The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-21
CARE OF THE CHAIN.


When efficient action is to be ex-
pected Of chain-driven vehicles 1t is
imperative that chains and sprockets
he maintained in as good condition as
IS possible Their possible mainten-
ance is overshadowed in Importance
only by the necessity Of a correct fit
between them. 1t often happens, how
ever. that drivers who are otherwise
extremely careful, are negligent in
respect to the chain equipment. Be-
ing now IN far greater use on COM
rnercial vehicles than on pleasure
cars the chain is naturally being put
TO heavier use than ever before.
When chains become worn they run
slack Slackness is also caused by
their stretching a certain amount af
ter they have been in service short
time The elonagtion is due partly
10 an actual stretching Of the side
plates and partly to wear In the riv-
cts Wear of the sprockets also con-
tributes to the slackness. though wear
IN the chains is the cause of the
greatest part Of it. AS it is impos-
sible to eliminate wear entirely the
far as possible. Several makes of
pleasure and commercial vehicles now
have their chains enclosed in oil-tight
cases. but on the majority Of cars
the chains are left fully exposed and
thus collect a considerable amount of
dirt and grit.
The obvious way out of the Niffi-
Guilty and the only one left in Older
to reduce to a minimum the war
caused by road dirt is to clean the
chains thoroughly. after each days
work or more often il the conditions
warrant. OF course a certain amount
Of wear is bound to take place and if
unchecked will result in the necessity
for the replacement of both the sprock-
ct and chains.
larly and after having been soaked
in l. rosene for several hours thor
Dughly brushed with a stiff brush.
Fairly heavy grease, mixed into stiff
Paste with finely powdered graphite,
snkaes a good lubricant for chains of
the block link type and should be put
on sparingiy at regular intervals. Roll
Ter chains, after having been cleaned
by soaking in kerosene, should be
boiled IN melted paraffine wax and
hung UP to drain and cry. The ac-
ton Of the wax is to permeate the in
terstices of the chains. In some
makes Of cars the sprockets are made
reversible and in that case they may
be changed about and the opposite
sides OF the teeth used. Where this
procedure is not possible the teeth
should be ground or filed into a sem
blance of their original shape. One
OF two such treatments. however, will
be all that are possible and the
eprockets will then have to be replac-
ed
Chains should leave the sprockets
freely without whipping or swapping
and any inherent tendency to climb
the sprockets should be checked at
once by careful adjustment.
If chains are permitted to run too
slack there is danger that they may
ride the sprockets or break or they
may come off and becoming wrapped
around the driving sprockets or the
road wheels cause damage to the car.
On the other hand if they are run too
tight a loss of power ensues and bear
.ugs receive an undue strain which
may result in their heating and seiz-
ing While there is no set rule for
adjustment, if the top half of G~e
chain be held taut and the whole
adjusted till the sag in the lower
half is about one inch out of the
straight they Will run correctly.
HELD DISBROW'S HEAD ON.
The story Of how 1 broke records
I'm the 500 mile race on Jacksonville
beach in the Pope Hartford is old by
this time says Louis A. Disbrow in
interestingly relating his experiences
In that contest. but the story Of how
Heinie Albrecht, my nechanician, lit
orally held my head on after my
hook muscles failed me and assisted