Agricultural Road Motors at Lincoln.
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First Illustrated Report.
Lincoln is in a state of great excitement over the Royal Show. The broad acres of West Common, around which unfolds the Lincoln racecourse, provide an admirable site, although the ground was very heavy on Monday afternoon last, after several hours of continuous rain. The hotels mean to make the best of the week, and there is just the degree of fussiness and excitement that one would expect in a city which has not received a visit from the Sovereign for upwards of 2oo years. Cabmen are doing a roaring business,
at / S. a head from the station to the show-yard (with a minimum of 2s.), but their opportunities are somewhat reduced by the excellent service which is being rendered by a number of motorbuses oventhe same ground. We observed, on Monday afternoon last, the arrival of a 24h.p. StrakerSquire omnibus, and a 3oh.p. Siddeley omnibus, whilst a 36h.p. "Commercial Cars" motorcoach was' due to arrive the same evening from Luton. It should be named, toa, that excellent garage accommodation exists at the show, this being provided, near the main entrance, by Messrs. Gilbert and Son, of Melville Street, Lincoln. The exhibitors whose stands will appeal more directly to readers of this journal are divided as follows : Tractors, eight exhibitors (Aveling and Porter, Burrell, Clayton and Shuttleworth, Foster, Garrett, Ruston-Proctor, and Tasker); wagons and tractors, three exhibitors (Robey, Savage, and Wallis) wagons only, two exhibitocs,(FoElikli-antil-41an$ro "a:g-ricultural motors, two exhibitors (Ivo'. and Saunderson); other allied stands, ten exhibitors. The location of the exhibits with which .1,fe deal are indicated on the accompanying plan map, and this should enable visitors to find their way about, from stand to stand, without any difficulty. A reduction in the number of steam-wagon exhibitors is• to be noted, for the Ellis, Hindley and Yorkshire makes, which were represented at last year's show, are not to be found at Lincoln. There appears to be an unquestioned • tendency of wagon builders tb concentrate upon London. It will be gathered, on the other hand, from the descriptions which We are able to give on the following pages, that the leading builders of tractors are present in force, and all who advocate the use of the steam horse for particular classes of work cannot but be gratified at the continued develOpment in this branch of the industry.
Whether the weather will contribute to the success of the show cannot be forecasted with any degree of safety, but we desire to congratulate the Secretary e'-f the R.A.S.E., Mr. Thomas MeRow, upon his able handling of the organisation. From Rochester.
Aveling and Porter, Limited, has its accustomed position, facing slightly to the right of the main entrance, at stand No. 158. The company includes in its fine exhibit two examples of construction which fall under the Motor Car Acts, one being a standard, 5-ton, compound tractor for haulage purposes, and the other a similar machine with a roller substituted for the ordinary front axle. The cylinders are 44 inches and 6-1-inches in diameter of the bore, and the boiler has 2 7 us-inch tubes each 3 feet 9L inches long: the tank capacity iS 130 gallons. Each boiler is tested to a pressure of 300lb. on the square inch, and the working pressure is set at 1%lb. on the square inch. The cylinders are steam jacketed in the usual form, and the arrangement of the company's outside valve-chests gives easy access when necessary. There is an auxiliary valve to the low-pressure cylinder, and the machine throughout is constructed from the best selected materials.
There is a specially-designed, powerful, screw-down, friction brake, acting on the inside rim of each driving wheel, and the winding-drum carries so yards of the best steel hawser. The company's system of springing also deserves special mention.
Aveling and Porter tractors and small steam rollers are built .according to the company's wide and long-standing experience of road-locomotive practice ; the design embodies all the features which that experience has dictated as the correct thing in respect of strength and simplicity. Their popularity may be gathered from the fact that some 40 machines are on order at the moment.
Water-Ballast Rollers.
Stand No. 263 has in position two good examples of the manufacture of Messrs. Barford and Perkins, of Queen Street Ironworks, Peterborough, which firm's products are becoming most popular with both private and public owners of parks, racecourses, cricket grounds, golf links, and the like. These rollers are, in addition, coming into increasing vogue for roadmakingwith granite, tar macadam, wad as phait. One of the rollers hears the official letters, " E.R.," and is sold for use in Richmond Park : it will be noticed that this machine Ts fitted with a drawbar for pulling purposes.
