Opinions from Others.
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The Editor invites curresPondence o:i all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper wily, and type-written by preference. The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted. In the case of experiences, names of too us or localities may be withheld.
Will Use Motorvans When Convinced.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
L1488] Sir,—I have taken your paper for over 18 months in order to keep in touch with the progress of commercial motors, as I shall be glad to change to motors as soon as they are financially possible. Your figures for horse vans would give a handsome profit in the country. The 3s. 9d. for stable help is superfluous, as the driver of a van doing only 20 miles per day could do the stable work with ease, The motor figures are not applicable to the small trader. He must have his outlay back in five years, so that depreciation and interest should be 30s. per week instead of 14s. ; Is. weekly is very low for rent, rates, taxes, etc. Will not the present-day motor van be economically obsolete in five years ?—Yours
truly F. H. BEAMISH.
[A motorvan is not obsolete in 5 years. One should last more than 10 years on such easy work.— En,i
The Life of a Chain-drive Gearbox.
Tire Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1499] Sir,—Herewith we have pleasure in sending you a copy of a letter we received recently from Messrs. J. W. Brooke and Co., whose experience with chain-driven gearboxes will doubtless be of value to some of your readers in view of the interest which is now being taken in the subject. In the gearboxes in question Messrs. Brooke used the Itenold 1 in-pitch bush roller chain, with a breaking load of 4000 lb.—
Yours faithfully, HANS RENOLD, LTD.
V01.1 OF LETTER.
5th Feb., 1912.
Messrs. Hans Renold, Ltd. Progress Works, Brook Street, Manchester.
Dear Sirs,—We thank you for yours of the 3rd, and would say that it was in 1901 that we built our first car which was fitted with roller chains in the change-speed ,earbox ; we had no cause to alter our arrangements until 190'6, when we built a gear-driven car. Our sole reason for abandoning the chain was owing to the then prejudice of the public against chain gear. But it was extremely satisfactory. We have cars that have been running since 1903, which, so far as the gearbox is concerned, are running satisfactorily to-day.
We fitted three gears and reverse in our chain-drive boxes, the gearwheels being engaged by dog clutches, the dog clutches being operated from one cam, which was inside the gearbox. Our opinion is that we obtained much greater efficiency from our chain gearbox than we do from the later type of gearbox. We most certainly should not have abandoned the chain gear if the public had not compelled us to do it.—Yours
faithfully, J. W. BROOKE AND CO., LTD.
(Signed) M. BROOKE, Director.
A Speedometer Movement.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1500] Sirs—We are much obliged to you for the favourable notice you have given of our new speedometer in your issue of the 8th February. We should be glad to know through one of the experts on your staff or from one of your readers, if they have come across any application of this principle to any device. Your statement is that "the principle . . • has been employed before, but in the Duncan instrument its application is new." An exhaustive search at the Patent Office assures us of the accuracy of the latter part of your statement, but we should be glad to know where the ball-driving-friction or slipping method of centrifugal control has been applied. Some friction-drive or braking action is, of course, possible.
We have had more than 20 yeais of experience as practical mechanicians on an endless variety of mechanical devices and have not come across this curious movement. It will at any rate interest your readers, and satisfy our curiosity if the information could be supplied.—Yours faithfully,
DusicaN AND ELION.
