Lumber, its manufacture and distribution . various forms oftractors have been devised as a substitute for animal power, whichhave proved so successful that their introduction has been very rapidduring recent years. Tractors.—Tractors are driven either by a gasoline engine, often 1 See Fig. 107. TRANSPORTATION ABOUT THE PLANT 143 of the Ford type, or by electric storage batteries. They have low,solid, rubber-tired wheels, seldom more than 24 inches in diameter,and a short wheel base. The advantages of a tractor as compared to an animal for haulinglumber around the sawmill plant are that it can
Lumber, its manufacture and distribution . various forms oftractors have been devised as a substitute for animal power, whichhave proved so successful that their introduction has been very rapidduring recent years. Tractors.—Tractors are driven either by a gasoline engine, often 1 See Fig. 107. TRANSPORTATION ABOUT THE PLANT 143 of the Ford type, or by electric storage batteries. They have low,solid, rubber-tired wheels, seldom more than 24 inches in diameter,and a short wheel base. The advantages of a tractor as compared to an animal for haulinglumber around the sawmill plant are that it can approach a load andpull it to any point in a yard or shed that an animal can; it can beattached and detached from a truck load of lumber in the same timerequired for an animal-drawn vehicle; it has greatly increased speedover animals;x it does not require any resting period; it can do the workof three animals; it does not cost more to maintain a well-built machinethan the feed of one animal and will outlast its value in animals several. Photograph by Sumner K. Prescott Co. Fig. 108.—A Prescott Lumber Tractor. times; it reduces the number of employees needed; and it effects amarked saving in tram bottoms, which wear out under animal trafficin from two to three years. The Prescott lumber tractor, Fig. 108, equipped with a four-cylinder, 22 horse-power Ford engine, weighs approximately 2800pounds, and consumes from 12 to 15 gallons of gasoline in twenty-four hours. The framework is made of channel iron, and is mountedon 22-inch, solid wheels. It will draw both two-wheeled and four-wheeled lumber buggies and has a rated pulling capacity of from 1000to 3000 board feet, under yard conditions. The rear end of the tractoris backed under the forward end of a load of lumber on a buggy, anda chain is thrown over the top of the load and tightened by meansof the winch shown in the figure. Two men are required to operate 1 The maximum practical speed of a lumber tractor is 6 miles per ho
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1922
