Atkinson Agitator Chassis ,
Page 32
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for Europe
ASPECIAL 16-ton-gross four-wheeled forward-control chassis has been developed by Atkinson Vehicles, Ltd., to form the basis of concrete mixer/agitators for use in Continental countries. The original design has been matched to a Dutch Mulder 4-cu.-m. drum (5.2-cu.-yd.) and has been built to comply with current West German regulations, but the design can be adapted to conform with the construction and use regulations of virtually any European country. One of the main advantages of the design is that its chassis-cab weight is in the region of 4 tons 4 cwt., this low weight enabling a larger mixer/agitator installation to be ' mounted on the chassis without exceeding a gross weight of 16 tons that is possible with most Continental chassis.
The original design as intended for final assembly in Holland has a DaimlerBeni OM 326 10.8-litre engine, which has a gross (S.A.E.) rating of 210 b.h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m., although smaller Daimler-Benz power units can be installed if required. A Z.F. AKS 6-55 six-speed synchromesh gearbox is employed, and the standard rear axle is an Eaton 19800 twospeed unit, rated for a 10-ton loading. The chosen ratios give the chassis a maximum speed of 55 m.p.h., combined with a peak gradient performance of 1 in 2.5, when equipped with the standard 11.00-20 (16-ply) tyres. The basis of this export-only Atkinson chassis is a bolted chassis frame with 10.875-in. x 3-in. x 0.3125-in, side members and four pressed-steel cross members, the rearmost member consisting of two channels placed back to back. Conventional semi-elliptic springs are employed, those at the rear being underslung. Z.E. steering, with built-in power assistance, is fitted.
Air-pressure braking has been adopted, with Girling 16-in. x 5-in, units at the front axle and Kirkstall 15.5-in. x 7-in. assemblies at the rear axle, the brakes having leading and trailing shoes in each case. The handbrake linkage is interesting in that it incorporates a German Stopfix-Bremse mechanical servo, which gives a single-pull action. This servo consists essentially of a large coil spring, which is compressed by initial movement of the handbrake lever, but which releases its energy to throw a cam over, which alters the effective mechanical advantage of the linkage, as the lever is pulled further back.
A half-cab is supplied with the chassis, this being a lightened version of the current Atkinson dumper cab at present, although later production models will have light-alloy cabs. The drive for the mixer drum is taken from the front of the engine crankshaft, multiple V-belts driving a three-piece shaft running down the right-hand side of the chassis frame. This shaft drives a Velvet Drive gearbox through a 90° bevel box.