WHEELS of INDUSTRY
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"The wheels of wealth wifl ,e stowed by alt difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier, Big Concerns Being Taken Over by Ruston-Lister Group.
It is officially announced that Mr. Edward Barford, M.O., in conjunction With Ruston and Hornsby, Ltd., Ransorties, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., and IL A. Lister. and Co., Ltd., is to purchase the businesses. of Belford and Perkins, Ltd., anthAveling and Porter, Ltd., both of Rochester, from the receiver in charge of Agricultural and General Engineers, Ltd., which at present owns the share capital of both these concerns. Of late these companies have been working independently, and they undertake a large proportion of the road-roller business of Great Britain.
A new company is to be formed to develop the goodwill and trade connec tions of the existing concerns, and Mr.
Edward Barford will be chairman and managing director. Mr. Barford, who is a son-in-law of Lord Ashfield, is chairman of both the Barford and Perkins and Aveling and Porter concerns.
The new arrangement will still further strengthen the position of the Ruston-Lister group in the oil-engine world.
Two years ago, it will be recalled, Ruston and Hornsby, Ltd., of Lincoln, entered into a "rationalization " agree ment with R. A. Lister and Co., Ltd., of Dursley. The arrangement, which affected 12 companies, did not involve.
the merging of the financial interests of the two • concerns, but was entered into solely in order to secure efficient co-ordination in design, production and sales.
Ruston and Hornsby, Ltd., holds all the ordinary shares in Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., of Ipswich, and a 50 per cent, interest in. Ruston-Bucyrus, Ltd., of Lincoln.
Competitions for Coachbuilders.
We have received particulars of the prize drawing and handicraft competitions for 1933, arranged by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers of London, and the Institute of British Carriage and Automobile Manufacturers.
There are four drawing competitions, one of them being for a working drawing of a forward-control saloon coach, with opening roof, to carry 26-32 passengers and built to meet the regulations of the Ministry of Transport. The first prize in this competition is £25 and a silver medal, the second prize being 115 and B. bronze medal, and the third £10 and a bronze medal.
The handicraft competition is open to students of any technical school or employees in British workshops under the age of 21, and competitors may submit entries of handicraft in any branch of the industry, including bodymeking, coach joinery and finishing, painting, trimming, panel beating etc. • Fuller particulars can be obtained from the secretary of the joint 'com mittee, the Institute of British Carriage .1320 and Automobile Manufacturers, 107 Great Portland Street, London, W.1, and entries have to be delivered to this Institute, care of the Polytechnic, 309, Regent Street, London, W.1, on or before May 27, 1933.
E. W. Rudd's Ileavy.transport Service.
With reference to the last paragraph of a news item entitled "A. Remarkable Transport Feat," which appeared in our issue for November 1S, we are informed by E. W. Rudd, Ltd., that the company feels that this reference reflects adversely upon the efficiency of its heavy-transport work, which, of course, is so widely known. We assure the company that no such reflection was intended to be conveyed, and, accordingly, express our regret
The Case of the Haulier : Important Meeting Postponed.
We understand that the meeting which was to have taken place at the House of °ominous on Wednesday last, December 7, when Mr. E. C. Marston, chairman of the NatiOnal Council of the Road Haulage Association, was to state the case of the haulier before the Transport Committee of the House, has been postponed until Tuesday next, December 13.
Mr. T. J. O'Connor, K.C., Member of Parliament for Nottingham Central, is tabling a motion for a discussion on road and rail transport, to take place in the House on Wednesday next.
Papers Before the Inst.Meett.E.
At a meeting of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey's Gate, St. James's Park, London, S.W.1, to be held on• Friday, December 16, at 6 p.m. Mr. G. F. Mucklow, D.Sc., will read two papers, one on " Piston Temperatures in a Solid Injection Oil Engine" and the other on "Experiments on a Supercharged Single-cylindered High-speed Petrol Engine."
The former deals with the results of measurements of piston temperature made on a Crossley single-cylindered oil engine of 66 b.h.p.
Must Damage to Property be Reported?
An interesting point was raised at the Come Police Court a few days ago, when Frederick Fenton, driver of a traction engine, was summoned for not reporting an accident within 24 hours of its occurrence.
