librarian62 wrote:Okay....did a bit of searching on this forum, and found some useful info on the subject, and some images that helped answer a few questions.
The Neal-Unit machines pictured are nearly dead-ringers of the usa-built UNIT 271-C, and with UK Ford diesel engines? The cab design was truly ahead of it's time.
Hi,
I'm responsible for most of the Neal unit posts on here, I looked after one for about 5 years, and occasionaly stood in for the opperator.
I can tell you from experience,though the cab looked modern it didn't provide much comfort.
Main problem was sharing the small cab space with two very hot slew clutches. They were originaly air cooled by an electric fan and the heat in hot weather was unbearable.
This did improve when the clutches were moddified. They were enclosed in an oil bath and the machine was fitted with oil cooler and pump.
The Unit differed from the other British excavators in that the engine, (Ford 365), was mounted front to back and not across the machine.
The drive was taken directly into a worm reduction gearbox which reduced the shaft speed and turned the drive through 90 deg. parallel to the winch drums.
This allowed all the drums including the safe and "bomb proof" derricking winch to be spur gear driven. (no chain drive on the machine at all except for the external travel chains).
The Unit was also fitted with internal expanding travel brake bands which engaged and disengaged automaticly when traveling. This was completely safe and there was no danger of machines running away out of control like some I could mention.
I think this machine was built in 1960.
Fred