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Demonstrating Anti-dazzle and Direction-indicating Devices

19th March 1929, Page 66
19th March 1929
Page 66
Page 66, 19th March 1929 — Demonstrating Anti-dazzle and Direction-indicating Devices
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE design of direction indicators for motor vehicles has been developed contemporaneously with the increase in popularity of the closed car, and the question of their usefulness is of importance to coach and bus operators because of the difficulty which the drivers of big vehicles experience in conveying their intentions to turn or to reduce speed.

For this reason the demonstration of such contrivances and of anti-dazzle deSifts, which the Royal Automobile Club organized (partly at the request of the Ministry of Transport) at Biamond Park on March 7th, is interesting to the commercial-motor industry.

Inventors 'have protected numerous direetion-indicating systems, some of which are certainly effective, Whilst *there are not sufficiently simple to afford a practical solution of the problem. The best from all volute of view appeared to us to be those having a lamp ease at the rear of the vehicle as well as one at the front, displaying arrows or the words " Left," " Right," " Stop," etc., illuminated by lamps, and employing a straightforward wiring system, with control switches placed conveniently on the steering wheel or column. Other systems used only one lamp case fitted on the off side of the windscreen, but, although this might be an effective signal for motorcars, it would hardly be suitable for motor coaches. There were several kinds of illuminated arrows fixed on the windscreen pillars.

Celluloid and rubber hands,sthe latter operated by momentary inflation effected with a rubber bulb, were means resorted to by some inventors, and one device consisted of a shrouded flood light which Would illuminate the driver's arm when extended to make signals.

Some 50 inventions for preventing the dazzling effect of headlights upon other drivers were demonstrated, and our conclusion from a study of them was that the simplest were the best. The difficulty has been to obviate the dazzle without losing all the value of the headlight, end, on this score, there is much to commend the systems of tilting the lamp or the reflector mechanically so that the beam, without being reduced in intensity, is east -upon the near-side edge of the road a few yards ahead of the vehicle.

The Lucas device, well known nowadays, is in this class; it comprises a tilting reflector on the near-side lamp which is operated by pneumatic or electric means from the steering column. Actuation of the plunger, or switch, tilts the near-side beam and switches off the off-side headlamp.

Another good lamp-tilting invention is that of Barker and Co. (Coachbuilders), Ltd., which is mechanically.operated by a lever placed beside the driver's seat

The Bosch system, handled in this country by J. A. Stevens, Ltd., is a good example of the methods which deal with the reduction of dazzle at the lamp bulb itself.A double-filament lamp is employed, and the operation of a switch cuts off the current from the main filament, lighting a pair of auxiliary filaments. Situated beneath these are small reflectors casting the rays to the upper half of the parabolic reflector, so that a diffused beam concentrated well below the axis of the lamp shines upon the road ahead.

Various other inventions NFeri,e shown. Some made use of cowls permanently fixed to the lamps, others utilizedmetal slats inside the lamp fronts ; twin bulbs and double filaments were coalmen to several.

The demonstration was useful in previding an opportunity for those interested to see and to compare the devices at present on the market.


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