WHEELS of INDUSTRY
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" The wheels of wealth will be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier.
Automatic Gear Changing.
Rumours have been current during the past fortnight regarding an experimental car with an automatic gear change, which Mr. Vincent Bendix, the well-known Annirican engineer, is said to have demonstrated to various people in London and Paris. So far as we have been able to ascertain, the gearbox is constructed on more or less orthodox lines, but the gears are changed automatically by a servo device controlled by a mechanism sensitive both to engine speed and to the depression in the inlet pipe, the latter being approximately in inverse ratio to the torque. A device resembling this, and known as the Fleischel, has for some time been undergoing tests in France.
"Free Transport for Football Teams."
In our issue dated October 14, we published an inquiry under the heading of "Free Transport for Football Teams." Assuming the fact to be too well known to need repetition, we omitted to mention in the footnote that, in providing free transport by lorry for passengers, an operator must make sure that the duty paid as a commercial goods vehicle is at least as great as that payable if licensed as et private car on the horse-power basis.
Increased Trading of Herbert Morris, Ltd.
In the year ended July 31, 1932, Herbert Morris, Ltd., of Loughborough, which manufactures lifting and transporting machinery widely used in the commercial-vehicle industry, made a net profit of £51,687, as contrasted with £41,876 in the previous year. A dividend of 10 per cent, is to be paid on the ordinary shares. A sum of £10,000 Is again transferred to the reserve, leaving £41,773 to be carried forward, as against 137,011 a year earlier.
Scottish Trailer Case: Judgment Reversed.
In our issue dated July 12, we published a paragraph dealing with a case heard at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court, when Sheriff Jameson gave his judgment in a case in which Messrs. Dobson, a firm of contractors, of Edinburgh, were charged with contravening the law by having used a motor lorry for the purpose of drawing a trailer, for which the duty chargeable was higher than the rate of duty paid in respect of the licence taken out for the lorry. The " trailer " was actually a hut of the type used by contractors when moving from place to place in connection with road making or repairing work. Sheriff Jameson found tor the accused, stating that the hut was really only an office.
In a stated case on appeal, this Judgment was reversed, the Court holding that any vehicle on wheels drawn B12 by a motor vehicle was a trailer within the meaning of the statute. The appeal was heard before the Lord Justice'. General and Lords Blackburn and Morison. The Lord Justice-General pointed out that the question in the ease was whether the hut was a trailer within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act, 1930. The word " trailer " was not defined, but in the first section it was enacted that the Act was to apply to all mechanically propelled vehicles intended or adapted for use on the roads—motor vehicles and trailers drawn by them. Counsel for defendant made a point of the fact that the hut was mainly used as an office, but on this Point his Lordship said that it was impossible to say that travelling shops were not vehicles because their primary purpose was to enable goods to be sold from them.
A Trades Index of the British Empire.
The British Empire Trades Index, 1932-1933 edition, has recently been issued, and it provides an informative review of trade enterprise in the Dominions. It enables one to discover, trade by trade, industry by industry, to what extent development has proceeded in the various overseas territories.
As a means for facilitating empire trade, showing readily the extent of the Possibilities in all classes of trade, this publication is of much value. It gives the names of some 35,000 principal concerns interested in export and import trade, and a brands and trade-marks section contains some thousands of names.
The primary aim of the publisher, British Dictionaries, Ltd., 8-9, Johnson's Court, London, E.C.4, is to place the volume within the range of those buying goods in large quantities, as well as in the hands of those whose business extends to the most important markets where foreign catalogues and periodicals are widely circulated. About 25,000 copies are distributed free every year to important firms, Government departments, Chambers of Commerce and other trade organizations throughout the British Empire.
Fewer London Street Accidents.
Official figures which have recently been issued by the authorities at Scotland Yard indicate that there was a decrease in the number of persons killed in street accidents in London during the quarter ended September 30, the figure being 304, as compared with 329 a year earlier. There were 5,468 fewer accidents than in the corresponding quarter of last year, and 1,084 fewer people were injured, this year's figure being 14,340.
