A New Design for a London Motorcab.
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At least one of the large and old-established horse-cab companies has awakened to the fact that the cab of the future will be the motorcab. The London Improved Cab Co., Ltd., does not intend to let the newer motorcab cornpanics have it all their own way. The directors of this company (amongst whom are two or three men whose experience with the motorbus has taught them valuable lessons regarding London's passenger traffic) have seriously considered the question for some time. They were not however, satisfied with any of the chassis offered to them by motor-makers, and consulted Mr. Stephen A. Marples, of High Holborn, with a view to the evolving of a chassis designed for the special work required by the cab proprietors, and not merely a pleasure vehicle modified to meet the Police regulations. The company is one of the largest in London and owns over so° cabs and 2,000 horses. Its past zo years' experience has impressed upon its directors the fact that continued success with the motorcab can only be obtained if suitable and reliable vehicles are put on the road. The two-seated motorcab is unsuitable for general purposes, because it is incapable of ear ning the maximum of profit; seating accommodation for four persons, with proper provision for the passengers' luggage, were considered essential features to be embodied in the cab of the future.
No British or Continental manufacturer was prepared to supply such a vehicle; Mr. Marples, therefore, proceeded with the designs for a motorcab which would meet all the requirements of the directors.
A representative of this journal has now had an opportunity of inspecting a chassis, a body in the white, and a complete vehicle, built to the special designs mentioned, and the photographs, which we reproduce, will convey to the reader a good idea of the ample proportions of the component parts and the general simplicity of their arrangement. It might be argued that the position of the engine--partly under a bonnet and partly under the driver's footboard an inaccessible one, but, although it is not so favourable as might be desired, the design of the engine itself is so simple, and the parts are so conveniently placed, that they are really more accessible than is apparent at first sight.
The two-cylinder, -vertical engine hasonechanic.ally-cperated valves, at opposite sides of the cylinders, and, at its normal speed of Ssor.p.m., develops rzh.p. The cylinders are rosnun. in the diameter of the bore and the piston-stroke is 115ann. Shams-Bosch, high-tension, magneto ignition is fitted, and the timing of this is fixed. The inlet branch pipe, carburetter, and throttle-valve may be bodily removed by simply slackening four nuts (each of which requires but •half a turn), and uncoupling the petrol pipe union. Should anything go wrong with these parts, it is only the work of a few minutes to remove them and replace with another set,
or make any adjustment or alteration required on those in use. The engine is lubricated by means of a gear pump which forces the oil to all the bearings; an indicator, which is fitted on the dashboard, shows at a glance the flow of oil through the main service pipes. Thermo-syphon cooling is employed, hence there will be no water pump troubles.
The rear view of the chassis, which we reproduce, shows the pedals which constitute the only means of control that the driver has to operate, except, of course, the changespeed and brake levers. The small, central pedal operates the throttle valve, whilst the left and right pedals operate the clutch and foot-brake, respectively ; it is not improbable that some form of hand control *ill supersede the pedal for operating the throttle. The clutch is of the ordinary leather-faced cone type, but has a very strong spring, which makes slipping almost an impossibility unless the leather is very badly worn. In spite of such a strong spring, the operation of the clutch is perfectly easy, by reason of the extra long, pedal levers.
The three-speed and reverse gear-box gives direct drive on the top speed, and, with the engine running at Soor,p.m., a speed of 20m.p.h. is obtained. There is no gate-change, but, in spite of this, the shafts are quite short and still. The gear-wheels are 32mrn. wide and are of case-hardened
" steel, and the shafts in the gear-box, as is the case throughout the NV hDle transmission system, are mounted on " boll-bearings of unusually large size; the I.-Letor allowed for these bearings is so large that there should be, practically, no wear on them. The body of the gear-box is made of cast, malleable iron, as also is the crank-case—aluminium, for these parts, was not considered by the designer to be suitable for such purposes in the construction of a public-service vehicle. In spite of the heavier material having been chosen, and all other parts being made of sufficient strength for a 3oh.p. engine, the total weight of the complete chassis is only 730 kilogrammes, or about 14 cwt. The back axle is a clean and stiff-looking job, and, judging by the shape of the central casing, which closely fol
lows that of the bevel-wheel and pinion contained therein, we should say there need be no fear of noise from this unit of the vehicle. The driving-axle is anchored radially by the tubular extension which surrounds the propeller shaft. Two sets of expanding brakes are provided, One drum is fixed on the forward end of the propeller shaft and is operated by a pedal; a side-lever brake acts in drums fixed to the rear mad-wheels, through spring-compensated rods. Our illustration, on the previous page, of the almost-completed vehicle is reproduced from a photograph taken with the body in the white, and shows the fixed part of the roof, railed off for the carriage of luggage. This arrangement is undoubtedly better than that of carrying it on a canopy ex
tending over the driver's seat, as in the position shown the luggage may easily be handled by the driver, without his having to climb on to the roof.