• A New Design of TRACTORTRAILER
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A Resume of Recently Published Patent Specifications.
A N interesting titractor trailer combination
is _ .described in specification No. :308,704 by Carrimore Six Wheelers, Ltd., and Leonard Dewing. The vehicle in question is of the kind in which a proportion, which may be adjustable, of the load of the trailer in a y be • taken by the tractor for the purpose of increasing the adhesion of its rear wheels.
One of the most
interesting features of the invention is that the proportion of weight of the trailer that is taken by the tractor is not, as is usually the case, borne by a part that is behind the rear axle of the tractor, but is
transmitted to a part that is in front of the axle in question, so that the steering wheels may be able to act properly and not be lifted from the ground by the load on the trailer.
Another feature of the invention is that a wide angle may be obtained between the two vehicles for turning sharp corners. A still further object of the invention is that the mechanism employed for actuating the brakes of the trailer from the tractor is not affected by any longitudinal play that may take place between the trailer and the tractor.
The front end of the trailer is provided with a taper spigot, which is connected to its frame by means of a knuckle joint which permits side movement only. This spigot can be connected with the U-sectioned forked frame (A) which is pivoted at each side at the point (B), so that when the spigot is in its taper hole the trailer and the frame (A) are rigid, except for the turning movement permitted by its being round and the side movement of the knuckle joint. A U-shaped gate falls into a groove in the spigot to prevent it from coming out of its hole.
it will be seen from this that the proportion of the weight of the trailer that is borne by the tractor is transmitted, by means of the rigid construction, to a point (B) which is in front of the rear axle of the trailer, thus placing its load so that a proportion is taken by the front wheels. The pivot (B) is spring mounted, so that it relieves all parts from shock. The design precludes all play between trailer and tractor, thus enabling a constant tightness of the brake cable to be maintained.
Applying Ball Bearings to Gudgeon Pins and Steering Rods.
SPECIFICATION No. 308,905, by J. F. Hammond and Joseph Yoxall, describes the application of ball bearings to various parts of motor vehicles. The right-band view shows a connecting rod with a ball end and a piston with a cup formed in it to receive the ball end of the rod, but in each case with sufficient space between the ball and cup to allow a number of balls to be inserted.
Tb e left-hand view shows what is described as a steering rod arranged in a similar manner. How the inventors expect the bearing to work in either of these parts is not clearly described. It would appear that they have overlooked the fact that connecting rods and steering rods pull as well as push. In highspeed engines the pull of the piston may easily exceed the push due to the explosion pressure.
The invention is also described as being useful for push rods on engines with overhead valves. In this ease, where there is no pulling, the idea might be of use.
A New Process for Producing a Combustible Charge, PATENT No. 302,717, by D. Balachawsky (a Russian), P. Caire and M. Levy (both French), all of Paris, describe their invention as follows:—
A process for producing a combustible charge for use in internal-combustion engines, in which a mixture of air and hydrocarbon (more particularly petrol) is subjected to the action of one of the catalysts which are known, when heated, to effect the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons, the temperature of the catalysed mixture being controlled either by passing the mixture through a cooler after issuing from the catalyser, or, if exhaust forms the source of heat, by passing the exhaust through a cooler before its passage around the catalyser, or by adding cold air to the exhaust before it is admitted to the catalyser jacket.
It will be seen from the diagrammatic view that the petrol or other hydrocarbon is admitted through a constant-level chamber to a vertical 'pipe leading to the catalyser, and thence through a valve to the inlet pipe of the engine, the exhaust passing through a jacket of a catalyser. The specification mentions the fact that a list of suitable metals for the catalyser may be found in "Catalysts in Organic Chemistry" .(Sabatier, translated by Reid), 1923 edition, page 909.