Rapid and Efficient Vulcanizing.
Page 15
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THE maintenance engineer in Charge of a fleet of lorries, coaches or buses equipped with pneumatic tyres will appreciate the real value of a vulcanizing outfit which ensures efficient repairs to the tubes in the minimum of time and at 'very low cost. One such as this is the Oto ,and some demonstrations carried out with this equipment which we witnessed recently proved fully its ease of operation and efficiency. The low cost is obtained in three ways: firstly, the initial cost is small ; then the cost of repairs averages about 1d, per inch, whereas the more or less standardized charge for this type of repair, if the work be done out, is approximately is. 6d. per inch : and, thirdly, the work can be carried out quite successfully by a lad.
The repairs conducted for our benefit were made to large punctures and cuts in a tube, and the results were of high quality. The red rubber employed in the vulcanizing proceSs was welded into the tube in such a manner as to be almost indistinguishable from the other rubber and formed a practically inseparable part thereof.
rrhe heat applied is pfovided by a methylated spirit stove. It is well known that when carrying out vulcanizing repairs in the ordinary way great attention must he paid to the application of heat, for if it be applied for a fraction longer or shorter than the prescribed time the repaired portion will be brittle or otherwise imperfect ; this entails a careful watch over the process. With the Oto, however, by utilizing the spirit stove suPplied and Using the proper quantity of spirit, allowing it to burn itself out, the heat developed will be found to have been applied for just the length of time to ensure a good repair. This was done several times for our benefit by an inexperienced demonstrator, and each time the repair was perfectly good. The time taken for the vulcanizing itself is about eight to ten minutes, and the preparation, which is carried out in a straightforward manner, a -matter of only a few minutes.
The latest-type machine itself embodies modifications in the method of securing the tube under pressure while undergoing treatment. The outfit is complete with the necessary rasp, flux, spirit-measuring phial, compound, rubber, etc., for about 200 average-size repairs, and the whole sells at three guineas. Fresh material for a further 200 repairs costs 8s. 6d. The manufacturers are Oto Motor Products, 53, Merrion Street, Leeds.