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Newest Cleaning Units Ready

um Action

ILST at least three new items are due to appear at the vehicle demonstration to be held at Bournemouth on June 8 in connection with the Institute of Public Cleansing Conference, this is hardly likely to prove a vintage year for such appliances. However, the number of units to be seen will probably be greater than ever before. As usual the demonstrations are to be held on the Wednesday morning. They will take place at Ir..ing's Park car park where the various exhibits will be available for inspection for the remainder of the day.

A new British-made power sweeper to be displayed for the first time will be Kent Engineering and Foundry Ltd. KEF 936H. This is claimed to be the first "Small-area" ride-on sweeper with one-pedal automatic forward-reverse drive to be designed and built in the U.K. A 9-h.p. Wisconsin motor with self-starter powers a pump unit which drives the hydraulic traction motor situated inside the hub of the front wheel. A single toe/heel pedal gives forward and reverse drive control from 0-14 m.p.h. forward and 0-3 m.p.h. reverse.

The 36-in, main broom of this sweeper is of 2I-in, diameter, with 12 strips, and the side broom is 21-in, diameter with 5-in. trim, to give a sweeping width from 36 in. to 44 in. An automatic dust control vacuum system is employed and an electric pushbutton shaker is dashboard operated for filter cleaning into the 5 cu. ft. hopper. The turning circle is 13+ ft. diameter. Optional extras include full lighting and trafficators, an all-weather cab and L.P. gas conversion.

In view of the difficulties many local authorities face in obtaining staff for manual street sweeping, the New Eli sweeping machine is certain to attract much attention. This unit, which is being offered by Ronald Perham Ltd., has been designed by the cleansing officer of one of the big cities with a view to manoeuvrability and simplicity.

Extremely compact, the New Era turns the scale at only 16 cwt. and is driven by an air-cooled diesel engine with which fuel costs are normally of the order of 10s, daily. This power unit operates on a system providing hydrostatic drive and braking, using one-pedal operation for forward, neutral and reverse. The makers point out that with this method many present street cleansing workers will find it easy to adapt themselves to use of this machine.

For running to and from the beat, speeds up to 8 m.p.h. are achieved. The main brush sweep is 4 ft. 6 in, but this clearance is increased to 6 ft. when the vertical channel brushes on each side are taken into account. When operating the debris is thrown into a + Cu. yd. hopper of a size that many will find adequate for a morning's sweeping under average urban conditions.

Ronald Perham Ltd., will also show the company's Refuse Container Air Jet cleaning system which can be fitted to standard vehicles and emits a high pressure blast whilst the container is in the

inverted position, so eliminating the build-up of dirt in the base of the bin. They will also exhibit a Dennis-Gibson 22/35 cu. yd. compression refuse collection vehicle. The Perham organization is also likely to offer an entirely new collection unit but no advance details are available.

A new design of the Load Lugger handling system, specially for 16 cu. yd. containers, is to be demonstrated for the first time by Telehoist Ltd, This equipment is intended for carrying an 8-ton payload on a four-wheel 15-16 ton gvw chassis. It will be seen in the se of the Earth Moving Demonstration at Turbary Common on Thursday; but a small Load Lugger will be demonstrated on nesday, handling containers of up to 10 cu. yd. capacity giving 1 payload of up to 7 tons.

he various lubrication points on the equipment and chassis bited are fed automatically by a Telelube lubricator operated i the air pressure braking system.

lthough this year there will be little that is new on the stand of yoke and Drewry Ltd., this company will have more vehicles available than on any previous occasion. This is due to the fact that two Pakamatic bodies will be seen on chassis of commercial manufacture, instead of being confined solely to those built by the makers. The Bedford demonstration units will include a 35 Cuyd. Pakamatic on the TK chassis and a similar model will be shown by Ford on a D 750 chassis.

The SD section itself will include a 20 cu. yd. Pakamatic, a 35 cu. yd.. and two 50 cu. yd. models, one equipped for the mechanical loading of household bins. The company will also have available a 25 cu. yd. Fore and Aft tipping collector and a 1,100 gal. gully/ cesspool emptier.

A unit of special interest for those having cesspool emptiers working on soft and uneven ground will be the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co's 1,000 gal. cesspool emptier fitted to a Bedford four-wheel drive chassis, the equipment including the Yorkshire vacuum pump and a tank manufactured from in. mild steel plate.

