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SOME POINTS IN CONNECTION WITH LIGHTING.

22nd September 1925
Page 27
Page 27, 22nd September 1925 — SOME POINTS IN CONNECTION WITH LIGHTING.
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Advice Given by Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.

WITH the passing of summer, drivers are devoting more attention to the lighting systems of their vehicles, and some suggestions which have been put forward by our driver and mechanic readers may be of considerable service. This week's prize of 15s. is awarded to " A.E.," of Manchester, in connection with his garage safety hand lamp and radiator heater.

Where electric inspection lamps are not provided the use of naked lights is a temptation, and the consequent danger is well known. The principle of the use of gauze in paraffin lamps does The combined safety garage hand lamp and radiator heater, designed by " A.E.," employs the same principle as some miners' lamps.

not, however, appear to be recognized as widely as should be the case, and this is the principal feature of the lamp devised by "A.E."

The body can be made of tin-plate, brass or copper sheet, 24-gauge metal being suitable. A screwed reservoir and cap portion are suggested, 311 ins. in diameter ; the handle at the top is of i-in.-diameter iron rod, bent to the necessary shape, over which is slipped a wooden bobbin grip. The ends of the handle are flattened and riveted to the drilled cap piece. The gauze cone is of 28-mesh woven wire.

A 4-in.-diameter bevel-edged glass or a bull's-eye lens may be used. A beveledged glass spreads the light over a larger area, but a bull's-eye gives more brilliant illumination. A semicircular plate reflector is attached to the back of the lamp inside, and the burner is a Barton's porcelain type, which must be properly trimmed and the .wick kept clean to obtain the best results. From time to time the gauze cone should be thoroughly cleaned, otherwise the lamp will burn badly and tend to smoke.

It is quite possible to make a safety hand lamp from an ordinary side lamp, ,providing that the correct mesh of the gauze is used as mentioned above and firmly fixed in position. In the lamp designed by " A.E." a stout handle is fixed to the body of the lamp at the rear. A 11-in, strip of gauze is required at the back for the admission of air ; this, of course, prevents the flame being blown out of the lamp and causing fires, as might occur if ordinary ventilation holes were used.

USERS of A.1 subsidy-type Thorny croft chassis can fit a dynamo other than the standard type. The drive is by belt, by means of a 6-in, split pulley on the rear universal joint fork, accord ing to " G.N.," of Gillingham. The dynamo is held to the chassis sidemember by means of a metal strap, which has threaded ends passing through the frame, held by nuts and a plate on the outside of the chassis. It is necessary to crank the hand-brake rod "slightly so that it clears the driving belt, but as such a procedure is considered to be very bad practice, the cranking must be as little as possible, and perhaps experience with the actual vehicle will show some _better way of overcoming the difficulty.

ACCORDING to " A.W.," of Wol verhampton, a simple inspection lamp can be made out of two empty shaving-stick cases, using one S.B.C. lamp holder with shade, bulb and flex.

A hole should first be cut in the base of one of the cases to take the lamp holder, and a slit cut in the side to allow the light to pass outwards.

The second shaving-stick case should pass inside the first and should be cut out so that, by rotating it, the slit in the first case can be open or closed

The second case will telescope into the first and the shaving-stick cap can be fitted to protect the end.

A small flash-lamp battery will suffice, and this can either be fixed to the vehicle or carried in the driver's pocket, the connection being by means of ordinary lighting flex.

MUCH of the trouble experienced

with electric lighting systems is due to neglect of the batteries, and " R.C.G.," of Northampton, deals with a few points in this connection.

A lead tray is desirable underneath the battery to prevent any acid which may be spilt from rotting the wood and causing the battery container to become loose in its mounting, or even to fall through the floor if resting upon it.

Weekly examination of the batteries is desirable, when the vents should be removed and distilled water added, if needed, to cover the tops of the plates by a quarter of an inch. The battery top should be dried off and the tightness of all connections checked.

When fully charged each cell should show more"than two volts on the voltmeter, and the specific gravity of the electrolyte should be not less than 1.250 when fully charged, or 1.190 when discharged, to 1.8 volts per cell, which can be tested by means of a hydrometer. If the level and gravity of the electrolyte be correct, but the reading be low, sulphation has most likely taken place, and it is desirable to charge the accumulators in order to remove the deposit from the plates.

The positive wire of the charging board should be connected to t.he positive terminal of the accumulator, which is marked "F," " " or has a red washer under the terminal. When the battery is fully charged the electrolyte should be of a milky colour and give off a gas, which, by the way, is hydrogen and inflammable. If there be any doubt as to which is the positive or negative wire of the charging board, they should both be dipped in water which is slightly acid; the wire around which most bubbles collect is the negative one.

A METHOD of converting existing side lamps, mounted rigidly upon wings, into revolving ones for the purpose of facilitating inspection, is suggested by "J.H.," of Cumnock. A recess is beaten in the wing, or a cupshaped metal plate is made and riveted in position after cutting a hole in the wing. The lamp is mounted upon half-ball-shaped metal piece having a hollow bolt fixed to it.

Around the flex, where it passes through the cup in the wing, is the hollow bolt on which screws the locking ring.

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Locations: Manchester

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