AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

News and Comment.

28th May 1908, Page 10
28th May 1908
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 10, 28th May 1908 — News and Comment.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

This journal has an exclusive, genuine and maintained circulation: members of its Editorial staff have practical experience and knowledge of the construction and use of commercial motors.

A " Royal Show Special " is announced on page 325.

An interview with Mr. E. R. Calthrop, M.Inst.C.E., will appear in outnext issue.

"Death-trap Corner."

In connection with the subject of the running of tramcars in Theobald's Road, and the recent fatal accidents in that thoroughfare, the Holborn Borough Council has received a memorial from the inhabitants in the vicinity. A special sub-committee has been appointed to approach the L.C.C., with a view to devising some remedy for the existing evils, to which reference has been made in previous issues of " Tut:. 'COMMERCIAL MOTOR."

Accumulator Propulsion.

Mr. Bernard Hopps, of the British Thomson-Houston Company, Limited, Rugby, whose ability and knowledge in matters electrical are beyond question, discusses (page 316) some interesting and practical matters in connection with the oncoming electric vehicle. Having regard to the wide use of accumulator-driven vans in America, and to the satisfactory experience of the Great Western Railway Company, during the past two years, with a van of this type in the neighbourhood of Slough, we may shortly expect, given the necessary small additions to the facilities for charging and battery maintenance, to see the Much-abused secondary cell established as a permanent factor in the consideration of road motor transport.

Foden Successes.

Mr. Edwin Foden, at a critical stage in the history of the steam-wagon industry of this country, largely contributed to the rehabilitation of the movement inthe esteem of the commercial community, His first wagon, which was allowed to come under the public gaze, was tried at Aldershot, in

December, Igor, by -the War Office

Hritie!3_ but it had the misfortune to be wrongly directed across a ditch, with disastrous results to the forecarriage. Without entering upon controversial detail in this connection, it may be put on record, notwithstanding the disappointment involved, here anent, that Mr. Foden rapidly established a lead for his company in the matter of sales, of lorries and wagons.

A very considerable number of owners of Foden -wagons have given their experiences in our columns, beginning, more particularly, with our Brewers' Issue of the t3th April, 1905, and our Millers' Issue of the 8th June, 1905. One of the latest reports to come to hand concerns the machine which is illustrated herewith. A standard vehicle, it was delivered to Mr. R. D. Blackburn, of Little Moor Corn Mill, Clitheroe, in October, 1007, since which date it has averaged about 165 miles per week. It is used for the conveyance of grain and feeding stuffs, and its owner informs us that he is quite satisfied with it in every respect. We are indebted to him for the photograph which we reproduce, and note his assurance that the wagon is a good hill-climber: the Clitheroe district certainly imposes severe tests upon this quality in any machine. We understand that Mr. Blackburn did not buy this wagon with the object of doing away with horses.

A Motor Liquidation.

The Official Receiver for the Ipswich district, Mr. Frederick Messent, on Monday of last week, presided at a meeting of creditors of the Lindsay Motor Manufacturing Company, Limited, of Woodbridge. The state_ ment of affairs showed that the estimated deficiencies of assets to meet the liabilities of the company amount to £6,505, apart from issued capital of L5,735. Some of the principal trade creditors are : United Motor Industries, Limited, ,-;.,c1,281 • Botwood and Egerton, Limited, £364; S. Smith and Company, Hakisworth, £239; Coventry _Motor Fittings, Limited, £209; Dunlop Pneumatic Tire Company, Limited, £86; Palmer Tyre Company, Limited, L47; and Michelin Tyre Company, Limited, L46.

The Official Receiver's observations indicate that Mr. J. Lindsay Scott was, under the articles of association, to be sole director and manager " during such period as he shall think fit." Mr. Lindsay Scott, too, was the principal creditor, his claim being made up as follows : unpaid salary, £659; wages advanced, £43; accounts paid, .L-429; expenses, L247. Against these, Mr. Scott holds six fully-equipped cars and a chassis, estimated to be worth L-800. Addressing the creditors present, the Official Receiver pointed out that there had been an absolute loss of L7,800 during the short time the company had been in existence (about 16 months). The company had done a few repairs, but no other business, and, whatever might be the legal position, if the sole manager desired that the company's transactions, and his dealings with the company, should be regarded as honourable and straight'forward, it was imperative that be should, either by personal offer, or by the employment of the assistance available, furnish certain explanations. He had expressed that opinion to Mr. Lindsay Scott, and up to that morning he had hoped to be able to put some explanation before the creditors, but Mr. Scott had written that it was quite impossible for him to be in Ipswich that day. In reply to a question, it was stated that a public examination can only be ordered where the Official Receiver reports that, in his opinion, there has been fraud. The Official Receiver did not feel justified in reporting that there had been fraud.