The same design of gully emptier will be seen mounted on an Albion Chieftain chassis. This company's offering will be completed by a Karrier/Yorkshire 1,000 gal. gully emptier.

Adaptability for various forms of rear loading is a feature of the Eagle 35 cu. yd. collector, with bin lifting equipment, which will be seen on the Bedford KGLC chassis. Special features are the bin lifting girdle, which will handle standardized bins of various capacities, and the provision for a trolley which can be used to facilitate removal of larger bins from fiats and office blocks. The incorporation of a retractable folding rear door, combined with a low-loading line, makes it possible to load household refuse of a bulky nature.

Eagle Crushloads are made in 35 cu. yd., 50 cu. yd. and 75 cu. yd. capacities; the medium size is that which is to be shown at Bourne mouth. This is to be mounted on a Ford D 750 oil-engined chassis. A 75 Cu. yd. Crushload will be shown on the Bedford KGTC chassis with a Boughton four-wheel drive conversion and a Clarke fivespeed gearbox.

Glover, Webb and Liversidge Ltd., will again be demonstrating the Musketeer continuous loading refuse collector, a design that has already achieved a considerable degree of success. Twin rotary impellers are used, being the only moving parts in contact with the refuse, and they show a marked ability to deal with light and bulky materials of all kinds.

Full range of Ramillies

There will also be a full range of Ramillies continuous loading collectors; among these will be the 20 cu. yd. and 50 cu. yd. designs. The first-mentioned will be seen with Zoller dustless loading shutters for lidded bins and will be mounted on a Karrier Bantam chassis. This shall-capacity model is intended specially for negotiating narrow streets or working in difficult traffic conditions. The Ramillies 35 will be shown with a large salvage compartment for the senarate collection of waste paper. In addition there will be a DualTip collection vehicle.

Exhibited by Sheppard Fabrications Ltd. at both the vehicle demonstration and the earth moving display will be the new Sheppard Meiller Winch Unit 6000 Mk. H. This particular model has been made to the order of Effluent Disposals Ltd., Birmingham, and is capable of fulfilling a variety of applications. It will be seen mounted on a Commer 155-in, wheelbase chassis. When operating the standard arm the unit will handle the normal range of yard Meiller containers and will lift a total load of 6+ tons, ing these in the conventional manner.

itted to the unit are a pair of longer slave arms supported on a t bolster. These can be electro-hydraulically locked to the -ter lifting arm and are used in conjunction with a loading platextension which folds out of the way when operating with the ,dard containers. When operating with the slave arms and form extension the unit will carry six 39 Cu. ft. capacity bins ch may be mounted on wheels if necessary.

a the extreme end of the long lift arms is a hydraulic winch ch has a rated lifting capacity of 20-cwt. When manipulating the ; arm and the winch it is possible to couple up to any of the six ; and raise them from the loading platform and tip them. Dmatively the bins may be placed on the ground and picked up n the ground. A cesspit emptier is to be exhibited in conjunction the Eagle Engineering Co. Ltd. It is an 800-gal. independently vered cesspit tank and, being self-contained, has been adapted fit the standard Sheppard Meiller Container Handling Unit Jing platform.

Another exhibit will be a Type 6000 Mk. II mounted on a Ford l00 120-in, wheelbase chassis. This has the optional roller jacks place of the static jacks featured at the rear.

Aorized tip barrow

motorized tip barrow called the Prime Mover is the most ent addition in the range of industrial plant and cleaning units be shown by R. Stokvis and Sons Ltd. Powered by a 7 h.p. sconsin BKN petrol engine this machine is able to move full ds with complete stability even on 1-in-5 gradients. The I tank allows eight hours' continuous use.

Shown by Johnston Bros. (Engineering) Ltd. will be the wellDwn suction cleaners, this time in the form of single-sweep idels fitted with extension brush to enable a width of 6 ft. to be ared. This is a type found to be particularly successful for torway hard shoulders. Johnston equipment will also be seen ,unted on the Dennis Pax IIA chassis.

Accompanying the sweepers will be the Johnston-Atumat highssure sewer cleanser. On this machine the pump capacity mits sewers up to 4 ft. 6 in. diameter to be cleansed. An Testing optional attachment to the suction sweeper is the crash Tier washer that was originally developed by the Lancashire ■ unty Council for fitting to the Johnston; this is now available an optional extra for all Mark H machines. It makes use of the innel brush hydraulic motor and supporting arms, changing rm a standard brush being a quick and simple matter. On these eepers a small self-contained suction pump unit is available for where a piped water supply is not available.