The other roller is of the company's " D3 " size, and it met with an unfor-. tunate accident on Saturday last, when doing some rolling in the show-yard for the Royal Agricultural Society. This was due to collision with a horse and trap, but, after a smart repair had been effected, the machine was again, ready for service on Monday afternoon. This second model has been fitted with a new type of radiator, as is shown in one of our illustrations, and it should be noted that it is the identical machine which won the gold medal at the Essex County Jubilee Show, at Chelmsford, a fortnight ago.
Both rollers are fitted with Simms two-cylinder, 12-1411.p. engines, and both are provided with two speeds for use in either direction.
Burrell,
The stout-looking compound tractor on stand No. 229 is a credit to Charles Burrell and Sons, Limited, of St. Nicholas' Works, Thetford. The extra water tank is considerably shallower than was the case a year ago, and the necessity for special provision to get at the water legs of the boiler is avoided. The company has substituted chain steering for its previous all-gear arrangement, this action being no doubt clue to the great suitability of the chain connections for handling by average drivers. This variation in the 'arrangement of the steering details has permitted the adoption of a more compact fore-carriage casting, as may be noted from our photograph (page 419), or on inspection of the tractor. These Burrell tractors have exceptional hauling power, and a recent 37mile test was made from Thetford, with a gross load of 9 tons behind the drawbar, along the Norwich and Swallharn roads, the. latter of which is a particularly hilly one. The consumption of coal on this test, with the roads in good condition, was as low as i lb. per ton per mile (reckoned on the total weight behind the draw-bar). All Burrell tractors are fitted with a patent device for looking the compensating gear, and this is so arranged that a driver can take all ordinary curves.
"The Little Hercules."
Clayton and Shuttleworth, Limited, of Lincoln, shows, on Stand No. 157, one of its new steam tractors. The latest engine turned out by this company is one which will interest all farmers, contractors, builders, brick. makers, and other users of road motors for hauling purposes. It has a cornpound engine, and the whole design has been carried out in such a way as to give the greatest possible strength and hauling power while keeping within the limits of the regulations respecting weight. This new production has been aptly named " The Little Hercules," and its advantages are undoubted. The cylinders are of large diameter, and the engine is sufficiently powerful to take the full load up any ordinary gradient on the fast gear. The boiler has a large margin of safety, and is stayed to withstand a working pressure of 18o lb. per square inch. The feed-pump, instead of being driven directly off the crankshaft as in the earlier machines by this maker, is now driven by gearing ; the speed of the ram is thereby greatly reduced, and the pump is far more effective.
The pitch of the gearing has been increased, and it is made of steel throughout, the first and second motion wheels being machine cut. The road wheels are of large diameter, with ample tire widths, and the driving wheels are locked to the axle by means of a double set of driving pins, thus ensuring increased safety in hill climbing. Additional water tanks of large capacity are provided, so as to allow for long journeys without stopping to take up water. The roomy foot-plate is fitted with a spring flooring, which greatly minimises the vibration to which the driver would otherwise be subjected.
This company has always givan great attention to the design and manufacture of its steam road rollers, which, in general appearance, strength of working parts, efficiency, and economy, hold their own against all corners. With the same care bestowed on the construction of its latest production, " The Little Hercules" is almost certain to become popular with all classes of users of this type of motor.
From Sandbach.
A standard 5-ton Foden wagon can be seen at stand No. 220, and this latest example of output from the Elworth Works is interesting for several reasons. The makers have previously relied, except to special order, upon two injectors for feed purposes, but one of these has now been discarded in favour of an automatic pump, this pump being driven from the stud shaft by an eccentric, and placed well down below the level of the water tank : regulation is on the suction sideof the ram. Another change is the adoption of a feed-water heater, this being carried in clips, under the flywheel, from one of the mainframe channels, and heated by a small branch from the inside. The wagon on exhibition has been. sold to the 13rampton Brewery Company, of Chesterfield, and the body is fitted with iron stanchions and side chains.
-Wellington Tractors.
