THE PROGRESS OF A POPULAR RUNABOUT.
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The S.D. Freighter is Adaptable to Meet Many Needs in Commercial and Municipal Transport. It Will Make a Practicable 34-tonner Weighing Under Two Tons.
SOME years ago when Nye-first exam.ined the now well-known S.D. Freighter we were greatly impressed by its potentialities and the courage of the manufacturing coinpany, Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd.; Letchworth, Boris, in developing a type of chassis for which a new market would have to be created. We little thought at that time that the chassis would be able to give efficient service in so many diverse fields of operation and be able to 'compete in Lenny instances with mociehi
developed for individual classes of work.
On many occasions we have illustrated and briefly described particular vehicles embodying the S.D. Freighter chassis, but it is long since we dealt with the general progress of the company and with improvements which have been effected in the design of the
chassis. To enable us to deal with these; points we were recently afforded an opportunity,for visiting the works at Letchworth and studying chassis and bodies in course of construction.
So far as the works are concerned, these have been doubled in size during the past year and now handle an increasing amount of. overhauling in respect of users' vehicles, apart from affording further facilities for larger production. The machine-tool plant is most up to date and includes highly aceurate gear-cutting machinery. There is a welding department and every important part is subjected to its appropriate form of heat treatment.
One of the most interesting points in Connection with the .S.D. Freighter is
that, when required, a chassis can be provided to carry a gross load of 4 tons on the frame, travel at a maximum Speed of 10 M.p.h. and negotiate gradients of 1 in 10, for which purpose it is, naturally, geared lower -than' the standard produ6t. This means that, when carrying a Useful load of &I tons, the unladen .Weight of the complete vehicle can be brought below 2 tons; . which is a tremendousadvantage from the taxation point of view.
The. company can also provide bodies -up to 20 ft. long on a vehicle of 24 ft_ overall length and having a turning radius of 23 ft. For dual-purpose vehicles the S.D. Freighter appears to be a prime favourite ; One of the most popular of this type is the watering tank wagon and dust-cart. in this, the tipping -gear always remains In the chassis and is not in the way, whilst lifting eyes on the bodies enable the change-over to be effected in five minutes by employing a crane or lifting tackle.
Another useful model has a steel lorry body with renewable--extension sides and dust Covers so that the vehicle may be employed either as a dust-cart or an ordinary lorry, the removal of the extra sides and covers taking only a few moments.
One three-compartment tank wagon recently supplied to the Shanghai Municipal Electricity Department is unusual in that its total oil capacity exceeds the proper load for the chassis, but as a matter of fact the tanks are never all full together, except, when the vehicle is stationary, for the machine is employed on renewing the oil in electric transformers. It starts with two compartments filled with fresh oil, stops at a transformer, transfers the old oil to the empty tank and refills with the new.
Ta permit the carrying of hot bitu men, steel bodies with an inner and-. outer casing (the space between being filled with asbestos) arc employed.
The company has recently built a bacon van for Hudson Bros., Ltd.; this has low wood sides and a canvas top lined with wood. Across the body are rails with sliding hooks upon which three tons of meat can be hung. The tailboard forms a useful ramp and there are double upper doors.
As a municipal dustcart the S.D. . Freighter will carry 7 cub yds., or approximately 24 tons, and this with an unladen weight of under two tons effects a taxation saving of £14 per annum, representing a capital value of some £300 which might be said ta reduce the effective price of such a vehicle to £200.
While at the works we examined a special barrel-carrying lorry built for Messrs. Guinness. This vehicle has a wider cab than is usual, provided with doors and an extra seat in the off-side front corner, the seat pillar being bolted to the floor. Three barrel skids .slide under the barrels and are pinned into position; the rear ends then hinge up to form chocks. Sliding chocks along the platform permit part loading. The skids are not considered as part of the vehicle for taxation purposes.
To conform with the special regulations in force in the area in which the vehicle is to be used, rubber-ring splashguards are mounted on each wheel, also flap-type inner guards.
One big contract the company has in hand le for the R.A.P. These vehicles will carry two tons and haul trailers also carrying two tons each.
Sometimes a raised platform is required, and to meet such needs a new design has been brought out. This has the upper platform supported by a light angle-steel, diagonally built girder at each 2 ft. of its length, the space between being panelled in metal. Another interesting scheme is the provision of removable platforms which lift the loading height so that the original sides of the body form 3-1n. sills.
For road-building a machine was recently built with a body 7 ft. wide, to J340
carry a concrete mixer. It has two winches for hauling up the mixer, for which purpose ramps are hooked on to the back of the body. When not used for the mixer the vehicle conveys 'wood blocks.
Some of the illustrations accompanying this article show a Machine built to carry a complete patching plant for Trinidad asphalt.
The company has instituted a service scheme whereby inspectors call periodically on users and either do small adjustritents Which may be necessary or draw attention to faults which are developing.
One advantage of small wheels is that one set of tyres costs about the same as a single tyre of ordinary si7R. The tyres supplied are of Avon make, and are guaranteed for 10,000 miles or 15 months, whichever be reached first. For , some purposes, .6vhere soft surfaces are liable to be encountered, grooved tyres are fitted to inner rims. In this position they obtain_ a better grip of cambered surfaces than thy would if they were external. Twin rear tyres are also fitted in the case of the 4-4-ton model in order better to distribute the load.
We must not forget to refer to the success of the S.D. Freighter as a passenger chassis for seaside runabout service. For instance, a user at Worthing has lust ordered his fifth machine and there are now six buses on promenade service at Bournemouth.
As regards improvements which have been embodied in this remarkable vehicle, one is the provision of either metal or glass windscreens at the option of the purchaser. ' -
The road clearance has been increased. considerably by reversing the front spring clips so that the nuts are fitted at the top -instead of below. The minimum clearance under the front axle is 51, ins. The rear springs are now overslung and, incidentally, the back axle is much heavier and stronger than in early models.
There is a new steel and bronze forward-running clutch which is only " out ", when the vehicle is running in reverse. The clutches at the sides of the unit are employed for changing gear.
Instructions for adjusting the clutches are indicated to the driver in the. form of. a reproduction of the control .plate; this obviates the need for referring to an instruction book.
Adjustment of the steering gear can beeffeeted from the top of the engine casing, and a new bracket fur the starting handle projects through the cover, so that there is now no need to open the side 'door of the casing. A new filter on