THE MODERN V1OTOR ROLLER
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An account of its advantages in use and of the methods of its manufacture by Barford 8/ Perkins, Ltd-, Peterborough.
" That's quite unsolicited, and from a Government official, too. He is using one of our rollers in Bermuda. As a rule, when once we have despatched a roller abroad, we seldom hear of it again. But if by chance the owner wants some spare part or additional fitting, we find he almost invariably includes a. note of appreciation as to the work which the roller has been carrying out." This was the comment of Mr. J. G. Barford, one of the governing directors of Barford and Perkins, Ltd., concerning an item in his mail one morning of
last week. At the company's request, we had gone down to Peterb.irough in order to hear, on behalf
our readers, about the remarkable business which this old-established company has built up in connection with the manufacture of PlOtor rollers.
It has been patent to many of us during recent years that steam was not likely to have matters all its own way in connection with the Preparation and maintenance. of road surfaces, any more than it was likely to be able to preserve a monopoly of road, rail or sea transport methods. The internal-combustion engine, in its various modern forms, has so many outstanding features of merit that it is only to be expected that the supremacy of steam for most tosinches of work will, svithout question, be challenged.
The New Class of Rolling.
It must not be supposed that the directors of Barford and Perkins, Ltd., in any way assume that the steam roller has had its day. Mr. Bar ford, for instance, emphasizes the fact that there are circumstances in which both steam and petrol rollers may find employment. Naturally, as the result of a number of years' successful operation of his company's rollers in the home country and in many other parts of the world, he has formed very definite conclusions as to the possibilities of his petrolor paraffin-propelled machines. To the writer, the most, remarkable part of the business which has been built up around the Peterborough works, is the fact that the uses to which, at any rate, the smallet rollers are put, are new ones.
The Cramped Steamer.
It will be interesting briefly to investigate the circumstances which have brought about this new class of business. Most important of all, perhaps, is the question of design. In the case of the small steam traction engine, and still more in that of the small steam roller, the ingenuity of the designer has to be taxed to the utmost on account of the relatively large bulk of the boiler. On the smaller models of this class of steam-propelled plant, the utmost skill has to be employed in order to avoid undue cramping of details. Even then it cannot be denied that the driver's quarters. for instance, are confined, and his freedom of action is seriously restricted. Many years of experience, and the, inheritance accruing therefrom, has, however, enabled the steam-engine builder to produce a compromise, which undoubtedly makes as little objectionable as possible the congested nature of the standard type of design. This factor, however, has undoubtedly bothered the maker of road rollers to a considerable extent. It is only by exceptional scheming that such craftsmen have been able to produce a machine, in certain instances, which dispenses with side rollers. The Advantage of the Wide Cylinder.
The coming of the internal-combustion engine has facilitated the production of a machine which has tor its principal operative member a single wide roller. This is probably the dominant feature in the design of the internal-combustion roller, and has enabled this class of machine to undertake much work satisfactorily, which would only have been accomplished with difficulty by a small class of steam roller.
By the use of a single wide driving roller it is possible effectively to operate on roads, the foundations of which are poor. Road improvements and road construction in new districts often necessitate work where foundations are anything but sound, and where, as a matter of fact, in connection with the traffic which the roads are to carry, they do not need to be exceptionally strong. Then it is that the motor roller is able, owing to the lower intensity of pressure between road and roller, to operate successfully in producing a consoli dated crust or apron to the high way.
Roads to Suit Rollers.
It is, perhaps, not too much to say that there have been many cases in the past where, in order to be able to employ standard types of steam rollers, foundations of roads have necessarily had to be constructed of strength in excess of users' requirements. In Scotland we know of many miles of quite good surface where the foundations, however, are of such a nature that it would be impossible to employ steam plant with side rollers over them.
Between Road and Roller.
Barford and Perkins, Ltd., is no newcomer to this branch of roadmaking ; it has been manufacturing rollers of all kinds for very many years past. The mechanical pro hlems as between road and roller have been studied with exceptional thoroughness by the company's principals. It has, of course, been fortunate for the company that, at a time when the "Pioneer" roller is being satisfactorily offered to users, a decision had been arrived at materially to improve road surfaces through the United Kingdom as opportunity occurs.
British Road Maintenance and Construction.
Waterproofing and re-surfacing have now, for several years past, been the principal care of the road surveyor in town and country districts, and it is in connection with operations of this kind that exceptional scope is found for the motor roller. For any road-improvement schemes or for any road-patching operations which are, perhaps, at a. considerable distance from the depot or stores yard, the motor roller can be employed with exceptional advantage. When necessary, it can carry a considerable supply of new road material, and it can also take with it sufficient water for sprinkling during tar-macadaming operations.
In this connection we were particularly impressed with the self-contained design of a Barford and Perkins machine which is being used by the Sutherland Counk% Council, on roads where poor foundations, as a rule, exist. This particular machine—which, by the way, is giving an excellent account of itself-is provided with a powerdriven pump by which water can be lifted from any local source for tank. replenishment.
Demonstrated for Us.
On the occasion of our recent visit, Mr. Barford had specially arranged several demonstrations in the neighbourhood of Peterborough, in order to illustrate the special classes of work for which his company's rollers are adapted. Some of the pictures included herewith are illustrative of these demonstrations.
The Great Northern Railway Co., after several years of negotiation, has been compelled, in order to do away with a complex system of level crossings and subways outside Peterborough station, to construct a massive road bridge across its main line. In the course of construction of the road surface which has thus to be lifted above rail level, much hard work has been put in by rollers from the neighbouring Pioneer works. We were able to see how a 5f-ton machine—destined for Southern Nigeria—propelled by a 16 h.p. engine could, with little effort, satisfactorily flatten for itself a track over brickbats, which had been freshly distributed, and this on a stiff gradient of the approach to the bridge.
