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EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT

A Key to Maintenance-cost Reductions

Various Items of Equipment Necessary for Economy in the Supply of Consumable Stores and the Maintenance of Motor Vehicles of all Classes

Oof the most outstanding features of the motor industry of late years has been the rapidity with which mechanical means for facilitating maintenance have been developed: There is, of course, nothing remarkable about this, if it be realized that the heaviest item in the expense of maintaining motor vehicles is that of the cost of labour, so that there is every incentive to provide means for reducing that cost. ,The really surprising thing is that ingenuity has been so quick to meet the need and to continue to provide improvements on the devices it has already produced.

The wise and experienced owner of commercial motors always has this matter of maintenance in mind. He takes it into account when he chooses the first vehicles of his fleet, and again when, in adding to that fleet, he selects, so far as possible, machines of the same make and model, In order to reduce the variety of spares that he must keep in stock and the knowledge which his repair-shop staff must have.

In the light of this development of equipment, too, to which we have already referred, he finds, in the adaptation of equipment to the special needs of particular chassis, further argument in favour of concentrating on one make and type of Chassis.

There are, however, limits to his capacity in that direction. The exigencies of hi g transport make it incumbent upon him to purchase and make provision for the maintenance of a fleet comprising many different types of chassis. In selecting equipment he must, therefore, keep in mind the need for choosing those appliances which are of universal application, so that each of them shall be usable in connection with the majority of the chassis in his possession.

He is in this case like the ordinary garage proprietor, being in better circumstances only in that he can confine himself to one or two grades or brands of consumable stores and need not lay in stocks so as to be able to meet the requirements of a variety of customers.

c38 In considering equipment for maintenance the subject falls into two main classes :—(1) The provision for supplies and (2) for maintenance. The first of these involves the provision of apparatus for the ready dispensing of petrol, oil, water and air for tyres. The second, maintenance, is sub-divided into (a) equipment for washing, (b) equipment for what we may term mechanical service, covering such maintenance operations as are called for at more-or-less regular periods, but which cannot be classified as repairs, and (c) provision for mechanical repairs and overhauls,

In these notes only major items of equipment have..reference; 811a tools as hammers and chisels, files and vices, wheel and hub drawers are taken as being already available for use. . Breakdown and salvage equipment, also tyrehandling implements, are dealt with elsewhere.

Dealing with these matters in the order named, the first calling for attention is that of the supply of petrol. The days of the purchase and conveyance of petrol in cans have now passed and the advantages of the pump as a medium for replenishment of fuel tanks need hardly be laboured. The economy in cost of the fuel alone justifies the installation of an underground tank and a petrol pump of one or other of the several makes which are now on the market.

The one point which should have serious consideration on the part of any transport manager who is about to arrange for such an installation, or who is finding that his existing equipment is hardly adequate for his requirements, is whether to purchase one which is hand operated or one which is power driven. The decision will, naturally, turn upon the number of vehicles employed and whether the saving of five minutes or so in the time necessary for replenishment of each individual fuel tank be worth the slight extra expense involved. Power pumps are either electrically or pneumatically operated. Some fleet owners will, no doubt, 'prefer the electrical pattern. A typical example of the latest-type

petrol-supply equipment is Zacto Sentry, made by S. F. Bowser and,Xcg; Inc. It is really a flowmeter, and the design is such that the flow of petrol is controlled entirely by the manipulation of one -handle, giving a speed variable from a tiny trickle up to,20 gallons per minute and providing an indication of the amount consumed within 1-20th part of a gallon.

Where the needs of the transport department are not such as to make it worth while to invest in power-driven equipment, a simple one-gallon pump is the right choice. These are usually made in two types, one being suitable for use outdoors and the other for indoor location.

Most of the leading manufacturers of petrol pumps can offer equipment more or less similar to those just described and in this connection such names jump to the mind as the Hammond. made by Liquid Measurements, Ltd., Hammond Works, Victoria Road, London, N.W.10; the Hawk, manufactured by Dawson and Mason Gas Plant Co., Ltd. Manchester; the Milwaukee, by the Milwaukee Tank Ltd., Abbey House, Victoria Street, London, SAVA; the Wayne, the product of the Wayne Tank and Pump Co., Ltd. 42, Newlands Park, London, S.E.26, and the Ilardoll, made by Hardoll, Ltd., 111, Sainsbury Road, London, NAVA In addition, the leading petrol-supply companies often recommend pumps made to their own specifications.

