Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
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TEN SHILLINGS WEEKLY for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for any thing else published.
Drivers of commercial-motor vehicles and tractors, and mechanics and foremen of garages or shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject winch is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Workshop tips and smart repairs ; long and successful runs; interesting photographs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post-card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. We will "knock it into shape" and prepare sketches, where necessary, before publication. The absence of a sketch does not disqualify for a prize. When writing use one side of the papey only and mention your employer's name as a guarantee of bona fides. Neither your own nor your employer's name will be disclosed. Payment will be made immediately after publication. Address your letters to The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL. MOTOR, 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
Drivers should note that the entries for the C.M.U.A. Parade and Prize Scheme close on the 7th of May. Full particulars have already appeared in the issue of this journal of the 7th ult. In the section for THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR Cup. the mileage and vehicle-age limits of the individual sections do not apply—see conditions ii last week's issue.
Lubricating a Loose Pulley.
The sender of the following cam at it nicotion Los burn awarded the Ws. pthe this 04'04 [700_, " W.A.B." (Middlewiehl writes :—" A tip which may be interesting to your readers is one in connection ts ith a job which I did recently on an arrangement for lubricating a small loose pulley, which had to run at speeds up to 3,000 revolutions per minute. At such ,speeds. it can be imagined that it was not an easy matter to arrange for efficient lubrication. The pulley in question was a hollow castine: : in the orieinal arrangement. a liress bush had been driven in tight through the centre of the pulley. and this bush was perforated with a number of oil holes. The idea of the maker was evidently to fill the whole of the inside of this pulley with oil. *through a plug hole which was provided, and then to rely upon the lubricant's finding its way through the oil holes on to the shaft. Owing to the excessive speed of the pulley, however, the oil was always driven out centrifugally to the ries. The bush, after very little running, got quite dry and seized. The alteration which I made consisted of fixing three short lengths of pipes between the rim of the pulley and the centre bush at equal distances : these pipes were drilled with small oil holes. The oil with which the body of the pulley is filled still flies out to the rim owing to centrifugal action, but a portion of it seems to be forced into each tube and to be unable to get back. The consequence is that, whatever tho speeds may be. some oil invariably
trickles down one or other of these tubes into the bush. With the old arrangement, the pulley required oiling at least twice a day; now it is possible to run it for over a week with only one dose of lubricant, and the same bush has been in for six months and seems to be hardly worn."
Driving by Candle Light : Lamp Precautions.
[701] " R.H.B." (Leeds) writes.—" I ate a regular reader of your valuable paper, and I take a great interest in the D. and M.' page, from which I have obtained many useful hints. I recently read an account of a makeshift headlamp under the title A " Three-Star " Headlamp.' [Letter No. 683, from A.E.J.,' published in our issue of the 31st March.--En.] You will remember that Your correspondent had used an old brandy bottle and a candle. I don't think he would have got on so well with his scheme, if he had tried it in this district. I enclose you two cuttings from our evening paper; these show that two rafters had been summoned for employing a similar dodge.
INGENUITY GOES UNREWARDED.'
' A Manningham carrier, who forgot the lamps for his cart. was seen at Baildon hr a policeman to be holding a bottle containing a lighted candle over the side of the ca rt.
' At Otley to-day he was ordered to pay the costs of a summons for driving a vehicle without a light.
'BY THE LIGHT OF A CANDLE.'
Frank Fielding. miner, Hoyleed Common, was summoned at Barnsley, to-day. for driving a vehicle without a proper light. It was pointed out by the police that defendant had a candle lit in a bottle. The Bends, however, were disposed to take a lenient view of the case, believing defendant thought the light sufficient, but they told him he would know better in future. Defendaet was ordered to par the costs.' "I think you will agree that if the police took this action against drivers of horse-vehicles, there is little doubt as to what they would do, were the offenders in charge of motor-vehicles. I personally never go on the road without taking my lamps with me, a.s there is always the possibility of being detained until after dark. I never carry a tail lamp on its proper rear bracket during the day; it makes too good a target for selmolheys to throw stones at, and it is too convenient for them to put their feet on when they are swinging behind. It is far safer to carry it inside the canopy, and it keeps cleaner too. "I should like to finish this letter with two small tips about inudhole joints and pump packing. When I put on a new mudhole ring, I cover it with tallow and blacklead, which I have melted and mixed beforehand. Then, every time I take the doors off. I just smear them with a little cylinder oil. I find the joints will last for months if ti.ented like this. With regard to pump packing. T always soak it in water, as find it then makes a much-closer joint than when it is greased."
