Passing Comments
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• Boys of the Old Brigade
ASUGGESTION has been made to The Commercial -Motor that many of the older members of the road transport industry, on the operating, manufacturing, selling and, possibly, publicity sides, would like to get together while they are still in harness, and perhaps be joined by. some who have recently retired.
Probably, this would entail a comparatively early dinner with a few short remarks, followed by a general "mixing up " to afford an opportunity of chatting with old friends. Arrangements for this could easily be made, provided that adequate support were promised, and the venue and other details could be a matter for discussion by a suitable committee. It might be found advisable to impose a minimum age limit of, say, 60 years. This is a comparatively young industry and many of the people engaged in it since its earlier days have either recently left or are verging on retirement and with some there are not many opportunities of meeting.
Given sufficient backing, The Commercial Motor would be pleased to arrange such an event, and would be glad to receive preliminary advice from those who would probably be able to participate and help in forming a committee.
One of the most interesting and appreciated of the few social occasions which took place during the last war was the Get-Together Luncheon held by this journal at The Connaught Rooms in January, 1943, when the applications for tickets were almost overwhelming, and eventually over 500 sat down to a meal from which the last left at dinner time. Fortunately, the demand on accommodation was not then so heavy, It was for the majority an opportunity of meeting which had not been available since the commencement of hostilities, and it was only the restrictions on meals brought into force soon afterwards which prevented repeating the event.
• A28
A Seasonable Award
A USEFUL, if early and unexpected, Christmas box has A. been received by Mr. N. Palliser, for 25 years employed by the Goodyear concern. A year ago he submitted an idea for regrinding the circular knives used on a machine employed in tyre manufacture. This was approved and he received a provisional award of £10. After further consideration the suggestion committee, having discovered how much money the idea saved the company in a year, decided to raise the award to £50, and consequently he received a further £40.
The scheme has now been. running for some 30 years and has involved the payment to employees of many thousands of pounds for ideas in connection with their work and safety.
A Transistorized Ignition System
A LTHOUGH oil engines are rapidly gaining ground there is still considerable interest in petrol power units and any improvements or developments pertaining to them.
In this connection, attention may be drawn to the new American Auto-Lite ignition system, although this is not yet in use, except experimentally. It employs electronic units and a sparking plug quite different from the normal type and claimed to have a life of at least 30,000 miles. Moreover, the plug has such a wide heat range that it can function in many different types of engine without the complication of having to select " hot " or " cold " varieties to suit the conditions.
The .Auto-Lite plug has a body resembling that of the ordinary model, but the central electrode is much fatter than usual and ends flush with the body: The space between the two is filled VI a semi-conductor, and the final effect is a surface discharge lasting longer and covering a much greater area than the normal spark.
The electric supply to this plug is also quite different and its production more complicated. Direct current from the battery is passed to a transistor oscillator, which converts it into high-frequency alternating current. This passes to an inverse voltage rectifier which converts it into rapidly fluctuating direct current with a high-peak voltage, and then to a special distributor designed to deal with these voltages.
Another addition is an oil-filled discharge capacitor which stores• the electricity developed while the distributor rotor is between segments, and releases this each time the rotor is aligned with a segment. The result is that quick surges of high-voltage current reach the sparking plug; instead of the single surge of the conventional system. ,
The advantages claimed are a long-lasting hot spark which will be produced even under the highest compression pressures expected in the future, there are no contact-breaker points needing adjustment and only one Moving part", whilst fouling of the plugs is not experienced.
From the Frying Pan . . .
EASING traffic pressure in a main street may be advan tageous, but is not always carried out wisely, as seems to be the case in a certain Sussex town. Here the police have lately allowed vehicles to park in a harrow branch of a cross-roads, which has a blind entrance and a bus service; also a " Halt " sign at its junction with the main stream of traffic. Now. drivers turning into this road find the near side blocked by the parkers and the other side by the " halters," with cyclists riding precariously between the
lines. This may ease pressure on the more important thoroughfare, but there is a local feeling that the police are simply "passing the buck."
Engineering and Industrial Design
WHAT is the connection between design engineers and
industrial designers? The former makes a machine which he hopes will work, and not particularly as something to to look at. The industrial designer may know little about the efficiency of a product, but he may be convinced that he knows what it should look like. Joint working between the two may prove satisfactory, but it is often found that the result of independent working on the same product can be disappointing.
As an example of this, applied to cars, it is being said that " stylists" in some of the American Motor factories have attained priority -over the design engineers and it is by no means certain that the American public have appreciated the results. -Perhaps that is one reason why British vehicles are winning considerable' success in the U.S.A.
The important men in industrial design are becoming aware that affairs are not all that they should be, and in recruiting staff they are not confining selections to .those with purely artistic attainments, but are requiring those who also have a knowledge of design engineering. " Artistic " claims are, however, much more difficult to evaluate than diplomas for hard work-in college and sound workshop training.
Commercial vehicles may not, as a rule, require so much attention from. those with " dual " personalities, except in the case of certain classes of bodywork and, of course, in such vehicles as touring coaches, as apart from the somewhat " loud " models which appear to be appreciated by so many trippers.