SOME IMPORTANT TASKER ACTIVITIES.
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A Tandem Motor Roller, Articulating Trailers, Dawewave Wheels.
F"'references have been made of recent years to products from the old-established Waterloo Ironworks of
Tuckers of Andover, Ltd., Andover, Hants, but the company is now produc ing a number of interesting articles of general equipment and specialities which are worthy of note. There is, for in stance, an interesting _type of tandem motor roller, known as the Auto, which is a 2k-ton machine designed particu larly for finishing work. An attractive point regarding it is the price, which is £.160 net at works, which price, how ever, does not include the water-drip attachment. • The engine employed is a single-cylin dared, water-cooled petrol unit mounted vertically with the crankshaft across the frame. A chain from a sprocket on the crankshaft drives a cross-shaft, from which a further chain connects with a large chain-wheel on the rear rolls.
' The frame is massive. It is built up mainly from angle. steel members motinted at the top and bottom of sheet-steel side plates. At the front the angle-steel girders are bolted to a stout and well-ribbed casting carrying the fulcrum pin for the front roll ; on the upper part of this pin is mounted the sector of the worm-geared steering.
For a long time the War Department has been experimenting with track chains for single-tyred six-wheelers. The great trouble has been to obtain a type of chain which will not come off in any circumstances and which will not damage or cause undue wear of the tyres, .either in the tread or w ails.
In this connection trials have recently been carried out with a new type of lightweight chain of Tasker make. The vehicle employed was a medium-type six-wheeler in cross-country trim, with a load • of three tons and equipped with 40-in. by 9-in. Dunlop low-pressure
ty res. .
The trial was of a most gruelling nature—up clay banks, through loose sand, bog and water, and on hard roads up to 25 m.p.h. Every conceivable and abnormal test was made to break the chains or to cause them to come off, but without effect, and no attention or adjustment war required. The severity of the efforts made can be judged from the fact that the same vehicle, equipped with a standard set of twintyre chains, failed on the first stretch of test ground and further tests were abandoned.
The Tacker chains are claimed to be self-cleaning and free from slip, whilst they do not damage the tyres.
During the test it was shown that they did not even wear the raised rubber lettering on the tyre walls.
The chains are.made to fit 7i-in., 9-in., and 10-in. tyres, and they are assembled in convenient sections to facilitate handling. No tool is required for putting them on or removing them., The material employed is mild steel, and the chain is so designed that any shoe or link can be readily detached for replacement or repair.
We are of the opinion that the use of any form of chain is certain to reduce the life of a tyre, but chains are essential in some circumstances, and it is a question of obtaining types which will give the longest possible life both in respect of themselves and as regards the life of the tyres. There Is an urgent need for devices of this nature which wilt render cross-country vehicles still more suited to their work and we consider that the Tacker type of chain is a long step in the right direction.
One of our illustrations shows a tractor-trailer comprising an A3-type Thornycroft with a special Tasker trailer attachment, by which it is converted into an articulating six-wheeler. An important point in connection with this trailer lies in the attachment to the chassis. This is by -means of a ball-and-socket joint capable of giving a maximum movement of 20 degrees in any direction. This means that either of the rear wheels can be jacked up 1 ft. 8 ins, without disturbing the trailer frame; similarly, the trailer wheels can be jacked up independently without disturbing the tractor Portion. We show an example in which Einelt a wheel has been jacked up to a height of 3. ft. 3 ins.
Not many of our readers are likely to have seen the curious type of wteel known as the Dawewave, which is
Intended chiefly for agricultural 4VOri: but could be adapted to transpert across country. With five-ring. wheels., of this pattern utilised on a Ford, son treetor, the machine traversed equelly well sand, bog,. ground covered with water, clay, etc., at Aldershot.
The rings forming the treads of these wheels cut into the terrain traversed and as the drive is taken -through them an alternating wedging action occurs, and this prevents wheel-spin. The tracts made have a wave similar to that in the wheels.