From Our Berlin Correspondent.
Page 16
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The New Gaggenau Engine.
Motorbuses in Greece.
According to the " Konstantinopler Handelsblatt " a company has been formed in Athens for the establishment of motorbus lines in that city, and in Thebes and Marathon.
The Berlin Show Dates.
In view of the reports from Paris, as to the somewhat meagre attendance of visitors at the annexe in which all the commercial motor vehicles are exhibited, it is perhaps well that the heavy section of the Berlin show will only remain open for four days, namely :— the igth to the 22nd of December, Bavarian Postal Services.
At a meeting in Berchtesg-aden (south-west of Salzburg, Bavaria), the District Council passed, a motion in favour of limiting motorbus traffic to. the postal service, and of establishing a narrow-gauge electric railroad for communication with the Konigsee. Further, the Council complained of the dust raised by the postal motor omnibuses in working, and suggested that the motor traffic be improved by the substitution of light, open vehicles and the discontinuance of trailers.
Berlin's Lady Motorcab Driver.
Frau von Papp, a young widow connected with a reputable Vienna family, has selected motorcab driving in Berlin as a means of supporting herself and two children. It is a somewhat singular calling for a lady by birth and education, and I am disposed to question whether she will pursue it for any length of time, and not soon reach the conclusion that there are other employments more congenial to her sex and station, especially as, at the present time, no demand whatever exists for motorcab-drivers. I see too that the " Stern " Motorcab 'Co., of BerlinWilmersdorf, which was floated with a capital of ,L'12,000 and owned 26 caty, has just gone into liquidation through excessive working expenses, coupled with a decline in receipts owing to the new and higher scale of fares which recently came into force; and other companies have nothing particularly favourable or encouraging to report. Hence Frau von Papp's prospects can scarcely be termed rosy. Still, she will probably have a provisional succes de curiosite, although, speaking for myself, I should be. ungallant enough to select a chauffeur-driven droschke. A Tire Covering.
Two Berlin engineers, Messrs. Kronhelm and Zechlin, have invented a protective covering for pneumatic tires. The invention consists of a steel rim, embedded in vulcanised fibre, and secured to what is usually the outer cover of the tire. The fibre on the cuter surface of the steel rim is fitted in sections and the sections are shod with hardened-steel rivets. The tread can thus he renewed from time to time at little expense. The actual rubber tire is, by the fitting of this extra cover, relieved of all wear, and it only acts as a shock absorber. On Saturday last, in the presence of representatives of the Polizeipsrasidium and the Grosse Berliner Motoromnibus-Gesellschaft, the invention was put to the test on Berlin's slippery and snow-covered roads. The result was highly satisfactory and called forth commendatory remarks from the representatives.
A New Gaggenau Engine.
The Gaggenau engine for 1908 shows that its designer has made great efforts to reduce the number of its component parts to a minimum; to render the engine not only dust and damp proof, but as near fool-proof as possible; and to cut down the rate of consumption of fuel. The earlier models had two camshafts, with their attendant, and exposed, trip rods and springs, whilst, in the new model, a single camshaft, mounted over the cylinders, operates the valves in a most direct manner, as may be seen from the illustration which I send you herewith. The two, forward cylinders are shown there in section, as also are the valve chambers and part of the camshaft covers. The camshaft is driven from a vertical shaft, which, in turn, is driven from the crankshaft ; bevel gearing is used for both these drives as also for driving the fan and a cross shaft. At one end of this cross shaft is the centrifugal pump, and, at the other end, the high-tension magneto is mounted, both being driven by the cross shaft. It will be seen that all the working parts are completely enclosed, and the engine should, there
fore, be a very silent one, Another point of interest about this engine is the provision of circular, screwed-in, inspection doors which are situated directly udder each of the big ends; thus, for the purpose of examining those parts, it is not necessary to remove the bottom half of the crank case.