First Particulars of the Corn mer Parcelcar.
Page 15
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It has been whispered for nini while past, that the well-known Commer Car factory, at Luton, has had in hand a model on the lines of the smallest class of industrial motor vehicles; we refer to the parcelcar, or three-wheeled industrial runabout. The designing staff at Luton has, as a matter of fact, been engaged on the perfecting of a machine of this type for some time past, but it was only during the last week, however, that. the first example of the new little machine was passed out of the works, after exhaustive tests, and sent down to the bodymakers for finishing.
We are happy to he in a position to afford our readers the firstpublished notes concerning the construction of this interesting machine. What the Commer Car people, who have built up such a reputation for some of the heaviest types of industrial vehicles, have to say with regard to the design of a parcelcar is hound to be of interest to all of 'us.
Our analytical illustrations, included herewith, will serve well to oonvey the various features which are particularly worthy of notice. It will be seen that the general lines of the design conform in the main to those which have already found favour with other manufacturers. The driving wheel, epicyclic geared. is chain driven from the air-cooled engine, which unit is placed transversely across the chassis immediately under the driver's seat.
The Commer parcelcar has wheel steering, and a pressed steel frame. and these, perhaps, are the features which render the model distinctive. The engine is capable of developing 0 h.p. at normal speed, and the cylinder has a .bore of 3?): in., whilst, the piston-stroke is -1 in. Considerable care has been taken that the ribbed cylinder is well airexiled, and for this purpose a small vast aluminium fan is driven from each side of the engine, by means of a, fihre-disc friction wheel engaging with the grooved periphery of a. flywheel, of which there are two. The main chain drive is on the near side of the chassis, whilst the magneto. which is also chain driven, is on the other side of the engine.
An interesting feature is the arrangement which is made for the timing of the magneto, which is of the Bosch Z.E.T. type. A small eecent ric rod is operated by a cross shaft mounted transversely under the driver's seat. A convenient hand lever rotates this shaft, and, by means of the eccentric, operates the magneto advance,
The carburetter is of the Clain-lel Hobson pattern, and the throttle is arranged to be operated by a small
pedal to the left of the driver's seal. The petrol tank in the first model is hung from the back of the seat, and not in front of the driver, as is the more usual custom on chassis of this type. The track of the front wheels is 4 ft. 2 in. The body is to be 13 ft. 10 in. long, with a 10-in. overhang. It is impossible to pronounce final judgment on a new model without first having submitted it to tests under working conditions. We may, however, conclude that the substantial nature of the design of the new Commer parcelcar, and the absence of any attempt to produce a freakish arrangement of the mechanism, promises well for the success of the new type. The provision of wheel steering and of a comfortable driver's seat, which is somewhat higher than on other models of the same class, together with the carefully-considered arrangement of the control levers and pedals, ensures ease of manipulation for this little vehicle.