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).
Review of various automotive accessories including a non-fouling spark plug, a spring gaiter, and one-man hood fittings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 33\3\ Scan210 | |
| Date | 27th April 1921 | |
| April 27, 1921. 543 The Motor ACCESSORIES.—Contd. tral insulator, and the terminal gap, which is made of insulating material. The insulator is of mica, having a taper which fits very accurately a ground seating in the plug body; consequently, it always remains tightly fixed in position. The nickel electrode is in the form of a pin, which sparks across to the metal shell, thus providing two spark gaps. The insulating centre is immediately detachable by giving the outer end a smart tap, which releases it from its seating. The terminal cap is a very useful fitting, which enables the cable to be attached directly to a shock-proof terminal end, which can instantly be drawn off the plug. It is also very neat and does away with the usual straggling wires so often seen. The detaching of the plug is at once effected without any tools. It is made in three standard types—metric, American taper, and American standard—and is sold complete at the price of 5s. 6d. It is also of all-British make. The sole distributing agents are Commercial Units, Ltd., 24, Gray’s Inn Road, London, W.C.1. An Ingenious Spring Gaiter. A leaf-spring gaiter, incorporating considerable ingenuity in design, and known as the Rappa, has been placed on the market recently. The gaiter itself is made of high-grade leather, and, in order to ensure its “complete” weatherproof, animal fastened spring. The Rappa leaf spring gaiter. A Non-fouling Plug. The designers of the Platomac plug illustrated here have aimed at providing a plug that is non-carbonizing. This is due to a patented process of plating the electrode with platinum. We have put a set of these plugs to an extended test in an engine predisposed to fouling plugs. Hitherto it was necessary frequently to take out the plugs and clean them, but with Platomac plugs we have found the claims of the makers well substantiated, and have been quite satisfied with them. The plug is well made and substantial, and it is claimed that the method of insulation adopted enables it to stand a pressure of 150 lb. to the square inch. These plugs can be obtained, price 5s., from Pickard, Dobson. and Co., Ltd., Manchester. The Platomac non-fouling spark-plug. One-man Hood Fittings. There are many so-called one-man hoods, but it is only here and there that one is seen that can be operated by a single person. Therefore, any device that will facilitate what is really an urgent necessity will be welcomed. Illustrated herewith is the Eto one-man hood fittings, which can be made to fit any British, American, or Continental body, irrespective of the height of the windscreen on the car. The prop foot A is sent unriveted by the manufacturers, unless the height of the windscreen within the centre of the prop B is given. To attach this standard fitting to any particular body, it is essential, firstly, to ascertain the height of the screen above the centre of the prop. To this measurement it is necessary to add 4 1/2 ins., this total being the length to which the prop-stick iron (C) is to be cut off, measuring the iron from the centre of the top rivet. Two holes are then drilled on “vertical” of the prop. The Eto one-man hood fittings shown on a standard pattern hood. The Reason the Platomac Plug is non-fouling is that the central electrode is platinum plated by a new and protected process and the electric current acting on this platinum sets up an electrolytic action which splits any globule of oil between the electrode and the point, so that the Plug continues to spark satisfactorily even when submerged in oil. Special apparatus, which permits visual inspection of the Plug working under pressure, showed the Platomac to be sparking perfectly at 150-lbs. per square inch, whereas similar tests on other makes of Plugs showed that misfiring commenced at 65-lbs. per square inch, and in no other case was continuous firing observed at a pressure exceeding 105-lbs. per square inch, although numerous tests were made. The retail price of Platomac Plugs is 5/- each. If you are unable to obtain them from your dealer, they may be had direct from PICKARD, DOBSON & CO. Ltd. (Sales Department), 288, Deansgate, Manchester. | ||