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ACCESSORIES zi FITTINGS for Light Vans. e RM.02"

9th November 1916
Page 18
Page 19
Page 18, 9th November 1916 — ACCESSORIES zi FITTINGS for Light Vans. e RM.02"
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Frome Tubes.

Wallington, Weston and Co., Ltd. of St. John's Mills, Frome, is perhaps better known to users of solid-band tires. This company does not make covers for pneumatics. We understand that at the present time it is doing a considerable business in inner tubes of the same quality as the band tires. And light van owners will do • well to keep the company's name before them when buying tubes.

Firestones.

The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., of 216, Tottenham Court Road, London, W.C., offers either a cushion tire • or a pneumatic for• vans. The non-skid pneumatic appears to be particularly useful on commercial work because of its non-skidding properties and rugged construction;. . practically, any desired size is obtainable, either millimetres or inches, and the various forms of rims used in America and in this country can be fitted.

Valve-grinding Materials and Tools.

As the accessibility of the Ford valve is not so prominent a featureas it is on most chassis, the valve grinding is of necessity an important job. The practice adopted by many drivers of grinding a, valve a week so that the whole of the eight ' valves on a four-cylinder engine are ground once every two months, cannot be followed. On the Ford van the whole eight must be ground on one occasion in order to save the work of taking off the cylinder head more frequently than is necessary. S. Smith and Sons (M.A.), Ltd., 179 185, Great Portland Street, London, W., supply a, very complete outfit of tools and fittings for this purpose. It comprises grinding paste, valve spring lifter, screwdrivers, and the necessary spanners. The valve-spring lifter is an ingenious contrivance indeed, and is arranged to lift a pair of springs at a time. The price is 7s. 6d. As our illustration shows, the spring lifter is in the form of a miniature screw jack with a special form of table, and an unusual base. The base fits between the tappet

guides, the table slips past the valves and under the valve-spring collars. It is then ready for use. The springs are lifted by turning the nut.

c52 Unburstable Tubes.

The advent of the Searle Unburstable Inner Tube produced quite a sensation in the early days of 1913. This is an inner tube of special section incorporating a rubber-filled pleat. which, in position, lies along the inside of the . tread of the *tire. It serves as an effectual preventive to the tubes bursting in the case of a hole being i

worn or torn n the outer cover. These tubes are particularly recommended for use in covers which are becoming worn, and from which it is desired still to obtain some-further mileage. The Searle Unburstable Inner Tube Co., Ltd., -of Great ' Western Buildings, 6, Livery Street, Birmingham, suggests that owners should have two, Searle tubes per ear. Ordinary new tires and tubes can be fitted on the back wheels of the van, and when the covers are showing signs of wear and are liable to burst, they could be transferred to the front wheels and fitted with Searle 'tubes. The illustration of this tube was published in last week's issue, page 214.

For Extinguishing Fires.

It is remarkable, considering the nature of its fuel, how immune, the motor is from fire. The danger, however, exists, and the wise vanowner will take all needful precautions. The loss due to a fire in a case of this description is never fully covered by insurance. At the present time, in particular, when new vans are so difficult to get hold of, the sudden and total loss of the use of his vehicle for weeks would be a disaster to a small tradesman. Moreover, the van user occasionally carries goods of a particularly inflammable nature ; one can imagine the conflagration that would result from a fire on a light van, the property of a draper, conveying flannelette. Undoubtedly the possession of a chemical fire-extinguisher has been of incalculable service in many instances.

The Pyrene is of this class, and is an accessory without which no van should be allowed to leave the garage. It is an easily-operated fitting, and is supplied complete with a special bracket for attachment to the dash for from 43s. to b'Os., according to the finish required. The maker is the Pyrene Co., Ltd., of 19-21, Great Queen Street, London, W. C.

Take Water with your Petrol.

