. TAIL-LAMP TROUBLES.
Page 27
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Our Driver and Mechanic Readers Contribute a Few Useful Hints.
1 T IS astonishing how frequently, even in these days, tail lamps give trouble—not in the siunmer, no, but in the winter, and as the trying season, trying, at least, as regards the amount of daylight it brings, is approaching, some useful hints about tail lamps are likely to be very welcome.
" A.W.B.," of Leicester, to whom we are this week awarding the 15s. prize, runs a Ford one-ton lorry, and also, it transpires, has the advantage of a Ford van in the same stable, The former does not appear to be equipped with a modern lighting set; the latter is. At
least, that is what we gather from his letter, which is not too explicit on the point.
He does at least make it, clear that he had trouble of the sort named at the head of this article, and determined to get rid of it. Be happened to be in possession of a good six-volt accumulator, and decided, to use that as a source of current for the tail lamp when the engine was stationary, relying on the magneto when the power unit was in use. The essential accessory for this purpose is, of course, a switch, and this was forthcoming, he says, in the shape of "an old four-point switch, a relic of the late war which I had by me."
This sounds rather cryptic, but perhaps inquiries might be injudicious.
The accumulator was located in a convenient box beneath the driver's seat (or thereabouts). From its negative pole a, wire ran to earth; from the other a similar connection ran to one of the contacts on the switch (see sketch). The two contacts on each side of this were run, one to a headlamp, the nearside one for choice, the other to the tail lamp, which is fitted with an adapter to take the bulb. The second Wire goes to earth. As the wire from the headlamp would, in the ordinary way, have run direct to earth, this connection meant that its circuit would only be completed by the switch carrying it through the tail lamp and then to earth. The fourth contact on the switch is coupled to thatoshich is wired to the tail lamp.
The operation is fairly simple, if the sketch of the wiring be studied. For ordinary running the headlamp and tail lamp contacts are connected by the switch. The alternative connection allows the accumulator to be used.
From time to time this accumulator and that, on the van were exchanged, so that both were kept fairly well charged by the dynamo outfit. Thestandard headlight switch on the steering column is used to control the magneto current as usual.
" '" of Buckhouse, Fifeshire,
had all sorbs of trouble with an oil tail lamp, and in the end he found his best procedure was to use acetylene. For this 'purpose he invested 6s. 3d., the main part of which went to the purchase Of a miner's carbide lamp. The sketch shows how this was fitted inside the ordinary oil lamp. A hole was first cut in the base of the latter to allow the carbide' lamp to be pushed into place, so that it could be retained in situ by a sheet copper or sheet brass plate cut to fit into the oil-well slots, and with a hole in the centre to accommodate the carbide [container. The burner of the latter was elevated, by means of a piece of -copper pipe, until it stood opposite the middle of the reflector of the .lamp. This lamp was in use all last winter and never gave a moment's trouble beyond the filling and cleaning always required by a gas lamp. Another driver who found acetylene more satisfactory than oil for a, tail lamp was " 0.8.," of Sheffield. He, apparently, does much all-night driving .wer the Yorkshire Moors, and finds them, draughty. It so happens that he had an. Allen and Liversedge compressed gas outfit for his headlights. He took out the 'burner from a scrapped headlight, and fitted it to his tail lamp. Suitable connections were then made between gas cylinder and tail lamp, and, hey presto his troubles were gone.
Re does, however, keep the oil vessel from his tail lamp in his toolbox, in caae of need.
"J.G.P,," of Wisbech, wanted to fit up an electric light in the garage, to be run from the batteries on his lorry. His lamp holder was of the double-pole type, his lamp a single pole. Economy being the order of the day, his problem was to make the latter do tor the former.
t. fie made use of the base of a scrapped double-pole bulb, removing the glass and the old filament. A small hole was then drilled through each [contact top, and through 'the composition. A length of copper wire was soldered to each contact. One-of these wires was wound round the base of the single-pole lamp, as shown in the sketch; the other was shortened and applied to the single contact. Satisfaction ensued.
Lamps Alight.
On Saturday, September 300, light your lamps at 7.12 in London, 7.19 in Newcastle. 7.20 in Birmingham, 7.27 in Edinburgh., 7.25 in Liverpool, 7.22 in Bristol, and 8.8 in Dublin.