in the formation of synthetic resins at present in copunercial use. The substance, it is said, can be supplied in varying degrees of hardness or elasticity. It is claimed to be completely dampproof, sea-waterproof, fire-proof, and acidproof, and. if necessary, could be used for pipe-work in a sulphuric acid factory. The patentees, however, are not yet satisfied with it as a substitute for plate glass in cars, as the surface hardness is not sufficient to make the material tinecratchable. It is sufficiently rigid, however, to be used without framing, and hard enough to require some pressure to create a scratch. Speaking of a sample submitted to it, the Motor says the colour is not good, as there is a distinct yellow shade in it. The sample would not be satisfactory for a windscreen, but,in the journal’s opinion would be better as a side-screen than celluloid. Further experiments are being conducted by the patentees in order to evolve a product hard enough to take the place of plate glass as used in windscreens. The material can be made opaque and of any colour. The softer forms under the action of fire do not burn, and the substance stands up to boiling water and also long exposure to sea water. Surface scratching can be removed by buffing. If boiled for a considerable time the product becomes soft, but regains its hardness when cool. USES OF THE WRECKED CAR. Following the systematic wrecking of more than 18.00 Q antiquated motor cars, a leading motor company in the United States announced recently' that the salvaging of materials obtained in this manner was practical, and. that it was now increasing its facilities for continuing the work on a more extensive scale. At the present time a force of 120 riien at one plant, dismantles these apparently worthless hulks at the rate of 375 cars every 16 hours. Many parts, such as tyres, are salvaged in their entirety, and other materials are being converted into useful articles, while the steel is remelted in furnaces to be used in the manufacture of fresh cars and trucks. The derelicts are bought from dealers at a fixed price of 20dol. a car. There is no restriction as to make, age, or condition, except that all cars must have at least some resemblance of tyres and a battery.

The present method is firstly to drain the cars of petrol and oil, which, with any grease, is saved. The cars are then hauled into the building and placed on a progressive conveyor, where the head-light lenses and lamp-bulbs are recovered. The spark plugs and battery are taken out and all glass is removed. That which is whole or may be cut to useful sizes is used for glazing in the plant buildings, and the broken bits are sent to a glass factory for remelting. Floor boards go to a box factory to be used for lids. The cotton and hair obtained from upholstery and roof are separated, made into bales, and sold. The muslin from roofs and the better grade of upholstery covers are made into buffer and polishing wheels. The imitation leather from side curtains and roofs is immediately transferred to electric sewing machine operators near the conveyor line, to be transformed into aprons for use in the blacksmith and other engineering shops. Smaller pieces an d trimmings are made into hand-pads. Petrol tanks are pressed and made into bundles to be taken away and treated for the recovery of terne steel. Overhead compressed air wrenches unscrew the wheel nuts, and when the wheels are removed the tyres are inspected. If the tread is good they are so’d as used tyres; otherwise the entire unit is placed in automatic shears which sever both tyre and rim. The tyre is quickly stripped and tossed into a’waiting cart to be sold as old rubber, while the rims join others for use as furnace scrap. Hub-caps are salvaged for aluminium, ignition wire for copper, oil cups for brass, bushings for bronze, and other bearings for babbit. All metals are kept separated by depositing each kind in steel barrels. As the conveyor-propelled, and now all but dismantled cars reach a station near the end of the salvage line, men with oxygen torches burn the engines loose from the frames. Hoists are attached to the engines, which are swung into a washer containing boiling water and ’soda ash to expel all grease 1 and dirt. Meanwhile what is left of the cars continues on the conveyor into a 22-ton press which crushes them. The remains are then trans, ferred to the third conveyor, which carrier them to the furnace doors.

VALUE OF TRACTORS. It is now a fact that tractor work is done more cheaply than where horses are employed, and, in addition, much of the work is done better and quicker. Many public demonstrations have been held in England recently, and it has been proved beyond doubt that the tractor is a cap* able and efficient machine. British farmers have come to recognise, too, that in order to meet the demands for in* creased production and to keep productive cost at an economical level, power is the first necessity. Consequently, they are more vitally interested in tractor's and in other power-propelled implements, At the shows which have already been held inquiries for tractors and tractof implements have been much more numer* ous than in other years, and, although the sales cannot, of course, bo expected to equal inquiries, the change indicated new interest.

