Swiss Brake Design Makes New Departure
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ONE of the most interesting features of the recent Swiss Motor Show, at Geneva, was an unconventional new brake system, produced by the Oetilcer concern. As may be seen from an accompanying illustration, semi-circular brake facings. 24 in number, are fitted around a tube and held in place by steel rings. The synthetic rubber tube is inflated by means of cleaned exhaust gas. A reduction of wear is claimed in favour of this design. 1-44
Only two of the four Swiss commercial-vehicle makers exhibited at the Show, One was, of course, the Saurer concern, which also builds engines for the other Swiss exhibitor, the Berms company.
Saurer displayed a complete range of chassis, varying from 1-tonners to 6-tonners. The smallest chassis has a 2.6-litre oil engine, developing 48 b.h.p. at 2,500 r.p.m. An idea of the general appearance of the chassis, which is remarkable for its low weight, may be gained from an accompanying illustration of a slightly larger outfit, which, as it happens, has a six-cylindered petrol engine. Incidentally, this is the only model of Saurer petrol engine now
being manufactured. '
A detail change in Saurer engine design consists of the introduction of wet liners. Injection pumps are of Bosch or Scintilla make, the sprayers being made by the chassis manufacturer. The light-weight and medium-weight chassis are generally equipped with LockheedDewandre brakes, necessitating the use of a special vacuum pump, driven by chain from the timing gears ancl;:arranged in tandem with the fuel pump.
The new Saurer 100 b.h.n. oil engine, *30 noteworthy for its clean design, is the unit now generally adopted by the Swiss Alpine Postal Service, The Heywood pneumatic starter is employed A feature of the coach chassis used by the Postal service is the eight-speed gearbox, with six '' silent" ratios.
Various foreign makes of vehicle were also on view, but they have been described in connection with other Continental shows and do not call for further reference.