A New Method of Securing Cylinders
Page 70
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ANOVEL way of securing a cylinder to its crankcase or to its head is shown in patent No. 750,006, by Kelston Engineering Co., Ltd., and G. Burrage, both of Kitchener Road, Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, Bristol.
Referring to the drawing, which shows the scheme applied to an aircooled cylinder, it will be seen that the parts to be joined are each turned to a conical form, as shown at 1. A split collar (2) is similarly coned internally, sa that when it is drawn together by its bolts (3) it exerts a powerful uniting force on the two members.
In an engine in which space was limited vertically, the scheme would be particularly useful
A VARIABLE-RATE SPRING
A SUSPENSION system intended r't primarily for lorries and buses is shown in patent No. 749,031 (A. Nilsson, Rundelsgatan 4, Siidertalje, Sweden). Its rate is made to increase with deflection without having a sudden step as occurs with springs of the " helper" type.
"fhe main suspension is provided by a leaf-spring (1) of conventional form. Attached to two points near the ends are housings containing rubber torsionsprings (2). Bonded to the interior of the rubber are levers (3) anchored to the frame by tic-rods (4).
As the leaf spring rises with toad, its movement is additionally resisted by the torsion developed in the rubber, the extra resistance being applied with a smooth yet progressive action.
AN OPEN-DOOR REFLECT'OR IF the door of a vehicle be opened at 'night, it can constitute a major obstruction to passing traffic because, usually, it projects beyond the normal lighted width of the vehicle. A reflector for use in these circumstances is disclosed in patent No. 749,537 (Joseph Lucas [Industries]. Ltd., Great King Street, Birmingham).
The drawing shows the free edge of c32 a vehicle door (1) with the reflector (2) in position. It is of thin construction, so that it can be accommodated in the gap that usually exists between the door and its adjacent parts.
It is held in place by a pull-out pin (3) and can be easily detached. The object is to permit it to be laid in the road if a long stop has to be made and thus act as an independent warning. To make the reflector stand up, an enclosing wire frame (4) can be swung round to a position at right angles to the reflecting surface to form a cruciform member.
A SIMPLE DUSTBIN LIFTING DEVICE
ABIN-LIFTING attachment for the rear of a refuse-collecting vehicle is shown in patent No. 749,951 (P. De
Graaff, 301 Bezuidenhout, The Hague, Holland). The device is hydraulically powered and is extremely simple to operate.
A hydraulic cylinder is coupled by links to a pair of swinging arms (1) which pivot about point 2. The arms can swing into the position indicated by the broken lines and so raise the bin and tip the contents into the body.
The action is initiated by the operator giving the bin a slight start in the direction of swing. A gear -sector (3) rotates a pinion (4) which is fixed to the spindle of a twoway plug-cock in the hydraulic circuit. The act of giving the bin a start turns this pinion and so the power is applied.
Upon reaching the end of its stroke, the ram compresses a spring (5) which is said to cause the hydraulic pressure to impart a slight vibratory motion to the bin. A timed dash-pot controls the cutting-off of the power and the subsequent descent of the bin. A MULTI-PURPOSE TRAILER
ATRAILER assembly that can be rapidly 'converted from a twowheeled to a four-wheeled vehicle, or alternatively all the wheels may be removed and the vehicle used as a sled, is dealt with in patent No. 750,850. (I.ihnell Vagn A.B., Ringstorp, Sweden.)
A TWIN-ENGINED FIRE APPLIANCE
pATENT No. 750,039
(Officine V iberti Societa per Azioni, Turin, Italy) shows a six-wheeled vehicle intended for a fire-engine. The chief feature is that two engines are employed.
One engine drives the rearmost axle whilst the other drives the middle axle and the front axle. The first engine has fitted to it the main fire-pump.
For fast travelling both engines would be used to propel the vehicle, but upon arrival at the fire the pump engine would be disconnected from the drive and used to give full-power pumping. Both engines are throttlecontrolled from the driver's seat, but the pumping engine is provided with an additional control pedal located in the vicinity of the seat fitted alongside that of the driver.
A HEAVY-DUTY WINDSCREEN WIPER INTENDED principally for the large I windscreens of buses, lorries and the like, is a wiper mechanism shown in patent No. 749,910 (Laycock Engineering, Ltd., Victoria Works, Millhouses, Sheffield). The unit is of the compressed-air-operated type.
A double-ended piston member Cl) is provided with rack teeth (2) which mesh with the pinion (3) of the wiper spindle. Near the end of each stroke, the piston trips a finger (4) which operates the reversing valve.
Special features are the provision of adjustable st'ops (5) for the trip valve, also rubber-and-cork stop faces (6) at each end of the stroke. The compressed air is admitted just ahead of " top dead centre," a feature that greatly reduces the mechanical shock of reversal and should add to the life of the unit