MOTOR & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2646, 17 December 1915, Page 11

MOTOR & MOTORING

in IBy Clutch .1 V y ~ Automatic Cear Change. Ono of the latest inventions consists of a new tjpg of automatic gear change for automobiles. Generally speaking, the speed, gear comprises a straightthrough gear-box, operated by a central spindle. Tho spindle is connected to a spring-controlled sliding member, which in its turn is adjusted longitudinally by tho centrifugal governor above it. When starting tlio car, the gear lover is shifted ■ from neutral into either the first forward or reverse positions. After tho driven shaft has reached a certain speed, tho centrifugal governor automatically brings tho next gear into action; when the speed has again increased, the highest speed ratio is engaged similarly. Retarding the speed of the car causes the reverse series of operations to take place. The Astor Cup Contest. _ Particulars are to hand from New Yqrk of the big motor-car contest for the "Astor Cup," which was decided on tho-now motor track which has just been completed at Sheopshead Bay, Long Island, near New York. Twenty of the fastest drivers and . cars in America qualified in eliminating speed . trials for the cup race, including thirteen- American cars and seven European. The distance of the event was 350 miles, which meant 175 circuits of the wooden two-mile track. The winner proved to be G. Anderson, on a "Stutz" car (America), T. Rooney, on a similar make of car, being second. Tho winner's time was 3hr. 24min. •125c0., giving an average speed of 102.6 m.p.h., which is a world's record for - competition. • Close on lt)0,000 spectators paid for admission to the grounds. De Resta, one of the favourites of the race, was compelled to retire owing to a broken connecting-rod, after having lapped both the'first and second men. The first European car to finish was a "Delago," driven by Limborg, running fifth. > The event proved a great success. * Aluminium Sleeve Valve Engine. I It announced in "The Automobile," ftew York, that au aluminium cylinder casting -has been made for a Knight sleeve valve, engine, but, unlike the other aluminium cylinder blocks which have been used in the States, this particular one has 110 cast iron liners, as it is considered that the sleeve will obviate the need for this. This seems highly probable because the outer sleeve provides' tihe surface rubbing against the cylinder, and as it covers tho whole area of the cylinder the actual pressure upon tho cylinder walls is very slight.' So far as tho piston wear is concorned, it is, of course, taken, hy tlie inner sleeve. _ The detachable head of the engine will also be aluminium, hut this is already standard practice and there is nothing startling about it. The especially. interesting aspect of the experiment i 6 the employment of aluminium without liners .for. the main cylinder block. ■ Incidentally, in this particular engine the pistons are also aluminium alloy. Here and There. Lighting-up time, for motor-cars and motor-cycles:—To-day, 7.35 p.m. Next Friday, 7.39 p.m. ' Tlie .Hawke's Day County Council is framing a by-law to prevent trackin on the roads, but there is some doul as to whether it will have the powo to enforce such a measure. Motor-cai 'm the Hawke's Bay district, as. ,i others, tend to follow in the track made by other cars, 'the result beini that every main road has two ruts ii it. • . How many men/whon a contingent arises, snatch out the floorboards alii throw them on to the seats, with th greasy underside against the • leather And then when the trouble is rectified a cloth—and probably a greasy one a that—is used to rub off and in tin blobs of grease remaining on tho up holstory ?: To removb grease stains wash the affected part with a soft damp ened cloth, dipped■ in,topid wator an< soft soap. Then gently rub oVer, tak ing care not to ivet the leather to< ftuch. At once dry off with a dry cloth still rubbing geiitly, and continue ii this Tvay until the.affected spot is clean With a silk or soft cloth and a few dropi —only a few drops—of neatsfoot or run linseed- oil, finish off by polishing witl . gentle rubbing. Be careful no traces oi oil are left at tho completion of tin job. Tho upholstery should really require very little attention beyond dusting out the corners, pleating, etc., -witl a soft 'brush or oloth. There are at present 30,000 motor-cai drivers on active service at the Britisl front_in- Franco, driving motor-lorries, carrying supplies and ammunition. This number does not inolude hospital corps, ambulances, armoured oars, eto., but simply- the supplies transport service. ■The figures are authentic, and were contained in an official communication from Major-General S. S. Long, Director-in-Chief of the British Supplies and Transport Service. It is being claimed on behalf of some of the imported American motor tyre tubes that a special form of construction is being used, the tube being built up of strips of rubber, thereby guarding flaws and leaking tubes. Tlie Australian Dunlop Rubber Co. state that there is nothing new about the process; all their motor tube& have beon constructed on tlie laminated principle for nearly ten years. There is no doubt that this system of building up motor tubes of several strips or layers of thin rubber ensures a perfect air-retaining tube,'and its adoption by the Dunlop Rubber Co. many years ago is only another instance of now up to date this Australian Company is in methods of manufacture, A' man in the Midland Counties of England finds himself in serious financial straits through the falling-off in the demand for guinea-pigs and white mice, in which he specialises. For twenty years his income from this source lias averaged £7 a week, chiefly drawn from the London market. 'Now lie hardly gets £1 a' week. His adult customers aire mostly in the army, while the parents of many of his younger clients regard guinea-pigs as a luxury one can economise on with pleasure.