[Bowden Wire Ltd., Pratt Street, Camden Town, has marketed a 3.1. ution Whiai sLould intt.rest our eurtealondents. Another L.evite of a snoilar nature was at one time har.died by one of the big accessory homer,— we believe it was United Motor ludustrits.—Eud
Horse v. Motor: the Depreciation of the Horse.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1501] Sir,—I have to thank you for your footnote to my letter in your issue of the 8th inst., I have carefully • noted it. Permit me to remark in reply that one phase of your valuable paper which cannot but strike your regular readers is the courtesy which is invariably shown to anyone who has the temerity to criticise any statements put forward by you. This is as it should be, but one does not, in very many journals, meet with it. With regard to the remarks you make, I venture
to suggest that a properly-organized delivery, whether it be horsed or motor, does not permit of loitering to the extent of 25 per cent. of its working hours. The sum of 290 I misread as the value of the horse alone : this would give an average life for horse, van and harness of 10 years. You, however, state in the second article that the life of the horse may be taken at 6 to 7 years. To take it at si years on 250 would give 27 13s. 10d. per annum for depreciation on the horse, or 2s. 110. per week, which, after taking into account interest on the 290 at 4 per cent. or Is. 41d. per week, leaves 5d. per week to cover depreciation on the van and harness. So that these latter are expected to be in use for over 46 years. Having costed minutely a large stud of horses, in a provincial town, I found that over a. considerable period of Years the depreciation worked out, including deaths, at 4s. 3d. per horse per week. The provender and bedding was at 12s. 7d. per horse per week, but in this particular case a farm was owned and the provender and bedding were charged up to horse keep at cost.
Recently I came across a horse at the age of 38 years gallantly taking out, and starting with considerable spirit, its daily load of one ton, or thereabouts, a distance of 3 miles. This is, of course, a very exceptional circumstance, and, needless to say, in the country, but I was sufficiently interested to go some distance to see it and had its age vouched for.
With regard to the repairs to the motorvan, I note you state that the balance over .33d. per mile was made up of small parts bought for stock and not yet used ; if that. be so, I respectfully point out that they should be taken into stock at cost at the end of the period and not appear in the running costs until put Into use.
I very much agree with your remarks that tradesmen, etc., do not properly appreciate the importance of costing their delivery work ; certainly, to most, it means additional office expense.
The articles at present appearing on this interesting question will prove of great value, especially to anyone considering the advisability of a change in their method of delivering his goods, and your leader of the 8th inst. will cause those clinging to horse haulage furiously to think.—Yours faithfully, "ACCOUNTANT."
The Merits of " Ozonair."
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1502] Sir,—I notice in the current issue of your interesting paper a reference to the " Ozonair ' system supplied by my company. It is quite evident that the person responsible for the reference has either been grossly misinformed or is very unobservant. I allude, of course, to the paragraph on your
page entitled " One Hears ," which reads as follows: " That although the Underground Railways are now advertising ' Ozonair Free,' fresh air does not seem to be on the menu," Now the Underground Railways are not advertising " Ozonair Free," as they have not yet a purifying and ozonizing installation for the provision of a supply of fresh air. The Central London Railway is alone doing so, and it is probable your informant remembered that he had seen some announcement to that effect whilst he was journeying on one of the other railways, and that the air in the underground railway he was travelling upon was anything but fresh.
I should be much pleased to take you for a trip on the Central London Railway, and show the manner in which the ventilation is effected, from which you will be able to see that fresh purified air, and nearly 100,000,000 cubic feet of it, are forced into t he Central London Railway tunnels and stations every 24 hours, with the best result.
You will appreciate that a careless statement of the nature referred to is liable to do my company coneiderable harm, and hence the necessity for my writing to you to point it out.
1 trust you will take such. steps as may be advisable to remove any erroneous impression you may have left upon your readers. —Yours faithfully, OZONAIR LTD., EDWARD L. JOSEPH, Managing Director. We -shall he pleased to arrange a trip. The " Ozonair " system will no 4oubt be entended_End The Difficulty of the Tire Guarantee.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1503] Sir,-1 have read with much interest the article by "Tenaxity" in your issue for the week ended 1st February, 1912, as well as the further letters appearing in the " Out and Home " column. I should like to add a few criticisms and suggestions thereon.
I am of opinion that it is not necessary, or possible to establish, as suggested, an " arbitration tribunal " for dealing with tire-deficiency disputes: further, I very much question the policy of forming such an association.
