Passing Comments
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World Prices of Shell Products
EXPORTERS of motor vehicles and people likely -J-0 to travel abroad by road often wish to know the prices of motor fuels and oils in the countries visited, or elsewhere. In this connection, a most. useful publication is issued by the Shell Petroleum Co., Ltd., St. Helen's Court, St. Helen's, London, E.C., which gives the latest available retail selling prices, mainly at ports, but also in up-country districts, where available, in cases in which trans-continental routes pass through them.
The prices cover Europe, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Middle and Far East, West Indies-and South America, whilst the prices of Diesel oil in tile main cities of Europe are added
Knees Rend !
A LTHOUGH 8-ft.-wide buses may find almost (-1 general favour, a member of the stall of "The Commercial Motor" discovered one conductor who had found one fault which even the most prescient of designers could not have imagined. It appeared that this conductor was accustomed to balancing himself, while his hands were engaged, by relaxing his
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knees so that he could support his thighs against the seats on each side of the gangway.
His build was such that on a 7-ft. 6-in.-wide vehicle he could accomplish this without lack of dignity, but on a bus of maximum dimensions with just another 2 ins. added to the gangway width, it involved genuflection to almost a squatting position, with attendant loss of stature in both senses of the word.
Air-pressure Vacuum Cleaning
ONE of the neatest and most powerful vacuum cleaners for garage and similar service that we have seen is the CM.!., produced and patented by C.M.I. Products; Ltd., 8, New College Parade, Finchley Road, London, N.W.3. Small and compact, it picks up not only dust Arid dirt, but tacks, screws, and swarf, and is operated by any source of compressed-air supply with a pressure of 80 lb. or more.
.Some textile mills have installed pneumatic tubing and points specially for its use, owing to its capacity for removing greasy wool and cotton fluff from their machinery. It took many experiments to develop a device which would give a high vacuum with the economical use of compressed • air. Prices range from £5 5s. to £8 15s.
Scrapping with the Farmers
I N an all-out effart to help in the recovery of metal • scrap from our farmyards, Harry Ferguson, Ltd., has equipped a . mobile office. to .tour Kent. This unit, towed by a Ferguson tractor, is visiting a number of towns and villages in the area, preceded by a. daylight cinema van provided by the British .Iron and Steel Federation. It will call on all farmers to come forward with details of their obsolete metal equipment, however' corroded. The information will be sent to the London and Southern Counties Joint Scrap Committee of the Federation, which will arrange for collection. A board on the tractor points out that it is comprised. of 65 per cent. steel, 30 per cent, iron castings and 5 per cent. non-ferrous metals.
An Ail-soles Day
IN his speech at the official luncheon during the Tyresoles Conference, Lord Simon of Wythenshawe traced the development of the organization. He paid tribute to the foresight and energy of Sir Patrick Hamilton, the lirst manager of the original small Tyresoles department, and now chairman not only of Tyresoles. Ltd., and Tyresoles (Overseas), Ltd., but of the parent company, Henry Simon (Holdings), Ltd.;also to those of the managing director, Mr. .1. C. Price, and sales director, Mr. A. D. Davidson.
In particular, this was for their success in selecting the right people to act as concessionnaires during the past 15 years. The renewal of the agreements for a further 15 years by them was, he said, a remarkable tribute to the process itself and to the men behind it.
Safety Despite Bursts and Punctures
WHEN the Goodyear Lifeguard safety inner tube vv• was recently demonstrated before the. police, civic representatives and drivers at an aerodrome near Leeds, Mr. Ian Appleyard, of Appleyard of Leeds, Ltd., drove one of the ears used. At 60 m.p.h. explosive charges in the front and rear .tyres Were 'set off, yet drivers were able to retain control and operate their vehicles on the safety tubes, although the outer casings were punctured.
In other successful tests, the vehicles were driven over a series of 3-in. and ISirt, steel spikes, but even when the tyres were seriously damaged, they were held up by the air within the two-ply inner air chamber of each tube, from which it escaped slowly through safety vents.