A New Road Maintenance Implement.
Page 11
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ONF of the jobs on the highways of a iertain class in the United States is to " grade " the surface—that is, to level it up by scraping, planing off the " high spots" and with the material thus gained to fill the ruts. In this country few farm lanes call for this kind of treatment, hut, in road making, ditch and gutter clearing, surface scarifying, and other road maintenance purposes there should be found work for the Wehr grader, which has been put on the market in the United States by the Wehr Co., of 533.545, Thirtieth Street, Milwaukee,. Wis.
The appliance consists of a double girder frame arched and intended to bridge from the front axle removed from Fordson tractor to the rear axle of the machine, with brackets to support the forward end of the power unit. The girder channels are 5 ins, deep with 2-in. flanges, the bridge being reinforced to a depth of 10 ins, by two angle pieces 5 ins. deep. The girders lengthen the wheelbase to 13 ft. 6 ins., the overall length being 16 ft.
The U-shaped bracket or cross-member which spans the frame on a level with the front of the engine displaces the support of the front axle without involving any structural alteration to the power unit. It provides an ample support to the forward portion of the unit and also to the horizontal members of the brackets for the driver's platform.
For ditches and gutters a blade 8 ft. wide is provided. whilst. for snow clearing a 10-ft. blade is found Well within the power of the tractor unit. As the complete weight of the outfit is 8,000 lb., a scarifier works well with the machine, as there is a pressure of 3,000 lb. on the
teeth, in addition to the thrust pressure of 2,000 lb. Hand wheels on each side of the steersman control the position of the implement and regulate the depth of the cut or clearing. The blade or scarifier may be swung to either side and at any angle. The steersman stands on a spring-mounted platform midway between the axles, but a seat is also provided. The rear wheels should be equipped with substantial rubber tyres ; with chain non-skids they secure a hold in almost any ground, but the chain track has been successfully fitted to the machine and is particularly useful in loose, sandy or stony soil. The operation of the implement and the control of the tractor or power unit are simple. The steering column is sloped to an angle which brings the steering wheel into a comfortable position; whilst the clutch 5s operated by a pedal through an extension rod. We believe that the representation of this machine for the. British market is being' considered.