Safety, Comfort, Efficiency
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promoted by new accessories
THE needs of goods and passenger operators arc met by new accessories which have just been announced by a number of manufacturers. Some of the new products are intended to promote safety or comfort, and others to increase operating efficiency.
Easy starting of oil engines in cold weather is the purpose of the Thermostart device, a product of C.A.V., Ltd., London, W.3. It uses the same fuel as the engine and has few working parts. When the engine to which it is fitted is cranked, fresh air enters the device and mixes with vaporized fuel. The mixture is ignited by coil, and air drawn into the cylinders is thus heated.
Winking-light indicators introduced by Trico-Folberth, Ltd., Great West Road, Brentford, Middx.. cost £4 4s. a pair. The company's new windscreen washer operated bY compressed air is also priced at £4 4s. Both these products were described in last week's issue. Another introduction, is a Fahrenheit thermometer 2 in. in diameter which may be attached to a dash panel by a rubber sucker disc. It costs I Sc.
Joseph Lucas, Ltd.. 46 Park Street, London, W.1, are to produce a thermic make-and-break unit for 24v. winkinglight indicators. These units at present are in use for 12v. equipment, but more. expensive mechanical devices have to be employed for 24v.
Made in monobloc containers, cheaper and 30 lb. lighter than previous types, new Lucas batteries provide the same power, for starting with only a slight sacrifice in length of life.
Monobloe batteries are being made by the Edison Swan Electric Co., Ltd., 155 Charing Cross Road. London, W.C.2. Known as the XBE range, the n20 batteries correspond to the company's XBW types in wooden containers.
Two new rubber lamps have been produced by Flexible Lamps, Ltd., Centre Drive, Epping. Model 21 incorporates an amber winker, a reflector and a stop-tail lamp, It is supplied in pairs at £2 7s., the off-side component having provision for number-plate lighting. Another unit costs 10s. 9d.
Of interest to long-distance coach operators is a unit made by S. Smith and Sons (Radiomobile), Ltd., Cricklewood Works, London, N.W.2, for fitting to existing medium-wave and long-wave radio sets so that reception from eight short-wave bands may be gained.
Intended by the makers for use in depots, but of interest to users of public demonstration vehicles, the Transhailer is an electronic megaphone made by Pye, Ltd,, Cambridge. It incorporates transistors and weighs 5 lb.
James Neale and Sons, Ltd., Graham Street, Birmingham, 1, have introduced a windscreen washer the nozzle of which produces two jets. The pump plunger can be arranged for either hand or foot operation, and the reservoir contains
2 pt. Another new product of this company is an element-type windscreen demister.
The K-L777 under-seat heater for single-deckers is the latest addition to the range of the Key-Leather Co., Ltd., 5 Urswiek Road, London, E.9. The casing is 10 in. wide, 101 in. deep and 7+ in. high. Heated air flows out in three directions, at the rate of 182 Cu. ft. per min. Installed in a petrol vehicle with a water temperature of 180° F. and at an ambient temperature of 32° F., the output is 20,000 B.Th.U. The comparative figure for an oiler with a water temperature of 140° F. is 14,600 B.Th.U. Consumption is 36W.
Safety, Comfort, Efficiency—Cont.
Weighing 244 lb. fully trimmeo, a new bus seat has been produced by the Lace Web Spring Co., Ltd., Sandiacre, near Nottingham. The frame is of steel, the cushion of Foma sponge rubber and the squab of Fomahair. Trimmed in moquette and Vynide, the seat costs £13 10s.
New applications for Splendex metallized fabric have been developed by Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. Leathercloth Division), I.C. 1-louse, Mil!bank, London, S.W.I, by coating it with a protective film of Melinex abrasion-resistant plastics. It is suggested that the material is suitable for the lower interior panels of coaches.
Thompson Winches Two 3-ton winches, one operated by power, have been introduced by Thompson Bros. (Engineers), Ltd., Archery Road, London, S.E.9. The hand winch has been designed to meet the needs of operators of 8-ton vehicles, whilst the compact power winch has been developed for use on .medium-weight vehicles to raise wheeled loads of up to 3 tons up steep ramps. The price of this unit is £73.
A new woven brake-facing material for heavy vehicles has been produced by British Belting and Asbestos Ltd.. Cleckheaton, to supersede their Mintex A6 non-metallic and Z6 metallic woven materials. Frictional characteristics are similar, but the new products have improved stability and fade resistance.
The company say that although moulded material suits fast, light vehicles, woven facings are still unbeaten by moulded for heavier lorries and buses, particularly those with rio brake-servo gear. Advantages of woven facings include quietness in operation, quick bedding-in after fitting and "kindness" to drums.
The new facings are being made in
thicknesses a in and more.
Shock Recorder
Of interest to packagers is the latest type of shock recorder produced by A. Latter and Co., Ltd., 43 South End, Croydon. The new device has polystyrene pellets inside the indicator compartments to prevent movement of the mechanism during delivery. When put into service, the pellets are removed. Price of the recorder is £6 6s.
Price of the Allcon disc for fitting to twin rear-wheel assemblies, described in last week's issue, has been fixed by Kerry's (Great Britain), Ltd., Warton Road, London, E.15, at £13 13s. a pair. Weight of each disc is 43-i lb. and the diameter 2 ft. 8 in.
The Burtonwood Engineering Co., Ltd., Warrington, have produced an oil seal for ball bearings, and facilities for large-scale production have been set up. The seal is made from synthetic rubber bonded to a flexible steel ring, and is designed to function with a minimum amount of torque.