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THE MECHANIZING JNICIPAL SERVICES.

A Brief Review of the Many Phases of

Appliance are Effecting El ketivity in which the Motor Vehicle and d Improving Efficiency. IN dealing with the -many ways in which the manufacturer of transport vehicles and other self-propelled appliances is able to meet municipal requirements. even a student of the subject might well be appalled at the herculean task of adequately covering every phase and, in fact; we cannot hope to do so in an -article of the length which is permitted by the space at our disposal, and here we intend to treat only in a general way with the subject, of which certain individual branches are dealt with at length elsewhere in this issue.

We are including brief particulars of a large number of makes, but for a complete list we refer our readers to the compilation which immediately follows this article. The chief difficulty is that almost every manufacturer of motor vehicles is willing to supply practically any type of ntimiciPaloiaPPliance which is required, and there are certain

makers ' of what may be termed 'proprietary equipment who can supply chassis builders with bodies, tanks, tipping gear, towers, etc., which can be applied to chassis of many types anti sizes.

We do not propose to deal here with the municipal bus, as that is a big subject by itself. Trolley-buses, on the other hand, are not employed to anything like the same extent, but they form a most useful mean between the tram and the bus proper.

Amongst the most popular makes of trolley-bus is the Associated Daimler type 603, which is employed at Bradford, Southend, Singapore, Shanghai, Groningen, etc., whilst Birmingham and several otherplaces employ the model 607.

Many excellent vehicles of this type have been produced D32 by Richard Garratt and Sons, Ltd. These have been supplied both with four and six wheels, the largest fleet being 15 employed by Ipswich, and next comes 12 run in Wrest Hartlepool. Many have also been supplied to overseas users.

Guy Motors, Ltd., build a six-wheeled double-deck type of trolley-bus seating from 60 to 70 people, and one user alone, 'Wolverhampton Corporation, has 17 of these in service. Hastings Tramways Co. began its trolley-bus service with eight Guy six-wheelers, and it has now 30 more on

order. et A 'speciarfeature of the type employed is the 'open top deck, the trolley arms being partitioned off at the front.

A low load-line trolley-bus chassis for either single or double-deck bodies is produced by Tilling-Stevens Motors, Ltd, The main feature in this is the patent tandem -motor with contactor control.

One maker who has had a long experience with this class of work is Ransoms, Sims and Jefferies; Ltd., and many Rausome trolley-buses are in operation in Ipswich, which can be considered almost as the birthplace of this form of transport.

We must not omit to refer to the Karrier-Clough machine produced by Clough, Smith and Co., Ltd., of 36, Victoria Street, London. S.W.1.

Types of Refuse Collector.

AS apart from passenger transport the cleansing arrangements of municipalities is perhaps the most important subject, we will now deal with those products which appertain to it.

In refuse collection, whilst big, strides have been made of recent years, much still remains to be done. The horsed vehicle is still being used to far too great an extent. —It is an insanitary and unprofitable means, and, wherever displaced, results have shown a great saving both in labour and finance.

There are many excellent types of refuse-collecting vehicle on the market ; of these one of the most popular is the S.D. Freighter, which is dealt with very fully elsewhere.

In the Albion machine, as supplied to Rangoon, for instance, sanitary sliding steel covers are employed. In the Bean, spring-loaded sheet-steel covers are utilized and they automatically remain open while the bins are being emptied. It is claimed that this vehicle gives the maximum cubic capacity possible on a vehicle in the 126 tax category. Sliding lids are adopted on the Berliet 3-ton and 5-ton models. A particularly large refuse collector to hold 4 tons was recently supplied to St. Albans by Comtner Cars, Ltd. A neat and light vehicle to carry 4 cub. yds. is the 30-cwt. Dennis, which has a low load-line, all-steel body with sliding covers. The body has. an outward taper and full-width doors to facilitate emptying. For street-refuse collection, the 21-ton model with an open steel body holding GI cub. yds. is to be recommended.

Covers sliding on rollers to permit quick operation and tailboards which open automatically during tipping are provided on the De Dion machine, some types of which, such as that used in Dublin, being of unusually large capacity. Incidentally, the fleet employed there consists of 100 vehicles of this make. In the Guy refuse vehicle a dropped frame gives a loading line only 21 ins, from the ground. The wheelbase is 15 ft. 3 ins„ but a much shorter wheelbase for confined areas can be provided, also special small wheels.

