WHEELS OF INDUSTRY.
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■ • The wheel of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage. is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—,Tohn Beattie Crosier,
Coal-gas Demonstration.. •
Demonstration of motor vehicles converted from petrol alone to petrol or coalgas. Date 10th October; • time 3 to 5 p.m.; place Messrs. .f. LThornycroft's Commercial "Vehicle Repair Depot and Garage, Pulford Street, Grosvenor Road, London, S. W.
Leyland Fire-fighter's Task.
A big conflagration which recently occurred at West Hall Farm, Baldovie, afforded proof of the marked efficiency of the Leyland fire-engine belonging to the Dundee F. 13. About 80 tons of mill dust lying at the farm steading became ignited, and when the Dundee brigade was summoned it was found that the nearest source of water supply was 3,400 ft. distant. This gap was bridged with hose, and the water pumped up a gradient of 66 ft. to the fire.
Birmingham's Fruit Lorries.
A very interestiftg illustration, which we publish on this page, abows eight two-ton Daimler lorries which are employed in connection with the work of the Birmingham fruit market. They handle 10,000 tons of foodstuffs a year. The first Daimler used in the market was purchased by Mr. Joseph Westwood four years ago, and up to the present date it has travelled forty thousand miles. It was the purchase of this vehicle, and the good recommendation it received from its satisfied owner, that encouraged other dealers to purchase Daimlers, so that there are now -more Daimlers carrying foodstuffs to and from the market than of any -other make. Another Daimler erbtbusiast is Mr. Walter Glover, fruit and potato grower. Both of these users speak extremely highly of their vehicles. The lorries are engaged from six o'clock in the morning until seven or eight o'clock at night, and, in one or two instances, during the latter part of the day they are placed at the disposal of the munition factories.
Aeroplane Output.
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu paid a visit one day last week to theHammersmith works of the Davidson Aviation Co., Ltd. After making a tour of inspection of the various shops and observing the proeessof manufacture of certain aeroplane essentials, he delivered a short address to the employees of the concern. He congratulated the workers on the efforts which they are putting forth, and emphasized the urgent need for quantity production with, of course, due regard to the important factor of quality. Lie pointed out the' importance of the mumtion worker's part in the world conflict, and laid stress upon the need for cooperation in all directions. It is generally known that Lord Montagu is of the opinion that the -oar will be largely won in the air, and with this point in view he urged that, the necessity for concentration upon aeroplane construction was vital.
It is interesting to recall that the Davidson factory has been developed to its present state of efficiency in little more than a year,.
New French Magneto.
Report coines to hand of the early advent of a new British-built magneto based on French designs, which will give a .firing spark at exceedingly low turning speeds. Repeat -states it cannot be injured by high. revolutions, while at the same time it will furnish current for lighting the lamps. We understand that the experimental model has been run well over 100,000 miles, and that it will be shortly standardized on the cans and trucks of one of the oldest and largest manufactitrers on the other side of the Channel
5750 Lorries for War.
The meat recent order for 5750 additional lorries for the U.S.A. War Depart; ment is made up of the following three makes :-3000 three-ton Packards, 1250 three-ton Locornobiles, and 1500 one-anda-half ton Pierce-Arrows. This order is in addition to that for 10,500 ve.hicles which was plaeed among the various makers a few weeks ago.
Truck Unit Development.
A considerable development is taking place in America in the direction of sixwheeled or combination truck unitssemi-trailers—in which the load is carried on a truck frame,and wheels, the forward end of which is supported on a turntable mounted over the rear axle of any suitable car. The .eninplete outfit very much resembles the Knox tractor which has been described fully befere in these pages.
Recent Registrations.
Cricklewood Motor Haulage and • Repair Co., Ltd., with a capital of £5000 in RI shares, to take over the business carried on. at Oakland Road, Cricklewocxl, N.W., as the Cricklewood Motor Haulage • and Repair Co.
Grice . and Harrison, Ltd., with a capital of -R20,000 in RI shares, to-take over the business of manufacture fi of axles and fittings for motorcars carried, on at hope Works, 144-196, Sherhourne Street, Birmingham.
Fletcher Patents, .Ltd., with a capital of £2000 in LI shares, to be manufacturers of and dealers in endless track bands for motorcar and other vehicle wheels, etc.
R. L. Brinton and Co., Ltd., with a capital of £35,000 in RI shares, to take over the business of wheel manufacturers and tyresmiths, iron and steel merchants, carried on by J. B. -Field and H. C. Minton and Co., at Birmingham, and Adams and Richard, at Wednesbury.
Camden Engineering Co., Ltd., with a capital of £50000 in R1 shares, to be, motorcar manufacturers, and mechanical, electrical and aeronautical engineers.
Agrlinotor Export.