Lacre Ltd. will be exhibiting the Bedford-Lacre Mechanical reeper Model SA and Bedford-Lacre Suction Road Sweeper 3dels G and TG. Model G, which is of the suction type, ;orporates a high-efficiency exhauster, large container and 0-gal. water tank. Ther vertical scarifying brush and the suction zzle combine to ensure an excellent sweep.

Five chassis with specialist bodywork will be displayed by wrier Motors Ltd., there also being nine Karrier chassis to be 3n on the equipment makers stands. Among them will be a

Musketeer refuse collector with 17 cu. yd. light alloy body, a 35 cu. yd. Ramillies continuous loading refuse collector, a Dual-Tip Senior 25 cu. yd. refuse collector, a 20 cu. yd. Ramillies and a Yorkshire 800-gal. gully emptier. Cleansing appliance manufacturers showing Karrier-based units will include Glover. Webb and Liversidge Ltd., the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co. and Sheppard Fabrications Ltd.

Five different specialist makers' equipment are to be displayed by Vauxhall Motors Ltd., there being three tank appliances and three collectors. Among the former will be a 1,000-gal. Eagle combined gully and cesspit emptier on a Bedford TK chassis. Similarly mounted will be a 1,000-gal. Yorkshire cesspit emptier and also on the TK will be a Lacre suction road sweeper. Again, the TK chassis is used for all the collectors, these being the Eagle Crushload, the SD Pakamatic and the Gibson Pendulum.

Visitors to the Ford Motor Co. Ltd. display will be able to examine Ford six-cylinder chassis on which are mounted the 35 cu. yd. Eagle Crushload, the 16-24 Cu. yd. Eagle Compressmore and an SD Pakamatic continuous loader.

Both Morris and Austin units will be offered by BMC. In the former case the FJK chassis will carry a Yorkshire gully-emptier and a Gibson Pendulum collector. The Austin FJK chassis will feature the Eagle Crushload and the FGK the Eagle gully/cesspool emptier.

Six vehicles will be available on the stand of Dennis Bros. Ltd., amongst them being a Dennis Pax V chassis fitted with a Powell Duffryn Dempster-Dumpster body. As usual the longestablished gully emptier will be seen, this model being available with either 800-gal. or 1,000-gal. tank with the volume of the water and sludge compartments variable to suit the customer's choice.

Where required, high pressure street washing and watering equipment can be fitted. The pump is driven from a p.t.o. on the gearbox, this device giving the requisite pressure for the large

a of spread that is made possible by using four washing feet anted on a bar in front of the appliance.

k Dennis Paxit Major IIIA will be displayed with I+ cu. yd. conler hoist equipment. This design can be converted quickly and ily to dual-purpose use, simply by raising the hinged rear canopy, allowing household bins to be emptied on either side of the lifting r. The Dennis Universal hoist is capable of lifting all the various es of cylindrical containers. Other Dennis units to be seen will the Paxit HA and the Paxit IHA.

ks already indicated, the products of John Gibson and Son I. will be seen on the stands of Ronald Perham Ltd., BMC, and uxhall Motors Ltd. The organization itself will display an 8-12 Cu. Pendulette compression refuse collector carried on a Dennis Pax :hassis with 7 ft. 6 in. wheelbase. A larger exhibit will be the 18-27 yd. Pendulum compression body with Gibson bin-lifting equipnt for 1; cu. yd. bins, mounted on a Ranier 13 ft. 6 in. wheelie chassis.

The Monak Speadmiser will form a prominent part of the exhibit Atkinsons of Clitheroe Ltd. This takes the form of spreading aipment of 5+ or 6-1cu. yd. capacity for ready attachment to a t or tipper vehicle; it is powered by an independent engine with ve to the main conveyor belt and single spinner provided by draulic motors. The object of the design is to give a constant nsity in the application of salt or gritting material irrespective of .t road speed.

The Atkinson organization will also show its Municipal Trailer itter, the Atkinson/Howie 8 ft. 6 in. reversible angle side-delivery owplough, the Atkinson Pathfinder footpath gritter, the Atkinson ii-spread pedestrian-controlled unit and a snowplough for use conjunction with Land-Rovers and Austin Gipsies.

