OPINIONS and QUERIES Heads for Oil Engines. Operators' Time Wasted by Traffic Commissioners. Wheel Alignment and
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Tyre Wear
The Forms to be Completed in Licence Applications. Tr a n sport ing Passengers and Goods in
Motor Lorries
Yet Another Design of Head for Oil Engines.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[35291 Sir,—In your issue of August 18th, on the page devoted to new patents, appears a description of the head of the new Poppe and Dennis engine, patent No. 352,227.
On looking at the sectional drawing one is immediately struck with the similarity of the profile of the chamber to that of the famous Acro design, as used by Saurer, A.E.C. and others, but one also notes that there is a scavenging valve immediately above and centrally placed. This would then appear to be a " scavenged " Acro head, which, to many students of oil-engine technology, may appear to be an advantage.
It does appear, however, that this additional valve will mean considerable extra expense, and certainly make the cylinder-head castings more complicated, whilst one can only assume that it will not be free from heat stresses.
With a six-cylindered engine it means 18 valves and their corresponding gear instead of only 12, and therefore a great deal more noise and more parts to wear, maintain and lubricate.
It would indeed be interesting to know the consumption of this engine at full load and speed, also the b.h.p, per litre with an invisible exhaust, also if it can be started by hand from cold. The need for an electrical heater plug (shown in the drawing) seems to imply that this cannot be done.
The need to-day is to develop these engines on the lines of ,simplicity and to be entirely independent of electrical starting gear, if possible, thus avoiding the risk of discharged batteries and the consequent need for towing the vehicle to start the engine.
Perhaps later you will be able to publish a full description of this engine with power curves, etc., which will be looked forward to with interest by those who follow the development of the oil engine.
Leeds. W. H. GODDARD.
Wasting the Time of Operators at Sittings of the Traffic Commissioners.
The Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
05301 Sir,—We thought it would rather interest you to know our recent experience at two Traffic Commissioners' sittings.
One Tuesday we had to attend the Southern Area Commissioners' sitting at Bournemouth. This sitting started at 10 a.m., which meant leaving Northampton at 5.30 a.m. to arrive at Bournemouth at this time. The writer sat through the whole of the day listening to local applicants, and then at about 5.50 p.m. the chairman said that he would take the applications of operators who had some distance to go; this, mind you, after we had all been sitting there since 10 a.m.
The writer had suggested to the chairman, when he e30 adjourned for unch, that he should hear our application, as we had to attend a sitting of the Western Area Commissioner at Gloucester on the Wednesday. After some demur he said he would do this, but evidently it was overlooked, following the luncheon interval.
The writer arrived back in Northampton at 2.30 a m on the Wednesday morning and had to leave for Gloucester to attend a sitting there, arriving at 3 p.m. At 4.30 p.m. the Commissioner said that they would adjourn until Thursday. The writer then asked the chairman if it would be possible for him to hear his application. This he agreed to do, and as a matter of fact the licence was granted without the writer having to say anything at all. We would mention that in both instances the application waa for only a backing.
We think it about time the Commissioners realized that operators have something else to do besides wasting their time in attending sittings at such great distances away, but apparently there does not seem to be any thought at all for the operator.
If you use this information in any way you will, of course, refrain from using our name as it might possibly prejudice our applications at some future date.
We ourselves think that once the licence isgranted in our own area, which in our case has been done, it should not be necessary for us to attend sittings for backings, and we think that this is a point which your valuable journal can press home. HARASSED. Northampton.
[We have already pointed out, in a leading article in our issue for September 8th, that the Commissioners are exceeding their powers in requiring the attendance of operators at their sittings, whether these be for licences or backings. It is their duty to consider each application on its merits, and not to refuse it because the operator is not present or represented.—En.]
Good Wheel Alignment to Save Tyre Wear.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
135311 Sir,—We were interested in the letter by "Lifu " in your issue for September 15th, Unfortunately tyres are not made to last a lifetime, but the useful life of a tyre may often be extended to many thousands of miles with proper care.
The chief cause of excessive wear is bad tracking of the steering wheels, which causes them to drag instead of roll, and frequent adjustments are necessary to counteract this, Makers have not given the same attention to steering joints as to other parts of vehicles, wholly frictional joints being mainly used. These are of two types, the ball and cup—a very troublesome joint—and the ball and cup with the addition of a spring which, whilst maintaining a firm connection, eventually throws the wheels out of alignment.
There is a joint on the market (of which we are the patentees) which is non-frictional, and when once accurately adjusted requires no further adjustment during the life of the vehicle, whilst costing no more than the worst type. Some makers of commercial vehicles are standardizing on this joint.
While writing we would like to add that we have always found The Commercial Motor to be well up to (late on all matters of interest and all a trade journal
should be. • R.. HAWORTH (For Charles A. Haworth and Son).
Manchester.
The Form to Use for Various Classes of Work.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
13532] Sir,—As a reader of your valuable journal, and on behalf of myself and other small bus and coach proprietors in this vicinity, I would like information concerning the forms for the new licences, etc.
My own vehicles are 14 and 20-seater all-weather coaches. I operate a small country-bus service three days per week with a maximum fare of 6d. (single). I believe this would require them to be licensed as stage carriages. Is this correct?
When they are not employed on a bus route, I use these coaches for private outings, transporting football teams, etc. Sometimes the coach is hired outright at a fixed sum, and sometimes at an agreed price per head. These outings sometimes take me out of the southern area. Would you kindly tell me which form to complete for this part of my work, also, in this case, do I need backings for the other areas?
