APPENDIX IX NOTE.-The following reports from the late SIR WILLIAM PREECE, F.R.S., the late H. C. WALKER, Esq., Managing Director of Messrs. WAYGOOD & Co., LTD., MR. JAMES SWINBURNE, F.R.S., DR. HELE-SHAW, F.R.S., and COLONEL G. H. BOWDEN, M.I.Mech.E., prove that from the outset great engineering authorities had nothing but praise for Mr. Gattie's scheme. COPIES OF ENGINEERS' REPORTS. To the Directors, 82, VICTORIA STREET, LONDON, S.W. FEBRUARY 24, 1913. Messrs. THE NEW TRANSPORT CO., LTD. DEAR SIRS, I have seen your Electric Carriers and Truckers with mechanism for transferring a case of goods from one to the other moving trucker. In all cases the mechanism worked well and beautifully smooth. The electric control for determining when a load is to be transferred and when it is not, also worked without hitch. This is the key to the whole system. The plant is capable of sorting out mixed goods mechanically with little labour and great despatch. The system is applicable to a very wide range of cases, ranging from the sorting out of packages in connection with a Supply Store, or sorting the parcels in a Post Office, up to tackling the goods at a Railway Station, so as to do away with shunting as practised now, and its evils; or dealing with the goods system of a metropolis at a central clearing house. I can see no engineering difficulty; the only thing necessary is to get the facilities needed for further demonstration to produce probable users, or the installation of a system on a large enough scale to work commercially for profit. Yours faithfully, (Signed) JAMES SWINBURNE. 64, VICTORIA STREET, WESTMINSTER, S.W. FEBRUARY 24, 1913. REPORT. For more than a year I have, at intervals, had opportunities of carefully examining the electrical and mechanical details of the New Transport Co.'s system of handling goods. It is not possible in a short report to do more than state the salient features of a system which has involved in a number of directions high inventive skill, and has been carried into effect on sound engineering lines. The essence of the scheme may be stated as follows: By means of electrical communication, trays capable of carrying goods up to half a ton in weight are put on from rest, taken off, or transferred to or from a continuously moving system. This transfer of goods takes place not merely to different places on the same floor, but to or from any number of floors in the same building. At the present day it is not necessary to make any remarks about the possible perfection of electric signalling and controlling arrangements, and it will be enough to remark that the electrical system of the New Transport Co. acts in an entirely satisfactory manner. The mechanical portion is a new departure from anything hitherto achieved, and enables the most delicate goods to be handled automatically without fear of injury. As illustrating the truth of this I witnessed the transfer between two relatively moving vehicles (or truckers, as they are called) of a man standing up holding a full glass of water. This operation was effected without a drop of water being spilt. The many details which are the subject of various patents (some of the latter being quite recent) have been worked out in a sound and practical manner, and the system seems capable of application not only to the lightest loads but to loads of several tons, and capable of dealing with such loads at a speed much higher than is possible by hand. (Signed) H. S. HELE-SHAW. SUFFOLK HOUSE, 5, LAURENCE POUNTNEY HILL, FEBRUARY 28, 1913. GENTLEMEN, Having had the opportunity of seeing your Electric Truckers at work and of examining the electrical and mechanical details, I can thoroughly concur with everything which Mr. James Swinburne and Dr. Hele-Shaw have said in their report with reference to the details of your machinery. In my opinion the establishment of Goods Clearing Houses equipped and designed in accordance with your methods would greatly cheapen transport, and that not only this country but the whole world would be greatly benefited. By cheapening transport, and I think all those who have opportunities of seeing your designs must agree that this you will do, every necessary and every luxury of life would be cheapened. The magnitude of the cost of transport is apt to be overlooked, because it is almost invariably included in the selling price of the article. Examination, however, immediately reveals how important this item is, as the cost of transport very often exceeds the original cost of the article transported. As you are aware, I have given this subject my most earnest attention ever since the matter was brought to my notice, and I feel that I should be very much understating the case if I did not say in the plainest possible terms that your Company is in possession of what I deem to be epoch-making machinery. I am, Gentlemen, Yours faithfully, (Signed) GEO. HARLAND BOWDEN. NOTE. These two reports are taken from MR. GATTIE'S Lecture at the London Chamber of Commerce, June 29, 1910. Sir WILLIAM PREECE writes: We have carefully examined and considered the design and drawings of your proposed plant for handling large quantities of light and comparatively heavy goods in densely populated areas, and we are of opinion that this proposal is sound in principle, and would lead to great economies both in time and expense over present methods. We also think that the mechanical and electrical arrangements are practical in conception, although probably some modification in detail will be found advisable after experience of working has been obtained. We strongly recommend that after securing the patents a model clearing house on about one quarter full size scale should be constructed, complete with motors and controlling arrangements. The whole of this could be fitted up in a fair-sized room for exhibition, and would enable experience to be obtained in the practical working of all the controlling arrangements, which would, of course, be full size. We trust that you will be successful in promoting this scheme. Yours faithfully, (Signed) W. H. PREECE. Messrs. WAYGOOD writes: DEAR MR. GATTIE, My engineers have handed me a report regarding the inspection of your scheme, and they speak very highly of the enormous care and foresight that has been exercised in getting the matter together. They state that as far as they can see there is no reason whatever why the scheme should not be a great success, provided you are able to get the large financial backing that would be necessary. I also noticed in their report that they spent a considerable time with you trying to find out any weak points in the system, but I understand that they are perfectly satisfied that every contingency has been allowed for, and that they consider the unit system for the electric tractors, or conveyors, a great advantage in the scheme, as a unit breaking down could be removed and a new one put in its place without any considerable loss of time. Yours faithfully, A For R. WAYGOOD & CO., LTD., H. C. WALKER, Managing Director. APPENDIX X EXTRACT FROM A Letter from MR. RICHARD BELL, J.P., to MR. A. W. GATTIE. JANUARY 15, 1916. SIR, I have received your letter of the 12th January asking if you may quote me with regard to some statement I made whilst I was Secretary of the A.S.R.S., now known as the National Union of Railwaymen. I am afraid to put it quite as plainly as you have put it will be bringing up a big controversy in which I could not take part. To say that there had been " no increase in the wages of railway workmen for the preceding 20 years" would be technically incorrect. There would, of course, in that period have been a few individual increases. The correct statement would be to say that "no general increase in the standard rate of wages of railwaymen had taken place for the preceding 20 years. The latter statement would be strictly accurate. |