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OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.

25th September 1923
Page 26
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Page 26, 25th September 1923 — OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Editor invites correspondence on all subjects conneoged with the use of commercial motors. Letters should be on one side of the paper only and typewritten by preference The right of abbreviation is reserved, and no responsibility for viewr expressed is accepted.

Why the Agrimotor Makes Slow Headway.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[2205] Sir,—In a recent issue of your paper I read an article under this heading. As a practical user of motor tractors, I am perfectly certain that the only reason that the business is stopped at the present moment is simply because agriculture, SA a whole, on arable land is in a very difficult position, and few farmers care to launch out into capital expenditure, with an uncertain future before them.

On my farm, I used to keep five tractors going when I had a lot of arable land. Now I have ceased almost, entirely to grow corn, and two tractors do practically all my work with regard to grass cutting, haymaking, etc., but, even in this direction, as much work as possible has been stopped, where we are using cattle and pigs to eat the grass down. It pays better to do this rather than to use more ti-actors to cut the grass and make it into hay. However, I do say, absolutely and definitely, that whatever work is done with the tractors is done cheaper than if horses were employed for the same job.

As people must live to a large extent on wheat made intd bread, so tractors must sooner or later be employed to cultivate., the ground to grow this wheat, simply because tractor power is cheaper than horse-power.—Yours faithfully, S. F. EDGE. Ditehling.

Suggested Improvements in Commercial Vehicle Design.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

{2206] Sir,—Mr. F. H. Rambling, in his letter, No. 2194, mentions the Leyland Trojan as being a design on the lines he believes commercial vehicles should take, and he invites the opinions of readers. On behalf of Leyland Motors, Ltd., I should like to explain how difficulties such as petrol consumption, four-cycling, want of flexibility, carbonizing and engine lubrication, associated with two-stroke engines, are overcome in the Trojan.

The first three are overcome by connecting the cylinders in pairs, the connection taking the form cif a comparatively small aperture at the combustion chamber end, the gases taking a uniflow course from the transfer port in the inlet cylinder to the combustion chamber through the aperture and back towards the crank chamber to the exhaust port in the exhaust cylinders. '

With this construction the percentage of new charge escaping through the exhaust port is greatly diminished, and the quality of the mixture, in the inlet cylinder containing the sparking plug is always superior to the average cylinder contents, such that missing or four-cycling is practically eliminated. The engine is, therefore, capable of running smoothly on light throttle and becomes very flexible. Crankcase .compression—the principal factor of simplicity which makes the two-stroke so attractive— and the petrol system of lubrication have been condemned on account of the impoverishment of the lubricating oil due to the admixture of petrol.

Mixing the oil with the petrol is ideal from a proportion point of view, as the petrol consumption rate varies directly with the load, and hence the oil supplied is proportional to the load and not to engine revolutions, etc.

• Supplying the correct proportion of oil, however, is only half the problem ; it must not merely be allowed to "find its way" to the parts requiring lubrication.

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In the Trojan the mixture of air, petrol and oil is taken through the jackets to evaporate the petrol ; it then impinges on a het surface, the separated oil drains to the crank-chamber sumps, whence it is rapidly circulated through all the bearings and through the hollow crankshaft ; the circulation is effected by the fluctuations in the crank-chamber pressure through passages controlled by ports in the crankshaft acting as valves. All the essentials of a pump are present without the provision of plungers and small valves, which may get out of order.

Much could be said explaining why the engine never requires decarbonizing, but, for brevity, I will merely state the three main reasons :—(1) The correct proportioning of the lubricating oil, as previously explained ; (2) the compression in the cylinders is always the same, and closing the throttle does not cause a vacuum above the pistons, tending to suck oil past the rings; and (3) the combustion in the cylinders is practically always of an oxidizing character, tending to consume carbon rather than to create it.

The engine is practically silent, and is designed to work at slow speeds. At 1,200 revs, it gives less power than the same-sized four-stroke, but at 500 revs, it gives about twice that of a four-stroke, and in a recent_test this 10 h.p. engine took a gross load of 321 cwt. (consisting of loaded car and caravan trailer) 240 miles, of which 238k miles--were on top gear (ratio engine to road wheel 5 to 1), with a speed on the level of 24 m.p.h. and average consumption of a gallon per 27 miles. Under normal conditions the petrol consumption is less than a gallon per 40 miles. —Yours faithfully, LESLIE H. HOUNSFIELD.

Securing Greater Immunity from Road Dangers.

The Editor, THE COMAIERCIAL MoTon..

[2207] Sir,—Before going deeply into suggestions for minimizing road accidents, it would be very interesting to know the proportion of accidents which occur under the following conditions:—

. 1. Mechanical breakdowns (chiefly steering and brakes).

2. Careless driving. 3. Due to state of road, (i.e., excessive camber, bad corners, etc.).

Taking accidents coming in the first category, it may be assumed that manufacturers use every endeavour to send their vehicles out in a road-worthy condition, but it is not by any means certain that they are .kept in such condition by the users, except where a skilled mainte.nanee staff is employed. I would suggest that such vital parts as wheels, axles, steering and brakes should -be subjected to rigorous examination at, say, intervals of not more than three months under similar rules to those apper

taining to the inspection of steam boilers. This inspection mild be incorporated in the insurance policy, and would operate in a manner similar to boiler inspections; that is to say, that, where a competent engineer is employed, he could accept responsibility for the examination.

