MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 228, 20 June 1919, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By Clutch.) Sixty Cylinders Per Unit. During tho war, an English writer observes, the evolution of the liquid fuel internal combustion engine has been pushed to extraordinarily contrasted extremes. "Thus in one direction' we observo tiin evolution of a motor-scooter, which lias already reached a further stage under the title' of tho "Tankette," weighing 135ib. and measuring Gft. Sin. overall; mid in the other, wo have a single engine designed with no fewer than sixty cylinders!. At.relatively an early stagp of the war the Sunbeam Company made an . eighleen-c.ylinder broadarrow typo of 450 horse-powor aircraft engine; but a patentee, Mr. Hubert Hageu. has- not hesitated to approach the problem of the ceaseless demand for more and yet more horse-power in combination with increasing economy of weight by process of what a, few years ago we should have called inviting troubiA- It is scarcely more limn a decade since the six-cylinder motor-car was held to be anything but desirable in comparison with the four-cylinder type bocauso it was rarely that you get. all eixcvlinders functioning in synchronism, Mr. Hagoii's scheme is worthy of note if olily for tlio fact that it does not ignore but makes provision for possible trouble. His sixty cylinders aro disposed radially in batches of six round the central driven shaft. Each set of six cylinders acts on its own individual crank-shaft, at tho end of which is a gear-wheel.; Tho goar-whee! on each of the ten individual crankshafts connects with one central gear secured to the driven shaft. In the event of trouble with any particular group of six cylinders, tho given gearwheel can be taken out of mesh without interrupting tho functioning-of tho-en-gine, merely withdrawing of the power-producing plant from functioning. Bach group of six cylinders is thus self-contained with its magneto and .carburettor. Between the firing of tho gases on any given group of six cylinders and tho next in order to fire on that group an explosion occurs in ono cylinder of each of the other groups. As designed Ihere will 1* an intervnl of only twelve degrees .movement of- -the main shaft as between one explosion- and fiie next. Whatever may be the future of this interesting invention, it is. assured Hint such power-plant will not bo produced In the quantities in • which motor-scooters and the various forms of •light motor-bicycles will be made." ■■ ■ The Motor Scooter.

Writing in the London "Observer," Mr. Massac Ruist remarks that no matt tor what their individual means, men ami women want to travel up and down tho highways and byways at will by motor. "If," lie adds, , "tho motor roller state, which w tried in America, has not established a vogue, at least there w .growinu interest in the small motor-bicyolo with leaf spring seat over the back wheel, the feet being accommodated on either side of the ■front forks, weighing 451b,, and sold in tho States for dC2O or so.. Tho idea.is to enter for workers in city officers who have only a bed-sitting-room. The vohiclo has'not made its appearance in this country yet; though another, popular motoring development about which I wrote early in . the war, the motor scooter, has already appeared, on our streets, and been much photographed and paragraphed in the Press, despite tho fact that, according to tho'meTe law_ of the land, none ought to have been imported into this country. I understand •finite unofficially thai such examples as wo have seen have come here by way of His Majosv.v'f Navy, and have been purchased at prices commensurate with the enterprise manifested by the salt, of the earth. Be that as may be, plans are being put into operation to produce in this country from mid-May onwards a patented "super scooter" model with a 2i-h.p. two-stroke, enirine, two-soeed gear, and !oin. wheels. Of course, the scheme misses the idea nt the back of the true ■American motor scooter, which is designed purely for town service. There is however,'plenty.of demand for both developments.".

Hero and There. The secretary reported to the' Wairarapa Automobile Association last week that since tho previous monthly meeting tho association had lost-six members by death.' These were-.-Dr. W. Bey, Mews. 11. I?.. Tlunny, N. Beetham, C. E. Madden, N. M'Laren, and B. D. Morrison. Five of those were victims the influenza epidemic. On tho motion of the chairman votes of sympathy to tho bereaved relatives wore passed. Many ear owners fasten spare tyros on the car bv means of narrow straps. Such straps" if left in place for a considerable time tend to wear tho tread off tho casing at the point where they grip it. To avoid this cut a section of leather four inches wide and six inches long. Next cut two slits in tho leather, and pas 3 tho holding strap through these. Thus the broad band of leather rests against the rubber and no injury results. At tho last meeting of the Wairarapa Automobile Association notice of motion was given to reduco the flat rate for motor cars, under the .mutual insurance scheme, to thirty shillings. When tho .fuel line suffers a fracture on the road there aro a number of emergency repairs that may bo made. If rubber tubing is available, a section of this will make an admirable splice. A cork with a hole through, it may bo used, and in tho absence of one a raw cork with a hole through it makes a satsifactory temporary splice. . Cloth smeared with soap or shellac and thou reinforced with splints is-very handy. . End play in tho crankshaft is apt to ba noticed first when the car is throttled, down to about five miles an hour, when there occurs what is commonly, called buckling, accompanied by knocking. If tho play is excessive the knocking will bo heard as the speed increases.' This condition mav bo caused by the end of the main bearing becoming flattened or worn so much that the shaft can move back and forth, and as it does so it pounds against the bearings ends still more. In many cars with four-bearing crankshafts the second bearing from the rear is designed.to tnko the thrust, and so replacement of that, one bearing will i«medy (he trouble. Lighting-up limei-To-day, 4.28. p.m. Next Friday, 4.29 p.m.