I.R.T.E. Visits Maidstone Works
Page 41
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PIA LARGE party of members of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers visited the extensive works, at Maidstone, of Tilling-Stevens, Ltd., and Vulcan Motors, Ltd., on June 22. They were particularly interested to see the early stages of the 1950 Show chassis, details of which may not yet be disclosed. Ii is permissible, however, to record that these will embody quite a variety of power units. First, the Vulcan four-cylindered petrol engine,
giving a torque of 210 lb.-ft. Then there will be the well-known Gardner 4LW and hLW units, the Perkins P6. and a new proprietary, four-cylindered oiler which is now undergoing strenuous tests, and which is shaping extremely well. This new unit possesses many interesting features and runs remarkably smoothly.
One chassis, to which reference has already been made in our pages, is a battery-electric of 4-5-tons payload, one of a number being built for the Glasgow Cleansing Department. The designer has made use of a passenger chassis, in which the worm-driven rear axle is inverted and equipped with special oil piping within the casing. It is constructed to run at approximately 9 m.p.h., and give 40 miles per charge.
The factory main building has five floors, the erecting shops being at ground level. Most of the first floor is taken up with the production of electric motors ranging from fractional Ii.p. types to 20 h.p., and including those used in the electric vehicles. They are of most modern construction and the baking of the windings is effected by infra-red heating. The unit-erecting shop for the•assembiy of Vulcan engines and gearboxes, and front and rear axles, is on the second floor, whilst the third and fourth are devoted to machine shops. including some excellent gearcutting and bobbing machines for spur and helical components. The capstan section has numerous machines equipped with preoptive and eloptive heads.