290 



Popular Science Monthly 



Homemade Hot Air Intake for 

 a Carbureter 



TO increase the mileage per gallon of 

 gasoline, the air should be slightly- 

 warmed before it enters the carbureter. 

 A very simple and practical method of 

 supplying this heated air is shown in the 



I Urtake^pipeJ 1 



Tin can on the exhaust connected with metal 

 pipe to supply hot air to the carbureter 



illustration. The main body of the device 

 consists of an oblong tin can cut out and 

 fitted over the exhaust pipe, as shown. A 

 hole is cut in the bottom of the tin can 

 and the end of the piece of flexible metal 

 pipe, such as is used for electric wire 

 insulation, is slipped into it and connected 

 with the air-intake of the carbureter. 

 This is a satisfactory homemade accessory 

 which will give more miles to the gallon of 

 gasoline, quicker acceleration and less 

 carbon. — P. P. Avery. 



Adjusting the Foot Pedal to Prevent 

 Wear on Gears 



IT may be difficult to believe that the 

 adjustment of an automobile clutch 

 pedal has everything to do with the life of 

 the transmission gears and the clutch 

 parts. If the pedal is set so that it moves 

 through a greater part of its arc before it 

 commences to release the clutch, then it 

 is more than likely that it will not wholly 

 separate the clutch members. In that 

 case, the gears will clash in "changing" 

 and they will be prematurely worn out. 

 Besides "changing" will be a noisy opera- 

 tion. If the pedal is set so that when it is 

 "back" it strikes the floorboard, it is 

 almost certain that the clutch members 

 are not engaged as tightly as they should 

 be and that they are slipping though so 

 slightly as not to be noticed — with a con- 

 sequent wearing of the surfaces. Worse 

 than this, the clutch is being held "out" 



all the time against a powerful spring, and 

 the part that takes the thrust of this 

 spring at such a time, is an expensive ball 

 bearing, which is sure to show the effects 

 of such service. 



Circulating Water in a Gas Holder 

 to Prevent Freezing 



THE ordinary observer would think 

 that a gas holder is sturdy enough 

 to be unaffected by freezing water. But 

 the fact that the upper drum, holding 

 the gas, is surrounded by, and moves up 

 and down in water, renders it necessary 

 for the gas companies to safeguard their 

 holders against freezing, as it is vitally 

 important that the holders move freely. 

 One gas company prevents the water 

 from freezing by keeping it in circulation 

 with a system of steam siphons, placed 

 at intervals around the holder. The 

 water ejected from the nozzle of each 

 siphon, communicates a forward impetus 

 to the water in front of it and in this 

 way the water is kept in continuous 



iteam main 



Siphons made of gas pipe and operated 

 by a steam jet to keep water in circulation 

 around gas holder. This prevents freezing 



movement around the holder. The 

 siphons are built of 1-in. pipe excepting 

 a short piece which is made of 1^-in. 

 pipe. The steam main is, of course, the 

 largest. — James M. Kane. 



