Van Bodies that Resist Distortion
Page 46
Page 47
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ALL-METAL and composite van bodies produced by Wilsdon and Co., Ltd., Solihull, Warwickshire, have for a number of years been built on the prineiple that the roof must tie the framework together and strengthen the entire structure. It is significant that, whenever the body has been damaged in an accident, rebuilding has been comparatively simple. This is because the roof resisted distortion of the framing and localized the damage.
Roofs of Wilsdon vans are of aluminium alloy and are assembled on a special wooden jig. The roof sticks are one-piece top-hat sections, rolled to a dome shape and attached to the cantrails with bolts. The roof is built in 4-ft. sections and covered with 18-gauge panels, which are overlapped and double-riveted with -pop rivets to the 3-in, flanges of the sticks. Bolts arc also used to attach the roof to the wooden members of the side frames.
• Sealing is effected by the application of bitumastic solution to the panel joints and by fitting sealing caps in the rivet heads. The roof panels overlap the 18-gauge side panels. A bending jig was designed and produced in the shops to form the cant-rails to the correct radius.
Another .constructional method of interest is the Use Of the Argonarc welding process to weld the alloy floor sheets ofloptirvans to ensure 'that the floor is watertight and to obviate corrosion at the joints.
D6 With regard to the relative merits of wooden and light-alloy bodies, Mr_ Leslie Wilsdon, managing director, thinks that no sweeping claim that one is better than the other should be made. Timber and metal should, he says, be married intelligently for the best results, with the obvious qualification that allmetal construction is preferable for most tropical countries and when building vehicles to a strict weight limit.
The metal bodies are of conventional construction, with framing of top-hat sections and bearers of channel section.. The wood-framed bodies have a number of original features, a notable example of which is the use of 10-gauge milt steel plates to reinforce the intermediat pillars of Luton vans in which tw sections extend for more than 10 ft.
The plate is welded into one piec and is attached to the cross-bearer by gusset . plate. Resistance to tozengin and spreading is 'greatly increased. -.1-he bulkhead ofthe driver's Cab i normally. framed and panelled in
wood, irt preference. to . the ••use c tongued-and-grooved members, to avoi shrinkage. The rails are extended rear ward at least as far as the front pillar to distribute the stresses resulting from the .cab " overload."
Another example of standard Wilsdo practice is the cab of a van designe for the carriage of soft goods. Th body is of the normal alloy-roofe wooden type, lined with plywood an having hardwood flooring. The cab i
a full width and has radiused come panels with Perspex lights, an importar
feature of the corners being alloy casin panels which provide add itiom strength and give a neat appearance.. In the construction of truck-trod bearers, cast-alloy feet of no.vi form are employed. These cornPris Y-shaped members cast iutegrali3t wit a flat base, with an extended leg t which the bearer is solid-riveted.
A gusSet between the Y-section, th bearer and the leg gives additions ,ngth, and the complete foot reprets a means for reducing the number constructional parts from eight to and for saving weight. The tom face of the leg is recessed to e a fibre packing, which prevents tr of the chassis as the result of ration. Steel sections welded to the main chassis members are always used, in preference to wooden members, on lorries and vans to provide load-carrying extensions. Wood is liable to sag and increase the body stresses.
A special method of exterior panel shaping is used in the construction of the majority of Wilsdon vans to modify the straight-line apPearance of the sides. This is known as the turn-under-andflare method of construction. it is combined with fitting the panels flush with the wheel-arches, the sides being given a slightly concave form. A flare moulding is fitted along the mudguard line, • Featuies which are individual to specialized bodies, but could be more widely adopted, include a Burtonwood built-in flush-fitting tailboard lift and rear doors on the sides of a central entrance which can be lowered to form loading ramps. The ramps are fitted to an emergency fire-service tender, other features of which include side lockers with retractable lids sliding in roller tracks situated under the floor.
Body developments to facilitate pallet loading by fork-lift trucks have been closely studied by the concern, and vehicles have been designed for this purpose in conjunction with the users. Fittings for locating specialized products are a feature of many of the vans produced.