MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 101, 23 January 1920, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(C.y "Clutch.") A Steady Policy for 1920, After Olyinpia, is likely to bo a severe testing time for the smaller agents. Speculators of the "neck or nothing" type are abroad, and such infection is apt to be contagious.' "If jou can keep your head when all about you arc losing theirs"—as Kipling has it—then a steady .policy of sticking to one's last through 11120 and not missing aiiy'saiic opportunities of reasonable speculation, is likely to render 'tlie surest,' if perchance the lesser reward. By way of illustration of what I have in mind, I may remark that ill May, ti)ls, I sold a gentleman a sound second-hand car for a little over £200, and though it has covered about 2D,(HM miles since, there is at least one agent who is open to allow him over £100 for it now in. part payment for a new car to be delivered—well, some time in 1020. What olTets? I'm missing that particular investment. In lesser, and in bigger, similar, speculations some traders take wild, risks for the. forthcoming seaI eon.—'"Motor : Review." Motor-Car Thieving. . At last motor-car theft has been mado a Federal offence. Tho Dyer Bill, making it a felony to transport stolen automobiles across State lines, has been passed by both houses of Congress and has become a law. If a person steals an automobile, and drives it from one State into another he has committed a felonv minishnble.iir the Federal courts and is liable for a penalty of 50(10 dollars qr up to five years in prison, or both. Jurisdiction is given to the Federal courts also to punish the joy ridnr who takes an automobile - from one State into another without the consent of the owner. In tho Federal Act it is not necessary for the Government to prove that the driver took the vehicle with the intent to deprive the owner of the use Hereof; it is the takinir of the vehicle which is nn:awI fill, not the frame of mind in which the driver was at the time of the. tnking.. Low Grade Fuel and the Engine, "Tho time has passed when an engine i-f conventional design can be satisfactorily adapted to burning low grade fuels through the addition of external aripli■inces, such as hot manifolds, vaponrising devices in the intake, "etc.." says William C. Pocrtncr. of-tho-Poertner Motor-car Company. "The-problem has passed beyond the makeshift stage," ,he adds. "The quality of gasoline has> steadily gono lower and lower, until to-day the engine that gives a satisfactory performance on low grade fuels must ba especially designed , for the purpose," Safeguarding the Car. A curious device invented to prevent car thefts, took tlio form of a locked clip provided with a large spike or' stud. This was intended to be fitted round the tyro and riin, so that if the car were driven off, a traceable track would lw left along the road, while there wou'.d also be ~i clattering to draw i'le."attention of all passers-by to the fact that the car was stolen. In' considering a thief-resisting dovice, one must be sure Hint it will net redound on the owner's own head. For instance, a lock., to the steering wheel of Ford cars is an arrangement 'which has frequently been applied, either to render tlie wheel immovable or nulling tho -steering out of action, enable the wheels to revolve' freely. The latter device would appear to possess dangerous possibilities in the, v'ase cf an owner forgetting to lock it solid before starting. A good plan to safeguard the car is to pass ai chain round the gear n.»d "brake levers, so they cannot be moved indenendently. This would render driving tho question. An arrangement for looting the fleering is a.nother, so that while the car c'.-iii be wheeled, it oannot.be driveiv A device to lock the gear lever in neutral is satisfactory, but it requires to bo strong, for a long lever gives considerable leverage if tho thief should attempt to break tho, lock. Rapid Strides of the Industry. .

. "Probably, no industry .in the-world baa ever pinde such rapid strides as has the automobile industry," declared Harry ,T. Do Bear, manager of the New York Maswell-.Chalmers" branch, "since the signing of the armistice. It is hardly believable, tbo progress accomplished by the motor-car manufacturers in regaining their usual normal capacities, AVhen you consider that tho automobile factories were all being used almost to 100 per cent, capacity by Unclo Sam in the manufacture of war essentials and that thoir entire organisation hnd been turned over to this important work, you will readily realise that the process of converting the plants from Government work to manufacture of automobiles was a colossal task. Machinery, equipment, and every other detail pertaining to manufacture had to bo changed. Then came that ever-present, and most important feature—labour. The automobile industry was one of tho heaviest in its contribution of man-power to the world war, which meant tbo educating of men and even women (several thousand of which worked in our own factory) from other industries and pursuits employing vastly different kinds of labour than I lint necessary in producing machines. But with all these obstacles to overcome find almost nnsuvmountablo conditions, the automobile industry is once more surging to the front and reclaiming its position as the third lanrest industry in the world, which it justly deserves.'

