Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
Page 16
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TEN SHILLINGS WEEKLY for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for any thing else published.
Drivers of commercial-motor vehic es and tra.-tors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, are invited to send shart coi.tribittions on any suVect which is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Wtrkshop tips and smart repairs ; long and successful runs ; interesting photographs : all ,re suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter hw short, or hoze, written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" and prepare sketches, where necessary, before pgtblication. The absence of a sketch dies n‘.t disqualify for a prize. When writing use one side of the paper only and men:ion your employer's n«me as a guarante of bona fides. Neither your own nor your employer's name w.II be disclosed. Payment will be made imme diately after publication Address your letters to The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL Mown, 7-15, hosellery Avenue, London, E.C.
In Government Service.
[811] " E.G." (Watford) writes.—" I think that an account of a few days' work I have done with two vans under my charge might interest•your readers.
"I will first deal with a Maudslay 50-cwt, van, which I have had running for four years, and which is still running as well as ever; the engine and transmission have the same bearings as when delivered, and are likely to be good for some time to come.
"In most of the runs given below, a full load has been carried both out and home.
1. London to Ramsgate and return in one day, 152 miles.
2. „ „ Cambridge „ „ „ 104 miles.
3. „ „ Brighton „ „ „ 108 miles.
4. „ „ Birmingham; out one day and home the next, 220 miles.
5. London, Mitcham, Epsom, Leatherhead, forking, Kingston, Brentford, Isleworth, and home in one day, 98 miles.
" These are only a few of the many trips that I have had without any engine trouble.
"An Alldays 30-cwt. van is the second vehicle. This van is running well; it has been working seven months without losing a trip, and it has accomplished one of the finest runs I have yet heard of with a commercial vehicle, and that was from London to Liverpool in 14 hours. I left London at 3 a.m. and arrived in Liverpool at 5 p.m., a distance of 212 miles. The next day I went on to Aintree for a load and returned as far as Birmingham and stayed the night, and then on to London the third day—a total mileage of 435 in three days. Another trip was as follows. London to Maldon, Colchester, and Ipswich, making seven calls en route—a total of 156 miles. A third good run was from London to Ware, Bishops Stortford, Barkway, Cambridge, Thetford, Attlebrough and Norwich, where we stayed the night. The next day we went on to Kings Lynn, Hitchin and home—mileage 284. Other trips have been: London to Brighton return in one day, 108 miles; London to Birmingham, out one day and home the next. 220 miles. In all eases a full load was carried both out and home.
"The only engine trouble I had was a piece of broken hosepipe. I took it off the radiator, and found it would hold no water. I had a new piece, but this I found was not long enough by 3 in. I therefore cut a piece off the old tube to connect up with the new, and I made an internal sleeve by cutting off the barrel of my petrol squirt (1 in. diameter by 3 in. long). Hose clips completed the job, and I have not disturbed the arrangement to this day."
A Suitable Scheme for Boring Tractor Wheels.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the 10s. prize this week.
[812] " II.M." (Darlasion) writes:—" Many are the eon-trivances and makeshifts that have to he contended with
in small engineers' or repair shops, and I well remember one that had to be carried out in a small shop, where I worked a few months ago. It may be useful to recount it, as similar awkward jobs frequently are encountered in connection with tractors and small wagons.
" The firm with whom I then was, were engineers to the corporation of an important southern naval town. A road roller was sent in for repair ; one of the roller wheels was so badly cut and worn that it required repairing and rebushing. Of course, there was not a lathe in the town that could swing such a large wheel as this, and it was therefore decided to rig it up at the end of an old engine lathe of very-antique design. The final arrangement was as shown in the sketeh which I send you herewith—[We have had this redrawn.—ED.].
" The heaviest jaw-chuck that we could get hold of was used to take one end of a powerful bar, which latter was supported at intervals along its length by cast-iron steady rests. The boring bar was of the kind that is used for boring cylinders and was provided with a travelling cutter block, which was actuated by a screw in a groove cut for the purpose. The cutter block carried two tools.
" The roller itself was mounted at the end of the lathe bed on a wooden block, securely bolted down. The height of the wheel was regulated by a pair of wedges placed on the wooden supporting block, and the other methods adopted to adjust and secure the wheel satisfactorily in position are quite evident from the sketch.
" The tailstock of the lathe was, of course, removed, and the roller was then carefully set centrally with the boringbar, and the two steady blocks were thereafter carefully placed in position. The feed of the cutter was arranged in the usual manner by means of a small star wheel and stop suitably disposed. " A gunmetal bush was put into another lathe turned in the outside and bored to the correct size. The cutter bar was then withdrawn and the bush forced in, by means of a large bolt that was passed through the boss with a plate across one end and with the gunmetal bush at the other. The whole job occupied a little over a day.