East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-04-02
MANUFACTURERS
ELIMINATE FADS

A visit to the accessories department
of the Portland exhibition this week
showed that the maker of the little
things that count" has kept well
abreast of the march of time. Steady
advance has characterized the efforts
of the motor car accessory manufac-
turers, while to a great degree fads
have been eliminated and utility cho-
sen as the watchword.
Almost universally these improve
ments have been designed with a view
to the amelioration of driving condi-
tions They aim at making the cars
more comfortable, easier to handle
and in many cases they have been
designed with a view to improving the
appearance of the car
Spark plugs have enlisted the eff
forts of a score of inventors. Prom
inent among them is one in which the
electrodes are made of platinum. The
use of this metal is calculated to
eliminate the possibility of corrosion
and to minimize the chances of SCOT
ing.
CarburctOr More Efficient Now.
Another plug, in which the cleo
trodes are of more common material.
is devoid of the usual gas pocket. This
is built on the theory that the spark
in this way comes into more direct
contact with the live" gas. Still an
other model has visible spark gap
in its porcelain insulator. in order
that missing" may be traced quick
ly and without much trouble, to the
offending plug.
AS has been the case for the last
few years. a number of devices cal
culated to increase the carburetor ef-
ficiency have made their appearance.
Nearly all these devices are designed
to be placed between the carburetor
and the inlet passage.
Several of the "strainers" consist
principally of fine wiIe gauze. AS the
gas and air are sucked through them
by the engine the two ingredients be-
come thoroughly mixed. One of them
is in the form of a hot water gasket
to which the water from the cooling
system is piped, the heat assisting to
"gassify," the mixture.
One lock, placed on the market
scarcely month ago, is in the form
of a small lever designed to be at
tached to the floor of the car.
The most familiar type of lock, |
however, is the variety which Is de- |!
signed to lock the gear shift levers in
the neutral position. Naturally when !
the gears cannot be engaged the car
cannot be driven under its own pow
er.
One absolutely new accessory is
marketed. 1t is a watchlike instru-
ment fitted to the radiator cap on the
car and is designed to protect the
motor from overheating and under
heating, from such sources as improp- |
er fabrication, defective cooling sys-
tenn, etc.
Electric Lights Feature.
Electric lighting and engine-start-
ing systems. Of course, constitute one
of the really big things of the year.
One of the latest developments is a
combined lighting and starting system
which may be applied to any car now
on the market without neCessitating
taking down the motor or making any
alterations in construction.
For those who have electric lights,
therefore must rely on an outside
source Of current to charge their bat
teries, there have been developed two
small rectifiers These devices change .
alternating current, unsuitable for
charging batteries. into direct current.
They are small and compact and are
absolutely automatic in operation.
Electric horns have come in for
good deal of attention almost as a
matter of course, for it is coming to
be generally recognized that a bulb
horn is scarcely efficient in heavy
traffic. At least two new electric
horns of the vibrator type have been
brought out They probably are the
simplest of all electric horns and GER
tainly are the cheapest.