Pictures of Rochester and Monroe County, NY

Sullivan Delivery Wagon - 1910

Notes: In 1910 the Sullivan Brothers Carriage factory formed the Sullivan Motor Car Co. with capital stock of $10,000. Incorporators were George T. Sullivan & Dennis E. Sullivan (both of Rochester) and Henry H. Sickles of Brooklyn. Although the name of the company suggests that they made autos, in fact, they only made trucks. The company closed in 1926.

A description of the original truck was in a trade publication in 1910.

A new light delivery wagon. known as the Sullivan, has been placed on the market by the Sullivan Motor Car Co., Rochester, N. Y. This company is building but one chassis, which is fitted with a closed delivery body, The power plant of this car, consisting of a two-cylinder opposed motor and a two-speed planetary gearset, is a unit construction, carried on three-point support. It can be taken out by removing ten bolts. This unit construction has been worked out with the object of obtaining a rapidly demountable plant. Combining the motor and gearset in one makes it possible to have but one universal joint in the transmission system, this point appearing in Fig. 1 the chassis illustration. The complete transmission incorporates shaft-drive to the jackshaft with final transmission by chain to the rear wheels.

The Sullivan unit power plant consists of a motor with its cylidlers mounted transversely and supported direct from the angle side members of the frame. This motor has a rating of 20 horsepower with 4.25 bore and 4 stroke. It is a conventional construction, each cylinder with its waterjacket and valve offset being an integral casting and the crankcase made in halves, the upper half carrying the valve pushrods and the camshaft, the lower portion supporting the crankshaft and two cylinders. The lubrication of the motor parts is by a mechanical oiler mounted by, all illustrated, and with four leads passing to the crankshaft bearings and the two cylinders. Water circulation is by thermo-syphon which is assisted by the spokes of the flywheel.

The transmission system begins with a planetary set in which the high-speed clutch is of the multiple-disk type. The jackshaft incorporates a Brown-Lips differential and has its shafts carried on Hyatt roller bearings with ball thrusts where needed. In the running gear a stationary rear axle is used, it being a forging of square cross section. The front axle is square at the ends but rounded towards the center. Such parts as steering knuckles and steering arms are drop forgings. One set of brakes is fitted and operates within the rear wheel sprockets. These brakes are under pedal control. The control of this car is on the left side and in addition to the hand wheel with throttle and spark controls consists of one pedal for the brakes, a lever for direct drive, and another lever for lowering the brakes.