Special Features of This Issue
Page 32
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We deal with features of interest at the British Industries
Fair. Page 58.
Low back pressure is afforded by the new Vokes
silencer. Page 56.
Goods bodies for rapid unloading are described and illus
trated by our coachbuilding expert. Page 44.
Disc-type pre-combustion chambers are utilized in two new
Kamper oil engines, each with four cylinders. Page 48.
A second article by' S.T.R." dealing with the operating costs of motorbuses, trolleybuses and trams is included. Page 46.
Details of the Cetex telephone-message scheme are in cluded. Page 47.
The railways have declared their initial policy in respect of
the licensing requirements for goods vehicles. Page 49.
Particularly compact and effective is the Coltagraph pen duiurn-type recorder for commercial vehicle-s. Page 62.
A rotary-rake petrol engine of particular interest is the McLaren-Lewis, of which full details are given. Page 50.
The Headen-Hamilton automatic vaporizer for using oil fuel in petrol-type engines has been greatly improved. Page 57. THE Leeds Corporation transport department figured in the radio programmes on one evening this month, when, in addition to a talk by Mr. W. Vane Morland, the transport manager, listeners on the various regional programmes, also on the Empire short-wave length, heard the activities in various departments—the power station at Crown Point, the drivers' and conductors' training schools, and so forth. During his talk, Mr. Morland said : "There is no more romantic feature in the history of transport than the evolution oi the motorbus. The creative skill of the British automobile engineer has enabled Britain to outstrip the rest of the world."
(INCE a year the R.A.C. issues an analysis of the
causes of breakdowns in motorcars, and it is of interest as indicating directions in which designers, inventors and others might, with advantage, turn their thoughts. Although the comparative figures show little variation from year to year in respect of some major components and auxiliaries, it seems that the percentages of certain of the troubles that regularly arise could be reduced. For instance, over the past six years ignition has been responsible for over 20 per cent. of the breakdowns, whilst the percentage of axle-shaft failures has been almost constant at 14 over the same period. Carburation continues to be an increasing source of trouble, and has steadily risen from 2.6 per cent. in 1928 to 4.2 per cent. in 1933.
SPEAKING before the South Wales Section of the Society of the Chemical Industry on the subject of the hydrogenation of coal, Dr. W. Idris Jones said that every effort should be made to produce oil from coal. Over 15,000,000 tons of coal would be required to produce the petrol alone consumed in this country. Practically all British coal, except anthracite, gave good yields. The amount obtain-' able by cracking oil was small, but hydrogenation will give 200 gallons of petrol per ton. The temperature used is 400-500 degrees C., and the pressure about 3,750 lb. per sq. in.
BOARD of Trade returns for January, 1934, bring to light some instructive figures in relation to the export of commercial vehicles from this country. The most noteworthy feature in chassis exports is the share taken by Australia, 400 chassis of a value of £38,393 contrasting with 205 and £18,886 a year earlier and the depressing totals of 4 and 949 in January, 1932. Ignoring British India, 187 chassis were shipped to "other British countries "—an increase of 50 over the previous year's figure—whilst, under the same heading, the number of complete vehicles sent abroad advanced from &I to 123. Foreign countries took only 36 commercial vehicles and 286 chassis for them. The figures suggest that there is still much scope for advancement in overseas countries, especially where tariff barriers are favourable.