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A WOODEN-FRAMED TRACTOR.

10th April 1919, Page 22
10th April 1919
Page 22
Page 22, 10th April 1919 — A WOODEN-FRAMED TRACTOR.
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A Resume of Recently Published Patent Specifications.

An American inventor, R. B. Hartsough, has endeavoured in the design of his tractor, which is deKribed in patent specification No. 123,480, to eliminate machine work so far as possible. The main frame of his machine is a baulk of timber, which appears to be about 10 ins. to 1 ft. in diameter. Clipped to this at one end and projectine at right .angles from it is a hollow cylindrical casting with projecting lugs into which fit the stub axles for the rear

wheels. The cap which secures this cylindrical casting to the timber frame has a machined face upon which is bolted the engine. The same cylindrical metal cross member serves to carry the gears, and at the opposite end to that which clips to the frame is a projection which carries a bracket for the counter

shaft. The hearings for this countershaft are also of wood.

The final drive to the road wheels is by pinions and internal gears. To the other end of the baulk of timber is secured, by IJ-bolts which clamp it in position, s. bracket for the single front steering wheel. The steering gear is a cast worm and sector, the latter being held within a half-fork which carries the front road wheel itself, and the latter is so disposed that it travels in the newlyploughed furrow, thus making the trac tor self-steering when ploughing. The steering shaft is also of:' woocl, and about its middle are wound in contrary directions two wires which are connected through springs to brake shoes which act on one or other of the two halves of the differential gear which is located upon the final-drive countershaft. Therefore, when the steering gear is operated, the differential gear is also affected so as to assist in thesturning movement of the tractor.

An ingenious tractor-trailer coupling is the subject of No. 123,431, by T. F. Pearson. A rack is connected to the trailer, and a half pinion to the tractor. The two are maintained a correct distance apart by a 'horizontal framework which is free to move to either side of the trailer and whioh runs on roller bearings. The effect would be, for example, ,if the vehicle turned a left-hand corner, for the connection between the two to B52 travel towards the left-hand side of the trailer, thus autematically altering the pull from the centre to the side of the swivelling axle of the trailer. It is claimed that this 'operates to cause the trailer to track accurately with the tractor, A differential gear which eliminates the familiar planetary pinions, etc., is the subject of No. 123,389, by N. Isher wood and J. F. •Withnell. The crown el,riven or bevel is Perforated with a. series of circular holes arranged on a certain pitch circle, and on each side of it, and maintained in close contact with it, are two halves of a coupling. Into each, of the holes in the crown bevel is fitted a steel ball, and a number of hemispherical hollows are cut in these halves of the coupling at such a pitch that when the gear is erected and in its normal position, these cavities come opposite to the holes in the crown wheel. The diameter of the balls is such that they project into these cavities, but they aresmall enough to allow one or other half of the coupling to move relatively to the other or to the crown wheel. The effect is that of a differential free-wheel gear operative in either direction.

A design of obturator ring for pistons is the subject of a series of patents of which No. 123,350 is one, the patentee being J. S. Hecht. These are piston rings of thin flexible material so disposed in the piston that compression and explosion pressure getting behind them presses them inth close contact with the cylinder walls, thus preventing leakage. • An ingenious valve gear is the subject of No. 123,479, by R. W. Phelps. The cams operate upon intermediate rocking levers so fulcrumed that with a sym metrical and simple cam the valve opening is nevertheless in proportion to the piston velocity.

J. Gray, in No. 123,342, reduces the starting torque, of an electric starting motor by making the flywheel in two parts. One, with which the starting motor is directly coupled, may be free to revolve upon the engine shaft; the other portion, however, is keyed to the shaft. Suitable clutch gear is provided for connecting these two parts.

A composite valve which employs in part some material of high beat conductivity and in part hard steel is the subject of No. 123,416, J. Buchanan.

In a distributer for a magneto by the B.T.H. Co., described in No. 123,468, a sipmle method of securing the endsof the distributing cables is combined with

a cover part of insulating material and part of metal, The former is designed to prevent the terminal screws slacking off, as well as to insulate them ; the latter is to prevent interference with the operation of wireless apparatus owing to the high-tension current of the distributer.

W. S. Francis, in No. 123,482, describes a friction gear in which is incorporated a pneumatic tyre as driving materiaL

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