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148 
A Track-rod with Automatic Adjustment
Page 59
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A Simple and Ingenious Arrangement which Has Many Good Features
THE interesting feature of the track or tie-rod made by Thompson Products Inc., Cleveland, USA., and handled in this country by Mr.. G. H. Rodway, Suffolk House, Suffolk Street, Birmingham, is the very simple and ingenious means whereby wear is automatically taken up at each end by means of a split eccentric bush. This bush contains the ball which is connected to the steering arm and works within the complete boss at the end of the rod.
As will be seen from the illustration, each end of the rod is formed by a long sleeve, which is split and, for the heavier types, is provided with two clamping bolts, right and • left-handed threads being used for adjustment for length. At the outer end of this sleeve is a boss which has an internal flange, made smaller than the ball which works inside the boss, so that should any part come adrift the rod could not fall off the ball. Within this boss is the split eccentric bush, this being formed on its inside to fit the ball, and of the same external diameter as the interior diameter of the boss which contains it. A spring is provided to force apart the thicker ends of the bush, which cannot expand on account of the boss ; consequently, they close in on the ball.
A cup is screwed into the lower end of the boss, and is provided with slots for a split-pin so that adjustment can be made to prevent play in a vertical direction between the bush and the boss. A key is fixed to one side of the boss to separate the thicker ends of the split bush, so that the surfaces which bear against the ball shall at all times be in their proper position. Opposite to this key is a boss for a screw plug for the introduction of lubricant. The pin which carries the ball is fixed to the steering arm by meand of a taper fitting, nut and split-pin in the usual manner.
To prevent dirt from entering the working parts a felt washer and spring are inserted between the boss of the steering arm and the boss of the tie-rod. AU the working parts are hardened and ground. The sleeve which receives the rod is so formed that the screw thread does not extend right to the end, so that a certain part of the rod is gripped by the part which has no thread ; consequently, the risk of fracture is reduced to a minimum.
Although a spring is employed at each end to effect the automatic adjustment for wear, there is no spring to yield under pressure, nor is there the slightest possibility of the rod coming adrift, an no matter how much wear might take place through gross neglect, or even if all the detachable parts were to fall away, the rod could not fail to act, as the internal flange could not fall over the ball; in fact, the device appears to us to have all the good points which could be wished for in such a part