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).
Newspaper article from the 'Express' about a new invention of a special reflector for car lamps to solve the dazzle problem.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61a\2\ scan0483 | |
| Date | 11th January 1935 | |
| Express — JANUARY 11, 1935. DAZZLE LIGHT PROBLEM SOLVED? LIVERPOOL MAN'S INVENTION SPECIAL REFLECTOR IN CAR LAMPS By the Motoring Correspondent. IS Liverpool to add to her laurels by solving the problem of dazzling headlamps? Like most seasoned motorists I have tried and discarded innumerable “anti-dazzle” devices: and at first I regarded this new Liverpool invention as being another futile idea of no value whatever except to the Patent Office! But after a series of careful tests I am beginning to think that the problem has been solved satisfactorily. Who is the best judge of, whether a lamp dazzles or not? Surely the on-coming driver, who has to face the beam cutting the darkness of the night. How do those drivers indicate that the lamp does not dazzle them? By dipping, or switching-off their own lamps. A TEST. So having fitted my headlamps with the new invention I drove along an unlighted section of the East Lancashire road, with two passengers in the rear seat and my lamps blazing straight ahead. Not once in 20 miles of unlighted highway did I use the dipping switch. One passenger counted the number of vehicles we met, while the second passenger kept a record of the drivers who dipped, or switched-off, or otherwise took steps to reduce the dazzle from their own headlamps. You will say that my second passenger had an easy job? But just a moment— of 199 vehicles which we met, no fewer than 185 indicated—by dipping or otherwise—that my head-lamps did not dazzle. But, you may ask, what of the 14 drivers who did not dip? Well, some people refuse to dip until they see that the other fellow has dipped. Some of the non-dippers failed to realise that my lamps gave no dazzle, but kept their own headlamps blazing straight ahead, waiting to see the beam of my lights move sideways. Then, of course, there may have been traffic in front—a cyclist perhaps, or some horse-drawn vehicles, in which case it might be highly dangerous to dip. Again, some of the 14 may have had no dipping arrangements; and on a dark road they would hesitate to switch off, owing to the sudden reduction in light which can be very embarrassing until one's eyes have become accustomed to the alteration in visibility. DRIVING LIGHT IMPROVED. In America they try to reduce dazzle by limiting the amount of light given out by a pair of headlamps, and some American cars have a flat-topped beam which by no means satisfies the British motorist. This new Liverpool invention, however, actually improves the driving light, and enables one to maintain an excellent average speed in the dark. I came back from Scotland on the evening of Boxing Day, doing the 215 miles in a shorter time than ever before, thanks to this new invention, which gave me a really fine driving light but did not dazzle any of the innumerable motorists I met, home-ward bound after the Christmas holidays. SPECIAL REFLECTOR. The secret lies in a special semi-circular reflector which can be fitted quite easily into any existing headlamp at the cost of a few shillings. A Liverpool man has devoted four years to perfecting this invention. I understand that various public transport authorities are equipping their buses with these new reflectors. | ||