USEFUL SPECIALITIES ON SHOW AT OLYMPIA.
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Silent Chains.
The Coventry Chain Co., Ltd., has four noiseless chain drives in operation at Olympia, one of which is coupled to a chain-driven speed-reduction box, which is shown in motion.
Security Appliances.
The Fastnut specialities marketed by Eastnut, Ltd., of Newgate Street, E.C., are on view at this company's stand in the gallery. Fastnut washers and spanners, together with the Fastfit wrenches and other labour-saving tools are handled and tested daily by many engineers with a weather-eye open for labour-saving tools.
Modern Saw Sharpening.
Several tools made and sold by the British Saw Sharpening Machines Ltd., of Mark Lane, for grinding saws are to be seen in operation at Olympia.. By an ingenious application, the grinding cutter on the machines can be swivelled over so that teeth bevelled in both directions can be ground without extra setting. Machines for grinding band, circular and other saws are exhibited.
Up-to.-Date Surface Finishing.
To the Carborundum Co., Ltd., of Finsbury Square, E. C., credit must be given for pioneer efforts in the field of modern workshop metal-grinding in this country. Few factories there are which are not users of the Carborundum products in one form or other. At Olympia a feature is made of grinding machines and disc grinders in operation, and much useful information is to be gathered by watching castings and rough metal treated on these tools.
Testing for Roundness.
One of the most interesting stands at Olympia ia that occupied by United Motor Industries, Ltd. Several ingenious applications of the ball-bearing principle are here shown, together with two most interesting machines for demonstrating the flexibility and truth of the D.W.F. steel ball. One machine ia used to show the trueness and hardness of these pro-. ducts. A steel ball is allowed to fall from a height of several feet on to a small circular hardened-steel table. So truly are the balls made that, on returning to the table after the bounce, no deflection from centre is shown. The Bosch Lubricators.
The patented lubricator of the Bosch Magneto Co., Ltd., is on view at the Bosch stand, situated in the gallery. Our readers will no doubt remember the interest created in engineering circles with the introduction of this mechanical forced-feed lubricator. The design is pleasing to the eye of the engineer, and, in practice for all purposes, we are told by the com pany, this .appliance is meeting with success. A demonstration showing the action of the pump and the sight-feed mechanism is shown at work.
Die Castings.
The increasing demand of the heavy-vehicle manufacturer for clean castings in the anti-friction metals has been the medium by which several progressive firms have secured an increasing business. The Glacier Anti-Friction Metal Co., Ltd., of 112a, Queen Victoria Street, EX., makes a feature of Finlay's and other special motor metals, fibrous metallic packing and die-cast bearings. These latter are creating a considerable amount of interest on the Glacier stand, and they are noticeable for the cleanness of finish which characterizes them.
The Problem of the Ideal Bearing.
An attractive stand at Olympia is that of the Tormo Manufacturing Co., of Bunhill Row, E.C. This company has prepared its exhibits especially in order that visitors may go into the merits of the appliances without detriment to their hands or clothing. This has been done by plating the pulley and shafting which is used to demonstrate the efficiency of the F. and S. ball bearings. The balls for these bearings are made in either English or metric dimensions, and by ingenious applications of the Tormo manufactures, shafts and bearings which are badly out of alignment are run without difficulty. We understand that the L.G.O.C. is a user of this company's specialities.
High-speed Filing.
In common with much other work of the same class, the day is past when filing by hand was a profitable proposition. The " Dreadnought " milling file has now been introduced into this country for some years, and it is meeting with an increasing demand from garages and motor manufacturers. The Patent File and Tool Co., Ltd., of Moorfields, E.G., which is the concern responsible for the introduction of this file, makes a feature at Olympia of the new patent filing i machine, which has been designed for and is used n conjunction with the file. A great amount of metal can be quickly removed with the aid of this machine, and the surface left is very satisfactory to the engineer. Demonstrations are being given of the special method of re-sharpening and grinding the files. This improvement should be borne in mind by users of these tools anxious to reduce workshop cost without loss of efficiency. Compressed Air.
The advantages offered by this form of power are being increasingly taken advantage of by up-to-date engineers. The display at Olympia of air-driven tools made by the Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Co., Ltd., is very convincing. Here will be found hammers, riveters, drills, grinders, etc., in many different types A machine vice made by H. W. Ward and Co.: Ltd
for varying work, particura.r attention being paid to the motor manufacturer. Hose-pipe, couplings, and other appliances for use with air-driven tools are also shown.
Flexible Roller Bearings.
The manufactures of Broom and Wade Ltd., are already well known in factories both here and abroad. and at Olympia a very representative display of this company's manufactures is shown. Of interest to our readers are the specimens of Hyatt roller bearings, which have been taken from actual service extending over a, period of years. One shaft box in particular has been in constant use for nine years, and is still in excellent condition. These bearings are designed for use with brakes, shafting, etc., while the Hyatt high-duty roller bushings for heavy vehicle work, machine tools and machinery in general are being increasingly adopted.
Belts and Belting.
