VEHICLES FOR COUNTRY CARRIERS.
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The Country Carrier of Moderate Means by Adopting Motor Power Can Extend His Range of Action, Improve His Service, and Increase His Profits.
THE COUNTRY CARRIER is quite an established institution in Great Britain, and only those whese lives are more or less spent in the country can appreciate what an important position in village and market town life is filled by the country carrier. • If it were not for him, journeys to the market towns front outlying villages would, in many cases, entail an excessive amount of time, and for those people who do not own vehicles of their own, either horse or motor, such journeys might be altogether impracticable.' As with people, so with goods; many small tradesmen, apart from individual villagers, rely almost completely on the country carrier for the transport of the goods necessary for their existence, The speeding up of transport and of living throughout the country has made a considerable difference to the country carrier, and those who have not already superseded their horse vehicles by motors are certainly risking complete extinction in the near future, if that fate his not already ove taken them. Few country carriers can afford to purchase an expensive machine, and, many are relying upon the ubiquitous Ford to help them in the difficulty. For many, how ever, the Ford is not capable of carrying sufficiently heavy loads, and ever' with the 1 ton Ford the body space is somewhat restricted, particularly as the chassis frame is so short as practically to end at the rear axle.
To begin with, quite probably the Ford proves satisfactory, but as the carrier's business extends, so his thoughts incline to a vehicle which can carry considerably more weight.. In such circumstances, the bill is filled by the Baico-Ford, by which, without any overhang, the superficial area of the floor of the body can be increased from, 19 sq. ft. in the case of the Ford -van, and 25 sq. ft. in the case of the Ford 1 termer, to 54 sq. ft. for the Baico-Ford, thus giving over double the loading space of the Ford 1 ton vehicle, and this at an. extra cost for the Baits) conversion set, for fitting to the ordinary Ford chassis, of £115 only. The price of the complete Baico-Ford chassis is £295 plus delivery, and including starting and lighting set. Reconstructed 1919 Fords, built up with genuine Ford and Baico parts and bearing the same guarantee as a new vehicle, can be supplied at the remarkable price of £270, and, if desired, on the hirepurchase system, by the manufacturers, Baico Patents, Ltd., 115, Fulham Road, London, S.W. 3. It must be remembered that the Beico set is not a cheap imported article, but is constructed solely of British materials in this country. It should. be clearly understood that the Baico-Ford chassis is not a 1 tanner, but is guaranteed to carry 30 cwt.., allowing 6 cwt. for the body, and, apart from the two steel disc wheels which are provided with the set, the outfit includes three interchangeable steel disc wheele to replace the front wheels of the Ford. It is not made in any Way to compete with the Ford 1 ton model, but with larger and more expen. sire machines, and that it is able to do so is proved by the fact that. some 4,000 Baico-Fords have been sold.
The company have gone to work suecesefuljy to develop the full utility of the Ford engine and transmission without increasing to any appreciable extent the stresses on individual units.
Incidentally, they have given adequate support to that part of the Ford mechanism which suffers most from misuse, that is the rear axle, and br providing a long extension frame, the side members of which are in one piece, they give adequate support for ample body space without any overhang.
The principle of the Baico-Ford is so simple that it can be described in very few words. Two stout channel steel side members, joined by a strong cross member at the rear, are bolted on the exteriors of the side members of the ordinary Ford chassis, so that, these side members lie within the channels of the auxiliary frame, which extends to just, in front of the driver's seat. The auxiliary frame carries stout brackets by which the ordinary Ford rear axle is held rigidly to it., and the wheels on
this axle are replaced by chain sprockets. The Baico axle is 2-1 ins. solid square section. This carries at its ends stout built-up steel disc wheels with double centres, and long, semi-elliptic springs shackled at each end and connected to the special frame by steel alloy spring brackets. The rear wheels are, so arranged that their chain wheels are in line with the sprocket wheels at the ends of the Ford rear axle, whirl now acts as a countershaft, and the final drive is by side chains of English menufacture--Renold, Brampton, or Coventry. . Arranging-the drive in this manner increases the track from 4 ft. 8 ins. to
5 ft. 6 ins., and the overall width to 6 ft. 3 ins., thus permitting the body width to be considerably increased.
