BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW.
Page 10
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A New Half-axle Which Adds Two Forward Gears and One Reverse to Ford 'Transmission.
THE MAN who first thought of bridging the gap between the high gear and the low gear of the Ford transmission set many busy brains at work, and the problem has been approached from more than one angle. The latest effort to give the Ford ,,reater flexibility in handling is the production of the Rockstell axle, which just doubles the number of gears available (increases the two forward gears to four in number and provides a lower auxiliary reverse) and thus renders the vehicle suitable for cooditions of road and load which do not exactly accord with the general level to which the Ford unaltered is best suitAd. The RUckstell axle consists of is half axle hbusing enclosing a sun and planet gearing, 'which may be engaged or disengaged as desired to give an intermediate gear reduction, it is constructed in two sizes, the one for use in the transmission of the one-ton truck and the
ether for vans or private cars. The. Most advantageous additional gear is, of course, the one which fall a between the Ford standard high arid low gear. The gear ratios provided by the Ruckstell axle are best set out in tabular form, thus
Ford HighFord Low. Gear speed Worm. speed Worm.
4th Ford high .. 5.16 to 1 1.25 to I 3rd Fteekstell high 8.25 to 1 11.56 toI Srid Ford law ... 14.2 10 1 19.95 to 1
let EtnekFteti low 22.7 to 1 31.92 to I
Ford reverse ... 20.6 to 1 29 to I Ruokstell reverse 32.9 to 1 46.4 to I
• The advantageous additional gear is thus the new "3rd speed," which, on the high-speed worm, bridges the gap between 5.16 to 1 and 14.2 to I by means of an 8.25 to 1 reduction. On the 7.25 to 1 ratio we have an 11.26 to 1 gear acting as a step down to the 19.95 to 1 gear. In the
826
case of emergency, the extremely low gears given on the standard low arid reverse positions ensure that a vehicle could extricate itself from the worst ground or climb almost anything.
The conversion of a Ford by its equipment with this special axle does not take very long, nor is the operation at all difficult or complicated. One point which should give considerable confi deuce in the device is that it has some sort of approval from the makers of the vehicle, who usually do not look with
any favour upon any departures from standard practice. The Ruelcstell axle is therefore only purchasable from or through recognized Ford dealers, and they are prepared to effect the necessary alterations to a vehicle netv or old. The left half of the axle housing is replaced by a new 'housing, and the Ruckstell gear is bolted up to the worm wheel, and the necessary lever and connections are fitted to the propeller-shaft housing, the change then being complete. The intermediate gear can be used on those occa-sions when the Ford high gear is too much for the engine and when there is the tendency to hang on to it instead of changing to the low one and losing considerable speed. In traffic particularly the intermediate gear is, obviously, of great advantage as it enables a van to pick up quickly. In practice it is found that 90 per cent. of the gradients and restarts which call for the use of the low gear can be negotiated with the Ruckstell intermediate gear, and there is the added advantage that the lower gear is obtained without the need for holding down the pedal.
No additional wearing parts are introduced and compelled to rotate when the normal gears are in use, as the whole of the supplementary gearing rotates as a solid when the intermediate gears are not required. The efficiency of the device is unquestioned, and the effect in use is that the two high gears (the normal and intermediate), those in engagement when the Ford gear pedal is up, do the majority of the work. There is a neutral point between one gear and the next, but in practice it is difficult to find, and no claim is made for it.
The price of the gear is £25 for the light van size and £35 for the type suitable for the one-ton truck. It Is Controlled in this country by Alfred Dugdale, Ltd., 65, Conduit Street, London,