HINTS FOR PETROL VEHICLE DRIVERS.
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Useful Funnels, a Fuel Gauge and a Petrol Pipe Repair.
CONSIDERING-ITS apparent simplicity, the operation of pouring motor spirit into a, tank is the cause of a considerable amount of trouble. There are two reasons for this. The first is the urgent necessity for ensuring that the petrol, as it enters the tank, be -free from impurities; it should not contain the slightest particle of dirt or grit, and it is most important, that no water should pass into the tank with it. The second is the need for preventing waste.
To obviate the former trouble various kinds. of filters arid funnels have been designed. The latter 'reason, -which comes in for consideration because of wastage caused by splashing and overflow, is countered by the use of funnels and by the employment of various patented pouring devices.
A frequent contributor to this page, of Manchester, has sent us some interesting sketches of funnels which he has constructed and used from time to time.
It will be more convenient to refer to these sketches in accordance with the number jay which each is indicated, and, in passing, it, may be remarked that one important feature which has been kept in mind in designing every one of them is the necessity for providing some outlet for the air.
In the funnel which is indicated in Fig. 1 this difficulty is avoided by the fitting of a special copper pipe to serve as passage for the air. The funnel itself is of the common conical type, with a smooth exterior, whith, when it is lowered into the filling orifice of the tank, closes it, forming an airtight seal. All that is required is a piece of brass or copper piping, in. external diameter, and long enough, when fitted into the funnel, as shown in the sketch, to project at the lower end about in. beyond the open end of the spout, and at the top sufficient to be bent over to form a handle. As a preliminary, it is better slightly to flatten the tube for the whole of its length, so that it eventually comes to have an oval sec tion. Solder the tube securely into place, and it will be found that all the issuing air will pass through, allowing Use petrol to flow in a steady, even stream without bubbling or splashing.
The design shown in Fig. 2 is chiefly applicable in cases where the mechanic is making his own furore!. It will be noticed that the spout, is formed with three exterior grooves or channels. In order to form these grooves, the tapering piece of tin-plate from which the spout is to be made should, before being bent to shape, he treated by hammering a piece of i-in. iron wire into it while it is laid over a block of hard wood or of metal, into which suitable grooves have been cut. In this type of funnel the air can pass along the grooves.
In the event of the workman not being able to form the grooves in the manner indicated, an alternative method is to solder strips of wire along the outside of the spout, as shown in Fig. 3. These are quite effective in achieving the desired object, and, moreover, if the wires are prolonged, as shown at B, beyond the junction between the spout. and the main body of the funnel, they strengthen the letter at what is always a weak point. Incidentally, this method may also be applied to the type of funnel shown in Fig. I.
The special object of the design which is shown in Fig. 4 is to separate any water which May be in the petrol. The spout is so made that it projects upwards into the interior of the body of the funnel for about one-third the depth of the latter. The top of it is closed by a piece of wire gauzei3 of No. 80 mesh, This prevents the water from passing through. and turns it over to settle in the space marked A_ The spout of this funnel should be treated in the manner shown in Fig. 2 or in Fig. 3, A SIMPLEform of petrol gauge, by
which the driver may be kept aware at all times of the amount of petrol still in his tank., is shown in the accompanying sketch, which we have received from " H.A.B.," of Ro.therham. The materials required are a piece of
copper piping, a glass tube, union and metal clip. The pipe must be of a length which will be determined by the design of the chassis and the location of the petrol tank thereon, It must be long enough to connect • the tank, as shown, with the lower end of the glass tube, using a union as a connection and a brass strap or strip to hold the upper end of the tube. The union will have to have a special nut fitted to it to-accommodate the lower end of the glass tube. Preferably, although "H.A.B." does not .show, it, the connection between
the glass tube and union should be in the form of a gland.
The glass should be marked, or calibrated, in gallons after the apparatus is erected and as petrol is. poured into the tank gallon by gallon. It is
is convenience if a, small float be dropped into the glass tube, and this preferably could be of tin, painted red.
THE ATTITUDE which a man takes up in regard to any occasional breakdown is necessarily governed to some extent by the class of work upon which he is engaged. " P.A.G.," of 'Wished', was carrying fruit to London, and this is., as will be understood, a matter of some urgency. On one occasion his petrol pipe broke clean away quite close up to the union nut below the tank. This occurred in the small hours of the morning, when it was impossible to find anyone to effect a proper repair and solder the nipple of the unitn on to the pipe. The urgencyr. of the job necessitated a temporary repair being effected. Our contributor tells us that he did this by carefully filing a chamfer on the end of the pipe, as shown in the sketch, so that it would bed very closely into the taper on that 'portion of the union in the tank. He then wrapned the 'exterior of the pipe with string, so that when the mat was screwed into the union it tightened the. string upon the pipe and held it securely.