New Equipment at Olympia
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Labour saving Machines Form a Prominent Feature of the Engineering and Marine Exhibition
NEW workshop equipment, from 2k-ton fork-lift trucks and largesized welding outfits, to the modest screwdriver, is being displayed at the Engineering and Marine ExUbition which opened at Olympia, London, last week, and will close on September 10. Maintenance engineers will find many new developmentsin laboursaving machines and tools which are shown in the galleries.
Among the wide range of hand tools exhibited, the Impact screwdriver, shown by John Garrington and Sons, Ltd„ Bromsgrove, Worcester, fills a long-felt want where obstinate screws have to be removed. The action of this screwdriver is simple because, after inserting the bit into the screw head, all that is required to move the screw is a sharp tap with a hammer on the head of the tool. This forces the head against a spring and at the same time turns its bit in an anti-clockwise direction. The pressure of the blow ensures that the hit does not jump out of the slot, and the screw is loosened sufficiently to be removed with an ordinary screwdriver.
A second novel tool, shown by the same concern, is the Lapwing wrench which is designed on a new principle and gives an 180-degree arc of movement. This tool is useful for removing nuts. or bolts in confined spaces.
Fastnut, Ltd., Kingsland Road, London, E.8, is showing a range of three self-adjusting spanners which can be employed on square or hexagon nuts, of any size up to 21 ins, across flats. It can be used as a pipe wrench. These spanners, which are reasonably priced, are especially useful in garages and workshops Wher.! a mixture of English, American and metric threads are used.
A wide range of portable electric tools for the small engineering shop is demonstrated on the stand of the British Equipment Co., Ltd., Ixworth House, Ixworth Place, London, S.W.3. The Tarplaner, a portable electric plane, can be Used with or across the grain of timber, and its operator can machine up to 10 times faster than with a con: ventional jack plane. Other interesting appliances shown on this stand include a power saw which can be used on wood, metal, or stone, and belt sanders.
An Electric Workshop S. Wolf and Co., Ltd., Pioneer Works, Hanger Lane, Ealing, London, W.5, displays a Mobilectric engine workshop which has a range of electrically operated appliances used in engine overhaul. Two new valve-seat grinding kits, for reconditioning seats up to 3 ins, in diameter, are shown, with a complete set of pilots and other accessories to make the kits adaptable for a.ny make or size of commercial vehicle engine. Driving heads of the attachments are light and balanced to prevent vibration or chatter, and the complete weight of the smaller unit, including -wooden_ case and all accessories, is 26 lb.
A new portable electric grinder for attachment to a lathe bed, shaper, or milling machine is alsO shown on the same stand. The wheel spindle is arranged for internal or external grind-., ing. and two driving palleys .give the required speed for the type of work in hand, One_of the Wolf range of heavyduty portable tools is demonstrated, fitted to a bench drill stand so that it may be used as a powerful drill press to cut thick metal without fatigue to the operator.
A Compressor Outfit
A neat electrically driven compressor unit, for use with a single paint spraygun or for tyre inflation, is shown by Mosers, Ltd., 170-194, Borough High Street, London, S.E.1, Air is supplied to twin receivers which form part of the frame of the unit. The air cleaner is equipped with an outlet tap, drain tap, pressure gauge and safety valve, with an adjustable blow-off which can be arranged over a range of pressures between 30-80 lb. per sq. in. This unit, mounted on two wheels and weighing 136.1b. complete, supplies 4 cubic ft. of clean free air per minute.
Among the electrical accessories shown by Simms Motor Units, Ltd', • Oak Lane, East Finchley, London, N.2, is a battery isolating switch and booster socket. The booster socket, used in conjunction with a set of slave batteries solves many starting problems for the fleet user in winter, and the isolating switch has advantages as an anti-theft device in addttion to protecting the vehicle against electrical shorts or battery discharge.
The exhibition of welding equipment is held in the Grand Hall where the maintenance or production engineer can study all the latest machines on the home market.
The outstanding exhibit is the Hancock oxy-acetylene cutting machine which has an electronically controlled drive to the head. A pin-head of light from the control projects on to the drawing and, by reflection of light on a photo-electric cell, the light follows the lines of the drawing. As the head is connected to the table carrying the
work, the• material is cut precisely to drawing. Sharp corners arc easily followed and modifications in the design of work can be made to the drawing without making fresh templates, which is the normal procedure followed with profile cutters. The machine is made by Hancock and Co. (Engineers), Ltd., Croydon, Surrey.
A compact portable arc-welding transformer, weighing 175 lb. complete, is shown by the Arc Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Actarc Works, Goldhawk Road, London, W.I2. This unit, for repair and light welding work, has a dual range of 15-200 amps. and an open circuit of 90-100 volts for sheet metal, and 45-50 volts for plate welding. It can be used in the garage for wing repairs or chassis fractures. The overall ,size of the transformer is 12 ins. by 16 ins. by 19 ins.
A demonstration of welding aluminium, magnesium, copper, nickel and
their associated .alloys, without. flux, is made with the Argonarc equipment on the stand of the British Oxygen, Co., Ltd., Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, W.I. To prevent the formation of oxides without using flux, the electrode arc and welding zone are completely shielded by an atmosphere of inert argon gas during the process of welding. This argon shroud -prevents atmospheric oxidation and the formation of nitrides or other impurities in the molten weld.
Electro-Hydraulics, Ltd., Liverpool Road, Warrington, Lancs., has added a heavy-duty oil-engined fork-lift truck with a carrying capacity of 6.000 lb. to its range of .Conveyancer trucks. This new model, which is shown, has a fourwheeled chassis, with three-point suspension, and is powered by a Coventry Climax engine. It can lift the maximum load to a height of 12 ft. at a rate of 40 ft. per minute.