Sprag For Uphill Starting

NZ Truth, Issue 1188, 6 September 1928, Page 15

Sprag For Uphill Starting

MANY serious accidents have been caused by a driver missing his *** gears on a steep hill when endeavoring to change down, the car dashing away backwards with the gear m neutral. For this reason it is often suggested that an automatic sprag ' should be incorporated m the transmission, which would hold the car on a gradient. \ The device would also have the advantage of making a re-start uphill very simple, as it would be unnecessary to operate the brakes. Indeed, it would be reasonable to suppose that the latter feature would be the most useful, as quite a large percentage of drivers make very bad weather m re-starting uphill. Recently an entirely new type of sprag was invented by a Newcastle (N.S.W.) man, and after road tests over thousands of miles on cars ranging from the light 7 h.p. machines to big buses, it has been found eminently practical. The pawls, which work on a ratchet wheel and automatically hold the car from running backwards unless reverse ; gear is engaged or is specially thrown - out of action, are of very robust construction, and should last the life of any car. An English accessory manufacturer has already purchased the invention, and a number of next year's cars will have the device incorporated. ■ ' ' I * . ■' :