WILL THE STEAM-PROPELLED BUS RETURN?
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Some Notes on the Situation and Details of an American Steam Vehicle Recently Completed.
MHE bus propelled by steam is DO novelty in this country, as types were brought into use many years ago and only taken out of service during the past two or three years—in fact, it may be that there are a few still in operation, and there certainly arc British makers who are utilizing the steam bus for demonstration purposes. -finless, however, there is a complete change-over from the views at present held by bus operators, or a considerable increase in thc price of motor spirit, it is hardly likely that the steam bus will gain any great measure of popularity, although, in many respects, it is an ideal form of vehicle.
We are prompted to make these observations as we have recently ,seen
described iii Automotive .a new steam-bus chassis whichCertainly embodies many novel features, but from onr national point of view it presents the disadvantage that' here "again,._ oil fuel, which has to be purchased oyerseas, is utilized. Any steam vehicle to be employed in this country should be able to make use of home-produced fuel, although it may be that, in the future, good supplies of oil produced from the distillation of coal will be available.
The vehicle is known as the ISelling nail is the product of Dolling Motors
Co., of. Camden, NI., 'U.S.A. The boiler is a horizontal fire-tube pattern
located in the usual position under the bonnet at the front, with its axis arranged longitudinally, but canted so that it is higher at the rear. It has a shell of in. steel with an internal diameter of 2 ft. 10 ins, and a length
of 2 ft. 2 ins. There are also two headers. The shell is wound with five layers of piano wire to give radial strength and 686 copper fire-tubes of lin. outside diameter pass through the boiler and are expanded into the headers. There are reinforcements on the headers over the steam space and a number of stay bolts. The headers are flanged and welded to the shell and are strengthened -by rings shrunk over the ends of the shell and welded to both these and the headers. Support brackets are welded to the front reinforcing ring, whilst the rear end is allowed to expand in a cradle on a frame crossmember.
The furnace is located at the forward end of the boiler, and the vaporized fuel and air are injected from four nozzles and venturi tubes. A pilot is kept burning, and this serves to maintain the vaporizer tube at a high temperature. To start the pilot light, ass, is made of current from an accumulator. The main burner can be turned on directly the vaporizer is at the proper temperature.
The products of combustion collect in a hood at the rear 'of the boiler and pass through a flue around the driver's seat and up to the roof for discharge. Fuel is carried in a 50-gallon tank and it is supplied to the burners by a pump combined with that for the feed water.
The boiler pressure is regulated by a diaphragm valve which controls the fuel flow to the main burner. • The horizontal engine has three cylinders with a bore of 44 ins, and a stroke of 4t ins. It is double-acting and works on the uniflow principle. The cut-off is varied automatically by the speed of the engine, and the engine is direct-geared to the vehicle. At 8 m.p.h. full cut-off is used; from' this up to 20 m.p.h. it is reduced ; and above 20 m.p.h. it is at a minimum.
The engine is arranged with its crankshaft extended fore and aft, but well to the left, The drive is taken through a propeller shaft with Spicer joints to a normal type of rear axle with the gearing offset in line with the crankshaft.
Exhaust steam from the engine is led into a two-section condenser at the front of the chassis, and, normally, practically all the steam is condensed.
The controls are made to resemble those of a petrol vehicle, including a font-accelerator-type throttle.
The weight of the vehicle, including a body weighing 6,500 lb., is 18,100 lb.