Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-04-24
Neutrality-suspicious..

The Nash Quad or four-wheel drive
truck that the government has adopted
for transportation purposesfor the 1O8th
Field Artillery, and no doubt numerous
other like units, seems to spell efficiency.
There seems to be no doubt Of its
ability to keep moving on any grade, pro-
viding il is not heavily overloaded. How
ever it seems too bad that such a good
truck should be held up by deep mud.
This l know to be a fact, as the writer,
while hiking (ala chariot), had occasion to
be sent out ON a special detail, and the
truck in which he was riding hit mud
hole, the mud and water easily reaching
or 8 inches from the top of the wheel.
While the truck seemed to make heroic
efforts to pull itself out, still with the
smooth finish solid tires and without
chains, the situation looked rather hope
less, A number of such trucks ON the
western front. bringing up ammunition
and reinforcements to heavily engaged
sector, we must admit, under the same
circumstances as above, would not De
very valuable. With due credit to the
drivers skill however, the aforesaid truck
in time, was extricated.
This thought was accentuated by the
considerable delay ON our trip back TO
camp on account of waiting Tor the rear
of the column to catch up. Though not
knowing the actual cause of this delay,
the writer has the suspicion that it was
our common enemy, mud.
Now regarding an automatic road grip
per; couldn't this solid tire be cast IN
sections. ALLOWING enough IQONti bSINGSA
the sections for the extension or protrud-
ing of heavy metal bars, the same width
as the wearing surface OF the tire ana
anywhere from IA to IA inch IN thick,
ness or at least thick enough to stand
the strain. These bars, numbering, we
win say twenty to a tire, would extend
out from the tire aboU. nall an men or
more when in use. They would pc usea
only under extraordinary conditions as
the four wheel drive truck is quite cap
able of ordinary and some unusual condl-
tions.
terest to this point. the writer guesses
that you are wondering how such con-
trivance could be operated automatically.
1t is obvious that when truck is deep
in the mud, that this, in CONJUNCTION with
the weight of the truck itself, would make
it almost impossible for hand pressure by
lever, TO force these grippers out, to en-
gage the road. My idea Of overcoming
this was to have these gripperS connected
by shaft direct to the motor or by shaft
to the driving shaft, whichever would be
preferable. The truck, naturally being at
standStiN, the gears would be in neutral
and it then is not mechanical impos-
sibility to use the motor power While the
gears are In neutral. The connecting
of the motor to the grtppers could be
done right from the drivers seat by one
extra lever only.
The next question which would natural
ly come to your mind is, after these
grippers have been forced out the proper
distance, what is going to keep them out
with the weight Of the truck upon them
To be frank with you, this thought is
rather a stumbling block to me. How
ever, far from giving up, I am going to
suggest that the wheel could be made
hollow with two metal Sides permitting of
some kind of inner metal rim to act as
a support to the grippers while engaged
After truck has been disengaged from the
mud, the car would be brought to a stand
StiI with gears again in neutral, and
with the same hand lever reverse the ac-
tion of the meteor or shaft and draw in
the grippers, which would have to back
automatically into their correct positions
Automobile experts. this is as far as
can carry this topic without getting into
water over my head. Help lick the Hun
Think!
(Signed) Y. Y. 2.
BatteryaF, 10Sth f. A.