Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
Page 19
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Ten Shillings Weekly for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for anything else published.
Drivers of commercial motors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, who are engaged in any branch of the industry, Ire tarifad to contribute short, Personal experiences, opinions or suggestions, on subjects which are likely to prove of interest to our vaders. We shall he glad to hear of anythinginteresting th,rt has come under any driver's or niechanic's notice, either in The shops 1, on Me road, Long and successful runs ; services with us" lost journeys " ; worksh4 tips and smart rePairs ; all are suitable objects. Send a postcard, or a letter. or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock into shape" before publication. When writing it is as well to mention your employer's mime as a guarantee of bona fides (not or publwation), and to state whether you wish your own name, or initials only, to be published. Payment will be made immediately per publication. Address your laters to The Editor, " THE, Comm ExcIAL Moroa," 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
ostal Communications.
Our acknowledgments are due to " TB.'' (Birmingham), ' S.G.K." (Parson's Green), " T.D." (Victoria I)ocks), ' J.M." (Banbury), " CASTANET " (Pimlico), " Glasgow) and " MECHANIC " (Plymouth), whose cornaunications we are considering with a view to publication.
tepairing a Driving Chain.
[4531 The following account of the manner in which a roken driving chain was repaired has been submitted to us
ir publication by " G.W." (Millfield, Sunderland) I am ending you a description of the plan I adopted in order to lend o. chain, which had broken on my steam wagon one ay last month. It was unfortunate that the driving chain roke, while I was making my way up a steep hill; the iagon commenced to run backwards, but I soon got the rake into operation, with the result that I was able to stop he machine's career downhill, before any further damage as done. Upon examination, I found that the plates of one ide link and one rivet were broken. The chain was of that ype which is made up of three separate links at each side. had no spare links with me, and as the breakage occurred t about eight o'clock at night, I could hardly expect to enlist he services of any wayside repair shop. 1, first of all, tried he effect of the shortening of the radius rods, in order to ttempt to dispense entirely with the broken link, but, as I ad expected, I found that I could not obtain sufficient (flush-nem for the purpose. As a last resource, I proceeded, iith a hammer and chisel, to force one plate off each side f the next complete link, and to use these two plates to orm a new side link in the place of the broken one. I next ound a steel bolt which was a good fit and I cut it off a the right length, while I allowed sufficient stuff for the iveting, of the end. When I had coupled up the chain, and .ad securely riveted the new link, although we now had two tiks taking the strain for which three were provided by lie makers, the patch was sufficiently strong to take the ragon home safely, and so to avoid an unpleasant sojourn a stranded condition on the high road at night."
!hinoceros Hide for Eccentric Straps.
T he sender of the following communication has been awarded the ros, trize this week.
[454] We have received the letter, which we reproduce, rom " T.D." (Keighley, Yorks.), This communication consins an account of several interesting alterations and repairs hat have been carried out on a steam wagon, which has een in the charge of our correspondent :—" I am at present riving a well-known make of steam wagon. The pump on his machine is fixed in a very awkward position, and it has lways been a matter of considerable difficulty to get at it, s the drivingwheel on the second-motion shaft is too close a allow the use of a spanner of the ordinary shape. I nund that I could get over the difficulty quite well by using special spanner which I had made of the shape shown in ay sketch. The driver who had charge of the machine ,efore me used frequently to employ a hammer and chisel n the nuts of the pump, much to their detriment.
" in the district in which I am at work, the roads are erv rough indeed, and, on a heavy machine with steel tires, Itch as the one I drive, the vibration on the footplate is exessive. I have fixed up a sort of spring board an the footlate and T have found that this arrangement considerably .dds to the comfort of driving. The footplate on my wagon 5 also part of the water tank, and, in the first place, I fitted
flat pieces of steel, n inch wide, o the top of this tank,
so that the a-inch flat springs which I arranged under the new foot-plate should not rub the tank plate.
" A few weeks ago I came across the driver of a steam wagon which had a broken eccentric strap. The mishap occurred when the wagon was only two and a half miles from home, and I was requested to tow him over the distance. I never object to giving what assistance I can, but I very much dislike to see one steam wagon being hauled by another, and, in order to avoid the necessity for this, I decided to see if I could not repair the damaged part. I remembered that I had some rhinoceros hide in my kit.
found this and cut off a sufficient length of it to form half of the strap. The next thing I did was to soak the strip well in oil, and, when I had carefully punched a bolt hole at each end, I fastened this improvised cap firmly up to the other half. After we had run the engine light, we tried it in first the low and then the top gear. Needless to say the driver was pleased with the result and decided to attempt the run home. When he arrived he examined the hide and found it not a bit the worse for its wear. I generally carry
a bit of rhinoceros hide for brake adjustments. I would add that I do not like cast-iron eccentric heads, and I always strongly recommend the use of wrought-iron or steel heads.
" I often hear the question asked, Can new parts for a steam wagon or tractor he made at home more cheaply and of better quality than they can be procured from the maker? ' I have known of instances—when the manager dreads the appearance of a big repair bill from the maker—of the manufacture of certain parts at home that have eventually cost three times what the makers would have charged. The engine in such instances has often to be laid up much longer than necessary. In most cases, were a new duplicate part sent for at once from the makers, the engine would have lost the minimum number of hours' work on the _road. I have known a wagon that has stood in the shed for a week while a fitter has busied himself making a new part which the shop was not properly equipped to manufacture. This kind of thing is not explained to many an employer, or T think that different methods would often be adopted."