An Entirely New Beardmore Chassis.
Page 18
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VISITORS to the Scottish Show were interested to find a new model Beardmore on the stand occupied by the company. This vehicle is a fine well-designed engineering job, built to carry loads of 25-30 cwt. In many respects it resembles the smaller model.; for instance, the power unit employed on both is the same---i.e., a four-cylinder nfonobloc of 80 mm. bore and 120 mm, stroke, with the valves on the near side and detachable cylinder head.
The timing gears are driven by a sillint chain and the fan by a leather link belt. Ignition is provided by a B.E.C. magneto, driven through a small Hardy flexible joint and a special vernier coupling. The cooling water is circulated by an impeller-type pump driven by a. pinion on the fan spindle. This pinion drive is to facilitate belt adjustment, as the pinion-on the fan spindle can rotate through a small are round that on the impeller spindle. Provision is made on the inlet pipe for the fitting of the suction pipe of an. Arztovac, and the mixture is warmed by a hot-air muffle round the exhaust pipe. A neat fitting is a flat spring "dip stick" marked with the correct oil level, and held by a small bracket.
The drive is taken through a Ferodo-faced cone clutch with a neat stop, and Hardy flexible joint toa four-speed-andreverse gearbox, four-point supported on the same sub-frame as the en-gins. This gearbox provides ratios of 5.36, '7.83, 12.24, and 21.43 to 1, and has box-type gate change mounted on the frame, side-members. The gearbox casing is practically square, and has a very large cover with a smaller orifice for lubricating purposes.
Behind the gearbox is a loco. -type foot brake, the shoes of which are pivoted on a spindle held in a bracketmat with the gearbox easing. The brake operation is by pedal rod to a hell-crank lever carried by the off-side gearbox holding-down bolt. Behind the foot brake is a. triple Hardy joint and a long tubular propeller shaft with a similar joint at the rear end. A reflection of the design of the small model is also shown in the rear axle, which has a separate central easing split vertically, and provided with trumpet extensions bolted into position and carrying the spring pads and hand-brake operating gear. Attached to the near-side section of the central easing is a pressel-steel torque member with a spring cushion at the front end; at this -end there is also provided an adjusting device for raising or lowering the rod.
We have not yet mentioned that the final drive is by bevel gearing. The rear brakes are of the internal-expanding type, are totally enclosed, and sue actuated through a simple compensating device. An unusual feature is that the hand-brake lever is situated some 15 ins, in front of the change-speed lever.
Steering is by worm and segment gear, with the tie rod in front of the axle and provided with fork-and-pin joints.
Half-elliptic springs of ample length are fitted at front and rear.
The frame is of channel section steel, upswept just in front of the dash and tapered to the dumb-irons. Cbannel section cross-members are also used.
The main dimensions are :—Wheelbstae, 10 ft. 9 ins.; track. 4 ft. 6 ins.; whilst the wheels are Michelin discs with 895 mm. by 135 mm. pneumatic tyres.