Noisy Cars Taken Off Market

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 196, 4 September 1937, Page 16

Noisy Cars Taken Off Market

LOHDON. — The latest devices for the measurement of such things as noise, heat, cold, colours, atmospherics, gases, pressnres of wind and water, the force of waves, electrical volumes and pressures — every sort of thing in fact which enters into daily living— take np a large portion of the annual report of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington. The- noise meter designed at the laboratory has resulted in an agreement among motor manufacturers that motorcycles and "sports" cars which rnake an offensive noise will not be marketed in futUre. Another device which. simulates a heavy tread on a floor has led to the insulation of floors in designing blocks of flats. Another instrument is a microphone-amplifier by means of which the destructive beetles which bore into wood can be lieard at their trouble-making work. In the metrology section, w'orlc has been in progress to determine the absolnte value of gravity. This is important in the determination of the 'absolute" electrical units and in defining the temperature scale. In the accurate time-keeping of clocks an electrical synchronous clock has been running for a year of which the xate has been constant to within 0.02 and 0.03 of a stcond.

In the department of aerodynamics, the expansion of the Air Force has nieant tlie rapid development of ne\v types of aircraft. This has caused a heavy demand on the existing wind tunnels, and has led to the building of two more of these. During the year, II new types were tested compared with only three in 1935. In the William Froude Laboratory, experiments were made in rough water to ascertain tho seaworthiness of lifebcats. A modification of the hull lines resulted in a boat which remaincd perfectly seaworthy in conditions in Avliich the original hull was swamped. The number of ship dcsigns subniitted for test and modification in 1930 was iiS, the highest number yet rccorded, and oL: these 1-i wero for i'oreign builders and owners. Of the nuinber testcd, 30 kuiis wei'6 i>iproved

bv more than 3 per cent asd four by more than 10 per cent.