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Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.

25th March 1909, Page 22
25th March 1909
Page 22
Page 23
Page 22, 25th March 1909 — Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Ten Shillings Weekly for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for anything else published.

Drivers of commercial motor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen oj garages or shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject which is likely to prove of interest to our ;coders. Long and successful runs ; services with no "lost journeys" ; workshop tips and smart repairs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" before publication. When writing you must mention your employer's name as a guarantee of bona fides (not for publication), and you should stafe whether you wish your own name, or initials only, to be published. Payment will be made immediately after publication. Address your letters to 7 he Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL.

Morort," 7 15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.G.

The Boiler-feed Pipe Constantly Broke.

The sender of the following communication has been awarded the los. prize this week.

[504] In the letter which we publish below, " J.II." (Royton) gives an account of the. method he adopted to prevent the repeated breakage of the boiler-feed pipe on his steam wagon. " I am the owner and driver of a five-ton steam wagon, and, as I notice that you offer a prize for the best contribution submitted for the Drivers' and Mechanics' page of your journal each week, I venture to send you an account of the following device. During the time I have been driving my wagon, I have had a considerable amount of trouble with the pipe connections

between the pump and boiler. The vibration has caused the feed-pipe constantly to break, and it has been almost impossible to keep a tight joint. I have tried brazing these, but all to no purpose. I have also fitted rubber pipe connections, but these lasted no time at all. Three weeks ago, I hit upon an idea which has effectually overcome the trouble. I got a length of steam pipe and bent it round an old lorry wheel hoop. The hoop was a little larger in diameter than the boiler. I fastened this steam pipe to A, and bent it a little bit at a time, after I had heated it up, and I eventually got a curve similar to that shown in the sketch. I made the pipe from D to A a fixture to the boiler, and the rest of the pipe between D and the pump was sufficiently springy to absorb the vibration from the engine casing to which the pump was attached. I have had this arrangement in use now for over three weeks, and it has proved quite satisfactory. The dotted line (C) in the sketch shows the position of the original pipe. A represents the clack valve."

[The method adopted by our correspondent involved the employment of A considerable length of tube, and apparently the same result would have been achieved had he gone direct from pump to boiler as in the original scheme, but the provision of a loop therein should effectually have absorbed all vihration.—En.]

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[-0-] " ELEPHANT " (Walworth) requests publicity for 3 the few remarks which follow :—" The unfortunate• driver of the second-hand wagon, who has been retailing his experiences in the Drivers' and Mechanics" columns, of your journal during the past two weeks, I am inclined to think, should have been able to have pointed out to. either the man who was supposed to have repaired the wagon or to the actual owner that the machine was in a. very bad state. A very small amount of inspection and a short trial run on the road ought to have told him adjustments and replacements were wanted. What I want to know is, did the purchaser not insist on some sort of certificate of fitness when he bought the vehicle? " Cabmen's Deputation to the Horne Secretary.

[5o6] " A BELSIZE DRIVER " writes on the above subject in the following terms :—" Referring to the remarks of your correspondent ' BK.' (Kennington) in your issue of the 25th February last, I should be very interested to hear how long he has been a motorcab driver, as the Motor Cab Drivers' Protection Association has now been in existence for eighteen months, and he should know that it has attained considerable success in the propagation of its protection ' " I should like to point out that I personally am now licensed to drive no less than nine different types of motorcabs, and, although I am a ratepayer like B.K.' I feel for my unfortunate brothers who go to Scotland Yard to be tested, and who fail through the occurrence of some little mishap which they could readily adjust if they were allowed to do so. I am sure that 'a lot of mistakes are made during these trials entirely through nervousness, which is brought about by the anxiety of the candidate to pass; he feels that a great deal is at stake, as, to a man in his position, the tuition and period of learning are matters of considerable expense and subsequent failure is disastrous ; his anxiety to pass very often causes . a good man to blunder. I would instanCe in this respect the large number of men who have quite satisfactorily driven the little 7-9h.p. Renaults for twelve months or more, but who, when they have attended Scotland Yard to pass f,t1 a four-cylinder motorcab, have failed three times, and are thus doomed still to remain on the little " red road hogs " as they have been called. " With regard to your correspondent's remarks about the revocation of licenses, he simply repeats what I myself, as a member of the deputation, helped to lay • before the Home Secretary. The present system of examining applicants is no more severe than it should be, . but I do think that men should be tested as long as they are content to go on learning-."

[Our corresPondent will surely not suggest that there 51,ouli be nolimit to the time during which a man may be under examination at the hands of the Carriage-Office inspectors. Such a course would involve • hardship to other men who are waiting.—En.] A 16,000-mile Bus Record: Satisfactory Running of a Leyland.

15o7J A record of satisfactory running is furnished by a correspondent " C.C." We are now able to print his letter herewith :—" I have been much interested by the correspondence, which appeared in your columns a short time ago, regarding drivers and the machines which, in their opinions, are best suited for various classes of work. I have personally had charge of a Leyland machine now for over 12 months, and it has been engaged on publicservice work. From January rst to December 31st, r9o8, it ran 4,560 return journeys, representing a total mileage of about 16,000 miles. During the whole time we only lost three journeys. The service is mostly in connection with train schedules, and, therefore, you will understand it is most important that it should be maintained with the

utmost regularity, and that the vehicles should be absolutely reliable. I think you will agree with me that, considering the difficult roads, and the special nature of the inclines in this district, the record 1 have cited above is a most satisfactory one from all points of view. I would only add that I think the Leyland will take a tremendous lot of beating with regard to the small amount of repairs necessary. 1 got a few spares when the machine arrived, but I am glad to say I have not yet had to use them. I have only had to carry out a few repairs and adjustments altogether, and these I have executed myself, and, altogether, the machine has been very little trouble to look after. An interesting feature of the work we do here is that, on several occasions, we have actually run services in place of the electric cars when these latter have been disabled."


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