The Motor Drivers News.
Page 19
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A Motor Drivers Society.
The honorary secretary of the " Association of Amalgamated Motor Drivers," formerly the " Amalgamated Society of Motor Drivers," has sent us a copy of the rules for the present year. The rules for the election of a member have been altered, and whereas, previously, it was a necessary qualification for a candidate to have had at least tWelve months' experienee, this clause has been deleted. In a letter to us, the secretary says : " We think that as so many firms are teaching their own men, it may be of advantage to them to be with us, as a lot of useful knowledge can be obtained at the discussions which always follow the business of the meetings." The letter goes on to say that " we, also, hope, in the near future, when financially strong enough, to start courses of instruction, and, in addition, to have a reading room supplied with literature relating to the motor industry." We print rule Number 5, which explains the qualifications necessary for election as a member of the Association, as it will, no doubt, be of interest to those drivers who purpose applying for membership. " Admission :—Any motor driver, wheth& electric, petrol, steam, etc., wishing to become a member of this
Association must be proposed and seconded by two members who have full particulars of his qualifications, Which
shall be discussed at the meeting. Candidates residing more than seven miles from a branch shall fill in an application form to the satisfaction of the committee. Ail candidates shall pay the sum of is. 6d.—this to include entrance fee, book of rules, and card of membership— which sum shall be returned if not elected."
It will be seen that any bond-fide driver can obtain admission to the Association, provided he can get two of its present members to propose and second him. Any further particulars will be given by the honorary secretary, whose name and address are : Mr. F. Clements, 30, Elmfield Road, Coppermill Lane, Waltharnstow.
Non-slipping Treads for Steam Lorries.
" T.D." (Canning Town) writes :—" T was much interested in reading about the non-slipping treads which were mentioned in a letter from ' M.O.' that appeared in your issue of 23rd January. M.O.'s 'idea might be applicable to some makes of steam wagons, but it certainly would not do for others, inasmuch as the steel cable would not clear the driving chains properly, to say nothing of certain other parts, such as brake levers and brake blocks. I am afraid that we shall have to return, in the above cases, to our old friend, a bucketful of grit, as this can always be obtained, and, when properly distributed, is hard to beat for efficiency. It is, generally speaking, the fault of improper spreading that causes a wagon to stop half-way up a hill. The usual plan is to sling ' the grit anyhow, without any method, the consequence being that the supply is exhausted long before the slipping has been stopped. What is the result? You generally see lumps of coal, or coke, being flung beneath the wheels, which is a wasteful plan, to say the least of it. The correct way to put down grit, when the wheels are skidding, is not to chuck it about, but to drop the grit close to where the tire rests upon the roadway. The most successful way of feeding the grit is by means of a hopper with a long spout, which will feed the " non-skid " in a thin stream in the centre of the tire track. In this way, 1 have driven a wagon up some of the nastiest, and most dangerous hills with a very small quantity of grit. Railway practice has proved that grit is excellent and necessary on steep gradients, and railway people ought to know what they are doing. Letters have, also, appeared in these columns setting forth the efficiency of small bags of grit when a wagon is skidding down a steep hill. Traction engine wheels have been fitted with various forms of 'attachments to prevent skidding; angle irons, grips, studs, and the like, and I have even seen a carpet formed of sacks laid down to assist adhesion, and even then, grit had to he used in the end. I feel perfectly convinced that no form of non-skid tread will give the solution of the slipping nuisance incidental to wagons fitted with smooth tires, and my statement is greatly strengthened when one considers the number of different treads which have been brought forward to do away with the trouble." " S.R." (Manchester) writes :—" I have, in common with ' J.D.' and M.O.,' _tried the effect of wrapping steel cable round the treads of the driving wheels of my steam wagon, and I must say that I have found it most satisfactory in operation. Taking an average, the cable lasts about ten days before wearing out entirely, but I think that these temporary treads would last a good deal longer in most towns, because most of the streets in this city are paved with setts and these, practically, pound the cable flat in no time as the wheel jumps from the highest part of one sett to the corresponding part of the adjacent one. There is not the slightest doubt that the skidding always found in wet weather or on greasy roads is a serious matter to both the owners and drivers of these heavy vehicles. 1 have tried using a fine kind of gravel, or grit, but, although it stops the nuisance to a certain extent, I have given it up, as I find the steel cable infinitely superior. In fact, my employers believe in it so much that they allow me to buy any old steel rope that I may want, as they say that it is cheaper for them to spend a little money in this way than to have the annoyance of delay, and, above all, the increased wear and tear which always takes place when a wagon is trying to get along a greasy surface, owing to the racking strains of the constant stopping and starting, to say nothing of backing.
"I do not fancy that the idea of M.O.,' relating to the keeping of a set of driving wheels ready wrapped for emergencies, is feasible, because I don't think he would find many owners of steam wagons who would feel inclined to lay out capital in such a direction. Wheels, and especially driving wheels, are expensive parts of the wagon, and I do not see that the game would be worth the candle. It would mean laying out a lot of money for a fitting which would be used, Comparatively speaking, seldom. Then, again, what driver is going to take the trouble to change his wheels unless he knows that the condition of the roads over which he is going to travel is bad. Here, in this district, the rain may pour down in the city, yet, five milts out, there may have been no rain at all."
Packing and Jointing.
" I.D.R." (Guildford) sends the following notes upon packing and jointing in reference to a letter from " (Glasgow) which appeared in a recent issue :---" If the faces are properly faced' up, and are perfectly level, on such parts as cylinder ends, and steam chests, a serviceable joint can be cut from asbestos sheeting. The important thing to remember is that, after the joint has been cut out to the correct size, it should be well saturated in boiled linseed oil for some time before it is wanted, after which it is desirable to rub the joint over on both sides with a little powdered plumbago, to prevent the asbestos from sticking to the metal When the covers are removed for inspection or repairs. I have known such a joint, as described above, to stand ' considerably over a year without giving the slightest trouble in any way. With an asbestos joint the faces must be in good order, and, also, when screwing up the nuts, even pressure must be applied all round, by turning each nut in rotation, although this same care ought to be exercised when making a joint of any material. In the case of joints which have to be made between surfaces which have not machined .faces, I have used tarred twine and red lead with equal success as with the asbestos sheeting, but it has the drawback of having to be re-made each time the joint is broken. "With regard to theglands for piston rods; and valve bolts, and such-like fittings as the spindle of stop valves, I have found that it is hard to improve upon plaited hempen packing which is thoroughly soaked in tallow. • Remember to tighten up a gland directly it begins to show signs of steam leakage, and,. also, remember only to tighten up the nut sufficiently to stop the leakage, not strewing the nut clown to the utmost as is done in some cases. Asbestos string is very useful indeed for small work such as gauge-glass cocks and the small valves on water lifters and injectors. I prefer to use .red lead and tarred twine for all permanent joints on a boiler with the exception of mud pings andmanhole joints, for -which I use asbestos sheeting, as the joints can be used over and over .again if they are 'rubbed over with grease and afterwards with plutnbago each time the joint is broken."