Show e eC I it 14 C Speedometer Mechanism 1 1 A t. t l. l j z 2 en I 1 1 r 4 14 14 A Ar Things Can Do DoBY BY BARNEY OLDFIELD Cop Copyright 1919 1313 b by King KI g Features Syndicate Inc HOW OW MANY of tho owners of automobiles in America realize the mcchan 1 ical miracle of their cars Very few fow yet they have it and d it is the speedometer Just consider the delicate mechanism of this device the tho minutely balanced parts that go to make up its internal economy and yet how floe often does docs tho the car owner have ho any trouble with this beautifully delicate instrument In spits spite of its seeming fragility tho speedometer goes on one day after day turning in its record subject to the tho jolts of ordinary travel and to neglect to boot it functions without faltering until that occasion when it itcan itcan itcan can do no more and has to lie He down on the job for the first time AI in tile the present time there thoro or of four fOUl types of or speedometers in inn I use uso They arc are magnetic centrifugal al hydraulic nn and that driven by a current of or air nir Tho magnetic typo Is undoubtedly Inthe Inthe In Inthe the lead Joad Tho The fundamental principle employed In this typo of or speedometer Is la lathat that of or a circular magnet magnot over which but not touch touching Ins Ins- It Is a metal cup In InVerted Inverted In- In with a row of or figures signifying signify signify- signifying ing mileages on the tho rim Tho The magnet is revolved b by means of or a Il flexible shaft and as it goes boes round it takes the metal cup with It ft tho the speed In Increasing increasing In- In creasing with the car speed Tho dial Is mounted on tho the end of ot a st steel el shaft which has a a. jewel at tho the top By means of or a hairspring tho the cup Is returned to zero when the car stops A compensator tor for tor temperature changes Is employed em- em to prevent the hairspring from being effected by Ly changes in the Centrifugal The centrifugal speedometer Is actuated actuated ac ac- by the sane same principle that Is familiar in governors Weights aro are mounted on a central shaft b by means of oC arms so that when the tho we weights aro are moved d b by centrifugal force the movement move move- ment ment Is communicated b by wa way of ot tho the hat haft to the dial whereon aro tho the miles per per hour figures Obviously as the speed Increases the tho weights tend to toly fly outward ly ut Now being connected with die b by moans of oC tho the shaft tho the dial ii is 11 pi pulled around to the right to date cUe the Increasing speed of tho car Tire filc hydraulic typo type of ot speedometer which v employs the well known laws o of or f liquids has not como come Into general use as yet but it undoubtedly has virtues that will tend to earn carn a hearing g for It nor For or the tho 10 present we need not go d deeper into it than this the past year ear or so the typo of or a n speedometer to which I havo have re referred referred re- re as being driven b by an air all current current current cur cur- rent has he been en gaining considerable popularity This employs a stream of ot air to revolve tho the dial that indicates the miles per hour In one Instrument of ot this class there is a flexible flex flex- ible shaft shaH which drives an air circulator circulator lator which is simply two elongated aluminum gears located in the tho head of ot tho the speedometer and opening Into anair an anair anair air chamber This air chamber has two holes in it ono one for tor the entrance of or orthe the air the other for its exit In tho the chamber is s pivoted a 0 dial fitted with witha a 3 vane vano Tho revolutions of tho the gears force Coree a a. current o of air into the tho chamber chamber chamber cham cham- ber and this striking the vane vano causes tho dial to revolve an and shows tho the appropriate ap- ap appropriate appropriate ap ap- mileage figures In this In Instrument instrument In- In strument also a hairspring Is la employed to bring the tho dial lal back to zero At a matter of oC fact tact all speedometers havo have tho the same basic principles the tho differences dif dit- are arc practically all in the moans means employed for tor revolving tho the dial that shows shoals the miles per hour All of or them havo hwo a a. flexible shaft of or some kind hind running from the instrument to some part of ot the tho running mechanism usually a n. front wheel On the end of or orthis this shaft shat Is a n. gear which meshes with witha a gear on tho the running port part p rt in Question lh Thus Thug tho the speedometer is positively driven by bj some ome part of or tho the mechanism of ot the car Hue Use In few C Until recently it was practically al always always al- al ways customary to connect tho the speedometer speed speed- ometer to one of or the front wheels b by means of or this flexible shafting but now several makers ers havo have tried out tho the propeller pro plO propeller peller shaft for this purpose with very satisfactory results and one mal maker cr that I I know of ot has used tho the transmission unit and claims that ho he procures maximum maximum max max- quiet of or operation and at the tho th Same samo protects protect the speedometer drive e as It cannot bo ho protected when driving from tho the front wheel When the speedometer suffers a n. major major ma mn- jor breakdown there in is only ono one thing to do with It get It to the service ser station sta sta- tion The ordinary car owner doesn't want to monkey with tho the Internals of or orthe the tho speedometer However there thero are aro many minor ills that can bo be cured b by bythe bytho tho the owner if It he ho knows something about the Instrument Sometimes the coupling a at t tho bottom of or tho the shaft shakos loose th the result is that tho the shaft still BUn revolves revolves re- re but the dial does docs not show any tI figures ures in this case the end of ot the shaft should be loosened from tho the thoI I head pu pushed firmly into place and amI amII j I tightened Sometimes tho the flexible shaft that does tho the driving drivIng- bends inside its i housing so fao that the tho Instrument falls fails to register reg When hen this trouble occurs tho the thoI