The Latest in Public Works Equipment
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SINCE the war there has been an increasing demand for British-built earth-moving equipment, and the efforts which manufacturers have made to meet it were revealed during the Public Works and Municipal Congress and Exhibition which is being held at Olympia from November 13-18. As the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders withdrew its sanction to members to exhibit motor vehicles, the display of mobile equipment is confined to excavators, tractors and ancillary equipment, road rollers and cranes.
Refuse Collectors
SheIvoke and Drewry, Ltd., Letchworth, Hens, showed a representative range of SD refuse-collection vehicles. Included was a rear ground-loading fore-and-aft tipper of 16-I8-cubic-yd. capacity. The outstanding features of this machine are the ease with which it can be loaded. Manual trimming is eliminated, and the vehicle is not dependent upon mechanical devices either for trimming or consolidation of the load.
Keen interest was shown in the new Vickers VR.180 14-ton tractor, which is powered by a Rolls-Royce supercharged oil engine developing 180 b.h.p. at a maximum governed speed of 1,800 r.p.m. The suspension system incorporates tandem bogies—a design which imparts great flexibility, thus enabling the tractor to travel fast over irregular terrain.
Aveling-Barford, Ltd., Grantham, introduced the Aveling-Austin 99-H motor grader, in which a Leyland 100 b.h.p. oil engine provides the power. This machine drives and steers on all wheels. The company also showed five dumpers ranging in capacity from f cubic yd. to 9 cubic yds. The latter is claimed to be the largest of its type built in this country. It is a rear tipper powered by a Dorman oil engine developing 135 b.h.p. As with the cubic-yd. machine, this rear tipper has two-way steering and four speeds both forward and in reverse.
The latest addition to the range of mechanical-handling equipment made by E. Boydell and Co., Ltd., Manchester, is the LIU hydraulic loader, which was shown for the first time. Powered by a 35 b.h.p. petrol engine, this loader is of unusually small dimensions, and as the turning circle is only
15 ft., it is well suited for use in confined spaces. It has the ability to load at the rate of 20 tons per hour, and unload more than 25 tons per hour. The L.H.1 measures 10 ft. 6 ins. in overall length, is 4 ft. 3 ins, wide, and only 5 ft. 1 in. high.
Of comparatively recent introduction to this country is the Tract Continental tractor, which is handled in this country by Continental Tractor (Great Britain), Ltd., Faggs Road, Feltham, Middlesex. This concern showed five of these machines ranging from 70 b.h.p. to 36 b.h.p.
They are of the crawler type, and the CP 36, the smallest in the range, is powered by a Perkins P4 oil engine. The machine has a drawbar pull in first gear of 5,600 lb. The largest in the range, the CB 70, is powered by a Berliet 70 b.h.p. oil engine.
A new Caterpillar tractor of 130 b.h.p. was shown by H. Leverton and Co., Ltd , Spalding, Lincs. The ancillary equipment featured included a Birtley No. 8A hydraulic dozer and a Birtley No. 80 scraper.
Marshall, Sons and Co., Ltd„ Britannia Works, Gainsborough, introduced a prototype model in the Fowler Challenger Mark I oil-engined crawler tractor, This new model is powered by a Marshall two-cylindered two-stroke oil engine which develops 50 b.h.p. at 1,200 r.p.m. The Fowler Challenger Mark II, another exhibit, has an 80 b.h.p. two-cylindered two-stroke oil engine.
Petrol-driven and battery-electric versions of the Lewin Universal mechanical sweeper were exhibits by Lewin Road Sweepers, Ltd., Victoria Works, West Bromwich. The Lewin sweeper is a three-wheeled machine of the pedestrian-controlled type, suitable for use in factories. The petroldriven model is powered by a singlecylindered air-cooled four-stroke unit. It is claimed for the battery model that it will give an average of from three to four hours' continuous opzeation on one charge.
Among the exhibits of John Allen and Sons (Oxford), Ltd.. Cowley. Oxford, was the Model K shovel or crane, which is powered by a Dorman 63 b.h.p. oil engine. This equipment is readily convertible for use as a shovel, trench hoe, crane or for dragline work. As a shovel it has a capacity of a k cubic yd., and as a trench hoe I cubic yd.
Blaw Knox, Ltd., Clifton House, Euston Road, London, N.W.1, staged a range of scrapers and graders and a new type of excavator.
Perkins-engined Loader
A recent addition to the equipment made by W. E. Bray and Co., Ltd., Faggs Road, Feltham, Middlesex, is the 1-cubic-yd. Bray Hydraloader, which follows the i-cubic-yd. model in its general design. Both types were shown, the new machine having a Perkins P6 oil engine, and the smaller-capacity model a petrol unit. Both types are based on a Fordson tractor.
Representative examples of power shovels and cranes and shunting tractors and dumpers were shown by the Chaseside Engineering Co., Ltd., Hertford.
The three fines cranes exhibited by George Cohen and Sons, Ltd., Wood Green, London, N.I2, were for loads of 15 cwt., 2 tons and 4 tons respectively. The smallest machine is powered by a 6 thp, air-cooled petrol engine, whilst the two larger models have water-cooled oil engines.
A TD-24 crawler tractor with Bucyrus Erie scraper and bulldozer, and a TD-14-A crawler tractor were the exhibits of the International .Harvester Co., of Great Britain. Ltd., 259, City Road, London. E.C.1 The f D-24 tractor gives a drawbar pull in first gear of 33,600 lb. at the rated governed engine speed, whilst the 10-14-A, which products 60.5 b.h.p. at the drawbar. gives a drawbar pull on first gear of 14,400 lb.
A sectioned Perkins P6 (TA) oil engine was shown in motion on the stand of F. Perkins, Ltd., Peterborough. This unit is designed for installation in proprietary makes of wheeled, halftrack and full-track tractor. The fourcylindcred version of this unit, known as the P4 (TA), is adapted to fit in the Nuffield Universal tractor, in which it is standardized.
A complete vehicle and a number of chassis were staged by Tomlinson (Electric Vehicles), Ltd., Chellenham Road, Witney, Oxford. The Tomlinson is a pedestrian-controlled machine capable of dealing with loads of up to I ton. The 1 h.p. traction motor drives the overhead-worm-driven rear axle through a short universally jointed shaft.
Another pedestrian controlled machine shown was the Winget Mechanical Moke made by Winget. Ltd., Rochester. It is a three-wheeled design in which the power unit and transmission are unit-mounted with the steered wheel.
Excavators were shown by Thomas Smith and Sons (Rodley), Ltd.. Leeds, Ruston-Bucyrus, Ltd.. Lincoln, and Ransomes and Rapier, Ltd., Ipswich.
The Paxit refuse-collection vehl.cle shown by Dennis Bros., Ltd., Guildford, is dealt with on page 255