Bird's Eye View
Page 75
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r ALKING of the B.B.C. last week reminded me of
L another meaning of those initials, nothing to do with adio. As readers who are familiar with transatlantic ractice will know, they are widely used over there to adicate the length from the Bumper to the Back of the :ab on a lorry or tractive unit. The B.B.C. dimension is requently quoted as a yardstick of the amount of the ehicle's length devoted to crew and power unit.
This has always struck me as a very logical practice. 'his dimension generally remains constant throughout a ange of models, be they four-wheeled tractive units or mg-wheelbase multi-wheelers. Thus it is easily memorized nd the payload space available can be arrived at by sub:acting the B.B.C. dimension, plus any allowance for space etween cab and body, from the overall length.
No doubt quoting this figure tends to make operators and lanufacturers cab-length conscious. After a long tradition f normal-control vehicles with B.B.C. dimensions of 9 ft.
✓ so, it seems odd to note the American interest in ultrahort forward-control models with 4 ft. B.B.C. Few British orward-control heavies have B.B.C. lengths of less than ft.
Ironer than the Sun
—)EPOSITING ceramic materials such as aluminium -"oxide on piston crowns and the external surfaces of ylinder liners with a gas flame having a temperature of 4,000°C (which is hotter than the sun) may have far!aching consequences. Working out the exact pattern f piston ring pressure on the. bore surface could pay big ividends. The exact analysis of grinding effects on udgeon pins with the help of an electronic microscope Wing a magnification of 160,000, the use of a telemetry .aclio) system for the remote recording of practically everyling that happens in the cylinder assembly under running onditions, the optical measurement of pistons to plus or Units 0.0002 in. with a multi-dimensional programmeantrolled optical gauging system, and lots of other things
all contribute to progress. So who's afraid of the big ad turbine and rotary.
listons of the Future
INCE the last war the average power output per litre ▪ of petrol and diesel engines has increased by more
an 50 per cent and judging by the research work that is oing on at Cawston House, near Rugby, the Associated ,ngineering Ltd. Group is confident that future progress till be even more rapid. Member companies in the group' iclude the British Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Hepworth and irandage Ltd., Wellworthy Ltd., and Coventry Radiator nd Presswork Ltd., and the centre will have cost £400.000 hen it has been completed in a few weeks' time. Research t the centre is complementary to the very extensive :search and development work undertaken by individual ompanies.
kon't let them Flicker
-" URING the past week or two, when driving at night, I have noticed about half-a-dozen examples of goods chides with flickering tail lights, some of which remained unlit for quite long periods. As I approached from the rear I noticed that both lights flickered in unison, suggesting some fault in the common supply, and on overtaking it was found that the vehicles were arties.
They appeared to have automatic coupling gear, and it seems likely that the spring-blade-type electrical connections were not remaining in continuous contact. The drivers may have been unaware of the fault, as the lights may have tended to remain on when the outfit was stationary, but the potential danger is obviously serious. Might I suggest that a careful watch be kept for this defect, as for rear-light failures in general? Quite apart from the safety aspect, this sort of trouble gives the whole industry a bad name with other road users.
Old 'Uns
EVEN though the bus industry is now getting well into
the era of golden jubilees, the number of employees with 50 years' service is relatively small. Two more have joined this select band. They are Midland Red's C. A. H. Harris, deputy staff manager, and E. K. Aytort, a driver at Leamington, whose son at the same ceremony came up for a 25-year award. " Young " Ayton is an engineering foreman.