A NEW GERMAN GULLY EMPTIER.
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Separate Water Tank, Isolated Vacuum Dome and Tipping Body are its Notable Features.
FOR some time past German manufacturers, have been giving particular attention to the design of vehicles for municipal work of all kinds. A firm which has specialized in municipal lorries is the Mannesmann Mulag (Motoren und Lastwagen Aktien Gesellschaft) concern. of Aix la Chapelle, and one of the latest productions of this firm is a special gully-emptying lorry.
This machine is mounted on the hIulag 5-ton chaindriven chassis and arranged as a tip wagon, the tipping gear being driven by the engine. The arrangement of tanks comprises a large main sludge tank with a capacity of three cubic metres and a water reservoir containing about one cubic metre of water. The water tank is really a separate compartment at the forward end of the main sludge tank, with which it is bull up. Either of the compartments can be put under pressure when required by means of an engine-driven air pump.
The water compartment can, moreover, be put under pressure when necessary by the same means. The object of the latter arrangement is to enable a jet of clean water at high pressure to he directed into the drain or gully which is to be cleaned out. The pressure or suction of the pump is controlled by a special type of three-way valve. The piping arrangement includes a three-branch union, to which are coupled a vacuum pipe, an air pressure pipe and a wabr inlet pipe.
Vacuum domes are fitted both to the main sludge tank and to the water compartment. In the case of the Sludge tank the dome can be completely shut off from the tank when required. Three pipes run to the dome on the sludge tank, the main sludge uptake pipe., the vacuum pipe and a small pipe conveying clean water from the water compartment for scouring purposes.
At the base of the sludge uptake pipe is a big two-way cock and a union for fitting the hose which is dropped into the drain to be cleaned out. A gauge glass is fitted in the door at the rear of the mud tank.
The vacuum dome is completely shut of from the main tank whilst the operation of gully emptying is proceeding. A jet of water is first directed into the gully and the mud is thus thinned before being drawn up' into the vacuum dome. So soon as the drain has been emptied, the sludge is allowed to fall into the main lower tank. The vacuum dome and the dividing door are then sprayed with clean water from the other tank. To empty the vehicle the back door is first opened and the entire arrangement of tanks tipped backwards by means of the engine-operated tipping gear.
The overall length of the new Mannesmann Mulag vehicle is 18 ft. 6 ins, and the height about 10 ft. 3 ins. Twin rear wheels are fitted and the whole of the controls are simple to operate.