For the supply of lubricating oils portable pumps having tanks with a capacity of 20 gallons each are, perhaps, best. They can easily be replenished, preferably direct from the oil company's own wagon, so that, to all intents and purposes, the lubricant passes direct from the supplier into the engine, gearbox or rear axle, without being touched by hand and without the slightest risk of contamination.

A portable oil tank such as that we have in mind is illustrated and equipment of a similar nature can be obtained from S. F. Bowser and Co., Inc., Windsor House, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1; Mann, Egerton and Co., Norwich; Dowson and Mason Gas Plant Co., Ltd.; Liquid Measurements, Ltd.; the Wayne Tank and Pump Co., Ltd., and from oil suppliers.

In the matter of water supply it might be thought that equipment would begin and end with a length of hose pipe. Therehas of late, however, been introduced a useful and economical fitting for which B.E.N. Patents, Ltd., 92, Tottenham Court Road, London, W.1, is responsible. It is known as a radiator filler and takes the form of a specially designed tap which has the advantage that, whilst the delivery end is convenient for insertion in the radiator-. filler orifice, the tap is quick-acting and automatically closes when the handle is released.

The question of the supply of air for tyres is one not so easy of solution. The need for the provision of a powerdriven compressor is admitted. The question which has arisen has been as to whether it be better to have a stationary compressor with a receiver of ample capacity and pipe lines leading to points conveniently disposed on the promises or whether to use a portable compressor that is self-contained, with an electric motor using an electrical plug-in to enable the power to be obtained just wherever it may be needed.

The number of compressors of the latter type is now legion. Quite a small one is sufficient if the only probable use of compressed air be that of tyre inflation. The pressure available should be 150 lb. per sq. in., and a common size of compressor used for this particular purpose should have a capacity of :.1 cubic ft. per minute, running at normal 'speed. A quick-acting stop-cock and pressure gauge combined is essential.

The B.E.N.-Key, made by B.E.N. Patents, Ltd., is one example of this type of equipment. Others are supplied by Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., 148, Great Portland Street, London, W.1; William Turner and Co., Ltd., Eyre Works, Sheffield ; Research Engineers, Ltd., 15a, Northampton Grove, London, Ni; Payne and Griffiths, Ltd., Ladywood Road, Five Ways, Birmingham, the British Oxygen Co., Ltd. The apparatus made by the last-named concern can also be obtained mounted in such a way that it facilitates the inflation of two tyres simultaneously, thus making it possible to ensure that any pair of tyres can he -inflated together to the same pressure.

Greasing of chassis is best carried out by a high-pressure greasing outfit, such as those which are manufactured by Tecalemit, Ltd., Scrubbs Lane, Willesden, London, N.W.10. These appliances are now sold in forms which make them suitable for use with compressed air derived from an independent compressor or with a self-contained compressor, which may be hand or power-operated.

The advantage of using mechanically operated greasers is that a greater pressure can be brought to bear upon the lubricant, ensuring Its reaching the bearing surfaces and driving any obstruction before it.

In some types of Tecalemit equipment provision is made in the grease gun for multiplying the pressure of the air, thus increasing the effectiveness of the lubrication. In passing, it may be pointed out that where it may be thought better to utilize an independent source of compressed air, the B.E.N. Dual Air Unit, which is an excellent type of portable air compressor, may be purchased in conjunction with the Tecalemit greasing equipment.

The Tec-Luchard equipment for high-pressure greasing, which is marketed by Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., of 2-3, Norfolk Street, Strand, London, W.C.2, com bines a Tecalemit Lubrigun with a Luehard compressedair bottle, and has the advantage of being absolutely portable, being dependent neither on supplies of current nor compressed air from any source other than the self-contained bottle.

