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New Municipal Motors for Paris.

25th January 1912
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Page 4, 25th January 1912 — New Municipal Motors for Paris.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Municipality of the French Capital is Experimenting with a Number of Types of Sweepers, Water Carts, etc.

inipottant reforms are in progress in Paris in connection with street cleaning and the collection of household refuse. The municipal authorities have just taken delivery of about 15 vehicles of various types respectively designed for street sweeping, sweeping and watering, and watering and washing. The motor vehicles have all been built to a definite order, and were partly paid for upon the placing of the order, the remainder of the purchase price to be handed over when the full tests have been completed.

Tested on 1 in 5.

The initial tests consisted in climbing one of the steepest gradients to be found in the city of Paris, of stopping with one set of brakes only when coming down this hill, and of testing for ability to turn in an ordinary street. The climb up the Rue de lagdebourg, with a gradient of about 1 in 5 was accomplished without any difficulty; further, all the vehicles stopped in remarkably short distances when the signal 'Was given to the driver to. put on one set of brakes. The turning test was not so satisfactory, for while some of the sweepers could get round in 20 ft. several of the motor water wagons required over 40 ft. in which to turn without the use of the reverse.

Four Classes of Machines Ordered.

For streetcleaning purposes four distinct types of vehicles have been ordered : motor-driven street sweepers; sweepers haying a spraying jet to prevent dust; combined sweepers and watercarts; and motor-driven water carts with a big capacity of water for washing the streets.

The simple type of street sweepers, intended to replace the present horse-drawn vehicles, have been supplied by Louis Renault and Sautter-Harle and Co. The former maker uses the standard 80 mm. by 120 mm. twin-cylinder motor as employed on its taxicabs. The SautterHarle sweeper is driven by a 90 mm. by 140 mm. twin-cylinder motor, having water circulation by pump, forced-feed lubrication, Bosch magneto and Claudel carburetter. Except that it is very strongly constructed with a view to rough usage, there is nothing very distinctive in either the motor, the transmission or the final drive. The rear suspension is by transverse inverted semi-elliptic springs, and the brush, which is at the rear as on the horse-drawn sweepers, is driven by means of an enclosed chain operated from a countershaft engaging with a pinion within the differential housing. On being raised the brush is automatically de

clutched, and provision is also made for regulating its height as wear of the bristles takes place. By request rubbershod wheels have been fitted, the rear ones being 1,400 mm. by 90 mm. and the front pair 805 mm. by 7t mm. The wheelbase is 6 ft. 9 in., and with the exceptionally-wide steering lock the sweeper is able to turn round without the use of the reverse in practically any street.

Combined Sweeper and Water Wagon.

The Lafily sweeper, although similar in general appearance to the Renault, differs by having a 77-gallon water tank, thus allowing the road surface to be watered immediately before being swept. The sprinkler consists of a tube with seven jets placed just ahead of the brush ;

through this tube a fine spray of water is forced by means of a gear-driven pump. It is claimed that this addition allows the streets to be swept at any time without raising dust, and also allows the mechanical sweeper to operate in frosty weather. The Lail-1y has two propeller shafts ; the primary one takes the drive from the

gearbox to the road wheels with a reduction between the driving pinion and the crown bevel, and a further reduction between the pinion at the end of each driving shaft and the internal gear on the road wheel; the second shaft runs from the gearbox to a housing bolted to the transverse rear frame member, where by means of bevel gearing it drives the diagonally-mounted countershaft with final chain drive to the revolving brush. The motor is a larger one than those used by the other makers, being a four-cylinder of 75 mm. by 120 mm.

De Dion two-purpose Model.

Another sweeper and sprinkler has been supplied by the de Dion-Bouton Co., and is distinctive by reason of the placing of the rotary brush under the centre of the vehicle, between the front and the rear axles. The fan-shaped sprinkler is just ahead of the brush. This design gives a much longer wheelbase, the vehicle requiring a 27-ft. roadway, in order to get round with the greatest lock of the steering wheels. A combined sweeper and naterer has also been supplied by this maker, the general design 'being the same as that of the sweeper and sprinkler, with the addition of a couple of jets brought to the front of the vehicle, and of course a larger-capacity water tank.

