Passing Comments
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SEVERAL men in the industry have lately remarked that in their experience the fleet users are showing an increased interest in the simpler— and even heavier—chassis.
THE dropping of a nut into an oil-engine cylinder might be expected to wreck an engine. We have, however, been shown a light-alloy piston into which a steel nut had been hammered as the result of it falling into the cylinder—and with no detectable damage to the rest of the unit. Al the Foden works the other day we saw Hidu minium brake shoes being cast in pairs for the Foden light chassis. Their weight is little over onethird that of steel shoes. We also saw a spotwelding plant that can deal with metal in. thick.
ANOTHER interesting Foden machine is a panto graph o-acetylene cutter, used for cutting out trailer-brake ratchets and other awkwardly shaped parts from sheet steel. It will cut through metal well over 1 in. thick. THERE appears to be a tendency for magistrates
to be more critical of police evidence than in the past. They are realizing that expert advice is often necessary, particularly when technical points arise It is to be hoped that the extreme dissatisfaction sometimes felt by motor owners in connection with the decisions of local justices will now be lessened.
ONE of the most attractive exhibits at the stana of W. V. Bowater and Sons, Ltd., at the Advertising Exhibition was a replica of one of that company's A.E.C. Mammoth Major six-wheelers laden with reels of miniature newsprint. The model was made in the pattern shop of the A.E.C. Southall factory to a scale of one-seventh of the original. Incidentally, the maker of "Quality Newsprint" has now in daily service 10 Mammoths and 10 Mammoth Majors.
EVERY user of the road appreciates the import ance and value of the work carried out by the Automobile Association ; it will be remembered that In January last the honour of knighthood was conferred upon its secretary, Sir Stenson Cooke. Some idea of the work done can be gained by considering the aggregate mileage covered by the patrols during the year ended April 30,1933, this being 30,000,000. Mechanical aid was rendered to 19,000 members, and in about 1,000,000 cases information and advice were given. The membership at the end of the year was 477,064, an increase of 22,752. A special service was instituted during the blizzard of February and March, when numerous roads were completely blocked and whole districts isolated. pISTON-RING wear on oil engines is often baffling.
An interesting theory is that it occurs more during the compression than during the combustion stroke and may be combated by using rings of unusual narrowness (say 3-32 in.), but extra depth (up to 3-16 in.).
THE importance of _carrying a fire-extinguisher on every vehicle is emphasized by a conflagration that occurred recently on the London-Manchester road at Swinfen, near Lichfield, when a lorry loaded with soap flakes and lard caught fire and set alight not Only a neighbouring spinney, but also to 15 yds. of the road surface itself. It took several hours for the fire brigade to subdue the outbreak. The immediate use of even a small fire-extinguisher of an efficient type will often subdue an outbreak before it can reach major proportions.
TO those who are considering the installation of wireless equipment on coaches, the recent Royal Automobile Club Report, No. 761, on a Philco Transitone set will provide useful information. The first portion of the trial was, unfortunately, rendered useless because the aerial short-circuited with the roof lamp, whieh error could not be rectified because the car itself was also on trial; but during a further 376 Miles the performance of the set as regards the stations obtainable, the strength of the reception and its quality, was said to be not inferior to that which might be expected from a similar set installed hi a building, and it was not affected in any way by the electrical accessories of the car and only slightly by passing motors and trams.