Air compressors of both the portable and stationary type can be acquired from most of the garage-equipment sup

pliers, including B.E.N. Patents, Ltd.; Simpkins Engineering Works; Equipments, Ltd. ; Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd. ; Wayne Tank and Pump Co., Ltd.' Andrew Page and Son,

' Ltd.• Messrs. A. E. Morrison2and Sons; and Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., Frederick J. Gordon and Co., Ltd., Romac Motor Accessories, Ltd., Mann Egerton and Co., Ltd., and Service Equipments, Ltd.

Coming now to maintenance; the first item to be considered is the washing plant. Experience with a modern type of high-pressure hydraulic washer has shown that the economy effected by the use of these machines more than compensates for the initial outlay and for the small amount of power consumed.

A big user of this type of plant with whom we were in conversation the other day said, referring to the washing of buses, that he saved 50 per cent, of water, washed his buses in one-third of the time which would have been involved were other methods employed and, altogether, made a better job of the washing.

Vehicle-washing plants are, in the main, of two kinds. There are those in which the pump is of the plunger type and those in which it is rotary; that made by Messrs. Williams and James, of Gloucester, known as the Hydremlux, utilizes a awash-plate. The concentrated jet should be used first, thoroughly cleaning all mud and grease r.40 from the underside of the chassis, wings, running boards and so on.

It is in this department of washing that the advantages of the high-pressure plant are most evident, because with the concentrated jet all the mud and grease can be removed without the use of brushes or mechanical means for dislodging the dirt.

The fine spray is used subsequently on the upper parts of the vehicle, whatever it may be, and here again experience has shown that this spray is peculiarly efficient" in removing dust, and thus diminishing the labour necessary and the use of sponges and leathers, although it should be emphasized that the need for these is not entirely eliminated.

High-pressure washing plants are supplied by B.E.N. Patents, Ltd.•, the Simpkins Engineering Works. Gedline., Nottingham ; Equipments, Ltd., 159-161, Great PortlaA Street, London, W.1 ; Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd.; • Wayne Tank and Pump Co., Ltd.; Andrew Page and Son. Ltd., 99, Albion Street, Leeds ; Messrs. A. E. Morrison and Sons, Cxartrey Street, Leicester ; Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., 2, Norfolk Street, London, W.C.2 ; Brown Bros., Ltd., Great Eastern Street, London, E.C., and Frederick J. Gordon and Co., Ltd., 92, Charlotte Street, W.1.

On the repairs side the first essential is, perhaps, some equipment for facilitating the manipulation of chassis, so as to make their component parts more accessible. To that end a most satisfactory all-round item of equipment is a motor-vehicle gantry, this being a portable framework designed so that its two uprights, which are mounted on runners, can'stand one on each side of the vehicle, while "Neither end of the chassis is lifted by means of block and tackle suspended from the cross-bar of the gantry. Equipment of this kind is now available having a capacity of three tons.

These gantries, or ear heists, are made by Mann Egerton and Co., Ltd.; Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd.; 'Equipments, Ltd.; and Andrew Page and Son, Ltd.

For handling the major components of a chassis, namely, the engine, gearbox, etc., the latest addition to the equipment available is illustrated herewith in the Jackrane. The particular advantage of this equipment is that it can lift from below in the same way ti's can a !jack, the lifting member going right {down to the ground for this purpose ; it can also be used in the same way as can an ordinary floor crane. The maker of this equipment is Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., and its capacity is one ton.

Considerable improvements have been effected of late in the design of jacks for Use in connection with heavy vehicles. The elimination of cast-iron from the construction is one, and that has been accompanied by a general. strengthening and the redesigning of the equipment to make it better suited to the work.

Joseph Bradbury and Sons, Ltd., of Braintree, has recently introduced two such jacks. One is the .G.E. lorry jack, which is sufficiently long to accommodate vehicles with a lengthy overhang, but not so long as to make mameuvring difficult. The other, the G.E. Herculift, is specially designed for use in connection with coaches ad double-deck buses. Both these jacks have a capacityi>of 10,000 lb. The Herculift has a direct lift of no less than 341 ins., its minimum height of crutch is 5it ins, and maximum height 89iins.

Another new jack for neavy vehicles is the HE Robot heavy-duty jack, made by Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd. It has been specially designed tce•facilitate the handling of those chassis on which the differential is not in the centre of the rear. axle. The maker claims this to be the only jack designed to that end.

