The sun., 1918-10-13
NEW DRIVE SYSTEM
FOR MOTOR TRUCKS
High Efficiency in Method of
Propulsion in White
- Heavy Trucks.

A marked Improvement In the design
Of heavy duty motor trucks resulting in
high efficiency In developing and utiliZ-
ing power has heen announced by the
White company. Cleveland.
Three and five ton trucks hereafter
built by this company will have among
other improvements a new drive system
known as double reduction gear drive"
in which the usual side driving chains
and sprockets are replaced by a set OF
gears enclosed In the rear wheels rum
ming in oil and driven through a live
axle of the floating type.
Tests of the new trucks In various
kinds of heavy duty work have shown a
reduction in operating cost. The design
Is OF especial interest to truck users be-
cause in addition to showing the solu-
ton of an important engineering prob
lem 1t keeps every advantage Of chain
drive and has other advantages Of its
own which mean better transportation
for the business man.
This. the company states, is the only
result that would Justify changes In the
design. Under the companys policy not
to make changes unless greater eff
SiSHSy 10 hc" VII
appeared attractive when viewed as in
novations failed to measure UP to the
White company's criterion OF efficiency.
Nearly three years ago. when the
company announced in a published state
ment that its heavy duty trucks would
continue to be chain driven until bet
ter form of drive were developed, the
company was convinced from its own
tests that there w6s no other form OF
drive in a heavy duty truck which OPP
Grated as efficiently under all circurn-
stances as the chain drive. It was this
conviction that led to the development of
the double reduction gear drive.
Whether the drive in a truck is BY
sprocket and chain or by gears, II must
have the correct gear reduction to op-
crate easily and flexibly. The chain
and sprocket afforded a double reduc-
ton system-one reduction in a jack
shaft and second reduction in the
chain and sprocket wheels-thus giving
a large range OF gear ratios and con-
sequently a greater flexibility than can
be had in any single reduction shaft
drive unless the gear housing is
made very large and the rear axle
In consequence heavy and unwieldy.
Chain drive also has this advantage
power is applied to the rear wheels on
sprocket attached to them power Is
thus applied nearer TO the wheel rim
and by rolling contact between the
chain and sprocket
The new double reduction gear drive
accomplishes the same result There is
a first reduction through the bevel
gear and drive pinion in the centre of
the rear axle from which the power us
carried by a live axle OF the floating
type through the centre OF the housing
to a gear at the wheel end OF the live
axle. This gear in turn meshes with
second gear Carried on the housing
OF the live axle, but inside the hub
case OF the rear wheeD. and this sec
ond gear in turn meshes with a ring
gear attached to the wheel inside of the
hub case.
In this way of applying power to
the wheel. a second reduction occurs
between these three gears In the hub
case very similar to the reduction which
takes place between the sprocket wheels
OF chain drive. The power Is APP
piled at about the same distance from