Correspondence.
Page 20
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Motor Wagons in South Africa.
The Editor, " Tim E COMMERCIAL MoToR."
Sir :—I have been a regular reader of your valuable paper for a considerable time, and I find it very interesting, as it beeps one in touch with the progress of commercial motoring at home and in other parts of the world. While reading it through, I often notice enquiries, from firms all over the world, for different classes of motor vehicles. 1 should be very glad if you could put me in touch with some reliable firm which requires the services of two really steady, pushing driver-mechanics. Both I and 1111' friend havo had considerable experience with the different classes of motors in this colony, on the Gold Coast and in Rhodesia_ We are both practical fitters, and could undertake the erMion and running of any steam vehicle, in any part of the world, should the 'remuneration be suitable.
We both hold excellent references, and can refer ■ ou to firms at home by whom we have been employed, and to other employers in this colony. I am sorry to say that every branch of business is greatly depressed in this colony at the present time, even including Government works, which are retrenching as much as possible. Therefore, if you know of a firm sending motors to this colony or any ether part of the world, we should be very glad if you would forward them this letter or let them know about us.—Yours
faithfully, CoLONIAL.'' Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Hitchon Gear.
The Editor, " THE COmmERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—Rather than there should be any possibility of your oorrespondent Mr. Sutton's letter, which appeared in your issue of the 20th December, having no answer, we, the Ilitchon Gear and Automobile Co., Ltd., being the sole manufacturers of this type of transmission gear for motor vehicles, beg your permission to give some explanation, seeing that Mr. Sutton has stated that he has had some eNperience with gears of a similar type, and has then continued to make wanton remarks as to the effects to which this gear is liable in comparison with a step gear.
It has not, hitherto, been within our knowledge that the [Melton type of gear has been applied to any other but step gearing for motor transmission, and, when made in its simplest form, it is best suited to the Panhard step gear, operated by a single quadrant lever ; if with hand-operating. lever, in a gateway grid, then the sliding driving toothed pinions are of the step diameter, all the same, in multiple. On our stand at the last Olympia motor exhibition, we openly exhibited in operation one of our four-speed and reverse Hitchon gears, specially designed for heavy motor vehicles. This was minutely inspected by Dr. flele-Shaw, who is referred to in your correspondent's letter and this gear, we again assert, will, and does, do all that the Doctor has said of it. Exhibiting a piece of mechanism in actual operation, and making the attempt of conveying, fully, the description of its working on paper, are quite different undertakings, so, if any of our corresponding friends have any doubt, after what we have said herein, we shall be glad to give them a live exhibit. The following is an example of what can be shown :Our heavy Hitchon gear, also, has single sliding pinion, for each of the four driven gears, only three of these driven gear wheels requiring to have the Hitchon self-gripping hubs within them. The huh mechanism of these wheels is the strongest part of the whole gearing. The action of the grip rollers does not -depend on their own gravitation, when corning into action ; but the method of driving the wheel ensures a positive grip instantly, and it is only necessary that these wheels should freely revolve more slowly than their shaft, just as their corresponding pinion 'teeth are being slided, during the moment of changing, to secure any desired speed for hill-climbing, and such new gear cad, at all times, be put fully in mesh before withdrawing the driving pinion of the obtaining ratio, or vice versa. This will answer the latter ciuestion asked by your correspondent : for example, a heavy vehicle is labouring hard, mid-way up a hill, driving on low, heavy-purchasing gear, engine not pulling well, car corning to a stand; de-clutch engine
with foot pedal, put in the direct or fixed top gear pinion, and let the already low driving pinion, which has been all-sufficient to pull the vehicle up the hill, remain in gear. Being now held in position with two gears, and, consequently, doubly safe at this point—no brakes or sprags have been applied—the driver can then attend to the faulty driving engine, and, when ready and running all right, let in the engine clutch and withdraw the top-speed gear as the vehicle begins to move upwards. There is nothing tedious, no gearing working at cross purposes, and it is, not a faked trick, but a useful necessity, whilst the Hitchon gear is the only known gear as yet made that cap do it.—Yours faithfully, A. Httcnox. Moscow Works, Church, near Accrington.
London Omnibus Coach Work, Illumination and Ventilation.
The Editor, " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—As a visitor to London, and one interested in the motor industry—although not financially-1 cannot help uoticing the difference that exists between the general appearance of the motorbuses belonging to the several companies. I am, now, speaking wholly from the point of view of comfort for the passenger, and do not refer to the intricate mechanism that propels the vehicle. Take a " Vanguard." The passenger boards the omnibus, and finds, upon entering, that the interior is pleasing to the eye, and that ventilation, and cleanliness, have not been forgotten in the designing of the body. Now—T repeat that I do not refer to the transmission—board a " Union Jack " and note the difference. Instead of the clean rattan cane seat, and acetylene illuminating lamps, we find a material, closely allied to plush, making a seat covering, whilst evil-smelling oil lamps flicker at each end of the bus. Why is this so? The London Road Car Company was in existence many years before the London Motor Omnibus Company was dreamed of by its promoters. I have made a comparison of the vehicles of the above two companies, because they represent what would be called an old-established service, and a new undertaking, and not because there are not other motor vehicles which are dirty, and unpleasant.
I trust that, on my next visit to London, I shall find more uniform comfort, for both inside and outside passengers.-Yours faithfully, " RL'S IN URBE."
Motorbuses a Remedy for Unreliable Tramcars.
The Editor, "TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :-1 should like to suggest, through the medium of your valuable paper, that a progressive motorbus company 'night start a service of motorbuses between Tooting and the City, say, to the Bank or Liverpool Street. At present, the only means the inhabitants of Tooting have of getting to the City is by L.C.C. tramcar, or by train to London Bridge or Ludgate Hill, T think the tramway service is the worst in London. At least three times a week, either going up in the morning, or corning home at night, the service is suspended. Usually, the current, has failed, or else the track is fouled. Also, it is a most noticeable fact that, when a car leaves one of the bridges at night, the lights are fairly good, but, the nearer it gets to the suburbs, the dimmer these get. By the time Clapham Common is reached, it is quite impossible to see sufficiently to read, The average working man is debarred from using the tailway service by the exorbitant fares charged. The service of trains is very bad, but it is mainly the high season-ticket rates that cause the line to be so little used. There is no doubt about, it, that the motorbus service would pay. The extensive Tooting Bec golf grounds are now being built over, and, as fast as the houses are finished, people move into them, and they are the class of people who require a cheap and reliable means of getting to the City. If the buses were to run via Upper Tooting, Balham, Clapham, Kennington, and the Elephant, many dissatisfied tramcar passengers would be picked up.Yours faithfully, IT.'' Tooting.