The defence was that the Road Traffic Act did not refer to property, reading, as it did, "damage or injury to person, vehicle or animal." Defendant was not aware of having caused damage to a
wan% police contention that the Act also referred to anything belonging to a Person was upheld by the bench, which, however, decided to dismiss the summons on payment of costs.
Belfast Bus Co.'s Success.
During the year ended September 30, 1932, the Belfast Omnibus Co., Ltd., made a net profit of £6,571, as contrasted with £6,754 a year earlier, the former figure being arrived at after making a transfer to the motor-vehicle depreciation reserve of 131,500, as against £32,500 in 1930-1931. The dividends for the year are to be maintained at 21' per cent, on the ordinary shares, and 11.244 per Cent. on the deferred shares. Debenture-Issue expenses are to be written down by £1,468, and a sum of £1,258 is to be carried forward, as against £653 brought in.
Inquiry Into Australian Petrol Prices. A message from Canberra states that an inquiry into petrol prices in the Commonwealth has been ordered by the Federal Government, in consequence of allegations of profiteering which have been made against importing corporations. The inquiry is to be conducted by the Director of Development ' "East Kent" Report.
The report of the East Kent Road Car Ce., Ltd., for the year ended September 30, 1932, shows a profit of £36,555, after deducting all items chargeable against revenue, including depreciation. Add to this amount the sum of £6,275 brought forward from the previous year, and a total of £42,830 is available. A dividend on the preference shares absorbs £13,000;tmhilst a dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum on the ordinary shares accounts for a further £21,000, and after £1,000 are allocated to general reserve there is £7,830 to be carried forward.
Big Electrical Company Increasing Its Fleet.
in connection with the opening, on Friday last, of newly acquired premises for showrooms, warehouse, sales, distribution, etc., of its general electric goods, and audition-demonstration salons for radio, at Lloyd's House, Albert Square, Manchester, the Ediswan concern is extending its fleet.
This transport development is also linked up with the company's recent extensions in Birmingham. The additionsl vehicles are for accelerating deliveries, the road services hitherto having been satisfactory, but not large enough for an expected trade increase.
The new vans are Fords and Fordsons, and they have special bodies carrying designs that strikingly illustrate various products of the Ediswan concern. The vehicles were supplied through F. G. Gates, Ltd., Woodford, and the bodies were built by Sully, Blackford and Hawkey, Ltd., London, E.
A New Stewart 15-cwt. Chassis.
The Stewart Motor Corporation, the products of which are marketed in this country by Morgan Hastings, Ltd., 212, New King's Road, London, S.W.6, announces the production of a new 15-cwt. chassis, known as model 4] X. It has been designed primarily for retail delivery service, involving from 100-300 stops per day.
The engine is a six-cylindered unit of 3i-in. bore and 41-in, stroke, and it develops 56 b.h.p. The drive is conveyed through a single dry-plate clutch, equipped with a vibration damper, to a four-speed-anti-reverse gearbox forming a unit with the engine. The gear ratios are as follow ;--First, 6.40 to 1; second, 3.09 to 1; third, 1.69 to 1; fourth, direct ; reverse, 7.82 to 1.
The final drive is by spiral-bevel gear, the axle shafts being of the semi-floating type carried on Timken roller bear ings. The standard gear ratio is 5.4 to 1, although a special gear ratio of 4.25 to 1 can be incorporated at extra cost. The standard wheelbase of the new model is 10 ft. 4 ins., although there is a size with a wheelbase 10 ins. longer.
Four-wheel braking is employed, the Bendix DuoServo system being adopted. The chassis is suitable for carrying bodies giving a loading space of either 7 ft. or 8 ft. from the back of the driver's cab.
Personal Pars.
Mr. A. C. Fenwick, M.Inst.T., formerly general manager of the tramways and motor department of Bury Corporation, recently left to take up his appointment as assistant manager of the transport services of Cape Town, Mr. L. J. Owen has, we learn, been transferred to the outside sales staff of Guy Motors, Ltd., and will cover the South Wales and South-west of England area. Mr. Owen served his apprenticeship with the Dynevor Engineering Co., of Neath, prior to joining, in 1919, the Guy concern. For three years he was in charge of the road-test department, subsequently being transferred to the repair department as assistant service manager.
.Aiding Traffic to Bournemouth.
