The Supply Department.
Page 21
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Selected Information which is likely to be of Interest to Makers, Owners, and their Buyers.
The New "Merchant" Mounting for "de Meyers" Tires.
J. Liversidge and Son, Ltd., 196, Old Street, E.C., has, amongst its many other activities, considerable reputation in the matter of solid rub her tires. The de Nevers grooved solid tire has long been well known, and it is a speciality of this company, which has always secured a large amount of praAical approval from all commercial-vehiele users. It is, therefore, with particular interest, that we have recently examined an entirelynew pattern of tire which has been placed on the market by Liversidge's. We reproduce, on this page, a drawing of a cross-sectional elevation of a typical example of the " 'Merchant patent monnting, as this speciality is called. It may be remembered by many at our readers that we made a brief reference to this new fitting in our recent "Overseas" Issue, but, on that occasion, we were unable to spare the space wherein to draw attention to its novel constructional features. The drawing, to which we have already referred, illustrates the method of securing the tires by means of special rim plates and cross-pins. The tire itself is an endless one, without any integral steel rim as a base, other than that binding the feline. Complete immunity from side-play and " creeping " is ensured by the particular arrangement which is adopted with regard to the cross-pins : these ire formed with inclined ends, which ends engage with grooves in the two side !Nage& As these side plates are pulled together by means of the fastening bolts which pass through the felloes, the pins are pressed downwards owing to the wedge action on their ends, and, of course, no creeping
is possible with this arrangement. The steel felloe-band is of a ratherlarger diameter than that of the inside of the rubbers, so that the latter are a fairly-tight fit when first they are put on. The subsequent screwing-up of the side flanges effects a further tightening of the whole arrangement. The makers claim, as the principal advantage of " Merchant " type of construction, that the removal or replacement of this endless tire may be
undertaken by any mechanic who has no press available, but who has to depend upon his hammer and spanners. Applications where such a characteristic is desirable are numerous, and J. Liversidge and Son, Ltd., should have little difficulty in securing an extended use for "de Nevers " tires mounted in the " Marchant " way.
Multi-tariff Taximeters.
In our issue of the 24th ult., which dealt with matters pertaining to the Manchester district, and which included a full report of the successful motor show which was held in that city during that week, we drew attention, at some length, to the anomalous fare-tariff to which the owners of motorcabs have to conform in the Lancashire city. Not least amongst the troubles for which this complexity of rates is responsible, is the necessity of employing taximeters with variable gearings, if, indeed, they be employed at all, for the functions of the instrument are so successfully nullified by the retrogressive Manchester authorities, that such employment is optional on the part of the owners. In this connection, it is of interest to note the steps which have to be taken by the manufacturers of taximeters, in order to comply with the authorities' requirements. We illustrate, on this page, liy the reproduction of three photcgraphs, one of the "Kosmos" instruments, which is employed under these conditions. The " Kosmos " is handled in this country by the Premier Taximeter Co., Ltd., of 106, Albany Street, N.W. In order to accommodate the fare-registering apparatus to the manifold tariff of Manchester, no fewer than four sets of gearing have
to be employed. Our illustration shows the instrument set for three of these rates and displaying conspicuous letters, A. B. C. respectively, in order to indicate to the hirer at which of the rates he is being charged. We reproduced the schedule of fares in our issue for the 24th ult. Under all conditions, the initial fare is ninepence, and subsequent increments of 3d. intimate that further fractions of a mile will have been charged in advance, these fractions being longer or shorter according to the rate which is being applied at the time