TWO ENTIRELY NEW COMMERS
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TWO new chassis have been added to the range produced by Commer Cars, Ltd., Luton, Beds. They are a 20-25-cwt. four-cylinder model, costing £175, and a 2i-tonner with a six-cylindered engine priced at £290. In addition, the following chassis price reductions have been made on certain vehicles in the existing range :—Raider, 30-cwt., from £225 to £210; Centaur, 2-ton, short, from £248 to £225; long, from £265 to £235; six-wheeler, from £340 to £330; Centaur, 14-seater, from £273 to £255; 20-seater, from £295 to £265.
The new 25-cwt. Commer will be available as a lorry or with either of two van bodies—one of the orthodox type, the other of larger capacity and with separate, low-roofed cab. The chassis is built to carry a gross load of 32 cwt.
Complete with body, the 21-tormer weighs under 50 cwt. and therefore comes into the 30 m.p.h. class. Its gross carrying capacity is 62 cwt. It is also available as a 20-seater passenger vehicle, and, having a wheelbase of 13 ft. 9 ins. —1 ft. longer than the Centaur—it will be sold as a de luxe coach.
Both models have radiators of new design. That on the larger has castaluminium top and bottom tanks and vertical gilled tubes, whilst the radiator of the smaller will be finished in the same colour as the vehicle. Their distinctive appearance can be appreciated from the accompanying illustrations.
To run through the main chassis features of these two new models, and taking the smaller first, the bore and stroke dimensions of the four-cylindered sidevalve engine are 75 rum. by 110 mm. (1.941 litre), its R.A.C. rating being 13.9 h.p. and maximum output 44 b.b.p. The crankcase and cylinder block are in one piece, with a detachable head, and 1322 Invar-strut pistons are employed. The three-bearing crankshaft has 55 mm. journals and 45 mm. crankpins. Lubrication is by submerged gear pump, through a drilled crankshaft to the bigends ; the connecting rods are also drilled to convey lubricant to the gudgeon pins.
An interesting feature is the arrangement of the distributor drive. A vertical shaft, driven by skew gear from the camshaft, paSSeS through the cylinder block and head, having the distributor-most accessibly situated at the top and the oil pump at the bottom. An accompanying illustration shows the
arrangement, and the unconventionally placed top water connection should also be noted, On the front of the block is mounted the fan and water-pump unit.
In accordance with usual Commer practice the exhaust manifold conveys the gases forwards, the pipe joining the manifold at the front. A Solex selfstarting up-draught carburetter supplies the mixture, and is, in turn, fed by an AC fuel pump. The latter is situated on-the off side—the opposite side to the carburetter—and is driven from the camshaft by an approximately horizontal push rod passing between the cylinders.
A further novelty is to be found in the engine suspension. The weight is carried at three points on double-coneshaped rubber pads, housed in shallow cups, a further single cone being placed below each bearer and the holding-down bolts passing through the complete assembly; thus, the engine is completely insulated from the frame. The degree to which the rubber pads are compressed can be varied by tightening the pinned nuts on the holding-down bolt.
Arms on the bell-housing form the A. tubular propeller shaft, with two universal joints, coiweys the drive to the spiralbevel gear, whence a two-pin differential and semi-floating axle shafts transmit it to the hubs; tapered roller bearings are used throughout in the axle.
Bendix self-energizing brakes in 14-in. by 2-in, drums at the rear and 11-in. by 14-in, drums at the front are cableoperated from a single push rod mounted on self-aligning spherical plane bearings ; all four are applied by either hand or foot.
Five cross-members brace the frame, the maximum dimensions of the longitudinals being 5 ins. by 2i ins. by 5-32 in. The silencer is mounted on swing links to allow for expansion and contraction, Bishop steering is used, and the 10-gallon tank is mounted on rubber pads under the driver's seat.
The pressed-steel spoked wheels are shod with 32-in. by 6-in, low-pressure tyres at the front and truck-type tyres of the same size at the rear. Semielliptic springs form the suspension. The six-volt dynamo and electric equipment is of Lucas manufacture, the accumulator being accessibly placed at the near side.
The following figures apply to this ehassis:—Weight, 194 cwt. ; length, 13 ft. 9 ins.; width, 6 ft. ; ground clearance, 8i ins.; track, 4 ft. 91 ins.; turning circle, 38 ft.; axle ratio, 7 to 1;
gearbox ratios, 1, 1.66, 2.88, 4.785 and 6.575 to 1.
With regard to the 2k-ton chassis the six-cylindered engine is of the Raider type, and in its main constructional features tesembles the unit just described. Its bore and stroke dimensions are 78 MM. by 106 nun.; rated at 22.6 h.p., it develops 62 b.h.p. Cast-iron pistons are used, and the distributor, in this case, is driven by skew gear from the dynamowater-pump shaft on the off side. The carburetter is of the same type as on the smaller new chassis.
The engine is rigidly supported at four points, and no part is played in supporting it by the bell-housing. Mountings of a novel type, however, are employed for the radiator. These are clearly shown in, an accompanying sketch. It will be noted that the spherical-faced washers permit the radiator feet to align themselves correctly without straining the bolts or other parts.
A 10-in, single-plate clutch, fourspeed gearbox and two-piece propeller shaft with three universal joints and centre bearing, transmit the drive through spiral-bevel gearing, etc., to fully floating axle shafts.
Inverted-camber progressive semielliptic springs form the rear suspension and 32-in. by 6-in, twin and single trucktype tyres are used on rear and front wheels respectively. Except for the fact that the drum sizes are 16 ins. by 21ins. and 12 ins, by n in. on the rear and front hubs respectively, the brake gear, on this chassis, is, as already described,
for the other. •
We understand that the frame-member dimensions are identical with those of the 2-ton Commer chassis-7 ins. by B23 Pi ins. by -f36 in.—but that by employing high-tensile nickel steel the required extra strength has been obtained without increasing the size. Six crossmembers are used..
The chassis has l2,-volt lamas electrical equipment and an accumulator on the off side, the petrol tank being of 14 gallons capacity. On both models the equipment includes an electric horn, dipping switch, two rate charging dynamo, petrol gauge and spare wheel and tyre.
The weight of the 21-ton chassis is 33 cwt.; its overall length is 20 ft. Si ins.; width, 6 ft. 44 ins.; ground clearance, 81 ins.; and laden height, 2 ft. 2i ins.
With regard to the other Commer models, we understand that the 6-8-cwt. van, which was introduced at the Scottish Show and described at the time in The Commercial Motor, has only just gone into production. It should also be noted that either the 8-tonner or 4-tanner is available with a Dorman four-cylinderedl oil engine, and that for the sixwheeler endless tracks of the link type, made by Kennedy and Kempe, Ltd., Longparish, Hants, can be obtained. These, of course, are intended to render
the vehicle sultabb. far the agriculturist, or other type of Ina.; who wishes his vehicle to traverse soft ground.
The complete range includes goods chassis up to 61 tons capacity and passenger vehicles from 24-26-seaters to 32-seaters.