Early in the New Year the new bridge at Hord, across the River Stour, forming the main entry from the east to Bournemouth, will be opened. The new bridge displaces a picturesque old stone bridge, which will, after the opening of the new structure, be used as a footway. Including the approaches, the new bridge is about 300 yds. long and 45 ft. wide ; it has a carriageway of 30 ft.
Snow-plough Trials to be Held in February.
The international trials of snowclearing appliances, organized by the Touring Club de France, are to be held on February 15, 1922, in the Alpes Maritimes. The spot chosen for the competition lies to the north of PeiraCava, on the road between Turini and l'Aution, at an altitude of 6,300 ft. above sea level.
Certain changes are being made in the regulations for the forthcoming trials and machines will compete in only one category. They must be capable of clearing a passage 8 ft. wide through snow both soft and frozen, from 3 ft. to 4 ft. 9 ins. deep.
The clearance of snow becomes of increasing importance in France and other Continental countries as more main roads over mountains are opened up and kept open throughout the winter. Large cash prizes are offered and special facilities for the transport of machines are provided by the French railway companies. Entry forms may be obtained from the Touring Club de France, 65 Avenue de la Grande Armee, Paris.
Road Lighting with Sodium Lamps.
On December 1 the Mayor of Croydon inaugurated the first road-lighting installation with Phillips sodium. lamps. It is a new system and has been installed on the Parley Way (the Croydon bypass) alongside the aerodrome.
The Philips sodium lamp is not a filament lamp, but a gas-discharge lamp, and the light differs from that of the ordinary incandescent lamp, mainly in respect of colour, volume of light obtained, intensity and subsequent visibility.
The stretch of road dealt with is about a mile in length, and when first approaching it, one obtains no impression of great illumination, but so soon as the area is entered, the eyes become attuned to the peculiar colour, and the unusual clarity which prevails is quickly appreciated. It is because the high degree of illumination is not quickly discerned that many road users continue to employ their headlights, but these certainly provide no advantage whatever. In fact, so easily can vehicles be seen that side lamps are hardly necessary.
Although the road is so well lighted, a staff member who frequently uses the road suggests that means might be found for overcoming the somewhat darker patches bbtween the lamps.
A picture on this page clearly indicates the efficiency of the new system of lighting.
Death of Mr. IV. B. Cownie.
We regret to announce the unexpected death of Mr. W. B. Cownie, who was connected with a number of transport, electricity and other undertakings, including the following, of which he was managing director :—Devon General Omnibus and Touring Co., Ltd.; Torquay Tramways Co., Ltd.; City of Oxford Motor Services, Ltd.; Mexborough and Swinton Traction Co.; Rhondda Tramways Co., Ltd.; National Electric Construction Co., Ltd.; and Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., and other subsidiaries. He was also chairman and managing director of Mussel
burgh and District Electric Light and Traction Co., Ltd.
Mr. Cownie was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and later became a chartered accountant, joining, in 1895, a London concern. In 1899, he turned his activities to the National Electric Construction Co., taking up an appointment as secretary, becoming manager a few years later. In due course he joined the board and was appointed managing director.
Mr. Cownie paid special attention to the development of public-utility undertakings, and was held in high regard by the staffs of his many companies.
1,000,000 Tons of Soviet Oil for India.
Over 1,000,000 tons of Russian oil products, exclusive of kerosene, are, it is said, to be supplied to India under the terms of an agreement which has just been reached between representafives of the Western India Oil Distributing Co. and the Oil Exporting 'Trust of the U.S.S.R.
Preparing for the Leipzig Fair.
A large number of exhibitors has already booked space at the Leipzig Spring Pair, which opens on March 5, 1933, and, in the case of the Engineering and Building Fair, closes on March 12 As from the beginning of next year, the propaganda and organization work in connection with the British Empire will be concentrated in London, for which purpose the present vice-chairman of the Fair, Consul Dr. Arnold Brauer, has been appointed to supervise the London offices at 1, Gower Street, W.C.1.
Sternol Preference Dividend.
The directors of Sternol, Ltd., state that the profits for 10 months of the current year appear more than sufficient for the payment of a half-year's preference dividend and, as the company has ample cash resources for the conduct of its business, it has decided to pay 4 per cent., bringing the preference payments up to December 31, 1930.
Transport Manager Available.
