New Electrics
Page 39
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for urban-delivery Work
Details of the 8-10-cwt. and 81 2 -cw t . Morrison-Electric Chassis and the Special Arrangements for Charging
SOME months ago we. referred to the new battery-electric vehicles to be built by A. E. Morrison and Sons, Ltd., Gartree Street, Leicester. They are being manufactured in two types, the Morrison-Electric 8-12-cwt. and a 1-tanner. The smaller machine is available for immediate delivery, but the larger will not be ready for a few weeks. We shall now refer chiefly to the 8-10-cwt. chassis.
This is not intended as a fast unit for the country user, but for local-delivery work in cities and other congested areas. The chassis is designed to carry a maximum load of 10 cwt. so long as the gradients to be climbed are not severe ; with 8 cwt. it will climb all ordinary hills. On • normal roads it has a range of about 30 miles, carrying 10 cwt., or 40 miles with 8 cwt., and its speed on the level is 15-20 m.p.h. A normal average with a load which is reduced as deliveries occur, is 35 miles per charge, but it is claimed that distances up te 50 miles can be achieved.
The chassis is built of pressed-steel channel members, the part at the front being dropped to carry the one-step cab. The single driving motor is totally enclosed and is mounted horizontally on the rear axle, driving the wheels through worm gearing. The chassis frame is mounted on the rear axle through the medium of semi-elliptic springs. The front axle is a drop forging equipped with Timken taper rollerbearing hubs, and the steering is by enclosed bevel gearing. Three sets of accumulators are utilized, one set being mounted amidships, and the others outside the main frame members between the front and rear wheels. Bendix fourwheel brakes are operated by pedal, whilst the side lever acts on only the front wheels. Disc or wire wheels are optional and Dunlop 27-in. by 4.00-in. tyres are supplied ' as standard.
The batteries can be Ironclad Exide built by the Chloride Electrical Storage Co., Ltd., D. P. Kathanode built by the D.P. Battery Co., Ltd,, or The Tubular made by the Britannia Battery Co., Ltd. The first two are of 120 amp.flour capacity, whilst the last is of 150 amp.-hour capacity.
The controller is foot-operated. It gives two speeds forward, neutral and a reverse. The forward and reverse have a detachable control, acting as a thief-proof device ; the low speed is handy for manteuvring and following slow traffic. This controller is immersed in insulating oil and cannot spark.
The wiring is carried out in heavy flexible leads which are carried in insulating bushes, where they run near to the frame. The lighting equipment includes a head lamp, two side lamps and a tail lamp, and an electric horn is mounted above the windscreen. A special meter, fixed to the dash, shows exactly how much current is left in the battery. . The meter also controls the charger, switching it off when the battery is full.
Th& principal dimensions are: wheelbase, 4 ft. 9 ins.; track, 3 ft. 9 ins.; overall length, 8 ft, 3 inc.; overall width, 4 ft. 6 ins. The complete chassis is priced at £110. A similar chassis equipped with a 30-cell battery instead of
one having 24 cells, and a slightly more powerful motor, is marketed at £125. This machine is rated as having a load capacity of 8-12 cwt., the extra load being permitted because of the bigger amp.-hour capacity and the increase in motor power. Instalment terms of £1 weekly can be arranged for all models.
Great attention has been given to the design of the motor; numerous types were built and scrapped before the final design was put into production. The commutator is of special copper. High-magnetization steel tube is utilized for the frame, and steel end shields withstand the shocks. The armature is built up of thousands of stampings, each only a few thousandths of an inch thick.
As regards charging, highly satisfactory results are being obtained with a valve-type rectifier, which is quite silent and does not cause interference with wireless; but, where desired, a Westinghouse metal rectifier can be used instead of the valve type. The valve rectifier is included in the vehicle price, but an extra £7 10s. is asked where the metal rectifier is required.
The mains current is first fed into a step-down transformer, which isolates the charger from the mainsand converts the-voltage to a low pressure suitable for the battery. From the rectifier it is led, through limiters which control the current flow and thus safeguard the battery. If the mains should fail while being used for charging, the battery current cannot return to them, and charging automatically restarts when the. mains supply continues.
Several special bodies have been developed, such as the dairyman's, the baker's, the ordinary van and the light lorry. That for the dairyman is also suitable for the grocer.,
The Morrison-Electric has been developed not only as a vehicle, but as a transport system, and the special comprehensive insurance with a full-policy tariff company amounts to £8 Sc.; insurance against third-party, fire, etc., rishs is 14 2s. 6d. The annual tax on these vehicles is at present £6. The saving on lubricants is, of course, considerable. It is claimed that a quart of oil for the rear axle, and approximately a shilling's worth of good grease are all that is required per year.