TRANSPORT EXHIBITS AT THE CATTLE SHOW.
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Steam Wagons, Tractors and Traction Engines, Trailers and Ag,rimotors have the Field to Themselves and Create Considerable Interest.
INTHILST manufacturers of commercial, motors using petrol as their fuel are content to refrain from placing transport propaganda before that important section of the agricultural community, the breeders of live stock, when they are brought together by the Smithfield Club at the annual Cattle Show held in the Agricultural Hall, London, the manufacturers of "steam wagons take advantage of the opportunity afforded by the Show to place the claims of steam before the large numbers of *visitors who Attend, and it is not fulsome praise to say that the steam-vehicle exhibits make a very fine show. True, they have largely to be seen in dull December days in artificial light, but there is plenty of it, and there is something in the juxtaposition of the wagons on the outer fringe of the hall, with their bright colours and glittering metal, and the patient oxen drawn up into serried rows in the centre, which gives a curious air of colour to the exhibition, whereas a show of vehicles alone always suggests bustle and hurry. The psychological effect of this calm atmosphere is good, and, moreover, consonant with the temparament of the farming community, and, because of this, the agricultural visitor pays attention and gives thought to the claims of the exhibitors, and even the man Who has never broken adrift from the horse tradition is inclined to think that, after all, times have changed and he must change with them or lose the advantages provided by modern engineering science. We know the reasons which have influenced the petrol-vehicle manufacturers in their decision' to refrain almost entirely from exhibiting at shows outside of those promoted by the S.M.M. and T., and we pass no comment upon them beyond the expression of the opinion that the agricultural industry is a large user of transport and offers a field for expansion in the direction of -mecliani.cal transport.
In the notes which follow, we deal_ with the exhibits :briefly, because, in the main, there is no change in design or construction from previous practice.
The Allchin Steam Wagon.
AN Allehin 6-ton steam wagon with tipping body was shown by the makers, Wm. Allehin, Ltd., of Globe Works, Northampton. The Allehin wagon has a compound steam engine of overtype construction, spur gear transmission and final drive by roller chain, three speeds being employed on this model. The brake pedal applies internalexpanding brakes to the drum on the rear wheels, whilst the supplementary brake is a band applied to a drum keyed to the axle, operated by hand wheel.
The Case Agricultural Tractor.
A N example of the standard 12-20 Case tractor was in-di...eluded in the exhibits of the Associated Manufacturers' Co. (London), Ltd., 72-80, Mansell Street, London, E.1. This tractor has not been altered in general design, and it Incorporates a four-cylinder engine with a bore of 41 ins. and a stroke of 5 ins. A feature of the machine is that the power unit is disposed across the frame, and it carries a belt pulley on an extension of the engine crankshaft. Two Standard -Aveling and Porter Exhibits.
AS in past years, the well-known Rochester company of Aveling and Porter, Ltd., had a stand at the Show, and this year it was occupied by two examples of the company's tractors, one being constructed for dealing with net loads of 6 tons and She other for hauling two 5-6-ton trailers. These are standard products of the company, which have so proved their worth in the past as not to call for modification in general design. Piston valves and Belpaire boilers are used in each machine.
The Burrell 6-ton Tipper.
0N the stand which immediately, flanked the entrance to the hall was a 6-ton Burrell wagon with tipping body. This is the latest three-speed wagon, produced by the company about a year ago to run under the present regulations. Its engine is a double-crank compound equipped with a three-way valve which admits high-pressure steam to the low-pressure cylinder and gives two separate exhausts. It is balanced and lubricated to run up to about 600 revolutions per minute. The wagon attains its maximum legal speed at an engine speed of about 275 r.p.m. The eccentrics have roller bearings and all the levers and controls are designed so as to bring every detail of the running (except
firing up) under the hand of one man. The final drive is by single chain to the differential on the rear axle. Two separate brakes ore fitted.