Agrimotors are amongst the list of. articles on which the export prohibition has been partly suspended. Full particulars, however, should be obtained from the French eustom Office, Bank Buildings, Kingsway, W.C. 2.
Well-designed Refuse Van.
The Napier hygienic vehicle illustrated below, has been supplied to the Borough of Kensington by Messrs. Chalmers and Co., of • Redbill, who have equipped it with their patent dust-van body. The frame is of best seasoned timber, and the metal work and tipping plates of steel. A telescopic screw is fitted, so that the van will tip up and discharge all
refuse. Two lids are fitted on each side of the roof and open automatically, whilst the steel windshields obviate blowing about of refuse, which is excellent from the health point of view. The
screw and tipping mechanism is made so that the body can be easily detached from the chassis. The driving cab is a fixture, and goes well over the dash.
" Safety First."
With a view to materially reducing the number of traffic accidents which occur annually in greater London, the Safety First Council, 31, Westminster ;Broad. way, SW. 1., invites "drivers or all classes of vehicles to qualify for the "Freedom from Accidents" competition which they have organized. Thu object of the competition 7s to encourage, by the award of money prizes and badges of merit drivers of all classes of vehicles to exercise every care and discretion in the performance of their duties. The competition commences on let October, 1917.
Drivers' Wages Award.
Sir George Askwith's award, to which we recently made reference in these pages, concerning the wages for drivers
of petrol vehicles in the Metropolitan area, stipulates a certain wage for drivers of machines of a definite loadcarrying capacity, and does not refer to the unladen weight of the machine.
Local Proceedings..
Accrington T.C. has purchased a motor lorry' or £270.
Settle R.D.Q. is considering the purehaas of a_ motor fire-engine.
Women are to be licensed as drivers b.y the Walsall Watch Committee.
The Norfolk C.C. has decided to purchase a second-hand lorry for the trans.
mot ci? road material.
Bury T.C. is prepared to receive tenders for the supply. of a motor ambulance chassis.
Hampton-in-Arden (Warwick)' . is raising a fund for the purchase of a motor ambulance.
Walsall Corporation has purchased a second-hand steam wagon for the use of the gas departtnent at a cost of £250.
Hammersmith B.C. has purchased, two Ford delivery vans at £134 each for use in connection with the municipal food kitchen.
Walsall Gas Committee intends to spend 2254 on a charging plant for supplying the Corporation's motorbuses-with coal-gas.
A charging pipe has been erected by the Bristol T.C. for the purpose of supplying the '..4.veamiouth buses with a supply of coal-gas.
Limavady U.D.C. has decided to grant the application of a Lon,donderry firm for a supply of coal-gas from the gas works for use on a motorbus service.
Application is being made by the Wandsworth Corporation to the Local Government Board to sanction the purchase of an ambulance van, -a 95-cwt. motor stores van, and another vehicle for the transfer of patients.
• Agrimotor Oil Contract.
The Scottish Board of Agriculture has placed an exclusive contract with Messrs. C. O. Wakefield and Co. for the supply , of Agricastrol, a special lubricating oil produced expressly for use on agricultural tractors.
Nursing Russian Trade.
At the request of the Rassian Government, C. A. Va.ndervell and Co., Ltd., War-ple Way, Acton Vale, W., has recently translated their booklet on running instructions into the language of that country.
A New Magneto.
The accompanying illustration refers to the new B.L.I.C. magneto for eightcylinder motors. It has been designed for ate on high-speed multi-cylinder engines, and is not of the usual rotary armature type. In this machine the winding is stationary, And an iron sleeve revolves between the armature core and the pole shoes. By this method it is possible to produce a magneto which gives four electrical impulses per revolution, as compared with two in machines the armatures Of which are rotated.
The advantages are obvious. The windiMp,s, tieitra otationary, are not sub milled to any centrifugal strains. The moving ma.4.s is reduced to the minimum, and, in 'addition, it is capable of firing double the number of Ignition points with the same speed and revolution. Not the...least important feature is that it can. be driven with gears running at much lower. speeds.
Up to the present this type of magneto has not been used very largely for automobile engines, but there is every possibility that it will become a popular model for this purpose in the future.
Transport Restrictions.
The. Army Council has made an Order under the Defence of the Realm Regulations which provides that such restrio tions may beplaced on the transport of road materials from or to particular areas or places as the Army Council may consider. necessary. Contracts for the . sale of road materials may be abrogated as
may. be deemed necessary. .
Those requirements are to be notified in the form of directions issued from time to time by the Road Stone Control Committee or any local bodies constituted for the purpose. The directions may relate to (a) the restriction or discontinuance Of the transport of road materials: (b) contracts which are to be abrogated with a view to facilitating compliance with directions ; (c) making returns; or (d) the discontinuance or substitution of the use of any particular class of material. For the purpose of the Order the expression 'road materials" includes all quarried stone, slag, dehydrated tar, tarred slag, -or tarred stone, but not gravel or flint used as road stones.
