A TON TRUCK BY A BRITISH' MAKER.
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Comprehensive Details of the Latest Product of Morris Commercial Cars, Ltd. A Simplified and Sturdy Chassis Combining Efficiency with Low Maintenance Costs.
NVE WERE. recently afforded an opportunity for testing and making a detailed examination of the Morris one-ton truck built by Morris Commercial Cars Ltd, Foundry Lane, Soho, Birmingham. Our first impressions of the vehicle were that it was a remarkably neat-looking job, free from unnecessary complications and presenting a workmanlike appearance which, combined with its other; excellent qualities (which we will enumerate later), should carry it far.
The price at which it is marketed, i.e., ..3185 for the chassis, including the running boards, .valences, lighting set and equipment, has permitted the use of well-built components, j,vith the result that the -whole • vehicle looks as if it,
wens built to last, and not merely to compete on a selling basis.
One of the experiments carried out -with it was to walk about in the lorry body while the vehicle was travelling at approximately 20 m.p.h. over a road which was by no means smooth, and that we were able to do this with the 'utmost ease showed that, although the vehicle was unladen, it held to the road. in a very remarkable • manner without .that bumping and vibration which are experienced with the ultra-light lorry when running unladen. AO the same time it must not be .thought that tho chassis is unduly heavy; actually, it weighs only 17 cwt.., and, allowing a body weight of 7 cwt. and a useful load of 20. cwt.., the total weight loaded is 44 cwt., whieli enables pneumatic tyres to be economically and satisfactorily employed The frame is straightsided, but: is tapered to front and rear and provided with .channel-seetion cross-Members, hot riveted, and provided with gussets. •
The power unit is similar to that employed on the . well-known MorrisOxford cars. It is known as the 14-28 h.p. and has four cylinders of 75 mm. bore and 102 rift. stroke, giving a. maximum torque of 63 ft.-lb. at 1,600 r.p.m, • The cylinders are cast in one with the top half of the crankcase, which tarries
the three-bearing crankshaft so that the sump can easily be dropped to get at the big-ends ; in fact, if required, the connecting rods and pistons may also be withdrawn without removing the
whole engine. A 'removable 'cylinder head is employed, ands it is quite a simple matter to decarbonize the engine
when necessary Side valves are utilized, the valves and tappets being protected by a cover which excludes dirt and permits proper lubrication.
The oil is pressure-fed to the main bearings and dipper trays are provided for the big-ends, these being so arranged that it is impossible to starve the bigends even on.the most severe gradients.
Yests have shown that the oil consumption is.not greater than one gallon per 750 miles.
Skew gearing is employed for driving the Lucas magneto, through the medium of a. fabric coupling, and the -contact breaker faces outwards for the sake of accessibility and ease of adjustment. To assist starting, an air strangler on the Smith single-jet carburetter is connected by chain to a, suitable point close to the starting handle.
A feature of the engine is the dynamo, wbich is positively driven from the clutch shaft through the medium of a silent chain enclosed in an aluminium casing. The dynamO itself is protected by an extension of the casing and the chain adjusted by loosening three nuts of three bolts.; the -whole dynamo can. b.e fulcrummed on the lower bolt as the upper two bolt holes are slotted.
Unit construction is employed for the engine, clutch end gearbox, which gives the whole unit a rigidity which effectually prevents mat-alignment of shafts. At, the same time, it can easily be lifted out by undoing the torque bail and sliding forward the radiator. A somewhat unusual feature is found in the design of the clutch, which is of the multiple-plate type with cork inserts, the whole running in oil. This gives smooth and progressive engagement and an exceptionally icing life. At the same time, it s a simple matter to therenew inser i inserts., when necessary.
A central control is provided for the
gearbox, which gives three s.peeds—top, 7.25 to 1; middle, 12.48 to 1; low, 23.2 to 1. At the back of the gearbox is a substantial torque ball arrangement with the moving member formed in one with the torque tube, which is bolted to the rear axle. This torque ball device takes all the driving and braking stresses, so that the rear springs have no other duty to
• perform thaui that of taking the load. This is an arrangement which has proved most satisfactory on vehicles which are required to traverse rough country or bad reads.
The overhead worm driven axle of the Morriston-truck is what is known as the three-quarter floating type. It consists of a central casing split vertically, and with the respective halves of the worm casingcast integral with the half housings for the worm wheel and differential gear.
The final-drive gear ratios provided is 7.25 to 1, as compared with the 4.75 to 1 used on the light model.
A bevel-pinion differential is employed, there being four small pinions and two large carried on aplines on the differential shafts. The differential casing itself
is mounted on large singla;row ball bearings, and felt glands at the sides prevent the egress of oil into the axle tubes. The last-named are pressed and riveted into position. At their outer ends each is tapered down to the inner diameter of a largo double-row ball hearing mounted in the hub of the wheel. The inner ring of this bearing is securely fastened between the axle end carrying the brake rods and brake-shoe anchorages, which is also pressed into position and riveted, and 'a lock-nut screwed on to the threaded end of the axle tube.
