A NEW MUNICIPAL APPLIANCE from the Dennis Works
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The Latest Machine which has been Added to a Wellknown Maker's Range May Well be Termed a "Municipal Handyman"
TN certain spheres of opera...Ethel the commemial-vehicle requiretnents of municipal authorities differ materially from those of ordinary business houses, awl to attempt, in some' instances, to employ standard machines or those which have been slightly alteredf would be to court trouble. Those bare facts have long since been recognized by many of our leading makers, who have set themselves out to make a special study of the primary factors governing the employment of motor vehicles kr street-washing, gully-emptying, road-sweeping and other municipal tasks.
One of those concerns is Dennis Brothers, Ltd., of Guildford, which, over a period of many years, has manufactured specialized vehicles and appliances for municipal service. In this manner the company has gained much valuable knowledge of the differing needs of authorities exercising control over districts having dissimilar ch a racteristics.
It is largely in the light of the
experience thus acquired that the company is now offering a new appliance for which there is undoubtedly an extensive field, especially as the latest machine constitutes what may well be termed a "municipal handyman." In the main it is intended to tackle the work of the authorities in small towns, which are often unable to find constant employment for a large-capacity outfit (quite apart from financial considerae tions), but it should also prove of decided value for performing surplus duties in big centres where the mechanical equipment is usually taxed to the utmost.
Basically, the new model is a 550gallon gully-emptier, which is so designed that it is capable of operation by one man, but in other respects it follows closely upon the principles which have been successful in the larger machines of this type, for which, let it be added, Dennis Brothers, Ltd.,
C28 'has built up a good reputation, in
other words, it incorporates such features as a balanced suction pipe, a clean-water tank, hydraulically oper
ated tipping gear and an air pump which exhausts or compresses as required, whilst two other important points are that the noxious fumes from the tank are burnt by the engine exhaust gases and that the whole of the rear of the tank forms an emptying door. such features combine to create an appliance which is capable of performing its allotted tasks in an efficient, economical and hygienic way.
Additional Equipment and Its Cost.
Additional fitments which are available enable street-sprinkling, gutterflushing, sower-flushing, and 'cesspoolemptying to be undertaken, the work of adapting the machine for any one .duty being simple of achievement and easily carried out without interference with the operation of other working parts. Then, again, it takes only a few moments to remove the tank complete and to install a tipping lorry body, thus enabling ordinary haulage to be carried out. At this poiat we can fittingly refer to the price of the complete machine aud the supplementary fittings. The gullyemptier sells for £075, the following being extras :—Sprinkler heads, £35; gutter-flushing pipe, £5; sewer-flushing valve, £10; cesspool-emptying equip went, £30; cesspool hose (per length), £11; 2-i-ton end-tipping body; £50. ".
Before proceeding to a description of the municipal equipment let us refresh the memories of our readers with the details of the chassis. It is the wellknown Dennis 2i-tenner, which incOrporates in its design a four-cylindered engine, an external-cone-type clutch, a four-speed-and-reverse gearbox and a worm-driven rear axle... . .
The cylindrical tank of the gullyemptier is divided into two compartments, that at the forward end containing clean water for resealing the gullies after they have been. emptied, and that at the rear carrying the sludge: The two. sections can be connected so that the full capacity of the 550gallon tank is available when the appliance is used for watering or sewer-flushing.
The whole of the rear end of the tank forms an emptying door, an airtight joint between cover-plate and tank flange being ensured by the provision of a rubber ring. The tank is made to tip to a good angle, and for this reason is mounted at the rear on pivot brackets. The forward end of the tank rests on steel legs held in
position by hand-screws. Aa automatic cut-out valve is embodied in the dome of the sludge compartment, which prevents water entering the air pump. Lifting eyes are provided at the top of the tank.
The tipping gear is of the hydraulic telescopic-ram type, a take-off from the gearbox providing the necessary power for its operation ; the angle of elevation of tank or lorry body is 40 degrees.
The air pump is of the rotary pattern, being equipped with the Dennis patent two-way reversing valve, which enables it to be used for exhausting or compressing ; it is driven from a power take-off from the engine.
The suction hose for gully-emptying is carried on the near side of the tank, and the long steel pipe, through which the sludge is drawn, is equipped with a valve. The operation of raising or lowering the hose is aided by means of a stout, balanced arm, which is carried on a swivelling bracket on the top of the tank.
Having described the machine as a gully-emptier let us now consider the additional equipment. The sprinkler heads, which are in gunmetal, are carried in front of the dumbirons and are independently controlled—both for width of spray and • quantity of water delivered—by levers adjacent to the driver's seat. A road up to 35 ft. wide can he efficiently sprayed with water by a single passage of the machine.
For sewer-flushing a 3-in, quickacting valve with a suitable length of copper-riveted leather hose is carried under the rear of the tank. The gutterflushing apparatus is situated under the near side of the driver's cab, and consists of a 2-in, quick-acting valve controlled by another lever close to the driver.
For cesspool-emptying a 3-in, valve and a gunmetal adapter—for connecting to the hose--are carried on the near side of the tank, a steel pipe connecting it to the dome on top. This enables compressed air to be passed through the hose for cleaning it after filling operations have been effected, and for stirring up the solid matter at the bottom of the pits.