NEW FEATURES AND A NEW NAME •
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Several Improvements are Incorporated in the Latest Design of a Taxicab which Made its Appearance Close on Two Years Ago, when it Attracted Attention by its Distinctive Features.
SQ OME NEW. vehicles make a rapid appearance on the , market, and, after the initial efforts of the promoters have lost some of their force, make an equally rapid disappearance. In the past new vehicles have been introduced which had not the remotest chalice of securing a foothold in the commercial
vehicle market of the country, partially dime to the flagrant errors of design and also to insufficient financial support.
There are other vehicles, designed on sound and propel' lines, which, upon their advent into the market, create quite a favourable impvession, hut the names of these vehicles sometimes do not,. through a combination of circumstances, leave a lasting mark. One always deplores the disappearance, temporary or
B36 permanent, of a vehicle which is well designed an constructed, for we realize that the stability and goodwill of the trade are only founded on the best products of the commercial vehicle industry.
• It is for this reason that we welcome the reappearance of a taxicab which originally made its debut close upon two
years ago. The vehicle to which we refer wee' formerly name the Skean, and it was described in our issue for March 15th, 1921. Mr. Skain iS now no longer associated with the vehicle, and the company which supplied the transmission which was incorporated in the design of the original chassis, are now putting the vehicle on the market as the Kingsway taxicab.
This company is the British Transmis
sion Co., Ltd., 3, Portsmouth Sti:eet, Kingsway, London, W.C. 2, and, as several notable improvements, making for increased efficiency, have been effected in the cab, we make no excuse for refreshing the memories of our readers with its outstanding features. The object underlying the design of the Kingsway taxicab, has been to produce a vehicle based upon the actual needs of the taxicab trade rat-her than to adapt an existing vehicle to cover, in an adequate fashion, taxicab requirements, and the result has been the production of a vehicle of practical design, which, in the hands of a number of users, has during the past two years proved its capabilities on the London streets.• The engine, clutch, gearbox, hack axle, front axle and steering gear are the same as incorporated in the original design. The engine, it may be remembered, is a Dorman four.eylinder, which develops 16 h.p., its bore and stroke being BO nun. and 130 mm. respectively. The cylinders have a detachable head, and the power unit is three-point suspended. The lubrication is of the combined pressure and trough type, a gear-type puree forcing the oil to all the main bearings, from which it run,s into the troughs iii order to lubricate the big-ends.
In the latest model the frame has been slightly widened at the front in order to render the high-tension magneto more accessible, although it is still perfectly straight and not inswimt. Another improved detail which may properly be classified under the heading of engine featuree i.s the radiator, which is now a higher component and is of somewhat different shape; moreover, the bonnet runs into a scuttle dash and makes for considerable improvement in appearance as against the square dashboard originally fitted.
The clutch is of the cone type, the cone being a light steel pressing lined with Fared° fabric. There are two Hardy fabric joints between the clutch and the gearbox which, known as the Dux, possesses several novel features.
The box itself is slung on two arched cress-members, and it has the changespeed gate and lever carried on an extension of the gearbox cover. The gears are of the constant mesh type with internal dog clutch engagement, and the shafts are very short.
Bolted to the rear end of the gearbox Is the female portion of a ball-and-socket joint, which carries the spherical end of the torque tulle. Contained within the balleand.cup joint is a cardan joint of the star type, whilst at the rear end of the propeller shaft is a sliding splined joint.
The back axle is of the full-floating type, and is driven by means of spiral bevel gearing. The actual shafts can be withdrawn without removing the road wheels. The cardan shaft is totally enclosed, and the whole of the transmission, from the front end of the gearbox right through to the back wheels, runs in oil in an oil-tight easing.
The front axle is of special design and permits of considerable lock. The tie rod and steering arms are of sturdy construction, and are fitted with the company's special type of oil-less bearings. The road wheels are mounted on Timken roller bearings.
The 'brakes on the Original cab were of the internal expanding type, both brakes being fitted to the rear wheels, and in the latest. model the braking arrangement has been made more simple. The steering gear is of the worm-andwheel type, the whole of the mechanism being enclosed in an oil-proof casing.
The springing of the chassis has received special attention, and ,a new feature is that the rear springs now ride on rollers, attached to the back axle in place of the flat pad which was previously fitted. The rear springs, it may be called to mind, are of the cantilever type. Here, again, grease cups have been eliminated, and the shackles are all fitted with oilless bushes.
The general dimensions of the chassis
remain the same, se that the driver stilt has a well-raked steering column and a comfortable driving position, whilst the inside of the cab still permits approximately 6 ins, of space between the knees of the passengers seated on the main and the hinged seats. The total chassis weight is approximately 17 cwt., and the complete vehicle weighs just over 1 ton. The overall length is 13 ft., and the width 5 ft. 6 ins., the minimum ground clearance being 10 ins.
Since the vehicle was last described in these columns, the body has undergone certain impreitnIments, and the upholstery is now of leather instead of Bedford cord, whilst the windows, which were previously of the frameless type, now have mahogany surrounds. The bodywork of the Kingsway taxicab is. of the three-quarter landaulet type, which gives it a most impressive appearance. The comfort which the body provides is, of course, very largely brought about by the fact that the chassis has a 10-ft. wheelbase.
The price of the Kingsway cab complete with spare wheel and certain other accessories, is £790, the chassis price, with five tyres, being 2520. It should, of course, he stated that the cab fully conforms with the requirements of Scotland Yard in the matter of hackney carriages of this type.