A Vacuum Road Cleanser.
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A Considerable Advance On Road-sweepers is Marked by this Example of Hill's Vacuum Road Cleanser.
It is very significant that at a time like the Present, when all of us (and in particular, municipal and similar. bodies) are being enjoined to bear strictly in mind the urgent need of economy, and when the curtailment of all but absolutely essential expenditure is being enforced, that such native interest in the coramer-; eial vehicle, in all its various forms, should be taken by our local authorities. We have drawn attention to this feature on several occasions of late, and We were able, furthermore, so recently as in our issue for the .9.,7th ult., to give particulars of costs for the use of motor roadsiveepers as ascertained by three borough councils. To us, and to others besides, who apprecia.to to the full the real economies effected in the majority if not in all ca.sez by the gilbstitution Of mechanical haulage for animal traction, the re1a4vo results are notstrange ; to those, however, not .yetconverted to the' use of mechanical traction, and who are sceptical of the real extent of the savings effected, we recommend a study of the motor-sweeper.
A Road-sweeper That Carries Its Sweepings.
These reflections are consequent upon an inspection which we recently made of a most up-to-date type of motor road-sweeper. Its trade description—" Hill's Patent Motor Vacuum Road Cleanser "—is a misnomer, since the machine is not in the true sense of the word a vacuum cleaner, being really an im
B26 proved form of sweeper ; its principal departure from eStablishad usages, as exemplified by the ma' jority of the 'machines in use up to the present time, is that it carries away the road sweepings, besides removing them from the surface. ,There are several orthese machines in process of manufacture, and we were afforded the opportunity of inspecting a completed one at the garage of Clayton and Co., Ltd., in Grosvenor Road, &W.; that company being the manufacturer for the patentees Intended for Use in Holborn Borough.
The particular model which we were afforded facilities to examine is intended for the use of the Holborn Borough Council, and will be put into service, it is expected, at an early date, the preliminary formalities of "'taking over" by the Council not yet being completed.
Built on a Substantial Commer!, cial-vehicle Chassis.
As may be gathered from our illustrations, the machine consists of a petrol-driven heavy-vehicle chassis, fitted with a powerful engine, which also drives the Iargia circular brueh. The latter is contained within a steel casing ; it can, by ingenious means, be expanded sO as always to scrape the side of the casiag, and at the same time to exert sufficient pressure on the road to remove all surface dirt and dust. The sweepings are carried round by the brush and thrown off by centri
fugal force through an opening above the brush into what is described by the patentees as a reeeiver.This is a large tank capable of holding 75 cubic feet of dirt, weighing approximately three tans. Above this receiver is placed a, water tank of 100 gallons.oapacity the contents are sprayed in front of the brush, in order to lay, so far as possible, any dust which might tend to rise. For the purpose of projecting the water on to the road with the necessary force, a small pump is used, driven by the engine.
The Engine, a Very Powerful One, is a Tylor.
The latter unit. is of necessity a large and powerful one. In addition to driving the brush, and the pump for spraying the roads, it has also to propel the vehicle, which,
whea the refuse tank is nearly full, will be conveying three tons, in addition to the very considerable weight of the tanks, water, and machinery. For this reason the Tylor engine, which is also fitted as a standard to all the Karrier chassis, including the subsidy model, has been chosen. Its dimensions are 5 ins. and Bans. bore and stroke respectively. The chassis is provided with three speeds forward and a reverse ; i there s direct driVe on top gear. The propulsive transmission from the gearbox, which is bolted up to the engine, ia by means of a pair of bevels to a long ghat carried in a casing at the side of the chassis, and it conveys the power, per Worm and wheel, to a differential and crossshafts, situated a short distance in front of the rear road wheels. The final transmission is by chains. "
• Brush Readily Controlled.
The brush is-driven from the frent end of the engine, through a clutch which is operated by an additional control, lever, and is entirely independent of the ordinary chassis mechanism ; it can be revolved whether the chassis is moving or not, and may also be stopped when the vehicle is travelling ; it is 4 ft. in diameter and 7 it. long, and extends SO that it is possible to sweep the edges of the pavement equally as efficiently as the middle of the road.. It is made up of 20 small brushes,
each of which is slung in the outer ends of a pair of levers which are carried as to their other ends by nuts on a shaft on which is cut a right and left-hand screw-thread. By revolving this shaft, the diameter of the brush can be altered at will, and in this manner it. is possible to take up any wear. It is thus feasible to use the brushes until the bristles are quite worn away. This brush revolves at a high speed, and it is claimed that owing to this velocity a considerable draught is "set up within the brush casing, tending to collect by suction all dust.
It is claimed that a minor advantage of the method of spraying the road with Water as the machine proceeds is that a disinfectant may be added to the water, and thus the roads be actually disinfected during the process of sweeping.