INDICATING THE LOAD.
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An Entirely New Device, which Will Serve to Prevent Overloading by Automatically Indicating the Weight of the Load. A Safeguard for Springs and Transmission.
AN ARTICLE in a recent issue of The Commercial Motor called for concerted action among manufacturers and -users of commercial motor vehicles against overloading. The Plimsoll mark pieced upon all British ships by the Board of Trade has proved the salvation of many a vessel and its crew. But for it and the observance of the rules, for which, it is the policeman, many a vessel would have gone to the bottom through encountering bad weather when in an overloaded condition. In our article it was argued that the equivalent was required of the Plimsoll mark for all roadtransport vehicles, and a few rough suggestions as to the Method of applying the idea were advanced.
We have aecently been shown a device which has been in use for a little while and which has, so far, fully complied with all requirements. It is cheap to make, being constructed of nothing that cannot be found in a local ironmonger's shop and, being entirely within the capacity of the local smith. In use it is absolutely simple and certain, with no chance of acting so as to mislead. . It is automatic iii action, is aeadily adjustable should the set of the speinas alter with use. It is readily put into action other\ loading and out of action for running, so that it shall not be subject to unnecessary wear of moving parts, and it is cheap and can readily be adopted and made and fitted to any make of vehicle. The device is the invention of an exnaval officer, Lieut. R. M. Maxwell Johnson, who left the Navy to breed middlewhite pigs in Sussex, close to that great protaganist of pig-rearing, Mr. S. F. Edge. With Mr. Johnson is associated Mr. F. C. Bentley, of Army and Navy Mansions, Victoria Street, London, SW 1.
Our illustration very clearly shows the device as fitted to a chain-driven lorry used by Mr Johnson ant his farm. To the underside of the body is attached a pair of in. steel brackets bent at right. angles to permit them to be fastened in place by wood screws, an eye at the other end of each serving as a bearing for the operating rod. To the side, of the lorry is attached, by means of a bracket and screws, a dial plate 3 ins. in diameter. The operating rod is in two parts and telescopic, being made of a short length of a in. iron rod bent to a right-angle at one end, and a length of
in. iron barrel. The outer end of the barrel is plugged with a threaded and cored plug, to which the pointer is fastened by moans of a nut and docking nut.
The barrel isnientered through a hole in the centre of the dial and through the eye in the first bracket. The iron rod is passed from the other end through the second bracket, a collar being secured on one aide and a collar-and spring threaded on before it enters the barrel. When in position, the collars are secured on each side of. the bracket, theends of the coil spring positiorecla.and the rod and barrel are seclired toaether by a setscrew. This is all clearly shown. the coil having been left out of the lower part sectional illusa stion for clearness'
On to the axle is secured an adjustable arm, the upper end of which is slotted to receive the bent end of the indicator rod. When the vehicle is unloaded, the pointer is set vertical, pointing to the word "Light " marked on the dial. It is then loaded, with a correctly weighed load suitable for the chassis, and at the point then indicated on the dial is attached a clip bearing the word " Loaded," this clip being adjustable and arranged to be secured in position. Adjustability is desirable, because the set of the springs tends gradually to alter. The latest form of the apparatus provides for the use of a dial plate with gearing, whereby the movement of the pointer is magnified about four times, It will be seen that the load recorder will at once show the weight of the load proportionate to the approved capacity of the vehicle, and that it will operate automatically in the sight of every passer-by. When it is remembered that such a load aS sand, gravel, loam, or manure can weigh twice as much in wet weather as it will when the material is dry, and yet look no more, it can be gathered that, to a farmer or builder handling such materials, the load indicator can be of extreme value and importance.
On the pointer there is a screw with a butterfly head. In order to save wear and tear of the apparatus, the pointer is rotated until its head points downwards. In this position the butterfly screw cAn be screwed into a hole, with the word " Running" beside it. The elbow at the end of the rod is then lifted quite clear of the forkon the actuating arm on the axle, and it is the work of a moment to release it, when the coil spring will return it to the operating position. We understand that Messrs. Bentley and Johnson (who have fully protected the device4 are ready to licence manufacturers of motor vehicles to use it Upon vehicles of their make, whilst arrangements for the manufacture of the device aae being made with the North London Engineering Co., Ltd., White Hart Lane, Willesden, London, N.W. 10 To this concern all communications with regard to supply of the apparatus should be made. Such a device should pay for itself many times over by reason of the fact that it acts as an insurance against the overloading of springs, quite apart from the saving of wear and tear in the transmission and of strain on the chassis generally. The inventor has carried out a number of experiments with the device in order to ascertain to what extent it could also be etnplayed as a weight indicator. He finds that a definite reading to a hundredweight is quite possible, and it is not unlikely that even finer measurements might be attainable. On a lorry body with a platform 9 ft. long by 3 ft. 9 ins, wide, with the axle just central, he finds that the difference, in placing a small but bulky load right forward and then right aft, is but 3 degrees on the indicator, whilst if it be placed over on one side and above the axle and than shifted to the other side of the vehicle, the difference in the positions of the indicating pointer is not more than 1 degree. In the vehicle used, the spring on the off-side of the chassis has a broken leaf and part or all of the 1 degree difference might be due to this fact.
So far as trailers are concerned it is desirable to have the load on both axles indicated-on a single dial. This need is covered by the inventor, who arranges for a fitting for each axle coupled up to give a total reading.