83-ton " Wind " Tank Goes by Road H IGH-SPEED aerodynamics
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and the road transport of heavy machinery seldom have much in common. There was a fink between the two, however, when an 83-ton compressed-air storage tank was recently conveyed from Renfrew to Teddington by the heavy haulage department of Isaac Barrie, Ltd., 32, Midland Street, Glasgow.
This giant "air bottle," 80 ft. long, 9 ft. 9 ins, in diameter and 11 ins, thick, is to form part of certain plant used at the National Physical Laboratory for aerodynamic research. It will form a reservoir of "wind " for use in wind tunnels. The huge cylinder—in shape exactly resembling the more familiar garage and industrial gas cylinders—is tested to 650 lb. per sq. in. and was supplied by Babcock and Wilcox, Ltd.
On Wednesday of last week the tank had arrived at the Laboratory after being on "the road, in the charge of six skilled haulage men, for nine days. It was carried on a doublebogie trailer 120-ton crane with fore-and-aft steering, in conjunction with two Scammell tractors, these
"doubling-up " where necessary. In charge of operations, including subsequent unloading, was Mr. Duncan Woodhouse.
The route was via Carlisle, Shan, Bolton, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry and the North Circular Road. There was no night driving except when there was difficulty in finding suitable overnight accommodation in good time.. The trailer and its load were drawn up on the concrete base made for the tank at the Laboratory's high-voltage division. The tank was then jacked up and baulks of timber put under it.
Using the winching gear on one of the tractors, the two bogies were each carefully and slowly coaxed out of position, and were ready for their journey back to Scotland, on two additional Isaac Barrie vehicles returnMg from a job at Kingston. The Scammells would travel light, and would be back in three days, just in time for another urgent heavy-machinery job. WIVES SEE TYRES MADE
As the result of a suggestion by a worker, more than 100 wives and friends of employees of Henley's Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., were recently invited to visit the factory at Northfleet, Gravesend
To present the visitors with a clear picture of the production processes before they toured the factory, a small exhibition was staged showing on one side the raw materials and on the other the partly finished components used in building a tyre. A completely cut-down giant tyre dominated the exhibition, and each stage of manufacture was clearly labelled.
Having examined the exhibits and received a short preliminary talk by Mr. C. H. Harris, works manager, the party was able to start its tour with a good general idea of how a tyre was built.
SPECIALLOID DISTRIBUTOR IN ETHIOPIA •
THE Sabean Utility Corporation, P.O. Box 795. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is to be the sole main distributor in that country for the products of Specialloid, Ltd. These will cover piston assemblies, gudgeon pins, piston rings, cylinder liners, valve seatings machined half bearings and automotive 'bushes.
IMO BOOKS LISTED A BOUT 1,000 books are listed in a ricatalogue of the library of the Institute of the Motor Industry, which has just been issued. The number of books catalogued does not represent the entire stock of the library and many books have still to be added. Members of the Institute can obtain copies of the catalogue at 2s. 4d. each, or at 3s. 8d. in a light binder and 6s. Id. in a heavy binder.
INFORMATION ON FINLAND
THE series of Hints to Business Men" booklets issued by the Export Promotion Department of the Board of Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.I, has been enlarged by the publication of a booklet on Finland. Revised versions of the booklets on Iraq and Central America have also been published.