Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-13

Der of dirt roads and the lack of
funds to pave them. Somebody should
have the power to close this type
of road. no longer than necessary.
to certain loads with certain tires.
during certain seasons. Dirt roads
arc cut up badly during these few
days or weeks in the year. and should
ho protected until money is avail
able TO pave them. Horse-drawn We
hicles are the greatest offenders
against dirt roads at this time. first.
because they are equipped with mar
row steel tires that cut the surface:
and secondly. because in dirt road
community they form a larger per-
| ccntase of the vehicles.
Overlooking
We next come TO restriction against
overlooking. The point in restrict
ing overlooking is the necessity of
having tho vehicle properly tired for
the impact the vehicles deliver to
the road. II is the opinion Of the
highway officials that no vehicle
should have a load OF over 500 pounds
per :nch width OF the tire upon any
wheel tsaid width in case of rubber
tires to be measured between tho
flangeS of the rtm). This restriction
is in general effect thruout the coun-
try. although two states cut this
down as low as 500 pounds on rub
ber tires. and 800 pounds on steel
tires Eight hundred pounds per inch
of rubber tire width amply protects
the road and the vehicle. The ques-
ton OF weight on steel tires should
be given more attention. as 1t Is
apparent that a steel tire will do
more damage than a rubber one.
Tire Mensur-ment
ono important point not to be over
looked Is the point OF measurement
VI tho urc. In the states of Illinois.
Iowa, kentucky and Vermont the
weight restrictions per inch width of
tire are based upon the measurements
OF the contact of tho tire with the
road.
Because of tho construction of the
solid rubber tire tho tire has the
amallcst contact with the road when
IL Is new. and as the tire wears down
It's breadth of contact increases until
it hax its greatest contact with the
road when tho rubber is worn off
and tho wheel liz running on the steel
tire base
Experiments conducted BY tho bu-
reau of public roads show that a
wheel weighing 1000 pounds equip
ped with solid rubber tires ~ inches
deep running at Is miles per hour
strikes a blow OF 10000 pounds. while
tho samc wheel equipped with old
tires l inch in depth running at 10
miles per hour strikes n blow of
81 900 pounds. or ic per cent greater
blow.
You can 800 by tho above that such
a method of measuring places a mini
mum or the truck with little or no
rubber cushion. and encourages truck
owners to do the greatest damage to
tho road. No matter how good tho
intention of the body passing such |
law /, certainly does not protect
the road. and should be repealed. |
Here Il another restriction that has
the Erca, advantage of being apparent
To the most casual investigator. Tires
must be measured at the base be-
tween tho fllnCes.
Truck manufacturers equip their
machines with proper tiree. and over
loading in most cases puts load
greater than 500 pounds per square
inch. All manufacturers discourage
overlooking by every means in their |
power. refusing to recognize guar |
antecs of material and workmanship |
when they car prove overlooking. and |
in most cases warning owners when |
over thoy discover this practice The |
truck manufa cturers. ns we'll as road |
officials. have n selfish interest in l
preventing overlooking. as trucks are |
sold for certain capacities and will |
not stand overlooking without high |
maintenance costs. This restriction |
protects tho road. tho vehicle and the |
truck owner. and while IL is very |
anu fNGAlN W 'HAviffs 'n'fA1 |
with favor from all parties most con-
cerncd.
ono very serious result of overload |
ing ~ accident resulting from inef- |
fective brakes. Motor trucks are de- |
signed to carry certain body weight. |
and certain pay loads. The engineer |
knows the tendency to overload and |
designs the truck with strength TO |
take reasonable amount. but it is |
Impossible to design brakes that Will !
be effective beyond a certain point Of
ovorloadinE. Tho result ia the driver
cannot stop his truck in the short dis
tance possible when tho truck has |
ious damage to property and life itself
result The seriousnesa of this condi- 1
ton cannot be over-emphasized
Operators overload their trucks in
most cases with the mistaken Idea
that they can save money, and mnnu- |
facturors have been trying for years
TO educate their users to recognize the |
faliacy OF this theory Just about the |
time thev think the users hove |
recognized the fallacy OF the practice
they meet some local law that re-
stric.s the pay load. As far as tho law |
iv concerned It only restricts the |
licensing of heavy trucks. n does not
restrict the operator carrying heavy |
loads on understood tires. We can safe
lv say II encourages ovcrluadlaE. n Is I
so difficult and costly to weigh trucks
on the road that It is obviogsiy i'm
practicable. Tho only device now on
the market is a Jack system whereby
the weight or the wheel or axle can
be determined.
with the thousands OF motor trucks
and horse-drawu vehicles now opNrat-
ing It is easy to SEQ what a task n Ia
to regulate overlooking.
width Ncstricuor
IL 4.