New Equipment for Sporting Cars and Motor Cycles

An Ingenious Adjustable Handlebar.
Messrs. Meadows & Walkden, of the Park Gate Garage, St. Thomas Road, Preston, Lancs., are marketing a moderately-priced refinement which should appeal to every motor cyclist who values comfort, control, appearance, or the joy of an occasional change. The product in question is the ” Mad.or ” patent adjustable handlebars. The accompanying illustration shows the ” Mador ” handlebars in their component parts, and from it the simple nature:of this ingenious production will be appreciated.

These bars are now standard on the.Matador-Bradshaw motor cycle, and Mr. Watson-Bourne used them on the machine on which he finished fourth in last year’s Junior T.T. Race. Another racing man who uses them is Mr. Jack Emerson.

The ” Mador ” bars can be fitted either to clip on to the fork-stem direct or to slide into the fork-stem, as in standard practice. Either pattern can be fitted fore or aft of the fork-stem, thus providing a suitable reach for any rider. The bars can be supplied with sports or touring bends, according to taste, and cost only 22/6 a set.

Some Useful H.F. Specialities.
The very large number of cars now fitted with straightsided tyres mounted on split rims makes desirable some effective tool for manipulating these. The H.F. improved split rim tool is essentially a motorist’s tool size and weight, although it is used largely in trade garages.

The tool weighs only just over 4 lbs., and takes up no more room in the tool box than a spare tube. It fits split rims like a key fits its lock. A single Pull of the lever and the old tyre slips off and the new one on. A reverse movement of the lever locks the tyre in place. The H. F.-tool does the whole job in a couple of minutes, without, moreover, distorting the rim.

Another interesting H. F. device is the ” Jiffy” vulcanizer. This little outfit does in a minute all that is required in the preparation of the damage for vulcanization and speedily effects a heal in the tube. The ” Jiffy ” is automatic and makes a flush repair. No patches are used.

An auxiliary of the ” Jiffy ” for the preservation of covers is the H. F. ” Tredkure.” This is a self-vulcanizing material for filling cuts. The preservation of the foundation of the tyre is a vitally important matter that this preparation takes care of. ” Tredkure ” is sold as a complete outfit, with a petrol syringe for cleaning the cut and an ingenious tool for opening it, so that the material penetrates right to the bottom.

Useful Grips.
Excepting when it is abused by the indolent, comfort may be said to make for safety on a motor cycle. However, the Leicester Rubber Co., of Evington Valley Mills, Leicester, has set out to go one better and to enable safety in turn to make for comfort. In the “George Dance” model Knee Grips (designed under the ” John Bull ” patents in collaboration with Mr. George Dance), this firm has a line which, while greatly improving the appearance of a sporting machine and adding ease and comfort to fast riding, also gives the rider greater control, particularly in acceleration and over rough roads at speed.

Another of their lines which combines the factors of comfort and of safety is the “John Bull ” sports pattern rubber handlebar grip. This is an extra long grip which gives the racing man considerable latitude as to where actually he holds his bar. As with the other “John Bull” handlebar grips, the sports grip is moulded with internal air chambers to absorb vibration.

The Leicester Rubber Co. also market anothei device which enhances at once ‘comfort and efficient performance in motor cycling. This is their “John Bull” control lever rub.bers. Like the “George Dance” knee grips, these were first used in last year’s T.T. and immediately there was a great demand for them.

They are made to fit carburetter and magneto controls, and also exhaust, clutch, and brake levers. The competition rider will find these levers particularly valuable as they prevent soreness and blistering, and at the same time afford a positive control under all conditions.

“Next to Godliness.”
The private owner no less than the garage proprietor will lift up his voice in loud rejoicing at the prospect of being able thoroughly to clean and polish a medium-sized car in 15 minutes at a cost of 2d. And this without the use of water and its attendant inconveniences. One merely sprays the car with Atomist, a preparation manufactured by Messrs. T. F. Steele & Co., Ltd., 14, Harp Lane, London, E.C.4, and the mud and dust are thereupon converted into a soft matter which can be easily removed.

The car is then left not only clean, but polished, and to a large extent protected against rust, finger-marks, scratches, rain and mudspots. Where the car is not in use Atomist preserves the varnish and renders it impervious to fog and damp. It seems a lot to claim, but the manufacturers cannot do more than say : ” Ask your dealer to demonstrate.”

