From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Promotional leaflet for 'The MAGIC EYE', a device by Imperial Oil Limited to test the quality of car oil.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 165\3\ img119 | |
| Date | 14th September 1935 guessed | |
| The MAGIC EYE is a clever device that will tell you the truth about the oil in your car There are only four principal parts to the Magic Eye. 1 A "window" consisting of two specially ground lenses with a very narrow space between them through which the oil is forced. 2 A small electric bulb on one side of the "window". 3 A photronic cell on the other side of the "window". It measures how much light comes through the "window" when the oil is passed between the lenses. 4 A dial on which a needle registers how much light has passed through the oil and consequently indicates how clean or dirty the oil may be. If the oil is reasonably clean, enough light passes through it to make the needle on the dial point to “clean” or “fair”. If the oil is dirty, the dirt although invisible to the human eye, blocks the passage of light and the needle points to “dirty” or “bad”. Because of the specially ground lenses the Magic Eye does not bother itself about the color of the oil. It will give the same reading for a clean oil that is dark in color as it will for a clean oil that is light in color. Until now there was no quick, easy way to tell whether oil was clean or dirty. Dirt, if present in sufficient quantities, will interfere with the free flow of oil to bearing surfaces. Excessive wear and even serious damage may result to the motor. All oil gets dirty in use because engines are always sucking in air in great quantities through the carburetor and crankcase breather. All air contains some dirt and dust which mixes with the oil. Automobile manufacturers know this and so they recommend changing oil at regular intervals. But they have to strike an average for average conditions and so while one driver may be changing oil more often than is really necessary another may not be changing it often enough. Now, with the Magic Eye, you can be sure of the condition of the oil in your crankcase. You can save money by consulting the Magic Eye. There is no charge for testing your oil in the Magic Eye. IMPERIAL OIL LIMITED | ||