Evening star., 1929-06-30
NEW MACHINE MAKES MOVING
OBJECTS APPEAR MOTIONLESS
Stroborama's Value in Studying Operating
of Reciprocating Auto Parts Hailed
by Engineers.

United States. One is in the posses
sion of the Government. BY means OF
a cluster of neon tubes of / 900 candle
power the stroborama can illuminate an
entire chassis, engine or any moving
part with a light timed to flash In
SynchroniSm with the rate of motion Of
the part under study.
How it is possible to make the mov-
ing object appear motionless is ex-
planned thus: If man were in dark
room and an instantaneous fash OF
light illuminated his watch every so
seconds, the second hand of the watch
would seem to be motionlesS because
he would always see 1t in the same
position.
The engineers say that such a ma
chine Is of great value in studying the
operating of reciprocating parts whose
motion is too fast for the human eye
to follow. For instance, the stroborama
can determine whether valve springs
are performing regularly and evenly, or
whether valve tappets are remaining in
contact with the cam surfaces at high
engine speeds.
The new Graham Paige building also
has q cold room for testing engines in
operation at subzero temperatures.
Polar conditions are produced by re-
frigerating machinery supplemented by
blowers which give arctic blasts. Tenn
peratureS between 30 and Al below zero
can thus be created. In this tempera-
ture the engineering staff watches the
effect produced not only on engines, but
on starters, carburetors, oil pumps and
other units affected by extreme cold.
In the heat room temperatures as
high as l40 Fahrenheit are maintained.
Into this chamber go the cooling sys-
TENS, carburetors, manifold. gasoline
RnlT = -GnL-
automatic radiator shutters and engine
accessories called upon TO work under
trying conditions high above normal.
Then there is a machine on which
an automobile is placed with its front
or rear wheels on rollers, to which
wooden blocks are attached, making
them irregular in shape. AS the rollers
revolve the effect of bumps in the road
way is simulated, and the car has to
Withstand the knocks 1t would get In
passing over boulder covered road. On
this machine the research men watch
the strains to which bodies, springs and
shock absorbers are subjected and
check them for endurance.
Four dynamometer or engine test
rooms are part of the equipment and
a special water brake" dynamometer
is used for long continued tests. The
engineering building adjoins a final
test building and concrete track on
which cars take brief runs when they
leave the assembly line.
While week ending at Dayton. Ohio,
with r. H. Grant. new vice president OF
General Motors Corporation at Dayton,
Ohio. w. S. Knudsen. president of the
Chevrolet Motor Co., gave an interview
in which, he said, his company would
have distributed 100000 six-cyclinder
, cars by July 1.
Prospects for the remainder Of the
year are fine" he said, "and I expect
to see Chevrolet exceed the 1,250,O00
mark before January l."
Faced by Need of Pioneering.
Speaking of general manufacturing
conditions, Mr.. Knudsen voiced the be-
lief that We have gone just Tar enough
in making automobiles to make 1t plain
we still have much to learn.
Thus far the automobile business
has been one of repetition" he said,
but all of us have been taught the
means of giving the public a medium
of cheaper transportation, mostly
through the skill we have been able to
recruit in manufacture.
There is no doubt people get more
out of the money invested in an auto
mobile than in any other commodity.
This has been made possible by cut
ting the corners of production. Now
we must admit among ourselves that
the last corner has been cut, and we
are confronted by the necessity Of pio-
neering in business of which we
knew something 10 years ago.
I'VE have come to the point in au-
tomobile manufacture where the man
with $500 to $500 can go anywhere
comfortably and safely"
copyright. 1929, by the, North American
Newspaper Alliance.)