With regard to mishaps in category 2, as an old motorist, I consider the ehief offender on the road is the recent 'class of driver on light cars and light vans, neither of whom appear to have acquired "road sense." The average heavy lorry driver is quite reasonable. The only suggestion I can put forward is that there should be less trapping for overspeed, and the police force thus released should be employed as plain-clothes patrols to report anyone driving to the danger of the publia, by passing

on corners and coming too fast out of side streets, etc. .

With regard to incidents in the third category, I know that the average motorist is very indignant at the manner in which heavy-vehicle drivers keep to the crown of the road on excessively cambered roads, but I think, if the results owing to the heavy lorry slipping down the camber were made clear to him, he would not be so unreasonable. No doubt the roads will be made right in good time, but a publicity campaign on the above three points would certainly induce a little more consideration to road users in general.

I also think that all heavy vehicles should have good side mirrors, as it is not always possible to hear anyone wishing to pass.—Yours faithfully,

J. W. LODDS., Manager,

LEYLAND MOTORS, LTD.

Late Capt. R.A.S.C., KT., Chief Inspector of Mechanical Transport, Northern Area. Branch Works, Chorley.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.

[2208] Sir,—I have perused with much interest your excellent remarks and the well-informed letters from prominent gentlemen on the above subject appearing in the issues of The Commercial Motor, of September 11th and 18th, and, being greatly concerned with the road transportation of goods practically all over the country, I should feel glad if you will permit me to make a few observations on the matter.

Whilst holding the opinion that there is no present cause for, alarm, there certainly does appear to be an unfortunate increase in the number of accidents, and, although I certainly agree with you that the motoring community is not entitled (if it does) simply to take the view that this is a. necessary corollary to the increased number of vehicles on. the roads, I also feel, on the other hand, that the Press is not justified in its attitude in glibly attributing the blame to the motoring community. Publicity by all means, but with the view of finding a remedy, and not in the interests of alternative transport, or the boosting of insurance schemes Everybody deplores accidents, and I, personally, have taken a deep interest in the question. I am writing without statistics before me, and I should be surprised to learn that there is any appreciable increase of accidents due to commercial vehicles, and this appears to be corroborated by your other correspondents. My own experience is that the reckless drivers of to-day are those in charge of pleasure cars and motorcycles, and " reckless " is hardly a sufficiently strong adjective for many of these drivers, who, evidently feel they should take priority over everything and everybody else on the road. Many glaring examples have been brought to my notice and I will quote one of them.

One of our sub-contractors was travelling along a narrow road near Leeds with five tons of eggs, arid owing to the impatient toot-toot from behind pulled in as much as passible—a little too much. One wheel sank in the roadside the rope snapped and about 20 boxes of eggs were 'thrown into the ditch, resulting in a claim for £85. The Commercial Mot-or says : " If the heavy-vehicle driver has a fault, it lies in keeping to the crown of the road, etc.," but I am afraid it is not always appreciated that there is generally a reason for his seeming neglect.

Mr. C. le M. Gosselin surely "hits the nail on the head" in mentioning that the general public show a deplorable lack of reasonable care. Everybody must admit it is so, and despite the number of accidents, are not the great majority of drivers " exertcrated from all blame " ? My company has been responsible for despatching about 40 heavy vehicles daily to various provincial centres, during the past three years, and I ,am not aware of a single instance where a vehicle has been responsible for an accident,

and only on one or two occasions have the vehicles running for us been involved in accidents.

I maintain, in fact it is my experience, that commercial motor vehicle drivers do their utmost to avoid accidents (they realize the valuable nature of their cargo), and, generally speaking, are a thoroughly conscientious set of men. The increased accidents happen despite their Luescautions, and not in consequence of neglect. It' has often surprised me to note their extreme cautiousness as against the recklessness of youths with private cars, etc., but what surprises Inc most is the sheer apathy of so many of the public towards traffic, but I am convinced that the salvation of the public lies with itself, and, as previously mentioned, all the precautions in the world on the part of motor drivers will not prevent, or even diminish, accidents whilst the public,

in effect, refuse to co-operate. I say "refuses " because obviously that is the position when the public persists in behaving (as it does) as stated by Mr. C. le M. Gosselin. Again, all the road improvements in the world, however helpful to drivers, will be of no avail if the public continues to neglect its duty.— Yours faithfully, ROAD TRANSPORT CONTRACTOR. London.

The M.A.B. Motor Ambulance Service.

The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MoTon.

[2209] Sir,—In your issue of September 4th (page 79) you give a brief r6sum6 of the Metropolitan Asylum Board's motor ambulance service during tne last twelve months, and detail the reasons for its existence. The letterpress describing the illustrations of the new types. of ambulance is, however, not quite accurate, since the design (the result of a number of years of my experience in this type of motor vehicle) was prepared by me and accepted by the Board as their future standard. The chassis is the well-known 25 h.p. Cleanent-Talbot, slightly modified from the standard pattern, to my specification, to suit the requirements of this special form of service. The bodies, with all fittings' were built and assembled at the re-equipped works of the M.A.B., under my superintendence. You will recollect that in your issue of September 14th, 1922, you gave a fully-illustrated description of these new ambulances.

I believe that sufficient public interest exists in this important and valuablebranch of mechanical transport to warrant the publication at an early date of the method by which the engineering re-equipment. of the above large ambulance service was performed at my advice.—Yours faithfully, God aiming. , A. H. ITUDDART.


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