A NOVEL SILENCING SYSTEM.

A NOVEL SILENCING SYSTEM. THE INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BURGESS SILENCER.

AN outstanding example has been brought to our notice by the Burgess Products Company, Ltd., manufacturers of the” Burgess Silencer” of the way in which laboratory research can often lead to totally unexpected, and —as far as the original aim of the research is concerned–totally irrelevant discoveries. In this case, the story begins during the War, when cotton became scarce, and it was necessary to find some substitute for cotton bandages, which were in great demand as a surgical dressing at the Front. After extensive research, it was found that a very effective substitute could be made by spraying disintegrated wood-pulp,

in the form of cellulose fibres, on to a cloud of adhesive. Before regular production was started the War came to an end, and a means was sought for putting the discovery to some other practical use.

Eventually, fourteen years after the original process of manufacture was initiated, it was found that an extraordinarily effective motor car silencer could be manufactured by taking a tube of perforated iron, surrounded by this” cotton” absorbent material, and held in place by an outer iron cylinder. By conducting the exhaust gases through the inner pipe, an almost complete removal of sound was produced.

The Burgess Silencer has one overwhelming advantage over the orthodox, baffle-plate type, in that there is absolutely no back-pressure, the exhaust gases have an unrestricted passage from the engine to the rear of the car, the silencing effect being performed solely by the ” cotton ” wall of the tube through which they have to pass.

It is interesting to note that this instrument is now fitted as standard to Armstrong Siddeley, Alvis, Daimler, Invicta, Lanchester, M.G. Midget, Talbot and Wolseley Hornet cars.

The address of the manufacturers is, Burgess Products Company, Bush House, London, W.C.2.