Constructional Development in U.S.A.
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A Critical Survey of the Difficulties and Progress of the American Makers and their Truck Products, by an English Resident Correspondent.
There is no Show, but the early part of the year is an appropriate time to call a halt, and review the incidents of the twelve months that have elapsed.
I remarked last year (6th February, 1913) that main features of design tending towards European practice, were conclusively indicated. This trend towards concentration is still noticeable, and the departures from accepted standards are the more rare nowadays. The changes made have been more in the direction of improvements in design based on experience rather than on the adoption of new features. In fact, American manufacturers are following a sane policy of evolution, not revolution.
44 Makers Cease Building Trucks.
The events of the past year have contributed largely to this. At least 44 manufacturers have given up the struggle—the truck business has not proved the El Dorado they expected, and amongst those left are many who have had a narrow escape from the receiveis' hands. Naturally, a conservative policy is the order of the day.
The decision of the American Locomotive Co. to discontinue the manufacture of its Alco truck came as a thunderbolt.. Notwithstanding the millions of doilars capital behind this company and the fact that they had a reasonably good truck, they believed they were losing more money than the future would return to them, so they retired from the field. In the process they unloaded many hundreds of trucks at a. low price on an already overstocked market. This and the failures of others precipitated a serious crisis from which the truck industry is just recovering. Amongst commercial vehicles no longer manufactured are Alco, Ford, Gramm, Sampson, and &rarer, names which until recently were bywords in the industry.
The Steel Wheel Not a Success.
To return, however, to our proper province, the discussion of engineering matters, my prophecy of last year regarding steel wheels has not yet come to pass. The cruciform-section type steel wheels, imported, I believe, from England, proved a failure when adopted by one of the leading companies, and wood wheels have replaced these defective members in almost every case. This failure has deterred many from adopting the steel wheel, and has postponed its permanent arrival. There are many rumours that other types of steel wheels are proving unsuccessful in England, even the hollow-spoke box-rim type being subject to breakage after small mileage. The truth of the matter would be of great value. Wheels in this country have to stand up to great climatic changes, bad road surfaces (roads are noticeably improving every year), and high speed. As yet nothing has been found superior to wood.
Demountable Tires Much Used.
The tire situation is clearing up. The demand is more and more for demountable types. These, as far as I know, are not used to any great extent in Europe, but really the success obtained in rough service over here would warrant their successful use under less strenuous conditions. Their advantage is that a powerful press is unnecessary for their replacement.. A man with a wrench can replace a tire in a very short time. Tire mileages have not changed ; about 8000 miles is still the accepted mileage, though here and there are isolated cases of up to 18.000 miles per tire being reached, doubtless due to the individual attention of the owner or driver.
sI2 The Chain Drive Disappearing.
The worm drive has advanced by leaps and bounds. Where two manufacturers alone supplied this two years ago, there are now at least 16, and in addition two leading axle manufacturers (one of whom, by the way, tile Timken Detroit. Axle Co., makes David Brown type worm gears under licence, with English machines and workmen) are supplying a line of worm drive axles which will still further increase the adoption of this form of drive. The engineer of this company stated publicly a few days ago that where they could give an option on chain drive or WOM1 drive axles, the tendency was all to adopt the latter. There is also an increase in the numbei of internal gear type axle makers, and a corresponding decrease in the number of chain drive models.
This is, I think, to be expected as much as anything else from the state of the labour problem. A driver wants to drive his truck and very little more. Anything extra in the way of cleaning is abhorrent, and if enclosed rear drives give him less work to do, he is favourably inclined towards them. The goodwill of the driver is always a valuable asset.
No Steel and Wood Frames.
The flexible type frame has not made any rapid advance, but has found a few adherents amongst the newer makers. The use of pressed steel frame mem bers is decidedly on the increase. It is possible to obtain these of a high grade of alloy steel suitably heat treated, obviously distinctly superior to the commercial structural steel on the market. The armoured wood frame so successful on the L.0.0. models has found no imitator here, doubtless again on account of climatic variation.
Standardizing British-type Coolers.
The vertical gilled tube radiator with cast top and bottom tanks is evidently going to be the ultimate type, unless some new design is evolved. The horizontal tube type, introduced by the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co., is being changed over to the vertical tube type. In an investigation by the Society of Automobile Engineers, it was decided that this latter type would belhat on which they would expend their standardizing energies. It will interest your readers to learn that this body is seeking to standardize the length, breadth, and width of cores for built-up radiators, so as to minimize jigs, tools, and replace supplies carried by manufacturers.
The design usually adopted has a very distinctive top tank serving to identify the vehicle. The PierceArrow truck has a number of fins a. la Daimler cast on the front, and the name is carried on the bonnet sides. Most of the other designs have, however. the name cast on the radiator itself. There is little change in the method of support, springs and trunnion brackets, and solid mountings, all having their supporters.
Few New American Models.
Notwithstanding the propaganda advocating the small motor and reduction in speed of the whole truck, there is but little sign of manufacturers taking this up.
Probably this is so, because much money has been spent on jigs and tools which must be realized before a new model can be considered, and the year just elapsed has been unpropitious for new models. I look forward, however, to this eventually, as the claims of improved gasoline economy will override those of move power. As the influence of speed in increasing maintenance of vehicle on road is more generally understood, I think speed will drop. U.S.A. Using Better Materials.