Goods vehicles were concerned in 66 deaths, compared with 85 a year ago, and whereas coaches were involved in only five cases of persons killed as compared with 26 in 1931, the number of fatal accidents in which buses were involved was 20, showing an increase of on last year's figure.
Dates of Next Year's Show.
The International Commercial Motor Exhibition at Olympia next year will be held from November 2 to 11.
Wisemares Business for Sale.
We understand that Alfred Wiseman, Ltd., 89, Glover Street, Birmingham, which includes in its products compression-ignition engines, is in voluntary liquidation, and that the liquidators, Messrs. W. J. Edwards and F. E. Bendall, Midland Chambers, Warwick Passage, Corporation Street, Birmingham, are offering the business for sale as a going concern.
London-Birmingham Trunk Service Development.
In order to keep pace with the development of its London-Birmingham nightly trunk service, Broad and Montague, Ltd., the motor-haulage-contracting concern of Blackwell Lane, London, S.E.10, has found it necessary to move to more commodious quarters in Birmingham. It has recently taken over centrally situated premises in Commercial Street, and, in addition to yard accommodation, the company has a useful area of good, dry storage. As from November 1, the company's office at 1, Grosvenor Chambers, Broad Street, Birmingham, will be closed.
Latest Terry Valve Cotter.
The latest addition to the range of spring valve cotters made by Herbert Terry and Sons, Ltd., Redditch, is a cotter suitable for Morris Minor engines. Designed to grip the recess in the valve stem, the cotter is provided with ribs on the exterior, which fit securely in the cone-shaped hole in the valve-spring cup.
Although differing considerably from the type made for Austin Seven engines, it can be fitted or dismantled in a similar manner, with the exception that it is necessary to open the cotter with a small screwdriver. A set of eight costs 2s., and, regarded from the point of view of workmanship, this latest Terry cotter is a good example of elever press-work.
Papers Before the I.A.E.
At a meeting of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, to be held at the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, London, W.C.2, on November 1, at 7.45 p.m., Mr. S. H. Troughton will read a paper entitled "Repairs and the Importance of the Repair Department" The paper will also be read in Coventry on November 8, in Birmingham on December 7, and in Manchester on January 25, 1933.
Hydraulic brakes for motor vehicles will form the subject of a paper to be read by Mr. F. G. Parnell before the following provincial centres of the ,Institution :—Bristol, November B ; Wolverhampton, November 15; Glasgow, November 21; Coventry, December 13; Leeds, December 21.
At a meeting of the north-western centre of the Institution, to be held at the Engineers' Club, Albert Square, Manchester, on November 23, at 7 p.m., Mr. H. Wright Baker, of Manchester University, will read a paper entitled "A Study of Piston Temperatures and their Relation to Piston Design."
Forthcoming R.II.A. Meetings.
Forthcoming meetings of the Road Haulage Association have been arranged -as follow :—Metropolitan Area Committee, On Tuesday, November 8, at the Amersham Hotel, New Cross, S.E.; on Thursday November 10, at the Swan Hotel, Stratford, E.; on Thursday, November 17. at the "Three Jolly Butchers," Wood Green, N. Each
meeting starts at 8 p.m. The East Midland Area Committee of the Association is holding a meeting on Monday, October 31, at the George Hotel, Kettering, at 7.30 p.m.
A New Motor Spade Digger.
A motor spade digger has been intented by Mr. R. W. Smith, of Bidlake, Filey, Yorkshire. The idea of the invention is to make a further step in the direction of satisfying those agriculturists who contend that digging is a better form of preparing the soil for the crop than the orthodox method of ploughing, and to transmit the rotary power of the motor engine direct to the soil instead of via hauled implements.
