ROADSIDE AND GARAGE.
Page 67
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Interesting Contributions from Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
The Emergency Door in Sideentrance Buses.
AMOST important point is raised by one of our correspondents, " J.G.P.," of WiSbech ; in fact, it is so vital that we think too much attention cannot be called to the inefficiency of many of the, so-called, emergency doors. The incident described by " J.G.P." is, we feel sure, not an isolated one, 80 the suggestions he makes should be insisted upon wherever such buses are in use. We will give his communication in his own words.
" Some time ago I was chatting to a bus driver whose vehicle was having its weekly shed-day. While doing something inside the bus he decided to open the• emergency door, or, at least, try to do so, because, as it happened, this door would not open, as the lock had apparently become jammed for some reason or other, and no amount of oiling or manipulating would release it. It was of the top-and-bottom-bolt type operated by one lever or handle.
"A, little later, while thinking this over. I wondered what would have happened had there been an accident to this particular bus which necessitated the opening of the rear door, as I do not know which would be the worse calamity, to have an accident to a bus without an emergency door, or to one
with a door which would not open when required.
" Now, I should venture to say there are a good many one-man-operated buses about the country in which the emergency door is seldom used, and, consequently, as in this case, something may have happened to the mechanism which renders the door useless should it be required.
"In view of the foregoing and the approach of the coaching season, I would suggest that daily use of this door should he recommended, say, if on bus service, when the vehicle arrives at the terminus, passengers should be requested to leave by the rear door, and to get the passengers to co-operate in this a plate, inscribed as No. 1, could be affixed prominently inside the bus, and if on private excursions, a plate, such as No, 2, could be affixed.
"I would suggest that a system such as this would tend to impress on passengers that there is such a thing as an emergency door, and reduce the risk of panic should there be an accident."
Stripped Axle Nuts.
AMONGST the practical suggestions for temporarily overcoming the trouble of worn threads in axle nuts is one from " H.W.;" of Enfield, who has on more than one occasion managed to shrink a nut so that it was fit for further service.
The shrinkage of a nut is, in many itistauees, entirely misunderstood by mechanics, who think that quenching a red-hot nut or ring will reduce its diameter. There is no reason why a nut so treated should shrink. The plan suggested by " H.W." is to fill a dish with water up to a certain level, then place some articles in the water so that the nut when laid on them shall be only halfsubmerged.
The nut is then heated to a bright red and laid in the water until cold ; it is then reheated and the reverse side laid in the water. The effect produced is as follows :—The part that is in the water temporarily •shrinks, and in doing so draws with it the red-hot part which, being hot, is ductile, consequently its diameter is reduced. The same thing happens when the nut is reversed, so that an equal reduction is effected on both sides.
The same effect can be produced by dipping only the outer edge of the nut and revolving it so that only the outer part is quenched, and as this part shrinks it draws with it the ductile part that is still hot. A Useful Tip for Drivers of Steam Vehicles.
TII-E cleaning of the most inacces sible parts of a steam wagon can be easily effected and much time can be saved by adopting the plan suggested by "'RM.," of Leeds, His suggestion takes the form of a flexible hose connected to some part which will allow a flow of steam to pass through the pipe, and a piece of metal pipe flattened at the end to contract the jet of steam which issues from it.
Armed with this he appears to be able to dislodge any dirt, no matter ,of how long standing, and in one case he was able to discover an unsuspected flaw in a bracket which, if neglected, might have caused serious trouble through fracturing completely.
The hose he uses is of bore and has a piece of steam pipe 10 ins, long bound in one end with wire or a clip, the other end he fixes to the blast. In such wagons as the Yorkshire W.G. model, where there is no blast, he attaches his hose to the lift pipe by disconnecting at the tank fittings and joining by means of a union fastenee to the end of the pipe.
An Easy Method of Removing Bodies.
THE removal or shifting of a body to
get at the mechanism of the clutch is not a very easy matter if one has not many men to help. A correspondent, " S.V.M.," of Bristol, tells us how he manages to shift or retTIOTO a body with little or no help.
He procures four rollers—pieces of iron gas barrel will answer—about 6 ins, long and about 2 ins. diameter. He then raises the body at one spot and inserts a roller between it and the frame he then does the same on the opposite side, following this he insefts rollers at the rear. After this the body can be rolled along the chassis to expose any part. necessary, or it can be rolled along in stages until it is resting on a. bench composed of planks supported on barrels or any convenient supports.
" S.P.M." tells us that by this method he avoids the splintering of the underside of a body which is so commonly done when prising it backwards with a crowbar.