There is still another point that should make the tractor more interesting to all concerned. It is that Horses become

scarcer every year. It is known that a considerable number of horses is in demand for certain kinds of heavy city work, but even these are being so reduced in number through farmers not Breeding them that a first-class horse will cost practically as much as a tractor. Therefore we arrive at a point when it will not be possible to use the old argument against a tractor, that horses are cheaper in capital outlay. Actually a team of good horses for farm work now costs more in this respect than a general-purpose tractor. The Royal Agricultural Society is alive-to the importance of developing the tractor industry for the benefit of agriculture, as is shown by the organisation of tests that it is now, carrying out. and of the public demonstration at Wantage, England. MOTOR CYCLE RACING. RUGBY, September 21. English riders scored a triumph in the piotor cycle Grand Prix to-day over the Pau circuit, finishing first in four categories. In the 500 c.m.c. Handley Wood, pn a Norton, was first, averaging 121 kilometres an hour. In the 350 c.m.c. Hicks, on an A.J.S., was first averaging 121 kilometres. In the 250 c.m.c. Mellors, On a New Imperial, was first, averaging 106 kilometres, and in the 175, Fernihough, on an Excelsior J.A.P., was first, averaging 94 kilometres. RUGBY, September 24. An average speed of 97.26 miles per hour was achieved at Brooklands to-day by A. Denley, who, on a A.J.S. machine, won a 200-miles motor-cycle race in the 500 c.c. class. The winner in the 1000 p.c. class was A. Dunn, who rode a Horsman’s Triumph at a speed of 94.32 miles an hour.

MOTOR CAR ENGINES. LONDON, September 10. A Scottish engineer, who had laboured pver since the war upon a'device for employing the ’steam generated by a motor car engine in helping to run the engine, has at last brought his invention to a point where it is ready for expert testing. If a motorist saw a man putting a gallon of water into the petrol tank, says the motoring correspondent of the NewsChronicle, and if he • were told that the powe. and efficiency of the engine were improved thereby, enabling it to run without carbonisation, the motorist would label the man a simpleton. ° Yet,” says the correspondent, “ I have seen a simple device working in a car which does all these things, convincing leading:English and American engineers, who signed statements vouching for the results. <7 “ It is the simplest of all gadgets and can be fitted within half an hour. • In the heater tank of the radiator, after the engine has been running, is steam, which is sucked -through a valve and passes through a metal barrel condenser, thence, via superheater, to the combustion chamber. There it smashes up the fuel into an almost perfect state of atomisation, eliminating carbonisation. “ A certain quantity of water in the steam-saturated gas, falling on the top of the piston and on the cylinder walls, seals the piston rings.” The invention is that of a Scottish scientist' and locomotive engineer, Air Robert Wood. The News-Chronicle estimates that the saving by this device to British motorists on fuel and decarbonising expenditure would exceed a year.

HEAVY OIL AS FUEL. RUGBY, September 23. The Crossley Motor Company, Manchester, has just delivered to the Leeds Corporation the first all-British Dieselengined double-decker omnibus, which will run 100 miles on 2s 7d worth of heavy oil, as against 16s 6d worth of fuel for a similar type of petrol bus. The Sheffield Corporation has been successfully running an experimental bus of this type for some montlis. ‘ THE PRICE OF PETROL. RUGBY, September 23. From to-day the price of petrol in Great Britain is reduced by 2d a gallon, bringing.? the price in London, which is the lowest priced zone, to Is 4|d a gallon. - Two reasons given for the reduction are the weaker prices for crude petroleum in the United States and the lower freight charges. But for the tax the retail price of petrol from pumps would now be from 10{d to Is o|d a gallon.

The reduction is welcomed by industrial users of motor transport and by private motorists.