HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17786, 10 August 1929, Page 23 (Supplement)

HIGH ROAD AND BY-ROAD

SELF-SWITCHING LIGHTS. 'Considerable interest Is being shown at the present time in clock mechanisms which will switch on the lights automatically at a pre-deter-mined time when a car has to be left unattended. Such a device is particularly valuable in the spring when a car has often to be left, say, at 6 p.m., in broad daylight for a few hours, but the incidence of lightingup time iround about 7.30 o’clock compels the owner to waste current by leaving the lights on. Again, motorists are notoriously forgetful of parked cars, and yet to neglect to switch on the lights may lead to the annoyance of a summons and the inevitable fine.

In addition to the devices already on the market for obviating these difficulties, there is one which has recently been patented that semes to be a practical proposition. It consists of a motor clock incorporating an automatic switch mechanism placed in the lighting circuit to control parking lights and the tail lamp. The switch mechanism is very simple, there being pinions which rotate a small hand over the dial of the clock once in 24 hours. The switch consists of a spring blade and cam. the latter being set to the required time by means of a knob operating an indicator sunk into the main dial of the clock. The specification also covers mechanisms providing for varying the period during which contact is maintained which, of course, controls the time during which the light are kept on.

HOLDER FOR BLOW-OUT PATCH. It is very annoying to have the blow-out patch slip round the casing while mounting it on the rim. A good idea is to bend a hook on both ends of a small coil spring and hoop it into the flaps of the patch then the patch will always stay “put.” With this arrangement the flaps will stay around the bead, as it is intended they should.

HOSE CONNECTIONS. It is advisable to examine the hose connections on your car at least once a year. Hot w r ater rots rubber away, so that, although to all outside appearances your hose connections may be all right, the inside may be partly choked by pieces of rotten rubber which have fallen away from the walls of the hoses, thus impeding the circulation of the cooling water.

TO STOP LENS RATTLE. A piece of friction tape, such as is used by electricians, may be used to advantage to stop a headlight lens from rattling. The tape is folded right round the rim of the lens, and if necessary two thicknesses may be used. This tape is easy to use, as it is, of course, adhesive and stays “put.”

HANDLING A MAP WHILE DRIVING.

A most convenient method of handling a map while driving is to clamp it on top of the steering wheel, where it can be seen at a glance at any time without interference with the driving. Any form of loose map can be used in this fashion by folding it to a size that will lay one inch within the rim of the steering wheel all round, and having the route to be followed exposed. Place the folded map on top of the steering wheel so that the destination will be at the top when the wheel is in the straight-ahead position; thus you will view both the road and the route on the map in the same way. The map can be held in place by clamping it to & spoke of the wheel with a large spring paper clip, or with a spring clothes pin.

SPARKS. Of the staff of General Motors (N.Z.), Ltd., at Petone, 99.25 are New Zealanders.

Tests are being carried out by the French War Department with a Diesel oil engine in an army tank.

The breakage of a battery cable terminal can be temporarily remedied by crimping sheet lead around the bared copper cable and cutting a hole for the battery screw.

A small piece of rubber tube in the tool kit will mend nine out of ten petrol pipe breakages on the road. A leaky tank is a problem, but common soap will often seal a small fissure. Plastlcene will also serve, and chewing gum is useful. ,

Occasionally the jack will not depress sufficiently to fit under the axel in the case of a puncture. A simple trick is to drive the punctured wheel on to the spare tyre laid flat on the ground. The clearance will then be adequate to adjust the jack.

A motorist who owns one of those small cars which everybody makes jokes about was recounting an experience to a friend. ‘‘l had a bit of luck coming up the other day,” he said. “I ran into a trap.” “Is that so?"- said bis so-called friend gravely. “Was there any cheese in it?”

During the first five months of 1929 a total of 11.923 cars, chassis, and commercial motor vehicles was imported into New Zealand. In the same period of last year the aggregate was 5598. The import value of tile quota for, the five months of 1929 is £1,749,621.

Petrol taxes, tyre duty, and annual license fees on motor vehicles returned a revenue of £1,243,577 in the year ended March 31 last. This is the first full financial year in which the petrol tax has been operative. In the year 1927-28 it had been in force only three months. The petrol tax is yielding in excess of the anticipated revenue £730,000 a year.

MOTOR CYCLE NOTES. Valve bounce is the failure of the valves to return properly to their seatings when the engine is running at high speed. This is usually due to weak valve springs. Tile term “back pressure” is used to denote that undesirable pressure caused by an obstruction in the exhaust system. If excessive tills may cause overheating and poor running. Advice has been received from England to the effect that A. Denley, on a 350 e.c. A.J.S. motor cycle broke three world's records as follows:—Two hours at 93.35 miles an hour, 200 miles at 93.42 miles an hour, and three hours at 92.87 miles an hour.

“ Overlap" is the short period between the end of the exhaust stroke and the beginning of the induction stroke during which both valves are open at the same time. The exhaust valve closes “late" and the inlet valve opens." early ”to allow fur the comparatively sluggish movement or ‘ lag of the gases. * t * * An interesting feature of the twostroke Coventry Eagle with flywheel magneLo is that the intensity of the spark is unchanged when the ignition is retarded and the range of advance ami retard is theoretically unlimited: this has the effect of giving smooth running and even firing at very low speeds.