A Leyland Subsidy-type Six-wheeler.
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T RYLAND MOTORS, LTD., Ley-I-Aland, Lancs., has just produced a new medium-type, rigid-frame sixwheeler to meet the requirements of the W.D. subsidy scheme. This vehicle was publicly displayed for the first time at the recent demonstration arranged by the War Department in connection with the Colonial Conference. It created a most favourable imPression, showed that it had a great reserve of power and ran extremely quietly. Its unladen weight is 4 tons 11 cwt., and with a 3-ton load, the axle weights are; front, 1 ton 11 cwt. ; middle, 3 tons ; and rear, 3 tons.
It has an entirely new four-cylindered engine of 4 ins. bore and 54 ins". stroke with overhead valves and overhead camshaft, the complete head being readily detachable with its valves for replacement, grinding-in of the valves or cleaning. The fan is direct driven from a silent chain. It is mounted at the front end of a shaft and provided with a friction clutch, whilst at the rear end is a spur pinion which engages with a pinion on the camshaft, thus avoiding the employment of bevel gears, which are apt to be noisy. Practically all the auxiliaries are concentrated at the near side, the drive being taken through a dynamo to a large centrifugal water pump, whilst the magneto issituated above the dynamo and driven separately. The temperature of the cooling water is controlled by a thermostat, and the whole unit is of extremely neat and clean design, For the bogie, two overhead wormdriven axles with "pOt-type casings are employed, the connection between them and between the forward begie axle and the auxiliary gearbox being by shafts with all-enclosed metal joints of the Spicer type.
A particularly interesting feature is to be found in the securing of the radiator. On the inner edge of the bottom tank are two Swivel clips, the heads of which pass under' pins provided with strong springs.. By levering these pins upwards against the springs, the clips can be released, and the radiator is then freed from the chassis, 'except, of course: for the wates joints.
Provision is made at the top of the cylinder head for the driving of a distributor for coil ignition, and the camshaft runs in an oil-bath.
The main and auxiliary gearboxes are built up as a unit with the engine and there is a notable absence of projections which might afford lodgment for dirt or, if reaching downwards, catch in undergrowth, etc., when crossing undeveloped country.
. At the side of the engine-crankcase sump is an oil tap with a really sensible handle, which is much better than the flimsy types often usedfor this purpose. This is only one example of the good design which is to be found throughout the chassis.