An American Waterless System.
Page 19
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We give two illustrations—one of an engine and the other of a light lorry, as made by the Knox Automobile Company, of Springfield, Massachusetts. It will be seen that the engine, which develops 4oh.p., is air-cooled by the Knox system of patent corrugated pins. The company was one of the first in America to place a practical air-cooled motor on the market for the propulsion of commercial motors. One great advantage of this system lies in the fact that the usual complications inherent to forced water circulation are absent, and, also, that the danger of frozen water pipes in winter is done away with. The four cylinders have a stroke of yin. and a bore of sin. Inlet and exhaust valves are mechanically operated from separate cam shafts; one of which is placed on each side of the crank chamber. The inlet and exhaust valves arc placed on the top of the cylinders, and are actuated by small overhead levers. The complete engine is mounted on an angle-steel sub-frame. This subframe is suspended at three points from the side members of the main frame. Two of these points are at the two near corners of the sub-frame; the third point is a trunnion placed at the centre of the forward cross member of the sub-frame. No matter how much the main framing may twist from running over uneven ground or possible obstruction, movement is not transmitted to the actual engine bed. The importance of this construction will be realised by those who have had experience of the strains produced by the operation of heavy vehicles over bad roads.
A chassis has just been designed, suitable for either char-à-bane or bus work, to carry a load of nearly three tons at ten to twelve miles per hour over ordinary roads. Transmission is by one chain from the gear-box to the transverse differential shaft, and from thence by two side chains to the back wheels. The engine has two opposed cylinders, with a 7in. stroke and a sin. bore, and is rated at 16-2oh.p. We hope to be able to give an illustration of this vehicle shortly. It wiil be remembered that the light lorry which we illustrate was used to transport baggage on the Glidden tour, and acquitted itself well throughout the whole of the tour, never once being late at the start for the day's run. This certainly points to the fact that a well-designed and constructed air-cooled petrol motor can do its work easily and without overheating.