Utility Motors in France.
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Emile Flicheux, an inhabitant of the industrious work-a-day Parisian suburb known as Clichy, sends forth the familiar cry of " knives or scissors to grind " with a note that both invites and defies competition, for while his competitors impart a razorlike edge by the old-fashioned method of pedalling, he, as a man of progress and modern ideas, employs a little h.p. motor. Under examination he admits that he is not the only one to have a power-driven knife-grinding plant, but, as he expresses it, the
others &existent pas. The superiority of the Flicheux outfit lies in the fact that the motor may propel the apparatus or drive the grinding wheels. The others who " don't exist" have to push their machines along, only getting the benefit of the motor when there is grinding to do.
No factory can claim the credit of having produced this commercial vehicle, and it is impossible to say who is responsible for the production of the motor. Like Topsy, it just " growed," first in the brain of its user, later in his little courtyard at Clichy. The water-cooled motor was discovered in the old-metal market held on the outer boulevards of Paris; the front wheels came together after doing good service on two distinct voiturettes; the tires were furnished by the second-hand specialists; the back wheel once formed part of a handcart ; a badly-smashed motorcycle supplied the muffler and belt, and, when a venerable light ear was finally scrapped, its steering wheel and brake lever were incorporated.
A belt for the motor pulley takes the drive direct to the rear wheel, the driver sitting above his driver-wheel and steering by means of an inclined column and a gear which is not of the worm and sector type. When there are knives to grind the main belt is slackened off and at the same time the belt for the grinding wheels is placed
under tension. While keeping well within legal limits, the motor knifegrinder covers four times as much ground as the " push " variety. The
motor mechanics of Suresnes and Puteaux prefer to accord their patronage to a man who is " in the trade,"
while the inhabitants of ClicIdy, being closely connected with the taxicab business, naturally look with favour upon a business man who uses petrol.
A novel and interesting type of three-wheel electric deliver), van has recently been put into service for the Printemps stores, one of the largest drapery and general goods establishments in Paris, and probably the one having quite the largest fleet of power-driven delivery vehicles. The little three-wheelers are designed for express-delivery service within the city limits, thus relieving the larger vehicles—both those which are petrolpropelled and the horse-drawn ones— which have rounds within or without the city fortifications. At the present time there are only two of these little vans in service, but an order for 30 more has already been placed, and when these have been delivered they
will be allotted to districts, with the advantage that the driver of any one machine will always operate in one neighbourhood ; he will therefore be able to get about from point to point with the least-possible loss of time. The company responsible for the eleetries announces that a factory for their construction will very shortly be in working order in tlra neighbourhood of Paris, and that orders have already been received from the Louvre and Bon Marche stores. We reproduced a line drawing showing the method of transmission adopted, in our report of the Berlin exhibition (see issue of 26th December, 1907, p. 380).
As will be seen from the illustrations included below, the electric is small and obviously is intended only for light service. Its total weight is 1,100 lb., and it is intended to carry a useful load of 400 lb. Its feature is the front-wheel drive by means of an electric motor that takes current from a 20-cell storage battery. A drop type of channel-section pressed-steel frame is employed, the two members being
upset and united at the front. It is on the front portion of this frame that the electric motor is carried. The drive is taken from the motor to the front wheel, by means of a vertical propeller shaft and bevel gearing. A plunger type of universal joint is fitted to the driving shaft. The method of carrying the wheel, which acts both as driver and steerer, is by the original method of employing a reinforced mudguard in place of forks. This form of construction is clearly shown in one of the illustrations ; the extremities of the mudguard are united by two stout steel bars, and between them the wheel is carried with its axle secured transversely to the bars. No springing whatever is employed. Steering is effected by means of a tiller, which is fixed directly to the head of the column on which the motor is mounted. The storage battery is carried under the single seat provided for the driver. The motor is controlled by means of a lever on the righthand side of the driver, and a pedal is provided for operating the brakes on the rear wheels.
A valuable feature of this type of vehicle is the ease with which it can be handled in traffic. By means of the castor wheel in front and the very low centre of gravity it is possible to turn one round in its own length and safely to make turns at high speed. The rear wheels merely carry the weight of the body and the useful load, and are mounted on an I-section steel axle.
At the present time the vehicles are averaging 40 miles a day in Paris on one charge, although their maximum on one charge is 60 miles. The average speed is 12 miles an hour. The body
work shown in the illustration is 48 in. by 33 in. by 33 in. The body is carried on semi-elliptic springs. Pneumatic tires are used on all three wheels, the oimensions being 700 mm. by 75 mm. '.1.1e front tire is steel studded ; the rear ones are plain. In is declared by the makers that the next series of cars to be put into circulation will be equipped with accumulators supplied by an English firm, and that the dead weight of the vehicle will be reduced.
The Printemps Stores has had a long experience with power vans, igs present equipment consisting of 45 vehicles, mostly four-cylinder Panhards, for heavy work and two-cylinder Renaults for light work. All suburban deliveries are done by motervan, whilst its 40 horse-drawn vans are employed in Paris principally for trans-. parting light but bulky furniture.