Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-10
rHlRrv.EloHr Per- CENT Esri.
MATED OUTPUT TO De UN.
DER TWO TONS.
MECHANICAL DESIGN BEING
BROUGHT TO STANDARD
Output Of Motor Trucks This Year
to Be Larger Than Ever Before In
Spite OF Lack Of War Orders
Manufacturers conesntrats on
Production.

Progress in truck designing and
the results Of lessons learned dur
ing the war were apparent In the
truck exhibits at all automobile
shows this season. Four Of the lead
Ing truck manufacturers Of tho coun-
try have announced that they will
each produce 10000 trucks during
1920. This total Of $4,000 from four
manufacturers is more than the en-
tire output OF the country in 1915.
In 1917 the value Of the trucks pro-
duced was over 1920, 900, 900, in 1918.
S434 900 and this year Will OK
coed those figures altho there are no
war orders. The estimated produc-
ton for 1920 is $4,000 trucks includ-
ing $50 models.
Load Capacity Increased.
Statistics of n trade authority show
that 50 per cent of the models will
be one and half and two-ton trucks
with the three and a half-ton third
and the two and a half-ton fourth.
five-ton fifth and one-ton sixth.
Production figures Of the various ca
pacitfes are not possible at this time.
The trend in load capacity. howev-
er, shows a pronounced increase in
the one and half and two and a
half-ton. chassis. the latter gaining
over so per cent. or nearly a 300 per
cent increase over 1915. The one and
a half-ton chassis model has in
creased about thirty per cent. There
Is slight increase in the number Of
three and a half and flve-ton mod
els.
Concentrate on Production.
Insofar as the trend in mechanical
design is concerned the satisfactory
service our trucks gave abroad and
the demand at home has led the
manufacturers to concentrate on pro-
duction and while number Of inter
esting reflnements in details have
been seen at all the shows there Is no
marked departure from standard en-
cheering practice. There are what
may be termed mechanical changes
but they are few in number as COM
pared with former years or before
the war taught the world the utility
of the motor truck.
Consider Fuel Problem.
As was to be expected, designers
of carburetors and engine engineers
have given consideration to the heavy
fuel problem, with tho result that
that effort has been directed toward
increasing engine efficiency by the
use Of either q hot spot manifold anu
lhermostatic or automatic control OF
the cooling fluid. or both. Use Of the
heat Of the exhaust gases to break
up the particles Of fuel and thereby
obtain a more homogeneous mixture
is favored by many makers. The ap-
plications of these principles will at
ford interesting study to those Of q
mechanical turn of mind.
In the matter Of fuel supply there
appears to be an increasing use OF
the vacuum feed. but gravity con-
tinues to be used in 80 per cent OF
the models. Relative to the battery
ignition equipped trucks 81 per cent
Of these are 1900 pound capacity and
less; Is per cent, one ton and 81 per
cent one and a half ton.
More Electrical Equipment.
The use of electrical equipment
has increased slightly on all trucks
starting, lighting and signals. Fifty
per cent of the trucks Of 1,500-pound
capacity and less, have electrical
equipment as standard and about az
per cent Of the one and half ton.
The use Of starters and electric
lighting is slightly increasing on the
four and fve-ton models. and q num-
Der Of makers give option Of start
ing and lighting.