Evening star., 1935-11-03
Control
Continued From First Page.)

be cut down for economy's sake. The
driver brings this overdrive gear into
action by first attaining a speed of
between 35 and As miles per hour
and by then lifting his foot from the
accelerator momentarily.
Much more is being done with the
accelerator pedal than even the most
fanciful prophets considered possible.
Motors are started and gears shifted
with movements of the accelerator.
How the accelerator is handled has
much to do with the effectiveness of
brakes where vacuum aSSiSter is
used. The accelerator. on some cars
operates the choke control as we'll
as the throttle and accelerating pump.
It moves the switch that closes an
electric circuit to the starter motor.
It is indirectly linked with the auto
matte clutch and the transmission
through its control Of intake vacuum.
select the gearing he believes he will
need to use, following completion of
any given set Of driving conditions in
forward speed. He does this by mov-
ing a small lever on an arm extending
from the steering post. To accomplish
the actual shift he depresses the
clutch pedal, then engages the clutch
and feeds gas
Some cars have the starter switch
combined with the clutch pedal in
such a way that to crank the motor
the driver has merely to press down
the clutch pedal as if he were about
to remember the old rule to relieve
the starter motor of turning over the
transmission gears. Then there is the
full electric starting system operated
from the ignition switch. Some sys-
TENS, including the electric, cause an
automatic restart should the motor
stall, and so long as the switch is on.
New Steering Wheel Lever.
Choosing between two final gear re-
ductions at the rear axle is made pos
sible in another of the latest offer
angs. This choice is made through
movement of a small lever control
mounted at the center of the steer
ing wheel. 1t replaces the conven-
tional hand control of the throttle
and looks very much like the hand
control of the spark, which has also
vanished from the bridge" of many
q new car. In the standard ratio q
car so equipped becomes lively and
powerful in traffic as well as on hills,
while in the high ratio 1t is more
economically geared for boulevard and
high-speed driving.
While the conventional type of
automatic clutch control eased the
Job of depressing the clutch pedal, the
arrangement necessitated running
the car in free wheeling. To enjoy
easy clutch action without free wheel
uum control so that it brings the
clutch assister into action, not when
the throttle is closed, but as the clutch
pedal starts to 60 down. Centrifugal
force Is being used extensively to give
greater torque capacity at higher mo-
tor speeds.
In another system engine torque ac-
tually supplements pedal pressure by
the action of circular cam which
normally rotates with the clutch hous-
ing while the car is in action. When
the driver starts to press on the clutch
pedal to stop or shift gears the cir
cular cam is retarded by the clutch
throw-out mechanism. In conven-
tional a. well as in the newer types Of
clutches pedal pressure has been re-
duced through using needle bearings
to reduce friction. Use of rolling
contact for the clutch levers Is an:
other step designed to save physical
effort.
There is an octane tuner on some
ears so that drivers can adjust the
spark timing more accurately to
match varying kinds Of fuel. This
arrangement also assists in adjusting
timing to match engine temperature
conditions, since increased heat will
increase the tendency toward knock.
ing.