Two compound tractors are amongst the exhibits at stand No. 237, and their workmanlike appearance promises to attract the notice of all visitors. One of the machines is fitted with r5-mile capacity water tanks, these being slung towards the fire-box end of the machine, whilst the more customary position for the extra tanks, at the forward end of the barrel, is adopted in the caseof the machine with 30-mile capacity tanks. The latter of the two tractors has been sold to G. F. Rudd, Esq., of Beddgelert, North Wales, for work in. this well-known slate quarry district, and it Was purchased only after lengthy tests to prove its hill-climbing capabilities. The 6-ton trailer for the samepurchaser is also on exhibition.
All who are interested in tractor construction should examine the following constructional features : the feed-water control; the method of engine mounting; the special springing ; and the auxiliary control-valve for the feed water. The demand for these tractors. has largely increased during the last twelve months, and the works are very busy : one of them is emploved to convey mineral waters, etc., to the caterers at the Show.
Garrett, of Leiston.
This company's compound tractor is a good example of the manufacture of the Leiston Works, Suffolk, and it will be found at stand No. 119. Cylinder lubrication is effected by a special mechanical lubricator, of American manufacture, which is .actuated from one of the eccentric straps, and the engine is governed to run at about iSo r.p.m. A large covered tank is carried below the boiler, and the steering gear is housed in brackets carried on the front of this tank. An interesting feature in the design is that one lever only is provided for high-pressure working or compounding. The exhaust steam, before its discharge into the chimney, is effectively muffled and superheated in a special casting inside the smoke-box' whilst there is a spark arrester at the base of the chimney.
It will be noted that the company has brought out the present compound model since last year's show at Derby.
Green's (Leeds) Exhibits.
Thomas Green and Son, Limited, of the Smithfield Iron Works, Leeds, is showing several examples of motor lawn mowers and rollers on Stand No. 69. These include : a 24-inch mower, driven by means of a ,3Ah.p., air-cooled, petrol engine; a 30-inch mower with 4h.p.. engine ; a 42-inch mower with a two-cylinder, water-cooled engine; and a 3-ton motor roller. The two lastmentioned exhibits are the most important. The 42-inch mower is a wellequipped machine, and all the control gear is most accessible to the driver.
The 3-ton motor roller has a two. cylinder engine, with mechanicallyoperated valves. The engine is fixed transversely, under a bonnet which practically covers the whole of the mechanism. Nkrater circulation is maintained by means of a centrifugal pump, and a gilled-tube radiator assists in keeping the water cool. The drive to the rear rollers is transmitted through machine-cut gear, which gives two,speeds in either direction, the changes of gear ratio being effected by Means of a single lever from the driver's seat. A differential is pro
vided, and is fitted inside the ring of the main gear wheel on the countershaft. The final drive to the rollers is by means of roller chains. The axle on which the back rollers revolve, is fixed in bearings which have oblong apertures, and these openings allow the driving chains to be easily adjusted by means of two bolts and lock-nuts at each side of the machine. There is a pulley for use in driving machinery, when the machine is not in use as a roller, and this is handily disposed.
The company's steam-driven tractor is not shown, but we will give a description of it in an early issue : several novel features are embodied in the design, and we hear good reports upon the work that i accomplished by this model. The engine is a tandem compound, and the machine has been designed throughout to stand up to its work in rough haulage service. We regret that the makers were unable to take an example to Lincoln.
A Petrol Water Pump.
Hathorn, Davey and Co., Limited, of the Sun Foundry, • Leeds, has a neat little combination of petrol motor and centrifugal pump on stand No. 277. A single-cylinder, 8h.p. De Dion engine is direct-coupled to a multi-stage centrifugal capable of delivering so gallons of water per minute, at a pressure of 7o1b. per square inch. The engine and pump, together with the necessary tanks, coil, accumulators, and control gear, are on a two-wheeled truck, thus making it handy and effective.
Ivel.
Ivel Agricultural Motors, Limited, of 4s, Great Marlborough Street, London, W., is represented on stand No. 231 by one of the well-known and successful Ivel motors, and a three-furrow plough which may be used in combination with it is attached. Amongst the recent awards gained by this motor is another gold medal, the result of the Machine's behaviour at the Essex Association trials held at Chelmsford on the A neat portable lire-engine. t3th inst. No radical alteration to the The multi-stage pump will throw a jet of water design has been made, .although im
vements in minor details. are con
§tantly; being effected by the makers. Mann's Wagons.
Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Co., Ltd., of Pepper Road Works, Hunslet, Leeds, has staged two examples of its steam vehicles on stand No. 225. One of these is a 2-ton wagon built for the Clayton Gas Co., of Egypt, and is of the usual design so long adopted by this company, which was one of the first to enclose the engine in an oil-bath. The transmission is by gearing throughout, and two changes of gear-ratio are provided. All the gearing is enclosed and protected by the sheet-steel casing which forms the oil bath, thus ensuring smooth running. Keys are avoided wherever possible, and, instead, square shafts are employed; little trouble need therefore be anticipated in the way of loose parts arising from this cause.
The loco. type of boiler, which has proved • its suitability for road locomotive work, is fitted to all vehicles of this company's make. The large man-hole on the top of the boiler shell is a prominent feature and offers a ready means, in conjunction with the bottom mud-holes, for thorough cleaning. The other exhibit of this company is a 5-ton tipping cart, In this, the disposition of the parts is somewhat different from the standard wagons. The engine is mounted over the boiler. The spur-gear drive is retained as on the wagons, but some modification is, of course, necessary to allow of this. Tip wagons of this type have been made by this company for the last so years, and the fact that very little alteration has been made in the designs is an indication that satisfactory results have been obtained.
Fire Brigade Motors.
Merryweather and Sons, Limited, of Greenwich Road, London, SE., on stand No. 376, show a petrol motor combination fire pump and hose tender, the capacity of which is zzo gallons per minute. The four-cylinder Aster engine is sufficiently powerful to drive the vehicle at speeds up to 25 or 30 m.p.h., and to take gradients of i in 6 when fully loaded, and on low gear, or to drive the three-throw, singlecrank pump for delivering the quantity
of water mentioned above. The gearbox provides for three forward speeds and one reverse. This company also shows a portable petrol engine and pump combination, suitable for estate work.
At Robey's Stand.
Robey and Co., Limited, Globe Works, Lincoln, has, on Stand No. 236, one of the largest exhibits in the machinery section. Two examples of the company's 5-ton steam wagons are shown, together with two steam tractors. The wagon embodies several im portant departures from the practice usually followed, and the clean appearance of the boiler, viewed from the footplate, is one of the most pleasing of these. We reproduce a photograph of this part of the wagon.
The Robey 5-ton wagon is geardriven throughout. Correct meshing of the driving pinion on the second motion shaft and the spur-wheel on the axle is secured by a patent universal coupling and swivel, which must both tend to reduce wear and tear and contribute largely to smooth and silent running. The whole of -the engine, gearing, back axle, and bearings, are enclosed in a dust-proof and oil-retaining casing. So complete and automatic • is the system of oiling in every part, that there is not a single grease-cup or lubricator, under the body of the wagon, which needs the attention of the driver. The road wheels are built up with cast-steel centres to which the fellies are bolted ; the tires are of crucible cast-steel, and are bored out with a -slight taper, into which taper the completed centre is forced by means of hydraulic pressure, the result being a strong, resilient, and sound road wheel.
As may be seen from our illustration, the boiler is of the vertical type, and has 108 fire-tubes, each se inch in diameter, all of which are completely submerged. The top outer-casing of the boiler is enlarged for the purpose of securing increased water surface and greater steam space, and also with the object of enabling the boiler top to be removed, by breaking only two boltjoints whenever it is necessary to -clean and scale the inside and outside of the tubes. The chimney hinges on a gunmetal union through which the exhaust steam from the engine is admitted to the chimney base : this base contains a superheater which renders the exhaust steam invisible.
The steam tractors exhibited on this stand are built upon the lines of the road locomotives which this company has made for some years. The large diameter of the boiler shell, and the roomy foot-plate (giving accommodation for two men if desired), areamongst the good features of these machines. All the nuts are visible and accessible—none are hidden away under lagging. In constructing the mdchine, the crankshaft and second-motionshaft bearings are bored out in position, thus ensdring alignment of these. important parts. The sliding pinions for the two changes of speed are mounted on a square extension of the crankshaft, thus obviating the necessity. of any keys or feathers. The capacityof the water tanks is sufficient for a run of 20 miles with full load. Each engine is provided with a gear-driven feed pump, an injector, a water lifter,
and a slip winding-drum with 30 yards of steel cable, together with a most complete working outfit.
