WHEELS of INDUSTRY
Page 46
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
'The wheels of wealth wili be slowed by all difficulties of transport at whatever points arising, as a carriage is by the roughness of the roads over which it runs."—John Beattie Crozier,
Lanchester Six-wheelers for the War Department.
For the past two years the Lancheater Motor Co., Ltd., Armourer Mills, Montgomery Street, Birmingham, has been busy making 40 h.p. sixwheeled armoured chassis for the British War Department. In the ease of the early contract, the company produced a type of completely armoured vehicle which has been thoroughly tested out in heavy, cross-country work at Aldershot and elsewhere, the results showing it to be an unqualified success. The latest contract given to this company is for the production of armoured six-wheeled chassis, for which the bodies are being made by the INTar Dena rtment.
_ >The springing of these vehicles has • given particular satisfaction to the authorities. It is of the normal, twin, inverted semielliptic pattern, each spring being mounted on a, central fulcrum. • The advantages of the epicyclie gear which is embodied in the design have been most pronounced, particularly in heavy going, where ordinary sliding gears are apt to prove a difficult. The main point is that the epicyclie gear can be engaged at any positiou, whereas with the sliding pattern it is sometimes necessary to move the vehicle slightly before the tooth can actually engage, and in heavy ground this moving or rocking is almost impossible.
Personal Pars.
Many of his 'friends in the industry will be interested to learn that Mr. H. F. Higgins has been appointed overseas director of Romac Motor Accessories, Ltd., Romac Works, The Hyde, London, N.W.9, and will be leaving England on a business trip covering most of the world. He will visit America, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Japan, China, Federated Malay States, Dutch East Indies, Siam, -Burma, India, East Africa, South Africa and British West Africa.• Mr. Higgins has been in England, on this occasion, for some months and has come into contact with a great many members of the trade. He is what the Americans would describe as a "live wire ",and full of an exuberant vitality which should carry him far.
Mr. C. Charles, whose name will be known to many people in the industry by reason of his connection as a director and works manager of Dennis Brothers, Ltd., of Guildford, is about to take up the position of works manager for D. Napier and Son Ltd., Mr. 0, S. Wilkinson, who was, for many years, Napier's chief designer, is now acting as chief engineer to that company.
Dennis Hire-purchase Facilities.
In our issue dated December 24th last we made reference to the formation of a company called Dennis Contracts, Ltd., which is to carry out hire-pur
chase business in respect of the vehicles manufactured by Dennis Brothers, Ltd., of Guildford. The new company, which has offices at 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1, tells us that it is intended to concentrate on the popular 80-cwt. model, which has been on the market for some years, and to provide hire-purchase terms enabling a Dennis vehicle to be acquired on a very low deposit and with no more outlay per month than is necessary in the case of a lower-priced machine. Subsidies for Six-wheelers : W.D. Invites Applications.
Applications to fill vaeancies in the scheme for subsidizing motor vehicles are invited by the War Department ; the vehicles eligible are those of the pneumatic-tyred six-wheeled rigidframe type built to the W.D. chassis specification. They are the following makes and types :—Albion (S.K.31), Crossley (I.G.L.3), Guy (B.A.X.), Karrier (W.0.6, R.M.6 and F.M.6), Leyland (Terrier), Thornycroft (A.3 and A.5).
The subsidy offered is £120, this sum being payable half yearly, in
advance, by six instalments. A point of interest is that vehicles which are being acquired under hire-purchase arrangements can be enrolled under the scheme.
Further information on the subject can be obtained from the chief inspector of subsidized transport, Hyde Park Barracks, London, S.W.7, or from one of the area inspectors, stationed in Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol.
In a Line or Two.
In Northampton, 245 accidents occurred during 1929, resulting in 11 deaths. The figures for 1928 were 227 accidents and 5 fatalities.
With the title of the Deutsche Kraft Transport Zentrale, the German Commercial Motor Users' Association has lately opened a central office in Berlin.
Crossley Motors, Ltd. has just received an order from the Canadian Government for 16 six-wheeled chassis embodying 20-60 h.p. four-cylindered engines. * • With regard to the proposed central bus station at Swansea a report on a site which is suggested as being suitable for this purpose is shortly expected. *
The Plymouth Co-operative Society proposes, during the summer, to operate two new weekly tours, one being through South Wales, and the other through Devon and Cornwall.
The Southern National Omnibus Co., Ltd.; is next season to operate in conjunction with Hants and borset Motor Services, Ltd., a through-service from Weymouth to Bournemouth, via Dorchester.
Last year West Riding County Couucil isSued 121,036 licences for motor vehicles, as against 115,512 during the previous year, whilst 79,440 drivers' licences -were granted, as compared with 76,168 during 1928.
Following the reference in last week's issue, the tenders for 30 single-deck-bus chassis and 15 single-deck 32-seater bodies required by Manchester Corporation have to be delivered, not later than February 18th, to the general manager of the transport undertaking, at 55, Piccadilly, Manchester.