Front-drive Models on Trial.

There is another combination machine in the Durey-Sohy, fitted with a Brasier two-cylinder motor driving by side chains to the front wheels. The brush is not direct driven from the motor, but from the rear wheels. By means of external gearing., the right-hand rear wheel drives a countershaft parallel with the brush shaft, and it is from this shaft that the final drive is taken by chain. The water pump is also very simply operated by means ef a chain from the transmission countershaft to the pump shaft. The water nozzle is centrally placed in the fmnt. Rimier the radiator.

The familiar Latil System.

There is another front-drive sweeper and waterer furnished by the Latil Co. This, however, is a much more powerful vehicle, being designed to sweep, water and wash the streets. The entire power plant is at the front, and consists of a four-cylinder motor driving the front wheels by means of transverse cardan shafts, this portion, indeed, being identical with the firm's commercial chassis. There are two water pumps, a low capacity one used for street watering only, and a large capacity one which is also brought into service for washing.

Finally, the city authorities have placed orders with de Dion-Boil-ton, Renault and Lattly for motor-driven water carts only. In the case of the Renault, this is the firm's standard 5-ton chassis with motor under the seat and a large-capacity tank in place of the usual body. The water is drawn by means of a centrifugal pump on the side of the chassis. to a couple of sprinklers placed

ahead of the steering wheels. The width of road watered at one operation can be regulated at will and the flow of water shot off instantaneously. The de DionHouton is very similar in its general arrangements. On the Laftly, the motor is under a bonnet, thus decreasing the amount of space available for the tank, and the sprinklers, instead of being ahead, are on each side of the vehicle.

Types will be "Weeded Out."

As the result of the experience gained with these vehicles further orders will be placed. It is evident that all the types will not be maintained, one of the most important features of the experiments being to determine how far several operations can he combined economically.

Quite a separate branch of the municipal work is that connected with the collection of household refuse. The present system by means of horses is most unsatisfactory. High-wheeled carts drawn by a couple of horses and accompanied by three men travel through the streets at a very slow rate of speed and receive the contents of the refuse bins placed at the street doors by the " concierges." Not only are the carts dirty and cumbersome, but the scavengers are frequently unable to do the work required of them by reason of frost-bound streets. Further, during the long journey to the refuse destroyers, the carts obstruct traffic.

Dust-collecting Requires Exceptionally-long Bodies.

Attempts are being made to carry out this work with motor vehicles, and two types have been put into circulation. One of these is the Fram front-drive electric, and the other a petrol type with the motor, under the driver's feet, driving on the front wheels. In each case the power plant is remarkably compact, and no more space is occupied by the complete petrol equipment than by the electric plant. Thii arrangement gives the greatest possible body space, and the body is also made as low as possible, being under. slung and haying such a low clearance that it would probably be impossible to operate them on any but city streets. This low clearance has been adopted in order to get big capacity with easy emptying of the household bins. As the rubbish boxes have to be taken at the door of every flat or business house, it must be an easy matter to tip them into the wagon if this is to be kept constantly on the move. Even, however, with the greatest rapidity, the speed cannot be more than three miles an hour, and to produce a petrol vehicle which will work satisfactorily at this low speed and yet be able to make quick journeys to the destructor is not an easy matter. The body of the scavenger vans is covered with a metal top in four sections, all mounted Oct grooves and sliding back, Horsed Machines a Nuisance.

In order to facilitate the work of these last-named motor vehicles, the collecSion of garbage will take place at night • instead of during the morning, as at p:esent. The motor vehicles now in use are fitted with solid-rubber tires on the front wheels and steel bands on the rear. They are decidedly quieter than the hoists vehicles now employed, and, as a motor does not need the same amount of urging as its four-footed rival, the operation of collecting house refuse by motor should be very much quieter than by horses.

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Locations: Paris

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