No stand in the show-yard contains better examples of road-locomotive manufacture, and visitors should not fail to give the necessary time to a thorough examination.
Ruston-Proctor.
Ruston, Proctor and Company, Limited, of Lincoln, has one of its 5-ton, compound, steam tractors on exhibition at Stand No. 211. This handy little engine comes under the Motorcar Acts, and is, therefore, the only machine amongst the numerous exhibits of this company in which we are interested.
All the usual features of the larger road locomotives made by this company are embodied in this machine, only on a reduced scale. The works at which these tractors are made are known as the Sheaf Iron Works, Sheaf Wood Works, and the New Boiler Works, and the three establishments are situated on the River Witham. At each of these works there are sidings connecting them directly to the Great Central, Midland, Great Northern and Great Eastern Railways. Over 3,600 men are employed, and the aggregate horse-pOwer used to drive the machinery amounts to 2,000.
The system of engine mounting (on machined, steel seatings) adopted by the makers on all traction engines and tractors made by them is a good one, and it has given complete satisfaction to users. All the gearing on the tractor is completely enclosed, and the makers' reputation for good workmanship, combined with the best materials, should command the attention of all who are in the market for such a machine.
The Universal Motor.
H. P. Saunderson and Co., Ltd., of Elstow Works, Bedford, has one of the latest " Universal" motors on stand NO. 239. The Royal Agricultural Society of England awarded its silver medal to the Saunderson exhibit at the Derby Show of last year, thus showing its approval of this useful machine. During the past year, considerable improvements have been effected in small details, amongst which must be men tioned the increase,elize •of-the radiators at each side : these are now of great length, and offer a very large cooling surface for the circulating water of the four-cylinder, 5oh.p. engine. The principal feature of this tractor is the fact that all three road-wheels are positively driven by the engine ; very high tractive effort is, therefore, regularly available, although the weight of the vehicle is not excessive. Every bearing, exceptingthose in the engine, is of the roller type, with long steel rollers revolving in a steel bush which is renewable and provided with dust-proof caps.
It will interest our readers to know that Mr. Saunderson has been experimenting with air-cooling, and the company is showing a single-cylinder, air-cooled engine, of 6h.p., which keeps remarkably cool. The experiments with a four-cylinder engine, for use on the tractor, have been so satisfactory that its early introduction may be expected. These engines run equally well on petrol or paraffin.
Savage Exhibits.
Stand No. 270 contains two exhibits from Savage Brothers, Limited, of St. Nicholas' Works, King's Lynn. The 411.p. steam tractor has a single-cylinder engine, with a diameter of 61 inches in the bore, whilst the pistonstroke is 9 inches, and the boiler has 29 lap-welded smoke-tubes each 2i inches in diameter. The feed-water heater, which may be seen on the near side of the boiler, forward of the engine (page 424), receives all the exhaust steam, which encircles some 17 water tubes, and the exhaust is subsequently heated, before discharge, by a single coil in the smoke-box. This tractor isknown as the " Little Samson."
The standard 5-ton wagon has a water-tube boiler, and the whole of the transmission, except the side chains, is arranged in an oil-retaining casing. There is a mechanical lubricator for the cylinders, the delivery being secured by a rod which passes through the plunger of the automatic water pump, whilst a separate pump circulates oil to all the principal bearings in the transmission. There is, in addition, ordinary splash lubrication in the engine casing.
A point which is somewhat unusual in steam-wagon design is found in connection with the front spring's, the slide-blocks for which are bolted to brackets which project downwards from the main frame. This wagon is, at the present time, the only vehicle of its type entered for the Royal Automobile Club's trials in September next, and it is capable of carrying six tons on fair roads where gradients do not exceed i in 7. The cylinders are 44 inches and 7* inches in diameter of the bore, and the piston strokeis 6 inches, whilst all the main gearing is of machine-cut steel.
"Little Giants."
