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FOR CARRYING 25 CWT. AND HAULING 4 TONS.

26th December 1922
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Page 9, 26th December 1922 — FOR CARRYING 25 CWT. AND HAULING 4 TONS.
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A Tractor-truck of French Construction which Possesses Many Novel Features. Outstanding Points in Design Include Simplicity, Accessibility and Manoeuvrability.

THE INDUSTRIAL or utility trucks which have hitherto been offered for service in docks, goods yards, wharves and the like, have been mostly electrically driven units, and although this form-of power may possess peculiar advantages for vehicles of this type there is no real reason why the internal-combustion engine should not be put to a similar use. There is nothing to be gained by making a comparison between the two types of industrial trucks (petrol and electric), for each is usually able to perform the operations demanded from

it with efficiency and reliability , One of the latest petrol-propelled industrial trucks to make its appearance on the British market is the 13.9 h.p. Renault, which, seeing that it hauls as well as carries, is aptly described as a tractor-truck. This vehicle possesses many outstanding features to distinguish it from similar types of vehicles, although, in the main, it embodies principies.which have long since passed the experimental stage. The chassis is built of channel steel and it is supported in the conventional manner on the two axles of the truck by means of four multiple leaf springs, which serve to cushion the load from road shocks The engine is neatly disposed below the loading platform, which is hinged near its rear end in order to permit the front end to be raised and thus afford the maximum of accessibility for inspection of the engine and other components. The engine is of the four-cylinder monoblock type, the bore and stroke of the cylinders being 75 mm. and 125 mm. respectively. The crankshaft bearings are of ample proportions and are lined with anti-friction metal. All parts are lubricated by means of a forced system of lubrication The carburetter is of the automatic, dashpot type, and is fitted • with one standard jet. ignition is by high-tension magneto with fixed spark, and it is operated by an adjustable drive through machine-cut skew gearing. Cooling is on the thermo-siphonic principle, and two gilled tube radiators 'are placed amidships, parallel with the chassis frame on each side of the engine. Forced air circulation is secured by means of the centrifugal turbine on the engine flywheel.

The drive is conveyed from the power unit through a clutch of the inverse cone type, which is leather faced. A bearing. is provided to prevent end thrust on the

crankshaft. The gearbox Provides three speeds forward and a reverse, direct drive being on top gear. The reverse is obtained by means of an intermediate pinion meshing with the low speed pinions. The forward speeds are 2, 3i and 7 m.p.h.

So far as the final drive is concerned, the secondary shaft protruding from the gearbox is fitted with a pinion meshing with the interior-toothed crown wheel, this crown wheel being solid with the driving spindle; it operates the differential crown wheel through a bevel drive. The differential, is of the three-satellite' pinion type, and its casing, which is in halves, 18 strongly supported by drawn steel tubes connecting the central casing with the two back wheel hubs, which constitute the brake supports. Two brakes are provided—one hand-operated and the other pedal-operated, and they control the internal-expandingshoes which act upon drams fitted in the rear wheels. The brake bands are of the same size and are interchangeable.

So far as the control of the tractortruck is concerned, the steering wheel is on the right-hand side. It has a horizontal column, and the actual steering gear is of the worm and sector type. The hand brake and change-speed levers are centrally located and are within easy reach of the driver from his well-sprang seat, which is attached to the shield which surrounds the lower part of the control compartment.

The wheels are of Renault steel disc type and they are fitted with solid rubber tyres of 600 mm. by 90 mm. dimensions..

The Renault truck unladen has proved its capability of negotiating inclines of

1 in 2.1 on first speed, 1 in 4.1 on second speed, and 1 in 71 on third speed, or, fully laden with 23 cwt. on the truck and towing 4 tons on trailers, of travelling up inclines of.1 in 7 on first speed, 1 in 1.51 on second speed, and 1 in 36 on third speed. These figures, although endorsed by actual tests, must. only be considered as approximate.

• The manceuvrability of the machine is most marked, and it will easily turn in a radius of 13 ft. 8 ins. The principal dimensions of the truck are Overall length, 9 ft. 10 ins. ; overall width, 4 ft. 8 ins. ; overall height, 5 ft. 9 ins.; track,

3 ft. 8ins. ; wheelbase, 4 ft. 101 ins. ; ground clearmce 41 ins. The height of the platform from the ground is 3 ft. 2 ins., and as its length is 7 ft. and its width 4 ft. 1 in., it possesses a good loading space. The weight of the machine empty is 15 cwt.

The makers intend that the vehicle can regularly be employed for hauling loads up to 4 tons as well as for carrying 25 cwt. loads, and for this purpose it is fitted with a neat and simple design of trailer hook, which enables drawbars of varying height readily to be connected to the hauling unit, A single lighting and starting set is provided, which is of ample capacity to start the engine under any temperature conditions which are likely to be met. with in this country. The incorporation of a self-starter should certainly overcome any objections to the petrol-propelled truck on the score of fuel wastage, for, if it is only halted for a few minutes to discharge or pick up a load, the engine can be conveniently stopped with the certain knowledge that laborious effort will not be eptailed in restarting.

The Renault tractor-truck, for which the distributors in this conntry are Ifescto. Ltd., Kingsway House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2, is certainly welldesigned, and its construction is such that no fear used be felt in putting it to the hardest tasks within its rated capacity.

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Locations: London

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