It is advisable to have, in addition to jacks, a couple of pairs of substantial props or axle stands. When the vehicle has been jacked up to a height' at which any desired repair can conveniently be effected, these supports or props, which are adjustable as to height, are slipped under the wheels or frame and suffice to hold the vehicle indefinitely, releasing the jack for other work of a similar nature. Chains are provided, one to each prop, so that the wheel or frame can be secured against the risk of slipping off the prop. Makers of props of this kind arc Joseph Bradbury and Sons, Ltd., Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., B.E.N. Patents, Ltd., Marla Egerton and Co., Ltd., and Brown Bros., Ltd.

Better, however. than any combination of jacks and supports is a complete elevator, by which the vehicle as a whole is lifted 3 ft. or more from the ground and there supported while

repairs are executed. This is* the modern method, the pit, with all its disadvantages, being gradually super

seded. For the heavier types of commercial vehicle the Manley Auto Elevator, sold by Messrs. Andrew Page and Son and by the :ervice Equipment Co. Ltd., the BE. bus hoist, marketed by the Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., or the -Skyhi, manufactured by Henry Miller and Co., 186, Weimer Road, London, W.11, are suitable equipment. All are hydraulically operated, the actual power being, however, compressed air, which operates by propelling oil into the ram cylinders. With the E.E. bus hoist some ingenious trestles are supplied, at additional cost, to facilitate the removal of bus bodies.

For light vans a variety of elevators is on the market and can he obtained from Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., Tangyes, Ltd., Service Equipment Co., the Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., Weaver and Co., Brown Bros., Ltd., Mann, Egerton and Co., Ltd., and others.

Once dismantlement of a chassis has begun the first essential is some means for cleansing the parts, partly to facilitate the subsequent operations, but also to discover any flaws or cracks. Paraffin is still largely favoured as a cleansing medium, and some well-designed cleaning tanks, each of which incorporates a paraffin pump and a series of perforated shelves and racks, as well as a sump for the sludge, are on the market. Typical examples are those made by Mann, Egerton and Co., Ltd., Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., and Messrs.,J. A. Ryley.

An alternative is the Chemical Colander, for which Brown Bros., Ltd., has the agency. This uses a chemical degreaser,

vaporized within the colander by the heat of gas jets and condensed again, after it has cleaned the parts, by contact with pipes through which cold water is passing. In that way it is used again and again, thus reducing the cost of operation to a minimum.

' Properly designed stands for the support of axles, transmission and engines are essential items of labour-saving equipment. Axle stands which are widely adaptable to any type or make of axle are supplied by Joseph Bradbury and Sons, Ltd., Harvey Frost and Co Ltd., Mann, Egerton and Co., Ltd., Brown Bros., Ltd., and Service Equipment, Ltd.

Engine stands require to in the sense that they can be more than merely universal, accommodate a variety of sizes and types of engine. They must also be capable of being rotated and of being held in any position with the engine either in the normal vertical state, upside down, on either side, or intermediately placed.

For heavy engines' provision for this rotation by means of gearing is now made. Such stands are made by F. IL Eve, Ltd., of Old Bedford Road, Luton, Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd., Joseph Bradbury and Sons, Ltd., Weaver and Co., Brown Bros., Ltd., the Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., and Mann. Egerton and Co., Ltd.

An important and difficult task of the repair man is the detection of hidden flaws. No method yet tried is anything like so satisfactory as is the electrical one, as effected by means of the E. and E. magnetic crack detector, made by the Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd. It consists of an electro-magnet on which any steel part may be mounted. Iron filings are strewn over the part, in the form of a detecting ink. When the current is caused to pass through the electro-magnet the particles of iron take such form as immediately to indicate the presence of any crack, although it may be impossible otherwise to detect it.

A valuable piece of garage equipment, which, were it to be mentioned in order of usefulness would come second only to the lifting jack, is the press. The variety of work which can be carried out by the aid of a garage press is almost unbelievable, and covers everything between the straightening of a split pin and the truing-up of the wheel of a 10-ton lorry.

