COUNTERACTING TORQUE REACTION.
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COUNTERACTING TORQUE REACTION.
ANOTHER ” WATERMOTA ” INNOVATION.
IT will be remembered that last month a description was given of the speed dinghy, ” Miss Watermota,” a craft with a history, and it was then stated that Miss Clements’ only criticism of her outfit was a constant pull to port on the steering wheel owing to the torque reaction of the water. Miss Clements was doubly unfortunate, for before she had returned, Walter D. Fair & Co. had on the market a neat little arrangement by which the disadvantage of this is counteracted, and, what is more, turned to an advantage, as explained below. , The device is the work of Mr. Colin Fair, and is used in conjunction with Watermota patented steering (described in the issue of MOTOR SPORT for January). Moreover, while being extremely efficient, the contrivance is very simple, and is fitted on the length of Bowden cable between the port stop bar and the steering quadrant on the motor. A piece of small bore brass tubing, threaded on the outside, is soldered to the Bowden cable at about nine inches from the stop. This piece carries two large diameter mined edge thumbscrews, the purpose of which are, respectively, to adjust and lock in position the adjustment of the load on the compression spring which is imposed between the stop and the adjusting thumbscrew. The spring is so adjusted that any pull of the motor to port out of the dead fore and aft line immediately puts’ a load on spring, which reacts to prevent any movement occurring at the steering .. . _
quadrant. Should the motor be turned to port the strength of spring is sufficient to overcome the torque reaction and to return the wheel to the fore and aft position ; from starboard movements of the wheel the torque reaction returns the steering gear central, and thus it will be seen that the little device gives a very pleasing self-centreing action to the motor, a quality much appreciated by car drivers in particular.
Walter D. Fair & Co. are fitting these devices as standard to all Watermota steering gear units which are to be used with Watermota engines at no additional cost, while 10/is the price charged for modification of existing units.