The body is of wood reinforced with metal and has sliding steel covers.

Halley vehicles are supplied to carry up to 7 cub. yds. on the DF20 model and with larger capacities on the standard model P chassis. On the standard straight-frame chassis an unladen loading height of 5 ft. 3 ins. can easily be obtained. Combined with a capacity of 7 cub: yds., this vehicle permits working at comparatively high speeds, which is useful when refuse has to be hauled some distance.

Hand or hydraulically operated tipping bodies of from 2-ton to 7-ton capacity can be fitted on the Karrier chassis. They are steel lined and equipped with detachable or rollerblind dust covers. Many municipalities make use of the 50-cwt. and 3-ton goods Leyland models for this work.

A special type of Vulcan has been developed. It has a wheelbase of 8 ft. and a capacity of 6 cub, yds., whilst the platform height loaded is 281 ins. ; roll-up tarpaulin dust covers are fitted, and small wheels prevent any obstruction due tp wheel arches.

The Pagefield refuse collector—or, perhaps, we ought to say, system—is too well known to nee more than a brief reference. It is a combination of horse-drawn and self-propelled vehicles, each being used to the best advantage. At certain pre-arranged times a motor lorry arrives with an empty container, which it lowers to the gtound, and a full one, which has been drawn round by a horse, is carried by it for rapid removal to the tip. The Yorkshire steam refuse collector is based on the 3-ton chassis and can be operated by one man. The standard size is 9 cub. yds., and the body has been arranged for the low-load level of 4 ft. 6 ins. with normal wheels.

As regards electric vehicles used for this purpose, we may draw particular attention to Ransomes' Orwell, the Garrett, the G.V., and the.Rlectromobile. all of which are used to a considerable extent.

Gully and Cesspool Emptiers.

is seldom nowadays that we see the one-time familiar

sight of man with long-handled scoops cleaning out the gullies at the side of the road, as now much of this work is effected in a more economical and efficient manner by motor and steam-driven appliances.

At first, as is bound to occur with new devices, a certain amount of trouble was experienced owing to inability adequately to break up the thick sediment at the bottom of the gully and through choking of the pipes in the maChine, but such troubles have been practically overcome. The sediment is broken up by water under pressure and the pipes have been made much larger and unrestricted. The number of cesspools in use is steadily diminishing with the improvement in sanitary arrangements, but many are bound .to exist for a considerable period, particularly in country districts, and machines have been designed to deal with them in a really hygienic manner. The tanks of the Dennis gully emptier are made with two compartments providing clean water for resealing. Air pressure in one tank forces water into the gully, thoroughly stirring the contents, after which the pump is reversed and the matter drawn into the tank, no raking being necessary. Special attention has been paid to protecting those parts '

liable to wear; for instance there is a leather gaiter and ball joint on the suction hose which is easily detachable for replacement if necessary. The cesspool emptiers .are made in 500-gallon and 750-gallon sizes, and some of the gully emptiers such as the 1,100-gallon. model are built to fulfil both purposes.

One of the first and most successful steam gully emptiers to be developed was the Yorkshire, which has been improved from time to time. A vacuum is created by a steam ejector, and a vacuum chamber, separate, from the sludge tank, 'is employed. The latest model creates a working vacuum in from 10 secs. to 15 sees. The capacity of the vacuum chamber is 110 gallons, that of the sludge tank 750 gallons, and the resealing tank holds 900 gallons. The excess water in the sludge can be drained off without breaking the vacuum. Sanding the roads makes the sludge extremely stiff, and to facilitate the discharge the tank is placed at an angle of 30 degrees and is uniform in section. A steam-operated water jet also a.ssitts in the discharging process. For street watering and washing the two main tanks can be thrown into one.

The Fowler is another steam gully emptier working on a vacuum obtained by means of an ejector. A steam water lifter is used for filling the tanks when required, and a jet of water under steam pressure is utilized for washing out the sludge tank. Steam is also employed for driving the pump used for street washing and sprinkling. The vacuum tank holds 170 gallons and the waste-water tank is carried at the rear of the vehicle on the near side. Apart from the task already nientioned, this machine can be used for re sealing, 'emptying. cesspools and sewer flushing. When required, the Fowler patent apparatus can be fitted to a petrol vehicle, an.d a specially designed Karrier chassis can be supplied for this purpose.

