WHEELS of INDUSTRY
Page 38
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"The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roade over which it runs."—John Beattie Crosier.
Armstrong-Saurer Oil Engines for Dennis Passenger Chassis.
We understand that an agreement has been signed between Dennis Brothers, Ltd., Guildford, and Armstrong-Saurer Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., London and Newcastle, whereby the former company is to standardize the fitting of Britishbuilt Armstrong-Saurer oil engines (of both the six-cylindered and fourcylindered types) in its well-known Lance and Lancet types of passengervehicle chassis. We are advised that the Dennis concern has equipped demonstration vehicles with these oil engines, and they are now available for trial.
The Dennis oil-engined passenger vehicles, of which full details will be given at a later date, are particularly interesting, because they are the first forward-control chassis to be equipped with Armstrong-Saurer oil units.
We are informed that by this agreement the use of the ArmstrongSaucer oil engine for passenger vehicles is restricted to the two companies involved.
Plans for the Royal Show.
The charge for space in the machinery-in-motion shedding at the Royal Show, to be held at Derby from Tuesday, July 4, to Saturday, July 8, will be 12 per foot run. The shedding is about 22 ft. deep and about 11 ft. high under the eaves. In addition to the charge for shedding, exhibitors who are not members are called upon to pay an entrance fee of 12.
Those desirous of exhibiting articles in the implement section must apply to the secretary, Royal Agricultural Society of England, 16, Bedford Square, London, W.C.1, for the special form of application and specification, and application must be made and space paid for on or before March 20.
Exhibits arriving after 5 p.m. on Saturday. July 1, may be refused admission.
Coach Booking Agents to Represent Hauliers.
The Commercial Motor understands that the Booking Agents Association of Great Britain., Ltd., is making the preliminaries to negotiations with hauliers for the flotation I, of a scheme under which members of the Association will represent haulage contractors, as well as coach companies. At present, discussions are being carried on between the Association and the Ryburn Transport Co., Ltd., and these will, we understand, form the basis for arrangements between other hauliers and booking agents.
It is hoped that the scheme will be inaugurated early next month, when there will be about 40 agents covering practicelly every area of London, in a position to represent hauliers.
It is proposed that lorries should call regularly at the offices of the agents, to pick up loads. Parcels, etc., will, it is expected, largely be brought to the agents, but bigger loads will have to be 1320 obtained by canvassing. Rates of commission and other similar business arrangements have yet to be made.
Already, Mes.srs. Bensons, 70, Upper Street, London, N.1, are acting as agents for the Ryburn Transport Co., Ltd., and are prepared to represent other hauliers covering towns not served by the Ryburn organization.
It is, perhaps, unfortunate that. the proposed date of commencement of a new sphere of operation for booking agents should coincide with the opening of the coaching season, when business pressure is at its height.
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Report.
The annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, published by H.M. Stationery Office at 3e. net, contains much of interest to the motor industry.
It emphasizes the importance of the comprehensive scheme now in hand for studying, under semi-commercial conditions, processes for the conversion of tar, produced through the carbonization of coal, into motor spirit and oil fuel. The problem of safe flying is receiving much attention in the Aerodynamic Department of the National Physical Laboratory. In the wind tunnels, apparatus has been constructed by which the actual -motion of a steady spin can be represented by a model ; work is also being done on the flutter of screws and buffeting.
Investigations are being made into the glare effect of systems of street lighting, and work is in progress to find the best beams for traffic-control signals.
X-ray methods are being used at the. N.P.L. for studying the brilliance and hardness of chromium plate, the, hardness of tungsten magnet steels, etc. Tests have been carried out on high nickel and chromium steel alloys, nickelchromium cast iree, high silicon cast iron, magnesium alloys, etc., and the mysterious elongation called " creep " is being measured at rates as low as one-hundredth of if millionth of an inch per inch per hour.
The temporary deterioration of engine oil has been found to be due chiefly to water, and it may prove feasible to rte duce oil consumption to one-eighth of the amount at present used.
Success of Miesse-Gardner Oilers.
According to our French contemporary, Le Fouls Lourd, the Miesse Co., of Brussels, which is building, under licence, coaches with Gardner oil engines, , is meeting with considerable success, vehicles of this type now being in service on eight routes in Belgium. The Miesse Co. is manufacturing two sizes Of the Gardner engine one, being the 05 b.h.p. four-cylindered type, and the other the 105 b.h.p. six-cylindered model. Up to the end of last year, over 125,000 miles had been covered by Miesse Gardner-engined vehicles.
Fullkscale London Test of Bus-ticket Machines.
The Loudon General Omnibus Co., Ltd., has obtained a further supply of the ticket-issuing machines marketed by T.I.M., Ltd., 337, Thames House, London, S.W.1, and is to conduct a fullscale test of the device on all routes operating from the Camberwell garage, 500 T.1.M. machines being put into use.
Just as it was necessary to turn over Hanwell garage entirely to oil-engined buses, to obtain reliable data, so, in order to get valuable figures and information on the operation of ticket machines, it has been necessary fully to equip one garage with them.