STEAM WAGON TIPS.
Page 27
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Useful Ideas from Some of our Readers Who Handle Steam Vehicles.
MHERE are two useful hints in a
letter from "P..L.," of Plaistow, which will come in very handy to steam wagon drivers in case of a breakdown which affects either the front axle or the steering gear.
This correspondent, to. whom we award the 15s. prise this week, commences his letter by referring to one which we published some time ago, in which a description was given of a tow
bar for use on occasions when the rear axle of a steam wagon had broken. " R.L." points out that it is more frequently the case that the front axle or some pert of the steering gear goes wrong, particularly in collisions.
In the case of the former repair is . simple, particularly if the driver carries, as he should, a spare link similar in shape to a boilermaker's cramp. Such a fink may be bought cheaply, but, in any case, is easy to make. Those who .prefer to make one should take a a-in. bolt, about 6 ins, long; put it in the srnith-s fire and hammer it out, swaging the nut into the bolt ancd, forming a link of the shape shown in the sketch. This
should then be drilled, a clearance hole at orte end and a *-in tapping hole at the other; the latter should subsequently be tapped out ordinary Whitworth thread. When this part of the work is completed the link should be bent to the shape of a letter U, so that the two holes are exactly in line. The addition of a bolt with a lock-nut completes the fitting.
In the event of the steering celumn or • chain drum being broken, a repair by the roadside is impossible, and it becomes necessary to get the wagon home. This is, of course, most difficult with the steering gear out of order, for it is impossible to tow a wagon, right end foremost, if it cannot be steered. In order that. it may he towed home, a
• special tow-bar is necessary. Such a tow-bar, however, is not difficult to make, and one should be made and kept : in the garage ready for emergencies. The sketch shows an accessory of this description. It is made from 3-in, by g-in. fiat steel bar, one part being bent and twisted to shape, as shown in • Fig. •3 of the sketch. No dimensions are given, it being understood that the, overall length is the same as that of a standard tow-bar as -used between wagon and trailer ; the height from A to .13 should be such as will bring the forward end on a level with the tow bracket on the wagon when the -rear end is attaChed to the front axle of the broken-down vehicle, whilst the width is such as to enable the rear end to be attached to the axle as described below. TWO' other pieces of the same material, 18 ins. long and bent aa shown in Fig:. 4_, are required to complete the bar which, when, finished, will appear as illustrated in Fig. 5.
The method of use hardly needs ex planation. The rear end is coupled to the front axle at the point's where the steering chain is usually attached. Using this tow-bar, it will be found to he quite possible to tow a wagon, the steering goer of which has gone, and it will follow closely the tracks of the towing vehicle. One or tem hints on the working of the double high-pressure gear of a steam wagon are given in a letter from " E.J.," of Sandbach. He commences his letter by remarking that when an engine is being worked in the ordinary way OS a compound, the exhaust steam from the high-pressure cylinder passes into the lew pressure, where it does work, before
being finally exhausted to the abet): sphere. In such circumstances the boiler has only to supply steam to the smaller cylinder. When the engine is being used double high pressure, steam goes direct from the boils-'to both cylin, ders, so that much more steam is required and a. greater demand is made upon the boiler ; so great, indeed, that. if it be called upon to keep up with this-. demand for long, it will. inevitably Its strained ; hence the reason for deprecating prolonged use of the engine in the double high-pressure condition. The method of manipulating the control of the Foden wago-ie for double
high-pressure working is known. If, however, it is desired to work the highpressure cylinder only, this may be done if the lever of the' three-way cock be pulled backwards and the starting lever' pushed over to the point on the quadrant.
To use the low-pressure cylinder only, it is necessary first of all to fix the high-pressure slide valve in the central position, closing both steani ports: To do this, place the reversing lever in mid position in the neutral notch ; tighten the gland • on the high-pressure valve spindle, so that it, cannot move; then remove both of the high-pressure eccentric rods and straps, taking care while doing this not to alter the position of the valve. Pull the lever of the three-way cock to the rear, and move the starting lever towards the letter 11 on the quadrant. Another letter dealing with the Feiden reaches us. from "J.R.D.," also of Sandbaeh. There are, he says, steamwagon drivers who are partial to siphon oil-food. They will be interested in the method of converting hearing 1 obrication on the Foden wagon to this sys
tern, which can be effected in the follow. mg manner :—Lay out the pedestal caps, upside down on the table of a drilling machine, arid drill and tap e
gas-hole inthe centre of each. Fit a piece of piping into this hole, as shown in the sketch, so that it is flush with the underside of the cap and rises to within * in. of the top of the oil reservoir. Put a piece of -wire in and about four strands of worsted.
To remove the balance weights from the crankshaft of a Foden wagon it is necessary, says " H.A.B.," of Rotherham, first to melt out the lead which conceals the nuts at the end of the 'Ubolts which hold those weights in position. The nuts may then be removed by moans of a hammer and chisel.