Evening star., 1932-02-28
ADVANCE SEEN
IN RIDE CONTROL
Now Utilized on Eight Diff
ferent Makes of
Cars.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
DETROIT, February 27.-Ride con-
troll, one of the notable advances cred
tied to automobile design of 1882, is
utilized on eight different makes of
cars. On limited number of lower
priced lines, it is listed as optional
equipment at extra cost.
Its use falls into two divisions. The
first is vacuum control with free-wheel-
ing as incidental or a "by-product," as
engineers term it. The second is q
combination Of the vacuum principle
with free-wheeling in which the vacuum
operation is limited, but nevertheless
effective.
Held Chief Ways.
These are the chief ways in which
the new method of operating a clutch
becomes effective. A third is the at
tachment Of separate vacuum mech
anism which may be placed on any car
Of modern design as optional or extra.
In such instances, the cars in all prob
ability have not been designed with a
view to the use of it.
Free-Wheeling without vacuum mech
aniSm is now standard on 10 other
makes and ON one other make Is op-
tional.
A recent analysis Of vacuum use for
clutch control credits it with eliminat-
ing much fOot-pedal effort, besides SIM
plifying the operations required in
starting a car. changing the gears and
bringing car to a stop. With the
present trend toward larger automobiles
with larger engines, the clutches have
not increased in size, it Is pointed out
Instead, they have been kept small and
light to help synchronizing in gear
shifting and because space available
for the clutch in the chassis Of today
is limited.
Therefore, more spring pressure had
to be applied and clutch operation with
the foot has become real work 1t is
estimated that in city driving 1t in
wolves at least rs foot pounds of work
per mile In congrested traffic this
amount of effort is multiplied numerous
times.
As a source of power, vacuum drawn
from manifoldS is considered econom-
ical because 1t does not represent addi-
tional gasoline consumption like cleo
trio or other direct drive sources of
power from an engine.
Other power applications Of vacuum
drawn from manifolds are found In
gasoline vacuum tanks the vacuum
COllIIOllCu lBuLILOl NAoti AuuGOAb Illc vac
uum brake booster and the windshield
wiper. For the first time the 1882 cars
bring this source of power into use for
clutch operation. With the throttle
closed and the engine running the
vacuum thus created is ample and at
faster speeds becomes greater, giving
force that will do considerable work and
do it quickly.
Should vacuum control at any time
fail, which is unlikely, because few of
it's parts work under stress, 1t would not
be serious because the car can still be
operated using the foot-pedal control
in the conventional way.
AS additional recommendation for
vacuum, the engineers say that any de-
vice that saves work in driving an au-
tomobile Is desirable because 1t adds
to pleasure and comfort and conServes
driving energy. The vacuum clutch
also is credited with exercising an ap-
peal to the average driver because it
helps to make the automobile drive
itself.
As a development, it is termed the
evolution of an effort to produce a de-
vice which would do automatically what
a skilled driver would do in pedal or
manual operation.
Factory installation therefore Is
usually more satisfactory on car than
addition as an accessory, because the
maker has engineered his car to get
the best results.
Many Convertibles Seen.
With Spring and a return to OPEN
air driving conditions just around the
co1ker, the profusion Of convertible
cars that the manufacturers have pro-
duced for this year will become more
apparent.
Closed car usage at last reports
amounted to more than 80 per cent in
Americas motoring. Current interest
in the radical changes that body de-
sign seems to be headed for point to
trend which states the convertible
Sedans and roadsters for widened pref
erence The demand for them has been
foreseen in the new 1882 ranges Of
models.
Progress has been such that body
builders have made a real job OF re-
placing conventional open car side cur
tains with safety plate glass windows.
When raised the windows f1t into metal
incorporated in the tops, giving tight
seal. With the top down, the windows
may be left in an upright position to
serve as a windbreak.
In quick changing. the convertibles
still leave something to be desired, but
research, working hand in hand with
inventive skill, is simplifying the prob
lem and soon may solve it to provide
closed cars with the open air thrill
when desired.
(Copyr!ght, Is3z. By the North Amertesn
AeVsQaner Anlapses 1eA u
q.