Henschel Bimot
As Henschel-Bimot , the Henschel-Werke offered commercial vehicles powered by two engines at the beginning of the 1950s.
At that time, the Allied Control Council only allowed engines with a maximum output of 150 hp. By combining two 95 HP units, a total output of 190 HP could be achieved.
As early as 1951, the Allies lifted the horsepower limit for engines, so that more powerful engines and heavier commercial vehicles could now be built. The Bimot vehicles were replaced in 1953 by single-engine commercial vehicles with higher engine power; production ended in 1951 due to a lack of demand.
bus
As the first Bimot vehicle, Henschel presented the HS 190 N as a luxury touring coach at the Geneva Motor Show in 1950 . The structure came from Kässbohrer , the equipment offered the highest level of comfort for the time with adjustable seats with footrests and ashtrays and reading lights integrated in the backrest, as well as a bar, toilet and radio system. The maximum speed was up to 105 km / h. Only eight of them were built.
The Bimot low-frame chassis with a wheelbase of 5,400 mm was also intended to be used for line buses and box trucks.
tractor
Three HS 190 S Bimot semitrailer tractors were also built on behalf of Esso AG in 1951 .
The three-axle, 7,300 mm long tractors had a curved blunt nose and were serviced through the front, hinged so-called "cabinet doors". The driver sat immediately behind the transverse engines. The rear double axle was driven via a worm-spur gear, whereby the second rear axle was directly coupled to the first. With a two-axle trailer such as the tank trailer with a capacity of 21,000 l from Ellinghaus, the HS 190 S could reach a top speed of 65 km / h with a total weight of 30 t. The fuel consumption was 45 liters per 100 km (factory specification).
Despite the tractor's presentation at the 1951 International Motor Show , the three examples remained.
At that time, the company Wiking Modellbau offered a corresponding transport model of the "super tank car" in the scale of the model railways of the H0 gauge .
technology
The Bimot had two six-cylinder Lanova diesel engines of the 512 DG type with 5,400 cm 3 displacement, each with an output of 95 hp, installed across the direction of travel .
In order to ensure a uniform drive direction of rotation, one of the motors was converted to run counterclockwise. The engine parts were identical except for the camshaft and the oil and water pumps. Each engine was equipped with its own air compressor and its own alternator.
In order to compensate for possible differences in the torques, an elastic coupling with rubber links was installed between the centrally located bevel gear drive and each motor. In the event of engine damage, this could be removed within ten minutes so that the vehicle could continue to drive with just one engine.
The four-speed gearbox enabled eight speed levels through a separate overdrive gear.