CMP windshield throwout arm assemblies

[Grant Bowker]

With a ruler to give rough dimensions. The width of the arms measured as 1" (almost exact) in the parallel sections (more at the detent section).

[Grant Bowker]

And the mounting foot for the windshield frames. As far as I can tell, the same bracket was used for both short and long arms, both right and left handed, just assembled differently. Some of the brackets I've looked at had Chevrolet style part numbers (that don't show as a separate item in the CMP parts listings - so presumably could only be ordered as part of the arm assembly) cast into the part and others are plain, without part number.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Grant

I suspect that the arms with the mid point hold notch are an improvement to prevent or reduce broken windscreens. The long arms without notch/hold notch are prone to slaming shut as you reach the terminal velocity of CMPs of air speed of 50 MPH. Which maybe reach on flat ground after a twelve minute run, or down 9% grade at mid throttle, but exceeding 50 MPH air speed is more often encountered when hit by strong head wind. When this happens even with the hand wheels tight the windscreen slams shut with real force. If one of hold tight handles works better than the other then the window really gets racked.

This was also a problem on M37 when they are up engined, you had to drive them with the windscreens shut, or breaking the windscreens was a problem.

Cheers Phil

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

OK I confess. It was me. The reason you can find the arms and not the handwheel clamps that hold them in place is because I have them all. The HUW needs 18 to secure the seats, battery trays and wireless table to the floor and 4 more for the windshield arms. I managed to scrounge them all but realize that borders on greedy.....

[Mike Cecil]

Grant,

I think you will find that the long arms (without notch) were originally introduced on Australian GMH production CMPs to allow the w/screen to open to 90 degrees, or be closed shut. I believe the intention was either fully open or fully shut, so leaving the w/screen locked at an angle just by the friction/tightness of the locking wheels was not intended. There were footman loops on the leading edge of the roof to secure the canvas w/screen covers for when the w/screen was in the fully open position, to prevent reflection.

There were also activating arms on the centre pylon to aid in getting the w/screen to 90 degrees but these are not visible in your images, so perhaps these did not make it into CDN production? The levers were also an Australian invention.

Hopefully, some Aussie CMP owner will have an image of this to post?

Mike

[Grant Bowker]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Grant,

I think you will find that the long arms (without notch) were originally introduced on Australian GMH production CMPs to allow the w/screen to open to 90 degrees, or be closed shut. I believe the intention was either fully open or fully shut, so leaving the w/screen locked at an angle just by the friction/tightness of the locking wheels was not intended. There were footman loops on the leading edge of the roof to secure the canvas w/screen covers for when the w/screen was in the fully open position, to prevent reflection.

There were also activating arms on the centre pylon to aid in getting the w/screen to 90 degrees but these are not visible in your images, so perhaps these did not make it into CDN production? The levers were also an Australian invention.

Hopefully, some Aussie CMP owner will have an image of this to post?

Mike

I'm not saying you are wrong, but it seems unlikely that an Australian produced arm would have made its way to central Canada. I haven't seen any examples of footman loops on the leading edge of the roof for securing canvas covers on Candaian CMPs (or residual mounting holes that I recognized). Just curious when Australian production began, is the start of Australian production compatible with the 1942 date implied by the serial number given in Canadian parts listing for introduction of long arms, which I think is not long after start of production of Cab 13 in Canada?

Are the arms on the central pillar in posts 2 and 3 the ones you are talking about or is there yet another variation I should be looking for?

[Mike Cecil]

Grant,

I'm not suggesting that an Aust made arm made it to central Canada, but that the mod was also adopted by Canada. My comments were based upon the details provided in a GMH document detailing the changes made to the CMP cab:

'The greatest difference was brought about by the Australian Army requiring horizontal opening windshield and that an inside lever be added to allow the windscreen to be fully opened from a sitting position. Consequently the levers of the Canadian type cab were completely redesigned to meet these requirements. It was noted that the Canadian cab was subsequently redesigned to allow windows to open further, but as our design was finalised, the Canadian alterations were not incorporated." and, under parts added at Army Request, no.5, 'A windshield blind shown on 262-29-18 was required to prevent reflection of light when windshield was open'.

Perhaps both Army's came to the same conclusion independently, but it seems the Aussies got there first - hence the term 'subsequently' (my bolding) in the quote above. The long arms to assist opening, mounted on the central pillar, don't appear to have been incorporated in the CDN mod, only Aust production. They are a scissor-type action with a different shape and action that replace the long slide arms as seen in your image.

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Grant,

I think you will find that the long arms (without notch) were originally introduced on Australian GMH production CMPs to allow the w/screen to open to 90 degrees, or be closed shut. I believe the intention was either fully open or fully shut, so leaving the w/screen locked at an angle just by the friction/tightness of the locking wheels was not intended. There were footman loops on the leading edge of the roof to secure the canvas w/screen covers for when the w/screen was in the fully open position, to prevent reflection.

There were also activating arms on the centre pylon to aid in getting the w/screen to 90 degrees but these are not visible in your images, so perhaps these did not make it into CDN production? The levers were also an Australian invention.

Hopefully, some Aussie CMP owner will have an image of this to post?

Mike

Like these Mike.

Cheers,

[Mike Cecil]

Thank you, Jacques, that's the image I was hoping for.

The scissor-type action is clearly seen in your image. This allowed the windscreen to be opened to 90 degrees (ie to the horizontal) from the seated position. Apparently not a modification that made it into CDN production.

Mike