ACCESSORIES &FITTINGS
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fo r Light Vans
A Visit to the Rot ax Co.'s Premises.
On visiting the premises of the Rotax Motor Accessories Co., of 43-45, Great Eastern Street, E.O., although one sees the usual variety of accessories and fittings, such as are normally associated with the business of such a concern, one is struck rather at the predominance of lamps and fittings for lighting. In the touring-car branch of its business, the company is noted for the excellence of its electric lighting sets. One of these, we believe, is particularly adapted for van work, and we hope to be afforded an opportunity of making an examination and of testing a set at an early date. Meantime, we directed our interest to other articles of importance to van users and owners ot commercial vehicles it, general. Of these a particularly large variety is available, and from many st hich were shown to us we selected the following as being lypical examples of the goods marketed by this well-known concern.
A Dashboard Mirror.,
Tho commercial-motor mirror, of -Which we examined a sample, is, as its . use demands, a strongly-made device. It is simple, and care has ' been taken in its construction to render it impossible for water to percolate through to the back of the mirror and damage the plating. It is designed for attaching to the dashboard, and is adjustable then in a horizontal direction and also by an angigar movement round the pillar which supports it. In order to prevent loss of the screw which secures the mirror in place in its standard, it is tapped at its outer end and fitted with a retaining _screw ; we illustrate this feature.
Headlight Using Acetylene Gas.
Turning now to acetylene lighting, that class of lamp sold by the Rotax Co. known as the Brightlight would appear to be very .suitable for commercial work. Headlights are now in certain circumstances and in certain areas permissible, which in many cases comes as a relaxation of previous restrictions and will be welcomed by all those drivers who have any considerable amount of night driving to do. The Rotax Brightlight Projector, as it is called, enabsdies in its construction all the most upto-date features of reliable lamp construction. The Bray burner is
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fitted ; behind it is a mangin lens mirror, and before it the plain glasa front. The front glass and inner shield are scoured in place by a brass ring which is itself screwed to the door of the lamp. The fastening is a secure one, and yet affords a ready means of access in case of a breakage of the glass. Attention should be directed to the very simple method of securing the valuer and its holder in place, this being by means of a spring ring. The neat and effective strainer for the gas should also be noted. We illustrate this by means of a drawihg. As regards the exterior, the lamp is cleanly made and affords a minimum of projections which might interfere with speedy cleaning. It is carried by a pair of side brackets, and the price varies, of. course, with the size.
The Self-contained Lamp.
Very similar -in construction is the Roadlight self-contained lamp and generator.. It has, in addition, the usual type of horizontal cylindrical generator at the rear of the lamp. It is interesting to note that .either of these lamps can be supplied in one of three finishes, ebony black, nickel, or polished brass. Most present-day. drivers faced with theneed for doing much whichwouldordinarily fall to a couple of men will welcome the first-named style as being less difficult to keep in good condition as regards appearance.
A Universal Headlamp Bracket.
In keeping with the description of the headlamps supplied by the Rotax Motor Accessories Co., mention should be made of the patented adjustable headlamp. bracket. It is neat in appearance and so designed that it can be applied to any size or shape of dumb iron, and will then, after adjustment, adapt itself to any width of lamp. It is only to be used in connection with lamps which provide for a twin bracket. It can be had in any finish to suit the lamps, that is to say, dull black, nickel plate, or brass plate ; as an alternative, brackets finished in black enamel may also be obtained.
Standard Side Lamps.