In the first place, are thee-c disputes as numerous as suggested—what is the percentage of claims for deficiency on tires sold? Will your correspondent be surprised when I say that, including all deficiencies, disputed or otherwise, the figure is not 5 per cont. of the total sales ? Is it therefore necessary to establish an arbitration tribunal to deal with a few difficulties which probably only represent about I pee cent. of the tires used. 1: should think the value of the subscriptions to such en institution by the manufacturers would more than cover the total value of the deficiencies under dispute. I do not think manufacturers will agree to standardize carrying weights—they all have their own opinions of the carrying capacity of their tires, and these. are based on exhaustive experience. Unless. you establish a standard for quality. one manufacturer will always claim for his tire an advantage in weightcarrying over other makes, due to alleged superior manefacture and material used, etc. As for standardizing quality, this will never happen. Manufacturers would not dream of disclosing to anyone their tire mixings and processes of manufacture.
The well-established and better-known makers of solid tires have very few difficulties with their tires or their customers. Their tires on an avernge run between. 12,000 and 15,000 miles, and quite a number of
, users of these makes do not attempt to keep mileage retords. If a defective tire Comes along they can always depend upon a satisfactory settlement.
A mileage guarantee is, I consider, an ambiguous arrangement; it is the only part of the vehicle with a guarantee on its wearing life. The guarantee has now served ite purpose—it has brought the manufacture of recognized makes of tires up to such a pitch of excellence that deficiencies hardly exist. I am of opinion that the guarantee would soon die out altogether', if it were not for new makers' productions continually coming on the market; these are really the cause of the trouble as mentioned by your correspondents. They cut the price and offer extraordinary guarantees, with the result that, in some cases, owing to inexperienced manufacture, the tires sometimes strip from the band or the vulcanite. The price obtained being so low, the makers are inclined to
argue the question of deficiency allowance. However, with the knowledge gained from experience, these new makers soon improve the quality, overcome the difficulties of manufacture, shorten the guarantee or increase the price, and eventually the whole business is levelled rip once more, and so the good work goes on,
I have often thought that some good could be done, from a user's point of view, by getting tire makers to adopt standard internal measurements of tires, so that all makes would be interchangeable on the same sized wheel without alteration. Also, I would suggest that you open your columns for correspondence, opinions, and suggestions. on an attachment for securing detachable solid-band tires to wheels at present in existence without the wheels having to be altered. I can assure you that for abroad, the Colonies and isolated places such an attachment. would indeed be a blessing.-Yours faithfully, "EXPERIENCED."
[Ort,..olunitas are always open to" opinions from Others " as well ae to etweesLiorls for others. Th eaiiiy-dstariiab1e solid tire has been a matter of consideration 'in our columns from time to time for several years The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
11504] Sir,—As an independent member of the solid-tire trade, i.e., as one who is neither associated with nor influenced by the &MALT.. I have been asked to express my views on the question raised in " The Extractor's" " Out and home" columns regarding the difficulties resulting from "guaranteed mileage."
it is a fact that, in the past, the guarantee appealed strongly to users generally, as it put them in the position of knowing practically where they were, so far as the tire bill was concerned. They failed, in the majority of cases, to realize that, by purchasing the tires outright, the cost would be lessened virtually by the amount of the premium put upon the price by the manufacturers to cover the risks and expenses pertaining to the guarantee. It. may be said that the tire which the manufacturer does not guarantee is not worth having. Possibly so. A great deal, though, depends upon the meaning and application of the word. My company, one of the oldest-established firms of solid-tire manufacturers. doing a large and increasing trade, has never yet issued a solitary tire under a mileage guarantee, our " Brand " having always implied the most valuable of all guarantees, viz., that in respect of workmanship and material.
I have not the slightest doubt that, in their mutual interests, the majority of other prominent tire manufacturers would now willingly agree to do business on the lines I advocate, allowing the users the benefit of the difference in price. By so doing, there would he no call for the doubtful services of an Arbitration Committee or Tribunal, the existence of which would only be a further tax upon the cost of tires supplied.— You rs faithfully,
WALLINGTON, 'WESTON AND CO., T.TD., WM. J. MCCORMACK, Director_