Passing Comments
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Pedestrians are Not T'ITAT small but very vonAl ways Blameless I ierous body, the Pedestrians Martyrs Association, may be inclined to
feel peeved at a comment in one of the leaders of the January issue of " Safety News." It is stated therein that to whitewash oneself and to blacken the other fellow may be a reliable way of inculcating self-righteousness, but it does not solve problems. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents realizes that pedestrians are not always the blameless martyrs that their most vocal champions would have them appear. Many walkers do foolish things, and avoidance of these errors by the pedestrian publig is a social duty, as well as prudent self-security.
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Heat Tempering of A CCORDING to "Motor Synthetic Tyre During Truck and Equipment" Manufacture . . . of Canadl, a heat-tempered, all-plastic 'tyre: has been produced by the Firestone Co. of Akron, and is being laboratory tested. It is agreed by experts that heat causes most tyre failures. Consequently the Firestone experts have designed this new type to run 'cooler than normal tyre's and yet be able to withstandtwice the heat developed in one of natural rubber at high speeds. This is effected by thermosetting, or "tempering," by adding certain materials to the synthetic and applying heat. Such a tyre is not affected by strong sunlight, nor. is it deteriorated
by petrol or oil. •
Some B.T.H. Activities NAT..ICH of the work of the in British Thomson-Houston Co., Ltd:, either does not con-. cern us, or must -not yet be mentioned, but we May say 'it is .extremely varied. There are, however, a few activities to which we can refer, as, for example, the amplidyne; la quickresponse, direct-current generator for high amplification, performing the same purpose as an electrimic amplifier, and useful for characteristic con-tfol in' a dynamometer equipment. Then there is ' the " Thy-mo4rol " electronic . control for adjustable speed, D.C. motor drive,' giving close speed regulation, smooth acceleration and precision,, Withcurrent supplied by rectifier valves, the panel -including control valves which make the •system fully automatic. This drive is particularly applicable to =chine tobis. Much attention has also been given to the induCtiOn heating of metals. and di-electric heating of nonmetals, using valve oscillations. Apart from such operations as gear hardening, these equipMents should be much used in connection with plastics and -laminated-wood structures. The • main development
During the Past 12 Months
with magnetos has been in radio screening. Other products are Fabroil pinions, laminated. fabric sheet, moulding powder and resin, Ardoloy cutting tips and drawing-die pellets. •
U.S. Maker and OperAmerican vehicle manu ators Want Wider facturer has recently made .
Vehicles a strong plea for the 8-ft. limit of width on vehicles to be increased. to 8 ft. 6 ihs. He claims that the present ," -narrow; " width of 8 'ft. prevents vehicle engineers .from producing the best designs within the. other limits impoSed, and he has informed the American Association of State Highway officials that the ,
increased width would make it possible to have safer
• and more serviceable vehicles, affording valuable impcoyernents in spring and brake mounting and tyre equipment. The -Executive Cotninittee of American Trucking Associations also made this.recornmendation last October. If the necessary sanction be given the bigger American lorries will' then be 1 ft. instead of 6 ins. wider, than the maximum normally allowed. in Britain.