A New Design of Tractor-lorry.
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THIS is the era Of the more-than-four1 wheel vehicle, and many of the developments which are at present taking place in the commercial vehicle industry are in the direction of spreading the load over six and, in some cases, eight wheels. " Tractor-lorry " is the compounded term which has been given to The six-wheeled vehicle, comprising a prime mover to which is fixed, by varying methods, a trailer, and many vehicles of this type have made their appearance on the market during the past few months.
The latest is one which hails from the works of Robey and Co., Ltd., Lineoln, and an example of this new six-wheeled steam wagon will be on view at the forthcoming Show of the Smithfield Club, which opens at the Agricultural hall on December 4th.
In general tho new vehicle. embodies If :le leading features of the standard 5-6ton steam wagon so fax as the engine and boiler work are concerned, although, as naturally might. be expected, it has been specially designed to meet the demand of certain classes of users who desire to transport heavy loads over long distances at a comparatively high speed. The load capacity of the new wagon is 10 tons, and its road speed 12 m.p.h.
The trailer portionof the vehicle is attached to the wagon by means of pivot pins through a swimmer ring; which revolves on the cast-steel turntable bracket.
bracket is bolted between the side members of the wagon, which are dropped towards the rear, and it permits the carrier to turn through an angle of 90 degrees. The wagon and the carrier frames are built up with pressed-steel side-members, and thesteering gear. is of the worm and quadrant type, with rubber buffers to absorb road shocks.
Two independent foot brakes are fitted --one for the tvailer wheels and one for
the rear wheels of the prime mover, each of which operates a large shoe on an internal ring is each road wheel. It does not matter in what position the carrier is, in relation to the wagon, for the pressure-on the rearmostArake remains constant,.owing to the brake cable attachment ,being free to swing in a vertical position, end centrally with the turntable bracket and 'swimmer ring. The road wheels are of cast-steel and they are fitted with solid-rubber tyres.
A capacious body is fitted to the tracks--lorry, its dimensions being 20 ft. long by 7 ft. wide. The short wheelbase of the wagon enables the vehicle to he readily manoeuvred in traffic.
We grail supplement these brief details by a longer description in our next issue, after we have been able to inspect the vehicle at the Smithfield Show.