Multum in Parvo. A FORTUNE SAVED BY DRILLING A HOLE.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 9, 2 July 1906, Page 247

Mu ltu m in Parvo. A FORTUNE SAVED BY DRILLING A HOLE.

Contributed by Peter Ellis

The story of chalking the bobbin is now to most people ancient history, but it goes to show how great results may obtain from childishly simple doings. I am reminded of an incident m my career which shows the extreme tenuity of success in an important mechanical contrivance. Several years ago when the first 3' 6" gauge railway rolling stock was imported into this colony it was found in actual working that a great waste of lubricating oil took place through the oil passing over the edges of the boxes at the entrance for the axles (see sketch herewith). The inventors of the axle boxes had evidently anticipated this probable waste and had provided, as was thought, a prevention in the shape of a loose collar surrounding the axle and extending into a groove as seen from the sketch; notwithstanding this, however, a very great waste went on, and my attention was called to the matter by my superior officer, who showed that the waste ran into hundreds of pounds in a short time —as a remedy I suggested drilling a hole in the reservoir. The idea of drilling a hole to prevent leakage ' The suggestion seemed positively ridiculous ; nevertheless, as 1 shall show, it was an effective remedy and answered the purpose admirably, saving the Government a large sum of money annually. By reference to the sketch it will be seen that as liquid such as oil on a revolving shaft always flows to the largest diameter (if it can), it found its way to that part of the axle marked (A) and met the loose collar (B) which conducted it into the groove (C), but when the groove (C) got filled with oil all that came after flowed dut oi the groove at (D) and so was wasted ; now, by drilling a hole through the thin partition (E) from the inside of the box to the groove the oil could flow freely in vand out of the groove but could not rise higher 111 the groove than the level of the oil in the box, and so the waste was prevented by simply drilling a -|"ihole through 3-i6th" of metal. I mention this just to show inventive engineers, how much often depends on a mere trifle m mechanical contrivances, ,and how sometimes a worthy invention is abandoned just through the want of the turn of a screw or the t-\\ist of a bit of wire, or what not, which has not happened to be thought of.

The proposed Manufacturers' Industrial Association (says " Artisan " m the Weekly News) is very favourably commented upon by the leading unionists of Auckland. I should like to offer a suggetion to the promoters, and that is to invite each union to send delegates to attend their next meeting. There are a number of capable men in the ranks of the unions who are as equally interested m the success of local industries as the employers, and m an association of this character numbers are more essential to its success than subscriptions. The union label provision m the Australian Trademarks Act seems to be queerly drafted. It will be an offence to counterfeit the distinctive device of any such brand, but any one may attach the words " union label " to his goods without let or hindrance And if a dealer in portmanteaux can prove that the handles are union-made, no one can prevent him using the protected device — if he attaches it to the handle ! An employer may not put the label on goods made partly by apprentices, or improvers, even though he observes union rules. The unions could enable such an employer to use the label by altering their rules so as to admit apprentices to membership. Any worker, or association of workers — it need not be a registered union, and might be a bogus union formed by the employers — could register a label. jfc sfc ifc «k A jfe

The imports of coal at New York during 1904 were quite unimportant — 64 tons of anthracite and 1572 tons of bituminous. The exports amounted to 48,176 tons of anthracite and 29,582 tons of bituminous. During the years 1900 to 1902 there was an exceptional export of coal from the United States to European ports, but in the years 1903 and 1904 the export of anthracite coal has been almost entirely to Canada, with a small proportion to Cuba and the West Indies. During the same year about 70 per cent, of the exports of bituminous coal were taken by Canada, from 12 to 15 per cent, by Mexico, and about 11 per cent, by Cuba and the West Indies.