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A NEW AUSTIN TRACTOR

30th June 1931, Page 43
30th June 1931
Page 43
Page 43, 30th June 1931 — A NEW AUSTIN TRACTOR
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for the British Market

Sir Herbert Austin Decides to Re-enter the Home Market with an Up-to-date Tractor for Agricultural and Industrial Purposes

IN connection with the Royal -Agricultural Show which opens at Warwick on July 7th, an announcement of considerable interestis made by Sir Herbert Austin, IC.B.E., chairman of the Austin Motor Co.; Ltd., Longbriclge Works, Birmingham. This is to the effect that he intends to re-enter the home tractor market with a new type of machine for industrial and agricultural purposes. This has already undergone extensive tests and will be available for inspection at Warwick.

A new organization has been built up and stocks of both tractors and parts are in the hands of agents throughout the country. Special servicing arrangements have been provided, the business being handled from London. A branch of the .Societe Anonyme Austin, of 139, Rue Lafayette, Paris, has been opened at Dominion Works, Thames Road, Chiswick, London, W.6, and Sir Herbert, who is the designer of the tractor, intends in due course to extend the business considerably in Great Britain as well as catering for the colonial markets.

The new machine, of which We are now able to give our readers full details, has on test given nearly 25 b.h.p. at the belt and more than 20 h.p. at the drawbar. It differs considerably from the model seen at last year's Royal Show, having a new engine of larger bore, different valves, inlet ports, vaporizer, timing gears, lubrication system and air cleaner. The gear ratios are changed and there has been a general strengthening of the transmission and axles, as well as alterations to the governor; steering mechanism-, -fuel tanks and radiator.

The side-valve engine has four cylinders of ft-in, bore and 5-in, stroke, the crankshaft speed being 1,200 r.p.m. The compression ratio is 4.2 to 1 and, on a maximum-load belt test, a fuel consumption at the rate of .620 lb. per hp,hour has been recorded. The engine has cast-iron pistons and a five-bearing

crankshaft and is equipped with Voltex magneto and Zenith carburetter. The Austin company's own make of two-unit oil-type air cleaner is fitted, the first unit being an oil bath, whilst the second contains an oil-impregnated cartridge of small steel pressings. Engine lubrication is by means of a gear-type pump and three oil-cleaning devices are incorporated; there is a Tecalemit cooling and filtering device in the circulating system, also a sieve filter in the crank chamber and a sediment trap.

The vaporizing unit incorporates a shunt deviee that permits petrol (which is used for starting) to by-pass the heating unit, but the tractor is, of course, designed to work normally on paraffin. The engine speed is governed by a built-in, centrifugal governor. Cooling is by a radiator and fan, water circulation being by pump, and the water system has a capacity of 10 gallons, whilst the fuel tank contains 14 gallons.

A belt pulley is located on the off side, the diameter being 16 ins. and the width 5 ins. This rotates at 708 r.p.m., giving a belt speedof 3,000 ft. per minute. The rear or driving wheels of the agricultural model have a diameter of 2 ft. 6 ins, and a width of 10 ins., and are equipped with demountable rims carrying spuds. The drive to these wheels is through a dry-acting, cone clutch and three-speed gearbox the speeds being 2 m.p.h., 2.35 m.p.h. and 3.6 m.p.h. forward and 1.75 m.p.h. reverse. The drive is taken by bevel gear to the belt-pulley shaft and thence through the gearbox and spur gearing to the differential gear on the hack axle. The gears run in oil, the shafts being mounted on taller bearings.

Two independent brakes are fitted to the rear wheels. The rear track is less than the front track, being 4 ft., as against 4 ft. 4 ins., whilst the whe.elbase is 5 ft. 10 ins., the turning circle baying a radius of 8 ft. 13in. The weight ready for duty is 4;060 lb. The drawbar is provided with a vertical adjustment of 7 ins, to 14 ins, and a lateral adjustment of 84 ins., and there is provision for a power take-off.

The industrial model can be supplied with a governed top-gear speed of 12 m.p.h. and a maximum speed of 17 m.p.h. The pneumatic tyre equip-ment is 30 ins. by 51 ins. (front) and 42 ins. by 8 ins. (rear),


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