Over Rough Ground.
At the same time, at our request, the roller was driven against obstacles in order to demonstrate the remarkable stability of the machine, and the ease with which the position of the front roller is adapted to assume all sorts of extraordinary angles. It may be safely assumed that it is an extremely difficult matter to capsize any of the " Pioneer " motor rollers.
The first series of tests was made in what may be considered typical contractors' work, and, as a matter of fact., the surfaces and other conditions were a great deal more difficult than anything which would be met with in the normal course of affairs either here or abroad. As a contrast to this class of work, we were taken to see one of the E2Psize rollers, which weighs about eight tons, at work on an excellent example of road-widening which is being carried out in the neighbourhood of Peterborough by the local authorities. This served admirably to demonstrate the rapid way in which the continuous rear roller consolidated a newly-laid macadam surface. In accordance with the ideas of many surveyors, this roller was seen to be operating on the dry macadam, first rolling it at a speed of about 11 mile per hour. During this first part of the operations, the stones are located and settled into position. After the slow preliminary rolling, some sort of binder is, as a rule, added, and subsequent levelling arid surfacing is secured by driving the machine at top speed, which may be from Ns to 3 miles per hour.
Handiness.
We were certainly impressed, to a considerable degree, with the ease with which these machines can be manipulated. They, of course, are driven with equal facility in either direction, the speed-gear ratios being duplicated for that purpose. What appeals to the man who is not necessarily a road-maker is the handiness of the motor roller as compared with the older type of steam plant. The whole framework is much shorter overall, and in operation there is an absence of the constant tacking backwards and forwards in order to cover a definite strip of road.
The New 14-Tonner.
We were fortunate in the timing of our visit to find the first example of a new batch of the 14-ton machines going through. These are the internal-combustion equivalent to the standard type of steam roller. Ten such machines are already hard at work on the new Turkish national roads, which are being built by contract, arid now another order for 12 is in hand.
In view of the fact that nothing concerning this type has hitherto appeared in print, we may perhaps usefully consider, at sonic little length, the mechanical details of this imposing machine. Altogether Barford and Perkins, Ltd., makes 20 different types of motor rollers, a total which is necessary owing to the various combinations of track widths and weights which are demanded by surveyors in various Parts of the world. This fact is one which might be considered almost a deterrent. to those other manufacturers who may enter this branch of the industry at some future date. We are given to understand that the whole of these models are in constant demand, Barford and Perkins Mechanism.
The smallest machine weighs 11ton empty, and is for use on paths or lawns. The largest type is that of which we give several detailed illustrations herewith. All the models conform in general design to a standard, although the arrangement of small details, in the nature of things, varies to some extent. The models for which the greatest demand is experienced. are those weighing from four to eight tons, and these are all fitted with Albion engines as standard. In almost every ease the " Pioneer " is arranged to run on paraffin. The prime mover is, in all the larger models, placed across the chassis ; it drives through a friction clutch to a simple form of sliding spurwheel change gear. Subsequent reduction is by another spur wheel arid pinion, and a roller chain to the wide back roller. Only where this hind cylinder is split, is it necessary to provide a differential. For all ordinary road-maintenance purposes, the rear rollers are single cylinders. These latter, too, are all provided with a means for water ballasting ; in exceptional cases, sand is employed for this purpose instead of water.
We refer our readers to some of our illustrations, which are arranged to indicate in detail the principal components of the models.
It may be remarked that the 14ton machine is provided with forward and backward speeds of Ps and 2 m.p.h. For normal conditions the top speed of this machine, however, is the same as on the smaller ones, namely, three miles per hour.
A Growing Works.
The works at Peterborough have been growing systematically for many years, and at the present time they occupy practically the whole of an extensive block of buildings in the busiest part of the town. The business has grown so much, however, of late, that considerable extensions are again in hand. Of these one of our photographs gives a good impression this is of the new painting and packing shops, in which an 8-ton electric crane—a Herbert Morris and Bastert—is installed. Further extensions are already contemplated, and a large storeyard will next be covered.
A Fine Foundry.
The department which undoubtedly makes the most appeal, to those visitors to Barford and Perkins' works who are mechanically minded, is the foundry. This consists of two exceptionally wellequipped and well-lighted shops. A large amount of first-class cast-iron work is turned out regularly in this department, as well as a certain amount of aluminium and gunmetal casting. One of the iron cupolas is capable of a, five-ton heat. The works power installation consists of a. Crossley compression gas plant, which supplies four engines in various parts of the works. Compressed air is distributed also to various shops where it is required. The machine shop has some fine new tools which have been recently installed. We noticed that Mr. Perkins and Mr. True, the other two directors who have the works departments under their particular control, have a distinct preference for the machine tools of William Asquith, Ltd., and of Dean, Smith and Grace, Ltd.
A Seasonal Business.
We searched in vain for a repair department. It is excellent testimony to the merits of this company's productions that this branch of its activities is a very small one.
Our tour of the works concluded in a large stockyard, where innumerable rollers of all sizes and weights were stocked. A query as to the necessity for keeping in stock so large a number of these components elicited the unexpected information that the " roller business" is quite a seasonal one, most of the orders for small sizes being placed in the spring.
8s. a Day.
We may fittingly conclude this attempted review of a branch of the industry which promises to be a very important one, and which is at present so largely in the hands of Barford and Perkins, Ltd., with an extract from the cost sheets of an E2P motor roller (8 tons loaded), which is owned by the County Council for the Sake of Peterborough.