Two versions of the Clarke Debris Vac will be demonstrated by otor Rail Ltd. One will be a standard model and the other will be ted with a new accessory, a high-lift intake guide which increases e cleaner's ability to pick up small, dense or granular objects. The ebris Vac is a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner capable of removing a )-in. swath of paper, cartons and scraps, as quickly as a man can alk, also of dealing with newspapers, grass-cuttings, gravel and ht metal turnings. The power unit is a 4 h.p. Briggs and Stratton petrol engine driving a 12-in, diameter aluminium alloy impeller through a 30 in. x 4 in. intake.

A Dempster newcomer on show by Powell Duffryn Engineering Co. Ltd. will be the Dinosaur Model 11S which is able to lift 10; tons. A larger version is the Model 13T, with a 13-ton capacity. These two designs supersede the current Model 22000T which takes a 94-ton load. Model 13T will be made for mounting on a twin rear-axle chassis and Model 11S for mounting on single rear-axle chassis.

All three of the main Dempster systems, the Dumpster, Dumpmaster and Dinosaur, are to be shown. Amongst Dumpster containers will be two specially designed to meet refuse disposal needs at blocks of flats. They will be demonstrated with the help of a simulated "flatted" dwelling refuse chamber. The company is exhibiting two versions of the Dempster-Dumpmaster bulk haulage compaction unit: one with and the other without, self-loading arms.

The Lewin Mechanical Orderly, to be demonstrated by Lewin Road Sweepers Ltd., is specially suitable for use on factory thoroughfares and in other restricted spaces; it sprinkles the surface and sweeps and collects the refuse simultaneously. A main transverse rotary brush and a wire-bristled vertical channel-scarifying brush are employed, the former feeding sweepings into a helical impeller which transports them to a central endless belt and bucket elevator for ejection into the body.

Norba refuse collection vehicles are to be displayed on Dennis, Austin and Ford chassis by Arenco-Alite Ltd. From the Harborough Construction Co. Ltd. there will be a range of electric vehicles especially designed for public authority use, which will include various types for street cleansing, both pedestrian and drivercontrolled.

Tintern gully-cesspit emptying trailers are to be shown by Allan Fuller Ltd. in two sizes. From Bradburn and Wedge Ltd. there will be the Litterette cleansing unit. Principal items from Walkers Mechanical Cleansing Ltd. will be the Wayne Power Cleaners and Tracollectors.

Well-proved snow clearance appliances will be shown by Rolba Ltd. in the form of the Meyer Snowplough with Electro-Lift, the Rolba Snow-Baby, the Rolba Snow-Boy 2004, and the Rolba SnowBoy 2005. Trailer gritters will come from Ernest A. Webb Ltd. and salvage-trailers from M. F. R. (Sales) Ltd. Manulectric batteryelectric vehicles will be exhibited by the Stanley Engineering Co. Ltd.

Three-, fourand six-cylinder diesel engines will be shown by the Perkins Engines group. They are offered in three or four stages of build, from bare engines suitable for electric starting, but without starter motor or backend, to pedestal-mounted engines complete with radiator, starter motor, flywheel and housing.

From Verro Ltd. will come the City Suction road sweeper, the overall dimensions of which are limited to those of a small family car, steering being controlled through the rear wheels.

Amongst the exhibits of William Bunce and Son are expected to be two snowblowers, one a Unimog fitted with a Schmidt appliance and the other a pedestrian-controlled Snowbird. There will also be a series of snowploughs and gritting machines. Gritting equipment is likely to be shown by Gloster Tractors Ltd.

Specially featured by H. Young (Motors) Ltd. will be the Sturdiluxe Glutton, which is a trailer appliance that will sweep, collect and carry up to 1 cu. yd. of road material or waste of all types. 1st the enviable reputation of the council as an employer ires that new drivers of the right calibre are always available recruitment, the need to spread the driving force around the -ity to give comprehensive coverage of all routes that are badly :.ted by wintry weather occassionally presents a difficult )1em. As intimated earlier, however, there is no difficulty in iining.men who are willing to work to the limit of their endur!. in the appalling conditions that frequently prevail in the swolds during the winter.

he vehicle radio sets are carried in harnesses with automatic nections and therefore can be readily detached for transfer to ther vehicle, for storage in a safe place or for overhaul. On nal daily runs, loads of gravel are carried in one direction and nacadam on the return trip or on part of the trip, and the io plays a useful part in arranging backloads.

n practice, the same vehicle is maybe engaged in as many as r different types of operation on the same day, notably in the e of a special type of tipper, of which there are a number in the t, which is double-skinned and insulated with glass fibre to vide for the carriage of hot rolled asphalt and similar dense cadam materials. A run with hot macadam may be followed by delivery of a load of gravel, transporting rock on the return run

and later by road gritting, a type of gritter being used which can be attached to the vehicle in a few minutes. On the next morning, the vehicle may well be called upon to act as a snow-plough motive unit.

