A CLEVER INVENTOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1919, Page 3

A CLEVER INVENTOR.

VISIT TO A HAWERA GARAGE To some people a motor-car is merely a machine to convey one around in tlie sunshine or a means of getting to a destination in the quickest manner To others the car is different, and the mechanism is ever a source of interest to the owner, who finds it more than an animated conglomeration of steel and. iron, oil ar.d sound To the uninterested nothing matters as long as the journey is not injured by tire troubles or engine faults. The interested man, whether owner or mechanic, is always interested, and surely ono of the latter is Mr Leslie Rowson, in charge of the electrical department of the Hawera Motor Garage of the Fanners' Co-operative Society. "Now here is a separator," and the writer conjured up visions of a dairy iactorv, but only for a moment, when he found himself handling a pioce of wood, thin as cardboard, another one side and with 11 ridges on the reverse side. "

"This is a battery insulator or separator," he went on, and the whole concern is made on the premises." "In that ease it would be as well to follow up the whole process from the time you get the rough, timber." "Very well. The timber is bought here,, and this little compound planing machine I set up. Don't look at it too closely, as I have used an old axe on one part, and, of course, the knives X cut as required to secure the 11 ridges These are split into suitable lengths, 1.18 of ail inch thick, and then cut into length of separator, varying from 4jin. to Bin. These are plared in a copper and boiled in a solution of alkaline solution for an hou.-. after which the wood is removed to a vat containing an acid solution, remaining there another hour. Another '"move and the sapa raters are lying in running water, which removes all the residue, after which they are preserved i)i a solution and ready for use, Patent rights for these have been taken out for Australia and Sew Zealand, and the firm have quitted several thousands. Asked where the' particular merit lien in these separators, Mr Rowson replied: "In durability and cheapness." The firm were using (and selling) many hundreds of them and experience had demonstrated the superior wearing qualities of the firm's patent and also it was cheaper—3Jd each against 7d for the imported article Usually there are about 3G in a storage battery Apart from his firm there is a steady and continuous demand for these separators, being sold as fast as tliev can be turned out. i

Moving over to another building attention was directed to a battery steamer. This docs r.ot indicate a vessel, or anything like one It stands about 1 Sin. off the floor, ajid probably 2ft in length and Bin. wide It may be "likened to an iron trough with two bottoms. The first contains water and the other the battery In the past the process of removing the scaling compress it was necessary to pick same, absorbing an hour's labor This seemed a primitive method to Mr Rowson, who bored two holes in the top, then placing the battery in the steamer for 15 minutes had it "cooked," so that on removal it was ready for attention and dismantled in four minutes. The steamer is provided with a safety valve and release cock so no danger can oceure by overheating. Gas is used for heating. Patent rights have also been taken out for the "steamer." After the battery has been repaired, it. is necessary to have the holes made, and welded over. A step across the room brings one to the welding process, and Mr Rowson claims that this is the only welding plant for work of this description ill Taranaki A very fierce heat was soon at command and quickly made holes where desired

The light was ' ?o strong for the unprotected eye, so .1 move was made to the Amature Ts.-'ter This is a unique and wonderful, almost human, machine. It is a very small contrivance, but its usefulness is undoubted. One of the principal features is an ordinary bolt, bound with wire, which is held by supports of copper, travelling over zinc. This is to test ground, short or open circuits, and these defects can be located in a few minutes without removing the tail from the commutator. The instrument is worked by a dry battery. A fault; commutator was- then receiving attention.

"Place lliia to the ear, and listen if you can detect any alteration," and the writer had a telephone disc to the ear. The battery frot to work and the buzzing \va.s not unlike the hum of a circular ia.w in a mill. "Listen here," and Mr Rowson, picking up a coil attached to the "Amature," used the forceps on the ridges cf the commutator The first four connections were distinct, but the next two failed to record "The reason for that ia a short circuit, but with this machine 1 do away with the necessity or .working through ail that coil, the 'tester' telling where the fault lay." Drilling machine, rotary converters and lathes are all there Mr Rowson was very modest in his remarks, but it was very evident he was heart and soul in his work A magnetising plant was small, but with the current turned on one had an easier task at demolishing the bniid'ng than removing a chisel In a corner one saw a model launch, about 4ft Gin Mr Rowson's model, painted white with a green border, looked well to the eye A little battery he had to buy, but beyond that all the work was accomplished by the builder. The starting and shutting-off gear, shaft, rudder, tliree-Wade copper propeller were all turned out within a fortnight. Be is now experimenting with an idea

of steering the boat by wireless. As mentioned previously cars and workshops to some are mere details in a day's process, but the writer counted the lew minutes in the workshop at Hawera time well spent and came away with the thoughts that opportunity makes the man, and certainly from indications Mr Kowoou is showing ability and imagination quite uncommon and already lias achieved results which are a credit to himself and his firm and of great value to the community.