A New Steam SIX-WHEELED
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TAR-SPRAYER
A PARTICULARLY
.ti.interesting and practical combination machine for road spraying and the delivery of tar in hulk has recently been made by Fodens, Ltd., of Sandbach, for Road Products, Ltd., a tar-distilling concern, with its headquarters at Buxton.
The outfit consists of a Foden overtype rigid six-wheeler, the tipping body of which is interchangeable with a steel tank having a capacity of 2,000 gallons and fully equipped with air compressor, safety valve, gauges and thermometer and heating coils with steam traps. It will be seen from this that the spraying of the tar is effected under pressure; the outfit can be made to work with a spraybar and jets, or with the Flapper-type attachment, as made by Colernans, of Derby. When not required for the spraying work the tank can be used for the bulk delivery of the company's products.
It is claimed that this tank can actually spray 2,000 gallons of hot tar in 45 minutes, but, of course, in actual practice the gritting machines could not keep pace with such an output.
The method of delivering tar and tar compounds in barrels and drums and depositing them by the roadside is obsolete, inefficient and slow. In the case of the heavier grades of tar the material becomes stiff and requires much time to discharge into the spraying machines, and often a large amount of waste is caused by leakage and by not being able fully to empty the barrels. In the Foden machine the tar is loaded into the tank at a temperature of about 220 degrees F., and as the tank is lagged with irin. asbestos sheets covered with sheet steel,
B36 when the heating pipes -are turned on this high temperature can be maintained for several hours.
The vehicle is equipped with three speeds and has a roller-bearing engine; it is thus enabled to travel loaded at a comparatively fast speed and can deliver hot tar to a radius of 30 to 40 miles ready for an early start in the morning. The machine can, of course, be used with cold emulsion -equally as well as with the hot tar, and, in fact, it was recently tried out with a bituminous emulsion, termed " Mulvia," manufactured by the owner of the vehicle, for Mr. J. Twemlow, the surveyor to the Ashbourne Rural District Council, who, we understand, was the first to introduce into the county cold-emulsion-spraying by pressure tank. During a test, 14,500 square yds. of road were covered, this being 7.25 square yds. per gallon; the time taken to spray and grit this area was about three hours.
The ordinary spray pipe will deal with a width of 7 ft. 6 ins., but by using extensions this can be increased to 10 ft, There are 19 nozzles on the main pipe at 41-in. centres and four nozzles in each extension. A balljoint in the delivery pipe enables the Spray pipe to be adjusted both horizontally and vertically.
Special sieves are employed and a steam pipe is so coupled up that when spraying ceases steam can be blown through the jets.
The Flapper consists of a main delivery duct from which four branch tubes lead to the spray pipe ; In this is a number of small holes, the pipe being situated above a revolving cross-shaft on which are fixed four flat bars. The issuing tar falls on these bars and is forced to 'the ground in the form of a fine spray. The shaft is driven by roller chain from the rear axle and is controlled by a clutch.
To prevent churning and surging of the material In the tank when travelling, strong baffle plates are mounted both lengthwise and, across the tank.,
The powerful air compressor is mounted at the near side of the tank and is driven by .,steam from the boiler. A pocket filled with oil is utilized to carry the thermometer.
At the top of the tank is a full-size manhole with a screw-down jointed lid, whilst at the rear of the tank is a 2-in delivery valve with a 15-ft. flexible hose.