RECORDING THE MILES THAT MEAN MONEY.
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A New Instrument that Provides a Daily Chart of the Doings of a Vehicle so that Accurate Data are Procurable.
T"general experience with the average British driver of a commercial vehicle is that he is an honest man and
does his work conscientiously. Only, perhaps, when he is young and has not gained all the business enthusiasm that invariably comes with more mature years is he likely to be unreliable or to take advantage of the absenceof supervision which results from him being in charge of a vehicle away from the garage or the warehouse. Of course, where a driver is not to be relied upon and has a tendency to let time run to waste—ft matter which can never be afforded either in the case of a small haulier employing one or two men or in the case of a concern employing hundreds of drivers—the need for a supervising system is essential ; but, quite apart from this need in exceptional cases, a recording instrument which definitely shows what a vehicle is doing during the whole of the working hours is of value to the owner or the fleet manager, because only by this means is it possible to keep accurate records, to arrive at definite costs and to know where economies can he effected. Take, for instance, loading time. It is not going too far to say that a very large percentage of vehicles in operation incur some loss of the day's working period through delays in loading or unloading which could be materially ahortened either it the ‘-ehicle were under definite supervision--which would involve-a high wage cost—or if the facts could be brought home to the Owner or manager so that he could take steps to minimize the delays.
A driver, again, with the best intentions in the world, may be defective in his geography and may be in the habit of Proceeding from one given place to another by a route which is materially longer than necessary. It is not often realized that in very many eases people are unable to read a map and -find their way from place to place in a manner which, to the person who does understand and works by maps, is either merely elementary or largely incomprehensible. They probably make their first trip to their destination by a process of asking questions from point to point and, having once got a route, they then memorize it and stick to it.
An instrument such as the Autograph recorder, which is marketed in this country by Ripaults, Ltd., King's Road, St. Pancras, London, N.W.1, serves to record the ,doings of a vehicle to which it is fitted on a disc which covers a period of 24 hrs., and, as the disc is driven by -clockwork, it is impossible to leave anything out of the day's record ; even the time elapsing between the removal of the disc and its replacement by a new one is clearly brought to light.
How Recording is Effected.
The size of the chart is 3i ins. in diaiheter, and it is divided by curved radial lines to show the hours, which, again, are subdivided, so that there is a space of approximately in. to each quarter of an hour. Whilst the vehiclg is standing still a pencil marks a long line concentric to the rim of the disc, the length of the line depending upon the length of the stop. Whilst the vehicle is running. however, the pencil oscillates over a short arc from close to the rim to a point near the centre of the disc. There is a second recording Pencil, which is carried on the inside of the face of the instrument, and is caused to vibrate in response to the vibration of the vehicle set up when the engine is running. This marks ft line on the edge of the disc.
Should the chief pointer be put out of action, either intentionally or by accident, the automatic vibration-recording pencil will still continue to make its mark and to show either when the vehicle is in use, when its engine is running or when the vehicle is stationary. It would thus indicate the time occupied in the testing of the engine in garage or at the roadside: it will also serve, of course, to show, by proper tallying of the marks made by the movement recorder and by the automatic pencil, that the instrument is or is not in running order.
It is only a moment's work to change the disc, which is locked in position to agree with the time of day, and thereafter it would show the period of time during which the car is standing still and the duration of all stops, the distance covered between stops, and the dnration of time occupied taking meals. By the closeness or otherwise of the curved lines on the graph the speed can be arrived at, because each curved line' crosses five squares, each section repro
seating a mile, so that each curve of the graph represents five miles, and it is quite easy approximately to calculate the distance covered and the speed of the vehicles movements.
Whilst the car is at a standstill the pencil describes a non-waving line, and as the vibration recorder is then out of action there should be no mark on the rim of the dial.
Above the recording dial is. a distance recorder showing miles and one-tenths of miles, the miles running up to 9999.9 miles, when the indicator automatically returns to zero. If necessary, a zero adjustment can be obtained, this calling for a key which remains in the hands of the garage superintendent so that he can set the distance recorder at zero at the commencement of the day's work.
There is a pivoted cover plate on the inside of the front cover which entirely obscures the dial, or the window may be left uncovered so that the pencil can be seen in operation.
The day's disc can, of course, be compared with the schedule given to the driver, and ally unauthorized stops can instantly be detected from a comparison of the two. Facts in connection with any delay can thus be learned whilst they are still fresh in the mind of the driver, and where necessary complaint call be lodged immediately.
The .Autograph recorder is carried in a bracket on the dashboard, with a dog elntch at the end of the driving shaft engaging with an enclosed dog clutch on the base of the instrument. It is locked into its bracket by a padlock and is very easily removed and replaced when desired. It is quite impossible for a driver to interfere with the instrument without opening the cover, and that he can only do if he has a key to the padlock ; should he obtain possession of such a key and open the cover a nick is made on the edge of the dial, so that ai y
attempt at interference becomes at once apparent.
With the facts of operation of the vehicle before one, it is possible, of course, to ascertain the total running time of the vehicle, its total mileage and, by making further records, its time mileage and petrol consumption, and as mileage means money, an instrument of this sort fitted to a vehicle should repay its cost in a very little while.
It is made in three types, one being suitable for heavy lorries and another for lighter vehicles, buses and delivery vans, whilst there is a third type suitable for passenger cars and light vans.
The coneessionnairea for the instrument in this country keep a complete stock of spare parts, and as all parts arc interchangeable replacements are capable of being made within the matter of a few moments, as the apparatus is extremely simple, not only in itself, but also to handle.