An old-established maker of tractors, whose trade appeared to be quiescent a few years ago, W. Tasker and Sons, Limited, of Waterloo Iron Works, Andover, Hants., two of whose " Little Giant" tractors may be examined at stand No. 213, has come rapidly into the public eye during the past six months. The company's new patent spring gear is worthy of special mention : it is designed to allow the driving axle freedom to adapt itself to any inequalities of the road, the transmission gear revolving on fixed centres and driving the axle through the medium of a floating ring. Users speak very highly of this spring gear, and of its flexible travelling on the road, and it has attracted most favourable notice owing to the simple and effective manner in which it behaves in practice.
The " B2 " model is capable of hauling six tons along any ordinary macadam road, and it is well proportioned throughout for the purpose, whilst the " A2 " model, with a single cylinder, is well adapted for lighter loads.
One of Tasker's, 4-ton, rear-tipping trailers is also on view. This trailer can be easily tipped by one man, and a large number are in use by contractors and others for the conveyance of ballast, as the whole contents can be tipped in about one minute. A 3-ton, 4-box, coal lorry also calls for notice : it is specially -designed for the use of coal merchants who desire to make delivery without the use of sacks. Each box will hold iscwt., and can be' sepa rately tipped. •
Wallis and Steevens. •
Stand No. :250 is occupied by Wallis and Steevens, Limited, of Basingstoke, and this company's typical models are exhibited. The 5-ton tractor has a compound engine with cylinders 41 inches and 81 inches in diameter, whilst the piston-stroke is 9 inches : the engine is mounted on a "deflecting plate," in order to relieve the boiler plates of strain, and the engine motion is encased. The locomotive-type boiler has in tubes each 11 inch in diameter, and four larger tubes each 21 inches in diameter at the top. These larger tubes act as a by-pass when the tractor is at rest, and a damper is fitted for the purpose of closing up all the smaller tubes. An auxiliary water tank is fitted round the base of the chimney.
The company's steam wagon follows the general practice of a locomotive-type road wagon, with single chain drive, but it possesses a few points which are peculiar to the Basingstoke shops.
The " universal provider " for users of tractors and wagons, W. H. Willcox and Company, Limited, of 23; Southw.ark.Street, S.E., has a splendid collection of all classes of sundry supplies, lubricants, greases,, injectors, water lifters, etc.,-etc., at stand No. 190. This company's patent wire-bound hose is of great strength and .durability, and well designed to withstand the rough wear and usage of the road.It is largely ordered by the best-known makers of , self-propelled road vehicles, whose testimony to the results is uniformly goad. The hose is made in all sizes from inch up to to inches in bore, and it can be used for numerous liquids.
Visitors will do well to examine the well-known, double-acting semi-rotary, wingpumps, of which a large stock is held in different sizes : these pumps are shown fitted for demonstra. tion in various ways. Engine and boiler fittings, packings. tools, power and hand-drilling machines, brace drills, pulley blocks, pipe cutters, ratchet braces, tube vices, tube expanders, tube scrapers, bench and staple vices, wrenches and spanners, numerous jacks, bolt cutters, and a variety of other useful exhibits are also on the stand, which is certainly one of the most attractive in the show-yard.
Other Exhibitors.
Ransornes, Sims and Jefferies, Limited, of Orwell Works, Ipswich, and 9, Gracechurch Street, E.C. (Stands Nos. xx and 268), has a selection of petrol lawn-mowers on exhibition, as well as various portable engines and agricultural implements. The lawn-mowers will be found on stand No. It.
Amongst others, the contents of the following stands are of interest to commercial motor owners :—On stand N. to, there is a selection of rubber tires, including" Clincher Grid " and " Clincher Block," exhibited by The North British Rubber Co., Ltd., of 2, 4 and 6, East Road, City Road, N.; Joseph Owen and Sons, Ltd., Stanley Road, Liverpool, shows a selection of timber, body panels, etc., on stand No. 16r; J. H. Peck and Co., Ltd., of the Tarpaulin Works, Wigan, Lancashire, shows a variety of covers suitable ftgwagons and tractors on stand No. 200; Price's Patent Candle Co., Ltd., of Belmont Worki, Battersea, S.W., has samples of engine and other lubricating oils on stand No. 240; and, on thestand of the British Petroleum Co., Ltd., of 22, • Fenchtirch Street, London, E.C. (No. 260), various vessels . for storing and handling. petroleum and petroleum . spirit .are. shown, together with an imposing display of " Shell motcir