Front-wheel Brakes on the Clayton. Tak: 6-ton undertype Clayton wagon, made by Clayton Wagons, Ltd., Titanic Works, Lincoln, was shown equipped with front-wheel brakes, which are to be part of the standard equipment in future, in place of the supplementary band brake which could, if ordered, be fitted to the rear axle. The brakes are all of the internal-expanding order and all are coupled up to one pedal; they are so arranged that the front-wheel brakes are applied slightly in advance of the rear brakes, the weights of a steam wagon being so dispositioned that a large proportion falls on the forward wheels. The brakes are all carefully compensated and, by means of arm setting, the brake on the front wheel,
which is on the outside of the circle when turning a cornet: is eased off. This is the first instance, to our knowledge, of the application of four-wheel brakes to a steath wagon.
The simplicity of the Clayton undertype is one of its strong features.
The Eagle Tipping Trailer. TE trailer which was exhibited by the Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd., of Warwick, was of the two-wheeled type and was coupled to a Fordson tractor. The body with which it was fitted tipped to the rear through the medium of a single vertical screw disposed ahead of the body. The trailer has a low-loading height, is fitted with efficient brakes and, in so far as a portion of the weight is carried on the drawbar, the adhesion of the driving wheels on the haulage unit is increased.
A Foden 6-tonner for a Miller,
MEM standard 6-ton overtype steam wagon on rubber 1 tyres which was shown by Fodens, Ltd., Sandbach, constituted the fourth wagon for Messrs. Aylward and Sons, flour millers, of Dunbridge. The body is designed specially for millers' work, and the fixed tilt top with which it is provided is lined with matchboarding to strengthen the superstructure. The driver's cab is designed to give adequate protection and comfort to its occupants, who are provided with detachable seat cushions. A sliding door in the centre of the cab gives access to the body interior.
The main features of the overtype Foden wagon are, of course, well known, ,but, in brief, they consist of a horizontal multi-tubular loco-type boiler, an engine of the compound type and transmission by roller chain. The vehicle which was shown had Ackerman steering, but chains cait be provided for those users who prefer them.
Foster's Show a Standard Steam Tractor.
VITILLIAIII FOSTER AND CO., LTD., of Lincoln, wera V V represented by a standard 5-ton compound steam tractor on rubber tyres. A feature of this machine is the patent form of suspension for the rear axle, in which the springs are placed above the axle and outside the horn plates. The steam is distributed by double-ported slide valves, which are placed on the top of the cylinders, and in such a position that they can be examined while the boiler is under steam. The slide, valves are operated by motion of the Stephenson link type. The boiler is of the loco multi-tubular pattern, and is constructed for a working pressure of 210 lb.
The tractor has two speeds, nominally 3 m.p.h. and 6 m.p.h. The machine which was shown was the third tractor purchased by Bryant and May, Ltd.
The Fowler 6.7-ton Steam Wagon.
JOH N FOWLER AND CO. (LEEDS), LTD., exhibited a 6-7-ton steam wagon with a three-way tipping body operated by twin • rams. The ,,power unit is a Vee-twin compound engine with a three-speed gearbox combined unit fashion with the engine crankcase. The final drive is taken through an overhead worm and worrawbeel to the live axle. The boiler has vertical curved Ere tubes with an additional water compartment formed round the top of the shell to ensure constant covering of the tubes under fluctuations of water level. The brake equipment consists of internal-expanding shoes operated by lever and acting on drums bolted to the rear wheels. These are claimed to be extremely powerful and effective.
The 6-ton Garrett.
