Milnes-Daimler, Limited.
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Exhibit:—New Five-ton Chassis; One Tip Wagon; Two Vans; and One Omnibus.
This well-known company is showing its latest five-ton lorry chassis, which embodies many absolutely new and distinctive features, and some of these are illustrated by sketches on this page. The first chassis of this design was shown at the Berlin Exhibition, in December last, and was briefly referred to in 44 THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR " of the 26th December, 1907. The engine is mounted on the frame bya novel system of three-point suspension : the forward end is mounted on one bearing of large diameter, whilst the after end is supported on double-acting trunnions, which relieve the crank case of all strains which might be set up by the whipping of the frame. Another departure from the usual practice of this company is the building-out, from the -top of the gear box, of a casing in which all the change-speed striking gear is contained, and on which the change
speed lever is pivoted. This form of construction obviates the necessity for any additional brackets on the side members of the frame.
The perch frame has also received a considerable amount of attention, and this is now of triangular formation, and its forward end is anchored to a massive universal joint, which permits of the axle's moving in any direction without transmitting twisting strains to the perch frame. The back axle and the differential shaft pass through the vertical webs of the perch frame member, and these, of course, rigidly maintain
the correct meshing distance of the internally-toothed final drive, which form of transmission has always been a feature of the Manes-Daimler vehicles. The bevel gear has been stiffened up considerably, and the whole vehicle nout presents a most workmanlike appearance ; it is well calculated to sustain continued and severe usage as a commercial vehicle. The spring suspension has been the subject of much thought, and the rear ends of the forward springs are not now held by inextensible links, but each of the links, or shackles, to which these ends of the springs are secured is now carried by a springloaded plunger (as illustrated), the addition of which greatly increases the flexibility of the springing, and, by rea
son of the fact that the periods of oscillation of the helical springs and the plate springs differ widely, the riding of the vehicle should be very easy. The steering gear on this chassis is of very stout construction, and one of our detail sketches shows the form of universal joint which has been adopted.
The pressed steel frame is of deeper section than in previous Milnes-Daimler models, but the shape of this is such as to give it an extremely light appearance. The dashboard is of in-curved, pressed-steel plate, and of a shape which adds greatly to the smart appearance of the chassis.
In addition to the five-ton chassis, this company is also showing a motorbus which has been built to the order of the Great Western Railway Company. The top deck is entirely reserved for the conveyance of passengers' luggage, and the vehicle is a most suitable one for cross-country work in connection with the main-line stations; the chassis of this vehicle is the company's standard three-ton type. Another exhibit is a box van, and one of the company's one-ton chassis, with
which we reproduce, shows an ingenious and labour-saving device, as fitted to another of the exhibits of this company. This is the three-ton tipping wagon which ran through the R.A.C. trials in September-October last. The tipping gear is driven by the engine. The top shaft of the gear box is extended, for a length of about three feet, behind the gear box, and terminates in one member of a cone type of friction clutch. This shaft rotates whenever the engine is running, and the friction cone clutch is engaged by means of a lever situated at the side of the chassis ; the bevel gear transmits the drive to two compound-threaded tipping screws, which give a quick and positive tipping action.
James Nelson and Sons, Limited, of 57, Charterhouse Street, E.G., and whose branches in the country are very numerous, has been using five-ton Milnes-Dairnler petrol-propelled vans for some years, and has written to the managing director of the company, under date the t7th of March, as follows : " As the first -users of your motors far trade purposes, we are very pleased to report that the motorvans supplied by your company have given us every satisfaction, and, after five years, we find that the gears in the five-ton chassis are now practically as good as when first supplied, and, fat our business, where speedy delivery ii essential in the case of a large area your cars have proved a great success.'