[The " Use and Construction " Order of the Local Government, which was issued by virtue of the Motor Car Acts of 1896 and 1903, contains the following regulation, amongst others, as to lighting :— "The lamp to he carried attached to the Motor Car . . shall be so constructed and placed as to exhibit . . . a white light visible within a reasonable distance in the direction towards which the motorcar is proceeding."— En.]
For Tight Wheel-valves an "Anti-foaming" Tip.
[702] " R.S.T." (Newcastle) writes." I send you a sketch of a very-useful tool, which, although it is in common use in several shops of which I know, may not be familiar to many of my fellow readers of the 'C.M.' Its object is to enable any form of screw-down valve to be opened or closed when it has gone tight. It frequently happens that a valve of this sort will get so stiff that nothing short of a hammer and a lump of wood will shift it. This is frequently awkward for the valve. I have sketched the special spanner suitable for this job, in two forms. The first is more difficult to make and can only he used for pulling the wheel round in one direction, unless it be turned over. It is, however, much less likely to slip off than the second pattern. This is a cheaper form and can be used in either direction. The method of using either of these tools is clearly shown in the sketch.
"I don't know whether it is generally known that a piece of copper sulphate, Cu SO4-,, or Milestone, as it is sometimes called, of about the size of a walnut, if it be placed in the tank, from which feed water is drawn, will stop foaming.
" If a wagon is going to be out of use for some while, the best way to keep the boiler in good condition is to till it right up to the safety valve or whatever is the highest point. When a boiler has, as sometimes happens, developed a. number of small leaks, a little manure, inserted into the boiler, will sometimes effect a cure.
" When grinding in safety valves, a good test is to make pencil marks on the seat, about 1 in. apart. If the valve be replaced and moved backwards and forwards through a quarter turn three or four times, the pencil marks will all be cut, if the valve is going to be tight."
Stopping a Leaky Tank with the "CAL"
[703] " F.A.W." (Leeds) writes.—" The following incident may be of as much value to some of your readers as the many tips, which have been previously given in the
• O.M.,' have been to me. Some time ago, 1 was on my way home with my steam wagon after dark, when I suddenly found that I was short of water. As I had been reckoning that I had a sufficient supply to take me home, was somewhat surprised at my discovery. The boiler, however, was almost full ; 1, therefore, at once closed the dampers so as to avoid any waste. On examining the Lank, I found that it. had split about :11 in. from the bottom to the extent of 6 in. or more in length. Knowing that I was not near any assistance, I set to work to
make a temporary rig. Having pas.sed a house sonic few hundred yard& back, I walked to it and was there able to buy some pieces of board, 1 in. thick by 9 in. wide, with any amount of length; I also got a saw to cut it up with.
My mate had already got the manhole cover off the tank, so we soon got to work to stop the leak. We had several copies of the C.M.' with us, as well as some old newspapers which we had secured from the kind housewife, from whom we had got the saw and the timber. I cut one piece of wood, 3 ft. long, to go along the inside of the tank. I next took the papers and wetted them until they would squeeze well together into a sort of pulp. Then I placed a good thickness of these over the defect inside the tank and the piece of wood, which I had cut, was set up against them. Lastly, some cross-pieces were cut to wedge across the tank, so as to hold the first piece up to the paper. These last were driven in tight and the whole arrangement made a sound job. The manhole was again boxed up, and all was ready for filling the tank, but there was no water for a considerable distance. I sent my mate to find some and he returned only to say that there was none near. I did not intend being out all night, Sc) I went in search of the valuable fluid myself and I soon found a very-small quantity in a gutter. It was too far away for the suction hose. Having a bucket with us I decided, however, to fill the boiler with it and then proceed as far as I could in. safety to find a good supply. The boiler was filled by uncoupling the injector feed pipe from the tank and by putting the end into the bucket each time. A few buckets filled it and we were soon pushing along hoping to find a more-plentiful supply. Unfortunately none was found, and the boiler level was again getting low, so I stopped and filled up with the bucket again. This time we had to fetch the water some distance out of a field. Once more on our way, we continued the search and were successful after we had run only another 200 yds. As it was a dark night, it was an awkward job finding water. A good supply was available at last, so we filled up and were more than pleased to find our joinering feat was a success. We were somewhat busy, and, as our repair appeared to stand quite well, we finished the week's running and had the tank properly repaired with a patch on wash-out day. We were somewhat late home, but were thankful not to be camping out."