A NEW 80 H.P. STEAM TRACTOR FOR OVERSEAS.
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An Interesting Design in which Compactness has been Attained, with Ample Power • and Capacity to Haul a Very Useful Load.
T" "Rhino," at present unfamiliar, is destined to become a well-known name in Mechanical Toad transport, thus providing another instance .of the tent denry to use names that are expressive of some parr
ticular virtue, such as speed or power. ...
The " Rhino " (short for rhinoceros) is a steam tractor made by the Sentinel Waggon, Works, Ltd., of Shrewsbury, for direct-traction ploughing, road haulage, ditch digging, timber manipulation: and haulage, and for the driving of Machinery by means of a belt. Largely, of course, the machine will find iiis sphere of usefulness overseas, in those countries where there is the necessary talent for managing and controlling a steam 'engine. One has in mind, therefore, such. countries as the Argentine, the various States of Africa and India.
The " Rhino " is intended to work econbmidally and at a cost which will compare not unfavourably with the use of horses or oxen, but with this very great advantage over the use of animal power, that the mechanical appliance can work in adverse conditions of weather without the need for waiting for land to dry out sufficiently to give a foothold. With a mechanical appliance, again, advantage can be taken of every scrap of fine weather and a much larger amount of work can be done with such an appliance than can be effected in tile same time by the use of animal power. The Commeretal Motor has on more than one occasion pointed out this great benefit derived from the displacement of animal power by mechanical traction.
Wearing properties, of course, have to be considered, and on this point it is easily capable of proof that a steam vehicle, properly maintained, has a very long life, so that depreciation can be spread over many years before the machine becomes economically unsound to use, In very many countries overseas, coke, coal, charcoal or wood is obtainable locally, and rarely is water a scarce commodity. In these circumstances the steam engine often becomes a practicable proposition, whereas an internal-combustion engine using oil or motor spirit may not be able to compete because of the high cost of nal the fuel, and only in some countries is the element of the talent to run the steam engine lacking. Practically everywhere talent is obtainable from the railway workshops and many marine engineers can be attracted to a new country provided there is a certainty of employment, such as would be offered by the introduction of steam-driven tractors.
Hence, there should be a very good field for the "Rhino" tractor, which is a powerful 'machine having an 80 b.h.p. engine and being capable of exerting a drawbar pull in low gear of 22,400 lb. at starting and of 9,000 lb. at 2 m.p.h.
Its weight without rue' or water is about 9 tons, but, provisioned, the weight works out at about 10 tons. The overall length of the machine is 15 ft. 9 ins., and its width 8 ft. 4 ins, on a wheelbase of 9 ft. 9' ins., whilst
the overall height is 12 ft. The lowest part of the machine is the rear water tank, under which there is a 16-in. clearance. Renee. the itiachitte is compact and should be able to go anyWhere. _
The boiler is placed amidships, and the engine, which, of course, is the horizontal Seetifiel .type, is placed forward, with the cylinders over -the front axle and crankcase coming just in front of the boiler. Below the crankcase is the gearbox, in , whichthe differential gear is incorporated. The , power • IS transmitted from the crankshaft to the first motion shaft of the gearbox by -single chain. The drive to the differential is through either the low or high gear and from thence to the road wheels by chains.
Thus a dead rear axle is provided, affording rigidity and saving unsprung weight.
The frame is formed of flanged steel plates running from end to end of the machine, connected by steel footplates, cross-members and the two water tanks (which contain together 260 gallons), thus forming a box girder of ample strength and rigidity. The fuel bunkers are situated at the rear end of the tractor behind the boiler and accommodate half a ton of coal, but they can be extended a considerable distance to the rear when wood fuel has to be carried.
The rear wheels are 6 ft. 6 ins. In diameter and are cross-spoked. The aims arek 18 has. \Ode and are equipped with diagonal strakes, thus giving an ample grip of the road surface without the need for spuds, unless a drawbar pull of 6,720 lb. has to be exceeded, in which case spuds are generally required. Extension rims can be fitted to bring the the width of the wheels up to 24ins.
Tile boiler, as we have said, is of" the locomotive type, giving 80 b.h.p., and it is fitted with a governor.
There are two gears. The low gear gives a speed of from 2 m.p.h. to 4 m.p.h., whilst the ,high gear gives a speed range of from 4 m.p.h. to 10 m.p.h. The gears can be changed in a few moments while the machine is stationary, this, by the way, being standard steamtractor practice.
Ackerman steering gear is employed on the front wheels, these latter being 4 ft. in diameter and 7 ins, wide, built Up of mild steel. The front axle is pivoted at the centre, thus giving three-point suspension, and laminated springs are employed on both axles.
The winding drum is of large diameter and Is fitted to the rear axle, guide ropes at both ends of the tractor frame being provided in order that winding can be carried on from either direction. The drum vvill carry 120 yards' of 1-in. wire rope, whilst if a fin, wire rope be employed 170 yards can be accommodated. The maximum rope pull in low gear is about .13,500 lb.
A belt pulley for driving machinery is fitted at the end of the engine crankshaft
In order to provide for the different heights of the drawn implements, two drawbars are fitted at the rear, one placed low for ploughing, and the other at the normal height for hauling trailers. A central drawbar bracket is fitted at the front end The " Rhino " is able to cross rough country, to climb over banks as high as 3 ft., and, the frame being strong and rigid, this work can be effected without any strain or distortion.
Overleaf we give a table containing figures taken from dynamometer readings while the machine was at work, which will ,give some idea of its capabilities and be a guide to its performance, and -particularly do we draw attention to the.type of soil which was being operated upon for each of the groups of figures., Actually, the best fuel for the " Rhino" is a good quality coal, and the consumption is 1 cwt. of this fuel B27 per acre ploughed ; with a dry, hard wood the consumption per acre ploughed is, roughly, 3 cwt. The water consumption naturally depends upon the nature of the soil, but the average would be about 60 gallons per acre, so that on one tank supply (260 gallons) about four acres of average ploughing could be covered.
It is quite possible to fit .an apparatus for burning fuel oil, but we understand from the makers that the use of oh is not recommended where other fuel is available, Over rough ground the superiority of three-point suspension of the machine is well demonstrated. When the " Rhino " is to be employed mainly upon haulage work it can be supplied equipped with a more rapid steering gear and with more flexible axle springs, whilst a set of internal rim brakes to act on the rear wheels can also be fitted if required. The light weight, large wheels and abundance of horse-power make the "Rhino" a ,particularly useful appliance in any situation where the task is strenuous.