SOME IMPRESSIONS OF THE ROYAL.
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No Lack of New Exhibits, Amongst Those Shown for the First Time Being a Steam Wagon, Road Rollers, an Electric Truck, .and a Trailer Pump.
THERE WAS an idea in some quarters before the Royal Show that, so far as the implement section was concerned, it would he somewhat lacking in interest. This, however, was refuted by the material contained in our full report of the exhibits which was included in our last week's issue.
As a matter ot tact, some very interesting exhibits were to be seen, for, apart from machines which have appeared on previous occasions, quite a number of devices were on exhibition for the first time. These were all dealt With last week, but, necessarily, in a brief manner, for it is impossible to criticise or go fully into detail in a show issue: However,as our report was actually in the bands of our readers at the moment the Show wet opened, some further noteson 'exhibits of outstanding interest will not be out of place.
One particularly interesting developinset is the adaptation a the petrolelectric vehicle to meet, the requirements of the farmer. The actual machine exnibited was an old Tilling-Stevens bus chassis provided with a lorry body, on which was mounted a small but practicable threshing machine this being operated by an elecbric motor mounted behind the cab sod obtaining its current from the dynamo of the vehicle, which, of course, is coupled to the petrol engine.
The employment of the electric current is by no means limited to the driving of the threshing machine. Switches are provided to enable it to be adapted for other purposes, and the plant was shown equipped with poles carrying wires by which this current could be conveyed. On a farm, small a. vehicle (which, incidentally, can be purchased setoncl-hand for something like £701 would prove a very valuable source of electric power, providing a pressure up to 500 volts.
It is suggested that two electricmotor-driven winches could easily be fitted up for double-winch ploughing, and it would be a matter of little difficulty to utilize electric motors in conjunction with much of the machinery employed on the farm. The chassis and thresher were shown by R. Borlase Matthews, Greater Feleourt, East Grinstead. The thresher is of De Pot make, and the motor used is a Swedish General Electric agricultural type.
It must be pointed out that the chassis can also be • employed for general farm haulage, and thus the outfit conStitutes a very valuable mobile power plant.
While on the subject of machines driven by electric ty, we must also make reference to the new Union electric industrial truck; this is described fully elsewhere in this issue.
This applies also to the new Armstrong-Whitworth steam road roller, and the interesting type of factory or railway station luggage trolley, the power unit of which is an air-cooled petrol engine. It is marketed in this country by British-Austro-Daimler, Ltd.
With regard to steam wagons, the 6ton Mann was shown for the first time. This new wagon embodies the familiar Mann feature of side firing, but the boiler has been increased in size, and more power is given, with improved efficiency, by enlarging the bore of the L.P. cylinder, but not that of the H.P., so that the steam consumed is no greater: Improvements have also been effected in the steam ports, communication now being more direct. • In order to give a larger body space and to allow the weight to he more
evenly distributed between the axles, the water tank has been removed from its original position (between the boiler and the body) to the' sides, where it is actually divided into two tanks CCMnected by piping. Reverting to the engine, the cut-off is later in the H.P. cylinder, thus keeping the expansion ratio the same as in the 5-ton model. The larger engine has permitted higher gearing, and there are three speeds' the advantages of using three instead, two being many, for in a two-speed wagon what is now known as the intermediate would become the high, and the extra' speed passible along level roads would not be obtainable.
Motor rollers have by no means been neglected. For instance, Barford and Perkins, Ltd., the well-known engineers of Peterborough, had on view their new type three-wheel water-ballast roller, fitted with three-tine scarifier. The nominal weight of this machine is 12 tons, but, with the additional water -ballast' which is carried in the rollers, the weight is increased to 14/ tons. It is driven by a 30-35 b:h.p..four-cylinder paraffin engine, mitt:has three forward speeds and two reverse. There is a sprinkling water tank' with a capacity of 120 gallons, and with,pipesaleaffing to both the back and front rollers. The rear rollers are 5 ft. 6 ins, diameter and 1 ft. 71 ins. wide, and the front 4 ft. diameter and 4 ft. 2 ins,. wide, the roller width being 6 ft. 9 ins.