I shafting should be bA straightened out and laid in long loops instead of ot sharp times kinks Tile car car owner must remember also that when he makes a n. chango from change from one sized tiro tire ro to another the register of oC tho the speedometer will bo be thrown out Jn In n none one ono particular case where a change chango Is made from Crom 3 Inch tires to 3 xH the sixty eight toothed gear used will have havo to be changed for ono of seventy sO tooth teeth When the driving gears used are of f fibre they occasionally develop anoise a anoise noise noise caused by loosening up of or tho the parts A little dressing with common l laundry soap will quiet these gears Tho The moving parts of or tho the mechanism of the tho speedometer ought to bo be given a n I little oil from rom time to time and In tho the caso case of or exposed moving parts this will have havo to bo be ver very tr frequent quent I if any good isto is isto to result Finding Trouble I When hen the speedometer fails to register regis regis- register ter mileage o and speed the first thing to do Is to look at tho the driving shaft Disconnect the flexible shaft head and I revolve ro the front wheel watching to Isee see If It it revolves tho the shaft J If the shaft revolves normal normally obviously tho the I trouble Js is in tho the Instrument Itself Sometimes a link in tho the shaft Is broI broken broken bro bro- I ken so that when tho the part Is disconnected disconnected discon discon- tho the broken ends catch at intervals Intervals in intervals In- In and this condition must bec bo ho c carefully watched for tor While tho the shaft is Js disconnected turn It In the tho head hend and see sea If It makes malcos tho the dial revolve With Witt these tow fow fundamental facts In mind the car owner can tackle tho the problem l of repairing c I ng ordinary failures Po f in in JU tto mo HIO speedometer The ino trauma in tiro instrument Itself calls for tor a visit to ta the tine service station without any preliminary preliminary prelim prelim- inary Q QUESTIONS AND Barney I I I have an Overland with a bad bad hum In the rear It ran fine until the collar on tho the left leCt worked loose and I pushed the axle in as far faras faras farns as ns possible Since I have had tho the hUmming hum hUm- ming What hat would you ou suggest as a remedy remedY remedY-II II H II Ir You no doubt threw tho the differential out of or alignment and tho the gears are either cither binding or have too much play piny between them thorn I dont don't know which way you rou moved tho the differential unit Better not try to adjust tho the gear yourself I know it Is only a question of or loosening ono collar and Ugh tightening another bu but t It requires experienced hands T Jj jt Barney I have havo a Ford Tord roadster roadster road road- ster which has been beon overhauled about ten times recently New Mew pistons have havo been bean put In It has boon been while whilo now valves valve lifts timer camshaft and camshaft bearings havo have also been Installed After Atter each now new assembly tho the car would run perfectly while whilo Idling or at nt ten miles an hour yet ct each time when tho the spark was as advanced nd it knock knock- ed cd No 10 one seems able to find the trouble though good mechanics have been heen of oval or It several times as I said at first It is an engine knock and I am nm disgusted because It continues Could you ou suggest a remedy remedy F. F. F II P. P I havo have gone one over ocr your our letter carefully and tho the only thing I am am able to figure out If it there thero are no loose parts is that In fitting you OU got one ono bearing bearing- entirely too tight Either that or a n connecting rod or even crankshaft Is out of ot alignment alignment align align- ment Barney 1 I d My i Chevrolet de develops develops de- de clops a spark knock when pulling a ahill ahill ahill hill and I if I retard tho the spark to kill tho the l knock nock I lose power Is there thero a remedy for this C C It II H H. Tho knocking Is natural and harm harm- less Jess Loss of or compression usually makes tho the engine lose power so 90 a gearshift gear gear- gearshift shift Is necessary The Tile knocking I If more moro severe than usual may ma be caused b by loose pistons or worn c cylinders I would certainly have havo tho Ignition timIng timIng timing tim tim- ing checked over ver I dont don't think adjustment adJustment adjustment adjust adJust- ment of ot tho the relation of ot camshaft and crankshaft hatt is 19 going to help you OU any The change in Ignition timing will help I but try o tooth at a n time Bo Do sure suro you lino IIno up p the tho shaft rl right ht and and- that tho the timing gears bears have the tho required backlash DE GUERRE FOR WHITE TRUCKS I Copies of ot citations for tor distinguished service by French motor transport using made American-made motor trucks have been hoen received in this countr country Accompanying tho the citations was way an award of ot the tho much-coveted much Croix deGuerre deGuerre de do Guerre to the First and Second Groupe- Groupe ments meats each operating five rIvo hundred or more moro White Whito trucks In the service of ot tho the groat reat headquarters reserve No I 1 Later Later La La- ter this entire reserve operating operating- 2500 2600 Whites tes was recognized by a similar citation Tho The orders order of or the den day read rend for the finest military r spirit and the tho best beat qualities of ot endurance In moving two hundred thousand troops to tho front In a a. few tew days many of ot thou thOlia a distance o of moro more than ono one hundred miles 9 The Tha task was tremendous tho the crl crisis ls ver very grave A effort cHort was wall necessary to stop clop tho the German advance last March on tho the British front Without Without With With- II out this unprecedented movement of or French reserves right Into tho the teeth of or ortho I tho the fl fighting hUng the issue might have hav been serious indeed for tho the allies It was waa not uncommon for tor drivers to remain at their wheels four twenty hours at nt a 0 time limo Ono One t operated operated op up- op- op hours out of or Another was on constant dut duty for sixty hours hourI |