To fill in spare time when the vehicles are not employed on either of the above classes of work, I advertise trips to various places (by notice boards at advantageous points and outside booking offices), at so much per head return. Which form must I complete for this class of work? These trips, also, sometimes take me out of the southern area.
I also advertise two trips weekly to Southampton, a distance of approximately 20 miles, for theatres, shopping, etc., at 3s. per head return, and for the convenience of .passengers I arrange to pick them up at points easy of access to them along the route. Picking up in Southampton at an arranged time and place for the return, what form must I complete for this work?
With regard to Form F.S,74, will you kindly tell me in which column for returns the above classes of work should be entered, namely, which for stage, express and contract?
I would also be obliged for information regarding the following, which, f believe, would also interest readers in the same line. I wish to know if owners of private cars, with private licences, are permitted to do taxi work. A taxi would be a valuable addition to the small coach or bus owner, but owing to the number of private-car owners doing this class of work as a side line it is a problem to make it pay. What Protection is there for the man who does this type of work for a living? Also what would be the position regarding in surance, etc.? COACH PROPRIETOR. Lymington.
[You are. 1..orre_t in assuming that your vehicles, when used on a bus service for which no fare exceeds sixpence, will he regarded as stage carriages under the provisions of the Road Traffic Act.
For each vehicle you will have to obtain a certificate of fitness, for which the fee is £3. As a rule a certificate will last for five years. To obtain it you will have to fill up Form P.S.V. 3.
You will also require a public-service vehicle licence for each vehicle, the fee for which will be £.3 and the form to be filled up will be P.S.V. 1; you will need a road service licence for each vehicle, the fee for this will be £1, and the form to be filled up will be P.S.V. S.
If a vehicle be let as a whole it is treated as a contract carriage, the use of which is covered by the publicservice vehicle licence.
If a vehicle be let for carrying passengers at separate fares of more than one shilling each, it will be treated as an express carriage. The fact that the vehicle may be used for this purpose should be stated when you apply for the road service licence, but you will have to fill up form P.S.V. 9 as well as P.S.V. 8.
Before a stage carriage or an express carriage can be used in any other Traffic Area, the road service licence must be backed by the Commissioners of the other Area. The general form to be used for this purpose is P.S.V. 10, but P.S.V. 11 must be used for excursions and tours for which inclusive return fares are charged.
A vehicle which is used or trips to various places at so much per head is an express carriage and so is a vehicle used for trips to Southampton. As mentioned above, form P.S.V. 9 will have to be filled up.
With regard to form F.S. 74, the returns must be made under the heading " Stage " when any fare is less than is., under the beading "Express" when any fare exceeds is., and under the heading -" Contract " when the vehicle is let as a whole.
There is nothing to prevent owners of private cars with full-duty licences using them for private-hire work. If, however, they ply for hire, as is done by taxicabs which pick up passengers in the street or at stands, the owners must obtain licences to ply for hire from the local authority, whose powers in that respect have not been altered by the Road Traffic Act.
If a private owner used his car for hire his insurance policy would not be effective if, in his proposal form, he had stated that it would only be used for private purposes. Before using the vehicle for hire it would be necessary for him to satisfy the insurance company that he intended to use the car for hire work and to pay any additional premium required.—En.]
Carrying Passengers With Their Goods in Motor Lorries.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3533] Sir,—As a regular reader of your journal for the past six years I would like you to help me in the following matter :—We run four lorries; three of them are Willys Manchester 30-35-cwt. vehicles and the other is a Morris-Commercial 1-ton lorry of 13.9 h.p. Most of our work is market carrying and we attend different markets daily. The owners of the goods we carry ride with them on our lorries, and usually number up to about ten people.
We pay more than the horse-power tax—i.e., £25 on the Manchesters and £20 on the Morris.
Before the new regulations we were allowed to be taxed as " private and goods," and carry these people at their own risk ; but now we cannot have these passengers insured as there are no provisional seats on the load, but we must take them or lose our customers.
Are we allowed to take non-fare-paying passengers with their own goods at their own risk? The insurance company says that we are allowed to take these people provided we do not make special seats. One of the Manchester lorries weighs 36 cwt. and draws a trailer on two wheels weighing 9 cwt., a total of 2 tons 5 cwt. As all the wheels have pneumatic tyres, what speed are we allowed? If we made this machine into a rigid six-wheeler, all on pneumatics and weighing under 21 tons complete, would we be allowed a speed of 30 m.p.h.?
Manchester. M. BLACK.
[1. The insurance policy against third-party risks which has to be taken out in accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, need not cover liability to persons who are carried in the vehicle and for whom no charge is made, and you are therefore entitled to carry such passengers at their own risk. It is, however, important that you should be able to prove, if necessary, that the charge which you make for carrying goods is exactly the same whether the owner of the goods travels in the vehicle or not. It is not essential that there should be no special seats for the persons vrho are carried, but no doubt the fact that seats were fitted might lead a Court to take the view that part of the charge which was made was in respect of the carryirg of the owners of the goods. 2. The maximum speed for a goods vehicle with trailer is 16 m.p.h., if all wheels be fitted with pneumatic tyres.
3. The maximum speed for a rigid six-wheeler, the weight unladen of whichdoes not exceed 2i. tons, and which i5. entirely fitted with pneumatic tyres, is 30 m.p.h. —ED.]