662 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August 1, 1917. 



S. A. E. SUMMER MEETING. 



THE suninKT nicciiiig of the Society of Automotive Engi- 

 neers, held June 25 and 26 at the Bureau of Standards, 

 Washington, D. C. with headquarters at the New Willard Ho- 

 tel, was an important one devoted almost exclusively to war 

 needs. Monday was devoted to the standards committee, sev- 

 eral divisions of which, including those devoted to aeronautics, 

 electrical equipment, lighting and starting batteries, reported. 

 Tuesday's program included the business and professional ses- 

 sion, with reports of officers and miscellaneous business, dis- 

 cussion of the reports of the standards committee, and the read- 

 ing of the following papers : 



Building Submarine Chasers by Standardized Methods, by 

 Henry R. Sutphen. (Illustrated by motion pictures.) 



The Farm Tractor as Related to the Food Problem, by H. L. 

 Horning. (Illustrated by motion pictures.) 



Design and production of Aircraft in War Time, by Wing 

 Commander I. W. Seddon, of the British Commission. 



Classes and Uses of Battleplanes, by Lieut. Amaury do la 

 Grange, of the French Commission. 



Fundamentals of a Successful Kerosene-Burning Tractor En- 

 gine, by C. E. Sargent. 



LESSONS OF THE WAR IN TRUCK DESIGN. 



The paper "Lessons of the War in Truck Design," by W. O. 

 Thomas, was particularly pertinent at this time and offered 

 many valuable suggestions based on actual war experience, 

 among which those relating to tires are of interest. He said : 



.-Ml trucks sent from Canada were fitted with demountable 

 tires on standard S. .\. E. rims. This was decided upon before 

 the British had adopted the .American pressed-on type with a 

 view to easy replacement in the field. Two makes were used 

 in approximately even quantities. On both makes the locking 

 rings and bolts and nuts were thoroughly vulcanized. Most of 

 the tires were carefully shipped fitted with wooden center struts 

 to prevent distortion of the rims. Ample spare tire parts of all 

 kinds were supplied. 



The subsequent use of these tires on the muddy roads in 

 Flanders showed that they were much more difficult of replace- 

 ment than the pressed-on type wdiich is now standard on all 

 British trucks. After the tires had been in use for some time in 

 the mud they were removed only with the greatest difficulty, and 

 once the rims had become rusted it was often impossible to re- 

 move them, even in a tire press. The most effective way was 

 to take out the remnants of the rubber and to jar and expand 

 the rims with a sledge hammer. 



The tires of the pressed-on type, on the contrary, were easily 

 applied and removed in a tire press, which was always to be 

 found at every tire store. Tire presses also were fitted on railway 

 cars, which were always available at railhead points with a stock 

 of tires. .-Vs the main function of the motor trucks was to ship 

 material and supplies from these same railhead points this 

 method of replacement w'as a very simple matter. 



Spare wheels with tires applied were always available at more 

 advanced points, but these were necessary in any case to .guard 

 against the breakage of wheels and were easily used if there 

 should bo an emergency case of tire trouble in the field. Tires 

 were almost universally pressed on with burlap strips. This 

 was at first criticised, but it did not appear to cause any trouble, 

 as with the general muddy condition it probably aided in the 

 quick rusting on of the tire. 



The standardization of the pressed-on type of tire on S. A. E. 

 rims cannot be too strongly recommended. I am satisfied that 

 the demountable type will be found wanting in war service in 

 France. 



ADVANTAGE OF SINGLE TIRES. 



