GAS TRAILERS FOR HEAVY VEHICLES
7th February 1918, Page 15
Page 15, 7th February 1918 — GAS TRAILERS FOR HEAVY VEHICLES
IT IS A CURIOUS anomaly that whilst the employment-of a gas supply trailer provides a very much more suitable adjunct to a commercial car, it is the touring car which will probably use it most. Whilst the trailer undoubtedly gets over the difficulty which the owner -of a small car, or of an open car, finds when he goes into the gas question, it cannot be said that:it ls altogether a desirable addition to touring vehicle.
Owing to the large volume of gas necessary when carried in an uncompressed form, the trailer with its load is as large, or even a larger vehicle, than the car itself. Of course it can be done, and what is more to the point it is probably more economical in fuel consumption to draw the load On separate wheels than to superimpose it on the chassis.
This latter consideration, whilst net being -of great moment where flexible containers are considered, is of vital significance when heavy cylinders containing compressed gas are in question. When we come to consider the application of trailers, to motor tracks, we shall find that in most cases there is a very serious objection to be found in the fact that loading and unloading are almost universally done from the back of the vehicle.
Needless to say, it should not be a big job to unhitch the trailer for loading purposes, but the trailer itself will take up a considerable amountof yard
space, and this unhitching for loading and unloading could only be effected when out and return, journeys are in question. It would not be practical to unhitch the trailer of a delivery wagon-every time a portioui of the load had to be taken out or added, so that we shall probably see the development of the gas fuel question, regardless as to whether flexible containers or compressed gas cylinders are employed, take the form of either roof or side attachments so far as commercial vehicles are concerned.
Whilst the trailer -in some form or another may quite likely be found more generallyin 118C where thu touring car is concerned, and in this connection attention may be directed to a form of trailer which was patented and introduced—without much success at the time, we are afraid—a few years ago, for the purpose of carrying luggage when on tour. • This -outfit was not a trailer proper, but took a form which may -be roughly described as a hinged tail board stita ported on a single castor wheel at the back. Such an outfit as this could hardly be of use with flexible containers, but with themore compact compressed as -cylinders we forsee quite a promising field for its exploitation, because it is compact and handy. Yoreover, it enables the car to:be reversed without difficulty, as the castor wine/ just simply slues round, as all castor wheels do