F.W.D.

12th November 1929, Page 164

12th November 1929

Page 164

Page 164, 12th November 1929 — F.W.D.

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rtin the engineer there is always a wealth of interest on the F.W.D. stand, as the maker concentrates upon the production of vehicles which are intended to tackle some very difficult haulage problems. The quota of machines that is shown demonstrates, to a certain extent, the activities of the company, but nothing like the full rangs, of course, can be accommodated in the space which is available. One of the most interesting new pro

duets is the 6-ton low-loader with a refuge-collection body ; all its mechanical parts are concentrated at the forward end, leaving the loading platform unobstructed—there are not even wheelarches to be considered. This end is attained by fitting 20-in. solid-tyred wheels to the dead axle at the rear. The drums in these wheels house both set of brakes. The drive from the

four-cylinderecl engine passes through a lick-Skew clutch and a transverse silent-chain drive to an ingenious sevenspeed gearbox in which only 13 pinions are used. The drive is then conveyed by an open propeller shaft to the front axle; 36-in. by 8-in, pneumatic tyres

are fitted to the wheels on this axleThe loading height is 2 ft. Of in.

The four-wheel-drive tractor employs an engine of the same general design, but it has a larger bore to contend with the very heavy loads which it will encounter in its normal service. The power unit drives through a silent chain running from the clutch shaft to the gearbox, which gives, in all, seven for ward and three reverse speeds. Power is then taken forward to a vertical silent-chain drive on the front axle. The lower sprocket of this drive is mounted upon the pinion shaft of the front-axle bevel gear; from the rear face of the transmission-brake drum, on the bevel shaft, the propeller shaft runs to the rear axle. All four wheels steer as well as drive and Lockheed hydraulic brakes are used in all the drums. The wheelbase of this interesting machine is only 7 ft.; 38-in. by 9-in. tyres are used. It is interesting to note that the turning-circle diameter is only 26 ft. and the overhang at both ends is practically negligible, so that manceuvring is an easy task. The rigid six-wheeled 8-tanner incorporates an interesting form of suspension, which permits travelling over almost any surface. The model shown

has an A.E engine; and the .C. 95 b.h.p. engi

latest modifications in its design are the inclined housings for the vertical drives to the axles of the bogie. All wheels are driven. The 6-ton tipping lorry is shown with a four-cylindered engine the drive being taken to all four wheels, whilst only the forward wheels are used for steering purposes. A tractor of the waterproof type is shown. This is the model which is used by the National Lifeboat Institution for the purpose of hauling lifeboats from their houses to the sea, and the machine can run with its engine submerged, which task often has to be faced when launching a boat in a rough sea.

F.W.D.

Page 164

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