MARVELLOUS MOTOR ECONOMY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 109, 25 January 1918, Page 9

MARVELLOUS MOTOR ECONOMY

4 . CHRISTCHURCH TO DUNEDIN AND BACK FOR FIVE SHILLINGS A HEAD SUCCESSFUL TEST OF PATERSON CARBURETTOR. Punctually at a quarter past nino o'clock last Monday night a baby grand Chevrolet car pulled up at tiic Christchurch Post Office, completing a wonderfully successful economy test of the Paterson carburettor in a trip from Christchurch to Dunedin and back. The cost of tho fuel consumed in the double journey worked out at under five shillings a head for the five passengers in the car!

How was it done? By means of tho Paterson carburettor which enabled the engine to consume tnr oil. Why was ;t done? To demonstrate that the .Paterson carburettor can do here all that has been claimed for it—that it makes possible the elimination of high petrol cost, and renders, motorists and _ all users of internal combustion engines quito independent of imported oils. And, further, to prove to them that the use of the. tar oil and the new carburettor will be accompanied by economy never dreamed of in the wildest flights of imagination of the men who, have striven, and vainly striven, to secure real economy from the consumption of petrol in motor vehicles. The promoters of the. trip deserved success, for they were taking a big risk. Instead of making a tost with tho tar oil which had given them such successful results in Australia; they decided, after a very limited trial m the citv streets, tn 81l their tank with oil produced locally. No real trial of the oil had been made, but the secretary of the Australasian Carburettors, Limited, who are interested m the formation of a company to purchase the Australasian manufacturing; and sellin? rights of this marvellous invention, decided to go on No secret was made of the intended trip, and it was decided to take the nublic into the f u 1■est confidence of the promoters. .I.ha two questions to be. answered weie What will it cost? And will the local tar oil be satisfactory? Expert opinion is to' the effect that never was a motor-car asked to consume fnel more C ,dc hut the trial justified the prometers' claim that tho -Patersoi car"urettor will vaporise any l.qu.d hydro--TttSitrricdoutunderJio Mr. Treleaven. The driver wa Mr T. Davis, of Sydney, who holds u unique record among ™. tonsts n '" Britain and Australia Othe passengers wero Mr. fc. H. o-" 1 ™ lton, the secretary of tho company, Mr. A. J. Paterson, and a reporter. Actual running time from Chnstehurch to Dunedin on Saturday ; was lOhr. 2o min. dospite the ' fact that it rained heavily from tho Selwyn to Timaru and that tho driver was. making, his first journey through this, country. ISo attempt was made to.create speed, records as this was an economy test, but it is worthy of record 'that, only twice was it compulsory to drop into second gear. Tho return trip was made in 9J .-hours' actual running time, a late start necessitating some speeding up, and whilst the average was 24.84 miles an hour, a speed of 45 miles was frequently attained, and sometimes oO miles. And it must be borno in mind that tho total weight on the outward journey was 1 ton locwt. 2qr. 141b., and on the homo journey 1 ton 17cwt. 3qr., duo to tho addition of a returning bowler and his suit case to the load, this augmentation being officially declared by tho observer to bo 17 stone. This weight was checked at Christchurch on arrival. No mechanical or tyro troubles wero experienced, a tribute to the car and chauffeur. In this'respect it was a non-stop run. . The total mileage recorded was ill miles. Careful measurement by Mr. | Climio himsel,f showed that 19? gallons of tar oil had been consumed. This cost Is. 3d. per gallon, and shows an approximate cost of twenty-five shillings for the trip—24s. B{d. to be precise. Tho' consumption was at the rate of 23| miles to the gallop. The cost of tho fuel was less than, throefarthings a mile, and this despite, two outstanding facts: that high speed was attained, and that the car was overloaded. In the circumstances the record is eminently satisfactory. Examination revealed perfect combustion, the plugs being declared hy Mr. Climie to be "clean as a whistle."

The figures (rooted above are approximate. Mr. Climie's own report upon the test will be available in a few days. What this means to the motorist can easily be figured. It hrings motoring within tho reach of practically everyone. Under tho conditions presented by tho Patersnn carburettor a day's motor jaunt will cost only a few pence, whereas to-day the item of fuel is almost terrifying. This revolution _is due entirely to the now principlo evolved in the invention under notice, an invention, by the way,' in which Christchurch has a particular ' interest, for it emanates from the brain of Mr. A- Ponald Paterson, of Sumner. Instead of depending upon the "refined" benzine, this system of carburation deals successfully with heavy oils that the ordinary carburettor would simply refuse to vaporise. Take benzine at 28s. per case, with a mileage of 21.2 miles to the gallon, and compare it with tar oil at 10s. a case, with 23} miles to the gallon, and the lesson is easily read. The sweet-purring engine of the returning ear was in itself a demonstration of the manner in which the new invention deals with a heavy oil from works which are yet in "their infancy, and which can he depended upon to improve the class of fuel supplied when the expected heavy demand sets in. From this viowpoint, too, the enterprise should be welcomed, for it supports a local industry and utilises what was formerly a waste product. The prospeotus of tho proposed company has been submitted to investors, and'the fullest inquiry is invited. The field of operations will not cease at automobiles. The carburettor can be fixed to motor-cycles and to all classes of petrol-driven engines, stationary or otherwise. Farm tractors and engines for milking machines are rapidly increasing in numbers and must continue to do so. Farmers will he quick to seize an opportunity to cut down their fuel bills, particularly when they know that tho tar oil is eminently safe. It can be stored in barrels, under almost any conditions. Its flash point is so low that lighted matches failed to ignite a quantity spilled on the floor of the garage after the arrival of the demonstrating car from Dunedin. That is a great point in favour of the heavy oil. But tho. great point,- and tho one which makes tho Australasian Carburettors, Limited, look- a particularly fine investment, is that by the use of the Paterson carburettor the cost of motoring is to he tremendously reduced, and that by its moans motoring is coin", to become moro popular. Full particulars of tho carburettor and copies of the prospectus of the proposed company may be obtained from A. T. Bate, Sharebroker, Wellington.—(Published by Arrangement).