Large drums in the rear :heels provide adequate braking area, the shoes being of the internal expanding type, faced with Ferodo, and totally enclosed to prevent the entry of• dirt. and water. Between the brake-carrying members and the countershaft br-ackets at each side extends a stout, adjustable radius and torque member, so jointed that no bending stresses occur. It will be noted that, by fitting the Baico conversion set to one of the latest Ferri chassis, the advantage of the Ford starting outfit is obtained whereas the Ford 1 termer is not provided with this useful accessory, The Baico-Ford has sometimes been criticized because its side members do C17 not extend much beyond the di Leer's seat, but, as the Baico Co. says, -practical results are the orily ones that matter and, of all the Baico-Fords sold, ouly two -have had ,frame breakage.s at the pointe where the extension pieces end. One of 'these was caused by a -flaw in the Ford frame (which, incidentally, is a very unusual thing to,find), . and the other because the man who owned the ve' iole always put heavy loads directly behind the•driver's seat. In any .case, if it turned out that Use slightest need should arise for extending-the device at this point, strengthening . pieces could easily be inserter:1'in the channel of the
• Foild frame.
By holding the Ford axle rigidly and higher than in its ordinary position, there is practically a 'straight lineadrive between the, gearbox_ and the axle, and, thus, little wear on the universal joints can occur.
Normally, the sprocket wheels have 29 teeth and the chain wheels 55, although either• sprockets or chain wheels can be changed in order to alter the gear ratio. It, is this gearing down which prevents increased stresses Being -thrown on the Ford engine, and mechanism; normally, these stresses are little, if any more, than those thrown, on tothe Ford whets it is being used without the Baico parts, and the Ford axle itself has much less work th do. The first Baico-Ford had a 2 in. square axle, parallel non-adjust-able
• roller bearings, and a 4 in.by 1 in. frame. The present, Baico-Ford has a fliin. squans aide, a 4 in. by 2 in. frame, British chains with 50 per cent, greater tensile strength,: Timken tapered adjustable roller bearings, and Brockhouse springs.
In additiori to the. standard Baico-Ford chassis, the company now make a larger model intended primarily for passenger work, but which can also be used for' the large bodies necessitated by bulky goods. In this model the chassis and wheelbaze
are extended by .6 ; the aprings are 55 ins, long in lieu ,of 39 ins, in tho standard type, and a third brake is pro.. vicled by utilizing the existing drums on , the Ford rear axle which acts as a counters:haft, but, instead of the ordinary Ford brake shoes, Stevens' adjustable shoes are provided. 'In this model, also, special_ radi.us Dods are fitted to the Ford front axle, and the radius and torque
'members naturally have to be length'ened.
This model will take an 18 seater
• 'wagonette or char:A-banes body. Incidentally, one of these was shown at the Commercial 'Vehicle Show at Olympia, :but at that time the extensions to the Wheelbase and frame had not been made, and there -was therefore more overhang than exists now. The large outfit is also eminently suitable for caravans.
The conversion of an ordinary Ford to a Baico-Ford is remarkably, easy, as is proved by the fact that the charge made for .fitting a Baico set to a customer's vehicle is .25 only' for the standard type.
The company build.their own -bodies. for which purpose they have a well: 'equipped coachbuilcling works at Plumstead.
The standard Baico chara-bancs sells at-.8625 complete. :It is builtup with a frame-and bearers of oak, and the Steel panels are lined thwmghont with threeply wood. Accommodation is provided ' for '20• persons, 16 in the bath' and four in the cab, including the driver. The seats are sprung, and fitted with wide, :padded back rests, and arranged across the body with a passage up tho Centre. A novel feature is that the entire 'back
of the body can be removed quite easily and a lorry body substituted.
For the standard Baico-Ford numerous types of bodies are constructed. One of the most useful of these is a tilt van body, which has a platform. 9 ft. in length from the-rear of the driver's seat The width of this body can be made 5 ft. 6 ins. or 6 ft. as desired., and the sides to a height of 22 ins, are solid, and from this point are thin matchlined and covered with white canvas. The height from the floor to the roof inside is 5 ft. 4 Ms.,so; t'‘at the body is capable -of holding a considerable quantity of goods. 'The petrol consumption • of both the goods • and pa.sacipger carrying models varies between 14 and -18 m.p.g., which is certainly quite fi a.t isf artery when compared with the petrol consumption of the -ordinary '30. cwt. -vehicle. One great advantage is that nopart of the Fowl chassis is changed, therefore ordinary. Ford parts can be •utilized in -the repmr of all components 'except those aupplied with the Baico portion of' the outfit.
With an engine speed-equal. to that of a .roi,d at 25 maah. the Baico can he geared' to 15, 17, or 20 -rrap.h.