A. J. Dew and Co., 2.1-23, Endell Street, London, W.O,, is the wellknown agent for all types of Ford accessories. The Gen2co Vaporizer, which we illustrate this week, is an unusual fitting. It is, as a matter of fact, applicable to any type of petrol engine., but the fact that the Ford engine is so widely used and so carefully standardized serves as a reason for a special model being made to fit it.

With the aid of the apparatus, water vapour is allowed to enter the cylinder with the mixture. The fitment consists of a steam-producing chamber clamped to the exhaust manifold an heated by it. The water used is supplied from the engine water jacket through a gauze filter regulated by a float operated needle, valve very much on the same lines as the petrol supply to the carburetter. From this chamber a small pipe leads to the engine induction pipe. The use of this apparatus is stated to result in an increase of power, and in eliminating carbon troubles. The float valve is designed to prevent water from overflowing into the inlet manifold, and the quantity of water used is

scarcely noticeable. It is important also to note that air is not admitted.

The special Ford model sells for £2 2s.,-others according to size.

Types of Forward Plugs.

The problem of standardization is not an easy one. On the one hand, there is no doubt that, carried out on the correct lines, it tends towards economical production. The process of standardizing important parts may, however, be carried out too rapidly. The determination to standardize, for example, even such a comparatively minor part as a sparking plug calls for careful deliberation. The variety of types in use has been built up from the results of experience. The point to bear in mind is that various types and makes of engine call for different classes of plug.

The Forward Motor Co. manufacture four distinct types. Of these, type C, which we illustrate, is perhaps, for general purposes, the most suitable. It is particularly interesting, in that i it s a steatite-insulated plug, and in regard to the fact that the material of the insulator is of British manufacture.

Before the war, all insulators in this material came from Germany. As in the case of magneto materials, the demand for a Britishmade article was not such as to encourage British manufacturers to expend their energies in producing it, and, still keeping to the parallel of the ma.gneto, given a fair opportunity, British capacity has proved once more to be superior to the enemy's. The British steatite is superior to the German article. It is claimed that in the case of the Forward steatite plug the breaking of the sleeve or petticoat in a complete circle, which was a common fault in German-made plugs of this type, is entirely obviated. It is, of course, common know ledge that the cause of failure in a sparking plug is more often than not due to the fact that it is subjected to such extremes of temperature. It is interesting to note in this connection that one of the tests to which the steatite for Forward plugs was subjected was that of being heated to a white heat and then being plunged immediately into cold water. This test was put into practice time after time without resulting in any breakage. Another interesting feature of this typeof plug is that the insulator is placed into the steel body of the plug from which it is separated by a powder. In the next process the plug is placed into a white-hot furnace which fuse s the powder and permanently welds the insulator to the body, giving a perfectly gastight joint which can never leak, as there is no asbestos to perish or gland nut to work loose. This method of making the joint is covered by patents.

Finally the electrodes of the plug

are substantial and of nickel. It would appear to be a sound and serviceable article well worth the price of 3s. 6d. which is charged for it.

Type C is the company's leading line in plugs. The care taken in its manufacture is typical of that expended on the other types of plug. That, known as type B is very similar to the one already described except that it is fitted with a porcelain insulator and is correspondingly cheaper, retailing at 38. It is. described as being a suitable plug for commercial vehicles. A similar plug to this, known as type A, which Invi three points, is sold at 2s. 6d.

Type E is one of the first plugs the company made. The peculiar formation of the electrodes has the effect that a ribbon of flame is formed instead of the ordinary spark. Sooting is practically impossible owing to the rush of gas through the coned electrode. This one costs 3s. 6d.

Type 13 -is best described as a demountable plug. It may be taken apart, cleaned and reassembled. The gastight joint is made by a rubber and asbestos washer under the flange of the porcelain. This one is sold at 3s. A special type of plug is designed to. fit Ford and other American ears. All the principal models can he Supplied with American taper thread'at the same rice. The Forward Motor Co.; • Sumner Row, Birmingham. c57

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Locations: Birmingham, London

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