FORD'S BID FOR THE CO ERCIAL-VEHICLE MARKET.
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XTRAORDINARY interest has been aroused in transEd port circles during the past few months in respect of the new range of Ford commercial vehicles, and unusual precautions have been taken to prevent any leakage of information regarding itWe are, however, now able to give full particulars of this range, and we consider that the Ford Co. is fully justified in its optimism regarding the future of its latest products, for they certainly embody exceptionally interesting features of design, many of them entirely new, and yet, withal, complication has been eschewed. Again, from the point of view of appearance, we can give nothing but praise both as to the chassis and the standard bodies which are provided for them.
To begin with, we will give brief particulars of both zhassis, and continue with a summary of the detail design.
The 30-cwt. model has a four-cylindered monobloc engine ef 3.875 ins, bore and 4.25 ins. stroke. It is rated at 25 11,Pe but develops 40 b.h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m.
The engine and a three-speed-and-reverse gearbox of the sliding type with centre control form a unit which incorporates a multiple-disc clutch. From the gearbox a propeller shaft enclosed in a braced torque tube conveys the drivo to an overhead worm rear axle which, we understand, will be different from the one shown at Holland Park Hall.
It is interesting to find that the transverse semi-elliptic front springing has been retained, although redesigned, but the rear suspension is most unusual so far as commercial work is concerned, the springs being of the full-cantilever pattern, each having 17 leaves.
Fully compensated brakes act on all four wheels, those on the rear axle being larger than those at the front. This is because the back axle carries a heavier load and the brakepower is made to bear some relation to the weight carried.
In the light van chassis a smaller engine is employed. This is rated at 14.9 h.p., but develops 28 b.h.p. at 2,600 r.p.m. It has a bore of 3.05 ins, and a stroke of 4.25 ins. The clutch and gearbox are similar to those on the truck chassis, but the final drive in this case is by spiral-bevel gears. Here, again, wire wheels are employed, and the new ignition system is utilized. The current is derived from a power-house type of dynamo driven from the front of the engine and automatic advance is provided.
Some idea of the capability of the engine of the light van can be gained from the fact that the new private car in which it is employed will easily achieve 50 m.p.h. and will run 35 miles per gallon of fuel.
We will now proceed with the detailed description, and will commence with the light chassis, as the majority of the Points to which we shall refer in this also apply to the 30-cwt. model.
Great care has been given to the design of the rnonobloc power unit, which has a detachable head, and vibration has been reduced in a number of ways. The crankshaft is much larger and now weighs 28 lb. It is balanced both statically and dynamically. Aluminium alloy is employed for the pistons, each of which carries three rings at the top, the lowest Of these acting as an oil scraper. The skirt is split and expanded against the cylinder walls by special ribs, the method obviating piston slap. The gudgeon pins are hollow and of large diameter.
In the search for quietness the helical timing gears have been constructed of Eakelized fabric, which is not nearly so noisy as metal and proves equally durable in service ; also, the design of the cams is such that the valve tappets follow them closely, preventing valve chatter. Incidentally, the valves are all on one side. There are most unusual features in the valve gear. Each of the valves is in one piece of alloy steel, and the stem, instead of being parallel, widens out at the foot in the form of a cone the base of which provides a large area of contact with the tappet, preventing alteration of clearance and burring, whilst the spring cup rests on the side of this cone, the spring fastening actually strengthening the valve instead of weakening it, as is usual. To permit this form of construction the valve guides are split as in the ease of a big-end bearing.
Simplicity is the keynote of the oiling system. It is a combination of pump, splash and gravity feed. The gear pump is driven by a vertical shaft which, at its upper end, terminates in the distributor. The pump is located in the lowest point of the sump and surrounded by a gauze. The oil is raised to the valve chamber and to such a level that it acts as a cushion between the tappet ht...tds and valve feet. From there it flows by gravity to. the three main and five camshaft bearings via short pipes. A large-diameter pipe from the rear of the valve cover conveys the oil to big-end troughs, and dippers are carried on the caps.
The fan is mounted on the shaft of the centrifugal water pump and it draws 14 per cent. more air.
A waterproof case is provided for the single coil, which has no vibrators to adjust and no long h.t. cables, the current being led td the jump-spark distributor through a cable running in a case-hardened steel tube.
Ccamections are made to the sparking plugs by short bronze springs, and the system defies the hardest rain, Nine fabric-faced plates are used for the clutch. They are controlled by a single centre spring.
The gearbox is conventional. It has a roller-bearing layshaft and a bronze bush in the reverse idler, whilst a roller bearing is used for the spigot The axle is most unusual. The banjo centre is made of rolled-channel steel and forgings welded together, whilst the axle housings are of steel tube and rforgings, also welded. Two taper-roller bearings support the pinion.
The rear wheels run on roller bearings on the axle housing, the shafts carrying none of the weight. The wire wheels are unique. Each wheel with its spokes is assembled by welding and becomes one piece of metal in which the spokes cannot work loose. Each spoke has a tensile strength of 5,000 lb. and there are 30 in each wheel.
The suspension in the light van is by semi-elliptic transverse springs.
The gear ratios are as follow: top, 4.66 to 1 ; second, 8.65 to 1; first, 14.54 to 1; reverse, 17.5 to 1.
The brakes have expanding shoes protected from dirt and mud and are self-centring. At the heel end of the shoes and replacing the pivot pin is a serrated cone which provides a means for adjustment. Both hand and foot brake act on all four wheels and the brake rods, etc., are cadmium-plated. The wheelbase of this model is 8 ft. 8 ins.
We have referred to some of the cliffereneea in the truck chassis, but there are others of importance. The gear ratios are: top, 5 to 1; second, 9.25 to 1; first, 15.6 to 1; reverse, 18.75 to 1. An auxiliary gear gives a second range of ratios ; with this engaged, they become : 7.35 to 1; 13.6 to 1; 22.9 to 1, and 27.5 to 1 respectively.
The wheelbase is 11 ft. and the track is 4 ft. 8 ins.