Perhaps the strongest improvement noticed has been in the direction of the use of better materials and refinement of design. Steel forging's are replacing sicele caStings. Alloy steel of chrome nickel, chrome vanadium, or simple nickel steel are being used in easingly, and full value is being obtained from these by careful heat treatment. heat treatment. has indeed heroine a craze almost, and wonderful results are a ttially being obtained from it. For instance, if a forging gives trouble, often a change of material to a good cinome nickel alloy suitably heat-treated has solved the problem. One truck manufacturer beat-treats his axles to an elastic limit of 176,000 lb. by means ol a. double treatment, which ensures his obtaining all that is possible out of the steel. In the past makers were content to use these steels in a. few places as a mere substitute for mild steels, using them exactly as delivered from the steel mills. They are now steadily replacing the simpler steels by the complex heattreated alloys, and are changing designs to utilize the valuable dynamic stress resisting properties to the utmost. Stampings, hydraulic pressings, and ball or roller bearings are being used more and more. The Timken roller bearing is used almost universally on road wheels, and it stands up exceeding well, Compulsory Life-guards Dangerous.
This year line seen the enactment of special city ordnances in _Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland compelling users to fit life-saving fenders on the fronts of their trucks. But a brief time was given to do this, and a number of hastily contrived, untried-out fenders have been placed on the market. The Autonu:bile Chamber of Commerce, and the various truck users are endeavouring, however, to combat. this idiculous legislation, and to arrive at some saner solution of the accident problem. Most of the life sneers, so-called, look far too dangerous, and seem to be a menace rather than a protection to life.
Self-starters Little Wanted: Few Fitted.
The pleasure car without self-starter and electric lighting equipment is practically dead. Amongst ill-inks, however, the single provider of this accessory on show last year, the German Bernstein truck, still stands alone., and there are no signs that it will have any followers. Most manufacturers look askance at the extra complication involved, and feel that the average driver is not too kid-gloved to dislike cranking his motor, even in muddy weather. Electric apparatus is as yet rather delicate for automobile truck use, and engineers feel that the constant vibration is injurious to the storage batteries and motor mechanism. A simple rugged type of starter has not
yet been evolved. It is difficult to know at present what will be the starter of the future for trucks, though most of us feel that it will be a standard accessory in the next two or three years. If it can be considered as an accessory, power dumping and hoisting devices have been making great headway. The favourite device seems to be that introduced by the Pierce-Arrow Co., consisting of a hydraulic ram operated by a pump driven from the transmission, and tipping the body by means of suitable cables and pulleys. The Packard truck, the Kelly, and a few others have since adopted this, and find it satisfactory. Notwithstanding its exposed position it works satisfactorily in summer or winter.
Power-loading Makes Headway.
This device is well worthy of serions consideration by British manufacturers. The other deviees. such as the chain mechanism used on Mack trucks, the power-operated screw and nut gear are holding, their awn and working satisfactorily. There has been some slight advance in other laboursaving devices, hut mostly of a minor order, utilizing power in the obvious way. The power-operated winch is how ever, slow in development. Steel bodies are being used more and more extensively for contractors work and the handling of unpacked materials, such as coat, sand, limestone, gravel, bricks, and the like.
No Progress with Paraffin.
The rise in the price of gasoline (or petrol) last year gave every indication that the use of kerosene or paraffin oil would increase. It was indeed rurnoured that many firms were spending, large sums on the development of paraffin oil vaporizers or gasifiers. Whilst some devices have been put on the market, they have failed to realize their makers' hopes, and gasolineis still the standard fuel. Indeed, the heavier fuels are very rarely used. Climatic conditions involving the difficulty of vaporizing a heavy oil satisfactorily in zero weather are responsible. The introduction also of a slightly heavier grade of gasoline, called motor spirit, has assisted in the re
tention of this fuel for commercial purposes. This has relieved the demand on the gasoline market and prices have steadied at about 16 cents per gallon. This is very cheap compared with the English price.
Politics and Omnibuses.
The prophesied increase in the number of omnibuses has come to pass, but only in limited form. No special vehicle has been forthcoming, but small services of one or two ve.hicles have been started in small towns, serving as feeders to the railway or tramcar system. A service of eight omnibuses was started in the early part of the year in Pittsburgh, but proved unsuccessful, and the omnibuses were, I believe, withdrawn. The tramcar or street car services are. usually very much better and faster than in England. Cities are arranged mostly in the rectangular or combined radial and rectangular system with many alternate routes, and their car services are rapid and cheap. Not only so, but the car companies are strong politicians, and can put all sorts of obstacles in the way of a proposed independent omnibus company. If the omnibus is to succeed, it will be with the co-operation of existing transit systems.
Maintenance Guarantees and Cut Prices.
There are signs that the tightness of money during the last few months is producing a corresponding tightening of the guarantee purse strings. A standard guarantee of 90 days is given by most truck manufacturers, but actually this has been interpreted most liberally, and there are many cases on record where if a user has broken his frame, say, after two years service, he has had it replaced free of charge. Competition, as well as a sincere feeling that the user should not be allowed to pay for the inexperience of the manufacturer led to extreme liberality in eases of dispute. The consequence, of course, is that the user has become more violent in his demands with each new concession, and has by his own greed defeated now his own ends. The 90 days period is being more and inure rigidly .adhered to with beneficial effects to the whole industry.
The other evil of cut price or culethroat competition has not yet been grasped, but with the climination of many manufacturers who were partially responsible for this, there are hopeful signs that more dignified selling arguments will prevail. There is a Very strong and growing opinion in this country that the man who constantly shades his published price and quotes all sorts of discounts is a ridiculously unbusiness-like figure, and he who stands by his price and maintains it gains in dignity and reputation for safe dealing. To repeat, the truck industry lets passed through a critical year, but it has emerged all the stronger with its foundations firmly established. The succeeding years will be characterized by a safe Lnd sane conservative policy of gradual development, both. of engineering design and business policies.