It is advisable to limit the number of sizes of tires to as few as 

 possible. It is possible to use 5-inch for front wheels of all 

 trucks, because the smaller trucks are naturally faster moving 

 and the additional speed will easily make the wear even. In 

 France a great many of the trucks are used with 5-inch dual tires 

 on rear w^heels. These developed serious troubles on account of 

 the load often being concentrated on one of the tires only. On 

 the granite block roads a projecting block on a damaged road 

 would often cut out a large section of one of the tires. On 

 heavily cambered roads the weights would concentrate on the 

 inside tires. I am convinced that the wider-section single tires 

 on rear wheels suffered less damage from these causes than the 

 dual tires. I believe that tires with a slightly convex tread give 



better service than absolutely flat-tread tires. Many of the tires 

 sent from .America to b'rancc appeared to be over-cured. In 

 general tlicy were harder and more liable to crumble tlian the 

 F.nro|)ean tires. On tlie other liand. many of more resilient tires 

 gave troul)le near the liase and became detached from the steel 

 ring. 



TIKE AND RIM RECO.MME.VDATIONS APPROVED. 

 The carrying capacities and inflation pressures of pneumatic 

 tires recommended by the Tire and Rim Division, as published 

 on page 579 of our July issue, were approved by the Society. 

 THE JOl'RXAL Of THE S. A. E. 

 "The S. A. E. Bulletin," published for several years past, has 

 been discontinued and replaced by "The Journal of the Society 

 of Automotive Engineers," printed in the standard technical 

 size, 9 by 12 inches, and is a credit to the organization. 



MOTOR-CVCLE STANDARDIZATION UJJDER WAY. 



Another division was added to the standards committee of 

 the S. A. E. when, at the request of the Ordnance Department, 

 the members of the Motorcycle and .Mlied Trades Association 

 joined the S. A. E. to carry its standardization work into the 

 motor-cycle industry. 



Motor-cycles for dispatch riders, transporting machine guns 

 on side cars, and many other purposes are playing a conspicuous 

 part in the war, and the need for standardization of detail di- 

 mensions of parts has constantly been becoming more obvious. 

 .\ study is now in progress looking toward the formulation of a 

 standard set of specifications to be used in the purchase of mili- 

 tary motor-cycles. Typical machines are being e.xamined and 

 sub-committees have been appointed to report on the parts that 

 can be standardized. 



At a meeting of the temporary motor-cycle division of the 

 standards committee on June 28 it was decided to standardize 

 tires, rims, spokes, headlamp mountings and supports, chains, 

 throttle control, clutch and brake pedals. Other items may be 

 standardized at an early date. It was decided that both the 

 front and rear wheels of the motor-cycle and the wheels of the 

 side and rear car are to be alike and to carry the same rims and 

 size and type of tire. Tire and rim specifications follow: 



Tires. .-Ml tires of military motor-cycles, side cars and rear 

 cars are to be of the clincher type, 28 by 3 inches in dimension. 



Rims. All rims for military motor-cycles are to be made for 

 28 by 3 inch clincher tires and have the standard cc, with forty 

 spoke holes, 17/64 inch in diameter, suitable for % inch spokes. 



AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 



THE program of the meeting of the .American Chemical So- 

 ciety, to be held at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 

 Boston, Massachusetts, September 10 to 13, will include a gen- 

 eral conference on "Chemistry in Warfare," opened by William 

 H. Nichols, chairman Committee on Chemicals, Council of Na- 

 tional Defense, and Marston J. Bogert. chairman Chemistry 

 Committee National Research Council. 



At the divisional meetings there will be conferences on "The 

 Supply of Organic Chemicals for Research During the War" 

 and "The Industrial Chemist in War Time." 



The special committee appointed to lay definite recommenda- 

 tions before the Federal authorities that chemists be used for 

 chemical service during the war, finds that the government has 

 decided against any general class exemption. It is therefore 

 recommended that chemists who may he drafted present facts 

 of their education, experience and employment to local boards, 

 with the request that they be allow-ed to continue at their present 

 work, or in default of this, be detailed to serve as chemists in 

 the military branch of the government. 



The purpose of this recommendation is to put into the pos- 

 session of the government authorities all the facts necessary for 

 it to decide exactly for what service a given man is most fitted.; 



„,_.JifriH! 