We know of a man who is thoroughly experienced in the organization of omnibus and coach traffic, and who possesses an excellent knowledge of the commercial motor business, including maintenance. He is 38 years of age, holds firstclass testimonials and has had a long experience with several of the biggest transport concerns in the country. Letters addressed " Transport," care of the Editor, will be forwarded.
Trading of Low Temperature Carbonization, Ltd.
In the year ended October 31, 1932, Low Temperature Carbonization, Ltd., made a trading profit of £39,079, whilst interest received on debentures in Doncaster Coalite Ltd., amounted to £9,167. Deducting £12,000 for interest on debentures, 157899 for depreciation and providing for expenses, directors' fees, etc., there remains a profit of £15,138. Any profit on the smokeless fuel, oil and petrol, made at the Askern works of the subsidiary concern, Doncaster Coalite, Ltd., is net included in the profit. During the year sales advanced by £27,253 to £222,163.
A Sweeper-loader for the
Guy Motors, Ltd., has recently delivered to the Great Western Railway Co. an example of its sweeperloader, which is a municipal type. "With this model the refuse is loaded into a container inside the body by means of conveyers on an endless chain. The brushes are positively driven from the engine by means of propeller shafts and bevel gearing. The forward brush projects beyond the wheel track on the near side, in order to sweep the gutters, and is inclined so that the refuse is Swept to the centre of the vehicle to be picked up by the rear brush and swept into the conveyers. The rear brush is in three sections, being curved and selfaligning.
The brush-raising and lowering mechanism, . which has recently been modified, is operated by a handle on the left of the driver, and is geared so as to allow the brushes to be raised or lowered without the exertion of any force and while the vehicle is in motion.
Above the driver's cab is a 120-gallon water tank, which feeds sprinklers at the front of the vehicle, and a rose fitting immediately in front of the gutter brush. The flow of water is controlled by a lever on the near side of the driver's cab.
Descriptive of Carrimore Trailers.
Carrimore Six Wheelers, Ltd., Cantmore Works, High Road, North Finchley, London, N.12, has recently issued a new brochure descriptive of its trailer products, a number of different types being illustrated and certain technical points in their construction enumerated. The types dealt with have a wide variety of applications and include many special models, as well as articulated units.
A Magazine on Sands, Clays and Minerals. • "Sands, Clays and Minerals" is the title of a magazine which is published quarterly by Mr. A. L. .Curtis, Westmoor Laboratory, Chatteris, Cambridge. shire. The latest edition contains some informative articles, and one of particular interest to readers of this journal deals with the modern roadstone quarry. It serves to show that, in keeping pace with the science of road-making, the production of materials has undergone revolutionary changes in the past two decades. It Is interesting to learn that the roadstone industry has become almost entirely mechanized and reference is made to the value of commercial vehicles at differentperiods of the production of road stone. ,
• Other articles in this issue deal with minerals and the British t .Empire; Nimol, a high-grade cast-iron heavily alloyed with nickel, copper and chromium ; some little-known uses of clays ; rock sections, etc.
Fewer Road Fatalities, but More Persons Injured.
According to the National " Safety First" Association, which bases its information upon returns received from practically every chief constable in tho country, fewer persons were killed in road accidents during the third quarter of 1932, as compared with the corresponding 'period of 1931. The serious increase that occurred during the first quarter of this year has now been neutralized, and the position with regard to fatal accidents for the first nine months of the year is slightly better than during the same period of last year.
Although the number killed has not increased for the country as a whole, this is because of a reduction in London, the returns from the rest of the country showing an increase. Moreover, the number of persons reported injured has increased by 4 per cent., the increase having occurred mainly during the third quarter.
A Grease Solvent for Cleaning.
Brown Brothers, Ltd., Great Eastern Street, London, E.C.2, is handling a new soap paste, named " Shiftit," which is a non-abrasive, harmless, antiseptic grease solvent. We have tried the paste and found it excellent for removing
grease and oil from the hands. It lathers freely and .should prove useful amongst commercial-motor garage and works employees.
Road-transport Tax Included in French Budget, Efforts are being made by the Government to balance the French Budget. There is already a. tax on railway fares, and now, in view of the increasing Popularity of road travel, comes a tax on coach transport. It is proposed to levy a tax on all heavy transport, amounting to 7 per cent. in the case of goods and 12 per cent, for passengers. A revenue of 80,000,000 francs is expected from this source.