The Brussels Motor Show.
Page 18
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By Our Special Correspondent.
This year's Brussels Motor Show, • .k.iS compared with that held last year, is proving very successful, although the attendance of visitors from other .v.ountries is somewhat lower than anight have been the ease. This /paucity of visitors may be attributed to the International World's Fair, which was held in Brussels from May to November last.
So far as concerns commercial vehicles, the show is not of very great importance. There are only four firms exhibiting such machines: two of these are Belgian, one French, and the fourth is a German concern; the ilast-named being the Sud-deutsche _Automobilfabrik, whose exhibit, a .heavy type of lorry, is very badly .placed in a corner which is so dark that detail examination is almost impossible. The French firm, Schneider and Co., is exhibiting one of its mew bus chassis, of which (327 have been ordered by the Compagnie 'Generale des Omnibus, of Paris. One of this type of chassis is illustrated herewith. It will be noted that the -upper part of the frame is extended, both sideways and to the back, so as to provide an ample foundation for the bus body. The four-cylinder 40 h.p. engine is placed under the driver's seat—a form of construction which finds great favour among "French manufacturers. The gearbox provides for three speeds forward and one reverse, and the final drive is taken through a cardan shaft to a live back axle. The weight of this chassis is S. tons, but with body complete, and the vehicle, in running order, it. is stated to scale 51 tons—miali heavier than would be permitted Liy the Metropolitan police. The length available for the body is 20 ft. and the wheelbase is 14 ft. Unlike the majority of the Paris company's buses, all the wheels of these chassis will be fitted with endless solid-rubber
tires in place of the block tires usually employed on French motorbuses.
On the stand of one of the Belgian motor exhibitors is an " Auto-mixte " train, which is labelled " Pescatore train." This outfit consists of a petrol-electric chassis, the wheels of which are provided with solid-rubber tires, and a trailer that is mounted on two steel-tired wheels. The train thus has six wheels in all. The carrying platform is mounted on the third axle and may be detached from the train when desired. The form of con
striation is clearly shown in the rccompanying diagram. This form of construction permits of the use of several trailers of varying types. The tare weight of the train is three tons and its carrying capacity is stated to be seven tons. The wellknown " Auto-mixte " petrol-electric
system is employed, the engine being a 22 h.p. valveless Knight. The total length of train is 32 ft. and its working speed is 10 miles an hour with full load. On the same stand there also is a smaller train, built on precisely the same principle, and also equipped with a '22 h.p. Knight engine, but the weight of this train is only two tons and its load capacity 30 cwt.; it is intended for working at speeds up to 35 miles an hour. When the trailer is detached, the fourwheeled tractor may easily, he converted into a touring car.
The second of the Belgian exhibitors. Albert Bory, is showing a 3ton chassis of the type which has been adopted by the Belgian Army; it has a 30 11.1i. engine, and the chassis, which is extremely well sprung, weighs 2,1 tons. The differential gear of this machine is provided with a locking arrangement. Two small delivery vans, for 10-cwt. loads, are also shown by this maker ; they are provided with two-cylinder engines of 10 bp.
Several resilient wheels are shown, but none of them shows any promise of satisfactory working. It is interesting to note that most exhibitors have aqopted Ferodo material for the lining ol the brakes of their machines.