Commercial-Vehicle Components.
Page 14
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A Manufacturer Who Supplies Everything for the Chassis of Commercial
Motor Vehicles Except the Engine and the Tires.
Many manufacturers of motor vehicles in this country have adopted the policy of making all the components they require throughout in their own factories, with the exception, perhaps, of such specialised fittings as ignition apparatus, tires, speed indicators, coach fittings, and boiler mountings. In a few cases, vehicles have been built up from parts collected from various outside sources. In France this practice of assembling the units, which have been produced by specialists, has been followed to a greater extent.
One of the larg est manufacturers of motor vehicle components of all classes in France is the Sociao des Etablisse ments 14Ialicet et Min, whose workshops t Aubervilliers
p r o duce almost every conceivable type of fitting; from a spring pin to a gearbox.
com ponents are of special interest to the readers of this journal from the fact that considerable attention has been directed recently by this constructor to the production of parts for motorcabs, and for all classes of heavy automobiles. Messrs. T. B. Andre and Company, of 8, Great Marlborough Street, W., are the sole agents for " M.A.B." specialities in this country.
Three English representatives have now finished de livery, to a company in South London, of three complete " M.A.B." cab chassis, and a further number of this class of machine is shortly to be handed over to other users in London. These first three machines are provided with four-cylinder Aster engines, although Messrs. Andre and Company are now fitting the Sultan motor as standard. With the exception of the engine and the tires, the whole chassis is built up from " M.A.B." components. The gearbox, which is of particularly neat design, has three speeds forward and a reverse gear, and the power is A motorcab built up from
transmitted to it through a leather-cone clutch. "M_A.B." disc clutches, it should be noted, are also a speciality of this manufacturer, and will be supplied when specified. The rear suspension of the cab chassis is by means of threequarter elliptic laminated springs, which support the neat form of pressed-steel frame. The back axle is a stiff job, and we illustrate this type by a sectional drawing at the foot of this page. It will be seen that ball bearings are used throughout, and that the centre bevel casing 13 of strong and substantial design.
Back and front axle s, carriage springs, steering gears, brake s, change speed lever s, chain
sprockets a n d w h e els, cardan joints, gearboxes, differential countershafts, clutches and water-circulating pumps, are marketed as separate components, and without exception, they are all of first-class design, and the workmanship appears to be all that can be desired.
Not only is the complete unit offered to purchasers, but the many small integral parts are marketed separately. Ball bearings, gear wheels, frame members, cross tubes, spring irons, steering wheels, hand levers, propeller shafts, spring clips, brakes, brackets and fittings of all kinds are obtainable with the trade-mark stamped thereon.
Of particular interest to commercial-vehicle users and builders is the fact that this maker now produtes s special range of components which are specifically adapted for heavy commercial vehicles : we, for example, refer to the substantial design of the separate differential casing and its fittings for this class of work, and to the various heavy types of change-speed gearboxes. A pressed-steel, combined, radius rod and chain guard for heavy machines is of goo.1 design for the purposes in view.