The French Agricultural Motor Exhibition.
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Although held in the. heart of the "intensive culture" district, last week's agricultural motor exhibition atMelun, near Fontainebleau, did not meet with the support which has been accorded to previous and similar exhibitions in France. Not only were the exhibits of less importance, but the attendance was small on the week days, and only assumed important proportions on the Sundays. From a mechanical standpoint the most important exhibit was undoubtedly the four-wheel-drive tractor from the Panhard-Levassor factory, which here made its debut. The vehicle, which has been under test in the hands of Panhard engineers for several months, is intended to work on the roughest kind of ground, and has been designed for a general application to agricultural, industrial or military purposes. It will be used, most probably, in the forthcoming French manceuvres.
The tractor drives and steers on all four wheels. Its power plant consists of a standard six-cylinder motor of 100 mm. and 140 mm. bore and 81 roke respectively, having the cylinders cast separately but bolted together so as to obtain a common water jacket for the entire group. It is a method of construction which was adopted several years ago, and which has been retained for the larger groups despite the use of monobloc casting for the smaller six cylinder motors. The multiple disc clutch, like the motor, is a standard type, and even the gearbox, with its four speeds and gate change, does not differ very ma terially, except in the matter of ratios, from the firm's standard product. From this point, however, all similarity to other Panhard models ceases. The differential is carried in a separate housing immediately behind the gearbox, and it is attached directly to the main-frame members. The enclosed countershaft has a pinion at each end, one of which meshes with the pinions on the propeller shafts by which the left-hand wheels are driven, and the other with the two driving shafts for the wheels on the right-hand side. The whole of the countershaft and differential mechanism is enclosed, and each propeller shaft is carried within a housing and has a universal joint at each end. The final drive is by short cross shafts which are mounted within housings on the front and rear axles, and
having on their inner ends bevel pinions which receive the drive from the longitudinal shafts.
A remarkable feature of the tractor is the protection given to all working parts. The countershaft, as already mentioned, is entirely enclosed ; the propeller shafts are encased, and the brake drums on all four wheels are enclosed. The steering gear is in duplicate, the front wheels being turned in theusual manner, and the rear set. operated from the first worm and' sector to a separate box mounted to the chassis member just to therear of the differential housing. In order that the tractor may operate on any kind of ground—whether all four wheels are in good contact or not, a differential locking mechanism is provided ; this is operated by a lever on the right-hand side of the chassis. In addition to the two internal-expanding brakes upon drums mounted on the extremities of the countershaft, there is a handoperated brake on all four wheels. The tractor, which has a total weight of 61 tons, when fully equipped for the road, is designed to carry a two-ton load on the platform behind the driver's seat, and to haul a load of 10 to 12 tons, and to mount a grade of not less than 18 per cent. Although not shown on the model at the exhibition, we are informed that provision has been made for a worm-driven winch to be fitted at the..front of the tractor; this winch may be used for hauling the vehicle out of difficult positions, or for pulling the trailers over rough ground. The tractor, which has a wheelbase of 10 ft. 10 in., and a track of 4 ft. 9 in., is fitted with twin-rubber tires on the rear wheels and single solids on the front.
The Foden exhibit consisted of a five-ton steam 'wagon which was shown in full working order driving a threshing machine. The steamer is one which was only waiting the close of the exhibition to be delivered to the customer, a farmer in the Aisne district, who intends to use it very largely for driving threshing machines.
A good display was made by the de Dion company of their various types of single-cylinder vertical motors for stationary work. One of the most interesting of these was the S h.p. group mounted on a bogey for easy displacement. The Dansette-Gillet stationary motor was another nice piece of work in the class of motor which is becoming increasingly popular among French agriculturalists. The motor, one of the long-stroke vertical single-cylinder type with mechanically-operated and enclosed valves on one side, was mounted on a substantial base which formed the lubricating-oil tank.
The .Panhard people, in addition to their tractor, showed one of their single-cylinder motors mounted on a horse-drawn truck and designed for operating various types of machinery by belt connection. The
only other item of their exhibit was a two-cylinder motor and dynamo for electric lighting purposes. Considerable enterprise was shown by the French representatives of the International Harvester Co. in having a petrol :tractor in operation and in using it for various classes of work in the exhibition and on the farms in the neighbourhood. The machines did not reveal anything which has not already been seen at similar exhibitions in France.
There were several motor hoes, but nothing of a very striking nature. The Mesmay, which had the distinction of being front driven, was evidently not intended for close inspection, for it was with difficulty that permission could be obtained to peep under the bonnet. It had a single-cylinder motor carried in front of the driver as in touringcar practice, with its shafts running forward and carrying a couple of pulleys of different diameter. At the forward end of the chassis were two broad metal wheels with the driving mechanism set between them, this evidently consisting of a vertical shaft and bevel gearing. Another and less pleasing type of hoe had evidently been built up from an old Sizaire-Naudin car chassis, with the rear road wheels replaced by broad metal wheels. The motor was an old single-cylinder model which had evidently been picked up cheap, and the whole affair was an example of how not to build an agricultural motor.