Water as a Motor Fuel. A .South American has taken to England an invention by the application of .which water can be converted into motor fuel. Several experiments were made at Nottingham, in the presence of automobilo and engineering experts, and were reported to be very encouraging. It is stated that the inventor claims that by mixing certain chemicals with puro water a liquid is produced which is capable of provding motive power. Tho chemicals are introduced in tho form of powders, the cost per gallon of fu?l being fivetience! The liquid in the open burns steadily, and without smoke, while (he odour emitted docs not resemble that of benzine. Half a bucketful .was poured into-the tank of a car,-which travelled with perfect smoothness and at n high rate of speed. More water-was then added, and that seemed "rather to improve tho running of .the engine! Upwards of 30 m.p.gal. was covered by tho car. According to tho inventor, practically no air is required, hence it should prove' more valuable as a fuel for submarine engines. Fnrthor and more exhaustive tests are yot to I>o made before tho inventor's claims can bo accepted. An Important American' Bill. A conference was recently held with Senator Townwnd concernvsy; the status of the Federal Highway Bill, and when it would be taken up by the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads for hearing on tho amendments that have been suggested (says the New York "Eveuiug Post"). Ho advised that, due to the urgent and important questions now before Congress—namely, tho Peace Treaty, League of Nations, and railroad legislation—lie believed it would.be impossible to hold hearings on this Bill until sometime in December, or near the first of tho year. At. that time, however, lie said the committee would immediately take up this measure, hold hearings, and put the Bill in its fiual form to bo presented to the Senate. It is therefore ■cry important that any' one wishing to make suggestions in regard to any amendments should immediately send them in. fonntor Townsoml stated that tho purnose of the Bill was to tako cars of (liter-State traffic, to serve tho large centres of commerce in evjli State, to meet the military needs of the country, and to tio tho country together in a unit so that it will ho possible, for the States to plan and connect their systems with (he national system, and thus connect the important commercial centres. The oonnties would then connect with the State system, and build out from the centres of population inlo the farming communities like tho spokes of a wheel, forming a road plan that would do the largest number of peoplo t'lio greatest good. Each unit would bo mado moro effective and efficient and tho farmer would bo givpn a number of markets, instead of/ono, for his • piwluco. This road plan w-'mld greatly reduce the cost. of transportation and lower tho co;l of living to the consumer. In other words, the national highway system would form the backbone of tho main commercial arteries of the nation, and frreatly stimulato the States to connect un their svstema with the national bvs- »

torn, iik well as f.lio counties to connect with tho State system, I hereby making ft general road plan that would effectively meet tho ro.nl needs of the country—a plan Dial could bo brought about and built in tho shortest time at (he least jKissiblti cost, and one tlr.ifc would be of tho value to all the people. What tho Car-Cleaner Wants. Kvery man who has cleaned his motorcar with a jet of watci; from a hose isaware how difficult it .Is to control (lie jet so as to get, when desired, a broad stream of water at a moderate speed. 'J'lie usual way is to place the finger partly over the nozzle— a primitive dodge which frequently has uncomfortable results.' A recent British invention gets over this familiar difficulty in the simplest possible way. Tho ordinary narrow nozzle is replaced by a collarshaped terminal, which is surrounded by a cup, very much as the petals'of a (lower surround and partly enclose (ho stamens. The water issues through the collar in a solid jet, but if the jet is diverted so as to strike the sides of tho cup it is broken up and issues in what may be described as a mild fountain of water. The nozzle can be turned in any direction without this peculiar >flow being "disturbed, and if (lie solid jet is wnnled again all' that the user has to do is to sive a circular hvist to tho nozzle. After a little practice, the control of this ingenious device becomes almost automatic. The Brake Gear. Some motorists may not fully realise, soys the "Autocar," why two sets of brakes acting through the back wheels should not serve for all purposes as well as two sets of brakes acting 011 back and front wheels, so long as it is possible to lock the buck wheels, if desired, when the •brakes are applied. It may be pointed out, therefore, that, viewing the matter in one light, the more powerful back wheel brakes are, the less effective they are in use. If a brake or a set of brakes is so powerful that with the slightest effort on the part of the driver the wheels are caused to skid, the retarding which is greatest just, before the wheels are locked—is immediately reduced; while, even supposing that skidding does not occur of once, the sudden application of the brakes on the back wheels tends to tlirgw forward tho weight of the car as a whole, so that some of the weii'hl: normally holding tho back wheels to the ground is thrown on to the front wheels. In this way the co-efficient of friction—or, in other words the adhesion of the back wheels to the road—is reduced, and the effective braka power proportionately lessened. Further than that, immediately skidding takes place steering control is lost for tho time being, because, as soon as the wheeia cease to rotate their natural resistance to lateral movement no' longer exists, and side-slin occurs oil any surface except one which is dead flat. Provided space and timo allow, side-slip due to brakini' can be corrected by the driver with the steering, but space and timo for this purpose', are not always available, and there is no doubt that a .great number of accidents (one expert' affirms that. iVS per cent-of eai: .accidents are caused by the effect of brake action) ara due to loss of stoerng control owing to sideslip engendered by the application of the brakes.

The Danner of Petrol, . Familiarity broods contempt,, and no better examplo could bo found of the truth of this saying than in tho cnrelcw manner in which petrol spirit has com« to bo popularly regarded. Despite various serious results of this carelessness, despite numerous warnings, accidents continue to occur, and these, one and all, may be traceable to some lack of proper caution on the part of tho motorist or his chauffeur. All garages are placarded with legend, "No smoking allowed," and motorists invariably instruct their servants not to "smoke while attending to their cars. Notwithstanding these precautions, ono frequently sees both and men working at cars with cigars, cigarettes or pipes between their lips. Another dangerous practice is the filling of petrol tank—attached to rear of whilst the kerosene mil lamp is alight. Many. valuable cars haVe .been lost till rough this dangerous habit. A strange accident recently came under notico in this "connection. The petrol supply ran out during a country trip, and a trip to the nearest garage was mndo by another car to obtain ;i supply. Tho garago man offered the loan of n funnel to facilitate putting petrol into tho tank. Upon reaching the stranded car, tho funnel was inserted in the tank opening, and the petrol poured into same. Immediately there was an explosion and conflagration. After much trouble and damago to car, the flames were put out by sand, the worst result being n bad burning of tho car owner's left hand. . TJie direct cause of tho "flare-up" was that a cork hod for somo renson boon inserted in tho small end of tlie funnel, and the inflammable fluid hnd simply filled up the funnel, and then run over the top splashing into the tail lamp. It was another case of a lucky escape. It's a safe practice never to handle' petrol within feet of a naked light.