OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
Page 29
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The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects connected with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference, The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for views expressed is accepted.
Front-wheel Drive Design.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[2189] Sir,—The article on front-wheel driving which appeared in the issue of The Commercial Motor for July 17th brings out many of the:good points of a system which deserves more attention than it has received at the hands of commercialvehicle designers.
The very low loading line is a great asset for passenger carrying and for some special freight purposes, whilst the absence of all mechanism behind the engine gives the designer a perfectly free hand so far as the load-carrying portion is concerned. It is an easy matter to arrange that the frame shall be divided behind the engine, se that the propelling mechanism can be removed as a whole and different bodies employed with the same front portion if desired.
I am not sure that the design you show gives sufficient weight on the front. wheels for drivingadhe sion, and consider that both the engine and the load•could be brought farther forward with advantage.
Moreover, with the final drive layout you give, there is an excessive angle on the outer universal joints when on full lock, and, as may be observed onsome existing front-wheel-driven vehicles, the universal joints set a limit to the steering lock, which makes the vehicle unhandy to mancenvre.
., The sketch herewith shows a front-wheel-drive arrangement, embodying the North-Lucas patented arrangement of air4-tooled radial engine, combined with Clutch, gearbox, and worm drive to the differential, in which the objections just mentioned are ,overcome.
The centre of the vertical crankshaft of the engine is only a few inches behind the front axle, and practically the whole weight of the power and transmission unit comes on the. front wheels. Immediately below the driving worm is the gearbox, connection with the clutch being by a shaft passing the hollow worm shaft.
Owing to the fact that the axis of the inclined steering pivot bisects the propeller shafts, each universal joint is only subject to half the lock angle when steering, enabling quite 60 degrees of inside lock to be had and making the vehicle exceptionally handy to manoeuvre in confined spaces. .
Practical. experience has shown that the system of air-cooling by fan biades on the edge of the flywheel working within 3, circular cowl gives results in every respect equal to water cooling, with the added advantage of' more uniform working temperature, giving reduced fuel cOnsumption in cold weather.
The limit of usefulness of the ordinary front-wheel drive system is reached when the loads are such that wide front tyres have to be employed, rendering the steering of the vehicle very fatiguing; for loads greater than this the six-wheeler is the logical and practical solution. As I have pointed out in a previous. letter, the six-wheeler may be considered as a four-wheeled machine whose front wheels are mounted on a solid axle, which is moved bodily round when steering by the action of an " extra " pair of wheels, i.e., the front wheels of the motive unit. Thus, by what may almost be described as a " servomotor " system, the power of the engine is employed to control the heavily laden driving wheels with their broad tyres. The six-wheeler has the additional advantage, When used for the heavy loads for which it is intended, in that part of the weight of the complete vehicle is carried on the " extra " wheels, thus reducing the intensity of the load on the remaining four
tyres.—Yours faithfully, 0. D. NORTH. London, S.W.10.
Improving Upon House-refuse Collection.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[2190] Sir' —I am glad that my method of refuse collection has come to the notice of "Cleansing Superintendent."
When I brought it before the metropolitan members of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers it was agreed that it was good, but there was criticism.
The few printed notes I laid before the meeting included the following notes :—
"If this method were adopted, it would not be recessary for the dustman to enter any house, and the shooting of refuse from the bin into the van
would also be avoided. , "Moreover, the streets would also be freed of littered paper, etc. The binsto be shown are square in shape, to facilitate easy stacking.
" By working in a cycle, it is believed that the
scheme outlined 'wont-a prove very economical, with benefits to thern ratepayer and council. -alike. The .scheme may not work so well in poorer-class districts, but it is 'one Which the writer commends to the consideration of the Members of the Institution."
The size of the bins used were 164 ins. by. 164 ins. by22 ins. deep with drop handles and Close cover -for stacking. . .
Of course, any sized bin Could be used, and I agree
that in some -districts ' two or threeor more bins might be required, but if local authorities provided the bins free_ of charge and notified residents that they must Put their full bins on the kerb and take the enipty ones: in, the system would be a vast improVenient-On the existing method of dust collection,
and would certainly be more. hygienic. .
It is a matter ,which should. be tackled,. but local authorities are Very conservative and slow to get out of the beaten path.—Yours .faithfully,e • . E. F. SPURRELL, BM'ough Surveyor, Holborn Borough Council. London, W.C.1.