All the vehicles in the fleet on 5-ton capacity and upwards can be equipped with a plough attachment, and in a typical winter the majority may be regularly employed for snow clearance in the neighbouring Cotswold Hills and on the other side of the river in the Forest of Dean area. Most of the trunk roads carry heavy traffic day and night throughout the year.

Built to the specification of the department and introduced seven to eight years ago, aluminium bodies were originally adopted because they offered an increase in payload of 5-6 cwt. compared with the composite timber-steel type. They were later. specified for all tippers because, in spite of the high impact stresses resulting from excavator loading of rock, they provided a reduction in maintenance costs and in vehicle down-time.

Three-way tipping is virtually an essential requirement in roadmaking work because it enables the load to be tipped on the verge on either side of the road, the alternative, (with an end-tipper) being to manoeuvre the vehicle to a position at right angles to the verge—which can disrupt traffic—or deposit the load in the road, which increases handling time.

Telehoist on Edbro twin-ram, underfloor lifting gear is employed, the rams being slanted inwards to facilitate mounting, which necessitates a detailed study in every new application, lack of space between the chassis members and propeller shaft being the main problem. The additional framework and hinge-pin assemblies add about 2-3 cwt. to the weight of the vehicle.

A 0.25 in. aluminium floor is fitted to all the tippers, and the floors of some of the first alloy bodies to be employed are now being replaced for the first time. Repairs can be completed in less time and at less cost than repairs to a timber body, and aluminium's residual value represents an additional worthwhile advantage.

Built in the workshops, the cabs of all special vehicles (such as graders) comprise a glass-fibre roof and aluminium side panelling reinforced with a framing of special oak. Glass fibre is used for the roof because it is easy to shape and to repair, and it is also employed for repairs to curved sections of metal and steel bodies to reduce down-time.

Despite a reduction in recent years in the application of salt to icy roads (to about 1.5-2 oz. per sq. yd.) corrosion of chassis frame-members is still a very big "headache", and although experiments have or are being made with 12 or more anticorrosion solutions and a number give at least some protection, an economical and completely satisfactory preparation has yet to be found.

Comparing a treatment that provides a hard brittle coating with one that affords a relative soft coating, Mr. Cole prefers the latter on the ground that it is more resistant to the impact of stones and so on. Including labour, the cost of treating a Leyland Comet chassis varies between £5 and £20 according to the type of solution employed.

The braking systems of all gritting vehicles are completely stripped after every intensive period of salting, which may be only two to three days, and other vehicles are carefully examined for signs of corrosion. Designed and produced in the workshops, glassfibre labyrinth seals are being fitted to the back plates of brake drums in an attempt to prevent the ingress of salt, and it is hoped to eliminate brake corrosion problems in this way. A thick, black carbon grease is applied to all working parts of braking systems, including clevis pins, and to steering joints, springs, shackles and so on. The grease is proof against constant washing.

As well as criticizing electrical wiring and junction boxes for their poor resistance to salt (or salt penetration), Mr. Cole considers that wiring systems should be much "tougher" and more resistant to normal wear and tear, and he would welcome light bulbs of which the filaments could withstand vibration to a greater extent than standard types. Of relevant interest, alternators are being standardized on all vehicles and are proving a boon for applications involving a heavy current drain at tick-over speeds. In common with a number of users, difficulties have been encountered in some installations in providing a drive pulley of sufficient diameter to avoid curtailment of belt life, but these have been overcome.

Every driver is given half an hour a day to perform an "A" service, which includes checks of oil and water levels, tyre pressures, windscreen wipers and lights, and the vehicle is returned to the repair depot four times a year, normally for a day, for a

"B" or "C" preventive maintenance service, which alternate. The "C" service includes thorough examination and testing of the engine and of all parts of the running gear.

