AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

New Field for British Enterprise

17th December 1948
Page 45
Page 45, 17th December 1948 — New Field for British Enterprise
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

WITH commendable enterprise, Aveling

Barford, Ltd., Invicta Work s, Grantham, has, as announced in The Commercial Motor" on December 3, completed arrangements with the Austin-Western Company, of Aurora, Illinois, U.S.A., to manufacture the latter's 99H motor grader.

There is an increasing demand for machines of this type in the Commonwealth and sterling areas, but their supply from American sources is limited by the dollar position. This gives Britain a good chance of catering for a new market and in complete accord with the Arrierican interests. What is more, AvelingBarford, Ltd., will be in a good position. to supply, and hopes to make deliveries of the proved and tested machines by early 1950. It already has a large and important business in steam and motor rollers, road-making machinery, dumpers, trench-cutting machines. crawler dumpers and other products, and is giving early delivery of most of them.

At a Press meeting, during which a coloured film of the Austin-Western grader in operation was shown, the chair was taken by Mr. C. J.

Ritchie, sales director. Both Ile and Mr.

T. W. Staniar. export sales manager, expressed their appreciation of the excellent co-operation which had been given to the company by the Technical Press, and Mr. Staniar said that he was glad to note the efforts which had been made by its members to increase their export circulation. The company was receiving demands from some territories regarding which even its agents had expressed the view that there was no market.

The additional facilities provided at the new works at Newcastle and elsewhere have enabled the production of rollers to be increased to four or five times the pre-war

figure. In considering its further activities, the company had given attention to: (I) tractors and crawler tractors, (2) excavators, and (3) graders; and had decided to concentrate on a suitable grader for tale in the sterling areas. No power grader was being built by a British maker, and such a machine was considered to

offer the best opportunity. Self-propelled machines of this type were developed between 1934 and 1935, and the war brought them into prominence in connection with the rapid construction of aerodromes and roads.

The negotiations with the Austin-Western concern started only in April and were completed in October. It will be a continuing link, so that the British company can keep abreast with all improvements developed in America.

The 991-1 grader is an extraordinarily versatile machine. It drives and steers on all four wheels and is propelled by an oil engine, which in the British version will also be produced here. The back wheels and front wheels can occupy different tracks, and the blade can be raised to a high angle to deal with the sides of roads or of deep ditches. The blade itself can also be shifted lengthwise in its holder and thus be extended far beyond the centre line. The steering and all movements of the blade are controlled hydraulically. Thic machine can operate just as well in reverse. Various other attachments, such as front rolls and scarifiers, will also be built here. The 99H is the first of what is intended to be a comprehensive range.

Tags

Locations: Newcastle

comments powered by Disqus