WORK TO SIMPLIFY AUTO ENGINEERING

The New York Times
April 19, 1914

Standards Committee of S. A. E. Holds a Successful Meeting Here.

FOR FEWER TIRE SIZES

Problem of Glaring Headlights Also Discussed—Work Done by Various Divisions.

The Society of Automobile Engineers has just brought to a successful conclusion the first of its quarterly meetings of the Standards Committee.  Heretofore, the meetings have been held semi-annually just prior to the national meetings of the society.  The purpose of the new plan inaugurated during the administration of President Henry M. Leland is to make possible broadening the scope of the standardization work, which has met with general approval.  During the convention of last week meetings of eleven of the active divisions or sub-committees of the Standards Committee were held.  Most of the reports made were of a "progress" nature.  In fact, none of the recommendations being considered can be accepted under the rules by the society officially until they have been made final and specific, approved by the Council and formally discussed at national meetings of the society, at which time ballots are cast by the members having voting power on the acceptance of practice recommended.  Sixty-five experts in various lines were in attendance at the convention.

The springs division, Harold L. Pope, Chairman, is formulating a table of axle clips for use on pleasure cars, with the idea of reducing the number of sizes and submitting a design of clip that will represent the best engineering practice.  Data have already been collected from a large number of automobile engineers, showing the practice as to the diameter of spring clip shank with relation to the width of leaf springs and giving information as to the best methods of reducing to a minimum breakage of short spring leaves.

The prospect is that the iron and steel division, Henry Souther Chairman, will recommend that about half of the previously accepted eighty specifications of S. A. E. steels be eliminated; also that in the case of some steels the previously accepted content of phosphorous and sulphur be raised.

Prof. R. C. Carpenter, Prof. J. A. Moyer, William Guy Wall, and Herbert Chase attended the meeting of the motor testing division, at which time the three motor-testing forms submitted at the last meeting of the society were further considered, and it was decided to draw up a code for use in connection with the conduct of motor tests.  The miscellaneous division, John G. Utz Chairman, recently recommended the spark plug with larger hexagon head to permit the employment of larger porcelains without disturbing interchangeability with the previously accepted standard, the A. L. A. M. spark plug, the name of which was changed to S. A. E. some years ago. A complete table of dimensions of pins for S. A. E. standard rod and yoke ends was submitted.

The electrical equipment division, A. L. Riker Chairman, took up the matter of installing fuses in circuits from storage batteries as applied to both two-wire and single-wire systems.  A long discussion was also had as to the best methods of controlling the rays of headlights as to insure comfortable and entirely safe country driving.  The nomenclature division, A. B. Cumner Chairman, limited its proceedings to formal discussion as to the plan and scope of future activities.  A vote was passed requesting the Council to instruct the various divisions of the Standards Committee to refer to it all questions regarding nomenclature.  The division is cooperating with the Nomenclature Committee of the British Engineering Standard Committee, which is supported by the English Government and and represents the leading engineering societies and firms of Great Britain.  Charles Wheeler, a member of the Council of the Institution of Automobile Engineers, who attended the last Summer meeting of the S. A. E., is Chairman of the British Nomenclature Committee.  A letter from him was read at the meeting announcing that he was sending for the consideration of the S. A. E. nomenclature division a list of words and phrases which is now under the consideration of his committee.

The meeting held last week was the first one of the electric vehicle division.  The division proceeded with temporary organization, being in consultation with the delegates from the Electric Vehicle Association Standards Committee.  It was the sense of the meeting that the Society of Automobile Engineers should be requested to have more electric vehicle representatives on the different divisions of the Standards Committee where the work is common to both gasoline and electric vehicles.  The pleasure car wheels division took under consideration the results of an extensive series of tests of rims conducted by E. R. Hall.  The division expects to make recommendations which will reduce the commonly used sizes of pneumatic tires to twelve, in any event not more than sixteen.  At the present time some of the tire companies are listing fifty different sizes.  A number of wheel makers attended the meeting of the division to take part in the discussion of the possibility of standardizing wood wheel dimensions and felloe bands for pneumatic tires.  A number of drawings and sketches were submitted to elucidate the subject, the situation as to which appears at this time to be that it is probably feasible ton recommend two sets of dimensions which will cover the practice.  It was hoped that one set of dimensions could be recommended, as has been done by the society in the case of solid tires, but whether this can be done will be discussed in a paper to be presented at a later date.

S. A. E. standards are generally used and reduce or simplify labor in the engineering, production and service departments.  The money saving effected by the reduction in labor and the facility with which materials can be secured can be estimated and is large.  The members of the society practically unanimously favor standardization along sound lines to a degree that will not hamper the individuality of the engineer.  Recommended practices of the society have been of great benefit to the automobile industry at large.