Presses can be had in all sizes and capacities from 8 tons to 80 tons ; some of them are screw operated, some ratchet and screw, some hydraulic and some by a combination of aydraulic power and compressed air. Even the most powerful, however, can be so manipulated as to effect the most delicate pressing operation without the slightest risk. Practically every one of the equipment makers mentioned in this article also makes or sells presses.

The selection of the right equipment for any repair department turns not so much on the design or construction of the press itself as on the accessories by the aid of which its scope is widened. The best advice we can give is to recommend the intending buyer to make a special study of the subject before deciding upon the most suitable outfit for his needs.

One operation which can be performed on a press is the punching and riveting of brake liners. There are, however, machines specially designed and made for this work, such as the Weaver and the G.E. (the former obtainable from Harvey Frost and Co.' Ltd., and Brown Bros., Ltd., the latter from Joseph Bradbury and Sons, Ltd.), which greatly facilitate that work besides enabling it to be carried out more effectively.

Perhaps the most interesting of recent developments in garage equipment is that by the use of which vehicle owners are enabled to rebore and regrind cylinders and to fit them with entirely new valve seats without any need for sending them away .to specialists. There is now quite a variety of tools to that end.. There are 'complete cylinderboring and grinding machines, each with self-contained electric motor designed to bolt to the face of the cylinder casting and operate from that as a locating jig. These are the most expensive of the types of cylinder-boring equipment available.

Thenthere are the cylinder hones, power to drive which is available in any s-in. heavy-duty portable drill. There are cylinder borers designed to bolt to the face of the cylinder and be operated by hand ; there are cylinders reamers, also hand-operated. Clark Automotive Equipment is one supplier of such tools, as also are B.E.N. Patents, Ltd., Frederick S. Gordon and Co., Ltd., Harvey Frost and,Co., Ltd., the Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Co., Ltd., and E. P. Banns, Ltd.

The use of small electric drills; with requisite accessories, as means for decarbonizing and valve grinding, is' well known, and equipment of that order can be obtained from practically every one of the companies mentioned above.

A recent development of the same order is in respect of tools whereby worn valve seats can be bored right out, rebushed by special cast-iron liners and refaced, at the rate of about four seats per hour. Equipment to that end is quite cheap and simple to operate. It can be had from Clark Automotive Equipment, E. P. Barrus, Ltd., and Frederick J. Gordon and Co., Ltd.

The necessity of accurate wheel alignment is now much snore widely appreciated. Its importance in relation to tyre wear cannot be over-estimated. A complete set of equipment for checking not only the alignment of the front wheels but also the castoring action, the camber of the front axle, the set of the kingpins and the parallelism of front and rear axles has just been perfected by Joseph Bradbury and Sons, Ltd., and is marketed by that concern at small cost. Less comprehensive equipment for checking the toe-in of front wheels, is. of course, sold by nearly every equipment maker and vendor. A development of garage equipment which has made immense strides of late is that in connection with the testing of brakes. The advent of four-wheel brakes. which, to be satisfactory, must be regularly adjusted, is largely responsible for this. The simplest type is that in which each wheel is tested separately by pulling it round, with the brake "on," against a spring-balance type of resistance which measures the braking effort.

Next in order come those in which the wheels are rested in turn on a pair of rollers. A hand-wheel or rotating lever, operating through gearing, drives the braked wheel through the medium of the rollers, the resistance to motion, a measure of the effectiveness of the brake, being shown upon a dial..

Then there is a brake-testing equipment in which the vehicle is driven on to a set of platforms, one to each wheel, and the brakes applied as the platforms are reached. The braking effect on each wheel is shown simultaneously on a series of indicators, one for each wheel, the recording being done hydraulically.

The latest variation of the last type is to rest the vehicle -with all wheels on the platform, apply the brakes, and then haul the vehicle along. The brake efficiency of each wheel is then recorded hydraulically, as before. Makers of braketesting equipment are: Delco-Remy and Hyatt, Ltd., Joe. Bradbury and Sons, Ltd., Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd, Tecaleniit, Ltd., Clark Automotive Equimpent, Andrew Page, Ltd., Service Eqniproent, Ltd., Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd.. and Mann Egerton and Co., Ltd.