A NEW LIGHT LORRY FOR HIGH SPEEDS.
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Brief Details of One of the Latest American Models Built to Carry 30-cwt. Loads.
TT is not possible definitely to say ithat the new 30-cwt. chassis which we are about to describe will make its appearance on the British market at a later date, although, in so far as its distribution for all countries, except the United States, Canada and Mexico, is in the hands of Melchior, Armstrong and Dessau. Ltd., who are directly represented in England with headquarters at 15, Newman Street, London, W.1, we can safely assume that, if its construction. and price appear to render it favourable for operation in this country, it will be made available to British users.
The new chassis is the product of a prominent American company with many years of manufacturing experience behind them—the Standard Motor Truck Co., Detroit, Michigan—and is known as the Fisher Fast Freight, a designation which pays honour to Mr. Albert Fisher, the first president and. general manager of the Fisher Body Co., and the president of the company responsible for its manufacture. It is designed to carry 30-cwt. loads at speeds up to 40 m.p.h., and in some respects is representative of the latest American practices in design.
For power reliance is placed on the model 54 Continental four-cylinder unit, which has a bore of 41 ins, and a stroke of 41 ins., and develops 29 li.p. at 1,000 r.p.m. and 50 h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. This make of engine is a favourite with American makers, and is of clean and straightforward design. The cylinders are cast en bloc with a removable headpiece. A gear-type pump is used to dis tribute the oft to all bearings, timing gears and gudgeon pins,, the crankshaft and connecting rods being drilled for this purpose.
flattery ignition is adopted as standard, although magneto ignition is optional at an increased cost, and in the case of the former the distributor is mounted on top of the cylinder block. The generator is operated through the shaft of the pump which is used for circulating the cooling water.
The cooling effect is aided. by a beltdriven fan and a large capacity radiator of the fin-and-tube type. The radiator shell is made of cast aluminium,' the high polish of which, together with a streamlined bonnet, gives a pleasing ap
pearance to the front. Brackets for lamps are bolted to the sides of the casting.
The engine is three-point mounted. At the front it is cradled in a special bracket an a cross-member and at the rear is mounted on castings which are attached only to the side flanges of the frame. The engine draws its supply of fuel by way of a copper pipe from a cylindrical tank of 19 gallons capaci'Ly, the tank being located in the driver'a cab.
The drive is taken through a disc-type clutch, and thence through a three-speed and reverse gearbox of the orthodox pat' tern, which forms a unit with the engine. The propeller shaft is tubular and, B35 being built in two sections, has three joints, an S.K.F. self-aligning bearing being used in the centre to prevent whipping of the shaft.
The rear axle is a Columbia, and is of the full-floating bevel-driven type. The housing is a one-piece steel pressing welded in the centre. At this point the chassis has a ground clearance of 10-1 The driving and braking torques are taken through a fork-ended radius member of beam section pivoted at one end to a stout bracket bolted into the front hanger bracket of the rear spring and at the other end to another bracket forming the lower part of the axle spring seat. This arrangement is duplicated at the other side of the chassis.
The front axle is of heavy construction and of I-beam section. The steeling.tie rod is placed behind the axle, which gives a road clearance of 9 ins. The service brakes take effect on drums of 16-in, diameter in the rear wheels, whilst the emergency brake takes effect on a strong transmission drum
Semi-elliptic springs are used at the front and the rear. In the front thly are 42 ins, long and at the back 54 ins. long. The frame is straight throughout its entire length. It is a steel pressing of 5-in. section, and is provided with three strongly gnsseted cross-members. A bumper is built integral with the frame at its front end. An outstanding feature of the chassis is its low load line, so that it should be found a useful model for passenger carrying as well as for goods transport. The question of maintenance has been kept to the fore in itS design, and all units are read*, accessible for adjustment and inspeetioo.
, The wheelbase of the Fisher Fast Freight chassis is 12 ft. 2 ins., and its *track 4 ft. 10 ins. Pneumatic tyres are used as standard, these being 30-in by 5-in, on the front wheels and 32-in by 6-in. on the rear wheels.