Answers to Queries.
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Non-skid Chains for Winter Use.
[4084] (Traffic).—The sellers of the " Never-skid " chain, about which you write' are Messrs. Jas. Bartle and Co., Western iron Works., Lancaster Read, Notting Hill, W. They are selling a new anti-vibration pattern of which we think very highly.
New Motor Lorry Regulations.
[4085] (Railway).—The Technical Departmental Committee of the Local Government Board, which Committee has been,taking evidence concerning the future of heavy motor traffic, has not yet reported. It was expected that the report would be available last June, but it appears now to be held up indefinitely.
The Fellows Magneto Co.
[4086] (Small Investor).—We recommend you to write to the secretary of the Fellows Magneto Cu. We consider that this company is a promising industrial investment; having regard to its present relatiens with the British Government and manufacturers of motor vehicles. You can invest as little as -21, or any multiple of £1.
R N.A.S. and Pierce-Arrow Chassis.
[4087] (Lieutenant).—We have requested Mr. Rowan, the sales manager for Gaston, Williams and Wignaore, Ltd., the English agent, to assist you. We expect Mr. Rowan will send along one or two copies of the Pierce-Arrow spare-part list, which is a very useful volume and contains detail drawings for almost every part of the chassis.
The Lighting Regulations.
[4088] (Brewers).—Your drivers can use side-lamps provided the inside lights are only candles, or if oil the lamps are without lenses. The two headlights must not be more than 12 candle-power each, and the circle of light from each must not be more than 41 ins, in diameter on the glass, whilst that circle of light must be obscured by a single sheet of tissue paper, or its equivalent. You cannot itse headlights in any of the areas of which we gave a full list in our issue of the 19th October.
Shall He Buy a 21-tonner or Wait?
[4089] (Nurseries).—You might have difficulty in getting petrol for full running, but you should -be able to do the balance of your running either on coal-gas or some substitute for petrol. Any time is a suitable time for buying, and the sooner the better, The worm drive is a good type of final transmission ; it is quiet and is completely enclosed. 'You might be able to buy a 'second-hand English vehicle from the Ministry of Munitions Contrapts Branch, Grand Hotel, Northumberland Avenue, W.
Use of Canals as Railways.
[4090] (Leeds and Liverpool).—The suggested transformation of canals was, so far back as the year 1896, the subject of a paper which was read before the Liverpool Self-propelled Traffic Association, at the Royal Institution, Liverpool, by gentlemen of the names of Willoughby and Cook. The relevant criticisms upon the scheme appeared at that time to be (a) extra mileage, seeing that canals follow the lowest levels ; (b) probable collapge of many portions of the banks on their being drained; (c) lack of width in many canals to provide more than a single track without considerable excavations. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal Canal is possibly 'an exception, being above the average width of many canals in other parts of the country, and is possibly more free -of locks and other engineering obstructions—qua railway construction. Thee-paper was read on the 15th p, ecember, 1896-20 years ago. It was reported, with comment,. in the Liverpool and Manchester papers of the 16th 'Elem.
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Photographs of Roadside Mishaps.
14091] (Enterprise).—We acknowledge receipt of the two photographs, which we note are exclusive. Whilst we are interested in these photograpks ourselves, we consider that they do not illustrate any useful principle' and we make it a, rule not to include what we may term " agony " pages. The photographs have accordingly been returned.
War-time Costs. , L40921 (Users).—Having regard to present conditions, we recommend you to take the 10-cwt. column on the free cost sheet as applying to a Ford van and the 3-ton column as applying to a 2-ton Lacre. You will then probably be on the safe side. We have not been issuing these sheets of costs for a considerable time, and we are not at the moment proposing to get out any further ones.
Temporary Emission of Smoke or Steam.
[4093] (Legality).—We refer you to our issue of the 20th July, page 427, which states the law as settled by an appeal from a decision of the Bury (Lancs.) justices on the point which you name. We hope this will be of assistance to you. The Home Secretary has also cisculated the police to tell them to deal extremely leniently with drivers and commercial owners of steam wagons; and tractors, due to the impossibility of their obtaining anthracite or the higher qualities of Welsh coal, the admissible degree of emission of smoke being thus rendered worse by the operation of war legislation. No reasonable bench of magistrates will now convict, and the police have practi. cally—and most properly—suspended prosecutions.
Two Tons on a Pneumal ic-tired Trai'er.
[4091] (N.W.).—In reply to your further query (original one numbered 4081), the law as it at present stands makes neither an exception in respect of, nor special Provision for, the type of two-wheeled pneumatic-tired trailer, to carry a load of about two tons, to which you refer. The -papers which you should buy, from Messrs. Wyman, of Bream's Buildings, Fetter Lane, E.C., or from any other Government publisher, are the undermentioned : —The Motor Car Act, 1896; the Motor Car Act, 1903; the Heavy Motor Car Order, 1904; and the Motor Car Use -and Construction Order. We suggest that you go on until some question is raised, or you might consider yourself protected if you pould get a special letter of authority on the plea of war necessity, from the Ministry of Munitions or from the R.N.A.S.
Engines for Light Agricultural Motors.
