THE A.E.C. PROGRAMME FOR 1923.
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LAST WEEK the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., Walthamstow, London, E.17, inaugurated the first of what is hoped to be a series of conventions for old and new A.E.C. agents. During the past year the company have appointed over 20 agents in various parts of the country, and many of these, until last week, had not been able to pay a visit to the Walthamstow Works, and it was helped by the company that the convention would be the means of giving the agents an insight into the working of this factory and a better knowledge of the vehicles which form the standard productions.
The party met at the offices of Messrs. Walford and Co. (of Calcutta), 11, Haymarket, London, S.W. the A-B.C. Indian representatives, ar;c1 was conveyed in two S-type double-dock buses and a single-decker to the Waltharnstow factory. Here the party split up into squads, each of which was taken round the works by a separate route, so as to avoid confusion. The party which included our representative was piloted by Mr. C. K. Edwards, the chief designer, who rendered the tour so interesting that we are afraid that he had some difficulty in adhering to the time schedule.
It was meet that the tour should commence with the goods-inward department, whence the various materials were followed through the view rooms and rough stores to one of the huge machine shops, and thence to the heat-treatment department, which is certainly one of the finest in the country. It is provided with electric pyrometers, each of which has its own indicating dial, whilst all are connected to a master dial in an office at one end of the department. Here a clerk can take the readings of any of the furnaces; as a matter of fact, the readings are taken in rotation and a curve plotted for each furnace, so that, in the case of any fault in the pyrometers or in any batches of treated materials, a reference can be made to the temperatare of the furnaces at any particular time.
We have not the space at. our. disposal to enter as fully as we would like into the many interesting and instructive points in production. We were, however, particularly taken with the method -utilized for facing crankcases and other parts. This used to bo one of the tasks requiring the most skill ; now the faces are simply lapped with emery and oil on a cast-iron revolving table, which gives them .so perfect a surface that it is almost unnecessary to insert any jointing material.
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In the gear-cutting department we noted that. all external splines are cut on Barber-Coleman generating machines. This entirely obviates the multiplication of error which often occurs when each spline is cut separately and the article rotated by means of a dividing head.
A break was then made and the party conveyed to the Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford, where Mr. H. Kerr-Thomas, the resident director, presided at lunch. After this a group photograph was taken and the party returned to the factory to inspect chassis and engines undergoing tests.
All the engines are tested on British Thomson Houston dynamometers, of which eight are installed. Each engine, on its arrival from the assembly depart. ment, has its crankcase filled with oil to half an inch above the top level of the troughs, and is then motored for 1* houra at speeds ranging from 500 r.p.m. to 1,500 r.p.m., after which it is started up under its own power and run light for a further hour, commencing at 800 r.p.m. and finishing at 1,400 r.p.m. It is then put on full load, and has to give 52 b.h.p. at 1,350 r.p.m.
Each complete chassis is tested on a dynamometer consisting of a rear axle fitted with drums in place of road wheels. To this is connected a standard gearbox, from which is driven a fan, coupled up to it by a short shaft from the front end. The whole assembly is sank below the ground level, with the exception of the drums, upon which rest the rear wheels of the new chassis. Tests made with this apparatus replace those usually rnadeon the road, except that for brakes, and have proved highly satisfactory.
Much appreciation was expressed by the guests for the very thorough manner in which everything had been explained to them and for the way in which they had been entertained. During the convention the opportunity was taken of bringing to the notice of the agents and other guests the policy of the company with regard to the programme of production for 1023.
It was pointed out that, in addition to the ordinary models, it is the intention of the company to produce an 8-10-ton six-wheeled tractor-lorry and a. 2-ton chassis, and we think that it would be interesting to our readers if we reproduce brief specifications of these two machines.
The power unit of the tractor-lorry has form cylinders, cast in pairs, with a bore and stroke of 135 ram. and 170 mm. respectively, developing 65 b.h.p. at 1,000 r.p.m, The valves are all on one side, and the lubrication is by Pump to troughs. A pump is also used for circulating the cooling water.
Power is conveyed through a Ferodofaced oone clutch with an angle of 16 degrees to a four-speed spur-typo gearbox with ratios of 5.12 to 1, 2.875 to 1, 1.625 to 1, and direct drive on fourth gear.
The rear axle consists of a pressedsteel casing reinforced with high-tensile steel tubes carrying the road wheels, which run on roller bearings. The final drive is by overhead worm carried in a 'detachable worm c.Raing and geeing a,
gear ratio of 9,33 to 1. The cardan shaft runs in a tubular torque member with a spherical head enclosing the Spicer-type universal joint.
The frame of the tractor portion is of channel-section rolled steel, with the engine and gearbox carried on a subframe. The trailer frame is constructed of similar material, with a. width of 1,080 mm. The height of this frame at the rear, when loaded, is 30 ins., and the height over the turntable is 47 ins., whilst the length provided for body space is 20 ft.
Both the hand and foot brakes operate on drums in the driving wheels. The hand-brake shoes in the driving wheels and on the trailer wheels are pneumatically operated by Westinghouse apparatus, whilst in the event of the trailer portion becoming detached from the tractor, automatic braking occurs on all four wheels. The approximate axle weights, with the vehicle carrying 8 tons net load in the body, are : Front 4,000 lb., centre 14,000 lb., rear 14,000 lb., and the maximum weight of the vehicle without the body is 12,000 lb. The tyres are 920 mm. by 140 mm. all round, singles being provided for the front wheels only.
The new A.E.C. 2-ton chassis has a four-cylinder monobloc engine with detachable head and a bore and stroke of 100 mm. and 140 mm. respectively. The power from this is conveyed through a cone-type clutch to a. four-speed spur-type gearbox with the usual form of transmission brake final drive being by worm gearing. The frame is constructed of pressed steel and the wheels are of caststeel, suitable for solid tyres, 90 mm. for 771 mm. rims, except in the ease of the 18-20-seater passenger vehicle, which has 38-in. by 7-in, pneumatics at the rear and 36-in. by 6-in, at the front. The wheelbase of the last-named vehicle is 15 ft. 6 ins. and that of the lorry chassis 12 ft. The chassis weight is about 4.2C0 lb. and the frame height with the vehicle laden is 28 ins.