A considerable amount of interest is being taken in the development of small self-contained trailer fire pumps. Martin's Cultivator Co., Ltd., intrOduced a new rotary type for general farm and estate use. Such ao pump can be used for a variety of purposes other than the combating of conflagrations. It is very light for its capacity and is strongry constructed with a rolled channel franie and a four-cylinder petrol engine, which is three-point supported, at the rear by the main frame side members, and at the front by a stout eross.rnember.
Flexibility in the drive to the reduction gearing and thence to the neat rotary "pump is afforded by two disc joints. The chassis is mounted on Dunlop steel wheels and tyres, freedom from vibration being ensured by the provision of semi-elliptic springs to both axles.
Amongst the agrimotors was the new Saunderson light type tractor, which is priced at £195. It is capable of ploughing three furrows in average three-horse land, and two farrows in any land. It has a top gear speed of -3 m.p.h., whilst 2 m.p.h, is obtained on low gear. The engine, which is of the twin-cylinder V type, with overhead valves, develops 20 b.h.p., and the drawbar h.p. is 12. An unusual feature of the engine is that' roller bearings are utilized, arid engine and gearbox are built up as a unit. The total weight of this machine is 28 cwt.
The transmission is by roller chains, first to a differential unit, and then to the rear sailee. These chains are enclosed and automatically lubricated—very important features in agrimotor work.
Although not new, there is a particularly interesting device utilized on the vaporizer of the Case tractor. This consists of a variable heat control for the paraffin vaporizer, the variation being obtained by shunting through the vaporizer the exhaust gases from one or snore cylinders, according to the needs of the moment.
In the case of the Hart-Parr tractor, the paraffin fuel is supplied cold when the engine is under load, but directly it is run at slow speed the fuel supply is automatically warmed, thus giving more regular firing and obviating the difficul
ties of proper vaporization when the vacuum is neither considerable nor constant. It has been proved that warming the fuel supply considerably reduces the pewer; that is why this is only resorted to when full power is not re quired.
A power unit which merits considerably more than passing attention is that employed on the Blackstone tractor and railway locomotive. This is really an engine and air compressor combined, for, of the four cylinders, three develop the power whilst the fourth is employed as a compressor, which not only provides air for breaking up the particles of paraffin fuel, but also stores sufficient in a reservoir to permit starting from cold without effort en the part of the driver.
A small but useful development is the M.P. motor pusher, designed by Ran somes, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., for converting the ordinary lawn mower of the size which is usually band or horseoperated into a motor-operated device. It can be used on machines up to 24-in. cut, and is a self-contained appliance, complete with a seat for the operator. The power unit on this novel little de vice develops 21 h.p. Thomas Green and Son, Ltd., have also made improvements in their .ma. chines, and have developed two new models for 20-in. and 24-in, cuts respectively. These new types are fitted with two-stroke-cycle engines in place of those usually employed on Green machines. The whole outfit in each case is much lighter than the machines made previously. They require only one man for their operation, and each is provided with a special clutch for putting the cutting cylinder out of action when it, is not required. A kick-starter eliminates the risk of injury from backfire.
Even-trailers have not been neglected, and an unusual type is the two-wheeled trailer made by the Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd., for use with Fordson tractors. It is also provided with shafts and a castor wheel, SG that it can be used for horse hairlage when required. .It is made in ti370. sizes, 3i tons and 5 tons, and with fixed or end-tipping bodies.
The main feature of this new trailer is that it imposes additional weight at the drawbar and increases the tractive effort by nearly 100 per. cent.; furthermore, it has a low-loading line, this being approximately 28 ins, from the ground.
Two trailers Which are particularly suitable forthose concerned in roadrepairing operations were shown by Fleming and Co. The trailers are actually made by Alex. Laurie and Co., a Falkirk. The first is a 3-ton end-tipping type, in which the lower part of the tailboard is adjustable as regards its opening, so that various grades of road metal Cali be distributed over the stir face. while the trailer is being moved.
The second type has the unusual feature of tipping to the front instead of to the rear. It is intended for distributing chips or grit in conjunction with a tar sprayer, the movement of the material employed being assisted by a mechanically driven agitator. The front tipping permits a newly tarred surf ace to be covered with the grit or chips before the trailer wheels pass over it; previonsly these wheels took up a considerable amount of the tar.