Once upon a time there was a hissing tap
09/09/2020
The "sizzle valve" is a decompression valve on the cylinder head that is opened before the ignition is switched on to facilitate cranking before starting, in order to make it easier to draw ignitable mixture into the combustion chamber when the back pressure is removed. The resulting noise gives the valve its name.
This is what it says in the glossary in Halwart Schrader's book "Deutsche Autos 1885-1920". This appendix is a free bonus, so to speak, and it explains a number of car terms that were commonplace at the time, including honeycomb radiator, transmission brake, anti-skid tires, Huppe (not a misprint), mixing wagon, pneumatics and drip oiler. Worth reading and entertaining.
But let's get back to the faucet. There was also a pumping device from Losa (picture above), with which you could inflate the flat tire with the engine pressure. Practical at a time when punctures were part of almost every ride.
.jpg)
