CHASSIS FOR LORRIES AND 'BUSES.
Page 11
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
How the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., the Builders of London's Buses, are Catering for Goods and Passenger Transport.
NTOW that the new K-type omnibus has won its i : trels by several months' arduous service on the streets of London, and it has achieved considerable popularity owing to its smooth, silent running seri comfortable seating accommodation, much attei sl OD IS naturally being directed to the, now fame r. works at Walthamstow, where this vehicle, seam ,ssiz 'her types, is being manufactured. Many parse zs '‘' .. 0 . see these works for the first time are astoue ,,,) it their enormous size, but it must be remembered that the whole of London's omnibuses emanate from this quarter, and although the B-type is now being replaced by the K, it is not because the former model gave unsatisfactory service, but merely because of London's traffic requirements in the way of extra seating accommodation.
Apart from their activities in this direction, the company manufacture a large number of goods and passenger-carrying vehicles for all quarters.
The Y-type chassis are similar in many respects to their prototype the B, although much superior : for instance, the Hitch-plate type of frame used on the B is not used in this chassis, a standard type pressed -channel section steel frame of great depth being employed for this purpose, and a gearbox with spur gears giving four forward speeds and a reverse is utilized. The K-type is being sold as a, passengercarrying vehicle, and also as a lorry with a capacity. of three tons. Four models will be shown by the company at Olympia. These will consist of two K:types, one with a lorry body with hinged and detachable.sides, electric lighting and permanent cab over the driver, who, in addition, is protected by an adjustable windscreen. The other has a single deck saloon omnibus body, and runs on Michelin steel disc wheels fitted with single pneumatic; tyres at the front and twin pneumatics at the rear. This bus, which is an exceptionally handsome production, has a seating accommodation for 32 passengers, and is fitted up with dynamo electric lighting. The other two exhibits wirt. be of the Ytype, one a Y.G. 4 ton hydraulic tipping wagon with a steel body and tailboard hinged at the top, and single ram hydraulic end tipping gear situated between the cab and the body and operated by apump driven. from the gearbox layshaft. The other is a Y.J. type passenger chassis fitted with a char-asbancs de luxe body with seating for 28 persons, and Provided with a table round which the seats are positioned. The body is upholstered in leather, and the vehicle runs on Michelin steel disc wheels, provided with Michelin pneumatic tyres.
A noteworthy feature about the exhibits is that they will all have engines of the company's own manufacture, those of the K-type chassis being of 30 h.p., and those of the two Y-type chassis of 45 h.p. Both these types of engines have been given a thorough test and have proved even more satisfactory than their designers thought possible. It will not be out of place to give a short description of the Y and K-type chassis. The Y-type has a four-cylindered engine, in which the cylinders are of the L-headed type and cast in pairs, the valves being on the near side. The magneto in also on this side and is driven by a flexible leather coupling ; in fact, a special feature about the whole engine is that all the important parts which may require attention are kept on the near side, so that, if necessary in the future, the driver can be positioned at the side of the engine, as is now done in the K-type. The Zenith carburetter is previded with a hot-water-jacketed inlet pipe, and a centrifugal type governor is driven by skew gears from the rear end of the camshaft ; incidentally, this governor is adjustable from 12 m.p.h. to 17 m.p.h. The whole engine is suspended from two • straight cross members, the attachment being at one point at the front and two at the rear. Cooling is effected by a. east aliuninium radiator of the header and bottom tank type, and is assisted by a four-bladed cast aluminium fan, provided with an adjustable pulley and driven by a Whittle belt. The clutch is of the external cone type, with direct withdrawal gear, the rear end of the clutch shaft being splined and allowed to slide in one member of a Hardy disc joint ; incidentally, two of these joints are provided for the clutch shaft. The rear joint is covered by a small drum, on which acts, when necessary, a clutch brake operated by a pull-on rod from a lever on the clutch pedal shaft. The four-speed-and-reverse spur type gearbox is suspended from two straight cross members, at the front by an eye bolt, and at the rear by two long bolts passing through the gearbox. The latter has a cover giving the maximum opening and, in addition, ha S a. small hinged cap for the insertion of oil ; in passing, it may be mentioned that the gearbox is a one-piece steel casting. Two cardan joints of the completely enclosed, annular ball-race type are situated between the gearbox and the overhead worm-driven rear axle. The propeller shaft is splined at one end, and the rear end. is allowed to slide in one member of the rear joint.
Both brakes operate on drums bolted to the rear wheels, the drum for each set of shoes being separate. The channel-steel frame is of unusually deep sectionl tapered to the, front and rear, but otherwise straight. The IC-type chassis has already been described in detail in our pages. It differs radically in many respects from the Y-type. As is well known, the driver is positioned at the offside of the engine, giving the maximum possible loading space. The bore and stroke of the four-cylindered engine are 100 mm. and 140 ram. respectively. It is inclined in the frame., as is also the gearbox, in order to give a straight-line drive to the underneath worm-driven rear axle, which, incidentally, is provided with a torque member anchored at its front end to a cross member.
The dive is taken through a multiple-disc clutch, which glves remarkably smooth engagement, to a three-speed-and-reverse gearbox of the silent chain type. Two steel disc universal joints are employed on the clutch shaft and two annular ball-race-type joints on the propeller shaft.
The frame is of flitch-plate construction with wood centre, and for omnibus work the near-side member is extended beyond that on the offside in order to carry thvonductor's platform.
The ratio is altered to suit various purposes, the standard ratio of the K-type being st to 1, whereas on the Y-type it can be 8i to 1, 74 to 1; or 61 to 1.
Both vehicles axe fitted with the well-known A.E.C. type volute springs, which relieve the rear springs of much of the load when the vehicles are laden.