Andrew mentions CO2 bottles for tyre inflation in the Air Pumps thread.
Now I've been away from trials for far too many years (for reasons beyond my control) but I recall raising the safety of gas bottles with a number of 'bodies'. I was concerned because people were turning up to trials with bottles lashed to the rear of their cars for ballast - or rolling around in the boot of a saloon on one occasion.
In order to gather facts I phoned up BOC and spoke to a technical chap. He was "utterly horrified" when I described what was happening. He confirmed what I thought .... that if a car received a shunt up the rear and the valve broke off one of these bottles, it would quite possibly lead to it shooting off sideways like a small missile.
The fact that people were removing the guards that are on most bottles was another worry. They are not just a carrying handle, they protect the brass valve body from snapping off if the bottle is 'mishandled'.
He was also very concerned that bottles may be carried that do not have anti-burst valves fitted and that in the event of a vehicle catching fire the consequences for bystanders or firemen could be terminal.
Now I have not seen a recent Blue Book (since 2000) - so DID anything get done?
I know the VSCC are a bit of a law unto themselves but Longstone Tyres have been using a photo of the late James Diffey's Brescia Bugatti with what looks like a large divers bottle strapped to the back.
You are right. You have been away for a long time. External bottles have been banned for quite a while, and the current scrutineering system is very tight on things not tied down properly.
ReplyDeleteHello Simon. Very glad to hear about the external bottles getting banned. I'll presume the VSCC considers itself exempt from such matters. They certainly seem to have a cavalier attitude to other things - like continuing to drive on the road when cars have lost exhausts - based on several years watching the Welsh Trial. As regards bottles as missiles, I remember years ago meeting Mark Hayward's mother and her recalling the night during the London Blitz when a German bomb hit the BOC depot. Numerous gas cylinders took off like rockets and achieved sufficient momentum to penetrate brick walls with ease.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of CO2 bottles for tyre inflation I've always been rather surprised that these are used, I know that they are often sourced from friendly landlords at the local pub, but lots of problems with icing of the valve and carriage of gases regulations etc. In the Troll I had a scuba divers air bottle mounted horizontally in a secure frame in the luggage locker behind the seats. Divers air bottles are filled with nothing more dangerous than compressed air, easily refilled at many diving shops for a minimal charge, used to be £2 five years ago. (I even had a refill at a dive shop in Seaton en-route from the Waterloo section to breakfast on an Exeter one year when I'd forgotten to have the bottle re-filled before setting out from home) One fill of my air bottle would last circa three ACTC trials. Everything relating to the safety of divers bottles is concerned with them being strapped to the 'person' so they have to be tested annually if I recall correctly, and cannot legally be re-filled unless the test stamp is current. My bottle was fitted with a safety regulator which acts as a blow-off valve in the event of failure of the air delivery system. I used a standard garage forecourt style tyre inflating gun on an approved standard air hose, all connected by standard male/female air line snap connectors. compressed air does not freeze, it is not considered to be a hazardeous gas, the equipment is robust and designed to be knocked about by divers under water. All in all a very satisfactory solution to trials car tyre inflation. Previously used divers air bottles (with new test cert) along with regulator, can be purchased from dive shops. Forecourt style air inflating gun and all air line fittings from most automotive equipment factors. The whole set-up cost me well under £100 back when I built the Troll and was still fully functional nine years later (air bottle had just passed annual pressure test) when I sold the car on.
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