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Half-ball Wheels Not New
REFERENCE was made in the issue of The Commercial Motor for September 3 to a new Marmon-Herrington vehicle with hemispherical wheels. This was claimed by the progenitor to be " the greatest advance in the wheel in a thousand years."
In this connection, Mr. S. H. Edge, chief engineer and assistant general manager of Clayton Dewandre Co„ Ltd., points out that he, with a Mr. H. Jeffery, patented in 1942, an armoured vehicle having wheels of this type [patent No. 549,4611. In this case, however, the purpose of the curved surface was partly to make the vehicle more bullet proof; it was also stated in the specification that the vehicle could safely be driven through deep water. If, in the course of operations, the vehicle should overturn on to its side, the curved formation of its sides, ends and wheels would offer the !east possible resistance to movement, whilst strakes on the wheels would make it possible for it to struggle along in this position; whilst righting the vehicle when the opportunity occurred would be comparatively easy.
Clarkson Wants Museum Piece
MANY of the older people in the industry will remember the farndus Clarkson thimble-tube boiler. The late Thomas Clarkson, the inventor, was a clever engineer, and for many years the Clarkson steam buses, in which the coiled-tube boilers were heated by oil burners, were a feature of London's transport.
The Clarkson Thimble Tube Boiler Co., Ltd., are now more concerned with space-heating units, large numbers of which have been supplied to government departments and industrial users. A smaller equipment, known as the Autoheat, employing their special boiler, has recently been developed for domestic use.
It appears that the company have no example of the use of their thimble-tube boiler for steam raising on a vehicle, and would be glad to have information as to where one could be obtained.
At one time, Clarkson employed a special block fuel which closely resembled chocolate, and a little trick of his was to hand a piece to a lady and roar at their discomfiture when she discovered what it really was.
Driver on Goodwill Trip ABUS driver from London will be one of a party who will fly from Amsterdam to Sydney on October 31 by K.L.M. Super Constellation, marking the introduction of this type of aircraft to the weekly service. He will be Mr. J. A. Adams, of Tilling's Transport, Ltd. He has driven for the company since 1923 and claims to have covered over Im. miles on British roads.
Others in the partywill be a Parisian taxi driver, a German engine driver, a Norwegian skipper, a Copenhagen postman, a Brussels tram driver, a mountain railway driver from Switzerland, a Venetian gondolier and a K.L.M. pilot. They will bear greetings to Australia, where they will be received by many authorities of the Union during their week's stay.
Mr. Adams was chosen because of his long service to the company and brought to head office, but not told why. He was a little apprehensive and, while waiting to see one of his directors, commented that he was doing relief work On long-distance coaches and that he did not like it much. In fact, he proposed to give up long-distance work as soon as possible.
• Thereupon he was taken to see his chief, whose first words were: "Good morning, Adams. We are sending you to Australia."
Lubrication Lectures to Police
THE mobile police in various areas are showing I quite a considerable interest in the technical side of their work, particularly in respect of the use and care of the vehicles they employ. In this they often receive help from the larger organizations in our industry.
As an example, recently Mr. W. J. Denholm, training supervisor of Esso's Scottish Division, at the request of the Chief Constable of Stirling and Clackmannan County Police Force, gave talks to two groups of police officers The subject was motor lubricants and lubrication service, and the "students" were given recommendation and lubrication charts to assist their training activities.