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Contractor's Plant Speeds Munition-factory Erection

9th January 1942, Page 28
9th January 1942
Page 28
Page 29
Page 28, 9th January 1942 — Contractor's Plant Speeds Munition-factory Erection
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

WITH the rapid expansion of Britain's war effort, the VV need for many large munition works becomes increasingly important. Many of these establishments are the size of a reasonably large provincial town, with complete power, water and sewage services.

To establish such a self-contained organization would, in peace-time, take several years, but under the conditions of to-day the task has to be completed in a matter of months, if it is to be affective. The key to the attainment of this object is the use of mechanized equipment by the contracting concerns, for every possible phase of operations. It must be remembered that there is not only work above ground to be considered. As a result, the task of shifting soil is a phenomenal one, and at most sites there is no single method which is adopted to the exclusion of others.

For what one may term surface operations, powerful tractors fitted with bulldozer or angledozer equipment are popular. Another class of activity is graphically illustrated by the accompanying pictures, and the equipment employed is convenient when not only a large yardage has to be handled, but local excavations to a considerable depth have to be undertaken. Excavators with drag-line or grab equipment pick up the soil and dump it into Athey tractorhauled track-mounted tipping trucks. The operation of the tipping gear is hydraulically effected from a pump on the tractor. Big loads up to 8 or 10 cubic yds. can easily be dealt with. The method of working is particularly adaptable in that the excavators as well as the transport machinery are mobile, so that the scene of operations is continually in slow motion so far as the excavators are concerned, with almost non-stop rapid motion for the tractors and trucks. By the courtesy of the Ministry of Works and Buildings. we recently inspected a number of these ;tractor outfits which were at work on an ordnance factory nearing completion. As the pictures show, the surface conditions were really bad, sticky mud being almost up to the tops of the gumboots of the men at work, with deeper pools. The tractors in question were Cletrac units handled in this country by Blaw-Knox, Ltd., of Watford and London. They were operating for Edmund Nuttall, Sons and Co. (London), Ltd., and had been instrumental in moving many thousands of tons of earth under all conditions.

This type of tractor has a six-cylindered oil. engineof 5-in, bore and 6-in, stroke, which develops a belt h.p. of 107.5 at 1,300 r.p.m. The engine is electrically started. and drives through a 14-in, double-plate clutch to a.transmission system giving travelling speeds ranging between 1.61 m.p.h. and 6 m.p.h., at the governed engine speed. Steering is effected by band brakes and the drive passes to the two tracks, each of which has 34 shoes. The drawbar h.p. is 95, and the drawbar pulls range from 5,500 lb, in high gear to 22,700 lb. in Iow gear.

With a weight of -28,250 lb. and a ground pressure of 7.37 lb. per sq. in., track adhesion has proved ample for

t hauling the Athey trucks against such tractive resistance, Only tractors of large size are capable of economical operation under these exacting conditions.

Tags

People: Edmund Nuttall
Locations: Watford, London

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