Chars-a-bancs for Port Said.
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Interesting trials recently took place with a zoh.p. threecylinder char-A-banes by Dougill 's Engineering, Limited, ut 34 and 36, Great George Street, Leeds. A number of these vehicles have been ordered by the Port Said Motorcar Company, Egypt, and the peculiar conditions appertaining to motorcar work on the sandy roads of this part of the globe are responsible for several modifications of design in the txxly work and chassis construction. The route covered by the Dougill vehicle was from the central office of the
company, through the town of Leeds and up Roundhay Road, past Rouadhay Park, and up Wellington Hill, to
Scarcroft, Collingham and Wetherbv. Here a short sto) was made, and subsequently the run was continued to Boston Spa, whence, after another wait, the return to Leeos was accomplished via CoBingham. The whole distance run on each trip was about 30 miles, and no untoward incidern occurred. The speed of these vehicles reaches a maximuut of t6 miles per hour, with ease, on average roads.
A three-cylinder engine, developing zo brake horse-power at Soo revolutions per minute, is fitted, it can be accelerated to 1,200 revolutions per minute, at which speed 30 brake horse-power is obtained. The bore of each cylinder is inches, and the piston stroke is &inches. Two systems of ignition are supplied a Simms-Bosch high-tension magneto, and accumulators with coll.
A range of speeds varying from zero to the maximum, in both directions, is provided by means of the " Frick " double friction transmission. Plain bearings, other than those in the engine and the front-wheel hubs, are avoided; ball bearings and Hyatt's roller bearings Lake their place. These lat ter bearings are used to support the live back-axle. This is of the company's continuous type, and runs from hub to hub of the back wheels; it is in one solid piece, and of an even section throughout its length. The countershaft which carries the friction wheel and discs runs on ball bearings. Wheels of large diameter and tread are used, in order to cope with the sand about Port Said : the front wheels are shod with 5-inch single rubber tires, and the rear ones with twin 4-inch tires. The overall diameter of the back wheels is 36 inches; they have deep felloes, and a metal sheathing extends below the whole of the transmission.
Two sets of brakes are fitted to the chassis, the first being' operated by a pedal actuating shoes bearing on a drum on the differential, and the second by a side-locking lever controlling shoes on two drums on the back wheels. No strain is thrown on the driving mechanism, by the use of these 1>rakes, as all of them are independent of the chain and bear
directly on the back axle. The use of the friction gear, in its reverse motion, is also put forward by the company as a brake attachment, and it is claimed that these vehicles can be stopped, when descending any hill, by the employment of the reversing positions of the discs. No difficulty is experienced in throwing in the gear at any moment when " free wheeling," as there are no toothed wheels to deal with and get into mesh. When running free, the only part that is driven, by the chain from the back axle, is the countershaft.
The seating capacity, in addition to the driver, is 22. Five rows of seats are arranged in tiers, running transversely en the body, and each of these rows will hold four persons comfortably. In the construction of the body-work, the use of wood has been done away with as far as possible, this
ptacedure being necessary owing to the atmospheric conditions which will be encountered in service. The seats and their backs have been built up of seasoned teak laths, which are carried on forged mild-steel supports. This offers, naturally, a considerable amount of comfort in a hot climate, owing to their cleanliness and the excellent ventilation provided. "1 canopy of seasoned ash is fitted, and has, round the top, a luggage rail. The whole is supported by mildsteel angles, v.:hich are well cross-stayed to prevent sagging. The automatic sun blinds are simply arranged.