A New Electric Agricultural Tractor.
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rilHE ackimpanying illustration
shows a new electric tractor which has been recently introduced 'by Messrs. Dodds and Clark„ Somnerfield. Works, Eladdington, and which attracted much attention at the recent Highland Agricultural Show at Aberdeen. The machine is the invention of Mr, A. T. Clark, sole member of the firm, and Mr. F. W. H. Shepherd, the works manager, who are seen with an example of their tractor, in our accompanying illustrationn.
• The main feature of this tractor, which is designed primarily for agricultural purposes, is the steering, which is arranged for easy manipulation of the tractor at the headlands, without turning, the ploughs or other implements being fitted at both the back and front of the machine. The steering gear has a triple action controlled by a lever on top of the steering wheel. When the tractor is traversing a field, steering is effected by the front or back pair of wheels, according to the direction of movement, the other pair of wheels being locked to the frame. At the headland all four wheels steer in echelon to permit moving sufficiently to tackle new ground.
Th,1 machine is intended for use where a supply of electric power is available, this being conducted to the . machine by a cable which is mounted in a special coiling device located under the canopy. The mechanism, which is driven by a small 1 h.p. electric motor, is so arranged that it takes up or pays out the cable during the travel of the
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tractor across the field. The actual motor used for propulsion purposes is a • Ransome 25 h.p. 400-volt three-phase 50-cycle type. It is located towards one end of the machine and transmits its power through gearing and a short vertical, shaft to a central shaft, from whence it is further transmitted fore
and aft to the differentials of the two axles, all four wheels being driven.
Although the machine is admittedly still in the experimental stage, it has already given satisfactory results in actual trials, as an outcome of which the makers inform us they have received a large number. of enquiries.