A Brake Tester for Six-wheelers
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Details of an Electrically Operated Tecalemit Appliance Just Produced ANEW brake tester for installation in the floor of any garage where commercial vehicles up to the largest six-wheelers are serviced has just been produced by Tecalemit, Ltd., Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex. It works upon the principle that the wheels are rotated by electrically driven rollers and the braking reaction is measured in the movement of the roller carriages.
Our illustration shows that separate carriages or bogies are provided for the four rear wheels of a six-wheeler and that the two bogies for the front wheels are of considerable length, the object being to suit either small six-wheelers -of the converted 2-tonner class or big six-wheelers up to the legal laden weight limit of 19 tons. Obviously, four-wheelers are as easily accommodated. The outfit is built to take a load up to 20 tons, so that the vehicles can be tested while carrying their loads.
Each bogie can move fore and aft on profiled ramps and has a series of ribbed rollers, chain driven from an electric motor which is operated from the control pillar. The vehicle is anchored at the front by means of an adjustable cradle and extension arm, the handling of which is facilitated by balance weights. The six motors are then started up and turn the rollers in the direction which gives forward rotation to the road wheels. The brake or brakes are applied and the bogies are displaced, rising up their supporting profiled ramps to a degree which represents the maximum braking effort exerted, this being registered on an indicator on the control column.
The principle is that the bogie moves forward up the ramps until it makes an angle to the horizontal at which the forward and downward forces are balanced. A refinement has been in
earporated by which the weight of the bogie is balanced out so that this does not interfere with the true reading.
A pit can be arranged between the two rows of bogies and an electrically driven 8-ton-capacity jack can be mounted on a wheeled carriage bridging the pit, so that it is freely moved fore or aft, jacking up any axle. This is useful for effecting braking adjustments.