[4095] (Salopian).—You must bear in mind -that t4e demand for these machines has not hitherto been-in such quantities as to encourage Makers of engines and parts to consider the question of standardizing special units. We do not know of any concern which manufactures ae engine specially for this purpose. J. Tylor and Sons, Ltd., York Road, King's Cross, N., or White and Poppe, Ltd., Coventry, or the Aster Engineering Co.' Ltd., Wembley, would in normal times no doubt be able to supply you, but war conditions operate to preVent their doing so at the moment. We have from time to time published articles in this journal on the lines you suggest, showing what is expected from a modern agrimotor. We might point out that the special requirements which you lay down are met by a British-made tractor, the trade name of which is the" Universal," and which is made by Saariderson and Mills, Ltd., of Bedford. The Paris buses, RA you may have noticed from a recent illustration in this journal, are not now being fitted with the Sole* radiator. (Our issue of 15th June last.) We gather that the reason is that the modern vertical-tube type is more efficient. For very hilly routes, the use of gilled tubes is recommended. Lamps Alight.
Light your lamps at 4.25 in London, 4.H in Edinburgh, 4.11 in Newcastle, 4.26 in Liverpool, 4.27 in Birmingham, 4.35 in Bristol, 4.44 in Dublin. There is no moonlight this week-end.
Oils and Oiling.
The sender of the following communication has been awarded the 108. prize this week.
[1696] " A•P." (Leeds) writes :—" Having for some time taken a special interest in lubrication and having studied the matter, it occurs to me that the result of my investigations may be of use to other drivers.
"Every' driver and fitter knows that any work done in overcoming friction is converted into heat and consequently lost, and that the obiect of a lubricant is to lessen the friction between two surfaces which are sliding one upon another. The more viscous the lubricant, the stronger the attraction holding it between the moving surfaces, and the greater the pressure that can be sustained without cutting the oil film. Too high a viscosity unnecessarily increases the fluid friction.
Characteristics of a Good Lubricant.
"The following may be stated to be the characteristics of a good, lubricant. It should have enough 'body,' or combined capillarity and viscosity, to keep the surfaces between which it is interposed from coming into contact under the maximum pressure which they are likely to have to support. It should have the greatest fluidity consistent with the posses• sion of the requisite amount of 'body.' It should have a good capacity for transmitting and carrying away heat. It should be free from the tendency to decompose or to 'gum' on exposure to the air or while in use. It should be free from acid, and should have .a high temperature of vaporization.
Classification.
"Lubricants may be classified, as solid, suchas graphite ; semi-fluid, such as Krease ; and fluid, such
' as ordinary oils. Fluid . lubricants may be either mineral, vegetable, or animal. The first named are strictly hydrocarbon oils, free from acid, having petroleum as a basis. There are several vegetable oils, such as rape (colza oil), which is obtained by crushing the seeds of a plant ; olive oil, as its name implies, obtained from the olive ; castor oil, which is obtained from the seed of a plant ; cotton seed oil produced by grinding, steaming and pressing the seed of the cotton plant ; palm oil made from the fleshy covering of the frt of the oil palm (it contains a large amount of free fatty acid and is not a suitable lubricant in the ordinary way. It is occasionally used with resin oil to make grease for railway wagon axle boxes); linseed oil, which is obtained from the flax seed, and resin oil which is obtained by extracting the resin from pine trees. Of the animal oils, we have sperm, neat's-foot, lard, and fish oil. " The second-class of lubricants, greases, are in general only mineral oils thickened with graphite, chalk, tallow, starch, etc. some of these ingredients increase the quality of the grease ; others increase the profit of the manufacturer. With regard to graphite, this should be very finely powdered when used. It has the virtue of forming a veneer or surface on the part which it is designed to lubricate, and is of great value when these parts have not in themselves good surfaces.
Some Rough Tests. • "There are half-a-dozen rough tests which may be applied to oils by almost anyone without a need for any great technical knowledge.
"Grit in the oil can be detected if the oil is held in a clear glass before a strong light. "Acidity is shown by the change of colour on litmus paper when smeared with oil, or it may be detected by placing a piece of flannel or wick saturated with the oil on a bright steel surface which should be exposed to the sunlight. If there is any acid in the oil, the surface will dull after a day or two's exposure. "The tendency of oil to 'gum' can be tested by exposing a thin layer of oil, at a temperature at least as high as that at which it will be used, and noting the length of time which elapses before a skin forms upon the surface. Charring or carbonization may be detected by keeping the oil at a high temperature for a few days and noticing if Solid particles form. . "Volatilization and flash tests may be made by heating a small quantity of oil in a. vessel exposed to the air. A light brought to the surface will cause, at certain temperatures, any vapours being given off to flash ; the oil itself should not ignite. A thermometer is desirable for these tests so that the temperature at which a vapour flashes may be noted, and comparisonsshould be made with an oil known to be of a suitable
• qu,a, lvitiysc. osity can be tested by dipping a rod in the oil and letting a drip fall from it from a height of, say, 6 ins., on to a sheet of glass slightly inclined to the horizontal, and comparing the distance which the oil will flow in a given time with that of a similar drop of oil of known quality.
"Acidity and viscosity tests should be made with the oil at normal temperature, when heated, and when it has cooled after heating."