After-the-war Services for Motor Ambulances.
The Austrian Minister of the Interior has recently circularized various districts advising the local authorities to apply for some of the motor ambulances which will be released on the cessation of hostilities. The Ministry is prepared to spread payment for any vehicle supplied to local authorities, hospitals or institutions, over five annual instalments.
Approved Depots.,
The Commercial Motor Users ASsoe,stier), 83, Pall Mall, SM. 1, has recently published an informative handbook of approved depots.: The efforts of the Association are directed towards the pro visien of 'efficient housing, maintenance, and supply services, along all the principal trunk routes, both for man and vehicle.
Each approved depot is indicated clearly on a street-map of the district, whilst the accompanying text sets forth the accommodation in detail as regards different classes of commercial motor-2 petrol, steam or .elestric.. A separate section gives particulars concerning all the existing charging facilities; for electric vehicles. There are also sections dealing with legal matters, tyre-pressing stations, coal and coke depots, lights on motor vehicles, technical hints and tips for drivers, and a directory of British commercial-motor inanufaciniers. The Secretary of the Association, Mr. F. G. Bristow, F.C.I.S., has compiled the handbook, which is offered at the low price of is. 9d. post free.
Chevrolet One-torwer.
The makers of that well-Isamu' American touring-car chassis, the Chevrolet, have laid plans for the introdaction of a one-ton commercial chassis.
OPe"-Wheel Tractor.
With a view to eliminating the posst-bility Of minor collisions which so often take place in narrow arid restricted thoroughfares, . and to •afford a vehicle means to be readily eitricated from congested areas, the One-Wheel Truck Co., St. Louis, Mo., has recently placed on the market a simple design of tractor. • The manoeuvring capabilities of this tractor will be Clearly appreciated when it is -stated that the whole machine can turn in its own length upon its single heel, which _can be turned at right angles to the chassis.
The outstanding feature of the tractor is implied from its name. It has only one wiled, which is steered through conventional-type gearing. The power Unit is a Continental engine, with a bore and stroke of 3/ ins. by 51,ins. respectively. High-tension magneto is used for ignition, and the cooling water is carried in a tank which has a 56-gallon capacity. It is so disposed as to counterbalance the weight of the engine. The drive from the engine is transmitted through a Borg and Beck clutch to a Warner three-speed gearbox. There are the usual two brakes, the service brake being carried on the cross shaft and is externally operated, while the emergency brake is internally placed.
Stability is given to the tractor by attaching the rearwardly-extending main frame to the front axle of the wagon to be hauled. The weight is balanced on the single wheel, so that the wagon axle is not overloaded ; it simply gives support to the tractor. The attachment to a wagon need not be permanent. It will be seen from our illustration that the comfort of the driver has received much consideration. The tractor takes up less room than a horse and can haul a wagon away from kerb where there is little room for moving backward or forward.
Standardization of Aero Engine Radiators.
In the recently published annual report of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, it was stated that the investigations on the subject of aeroplane radiators had been brought to a conclusion, and recommendations made for standardization. Effect has now been given to these conclusions by the Air Board, and a confidential circular letter has been issued to aeroplane contractors and radiator makers, instructing them as to the material which is to be used for this purpose in future designs. In
quiries on the subject may be addressed to the Department of Aeronautical Supplies, Roomp609, Air Board Office, Strand, W.C. 2.
Increased Rubber Production.
According to the " Auto Welt," the rubber production of Java has increased from 31 million kilograms in 1915 to
5!, million in 1916. It is anticipated that the produce for 1917 will reach 8 million kilograms.
Brazil Tyre Factory.
The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co., of South America, is erecting a factory for the production of rubber tyres in Brazil.
African Motor Services.
A series of motor services is to be opened by the French colonial authorities between Algeria and Timbuctoo. The distance is nearly 1300 miles.
Motor's Unusual Duty.
. The accompanying photograph illustrates a commercial lorry engaged upon a somewhat unusual phase of service. A new building in reinforced concrete was under way, but astit progressed the contractors became faced with the problem of lilting expeditiously and adequately the requisite and diversified materials from the ground to the building level. A donkey engine or power-driven hoisting tackle of the familiar design, being unavailable, it, was decided to impress a Commercar for the work. This machine, as is known, is equipped with a special hoisting and hauling, gear, and in this histance it Saved the situation very neatly. The car was warped into position, its wheels withdrawn and shores substituted, and then it was ready for work. All weights and loads .which had to be raised were handled with ease, and the operation served to bring home the 'all-round utility of the Commercar.