After various questions had been answered, it was unanimously resolved that Mr. Lindsay Scott should be asked to furnish the Official Receiver with a detailed account.

At Rouen, the Societe Rouennaise de Messageries Automobiles have purchased several Mathian-Cohendet lorries, for service in the surrounding towns and villages. Motorbuses for the summer have also been acquired, to run between Rouen and Amfreville-laMivoie, with a halt at Saint-Adrien. There are two services daily, with special provision for Sundays and holidays.

Repeat Orders for Lacres.

Among the many repeat orders recently received for Lacre vehicles is one for six for Messrs. Jas. Shoo%red and Company, and orders for one each for The Bon Marche, Brixton, Bentall, of Kingston, and the Civil Service Supply Association. This company has also been favoured with orders for a van to be supplied to the proprietors of the • " Morning Leader," and another to Edison and Swan, Limited.

Roads in Honduras.

The British Consul at Honduras, in his annual report, which has just been issued by the Foreign Office, remarks that the Government's lack of funds makes the rapid repair of the roads a difficult matter. The operations of a number of light motor wagons, which from the beginning of 11906, were run ning on the roads from Tegueigalpha to the Pacific Coast, had to be abandoned, but, as soon as the repairs to the roads are completed, bridges strengthened, and some of the curves in the more mountainous parts reduced, the route will be practicable for large machines, the use of which will revolutionise freight conditions.

Straker Motor Ambulances.

'The chassis on which a motor ambulance body is mounted, as reproduced on this page is one of the 16-2oh.p.,3o-cwt., Straker-Squire, similar to that which was exhibited at the last Olympia Show. These machines are eminently suitable for ambulance vehicles, on account of the silent form of transmission by worm gearing to a live back axle, which is a prominent feature of this model. A reference to the illustration will show that a departure from standard practice has been made in the matter of the emisgion of the exhaust. Instead of being discharged at the back of the vehicle, a pipe is taken up the front, is passed through the canopy, and the exhaust is discharged into the atmosphere quite clear of the body and the patients.

Dennis Vehicles.

The two-ton Dennis van which is illustrated on this page is one which has recently been delivered to the Bradford Dyers' Association by Dennis Brothers, Limited, of Guildford. This is a repeat order, and the chassis is one of the company's standard type, with a 2oh.p., four-cylinder engine, four-speed gearbox, with direct drive on third speed (the fourth speed being geared up), and, of course, the worm drive which is characteristic of all the vehicles of this maker. On page 329 is another illustration of one of this company's products. This is its latest chassis for motorbuses, chars-à-bancs, or four-ton

lorries. The latter illustration shows the company's new loco-type foot brake, which is fitted at the after end of the new four-speed gearbox. Amongst recent purchasers of Dennis vehicles for passenger and goods transport are Messrs. A. W. Jackson and Sons, of s8 and 59, Hallgate, Doncaster, and Mr. Steadman, of 15, Princes Street, also of Doncaster. "Wellington" Rollers.

The accompanying illustration shows a " Wellington " tractor converted into a road-roller. These machines, which are built by William Foster and Company, Limited, of Wellington Foundry, Lincoln, are becoming iiicreasingly popular with users, and the coinpany is now turning its attention to the road

roller branch, in which a large demand undoubtedly exists for engines of this handy, and practical type, Books Received.

In " The Motor Car and Its Engine," by John Batey (published by T. Fisher Unwin, of Adelphi Terrace, London), the author first gives an elementary explanation of the various functions tlf the petrol engine, and he then proceeds to discuss the nature of the fuel from the chemical and calorific points of -view, after which the carburetter and the process of carburation are carefully considered. The heat problems of the internal-combustion type of motor are of such a complicated nature, that it is not at all surprising that many motor engineers allow themselves to be

guided—to a greater or lesser extent— by rule-of-thumb methods when evolving a new motor. The work of which we arc now writing deals, in a very concise and lucid manner, with the causes which produce such varying effects in the cylinder of a motor; and the book contains a large amount of valuable formuhe and data relating to the properties of gases, the proportions of cylinders, pistons, valves, crank shafts, and flywheels, and to the effects of cylinder shape. The balancing of an engine is also dealt with by the author. It is a very practical treatise for the use of motor engineers and designers, and the price is 55.

