A Continental Chassis
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
with Under-frame Engine RATHER late the German commercial-motor industry has realized the advantages of a short wheelbase and of increasing load area by some means such as arranging the driver's
seat alongside the engine. Travelling recently through the south of Germany our representative met a "cavalcade" of anonymous lorries evidently on a trial trip, and apparently having the engine low down under a superimposed driver's cab. They were of neat appearance and the incident recalled that last year the Hanemag Co. introduced an interesting lorry having a four-cylindered oil engine slung horizontally under the frame behind the front axle. This lorry has since become popular in Germany. It is a 4-tonner.
From material now available we learn that this oiler has an overall length of 19 ft. on a wheelbase of only 11 ft. 7 ins., with a track at the front of 5 ft. 41 ins., and at the rear of 5 ft. 21 ins. Despite these small measurements the available load area is 13 ft. 11 in. long and 6 ft. 7 ins, wide, and the driver's cab over the front axle is so spacious that it can accommodate four adults. The lorry can be turned in a road 26 ft. wide, and is capable of maintaining a speed of 30 m.p.h. The chassis is sold with a lorry body, as a van or equipped with bus bodywork.
Far from being inaccessible the horizontal engine -.ppears actually more get-at-able than in normal layouts. The engine, clutch and gearbox form a unit which is suspended at three points on rubber. The engine is carefully encased, but the housing can quickly be removed without trouble. It is thus possible to reach the valve mechanism and injection nozzles by unscrewing the cylinder-head cover.
For lubrication of the rockers even this is not necessary, because a special long and narrow opening is provided in this cover, the lid of which can' more readily be opened than the whole cover. From the . right side the main bearings are similarly accessible.
The transmission to the rear axle, which, like the front axle, has ernielliptic springs, is quite normal.
The engine is a four-cylindered unit with integrally cast cylinder block and crankcase. Wet liners are. inserted. The bore and stroke are 105 mm. and 150 mm. respectively, giving a swept volume of 5.200 litres, and the engine develops 55-60 b.h.p. at 1,500 r.p.m. The engine has ante-chambers lying horizontally under the valves,