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THE NEW FIAT TAXICAB CHASSIS.

4th May 1920, Page 18
4th May 1920
Page 18
Page 19
Page 18, 4th May 1920 — THE NEW FIAT TAXICAB CHASSIS.
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A Well-designed and Well-finished Production, Incorporating Several Novel Features.

PRODUCTIONS FROM the famous Fiat factory in Italy always receive a warm Welcome in this country, because of the remarkably fine -workmanship and material which are put into them. After inspecting and having a short trial run on the latest production—a.new taxicab chassis—we are convinced that this vehicle will meet even the most critical requirements for this class of work. It incorporatesmany of the well-tried features which gained vehicles of Fiat 'manufacture such wellmerited praise for their services during the war, and it is as well. finished as

the private-car chassis produced by the company. Expense 'has not been spared in its construction, and it• is in every way a first-class engineering job. It is marketed by Fiat Motors, Ltd., of Albe

marle Street; Piccadilly, W:, and the chassisprice is £590, including tyras.

Unit construction is employed for the engine and gearbox. • The former is a four-cylindered monobloc of 70 mm. bore and 120 mm stroke, with a nominal h.p. of 12-15 and a b.h.p. of over 19. The bottom half of the crankcase and tie gearbox form one complete casting, the two being connected together so as to form a tray containing the flywheel, clutch, etc.

The engine is of very neat construction. All the valves are on the near side, the valve springs and tappets being enclosed by a single plate. The magneto and water pump are situated across tile engine an the front, and are both driven front the same shaft by skewgears. The water from the pump enters the cylinders at the front end, passes along the cylinder block, thus cooling the valves first, and then returns to the outlet at the front end of the cylinders. Its correct circulation is ensured by a baffle in the water-jacket. An oil-pump driven from the camshaft is positioned at thc.. rear end of the crankcase. Oil from this is :passed through the main crankshaft bearings to the hollow crankshaft, and thence to the big-ends. The carburetter is situated close to the cylinders on the offside, and the inlet connection passes between these, se that the mixture is warmed slightly before admission. The fan, which is an B42

aluminium casting, is supported on a pillar screwed into the crankcase, and is driven by a Whittle belt. A small spring-ball lubricator is screwed into its hose.

At its front end the engine is supported at one point; in line with the flywheel it is supported by two pressed steel brackets riveted to the frame sidemembers, and the rear end of the gearbox is slung from an arched cross-member. A fine appearance is even to the front end of the chassis by a neatlyAnishedk radiator constructed of sheet copper, and provided with a honeycomb • centre.

The oil-pump, in addition to lubricating the engine, pumps oil to a distributor, from which one branch pipe goes to a pressure-indicator situated on the dash, and another lubricates the steering gear. From this latter -a small pipe leads the lubricant to the pin-bearings, by which the fork of the combined rearearde casing, torque and radius-member is supported.

A multi-pie-disc clutch is incorporated with the flywheel.

Four speeds and a reverse are given by the gearbox, the connection • between this and the clutch 'behrig by a muffcoupling. The torpedo-type combined change-speed -gate and brake quadrant is bolted to the frame, whilst the striking gear is all contained in the gearbox itself, the gearbox lid being suitably shaped for this purpose.

Close behind the gearbox is situated the powerful foot-brake, with its ex' ternal-contracting sho-es. The latter are sepported from the gearbox at their lower ends and are provided at their upper ends with rollers, which are pressed against face-cams oh a transverse shaft by strong spiral springs on the latter. Rotating the shaft by means of the brake-pedal causes the face-cams to close the sixes together. The transverse shaft is held in bronze brackets bolted to a cross-member. The construction is so strong that there is no tendency for the shoes to chatter. • The back-axle casting consists -of two pressed-steel halves bolted together and • extended to form a torque and radius member. As we have previously mentioned, this is forked at its front end, and held in pin-bearings.

Bevel gear is employed for the final drive. Tee axle is of the semi-floating type, the inner bearings for each wheel being supported on the axle-casing. The band-brake operates on -drums bolted to the rear wheels, dirt being excluded by plates supported on the axle-casing. The drive from the gearbox, is taken through a universal joint situated in a case which is rendered oil and dust proof by a ball-and-socket joint.

Careful attention has been paid to the springing. The rear springs are extra long and very flexible, as we proved by a trial run of several miles on a stripped chassis.

The detachable wheels are all con. structed from pressed-steel discs riveted

to the rims. •

We have not yet mentioned the frame. This is of the ordinary pressed-steel, channel-section type, tapered to front and rear, inswept close to the dash, and upswept at the rear. At the point where the insweeping occurs the frame is strengthened considerably by widening both the top and bottom flanges.

As is usual in taxicab chassis, pedal

throttle control only is provided, and the ignition. is fixed.

Minor, but important, details have also received attention. The means of adjustment for the .hand-brake consists of a simple butterfly-nut in an accessible position at the near-side of the gearbox. Incidentally, the hand-brake lever shaft passes through the tubular change-speed lever shaft. A breather is situated at the front end of the axle-casing.

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