The Safety and Reliability of Pneumatic Tyres. .
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T T is only a few years since the use of pneumatic .1. tyres on comparatively heavy vehicles was looked upon as being almost out of the question for all practical purposes, and it was only by the pioneer efforts of a well-known bus company, who standardized such pneumatic equipment on, many of their vehicles, that the possibility of employing them satisfactorily began to be realized. Even now we hear constant references amongst users, who have not had experience with pneumatic tyres to the possible dangers resulting from their employment as a consequence of bursts,`tyres being torn from their rims and so forth, together with delays caused byleflation through puncturing. What, however, are the real facts of the case? We know of no instance where a Convert to .the use of pneumatics has returned to solid-tyre equipment. Everywhere there are expressions of appreciation both from users and the travelling public. Road authorities welcome tyres which will be less destructive not only in their wear of road surfaces, but in the hammering effect on foundations. Delays through tyre trouble are remarkably few. Chatting recently with the manager' of the transport department at a well-known municipality, we learnt that the seven 18-seater buses which he had been running for over three years have not only averaged 30,000 miles per tyre, but during the whole-of that period there have been no cases of bursts and not a single puncture. This is a wonderful record, but we believe there are many others just as good, and it would appear that the bogeys of danger and delay have been finally dispelled. With the coming of the six-wheeled chassis for bus work, we may shortly see a great development in the employment of pneumatic tyres even for double-deck vehicles, and, as half a dozen municipalities have already ordered such vehicles, confidence in their tyre equipment must certainly have grown appreciably in a short period of time