A largo, number of gully emptiers" has been supplied to municipalities by Halley Motors, Ltd., the equipment standardized for this purpose being that manufactured by the Eagle Engineerins. Co., Ltd. of Warwick. Usually the chassis employed is th six-cylindered model P.

We have already referred to the Karrier-Powler machine. but we may add that this holds 850 gallons and is mounted on the K5. model.

Lucre appliances are built for both gully and cesspool emptying. They work on two distinct systems, the open circuit and the closed circuit. In the latter, water is continually tiswing into the gully and is drawn back into the tank where it deposits the sludge. The Leyland machine is built in tank capacities of 800, 1,000 and 1,200 gallons.

In the Sentinel machine a special ejector is used for giving a high degree of vacuum, enabling deep cesspools and gullies to be emptied rapidly. The vacuum gear may be actuated either from the rear of the cab, and three . sluice cocks at different levels permit draining off the water from the sludge. Tanks of a capacity of from 1,000 gallons upwards can be supplied, and there are two sealing tanks containing together 500 gallons; for street watering all three tanks can be inter-connected.

Three types of machine, either for gully or cesspool emptying, are built at the Thornyeroft works. They hold 700, 850 and 1,100 gallons respectively, the largest carrying 870 gallons of sludge and 290 gallons of water. The pump is driven from the gearbox power, take-off, and the rear of the tank can be equipped with a patent manhole for quick emptying where the cesspool machine is worked in conjunction with sewage farms.

The Latily machine has been steadily improved and the latest model incorporates many excellent features. The pump is particularly large and powerful.

Street Sweepers.

THE cleanliness of the streets of a town or city is also of considerable importance, particularly where there is a congested condition of traffic, but, in any case, it forms one of the outward and visible signs of inward efficiency. Street cleansing may be divided into two distinct sections, washing and brushing. Dealing with the latter first, we find that there are but few rivals. Perhaps the most elaborate appliances of all-round utility are the Karrier and Vulcan sweepers and collectors. Then we have the Lacre three-wheeled machine, which is immensely popular, and the Laffiy four-wheeler, whilst a machine less well known in this country is the De Dion, which is combined with a watering tank and can be used in either capacity. One of the Karrier models is also made to perform these two functions, and can be provided to hold 350 gallons or 700 gallons; in the latter case it can also be employed for street washing and gully flushing.

Washing Machines.

STREET-WASHING by machines capable of

delivering jets of water under very high pressure have proved very successful, one of the most popular being the Dennis, which is equipped with the famous Dennis turbine pump, which is also utilized for filling the tank at the rate of 200 gallons per minute ; this machine holds 1,200 gallons. It is notable that it can also be used for fire-fighting purposes.

/,000-gallon street-washing vehicle on a Halley tractortrailer vehicle has been supplied to Birmingham. Apart from this the company manufactures a range commencing from a capacity of 550 gallons. In the Leyland washing machines, with capacities from 800 to 1,200 gallons, a centrifugal pump driven from the gearbox is utilized and the four road washers work at 30 lb. pressure.

For gully flushing, a large machine to hold 2,000 gallons has been produced at the Maudslay works, the pressure being supplied by a slow-speed centrifugal pump. It is difficult to draw a line between washing and watering machines, as so many perform both functions.

Street Sprinklers.

ACCORDING to the size of tank required, street sprinklers can be built on any of the standard Albion goods chassis, the capacities ranging from 450 to 1,000 gallons. The tanks used are D-shaped, and a single-stage

centrifugal type pump • is utilized, which enables a street width Of 60 ft. to be covered, whilst an emergency fire jet can discharge 44 gallons per minute. Where salt water is employed, an undershield prevents dripping of water on to the transmission, gearbox etc.

A favourite Dennis sprinkling machine for overseas Work is one holding 900 gallons and capable of covering a width of 40 ft. at a single passage. Some types are adapted for watering and washing trees at the sides of the road.