" Machine Design, Construction and Drawing," by Henry J. Spooner (published by Messrs. Longmans, Green, and Company, of 39, Paternoster Row, London, E.C.), price los. 6d. net, is the best book on the subject which we have seen in recent years. The contents are quite up to dale, and the examples which are given for the purpose of illustrating the author's text are, for the most part, taken from present-day practice in machine construction. The first five chapters are devoted to the

teaching of the. young engineer the art' of preparing proper -working drawingS. of mechanical details, and the illustrations which are to be found. in these chapters are of .a. very practical nature, and some of them are decidedly po,vel. Chapter VIII. is devoted to the consideration of the designs of couplings and clutches, and, although these are dealt with clearly, it is to be regretted that the author did not choose a better example to illustrate the leather-faced cone-type of clutch than that shown on page Ito, in which the absorption of end thrust has not been so carefully considered as is the general practice at the present day. Roller and ball bearings, and toothed gearing of all kinds, also enter into the author's considerations, and the chapter on materials which are used in the construction of machines is, perhaps, one of the most valuable in the book.

The book has evidently been written by a man of great experience, not only in the science of engineering, but in the imparting of a knowledge of that science to the student, in such a manner that it is easily understood.

The Motor Accessories Company, of 55, Great Marlborough Street, W., has acquired a large interest in the Paris export and accessory house of J. Titus Postma, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris.

The Atlas Resilient Road Wheels, Limited, of Manchester, the London office of which company is at III, Piccadilly, W., has received an order from the War Office for " Samsonian " wheels to be fitted to heavy field guns.

Leylands in the Midlands.

Mr. H. J. Fitton, who is given on this page, has joined the staff of Leyland Motors, Limited, as the company's representative for the Midlands. His present address is 72, Walford Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, and we feel confident that his past experience in heavy motor work will stand him in good stead in. his new sphere of employment. We first had the pleasure of meetingMr. Fitton in the year r9o:2„ when he was highly successful in selling another well-known make of steam wagon in the South Eastern counties. He subsequently had experience in the practical working of Leyland and Yorkshire wagons, in conjunction with Mr. Douglas Mackenzie, A.M.I. Mech.E., in London and district, after which he had a period of training in the assessment of claims for the Car and General Insurance Corporation, Limited. Acquainted with the ins and outs of the trade, as he undoubtedly is, upon both the commercial and the engineering sides, and with a front rank series of machines, both petrol and steam, as his " wares," Mr.

Fitton should rapidly make an impression upon the many possible and prospective users in the Midland counties. Our photograph is by Mr. C. G. Mason, of New Street, Birmingham. We wish him success in his new appointment. The British American. Company, of Coventry, is sellingcomplete sets of acetylene-gas generators, on the invertible system, at prices ranging from Z6 los, to los. each complete.

Automobile Engineers.

On page 302 of our last issue we announced that Mr. A. V. Barford had been elected a niernber of the Institution of. Automobile Engineers, but we incorrectly associated his name with Messrs. Barford and Perkins, of Peterborough. The gentleman to whom we referred' is hi the service of

John I Thornycroft and Company, Limited, of Chiswick. .

Graduates' Sectien of' the I.I.A.E. • The first session of the Graduates' Section of the Incorporated Institution of Automobile Engineers concluded, on Tuesday last the loth May, with a lecture by Mr. William 'Gilchrist on " Coach Springsas 'Applied to the Motorcar." By the courtesy of Messrs. James and Browne, Limited, the meeting was held at Westcroft Works, Hammersmith, the chair being taken at 8 p.m. by Mr. T. B. Browne. Particulars of the Graduates' Section, together with forms of application, may obtained from the honorary secretary, Mr. L. H. Baskerville Cosway, 6, Engineers' Quarters' IT.M. Prison, Wandsworth, SW., or from the secretary of the Institution at 1, Albemarle

Street, 'W. The satisfactory progress of this section must be very gratifying to those members of the Council who were responsible for its formation.


comments powered by Disqus