AN AUTOMATIC LOAD SCALE.
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A Résumé of Recently Published Patents.
AN IMPORTANT feature of the loadmeasuring appliance which is described in No. 187,898, by Schiele and Bruchsaler-Industrie-Kongern, is that it embodies provision for adjustment of the scale from time to time as the road springs of the vehicle, which naturally are the actuating means for the scale, alter in camber under normal conditions of nee. That the inclusion of such a feature introduces complications goes without saying. Time, and experience of the use of the machine, will show whether the end justifies the means. The principle of operation of the device is quite simple. Above the centres of the road springs of the vehicle, and attached to the frame of the chassis, are small hydraulic cylinders, the downwardly protruding plungers of which rest upon the road springs. The interiors of these cylinders are in communication, by means of suitable piping, with one or more registering cylinders, the plungers of which move in unison with those in the cylinders above the springs, so that as the primary plungers are forced into their cylinders as the chaesis settles down under load, those of the registering cylinders project more and more. The flexion of the vehicle road springs being more or less in due proportion to the load on the chassis and their movement being transmitted, by the means indicated, to the plungers of t Is e registering cylinders, it follows that by suitably calibrating the stems of the last named, an indication of the load on the vehicle may be obtained. The calibrations are so arranged that the same instrament may be used, without alteration, on springs of varying camber and capacity. The scale marker on the cylindrical stem is not. a plain linear one, distinguished by markings at right angles to the axis of the cylinder, but is a curved scale, in which the graduations are not parallel, but divergent, so that different size, units are obtained along different vertical lines.
Reference to the accompanying illustrations will no doubt assist the reader at this juncture, and it need hardly be pointed out that this feature of the curved scale marking is of importance in connection with the adjustment of the device in accordance with any permanent set which may be acquired by the springs of the vehicle to which the appasatus is applied.
It will readily he appreciated that, were 'the spring-actuated plungers to be left in contact with the springs all the time that the vehicle is running, con siderable wear would result, and the life of the whole apparatus would be short indeed. Arrangements are therefore made to withdraw the primary plungers within their cylinders while the vehicle is travelling.
Other Patents of Interest.
A rather interesting innovation in connection with the design of cylinder heads is introduced by the Studebaker Corpora tion and described in patent specification No. 187,765. The idea is to construct the engine cylinder so that a certain part of it., preferably the head, becomes heated to a higher temperature than the rest. Consequently, when the explosive mixture comes in contact with this unduly heated part, which it does in the natttral order of things, it is completely vaporized, thus facilitating its combustion, and increasing the efficiency of the engine generally.
Actually the means employed for the achievement of this end are extremely simple. Only a part of the cylinder head, that immediately over and around the valves, is water-jacketed. It is pointed out in the specification that most of the motor fuel now on the market is of a considerably lower specific gravity than that friamerly employed, some of the liquid fuels now in use actually containing an admixture of petroleum distillates almost as heavy as paraffin. Iii the orthodox engine, fuels of this character occasion unduly heavy deposits of carbon in the cylinder, with resulting loss of efficiency and other attendant disadvantages. Thisoengine, therefore, on account of its additional vaporizing characteristics, is admirably adapted to make use of present-day fuels.
A refinement in connection with the design of brakes of the internal-expanding, type is outlined in specification No. 187,659. for which H. C. Webb and Co. are responsible. The ordinary design embodies a common fulcrum pin to the two shoes in each drum. As the expander, usually a rectangular cam, located between the outer ends of the shoes, makes contact with one shoe at a point farthee from the wheel centre than the other, it follows that, owing to the greater leverage, that shoe exerts greater pressure upon the drum than the other, a circumstance which is not altogether desirable. The shoes as designed in accordance with this invention have their fulcra on different pins, so set, in the brake bracket, that the effective leverage afforded the brake cam is the same for both shoes.
"Improvements in and relating to flywheel dynamo-electric machines" is the title of specification No. 187,665. by R.. L. Aspden. It refers to a previous specification (No. 153,7211 and describes several modifications of the construction
outlined in that specification all having for their aim the increasing Of the acces sibility of the machine. The principal feature is the embodiment of an auxiliary clutch between two parts, such as the armature of the dynamo and the flywheel, this clutch being operated by the pedal for the main clutch. Another use ful improvement ie the provision of a detachable segment to the brush-carrying ring by the removal of which access to the commutator is facilitated.
E. V. -• Hammond, in specification . No. 187,872, fits an inlet valve to the crankcase of a two-stroke engine, locating it, for preference, in the crankcaee Cover plate. 'Die design of the engine is simplified by using this same crankcase door as a means for retaining the crankpin bearings in place. Specifications Nos. 187,750 and 187,759, by Major Max Woods, refer to details of the construction of seats for vehicles.
The most interesting feature of the invention which is described in No. 185,964, by P. 0. Rowlands, as relating to "improvements in and connected with liquid fuel internal-combustion. engines of the kind in which a mixture of vaporized hydrocarbon liquid, water vapour, and air is induced by the
engine . .," is the method of pro
viding the water vapour constituent of the mixture. The top of the exhaust manifold forms the base of a shallow receptacle, which is enclosed, and in communication with the induction pipe. This receptacle is kept sir-tinned with eater through a float chamber.