Pneumatics Show Solid Progress

24th September 1954, Page 221

24th September 1954

Page 221

Page 222

Page 221, 24th September 1954 — Pneumatics Show Solid Progress

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Ice-gripping Tread on New -Tyre for Winter Use Indicates the Current Trend Towards Design for Specific Requirements NEW tyres are not " invented " overnight, but are evolved slowly in the light of service experience and exhaustive, painstaking testing on the road and in the laboratory. It is, therefore, a tribute to the manufacturers that at every Commercial Motor Show, new tyres are to be seen that represent their efforts to meet new requirements.

The modern trend to produce special tyres for special purposes can be clearly seen from an inspection of the samples displayed at this year's Show.

Although the new outsize tyres often attract the most attention, the average operator is more interested in the latest models that will serve him in the course of his daily task.

Long-distance haulage and passenger vehicles are well catered for. The Firestone Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd. (Stand P 200), show a comparative newcomer to their range, which is capable of heavy duty on the highway. Called the New Transport tyre, it is constructed of gum-dipped tension-dried rayon, which minimizes growth and makes the tyre less liable to cutting, cracking and damage from impacts. The tread is wide and flat, with equal-depth grooves to give a long, non-skid life. Smooth, flat shoulder elements alternate with deep grooves to resist scuffing and to dissipate heat.

Another recent addition to the Firestone range is the Super Transport, a premium tyre for commercial-vehicle road service which has all the advantages of the New Transport plus extrareinforced beads for greater stability. It has a great volume of tread-rubber, with very deep, non-skid grooves.

The Dunlop Coach Speed tyre (Stand P 205), which is also a newcomer to the Show, is for fast, long-distance work and is designed to prevent heat building up. It has extra-tough buttressed side walls and a skid-resistant tread.

Dand S-type Classic tyres, by the Davies Tyre Co., Ltd., are exhibited on Stand P 199, and the Goodyear A.W.T. tyre, with a diamond tread, on Stand 201. These are well-proven tyres for heavy-duty runs at high speed.

The India Super for goods vehicles and the India P.T. for buses and coaches are shown by the India Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd. (Stand P 196). Circumferentially ribbed tyres for longdistance vehicles are displayed by most manufacturers, including The Bergougnan Tyre Co., Ltd. (Stand P 204), British Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd. (Stand P 194), and Pirelli, Ltd. (Stand P 202).

Tyres for delivery vehicles, which make many stops and starts, require special features to suit them to this particular class of work. The Avon express-delivery tyre has a built-in kerbing rib which protects the side walls from scuffing. It has also shown itself to be highly resistant to the abrasion caused by start-stop work.

The Firestone delivery lyre for light vans has the same tread pattern, and is made to the same specification, as the New Transport tyre.

The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co. (Great Britain), Ltd., show a model designed principally for utility vehicles which is called the Goodyear Studded Sure Grip. The Dunlop Rubber Co., Ltd., exhibit a 7.00 by 20-in. 10PR tyre known as the Multi-Stop, a selfexplanatory name.

In this class comes the India light truck tyre, which, like many of the other light-vehicle tyres on show, is also suitable for ambulances and similar vehicles.

Electric-vehicle tyres, which are designed to reduce the starting load and increase the mileage per battery charge, are included in the displays of Pirelli, Dunlop and Firestone.

Some abnormal-load vehicles still use solid tyres, of which there are several different makes to be seen.

Pneumatics for low-loaders are also shown. One is a recent development of the Davies Tyre Co., Ltd„ and is provided with a tread that has a dualgrip pattern, making it suitable for anand-off-the-road duties. Kerbing is to be expected with vehicles that often carry wide loads, so that the side walls of the Davies low-loader tyre have been strengthened.

Tyres specially designed for lowloading vehicles are also exhibited by Avon, Dunlop and Firestone.

