PARCEL-CARRIER PROGRESS IN GERMANY.
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Many Excellent Three-wheeled Vehicles Being Built for Loads of from 4 cwt. to 15 cwt.
CO various occasions we have drawn kJ attention to the popularity in Germany and Austria of light delivery vehicles based, to a considerable extent, on motorcycle practice. This week we are able to give illustrations and certain particulars of several more threewheeled vehicles, an interesting example of which has recently been put on the market by the Scharrer and Gross Motorenfabrik, of Nuremberg. This vehicle, which is known as the Velox, is designed to carry a useful lead of 10 cwt. in addition to the driver and a delivery boy. -The engine supplied can be of 1150 c.c., 500 c.c. or 600 c.c. It is a single-cylindeeed ait-ecioled engine, which, together with a three-speed gearbox, is located in the fore" part of a tubular steel frame, a pinto clutch and kick-starter being also provided.
The power is transmitted to the reer axle through op. roller chains. Provision is made for taking up any slack in the chain drive, add car practice is followed as regards the pedal-operated clutch and throttle control and in the operation of the ' internal-expanding brakes on the rear wheels.
Steering is effected by means of a long bar connected with the single front wheel, which is mounted between motorcycle-type spring forks. On the bar, within convenient reach of the driver, arc fitted ignition and " decompressor levers, also a lever actuatiag the inde pendent re abed brakeeee •,
The road wheels are "of the interChangeable and " detachable steel-dise type, shot with 26-ill, by3-in. or 27-in. by 3e-iu. tyres.The'standard'vehicle is provided with an open bOdy.measurire; 3 ft. 7 ies, by 5 ft. 6 ins., the rear portion being supported on the frame through the medium of semi-elliptie
springs. Any type of body to meet users' requirements can, however, be fitted. „ The overall length of the vehicle is 11 ft: 10 ins., and the width 5 ft.
As wilt be gathered from the illustration, the vehicle has an appearance, of practicability about it, having regard to its relatively low price, which ranges from 'approximately £81 to £90, according to the size of the engine. The only drawback would appear to be the long chain drive. It is true that an effort has been made to overcome this by dividing the drive into two stages ; but this notwithstanding, the rear chain drive seems, undulylong. Apparently, however, the vehicle is proving satisfac
tory, in service, as the makers have already supplied a large number to German users.
' There is a number of other interesting three-wheeled parcel-carriers on the German market, some of these being equipped with an extra seat over the rear wheels to accommodate a passenger, or, in the case of such vehicles as emergency tenders for fire-fighting purposes, a fireman, in addition to the driver.
The Zfindapp is practically a motorcycle with the single wheel at the back replaced by a framework and • two wheels 'to carry a box of fair.size. The drive from the gearbox is by roller chain passing over a tensioning pulley to a cross-shaft with sprockets at its ends, from which roller chains drive the rear
wheels. These wheels are mounted in , swivelling forks, the rear ends of which are carried between compression springs which save the load from much of the vibration. The engine is a single-cylindered two-stroke-cycle pattern and the _load which can be carried is approximately 4 cwt.
The three-wheeled D.K.W. has a single-cylindered engine mounted over the front wheel in a manner closely ' resembling that employed in the old Phanornobile. It is a two-stroke-cycle pattern and the cylinder faces forwards. The drive is by roller chain to a clutch and Sturmey-Archer-type gear' box, and from this to a large chainwheel on the axle. An encased fan
an
flywheel assists cooling and the vehicle will carry an 8-cwt. load.
The D-Rad is quite a nice-looking machine with the engine and gearbox entirely encased. It has a load capacity of 10 cwt., a four-stroke-cycle engine of 403 c.c., a three-speed gear, and 27-in. by 3.85-in. tyres. The speed is claimed to be -up to 50.kiloms. per hour. Steering is by a wheel of the car type; well raked and comfortably arranged. Complete with an enclosed 'body as illustrated, the price in Germany is approximately £93.
The Monos resembles that just described except that the engine and gearbox are not encased, also it is rather stouter in construction and can carry loads up to 15 cwt. The D-Itatl is not sprung at the rear, but the Moues has a
swivelling
swivelling fork above which are mounted quarter-elliptic springs. Excellent points are the well-built channelsteel frame and the worm-and-wheel steering gear. A smaller model to carry 10-cwt. loads is also made.
The motor employed is the English IA.?., a sPecial four-stroke type of 85.7 tam. bore and 85 aim. stroke ; alternately, a larger model with a stroke of 104 mtn, can be provided. The gearbox gives three forward speeds and a reverse. Front the gearbox the. -drive is taken through a Ferodo-faced plate clutch, the final drive being by open roller chain. The tyres in this case also are 27 ins. by 3.85 ins. -Braking is effected through all three wheels, a hand brake working on the rear wheel only.
-The Komet is a light type threewheeled van with the driver at the rear. It is constructed to carry 12 cwt, and has one-cylindered engine of 350 c.c. One pedal operates the brakes on all three wheels and there is a hand brake on the rear wheel only. The gearbox Provides three-speeds, and the price is approximately £76.
A lighter Kornet is also made for loads of 6 cwt. This is priced at £68. We noted a curious little four-wheeler with front-wheel steering and frontwheel drive, this being known sp the 8.8.4. The motive unit was a 'Villiers twin engine, which, together with its gearbox, was unit-mounted at the front end of the chassis with a single chain running back to the front axle. Suspension was by two pairs of quarter-elliptic springs at the front and semi-elliptics at the rear. There was no differential.
A popular model appears to be the Steigboy, which has a single-cylindered engine of 79 ram. bore and 101 mm. stroke, this being a four-stroke-cycle model. It has tandem Seats for two over the single rear wheel, and a steering wheel mounted on a vertical column immediately behind the body. This little vehicle has been designed for a net load of 10 cwt.
The only water-cooled three-wheeler, so far as we could ascertain, is the
I3iihme.• he engine is mounted with , the cylinder horizontal and facing forwards. whilst the neat littleradiator is formed in one with the aluminium cylinder head. The forward portion is based on the Dame motorcycle, but the framework towards the rear is arranged in a different manner and there are two wheels for supporting the box carrier, to the front of which the petrol:tank is clipped. The hand brake works on the forward wheel and the foot brake on the two rear wheels. Low-pressure tyres are utilized.