• THE VULCAN-WATSON TRACTOR-LORRY.
Page 11
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A New Vehicle which Embodies a Vulcan-built Trailer Attachment.
IN 01711 issue dated October '24th we I published the first description of the new tractor-lorry designed by Mr. G. W. Watson, M.I.A.E. and arranged so that it can be utilized with any lorry. One of the first vehicles of this kind to he made is the Vulcan, in which the tractor chassis is an ordinary standard 2-ton Vulcan vehicle witk a 10-ft. wheelbase.
It will be remembered that in the Watson design the trailer chassis is joined to the tractor chassis by means of a universal and swivelling joint, so arranged that the trailer wheels always track with those of the tractor.
The body is mounted on two turntables, one being immediately over the rear axle of the tractor chassis and the other over the trailer axle; both are arranged to swivel in trunnion brackets fixed to the side-members of the tractor and trailer chassis, so that the body and turntables can tilt without unduly stressing the king pins. The disc over the rear turntable is stiffened by two angle brackets, and carries two plummer blocks, whilst secured to the rear end of the body are three further plummet' blocks.
Threaded through the last-named and Seernely fastened is a length of steel shafting, which also passes through the plurnm,er blocks mounted on the turntable disc. Thus it will be seen that the rear of the body is not only free to rock but can slide endwise in order to compensate for the variation in distance be tween the front and rear turntables when the vehicle,is steered to either side.
The centre of the universal joint between the tractor and trailer chassis is situated .midway between the second and third axles, and the whole of the tractive effort and braking is transwitted through this coupling, the king pins merely serving to locate the body. The Vulcan vehicle has a four-cylinder engine of 22.4 R.A.C. rating, and a Fero.do-iaeed cone clutch with adjustable springs. A compound flexible disc joint is provided between the clutch and the
gearbox. The last-named provides four speeds forward and a reverse, the bottom gear and reverse are very low, being 49 to 1 and 67 to l. respectively. The final drive is by David Brown overhead worm in a cast-steel axle casing, the. road wheels being mounted on plain floating bushes.
Three brakes are provided, the loot brake acting externally on a drum behind the gearbox, a central hand brake acting on the driving wheels, and a side hand brake of the internal-expanding type on the wheels of the trailer, the wheel drums being 18 ins, diameter in each case.
The wheelbase% are 10 ft. bebw.&n the front and driving axle, and the same distance between the driving axle and the trailer axle. The vehicle is constructed 'to take an 18-it. body with a load-carrying capacity of 4 tons.