Operators of vehicles on services involving on-arid-off-the-road duties must pay particular attention to tyres. " Massacre" conditions are encountered on building sites and other unprepared surfaces that call for" shock tactics" in manceuvring heavily loaded vehicles into position. Once away from the site, the same tyres must provide a high safety factor and reasonable fuel consumption.

To meet these conditions a tread is employed which combines the advantages of the circumferential patterns required for road work, with the lateral logs used on tyres for crosscountry and quarry work. Manufacturers have been paying close attention to such equipment, with the result that several new models have been produced during recent years. This year, two further additions are introduced.

The new B.T.R. traction tyre has a wide, flat self-cleaning centre tread which is said to promote smooth, quiet running and easy steering. The tread is deep and tough to give long mileage on the road and to withstand the hazards of rough ground and unmade tracks. Powerful side lugs, countered and spaced to eject stones automatically, also enable good purchase to be obtained in soft, yielding ground.

Dual-Grip is the name given to the on-and-off-the-road tyre shown for the first time by the Davies Tyre Co., Ltd. A special compound is used and an extra under-tread reduces cracking.

Bergougnan display a tyre designed specifically for the sand and ballast and building trades; its features include a tread which is said to combine good cross-country traction with equally good performance on the road.

The Road Lug is the tyre produced by Goodyear to meet the demands of road haulage, together with efficient traction on site. Alternating long and short lugs bite into soft ground, whilst the centre rib gives good riding on the road.

The North British Rubber Co., Ltd. (Stand P 206), announced the introduction of their Dominion Royal Fleetmaster tyre last year, and exhibit it on their stand for the first time. This is another tyre aimed at achieving good fuel economy on the road and enduring rigorous duties in gravel pits. quarries and the like.

Similar in principle to the dual-purpose tyre, a completely new product takes its place at the Show for the first time. It is intended for use in Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries, where a good grip is required on iceand snow-covered roads. The Dunlop version is called the Winter Extra Grip and is suitable for passenger and goods vehicles. The India winter tyre is stated to be effective on muddy and wet roads, and, like the Dunlop, may well become popular in this country.

In the range of tyres used entirely for off-the-road work, many variations of lateral treads with large, deep lugs can be seen. Models displayed include the Avon Traction, Davies Cross Country, Dunlop Power Grip,. Goodyear Sure-Grip, Henley R.L.M., India M. and L. and the Pirelli Pattern 266.

Henley's Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd. (Stand 198), have not previously shown their off-the-road tyre. It was originally produced for overseas markets where exceptionally arduous operating conditions are encountered. The Davies Cross Country, which has an extra-deep non-directional tread, has also not been seen at the Show before.

Although the Michelin Tyre Co„ Ltd. (Stand 203), exhibit tyres which can be classified in the categories previously dealt with, they also fall into two distinct types within themselves— steel cord and textile.

Michelin X tyres have three layers of steel cords which are buried between the casing and the tread to give lateral stability to the tread and to prevent tread shuffle. They are available in three sizes, 7.50-20 in., 8.25-20 in., and 9,0020 in.

Other Michelin Metallic covers with a casing of steel cords are available in all standard sizes larger than 32 in. by 6 in. There are two types-ZZ for road haulage and Y for roughcountry work, logging and so on.

Michelin textile tyres for general use on goods and passenger vehicles are shown, together with Y and N types for special conditions. Tyres for delivery vans on stop and start work are also exhibited together with a selection of Michelin Zigzag tyres which are made in all sizes for normal use.

Tubes are exhibited by Dunlop and Firestone, and the latter concern show several examples of their rubber-tometal-bonded components for engine mountings and vibration dampers. Dunlop display examples of their wheel rims.

As a significant proportion of running costs is attributable to tyres, all vehicle users will welcome the signs that manufacturers have been concentrating on the " bread-and-butter" types.

Of the new tyres at the Show, those that have treads designed for winter work are perhaps the most novel. Even these are sure to enjoy general popularity, as ice and packed snow can be the bane of any driver.