FROM HERE AND THERE

Southland Times, Issue 22993, 12 September 1936, Page 19

FROM HERE AND THERE

CORRECT PLUG REACH

When replacements of sparking plugs are needed, the casual practice of fitting any set of plugs which comes to hand is to be deprecated, because engines are most susceptible in this respect and it is highly probable that the plugs thus selected will be of an unsuitable pattern. A point which is not always appreciated is' that for easy starting and smooth running it is essential for the plugs to have the correct “reach.” As a general rule, it may be said that plugs are of the right reach when their points are flush with the wall of the combustion chamber or cylinder head. If the plug points are recessed or pocketed in the cylinder wail or head—the result of too short a reach—difficult starting and ( erratic running at low speeds may result, due to the fact that the plug is firing in a pocket of dead gas. If, on the other hand the reach is too long, tne points of the plug will protrude into the combustion chamber and will soon become overheated, with the consequent danger of pre-ignition, loss of power and perhaps serious damage to the engine. You cannot look at a plug and be confident that it has the right reach; the best guide is found in the recommendation charts issued by the plug manufacturer, Tests for Toughness.

What does it need to break a piece of toughened glass, the Triplex Company s product which looks exactly like ordinary plate glass, but is many times as strong? You can throw it on the floor, hit it with a hammer and jump on it with hob-nailed boots, and it will remain intact. But like every other material, even tempered steel, it has its breaking point, and the Triplex people recently set out to discover what this was, in every-day, nontechnical terms. As it goes through the works, every pane of Triplex “toughened” receives a blow from a mechanical hammer which is equivalent to the impact of a steel ball weighing 1.681 b. dropping from a height of five feet. Samples from each batch of glass are put on another machine where the actual steel ball is dropped on to them from heights rising to nine feet before they fracture. This does not convey much to the general public, for few people have much conception of what a 1.681 b. steel ball is really like; it is interesting to note, however, that ordinary plate glass of the same thickness breaks when the ball is dropped from a height of one foot only. Recently, however, tests were carried out with a full-sized ivory billiard ball. Special apparatus was erected to enable the ball to be dropped from, great heights. It was found that from 32 feet up—-about the weight of most two-story houses—the glass resisted the blow every time, the speed of the ball at the time of impact working out at 30.9 miles an hour. The glass was unmarked, but the billiard ball was scarred with “flats.” The King's Motor Cars.

I As so many conflicting reports are current as to the types of car used by the King, the foUowing authentic information is of interest: “King George V used no cars other than Daimler, which practice is followed to-day by Queen Mary. When King Edward VIII ascended to the Throne it was clear that the very large Daimler State carriages used by King George V, and which were usually occupied by four people, would be too large for him, but after trying the Daimler straight eight and expressing his pleasure with its performance, he placed an order for a Daimler straight eight a few days after his accession. This Is the car delivered recently and known officially as “The Royal Car.” The King owns a second Daimler straight eight, normally used by his equerries in attendance, while his third Daimler is King George V’s double six 50 “Car of State” which has been retained for processional and other special work where a smaller car would not be suitable. Thus King Edward owns three Daimler cars, none of which carries number plates or licence—a distinction which these Daimlers alone possess. His Majesty has certain other cars; for example, when he was Prince of Wales he ordered two cars of transatlantic origin, but these only arrived in England after he came to the Throne. He has also purchased other British cars for use at his country residence, but all of these have number plates and licences and are used as private cars for various purposes. It will therefore be seen that Daimlers are exclusively the “Royal Cars of State” for the present King, as they were for King George V.” Road Book of England and Wales. The English Automobile Association’s new road book of England and Wales which has just been issued, has been specially designed to enable the motorist to plan his route to suit his own requirements. Over 35,000 miles of itineraries are included and these with the 8000 references in the gazetteer, the 130 town plans and the touring articles aid the selection of either a fast direct route or a holiday tour through attractive country. The gazetteer contains comprehensive notes and items of historical, architectural and scenic interest, and a novel feature is the inclusion of details concerning the type of foreshore to be found at various seaside resorts. Forty-four pages are devoted to clear scale maps of England, Wales and London, all of which are “keyed” to the gazetteer. These maps are fine examples of craftsmanship and re beautifully printed in full colours. The road book of England and Wales contains more than 700 pages, and is offered at a special price to members of the Automobile Association. : Better Minor Roads.

A plea for the improvement of the

condition of the country’s minor roads is being made by Charlton Elliott, secretary of the National Motorists’ Association (England). The urgent problem of the extension of our main highways has, he suggests, been, to some extent, responsible for the neglect of wha_t_on the surface appear to be less important roads. Of the 134,891 miles of unclassified roads, many are now in need of attention. This means that the needs of a very large section of the country’s total road mileage has had to give way to the development of a small proportion, represented by the main highways. Since minor roads represent such a big proportion of the total mileage their improvement becomes a matter of first importance, and they could, it is suggested, be remedied by the application of the tar treatment which is already applied to many more important roads. In urging the introduction of such a programme of road work, Charlton Elliott said that the fillip it would give both to employment and the much stricken coal industry is no inconsiderable point in its favour.