The outer, ring of the bearing is se. mired between the inner face of the hub and a large locking ring which screws on to the hub. Against the outer face of this locking ring presses a felt gland.
Dunlop tubular-spoked -wheels are utilized, each being held in position on the-hub by five bolts, so that it can be removed or changed with ease.
The rear-brake drums are 15 ins, in diameter, and the shoes, of, which there are two pa,irs in each wheel working side by side', have a width of 1Ains. They are faced with a woven material. • Grewt care has been taken to exclude dirt and water from the drums by the provision of adequate steel ahields. • Throughout the "axle there are evidences of careful design, and the axle ends are well ribbed to give the maximum strength with the minimum weight, whilst the axle _shafts are stronger than those we have seen on many heavier vehicles, and have no abrupt changes in sectional area which so often constitute weak points.
The transmission is stated by the makers to have an overall efficiency of 86.3 per cent., and the maximum gradient which can be climbed with a. full load is theoretically 1 in -.6, but, actually, the tests have shown that gradients even steeper than this can easily be surmounted.
The effective design of radiator' also adds to the appearance of the vehicle. It is of the cast-aluminium header-andbottom-tank type with circular-gilled tubes, the whole radiator being flexibly mounted in rubber-lined trunnions. whilst the upper portion is connected to the dash 'ay a rod fastened to a bracket formed on the inlet water connection. The position of this radiator and that of the power unit are so arranged that
there is a bighead of water, thus ing more even cooling of the cylinders and assisting in the prevention of un--equal cylinder expansion. The cooling i assiated by a threebladed east-aluminium fan mounted on a bracket, which can be swivelled on a fulcrum pin screwed into the cylinder head. so providing the necessary means of adjustment.
Special attention las been paid to the matter of springing. Both at the front and rear these are of the semi-elliptic type being respectively 32 ins, long with six leaves and 44 ins, long with nine 21-in. leaves.
In spite of the straight-sided frame ample lock is afforded, and this gives a, turning circle of 42 ft.
Strong and neat spring brackets are employed, and one of these is shown in a drawing which we repro-duce.
Another very important feature of the. chassis is that the loading line is'only 2 if 1-. 3 ins. from the ground in all models.
The steering connections are of the fork-and-pin type with a nut adjustment, and there is a double steering arm at the off side with an extension carrying the pinion for the speedometer driVe.
The keynote of the whole design has been economy in operation. Practically every moving part is enclosed, and. the •• lubrication is by oil gun on the Tecale-'.mit system.
The controls, apart from the usual clutch and brake pedals, include hand and foot-operated throttle, advance and retard lever and a centrally positioned hand brake lever. As regards instruments, on the facia board are switches for the Lucas three-lamp dynamo set (which, incidentally, works on a six-volt circuit), an ammeter and an oil-pressure • gauge.
The battery box is carried. under the driver's seat, and the equipment in
eludes, a spare wheel a.nd tyre, which, in one of our illustrations, are shown at the near side of the cab, but which, in the production Model, will he carried under the back of the body.
The dash is a neatsteel pressing of the scuttle type, and in it is mounted the 8-gallon petrol tank, frima which the fuel is fed by gravity to the carburetter.
Care has been ta.ken to give the best possible accommodation to the driver. There is a full-length seat with a padded seat back. This seat can be lifted to disclose a large compartment for tools and spares; there are two doors and a double windsCreen with an adjustable top half. Between the canopy and the top of the windscreen is a shallow shelf for carrying books, etc.-, and there is a rectangular window of good size in the cab back.
Attention to detail is shown in the dour frames, each of which is provided with two rubber blocks to prevent rattle.
The -Morris ton chassis will be marketed with an open lorry body, having sides hinged and detachable, at the price of £5; as a closed van at £235; and as a van de luxe 'at £250. Standard tyre equipment includes Dunlop straightsided cord pneumatics, 32 ins, by 4 ins., but 5-in. tyres can be fitted as a standard extra at. £10, either to the chassis or to any of the complete models.
With a full load the company claim that the new Morris vehicle will average 23 m.p.g. at 18 m.p.h., which certainly cannot be considered other than a very excellent figure for a vehicle of this capacity. The engine has proved very suitable for its work, as the top of the power torque curve is reached at a vehicle speed of 18 m.p.h., although actually, the ton truck can easily attain 52 m.p.h.
Morris oars and, later, their light vans, have won such a, satisfactory reputation that-, merely on the strength of the name,, a considerable number of orders for the ton truck has been re
oeived; and from what we have seen of the care which is displayed in the production of the light ohasas, and the clean design and finish which are noticeable throughout the new model, we believe that those who have been so quick in placing orders will not be disappointed.
One of the points to consider in bringing out a design 3S the question of maintenance, and if this is to he satisfactory all cOmplication must be eschewed, this appears to have been effected.