Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-24
Automobile News
SIMPLE RULES FOR ADJUSTING
-. HEADLIGHTS IN LEGAL manner
Glare Must Be Avoided and Rays Must Not Be
Over AZ Inches Above Ground; Too High
Powered Bulbs May Prove Disastrous

curtain. Measure the height of the
headlight center from the ground or
floor and draw line on the curtain
horizontally at the same height. Now
light the headlamps and cover up
the screen. If any light Is shown
above the line which you drew then
your lights are not properly ad-
justed, so it will be necessary to re-
move the headlamp door and lens.
Now notice the spot OF light which
is thrown on the curtain or wall 1t
should be in the form of a nearly
round spot of light about the size
of the head of a barrel, and should
show no black spot in the center. II
such a result is not obtained then
|, move the bulb in or out of the re-
Hector by means of the focusing
screw until you find that the pat
tern on the curtain is the smallest
in diameter that you can procure.
Now You have the bulb in focus in
the reflector. DO the same on the
other headlamps and with both
lenses off notice how the two spots
OF light strike the curtain. They
should be about the same distance
apart as the headlights are on the
car and the centers of the spots
should be on the line.
To Install Lenses
You are now ready to install the
lenses, provided they are lenses
which do not require to be tilted.
This You can determine by the man
ufacturer's instructions which come
with every lens or by applying to
the Motor Vehicle Department or to
any state highway police. If. for
instance, the instructions for the
particular device you wish to use
say that 1t takes tilt of 8 inches
down at % feet, then the center of
the two spots Of light must be J
inches below the line drawn on the
curtain. This is done by adjusting
the brackets which hold the head
lights either by bending them or by
moving them in the slots If they are
SO constructed.
1t Is not possible 20 tilt the head
lamps on all cars, so a safe rule to
follow If you are selecting lens
is to purchase lens in the mo tilt"
class. There are many different
makes of lenses which do not re-
'quire tilt and some have the words
mo tilt" moulded In the glass. Any
such lens will pass the rules in any
state and can be installed on any
car where lenses which require tilt
cannot In all cases be made to COM
ply.
Too much emphasis cannot be laid
on the Importance of careful and in
telligent selection of lenses. So lit
tie Is known by the public of the
physical laws OF light that there is
some opportunity for misrepresenta-
ton and therefore the following
points should be kept In mind: No
device, no matter what the manu-
facturer may claim for 1t, can pos
sibly increase the total amount of
light from any given source; all that
it can possibly do is bend the pro-
jected rays OF light which are
thrown off by the reflector and
which would otherwise go off into
space down and parallel to the road
surface.
Loss Of Illumination
1t also should b remembered
that any lens or device that avoids
glare by interposing an opaque sur
face or by coloring or painting the
top of the lens also absorbs and
wastes q large part OF the light and
decreases its effectiveness. and, usu-
ally to such an extent that they will
not comply with the rules. as they
cannot throw the light far enough
ahead to properly illuminate the
road. although they may reduce the
glare to approaching drivers. This
does not apply to any lens which is
so constructed that the prisms bend
the light rays down and as an added
factor OF safety have fin on the
. .f