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Granite Finish for Tipper Floor
AN unusual feature in a coal tipper recently built by Maudslays (Leeds), Ltd., for Cyril Akeroyd (Transport), Ltd., of Drighlinton, is a floor of reinforced glass fibre.
For this alternative to the normal sheet-steel, lightmetal or hardwood bottom, the manufacturers used 2 oz. glass mat, polyester-resin bonded to the tongued and grooved floor. Before hardening, the surface was sprinkled with fine granite dust.
The vehicle, which carries a 16-ft. 5-in. by 7-ft. 6-in. body, is in regular use, tipping, on an average, six times a day. A Milshaw tipping gear is employed. The manufacturers state that costs appear to compare favourably with those of conventional flooring.
Atlantic Ferries for Trailers
ANEW chapter in sea transport has come into being by the ferrying of loaded trailers across the Atlantic. The trailers are rolled aboard a specially designed vessel and run off at their destination. As an example of what can be achieved, three of these trailers were recently loaded with nearly 3,000 car tyres in Dayton, Ohio, and with 70 others, loaded into the ship, and unloaded at St..Nazaire about eight days later en route to a consignee in Limoges, 100 miles inside France. This transatlantic vessel, the A30
" Car.ib Queen," is 475 ft. long, has three decks and can carry up to 93 trailers. 100 cars and 1,000 tons of liquid cargo.
Built on the tines of a Tank landing craft, the stern, is enclosed by two huge ramps. The time for the' round trip is about 18 days, allowing eight days each way on the sea, and one day at each terminal.
Adding and Saving Power
Fr is well known that the cooling fan of a motorvehicle engine not only absorbs—and consequently wastes—considerable power, but it often exercises its cooling influence when this is undesirable.
In this connection, it is significant that the latest G.M.C. oiler embodies a fan, driven hydraulically, which operates only when it is needed. For this the claim is made that, when out -of action, 10 b.h.p. is saved, and the fuel consumption is cut by some 5 per cent. Only last week, also, details were published in this journal of a Rolls-Royce patent for a similar device, provided with a hydraulic cotipling and actuated by a' thermostatic bellows.
Incidentally, the power of the G.M.C. has been raised without supercharging by employing a new design of combustion chamber and piston contours, injectors giving greater swirl, looprtype inlets and four exhaust valves per cylinder.
New Outlook on conversions
j\MONGST the most enterprising and efficient recent entrants into the field of motor-vehicle engineering are All Wheel Drive, Ltd., Yorktown Works, Camberley, Surrey, and in this issue is included the first road test a a new 4 x 4 5-tonner conversion by them, the basis of which is a Leyland Comet.
Their work will be of special interest to users of cross-country vehicles with multi-wheel drive. From the start the company made a new approach to such conversions, a vehicle being taken as a whole and particular attention being paid to the suspension, transmission layout and interchangeability of components. Present production is principally concerned with an important Ministry of Supply contract for six-wheeled carriers for heavy-duty cranes and excavators. For these they use standard A.E.C. components wherever possible, and the need for a rigid and stable platform has involved mounting the bogie axles on unsprung walking-beams. Further production will be more general and include 4 x 4, 6 x 6 and 6 x 4 versions of well-known chassis, some having always previously had only rear drive.
A substantial order has also been secured for fourwheel-drive conversions of a new range of chassis to be announced later. Designed for all chassis up to 7-tonners is a transfer box which provides full-torque take-off from any of three positions and driving fore or aft. It provides independent selection of high or low ratio and frontwheel drive. It will also include an oil pump scavenge system.
Long-service Tributes
SOME bus companies are fortunate in being able.
to keep their personnel for many years. For example, by the end of last year, no fewer than 499 of the staff of Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd., and their subsidiary the Hastings Tramways Company, had had 25 or more years of service. They represented about 15 per cent, of the total employed, and they were recently paid a weltdeserved tribute by the chairman, Mr. R. P. Beddow, C.13.E., when he presented Jong-service awards.
Guests included that well-known personality and former managing director of the company, Mr. G. F. French, and the previous general manager Mr. P. E. Grade. A solitary. woman amongst the 150 men present was Miss B. R. Hales, who received a 25-year award. The then general manager, Mr. W. M. Dravers, who welcomed the guests, has, as has been announced, taken up an important position at the B.E.T. headquarters.