De Dion water wagons are marketed to hold 700 to 1,000 gallons, and it is possible to equip them with attachments for fire fighting.

As an example of the Guy sprinkler, we may refer to the 500-gallon type supplied .0 Colwyn Bay.

A 300-gallon oval tank, with baffles to prevent surging, is mounted On the Morris-Commercial 30-ewt. chassis, and the water is delivered under power from a centrifugal pomp driven from the gearbox. Here again, in cases of emergency, a fire nozzle can be utilized.

Thornycroft sprinkling 'wagons are made in two types, gravity and pressure-fed. They vary in size from 400 gal

Ions to 1,250 gallons. Both types have centrifugal tanks, and in the case of the pressure-fed model the pump is driven by a take-off from the gearbox. A coupling is provided for a fire hose and the tanks have hooks for slinging, so that they can be interchanged with other types of body.

Multi-purpose Vehicles.

THERE are many reasons why use should be made of vehicles and appliances which can be used for more than one purpose. It might appear that when used for a certain task the other equipment is standing idle, but this applies only to a portion of a machine, and it often hap'pens that in the smaller towns not nearly sufficient work could be found for separate appliances, whereas in the compound machine each class of work could be tackled in turn, thus keeping the appliance constantly employed.

Many of the products which we have already described can really , be employed for more than one purpose, although, perhaps, not to such an extent as to bring them within the category of multi-purpose types.

The leading feature of the Dennis gully emptier and street-washing and watering machine is the fact that when the duty has to be alteredthere is no need to change a ,single part, the entire conversion being effected by manipulating cocks and levers. The turbine pump is mounted in front of the radiator, as are the washing" jets, which are individually controlled from -the cab and can be turned to the near side to wash detritus into the gutter. Another combination machine is the Dennis refuse-tipping lorry and . night-soil wagon, which is particularly useful 'for rural areas. It has a steel body with a low loading

line, and the tank to hold 200 gallons can easily be slid out of this when house refuse has to be carried.

A particularly interesting and useful machine is the Garner combined general-purpose lorry and watering-tank wagon. In this, the water tank is supplied with hooks and can be slung of to leave the body for haulage work.

A novel machine is the Guy combined prison van and ambulance, which can also be used as an ordinary van for carrying luggage. In this, the body is divided by removable partitions. As a prison van, there is a separate compartment for female prisoners and a large central compartment for those of the male sex.

In one Atkinson-Walker steam wagon the machine can be used for street sprinkling, dust collection and general haulage. To change over from dust collecting the top covers are removable and a rectangular 1,000-gallon tank is placed inside.

The patent type of Vulcan sweeping, collecting and watering machine is in use at Sheffield..

Fire-fighting Equipment.

DENNIS equipment has "always had an excellent • reputation, and during recent years this has been enhanced by the einployment of the now famous twostage turbine pump, which is used on all the fire pumps, including the trailer type, a similar type , being used on such vehicles as street-washing machines. The range is from 250 gallons to 600 gallow capacity per minute. It is .worthy of note that 140 Dennis appliances-have been supplied to the London Fire Brigade, of which the most recent is the first in London to be equipped with pneumatic tyres.

The Morris-Guy is a very neat and -powerful little pump, • which includes the efficient pumping unit made by John Morris and Sons, Ltd.

Three standard Halley fire-engines are built in capacities ranging front 350 to 1,000 gallons per minute. These have six-cylinderecl engines and multi-stage, centrifugal pumps with reciprocating exhausters. A fourth model is -also supplied embodying a' pump supplied by Simonis.

Leyland -pumps are built in capacities ranging from 300 to 1,150 gallons. -The two smaller models have four-cylintiered engines of 30-40 h.p. and 55 li.p.'resPectively, whilst the largest machine embodies a six-cylindered unit of 80

The pumps are the Rees-Roturbo twin-impeller multi-stage type. Fire-engines can also be supplied with first-aid apparatus and Woolston pumps. Another notable product of the company is the Leyland-Metz 85-ft. turntable ladder with automatic control and -plumbing. For emergency work or dealing with small outbreaks there is a Leyland machine comprising the Rees-Rotorbo pump driven by an 8 h.p. water-cooled engine and.delivering 75 gallons per minute ; it is mounted either on a two-wheeled trailer or the sidecar chassis of a 9.86 h.p. B.S.A. motorcycle,.

