A FIRE-ENGINE FROM SWEDEN.
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The Product of a Company who are Increasing Their Works Output to Meet the Growing Demand for Municipal Vehicles and Appliances.
ASWEDISU company who, in addition to building standard 11 and 21-3-ton lorries and bus chassis are specializing on the construction of motor fire-engines and other municipal vehicles are the Tidahohns Bruks .Aktiebolag, of Tidaholm. The present output of their works is about 150 chassis per year, but in view of the growing demand, arrangements are in hand for enlarging the works with the object of turning out between 400 and 500 chassis per year.
So far the output of Tidaholm vehicles has been entirely disposed of in Sweden, where no fewer than 18 towns are now
equipped with Tidaholm fire-engines. Several types are built in accordance with local requirements. One of the accompanying illustrations shows one of the most powerful machines built, a 70 h.p. combined fire-escape and pump, supplied to the fire brigade of Orebro.
• The machine is constructed on thoroughly up-to-date lines the fourcylinder engine being provided with enclosed overhead valves, the rocker arms of which are actuated by long push rods off the canTshafL The four cylinders are cast en bloc; the pistons have spherical heads, whilst the crankshaft is supported on three long bearings. Ignition is by high-tension magneto, whilst a Bosch electric lighting and engine-starting installation is provided. The carburetters can so be adapted as to use petrol, sulphite spirit or charcoal gas as fuel. The 70 h.p. engine has a bore and stroke of 125 tam. and 175 mm. respectively, the normal 'speed being 1,200 r.p.m.
The transmission is through a Ferodo-faced cone clutch, a four-speedand-reverse gearbox, a propeller shaft and combined spur and bevel gearing to the rear live axle. The universal joints
on the clutch and propeller shalts are of the Hardy type.
The disc-type road wheels are shod with semi-solid tyres, but straight-side pneumatics can be Supplied as optional equipment ; in the latter case a mechanical tyre pump is fitted in conjunction with the gearbox. Steering is by worm and nut and suspension is by long semi-elliptic springs. The usual foot and hand brakes are provided. The chassis has a wheelbase of 13 ft. 1 in. and a track of 4 ft. 10 ins.
The centrifugal pump is, as is usurd, located at the rear and is driven by a separate shaft from the gearbox ; it is of the makers' own design and has a capacity of from 400 to 500 gallons per minute. Accommodation is provided on the machine for from 12 to 14 firemen, and for hose reels and other appliances. The 82-ft. escape ladder is, in the case of the machine supplied for use in Orebrb, detachable, but in other cases ladders of the Metz type, mounted on a turntable on the chassis and operated off the engine, have been supplied.