The " Newbury " Van Chassis.
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A Berkshire Engineer Produces a Simple Chassis to Sell at £225.
One would hardly expect to find, located in the heart of an extensive agricultural district, an engineering works which is kept busy all the year round with the manufacture of marine 47mgines, yet, in Newbury, a small town with only a few more than 11,0(X) inhabitants, in the county of Berkshire, Plenty and Sons, Ltd., carries on a business of this kind, which was originally established in the year 1790. The small types of Plenty marine steam engines have quite a unique reputation amongst shipbuilders and ship-owners. Frequently, in large contracts for marine equipment, Plenty's engines are definitely specified as a necessary part of the plant.
It is, perhaps, not surprising that a factory, with such a continuous record of useful history, should not bear direct comparison with recently-established engineers' plants, in the planning of which, all that is latest and best in applied mechanical science has been called into service. Nevertheless, the extensive machine shop, pat
tern shop, boiler shop, and foundry equipment which comprise this longlived maker's establishment, has suf fired, up to the present time, to secure sufficient remunerative contracts to keep the staff and plant fully employed.
From time to time, as opportunity has served during the past century, new equipment has, of course, been regularly added, but it is now felt, by those who are responsible for the management of Plenty and Sons.
Ltd., that, in order to bring these shops into the front rank so far as manufacturing facilities for the production of petrol-engined chassis are concerned, it will be necessary to lay down considerable new plant of the most-modern type. It, too, has been realised that, in order that such plant may be employed to the very-hest effect, classes of enterprise, other than that of marine-engine builders and general engineers, will have to be cultivated_ With this object in view, it ha-s been definitely decided that the ever-growing commercial-motor-v chicle industry presents as good an opportunity for new endeavour of this kind as can be found at the present time. It must not be supposed that this maker has confined its energies solely and entirely to the production of marine steam engines, as, amongst its many minor activities, considerable experiments, during the past few years. have taken place with various types of internal-combustion engines. It is probable that to this past experience is due the decision to endeavour to mannfacturet a thoroughly-practicable
petrol-engined commercial motor vehicle in tots.
A representative of this journal was invited by the management recently to journey to the Newbury works, and there to inspect, and, if necessary, to criticise, the first of a new model which has already been produced. This consists of a clean, type of 15 cwt. or one-ton van chassis, whose principal characteristic is that the simplicity of its design enables the maker to offer it at the low sum of £225 fur the chassis complete with tires.
During a preliminary walk round the present shops at Newbury, our representative was interested to notice how, already, signs were not wanting that the most-modern methods are being grafted on to the old-established system, which has served Plenty and Sons so well for so many years. It is not to be supposed that, without the dislocation of regular business routine, such a change can be made at a moment's notice. Definite evidence, however, of the new regime was afforded to our representative by Mr. H. Kent Norris, the works manager. A capacious tool-room has already been allocated, and its equipment is being gradually collected. We were particularly interested to notice that, amongst the first purchases for this purpose was a small Drummond grinder. An Alldays and Onions casehardening furnace was another recent importation. Amongst the many interesting jobs which were in the shops at the time of our representative's visit was a set of Broadhurst wheels for the London General Omnibus Co.
It must be understood that the Newbury van, as this company's initial effort in motor construction is called, is the first of its type, and. therefore, that certain modifications are likely to be made in succeeding examples. As may be seen from photographs which we reproduce, the propelling mechanism consists essentially of a simple internal-combustion engine with a self-contained, two-speedand-reverse epicyclic gear set across the chassis under the driver's seat, the drive being taken thence to a sepaately-mounted differential shaft, on each end of which is a chain sprocket for the side chains to the road wheels. The engine has two vertical cylinders;
the bore is 4 iu, and the piston-stroke is 5 in. All valves are mechanically operated, and high-tension battery and-coil ignition is preferred. The cooling is effected by a positivelydriven pump and a radiator, which, in future models, will be of the gilledtube type with cast top and bottom headers. Lubrication of the engine is effected on the customary splash system, and the oil feed to the crank chamber is by way of a single dripfeed fitting located on the dashboard. On the first chassis, a Trier and Martin carburetter is, we are assured, giving excellent results, and petrol is fed by exhaust pressure from a capacious welded steel tank carried at the rear of the chassis. The principal novelty of the whole of the mechanism occurs in the arrangement of the control gear
for the two forward and one reverse epicyclic reduction gears. The operation of a simple form of plate clutch and of the epicyclic change-speed gears, as well as the face-cam control mechanism, is effected through two pedals and a hand-lever. The pedals are connected to the brakes, which surround the drums of the epicyclic gears in the usual way, and the handlever is coupled in one direction to the clutch gear and in the other to the road-wheel brakes.
The steering is of the rack-andpinion type, and is of simple design. A RenoIds silent chain is employed to transmit the power from the engine shaft to the differential gear ; the latter unit is of the usual bevel pattern. Both the axles are heavy solid. drawn steel tubes, and the frame is of pressed steel. The wheelbase is 8 ft. 6 in. and the track 4 ft. 8 in. The wheels are 30 in. throughout and of the artillery type; the rear ones are fitted with twin tires.
In conclusion, it remains to be said that there is no doubt that the low price at which this machine is offered will appeal to many users, and, provided that any modifications which may prove to be necessary in the course of the extensive road tests which are now being arranged are duly embodied in future examples, there is little reason to doubt that considerable business should be insured to the makers.
An interesting feature of the terms of business upon which this machine will be sold is that Plenty and Sons, Ltd., is agreeable to send a man with one of these vans, for a week, to any inquirer who is as yet unconvinced of the desirability of adopting motor vehicles for the purposes of his business. The only casts to such an inquirer are the actual out-of-pocket expenses for the driver's wages and for the petrol and oil. No definite obligation to purchase is incurred by such a week's practical demonstration.