TEW 6-ton Garrett wagon shown by Richard Garrett and Sons, Ltd., of Leiston, had a 14-ft. body; the internal width being 6 ft. 0 ins., the hinged sides and rear boards being 18 ins. high. The engine is an undertype, driving through a two-speed gear with a free engine position in between. Piston valves are employed for the admission of steam. It is suspended at three points. The stroke being short, a crankshaft speed of about 600 revolutions per minute gives the wagon its maximum legal speed. The differential is mounted on the countershaft and the final drive is by chains to the road Wheels mounted on a dead rear axle. The brackets holding the rear end of the engine are so eiranged that the engine can be detached from the frame quite simply and in a very short space of time. The boiler is well known, being of the water-tube type fired from the footplate, thus allowing the tubes to go straight across and the superheater to cover the top of the boiler, whilst an inspection plate at the front uncovers the whole of the tubes. The International Junior Tractor.
THE International Harvester Co. of Great Britain, Ltd., 80, Finsbury Pavement, Loudon, E.C.2, showed the standard International Junior 10-20 hp. gear-driven tractor. This is fitted with a four-cylinder vertical valve-in-head engine.
Features of the Marshall Traction Engine.
THE 7 n.h.p. single-cylinder traction engine, which was exhibited by Marshall, Sons and Co., -Ltd., of Gainsborough, follows the eompany's standard practice, and is suitable for a working pressure of 350 lb. per sq. in. The boiler incorporates the Marshall patent firebox with cam-tiered crown-plate, corrugated smokebox tube-plate and reinforced front plate. Bythis unique arrangement the interior is quite free for cleaning, the evaporative capacity is increased and the water circulation improved.
The engine is designed for speeds of 2 m.p.h. and 4 m.p.h.; when belt-driving, it will develop 24 b.h.p. when running at 160 r.p.m. In full working order its weight is 114 tons.
The Martin Trailer Pump.
APART from certain agricultural implements, Martin's Cultivator Co., Ltd., of Stamford, were represented by a 250-300-gallon trailer fire pump built to the order of the Spilsby (Lincs.) municipal authorities. The Dorman 40-; 45 h.p. engine is now used in this handy little unit, and it now incorporates a singte-speed gearbox instead of one providing two speeds. Dunlop semi-pneumatic tyres have also been adopted to take the place of ordinary pneumatics.
The Simar Rototiller In Its Latest Form.
("INF of the few purely agricultural machines to be shown was the 1925 model of the Simar Rototiller, of which an example of type 10 was exhibited by Messrs. Rotatillers, 58, Compton Street, London, F.C.1.. This handy little soil-preparing unit has been improved in several details since it was last shown. • The magneto, for example, has
been placed in a more protected place, and is no' accommodated above the timing case, whilst the smalLl pulley originally fixed in. front of the engine has been discarded, likewise has the fuel injector. Moreover, a variable jet has been introduced into the carburetter, which, it is claimed, enables fuel economies to be effected. A further comple-. inent consists • of a vaporizer which enables paraffin to be used as fuel. Certain of these improvements are embodied as extras. The engine of the Simar Rototiller is a twostroke of 8-10 hp. The machine has two speeds.
The New Tasker Trailer On View.
_tit A LTHOUGH W. Tasker and Sons, Ltd., Andover, had
an example of their Model 132 chain-driven steam trac-. tor on exhibition, the new 1-ton trailer which they have recently introduced attracted considerable attention by reason of the fact that this was the first time it had been publicly exhibited. The tractor displayed was built to the order of the Horsham Rural District Council, and since it was a standard product and its Outstanding features are generally well known, we need not refer to it in detail.
The trailer is a solidly built job and of the two-wheeled type. The axle is a square bar on which the underslung springs are carried ; they are secured in frame brackets at their front ends, whilst the rear ends slide in slots cut in one of the angle-steel cross-members. The body is constructed of steel, and is provided with a hinged tailboard, which is held in position by spring clips when not lowered. An outstanding feature of the trailer is the ball-and-socket arrangement by which it is connected to the towing vehicle. The socket is made in halves, of which one is hinged, and this half is closed on to the ball by a cam device.
Wallis and Steevens Exhibit ASTANDARD 7 n.h.p. traction engine was to be seen on the stand ef Wallis and Steevens, Ltd., of Basingstoke. This machine incorporates in its design the company's patent expansion gear.