Passing Comments
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Insurance Charge which Failed
Mum as we may admire our police, sometimes "Ithey do charge owners and drivers of motor vehicles with alleged offences which would appear to be trivial and may not even be breaches of the
taw. • Recently a driver stopped by the police at night was summoned for driving without insurance. He had a temporary cover note issued at 10.15 a.m. 14 days before and the police argued that it ceased to be effective at this time on the expiry date. The Portsmouth magistrates, however, upheld the defendant's argument that such a cover note expired at midnight on the last day.
Insurers often give times other than midnight on cover notes, but failing a ruling from a higher court it seems that this practice is now out of order.
Showing the Shareholders
IT is not often that shareholders attending a corn1 pany's annual general meeting have opportunities of seeing more than the board of directors and a few companion "owners," happy or sorrowful as the
s26 occasion warrants Those attending such a meeting at the head office of Oldham and Son, Ltd., on August 27 had a surprise when Mr. John Oldham, 0.13.E., the chairman, invited them to inspect the company's new department which produces Fibrak battery separators.
Mr. Oldham believes that investors are taking an increasing interest in the uses to which their money is put. Often the description of some new process or development contained in an annual report is too sketchy or too technical to make interesting reading, therefore a full and " on-the-spot " explanation is much more satisfactory.
Absurdity of H.G.V. Limit STRONG support for lifting or increasing the speed limit of 20 m.p.h. on heavy commercial vehicles is given in a leading article in the September issue of Art and Industry, a nicely produced and wellillustrated monthly journal published by The Studio, Ltd., 66 Chandos Place, London, W.C.2.
It is rather unusual to find attention to this matter given in a publication which would appear to have its main interests in other fields than transport. On the. other hand, this does show that the importance of economics in transport is recognized in everwidening circles. It is unnecessary to quote from the particular article because most of the points raised have been included in leaders in The Commercial Motor.
Measuring Wear Automatically
nNE of the most interesting exhibits at the 'LI Engineering and Marine Exhibition at Olympia is on the stand of Shell-Mex and B.P., Ltd. (Row P. Stand 11). It demonstrates one important use of radio-active isotopes in industry, in this case the investigation of engine wear.
The unit employed is a single-cylindered compression ignition engine, a piston ring of which has been irradiated in the atomic pile at Harwell. The material worn from this ring enters the lubricating oil and the continuing radiation from this is measured, so that the actual wear can be electronically calculated, the • result being transmitted to a continuous recording graph while the engine is running. Up to one millionth of an ounce of metal can thus be detected.
The beta and gamma radiation from the ring has tittle or no effect upon the cylinder wall, therefore the measurement of wear is confined to the piston ring. Allowance is made for what is termed halflife radiation, occurring in certain of the constituents of the ring material. A later check of the total wear over a long period can be made by weighing the ring.
At the stand is also shown a short film entitled "Project 074" which explains the technique of the operation. This makes it easily understandable. Copies of this film will be available from the company's library at Shell-Mex House, Strand, London, W.C.2.
Magnesium for Trailer Bodies
BODIES for trailers are being built of magnesium by the White Metal Rolling and Stamping Corp., Bethel, Con., U.S.A., who have been experimenting with them for over a year. It is claimed that a body with roof, double rear doors and a capacity of 621 cu. ft. weighs only 850 lb., whilst in steel a similar model would be 2,200 lb., or in aluminium 1,300 lb.
The frames are built of extruded magnesium structural sections and the panels are of magnesiumalloy sheet, whilst assembly is carried out with aluminium-alloy rivets.