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Many Road Men May Say Tar
FOR al those associated with the construction and maintenance of roads, the British Road Tar .Association, 9, Harley Street, London, W.1, is a valuable source of information on the use of tar 'and the many ways in which it can be employed for these purposes. Tarmacadam has proved one of the most practicable materials, being waterproof and, correctly prepared and laid with the right size of stone, affords an excellent non-skid surface,
The B.R T A is not a trading body and takes no direct part in sales, but it advises, either personally or through travelling representatives, on the best methods of employing tar, It also maintains a close liaison with the D.S.I.R. Road Research Laboratory • and collaborates with the British Standards Institution. Publications, films and slides are available. A26
Americans Praise Karrier Appliance
A LETTER has been received by Rootes Motor 4-16. Sales, Inc., New York, from the Sanitary Engineering Co., North Fahriouth, Mass., in which high praise is given to the performance of KarricrYorkshire gully emptiers operated under contract to the State Highway Department. "The remarkable feature of the machine," it is stated, "is that it will do things no other unit is able to accomplish and, furthermore, that service and repair expense has been practically nil."
In addition to inaugurating a successful cesspool cleansing business in the Cape Cod area, the Sanitary Engineering Co. works for post engineers at a large Army camp. As a result of the vehicles' performance, the contract has been renewed for another 12 months.
The Rewards of Service
MANY lessons have been learned by those engaged IVA in the export business during the past few years,
• not the least important of which is that overseas sales must be backed by first-class service. Now at least one concern has discovered that first-class service is responsible for sales. The company in question, Victor Britain, Ltd., is a car-hire specialist, and at a recent reception for American travel agents at the company's offices in London, this was proved.
During the past year, the managing director said, 60 per cent. of the company's revenue had come from overseas countries, the greater proportion frOm hard-currency areas. He claimed that this was a result of the policy of providing hirers with amenities which other similar organizations did not offer. For example, when a hirer arrives to take over a car, he is provided with a luncheon basket, a pilot driver to lead him through London traffic, and a host of other items. At an extra charge, for • example, a camera with free film is provided. Such service spells success in a business of this type.
Measuring Paint Thickness
METERS for measuring the thickness of a coat of STI paint applied to ferrous metals have been in use for a long time, but not until recently have they been available for use with non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium and its alloys. Nash and Thompson, Ltd., of To!worth, Surrey, a concern which specializes in solving difficult problems, has developed such a meter and this, together with many other instruments, was demonstrated to us recently.
The measuring head of the instrument 'contains a small dust-cored coil, the inductance of which depends on its separation from the metal base. An oscillator circuit, in which the coil is embodied, is tuned through a variable capacitor with a calibrated dial to the frequency of a second standard oscillator.
The outputs of these two oscillators are mixed in a parallel "1" circuit and modulated. The indication is given on a "magic-eye" tuning indicator. Although' the apparatus functions on highly technical principles, its application is of the simplest possible order.