Assisted by the driver, a team of four or five craftsmen cooperate in servicing the vehicle, faulty parts are replaced and a detailed record is made of the condition of components that show signs of wear but can safely be operated until the vehicle is brought in for the next service. Overhauls and replacements are planned on an "advance advice" basis in that they are performed as required according, in most cases, to the known condition of the vehicle and experience of the type.

Tipper overhauls, repairs and body-building are co-ordinated with the maintenance of other road vehicles operated by the council and of specialized civil-engineering plant, heavy snowclearing machines, cars and smaller items of equipment, the total staff of fitters numbering more than 70. The scope of the workshops is indicated by its area, which exceeds 53,000 sq. ft.

Apart from crankshaft grinding, all engine reconditioning is performed in the workshops, a power unit being overhauled, or replaced by a factory-reconditioned unit, depending on the current throughput of work and availability. A number of Spare units is kept in stock.

Vehicles normally are replaced after 10 years' service, in which time they cover upwards of 200,000 miles, but there is no hard-andfast rule about this. On average, the engines of the larger vehicles are overhauled when the vehicle has covered upwards of 120,000 miles. A special multi-grade lubricant is used, which is blended by the supplier and is suitable for all the vehicles. Oil changes are made at 4,000 /5,000-mile intervals.

Listing the assets of a vehicle in order of importance, Mr. Cole gives reliability the top priority because, for example, the breakdown of a tipper can waste up to an hour or more of the working time of a road-making gang of eight men and may also lead to a serious hold up of traffic. The cost of the breakdown is, therefore, many times the cost of recovering the vehicle and carrying out repairs.

Whilst the second asset, availability, is generally the more important when applied to civil-engineering plant, it is also essential to planning the vehicle-replacement programme if wastefulness in one form or another is to be avoided. Deliveries are often delayed up to 18 months, and uncertainty may prevail to the last moment. The average life of a vehicle is about 10 years (some items of plant are replaced after five years) but a vehicle may be retained in service for a longer period if it is in sound mechanical condition.

Third on the list, efficiency, is measured in pence per ton-mileor per ton of material laid in the case of a road-making machine, or per cu. yd. handled if an excavator is being considered. It is notable that costing is in a transition stage, in that use has been made over a limited period of the council's ICT digital computer to give a cost analysis based on information obtained from log sheets and fuel issue notes. This includes working and standing time and the time the vehicle is delayed because of a breakdown, as well as hours worked, empty mileage, loaded mileage, m.p.g. and so on. The information is collated against the vehicle code number.

The computer has been successfully employed for some time for calculations of wages and salaries and for evaluating bridgedesign formulae, and it is anticipated that it will provide comparable savings in determining ton-mile costs. In every case, the computer provides greater accuracy than the conventional method.

Standardization is the next on the list and its implementation is closely related to availability. The last item, first cost, is cited. by Mr. Cole as a "meaningless" factor if it is not matched against reliability because of the very high operational cost of a breakdown.

In Mr. Cole's opinion, proper training is sadly lacking in this country at all levels, and the lack is evidenced by employees "getting less satisfaction from the job" as well as a reduction in the efficiency of their work.

Training is given particular attention by the council and by the department, apart from the instruction of drivers who are normally fully trained when they are taken on. A five-year apprenticeship is available to mechanics who attend the local technical college on a day-release scheme and an evening class each week during the period. Qualified mechanics attend vehicle makers' instruction courses and special courses in such subjects as repairing with glass fibre and body construction, many of the fitters having attended at least four courses.

Foreman attend Ministry-sponsored Training Within Industry (TWO courses, on aspects of foremanship, whilst road foremen and potential foremen are offered a 14-day course held in Bath at the regional school which is arranged by the council in conjunction with the councils of Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset. Foremen from other counties sometimes attend the school.

Whilst there is insufficient space to mention details of the specialized machines of their operation, a modification to an American FWD snow blower may be described which exemplifies ' the ingenuity that is frequently required to improve the functioning of such machines. The blower is driven by a rear-mounted, 190 b.h.p. petrol engine and traction is provided by a Waukesha petrol engine which is incapable of driving the vehicle at less than 4 m.p.h.

When clearing wet snow, it is preferable to reduce the speed to + m.p.h. and to make this possible, a hydraulic pump coupled to the rear engine is used to deliver oil to a variable-output hydrostatic motor located below the gearbox. The clutch of the vehicle engine is disengaged mechanically and power is relayed (about 5 b.h.p.) to the vehicle's transmission via the power take-off. If required, speed can be reduced to a snail's pace.