The Clupet Piston Ring.
Messrs. Clews Petersen & Co., Ltd., of West Heath Works, Mill Lane, West Hampstead, N.W.6, have to their credit a remarkable record of success. Their product, the Clupet Piston Ring is fitted as standard on all Rhode cars, amongst whose recent triumphs are the R. A. C. Six Days’ Trial, Vesey Cup Trial, Trevors Trophy Trial, Victory Cup Trial and London to Land’s End, in each of which they obtained awards. These rings have also been used with great success by Miss Ivy Cummings on her Bugatti and Frazer Nash cars.

The Clupet rings are made from centrifugal castings of the best quality cast iron and are in one piece—not welded—and are perfectly round, as in the final operation of grinding them on the periphery, they are closed right up on a spindle, just as if they were fitted to a cylinder, and ground perfectly round in that position.

It is claimed that the rings when fitted to the pistons and cylinders are as perfectly gas and oil tight as it is possible to attain with piston rings, and even when wear takes place, which must inevitably happen with any piston ring, they are said to stand up to the work much better than the ordinary single ring, because of the bridge at the end points.

It is also claimed for the Clupet ring that when nicely run in it is bound to show improved results over the old single type of ring, because whereas the latter type of ring will open out and thus allow gas and oil to get through, the Clupet ring maintains its original formation, with the result that any wear which takes place will be perfectly regular.

Many car owners have adopted the Clupet ring for use in old engines after considerable wear has taken place on the cylinder walls, and they have found that it accommodates itself to the worn condition of the cylinder in a remarkable manner. In such cases engineers frequently try the expedient of utilising an ordinary single ring, but eccentric in shape, and the result is often unsatisfactory, as the trouble is only accentuated. It is stated that there have been cases where the Clupet ring has been fitted to worn cylinders, and the horsepower of the engine has been thereby increased at least 30 per cent.

The Ceal Petrol Tap.
Motor cyclists will be grateful to the company calling itself Ceal, 5, The Parade, High Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.6, for marketing at so reasonable a sum as 7/6 a device which reduces to a minimum
the chance of having one’s machine stolen and ridden away.

The Ceal is a petrol pipe-tap on the letter-lock principle, being operated by means of a figured dial. Any figure up to 9 may be chosen when setting the lock, preparatory to leaving the machine, and no fuel will flow from the tank past the tap until it has been re-set to that number. It would appear that an additional safeguard would be to run the engine for a moment or two after setting the tap to ensure that no fuel is left in the carburetter.

The price of the “Ceal,” 7/6, which is only about one shilling in excess of the price of many good quality petrol taps of ordinary type, certainly has much to recommend it at this reasonable cost.

Two Good Electric Horns. “
The ” Sparton ” electric horn is motor-driven, and consequently it does its job in a very thorough manner.

It is the outcome of 15 years’ experience in the manufacture of horns for motor vehicles, and combining as it does lightness, accessibility for oiling, and that much desired (and, with some other horns, oft-lamented) clearness and intensity of tone, it has met with a considerable demand from public and manufacturers alike.

On many wellknown cars the ” Sparton ” is fitted as part of their standard equipment. This horn is manufactured for the British market by Messrs. Alfred Graham & Co.; St. Andrew’s Works, Crofton Park, London, S.E. 4, under an agreement with the Spark° Withington Company of America, and the total daily output exceeds 5,000 complete units, which is, we should imagine, well in excess of any other any warning device.

Another “audible warner” manufactured by Messrs. Alfred Graham & Co. is the Graham electrical autohorn. Of reliable construction and possessing clarity of tone and a particularly pleasing appearance, the Graham electrical autohorn has been standardised on over thirty different makes of British cars.

A Versatile Instrument.
A revolution indicator is an instrument of many varied uses. Not only does it fulfil its primary object, that of enlightening one as to the number of revolutions one’s engine is developing, but also, in showing the speed of the engine, it shows the experienced driver the exact moment to change gear, and, used in conjunction with a foreknowledge of one’s gear ratios and with that kind of slide-rule mentality so commonly found amongst fast drivers, it shows also the actual speed of the car.

The type of indicator shown in the accompanying illustration is made and marketed by Messrs. S. Smith and Sons, of Great Portland Street, London, W. 1, who are universally commended upon the high efficiency of their instruments. Incidentally, Messrs. S. Smith and Sons pride themselves on having mastered the frequently difficult task of fitting revolution indicators, and they ask us to announce that they are willing to assist anyone who may experience difficulty in this connection.