"TRANSPORTER" BODIES.
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A Résumé of Recently Published Patents.
In certain eireurnetancee removable bodies for motor lorries have pronounced advantages. They are used in various forms and each of the devices which we have seen has ,nad something lacknag; there has always been'some objection or other to it—nut am objection strong enough to preclude its use altogether, but at least of. suttees:elf -ileirertante to limit the sphere-of uSeramesssoi
the equipment. We are afraid that similar criticisms can be levelled at the arrangement which' is; described in patent specification No. 1138.264, by C. M. Calataynd. The bodies, or platform, in this design are provided with legs, preferably, as might' be imagined, four, and they are al: exte.nsible, being tefescopic. The length. is variableeby means of a screw jack or lever jack, which may be arranged to operate all four legs simultaneously, two together or singly..
The frame of the chassis le of the usual type. It may be 'fitted xith superstructure to carry the bodies, which may be either skeletonic or actually serve as a piatiorm . top itself. Whatever its design, it should be the same width as that over the wheels of the chassis. The loose platform stands on its faux legs while it is being leaded'. The legs are lengthened, iraising the platform so as to permit the lorry to be reversed into 'position with 'the top of the vehicle under the indenendent7plat= form. The leg :are thensnortenee andthe platform settles down On the lorry top, ready to be removed._ Meantime a, second loose platform is being loaded, and may be takenaway iff the same manner either by the same eaanother motor vehicle. The extended use of these platforms will be well known, and no further description need be given.. It is warthy of note, however, thatithe inventor suggests that the platforms may be, when unloaded and oi no further use in any particular locality, -carried away in numbers, nested one above the
other. •
A Three-wheel-driven Agri motor.
No. 137,797 has reference to a previous invention by the same patentee, P. -G. B. Damaizin. It describes detail improvements to a three-Wheeled agricultural tractor, all the wheels of which are drivers. • There are two wheels at 'one side of the tractor, one near each end, and. the third is at the other side, in the middle. The two wheels on the One side act also as steering wheels, that on the other is a plain driving wheel on a rigid axle. The engine i3 iinmediately to the inside of the one nonsteering wheel, and is so placed that the starting handle shaft projects through. the hub of that wheel. One of the features of the invention is the ingenious manner in which the handle is arranged, and the method whereby it is kept out of the way while the tractor is travelling. The engine drives thresugh the usual gearbox and clutch to a set of three bevelwheels, from each of which a car. dan shaft runs to one of the -three driving wheels.. The final drive in every case is by pinion and internal gear, the latter
being bolted to the road wheel. For the steering wheels the drive to the pinion of the final drive is through a pair of bevels, which are carried in a casing which is secured to thee steering pivot and moves with -the wheel. The universal joints of the cardan shafte are of the telescopio type, and sufficient fire& dom of movement is provided to allow of the wheels being turned in either direction for .steering.
The arrangement of the steering rear
is described in the specification : it allows of the machine being driven to and,fro without-inconvenience, two seats -being fitted, and duplicate controls. The, ploughshares are lifted by cables, and an: ingenious method of automatically raising and lowering them at the weds of the furrows is described.
An Air-jacketed Engine.
The 8.A.A.G. :Peugeot provide the engine with an air, jacket instead of a water jacket for cooling purposes and circulate the cooling medium by means of an elongated Roots blower, which is fitted in a casing over the top of the cylinders and driven by belt or other suitable means from the engine shaft. The blower collects air from above and propels it downwards on to the cylinder head, whence it is conducted, by suite able passages, over the exterior of the cylinder walls, making its exit through hoses at the bottom of the jacket. The epeCification number is No. 138,966.
Detail Improvements.
A petrol filter, which has the merit of being an. all-metal one, or, more particularly, a gauzeless one, is the subject of a patent by T. Giusti, the number of the specification being No. 138,249. The inward and ootward duets are prolonged into the ieterier of the filter. The inlet prolongation pesees inside that of the outlet, so that the, fuel has to pass inside the letter, and then find its way out of it again to the exterior of the prolongaUm It passee thence to the carburete ter through a series hi small drilled holes, A well of ample capacity is provided for 'retaining foreign matter.
Caterpillar Tractors, Ltd., in No. 138,271 place a duet separator in the inlet air pipe to the carburetter. It consists of a, flat, circular chamber. The . air enters at the circumference, tangentialiv, and thus receives a whirling Motion. It leaves at the centre. Dust is thrown out by centrifugal force aml is collected in a well, for the cleaning ef which special provision is made.
The commutator for Fords described in No. 138,234 has the advantage that the terminals can. all be placed together, -instead of being spread all round the casing. The patentee is P. W. Corless.
G. IL Jones, in No. 138,219, secures a quarter-elliptic spring to the frame, by wedging it against a special bracket inetead. of by bolting it direct The carburetter described by E. Dodson, is specification No. 138,177, provides for the over-correction of the mixture at high speeds, giving a mixture, in those circumstances, of the minimum rielmese. -This is effected+ by ya secondary Set. Thereafter an additional fuel supply may be switched in, automatically or otherwise, to give a. mixture which will afford maximum power.. .