THE A.E.C. TRACTOR-TRAILER.
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A Resume of Recently Published Patents.
THE mucih-advertised claim of the HE Equipment Co., Ltd., for six-wheeled tractor-trailer combination, that the whole vehicle is designed as such, and that it is not, for example, a . curtailed heavy lorry chassis equipped with a fifth wheel and a two-wheeled trailer, is amply corroborated in the patent specification No. 211,582, in which the detail' construction of the method of attaching the trailer to the
tractor is described.
There can be no doubt whatever that the two parts of the vehicle are inseparable, for the tractor is actually supported on its rear axle through the foreend of the trailer, or, more strictly "speaking, through the turntable upon which the forward end of the trailer rests. Actually, that turntable is sups ported on the rear axle of the tractor, the connection between the two being a pair of semi-elliptic springs, mounted in orthodox fashion, secured at their forward ends to the frame of the turntable to which they are shackled at their rear ends. It will be gathered that the front end of the trailer rests, to all intents amt purposes, on the live rear axle of the tractor, so that the frame of the tractor does not have to carry the load.
Enough has almost been said to indicate the arrangement of these-parts, particularly if reference be had to the accompanying' illustration. In case the construction be not clearly understood from the foregoing, however, we would points out that the forward end of the trailer has bolted to it an annular plate, which rests upon another, the two forming the component parts of a turntable. The lower plate is secured to the upper surface of a. rectangular framework, which is coupled to the trailer by means of a substantial king-pin.
Detachment of the trailer is rendered possible by the withdrawal of a springretained locking bolts which, when in place, enters a space bounded by a groove ina bush secured to the trailer frame, and another inthe king-pin. The bolt thus locks the king-pin and bush, that is to say king-pin and,trailer, to; gether. •
This rectangular frame, to which the lower component of the turntable is secured, is carried on the rear axle of the tractor in the manner already de scribed. The rear end of the tractor frame is 'suspended from this turntable frame by four double-coiled springs, one at each corner of the rectangle, so that the chassis of the tractor is, as it were, spring-hung from the turntable frame, which is itself spring-supported on the
rear axle. • Other Patents of Interest. AN interesting detail improvement in
the Soles carburetter is described by the Soc. Anon. Soles in patent specification No. 195,966. This carburetter, in the main, may be said to embody three elements—a starting carburetter, one for slow running, and another for high speed. It often happens, in carburetters of this composite type, that " choking " occurs as the throttle is opened. To prevent this feature a plug, or barrel, type of throttle .valve is fitted, and the arrangement of the passages in the valve is such that a small port in the plug is provided to connect the main passage through the plug with the starting carburetter during such times as the plug is so positioned that the high-speed carburetter is "just being' brought into action.
INTERESTING and navel is the design of two-stroke engine described in specification No– 211,520, by J. White and another. There are.no valves, both exhaust, and inlet ports .being cut in the wall of the cylinder" and covered or un
covered by -the. piston: The exhaust ports are triangular in shape, the bases of the triangles being uppermost and, therefore, uncovered first by the piston as it descends, ,The inlet parts are also triangular, but have their apices uppermost : they overlap the exhaust ports. The result of this arrangement is that a very large exhaust opening is provided immediately the upper portion of the ex-beast ports are uncovered by the piston. By a further movement of the piston a small portion of theinlet ports is first uncovered, the said portion of each inlet being of comparatively small area, and acting as a jet for the explosive mixture which is admitted to the cylinder either from a press:impression chamber alone or from such a chamber working in conjunction with fuel nozzles. Arrangements are made, by means of an enginedriven fan or blower, to direct .a blanket of air past the exhaust openings, this blanket being punctured, so to speak, by the jets of exhaust gas, and acting as a screen to prevent the retarn of these gases.
THE arrangement of spring shackles
which is described by R. Mariani in specification No. .204,712 is intended to apply, in the first place, to railway rolling .stock. It may, however, be found of use in motor vehicle construction. The inventor points out that, where a spring is doubly shackled, with a pair of shackles with attendant pins, nuts, washers and split-pins, the total number of parts per single spring is 20. He uses two, each being a shackle and pin, made integral. The pin is recessed near its outer end, in order that it may the more readily engage the hole in the shackle, as is apparent; MODIFICATION in the design of the N. AP. tyre to make it more suitable for use on light vehicles is referred to in specification No. 211,734 by Lieut.-Col. F. A, Wilson and the N.A.P. Pneumatic Tyre Co:, Ltd. Recesses are cut in the walls of the tyre, both inside and outside. They are of a particular shape, and are arranged and spaced all round the tyre so that no two of them face.
SPECIAL features of the Dunlap bal loon tyre, and the rim to which it is fitted, are described in specification No. 209,440, by the Dunlop Rubber Co.,; Ltd.. and another. Special interest attaches to a table showing comparative dimensions which is embodied in the specification.
A SUPPLEMENTARY electro mag
net, designed to slip over the magnets of an ordinary ignition magneto, and intensify the current, as for starting purposes, is described in specification No. 211,612 by R. C. J. Beeler.