Novelties at the Engineering Exhibition
Page 65
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ALTHOUGH the main features of this exhibition are concerned with marine matters, there are a few items which shonld be of interest to those connected with motor vehicles.
The Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., of 2 and 3, Norfolk Street, Strand, London, W.C.2, has for a long time been known for the instruments that make for the detecting of flaws and other defects in steel parts, such as those used on motor vehicles, but hitherto these instruments have been able to detect only flaws whieh extend to the outer surface of the metal.
A new instrument shown by this concern enables one to "look inside" the metal.
The Afetallic Analyser is so constructed that it will deal with bars up to four inches in diameter. The Machine consists of rollers so arranged that the bar is fed automatically through, readings being taken in the form of a graph produced by an Oscillograph. The exhibit of Wild-Barfield Electric Furnaces, Ltd., of Elecfurn Works, North Road, Holloway, N.7, is always an interesting one. This year there are two valuable improvements shown for the first time.
The well-known furnace made by this company is now fitted with nickelchromium rod-type elements, so that should one fail, it can be removed and replaced by another while the furnace is still hot, thus saving waste of time and avoiding uncertainty of the heat of the charge.
The other novelty is an air tempering oven, in which the charge is in a constantly moving current of heated air, thus ensuring all pieces of the charge, both large and small, arriving at the same temperature.
British Dardelet Threadlock, Ltd., of Chase Road, London, N.W.10, shows a variety of bolts, nuts, etc., in which its special form of screw thread is employed. The object of this thread is to enable the nut to be " finger-tight " until it is almost "home," when it hecomes " spanner-tight " on its thread, so that, should a bolt stretch or bury its head in the surrounding metal, the nut will remain tightly fixed to its bolt.
Although most of the engines shown on the stand of Blackstone and Co., Ltd., of Stamford, are specially designed for marine use, a range of oil engines can be seen of similar type to those supplied for various makes of vehicle.
An interesting demonstration of electric trucks of the elevating and tiering type has been arranged by the cooperation of Greenwood and Batley, Ltd., Gillespie Partners, Ltd., Yale and Towne Mfg. Co., and the Edison battery concern.