100 Years of Aluminium
Page 41
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Road Transport Applications in London Exhibition to Celebrate— THIS year marks the centenary of the aluminium industry in this country and to mark the occasion the Aluminium Development Association have sponsored an exhibition which is being held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, from June 1-10.
In addition to a large number of live exhibits, there is a selection of pictures illustrating some outstanding examples of the use of aluminium in the road transport industry.
One of the most outstanding of these 'shows a Scammell articulated tanker outfit, in Which the 3,000-gallon solfsupporting aluminium tank was built in 1931. The outfit has run for 600,000 miles. and whilst the tank is still in perfect condition, it is now running with its third tractor. The tank was built by Thompson Bros. (Bilston). Ltd., and the outfit is operated by the Crow Carrying Co., Ltd.
Simplicity of construction, high resistance to impact and low weight are prominent features of a ribbed-skin dumper body built by G. E. Neville and Son, Ltd. In a section of the body shown it can be seen that it is built of extruded planks which are pressed to form the body and sides in one length.
Not only. does this produce an exceedingly -rigid structure, but the shaped corners are a distinct advantage in a tipping body. Another advantage is that the length of the body can be varied in maltinies of extruded plank width.
The Bonallack light-alloy tipping body on a Commer chassis, although of 11-cu.-yd.-capacity, weighs only 101 cwt.; the complete vehicle weighs under 3 tons unladen. Used by the National Coal Board under severe conditions in Wales, the body has to contend with impact loads resulting from the dropping of unbroken lumps of coal weighing up to about 4 cwt. from a height of 14 ft. The Board runs a large number of similar vehicles.
Among examples of the use of aluminium in passenger-vehicle construction, there is the A.E.C. monocoque double-deck bus and a Harrington monocoque coach. The 64-seat doubledecker vehicle weighs 6 tons 141 cwt., and the coach, with accommodation for 35 passengers and 300 Cu. ft. of luggage, weighs 4 tons 181 cwt.
How lightness can be "built" into a bus body is illustrated by examples of folding doors made by Deans and
Son (Yorkshire), Ltd. One of the advantages of using light alloys in folding-door construction is that the capacity of the operating gear can be reduced, this being apart from the general overall saving in weight.
The extensive range of fittings now being made in light alloys for goods and passenger vehicles can be seen in a number of large display panels carrying numerous components made by J. Perks (Forgings), Ltd., for Vauxhall Motors, Ltd.
A most interesting exhibit is a lightalloy cylindei block, in which chromium is plated directly on to the alloy bore. The company responsible for the chromium depositing process is Sheepbridge Engineering, Ltd. Although this type of block has not found its way into British vehicles, it is one which is extensively used on the Continent. A wide selection of Wellworthy sand and gravity die-cast pistons includes examples of the Al-Fin molecularly bonded-in cast-iron ring carrier used on oil-engine pistons. This way of armouring,the top-ring grooves, to make them capable of combating attacks from high sulphur content oil fuels, is probably the most satisfactory production method yet devised.
Light weight being a. criterion in portable ticket-issuing machines, the natural choice is aluminium. An example of the T.I.M. machine shown, with dimensions of 7 in. by 6 in. by 41 in., weighs only 41 lb.
Aluminium also lends itself to the precision production of components needing a minimum of machining—in fact, some die castings are of such quality that the parts can be used as cast.
The Firestone Tyre and Rubber Co.,
Ltd, employ light-alloy tyre moulds. The metal is cast in plaster moulds and an exceedingly smooth finish is obtained. The flexing cuts in the tyre tread are produced by thin steel inserts in the mould 4nd their introduction into the light-alloy casting is worthy. of attention.
To illustrate the many items in which light alloys are used in prime movers, examples are shown of a Turner threecylindered two-stroke oil engine and a Foden six-cylindered two-stroke oil engine. The Foden, which develops 126 b.h.p., weighs only 1,250 lb.