-The digging .mechanism is attached to an improved type of chassis. It is new and not improvised, and, according to our agricultural correspondent, the appliance does its work remarkably well.
1,160 Miles Weekly With a Cub.
An accompanying illustration of a laden Leyland Cub belonging to Mr. Sydney Neal, Deeping St. Nicholas, Lines, was taken last week by a staff photographer of The Conintereial Motor at 1.30 a.m. at High Ofoss, on the Royston-Ware road. At this place the driver is accustomed to halt on his nightly journey from Boston to London With a load of live and killed poultry, eggs, etc.
This vehicle has covered 61,000 miles in the past 13 months without an in voluntary stop, and has had but two punctures with the original set of tyres, which is still in use. The journey of 116 miles takes about five hours' running time and is made five nights weekly, return loads of empties being brought back by day.
"Repeats" for Thornycrofts.
An eighth repeat order for Thornycroft bus chassis has recently been placed by the People's Motor Services, Ltd., of Ware, the latestorder being for 32-seater and 28-seater models. Scott and Sons, Ltd., of Bootle, has placed its 11th repeat order for Thornycrofts, this being for 2-ton Bulldogs.
Will of Well-known Bus Director, The will of Mr. David James, OLP., for many years managing director of the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., Swansea, discloses an estate of a gross value of £12,828, with a not personality of £9,554. Mr. James died on June 22 last.
Taxation Reduced by 25 per cent.
The authorities of the Free City of Dantzig have announced a reduction of 25 per cent, in the annual tax on corn, mercial vehicles, with the object of giving a new impetus to their use.
Personal Pars,
Mr. Walter H. .1eVortort advises us that he has been appointed works manager to Red and White Services; Ltd., Chepstow, Mon. At the end of this month he is relinquishing the post of mechanical superintendent at the Gloucester and Cheltenham branches of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd. -
Mr. Andrew C. Fenwick, who has been manager to Bury Corporation's transport undertaking for the past three , yearsf has been appointed assiatant,manager to the Cape Town transport authority, a private company serving a wide area in South Africa. He will take up his new" duties at about the end of the year. Mr. Fenwiek served his apprenticeship at Dundee.
After -having been recommended by Blackpool Corporation's transport department for the post of transport manager, Mr. Charles A. Hopkins, manager • and engineer to the Sunderland municipal transport undertaking, has requested to be allowed to withdraw from the position. It is understood that Mr. Hopkins is anxious to see the completion of a 'number of schemes that he has commenced. at Sunderland. •
Our congratulations are offered to Mr. W. Stoffel on his appointment as deputy general works manager of the extensite Scotswood works of Armstrong-Sourer Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., at Newcastleupon-Tyne. After finishing his technical education Mr. Stoffel spent two years in various departments of the Sourer works at Arbon, Switzerland, and he has been _engaged, as assistant to the works manager, Mr. J. Pratt, in the organization of the Scotswood works from the commencement of the project to manufacture in this country.
At a recent meeting of the executive committee of the National " Safety First" Association, Sir Herbert Blain, C.B.E., was nominated to succeed the late Lord Brentford as president of the Association.
Sir Herbert, who is one of the Association's vice-presidents, was the founder, 16 years ago, of the " safetyfirst" movement, and ever since has taken an active part in its development. He was, for many years, with the London Underground Railways and the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., and is now deputy chairman of the Avon India Rubber Co., Ltd., and a director of the Pyrene Co., Ltd., and of several other companies.
A New Alkaline Battery.
Britannia Batteries, Ltd., 233, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.C.2, announces that it is now manufacturing, in addition to its tubular-type alkaline battery, a flat-plate alkaline battery of the nickel-cadmium or nickeliron type. This has been introduced in a large range of capacities, and it is available for various applications.
Among the advantages of such batteries is a lower internal resistance, which makes them 'suitable for bus lighting and starting. It is also claimed that they absorb current at a lower rate than the tubular type, and can be employed in conjunction with a trickle charger.