The patent belting manufactured by Thomas Whittle and Sons, Ltd., of Warrington, is in use by many of the companies exhibiting moving machinery at Olympia. This belting, which is of novel construction, is made up of leather units riveted into a continuous chain, and possesses an advantage in its flexibility, this is such that the belt can be run quite slack without loss of gripping power or strength. A further advantageous feature of the belting lies in the fact that it can be lengthened or shortened in a very short space of time, the removal of a screw and the insertion or withdrawal of a sufficient number of units being all that is necessary.
"Ferodo."
We were interested to learn from the Herbert Frond Co., Ltd., that Girling Motors, Ltd., has employed Ferodo for ite brakes and friction drives, as also has Auto-Carriers, Ltd., Thames Ditton. Ferodo, which is largely used for the clutches and brakes on the L.G.O.C. vehicles, is rapidly becoming a household word in the commercial-motor industry.
At. the company's Olympia stand this speciality is shown in a great variety of forms and much interesting testimony from users is available. Mr. F. T. Rundall, the new London manager for this company, gave us some interesting information with regard to a new departure on the part of the Herbert Frond Co., Ltd. This consists of a separate corrugated metalled packing inserted between the Ferodo and the back block, the idea being to obtain coolness in action. Many attempts have previously been made to secure brake coolness, but none have been attended with any degree of success. This improved Ferodo application also provides a little elasticity against the thrust of the brake segments. Hoffmann Manufactures.
The Hoffmann Manufacturing Co., Ltd., demonstrates at Olympia the efficiency of its ball-bearing products. A 10 h.p. motor, made by the British Thomson Houston Co., Ltd., is shown running on Hoffman ball bearings, as is also a length of shafting which isythrown out of truth at one end, so proving the value of the self-aligning Hoffmann bearing.
Skefko Specialities.
Here is another concern nianufacturing ball bearings which realizes to the full the importance of selfalignment on shafting. The almost perfect method by which " Skefko " manufactures overcome the wearing and friction-causing effect of untrue shafting is demonstrated by a short shaft, much out of truth, which runs freely in the " Skefko plunaner blocks.
The Swedish works of the Skefko Ball Bearing Co., Ltd., have now a capacity of over 5000 of ball bearings a day. The English works, situated at Luton, are being rapidly extended, although they were only erected in the early part of this year.
Silent Chain Transmission.
An interesting display is made at Olympia by Hans Renold, Ltd., which concern shows its well-known range of maximum and minimum-powered chain drives. The 145 h.p. drive, with a normal speed reduction of from 480 to 8'6 r.p.m., and with a chain speed of 1200 ft. per minute, is exhibited cheek by jowl, or rather enveloping the 1 h.p. chain drive with a normal speed reduction of 1500 to 600 r.p.m., and with a chain speed of 1187 ft. per minute. The supplies made by this company for use on steam and petrol wagons are identical in quality and design with these exhibition chains.
An interesting repair tool made by Hans Renold consists of an anvil set for repairing roller chains on motor wagons. The rivets used in this maker's chains are case hardened, so that it is not possible to take out a link by filing off the head.The chains are often fixed in a vice and taken to pieces with a hammer and chisel when repairs are necessary. The new repair set made by this concern, is intended to obviate this destructive method of repairing chains. It consists of an anvil block, with a punch and chisel, and a supporting fork for the chain. It is placed in the anvil, and held by the supporting fork. The plates are split with the chisel, and the rivets driven.
Oil and Gas Fired Furnaces.
An interesting stand at Olympia is that occupied by Alldays and Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co., Ltd., Birmingham. The furnaces here shown are fired by both oil and gas, and are designed for the tern
poring of high-speed milling tools, drills, cutters, etc. Larger furnaces are supplied for heating bars for nut and-bolt-making, drop-stamp forging, etc. A range of pyrometers is shown in use with the furnaces, the air blast to these heaters being supplied by an Alldays No. 4 Em n ir e " blower.
Cutting and Welding.
The Acetylene Illuminating Co., Ltd., of South Lambeth Road, S.E., stages at Olympia one of its oxy-acetylene high-pressure cutting and welding plants, which is shown at work at frequent intervals by an expert operator. This concern is prepared to do test work supplied by interested visitors. Special attention is called to the process of autogenous welding in which dissolved acetylene is used. A great feature is made of the fact that no waste is involved owing to the gas blowing off after the welding is completed. This is prevented by the ample strength and capacity of the generators used.
011 Economy.
The waste oil in most works and garages forms a heavy item in the expenditure accounts, and great attention is now being paid to methods of reclaiming used oil. Industrial Waste Eliminators, Ltd., of High Holborn, W.C., exhibits at Olympia a machine which shows the method of recovering and purifying oil and grease from used wiping materials such as waste, rags, sponge-cloth, etc. Centrifugal oil, grease and fat extractors are also shown in operation. We are told that oil-savers made by this concern have been supplied to many of the leading cab and heavy-vehicle manufacturers, amongst others W, and G. du Cros, Ltd., F.I.A.T. Motor Cab Co., Ltd., and the British Motorcab Co.. Ltd. Designs are in hand for a plant to deal with the extraction of oil from waste materials for one of the largest transport. companies in the country. Well-designed dry-room cabinets are a further feature of this concern's products ; these are a modern innovation only justified by the success attending their use by progressive firms.