The Rotax paraffin side lamp is of the old familiar type. A pair of these with the tail amp described in these pages make a suitable set for almost any type and size of van. The side lamp is made in two
styles, suitable for either a single or twin bracket. In black, japanned, with brass mounts, which is a finish likely to commend itself to most commercial-vehicle owners, these lamps sell for 38s. a pair. An important feature is the secure fastening of the oil con. tamer. This is acquired by half a turn of a spring locking device. As to tail lamps, perhaps the most robust-looking accessory we remember to have seen for SOME time is that tail lamp which is designed and sold by the Rotax Co. for commercial use. It is of sheet metal, japanned, with brass door. There does not appear to be any soldered joints in the make-up, rivets being used throughout. It is designed to show a red light to the rear, a white light to the numberplate, and another white light to the off and slightly forward. It thus throws a tell-tale beam to the side of the road, serving as an indicator to the driver that all is well with that oft-times troublesome accessory his rear lamp. An important detail is the container for oil. This is carried entirely within the lamp, so that there is no possible chance of its being lost on the road during the day time, when its absence might not be discovered for hours. It is held in place by a pair of springs, but can only be adjusted as regards the height of the wick after opening the door of the lamp. It is interesting to note that the latter opens downwards, that is to say, its hinge is at the bottom. There is a stout spring clip to fasten it. Suitable provision for ventilation is made, and the lamp can be carried on the standard flat bracket. It is secured in place by means of a screw with large milled head and wing locknut. It burns paraffin as a fuel, and sells complete for 9s. 9d. A similar lamp can be had prepared for the use of electric light for 20s. 6d,
Grease and Oil Pump.
The Rotax Co.'s Universal Grease and Oil Injector is an ingeniously-designed accessory which serves a double purpose. In appearance, it appears. to be the usual plunger type injector which forms a unit in almost every complete kit. On examination, however, it will be seen that on the spindle of the plunger is turned a square thread screw. The nut for this screw may be either attached to the head of the pump cylinder or may be loose upon the screwed spindle. When loose on the spindle —and if we suppose it screwed right back to the handle end of this spindle—then the device serves as an oil injector in the ordinary way, a charge of oil being taken in by suction and driven out by compression, movement of the handle being a reciprocal one. If, however, this nut be. attached to the bead Of the . barrel, then the injector may be used for grease. Unscrewing the spindle slowly withdraws the plunger, taking in a charge of grease ; screwing it down egad] will propel the grease with suffi cient force to carry it along the narrowest of passages. With this injector are provided a, variety of spouts or delivery pipes, two for oil; one short straight one, and one with a right-angle bend to it ; and one for grease, which takes the form of a short length of flexible tubing screwed at its outer end to an adaptor. The adaptor can be of any size ordered by the motorist to suit the grease plugs on his van or lorry. There are several other useful in;.e.ctors for oil, grease or petrol, but the one we have selected seems to us to be the most useful from a general-purposo standpoint.. Moreover, it would appear to be remarkably cheap at" 7s. 9d.
A Well-made Generator for Acety
lene.
The Rotax generator, supplied as standard in connection with the acetylene lamps we have de scribed, is, in. keeping with the lamps, sturdily constructed. In Lip sign, it is simplicity itself ; there appears to be nothing to get out of order. The cylindrical has been the form adopted for this accessory, and it is in three compart ments. The top holds the water, which makes its exit through the usual type of hand-controlled orifice ; the carbide is contained in a basket below this, the used material falls through the meshes of a sieve at the bottom. into still another container winch can be lifted from the generator proper and emptied. The design is such that the generator can be bolted to the off-side step of the van or sirni lar convenient platform. • A Place for the Oil-can.
"A place for everything and everything in its place" is an old saw. It is one which is at times .difficult to follow, though it will be readily granted that, as a rule, by carrying out this maxim, economy of time usually results. In the brads:A for oilcan, which is a registered design of the ROtax Co., some help is afforded to the driven to keep at least one of his necessary utensils in. place. Everyone knows how invariably the oilc.an. leaks unless it is kept the right wiky up ; everyone also will realize how diffienit it is to keep the oilcan the right way up if merely dropped into the toolbox. This little bracket attaches to the dashboard, under the bonnet, and carries a standard oilcan which is sprung into place. It will probably save its cost, Is. 3d., in economy of oii, if in no other way. A further advantage, during cold weather, is that the oil is kept in such a condition that it will readily pour.