ROAD OR RAIL TR4CTOR
Page 90
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A• VEHICLE having two systems of wheels, one for use on the road, the other on railway lines, and intended for use in railway or works shunting yards, forms the subject of patent No. 858,317. (Rheinstahl Siegener Eisenbahnbedarf A.G., Dreis Tiefenbach, Kreis Siegen, Germany.) The drawing shows the vehicle on its rail wheels, which lie at right-angles to the road wheels. The rail wheels are mounted on a hinged frame and can be swung down by. hydraulic or -other means, to raise the vehicle as shown. At the same time some of the load of the rail vehidle is taken over to increase the traction at the wheels. The pair of-wheels (1) are lowered about a pivot (2), but the other pair (3) are mounted on a linkage that moves them outwardly as well, so that the load is applied within the wheelbase to prevent tipping.
One or both sets of rail wheels may be powered, the drive being transmitted by chains and sprockets, not shown. The tractor vehicle is otherwise of normal design, and because its road wheels (4) are set at right-angles to the others, it can be run on to the rail track at any desired point.
CLUTCH FOR LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL
PATENT No. 858,528 shows a hydraulically operated plate-clutch incorporated in a differential to enable a solid drive t,o be obtained. (General Motors Corp., Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.)
The drawing shows part of a conventional differential gear, in which 1 is the crown wheel, and 2 the differential cage. The bevel 'wheels (3 and 4) are splined to the half shafts in the usual way.
One bevel wheel is provided with n18
external splines (5), which carry the inner member of a plate-clutch (6). The outer plates are held in an extension (7), of the differential cage.
When the clutch is engaged, the action is to lock one bevel wheel to the cage and therefore also to the crownwheel. This renders the whole differential inoperative, so that both bevel wheels are positively driven.
The clutch is operated by hydraulic fluid which is fed to the end face of an annular piston (8) and the patent also shows the system to provide the hydraulic pressure. This incorporates a pump and hand-control valve, and uses oil from the differential sump.
CHASSIS EXTENSION
A CONSTRUCTION for modifying tan existing vehicle to increase its load-carrying capacity forms the subject of patent No. 858,877. It is proposed to extend the frame side-members and to fit additional cross-members and a non-driven axle. (Universal Power Drives, Ltd., Aintree Road, Perivale, Middlesex.)
The drawing is a plan view of the extended vehicle. The original frame is cut at the point (I) and extra members are butt-welded on. The joined frame is strengthened by internal angle-members running from front tc hack.
Three cross-members (2) are attache( by bolts which also hold the sprint brackets. Four semi-elliptic springs (3; are used; these are joined by a rockint beam having arms of unequal length This is done to cause the driven axl( to be loaded more heavily than du trailing one, which is fully braked.
DIE-CAST ENGINE CASING INTERESTING proposals for the rapic I production of four-cylindered engine! are disclosed in patent No. 858,593. Thii describes a scheme for forming the cylin ders, crankcase and other parts by prcs sure die-casting. (Engineering Researcl and Application, Ltd., London Road Dunstable, Beds.) One of the novel features is that hal a cylinder block and half a crankcase an cast in one piece, the joining surface lyim in the vertical plane of the cylinder bor. axes. In other words, the cylinders ar cast in semi-circles. The drawing, one o many, shows part of a cylinder block-am crankcase.
In assembly, the cylinders would b fitted with liners, and the extrem accuracy of die-casting enables oilway and helical cooling passages to be pro vided. This patent is the first of three o the subject, the other two being num bered 858.594 and 858,595,