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A FRENCH LIGHT EXPRESS CHASSIS.

24th June 1924, Page 12
24th June 1924
Page 12
Page 13
Page 12, 24th June 1924 — A FRENCH LIGHT EXPRESS CHASSIS.
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A New Production of a Well-known Factory Intended for Use with a 10-cwt.

Van Body.

THE well-known French firm of motor vehicle manufacturers, Automobiles M. Berliet, of Lyons, •France, and 40, Sackville Street, London, W.1, whose products are Well-known in this

country, have now placed on the market a light commercial chassis suitable for use with an express delivery van body for a net load of 10 cwt., and also for use as a conimercial traveller's van.

In this latter sphere of usefulness this model has already met with a large measure of success, a considerable number having been supplied to important business houses both in this country and abroad. This chassis is of particularly clean design throughout, and embodies all the latest improvements, including Tecale-: mit pressure grease-On cation throughout the chassis. The engine has four cylinders, cast en bloc, with a detachable head, the bore and stroke being respectively 80 mm. and 130 mm., giving a cubic capacity of 2,614 c.c.. The R.A.G. rated horse-power is as, while the brake-horse-power at 2,000 r.p.m. is 28. , The crankshaft,is supported on three white metal-Hued bearings, and carried in the top half of the crankcase, the front and centre main bearing caps being held in place by two bolts, while the rear main bearing cap has four bolts. The big-end bearings are similarly constructed to the main bearings, and the bearing caps are secured by two bolts. The gudgeon pin is locked in the small end of the connecting rod and revolves in bosses in the pistons. The pistons are provided with three rings, all situated above the gudgeon pin. . The valves are located on the left-hand side of the engine and are operated by a single camshaft driven from the crankshaft by spiral-toothed gearwheels. The magneto is located on the same side as the valves, and is driven by a gearwheel meshing with the camshaft gearwheel. -The cooling

water circulates thermo-siphonically, and its action is assisted by a large radiator and fan. The gearwheel oil pump is driven from the rear end of the camshaft by skew gearing and delivers oil under pressure to the three camshaft hearings and the main crankshaft hearings; from the• latter oil is forced, through ducts drilled in the. crankshaft to the big-end bearings, the cylinder walls, pistons, gudgeon pins, etc., being . lubricated by oil thrown off from the revolving crankshaft; surplus oil is discharged over the timing gears, from whence it drains back through a filter

to the sump. .

Located on the right-hand side of the engine and bolted to the rear of the timing case is the single-unit dynamotor, driven from the crankshaft by a silent chain.

The power is conveyed through a inultiple dry-plate clutch to the four-speed and reverse gearbox. The flywheel and clutch are contained in a bell-housing, which is bolted to the front of the gear. box, and this single-unit is suspended from the frame at three points.

The gearbox, which is an aluminium casting, is provided with a central change-speed lever mounted on the top of the casing, and has the selector Mechanism contained inside the box itself. The gearwheels have large faces, while the shafts are mounted on ball bearings, the layshaft being positioned below the main shaft. The gear ratios are as follow :--lst, 16.79 to 1; 2nd, 11.35 to 1; 3rd, 7.26 to 1; 4t1. (direct drivel, 4.54 to 1.

Mounted on the rear end of the second motion shaft of the gearbox is a spider, which carries the foot-brake drum. The outside of the drum is ribbed for cool. ing purposes. The brake shoes, which are provided with fabric linings, are pivoted from • the bottom right-hand corner of the gearbox, and the operating rod passes through the inside of the gearbox and emerges at the top lefthand corner.

Secured to the rear of the foot-brake drum is a flexibile fabric disc universal joint, the rear side of which is bolted to a spider sliding on splines on the forward end of the propeller shaft, the latter being enclosed in a substantial torque tube.

The rear axle is of the semi-floating type. the final drive being by spiral bevels. There are four bevels in the differential gearing, the whole of which is mounted on ball bearings., At their outer ends the axle shafts are carried on double-row ball bearings, while the wheel hubs are keyed and bolted to a taper on the ends of the axle shafts. The hand brakes are external expanding, and operate on drums attached to the rear hubs.

The front axle is an I-beam forging, with jaw ends for the stub axles; the front hubs being mounted on ball bearings. The steering is by worm and complete wheel, with the cross-rod mounted behind the front axle.

The suspension has received very careful attention, as in many cases these chassis are used for the delivery of fragile goods. Long semi-elliptic springs are used for the front axle, and full cantilever springs at the rear.

The .petroi tank is located at the rear of the chassis, fuel being drawn therefrom by ai vacuum tank mounted on the dash, from which the Zenith triple diffuser carburetter is fed by gravity. • The chassis frame is constructed from • channel-section nressed steel, inevrept at the front and upswept at the rear. Four sabstantial cross-members are tided, that at the front carrying the trunnion bearing for the front end of the power unit, the rear of this unit being supported by the two gearbox arms. Detachable steel disc wheels, with 820 mm. by 120 mm. single pneumatic tyres all round, are fitted as standard, although detachable wire wheels can be fitted if specially required, a spare wheel being included in the standard equip,ment.

The electrical fittings are very Complete, two heacLeside, tail and dashlarnps and electric horn being provided. An automatic cut-opt is provided in the circuit, to prevent damage to the battery. The principal dimensions of the chassis are :-Overall length 12 ft. 6 ins., overall -width 5 ft. 4 ins., wheelbase 10 ft., track 4 ft. 8 ins., length available for body 7 ft. 8 ins., whilst the approximate weight of the bare chassis is 20 cwt.

This is the smallest of the Bet-bet line of .commercial-vehicle chassis, their other models ranging upwards to6 tons net carrying capacity.

Tags

Organisations: US Federal Reserve
People: Van Body
Locations: London

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