A light mobile engine is the Morris-Commercial, which embodies a 250-gallon Gwynne pump mounted at the rear and capable of a maximum output of 400 gallons per minute. It also operates a. first-aid equipment from a 40-gallon copper water tank. There is locker room for 2,000 ft. of hose and accommodation for 11firemen, whilst: the chassis is a 30-cwt. model with an engine similar to that used in the rigid-frame six-wheeler.

The Thornycroft fire-engines are manufactured in conjunction with Simonis, Ltd., a power take-off being arranged for driving the pump at the rear of the appliance. So far only one size is marketed, this having a capacity of 250 gallons per minute.

There is little need for us to enter into a detailed description of Merryweather's famous Hatfield fire-engines, which embody a patent type of reciprocating pump. We may mention that the first Merryweather motor engine was built in 1899, and they have been increasingly popular ever since. The pump has three reciprocating plungers driven from a single crank. Appliances with capacities from 250 gallons per minute to 1,000 gallons per minute can be supplied. The company also builds engines having triple-stage turbine pumps with capacities up to 500 gallons per minute, turntable fire-eseapes and trailer pumps.

A number of excellent fire-engines have been built for overseas use by the Four Wheel Drive Lorry Co., Ltd.

Amongst other makes of engine and trailer pump are the Martin, Baico, Renault, Stanley and Laffiy.

Tar and Emulsion-spraying Vehicles. •

THE old method of distributing tar or bituminous material over the road by manual labour is rapidly being supplanted by machines specially devised for the purpose. A most successful appliance for spraying emulsion, etc., was produced early this year by the Four Wheel Drive Lorry Co., Ltd., and a large number of these is now being employed by Colfix, Ltd., and Colas Products, Ltd. Another useful machine is the Poden 6-tonner, which can be supplied as a dual-purpose machine with three-way tipping gear, the body being interchangeable with a special Coleman tar-spraying and tank equipment of 1,000 gallons capacity. Steam coils heat the tar for road spraying and the apparatus for this purpose is of the flapper type, driven

from a transverse shaft which, in turn, is operated by a chain from the rear axle. The spraying width is 7 ft.

The Clayton steam chassis has also been equipped for 'tar spraying, being provided with a 1,000-gallon tank. The tar is sprayed by pressure from the pump and the work can be carried out at 4 m.p.h. to 5 m.p.h.

The Fowler steam wagon can be equipped as a very complete outfit for tar spraying and gritting, utilizing the Wood spraying plant and the Fowler gritting trailer. A very practicable machine is the Super-Sentinel with the Weeks plant. This has a capacity of 1,000 gallons. The Atkinson machine also embodies a 1,000-gallon tank, the car being heated by steam coils. Then there is the Mann-Aitken outfit with tanks from 500 gallons and 750 gallons as required.

A complete outfit, which is provided with sling hooks for using on any motor vehicle or trailer, is supplied by the Steel Barrel Co., Ltd. It has a 1,000-gallon tank on a steel underframe extended at the rear to carry a portable

Tar Tankers.

WITH the great increase in the em

ployment of tar for road surfacing and dust prevention, the problem has arisen of transporting large quantities of this material and, for this purpose, several interesting types of vehicle are being utilized.

One of the most striking of these is the Poden rigid sixwheeler with a tank capacity of 2,300 gallons. It is equipped with a large heating coil so that steam from the boiler can be used for maintaining the temperature of the tar to ensure quick discharge, whilst the piston-pattern Duplex double-acting pump enables the tank to be filled quickly. It delivers tar at 150 lb. per sq. in. at the rate of 4,000 to 5,000 gallons per hour. The overall length is 24 ft. 9 ins.

A special Halley vehicle which was supplied some months ago to Glasgow is built to convey hot tar from gas works to various points of distribution. It has a three-compartment 1,000-gallon tank mounted on the type-TI 6-ton chassis. The tank is lagged with asbestos and covered with planished steel and a hand-operated pump on the vehicle enables the tar to be forced from the tank to a height of 15-20 ft.

The 6-ton WO-type Yorkshire can be provided with a special steam-jacketed body for the transport of hot asphalt. D37