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The Berliet Motorbus Chassis.

3rd January 1907
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Page 5, 3rd January 1907 — The Berliet Motorbus Chassis.
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The System combines Low Fuel Consumption with Good Constructional Features.

The Berliet motorbus chassis, the first of which has recently arrived in London, has some features that will appeal to those who are seeking a suitable vehicle for continuous, and exacting service conditions. These chassis are constructed at Lyons, and are marketed in England by J. E. Hutton, Limited, which company is the sole cell-, cessionaire for Great Britain and Ireland.

The engine has four cylinders, cast in pairs, and these have a bore of 4 inches, and a piston stroke of 52 inches; both these measurements are approximate. The normal running speed is 800 r.p.m., and the engine is capable of giving out 4oh.p. The valves are mechanically operated by two camshafts, one on each side of the engine, and the cams, themselves, are machined solid with the shaft. A de-compressor, which can be seen in the illustration showing the radiator and front axle, just to the right of the starting handle, is used when the crankshaft has to be turned round by hand. The exhaust and inlet valves are interchangeable, and the tappet rods are easily adjustable by lock nuts. The engine is governed upon the throttle; the governor is enclosed in the same casing that encloses the half-. time gears, and can be adjusted from outside the casing.

The usual centrifugal pump is employed to circulate the water ; this has a long gland, and a large fan is placed in front of the engine. Reference may, appropriately, be made at this point, to the unusual size of the gilled tube radiator. Its capacity is so large that an auxiliary water tank is unnecessary, and this radiator has never been made to steam under any conditions. Ignition is by a SimmsBosch low-tension magneto, having a fixed sparking position out of the control of the driver. A useful point is that the sparking plug is separate from the plate which holds it, so that it can be easily taken out for inspection. The base chamber is divided, transversely, at its centre, into two distinct portions, and the partition carries a central crankshaft bearing. Each chamber is supplied with lubricating oil from a separate sight-feed placed upon the dash. The oil reservoir is placed near the engine, and is connected to a small gear pump, driven from the exhaust camshaft by bevel wheels. A pipe leads from the pump, over the top of the sight-feeds, and back to the reservoir. The oil falls front the circulating pipe down the sight-feeds, and the desired amount is controlled by needle valves, furnished with milled heads. The arrangement is simple and reliable. The Berliet clutch is a metallic one : it consists of a number of discs, which are, alternately, attached to the inner face of the fly-wheel (C)—made in the form of a drum for the purpose—and the outer face of what is, virtually, a pulley (P), which is integral with the forward portion of a coupling (M). The " pulley" is connected to the clutch-pedal, which, unless depressed, forces the metal discs, by means of the hollow member (13), into frictional contact with one another. The method of lubricating the discs is simple. The crankshaft is bored, centrally, to a point just behind the Web of the fourth crank-pin, and a small duct is drilled from the surface of the shaft to meet the central bore. Under working conditions, a small quantity of oil from the base chamber passes along the interior of the crankshaft and, ultimately, falls upon the boss clutch of the " pulley," when it is flung, by centrifugal action, to the metal discs.

The gear box is fitted with a train balladeur, operated by two selector rods, and a lever working in a gate; only three ratios are provided. The reverse cannot he brought into action without, first, depressing a knob, and this provision makes it impossible to obtain that direction inadvertently. Ball hearings are fitted to all the gear-box shafts, and, in addition, to the outer ends of the transverse differential shaft. Final transmission is by Hans Renold roller chains, having a pitch of 2 inches. The smaller sprockets have 12 teeth, whilst the larger ones carry 40 teeth. The small

chain wheels are fitted to the ends of the differential shall in the following manner the shaft carries a flange, which is flat on its outer face, with the exception. of three feathers; the feathers are radial, and are equi-distant, whilst a spigot projects from the face of the flange. The inner face of the sprocket has three key-ways to fit the feathers, and a hole in its boss to fit the spigot. In fitting a chain wheel, it is pushed along the spigot until it fits snugly into place, after which a retaining plate is laid over the hole in the boss of the wheel. A set-screw is then passed through a central hole in the plate, and is screwed into a socket, made to receive it, in the end of the differential shaft. All the working surfaces of the brakes are of cast iron, which can be easily renewed when they are worn out, whilst special attention has been paid to the means for taking up wear, so that this can be done on the road if necessary. The dimensions of the various rods, and levers, belonging to the brakes are ample throughout, strong, and all pins and jaws are of steel, hardened and ground.

The brakes are three in number. The first and second are band brakes upon the differential shaft, and each of these is controlled by a separate foot pedal; the third brake is of the internally-expanding type, on the back wheels, and is operated by the usual hand lever.

The front and back axles are heavy steel forgings, and are rectangular in section. The front springs are 3 feet 2 inches in length, whilst those at the back are 3 feet 4 inches long : all the spring shackles have oil holes. The road wheels have cast-steel centres, and wooden felloes, which can be shod with any make of tire to suit individual selections ; the chassis, which is illustrated, is fitted with Peter Union tires. The frame-work of the chassis is built of pressed steel, whilst all the cross members are heavy and are strongly braced by gusset pieces. The engine is bolted to the main side members, and a light steel frame is erected over it to carry the foot boards, petrol tank, and the retaining bracket for the change-speed and brake levers. The wheel base is to feet, whilst the height of the frame from the ground level, unloaded, but with body in position, is 2 feet 6 inches. The over-all length is 16 feet 61 inches. The location of the driver, over the engine, is, undoubtedly, advantageous, especially in congested traffic, because he is in a position to see over many of the horse-drawn vehicles, such as four-wheel cabs, and low vans. This design is, also, adopted in the Brillid chassis, and in the Clarkson steam vehicles, although, in the latter case, the driver is above the generator.

The makers of the Berliet chassis have deemed it advisable to leave to the driver as little of the control of the. engine as is compatible with successful results. The illustration at

the foot hereof should make this fact apparent. The only important fittings upon the dash are the three sight-feeds ; two for the base chambers, as previously mentioned, and the third one for controlling the quantity of oil to the gear box. Further, the steering wheel has only one lever, working on a sector, and this is connected to the throttle : the governor is connected to the same valve, and is absolutely reliable in action. The characteristic " easy " fit of the Berliet works is found in the moving parts of the chassis, and the workmanship throughout is of the highest class.

Tags

Organisations: Peter Union
People: Hans Renold
Locations: London

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