Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
Page 18
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Ten Shillings Weekly for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for anything else published.
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen of garages OY shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject which is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Long and successful runs ; services with no "lost journeys" ; workshop tips and smart repairs: all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" before publication. When writing you must mention your employer's name as a guarantee of bona fides (not for publication), and you should state whether you wish your own name, or initials only, to be published. Payment will be made immediately after bublication. Address your letters to 1 he Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL Moron," 7 15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
Will the writer of the letter, No 535 (below), please send his full postal address clearly written, as that on his original communication has been accidentally rendered illegible since its receipt.
Packing the Connections for a Klinger Gauge.
[535] A correspondent explains the means he has adopted to improve the joints by which the Klinger, patent, water gauge is attached to the ordinary form of boiler mounting.—" On my steam wagon I have one of the ordinary type of Klinger water gauge, and I have several times recently been seriously misled by what afterwards proved to be a false level in the glass. Under certain circumstances, of course, you will understand that this sort of thing is liable to lead to very grave consequences. I was at a loss for some while to understand the cause of the false reading, but, when I took the gauge down, I found that the packing, which is normally forced down by a gland, had been squeezed under the end of the bottom outlet of the gauge fitting—as at a in the drawing—to such an extent that. it almost completely blocked the waterway. The existing type of fitting as shown in the left-hand gauge on my sketch [We have redrawn our correspondent's diagram.—En.] is satisfactory so long as the bottom end of the gauge fitting very nearly beds itself on to the boiler-mounting piece. It frequently happens, however, that this is not the case by as much as a quarter of an inch, with the result that the packing is squeezed out underneath. My remedy for this last state of affairs was to screw the ends of the gauge fitting—I altered both ends while I was about it—and to fix thereon a small brass collar. I than shortened the gland a little, and was enabled to push the packing hard down on to this new collar. This arrangement held the packing tightly." The Steering Gear of a Foden Wagon.
[536] " BEISIVL " sends to us a description of what he recommends as a useful tip for drivers and owners of Foden steam wagons.—" For some considerable time recently I have been troubled with the steering gear on a Foden wagon. This was abnormally tight between the centre locking pin and the boiler bracket. Both parts I found were of cast steel, and I consider the friction between them caused the trouble. Although I put plenty of oil on the surfaces, I could not prevent them from working stiffly, and this, of course, always rendered the steering of the wagon quite hard work. I eventually thought it would be a good plan to place a washer between these two surfaces, and for this purpose I procured a piece of sheet brass which was slightly smaller than the diameter of the bracket. I drilled some holes to coincide with the oil holes on the boiler bracket, and then I placed the washer between the bracket and the steering fork. It is a good while since I made this arrangement, and I have never been troubled with tight steering since. The gear works as easily now as if it were fitted with a ball bearing, and I can keep my chains quite tight and thus save a considerable amount of lost motion on the steering wheel. T was never able to do this before I fitted the washer."
To Test for a Broken Wire.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the 10s. prize this week.
[537] " Sam " (Cardiff) sends the following communication :" I offer the following contribution for your page of mechanics' tips. I have found the method which I relate very handy for testing the wiring in an ordinary electric-light circuit, the wiring of pit lamps, the primary wires from coil to accumulator, or to commutator, and other similar systems. It sometimes happens that the wire may be broken within the insulation : it is then an awkward job to find the exact place where the wire is severed. My plan is, in such a case, to make a test wire with a piece of insulated cable, say, six feet long, to solder a stout needle on to one end of it, and to fix a terminal on its other end. I next procure an accumulator and a volt, meter, and I connect one end of the wire from the voltmeter to one pole of the accumulator, and the other end to the nearest terminal on the defective wire. I then connect the terminal of my testing wire to the other pole of the accumulator, and with the needle end I make a search for the broken part by probing the wire with the sharp end. I commence at that end of the faulty wire which is nearest to the voltmeter, and work away from that point until I find there is no deflection at the voltmeter. I then know that I have just passed the broken part, because the circuit is broken. When the needle is withdrawn, the insulation will close up the puncture without showing any sign of damage, and no mark will be left. The fault, once located, can be repaired."