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Semi-trailers for Every Trade
Page 162
Page 163
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EXHIBITS by trailer manufacturers at the Commercial Motor Show, which opens at Earls Court next Friday, will show a welcome trend towards lightweight construction. The flood of air-suspension designs on view in 1958 will not be repeated, as only three exhibitors will have this form of springing on display.
The industry's technical initiative will be demonstrated by two makes of discbraked semi-trailer • and others with rubber suspension. Tandem-axle bogies are meeting severe competition from insine-axle layouts. No fewer than seven variations on the in-line theme will be displayed.
The York Trailer Co., Ltd., kindled interest in lightweight semi-trailers when their Freightmaster integral van models were introduced a year ago. Two pf these units will be shown in company with a new flat-platform model, incorporating an all-light-alloy chassis frame, which is designed to carry an 18-ton payload. York will also have a new in-line-axle semi-trailer, known as the Transfour, in the demonstration park.
Dyson are the only other trailer manufacturers to exhibit an integral van semi-trailer. This 26-ft. 3-in.-long unit, the Aerovan, employs a unitary body of all-light-alloy construction with the• exception of the translucent roof panel, manufactured by Holmes (Preston), Ltd. The van has tandem-axle air-suspension running gear of the familiar Dyson longitudinal-pillow type and is fitted with Dunlop disc brakes. (A disc-braked bogie was shown in 1958, but with airmechanical operation.) The latest model has air-hydraulic actuation on l4-indiameter discs. Two calipers act on each disc, with a third set on the rearmost axle for the screw-operated hand brake.
Pressed-steel side members contribute to weight reduction on the Dyson Ultralight 15-16-ton straight-frame semitrailer. This model has a new in-line bogie in which the springs are located by large rubber bushes. The development of integral van semitrailers seems likely to foster better collaboration between trailer manufacturers and bodybuilders. Mann Egerton and Duramin, as well as Holmes, have produced unitary bodies capable of accepting almost any type of running gear. They will both have van semitrailers on their stands combining their bodies with Cranes running gear.
Cranes' display will include two new air-suspension bogies and a most promising air-mechanical disc-brake system for very heavy trailers (The Commercial Motor, September 2). The disc brakes are to be fitted to a 45-60-ton detachable-axle trailer for Pickfords. This model will also have a new axle layout which improves load distribution. One air-suspension bogie has in-line axles mounted, through trunnions, on trailing box-section beams. This unit will be shown on a 26-ft.-long straight-frame semi-trailer. Disc brakes—in this case on flanged wheels for rail travel—are fitted to the Roadrailer van semi-trailer to be exhibited by the Pressed Steele Co., Ltd. This 11-ton unitary-construction model has been developed for British Railways and, in addition to the flanged wheels, has an in-line-axle rubber-tyred bogie for use on the road. The change from one set of wheels to the other is effected by air pressure in 90 seconds.
By judicious "pruning," Taskers have produced two semi-trailers which are much lighter than their previous comparable models. The 15-ton Twinside, to be shown in 25-ft.-long straight-frame form, us the established Taskers axle bogie with rubber-mounted springs. but has a new rolled-steel chassis frame with 7-in.-deep longitudinals reinforced by under-bracing.
Six-wheeled Bogie
Most of the weight saved on the Taskers 16-ton Tandem Six Model to be shown comes from the novel bogie developed for it. This unit has single wheels on the trailing axle, which is of lighter construction than the leading tubular member. In the demonstration park, Taskers are to display the latest version of their car transporter semitrailer, which employs a Burtonwood superstructure.
Semi-trailers with rubber suspension will appear on three stands. Two manufacturers, Eagle and Hands, will exhibit units with Hendrickson tandem-axle bogies, whilst Pitt, at Earls Court for the first time, are to show a system which uses Aeon rubber springs as the sole suspension medium.
The Eagle rubber-sprung semi-trailer is a 3,250-gal. frameless tanker. The tank, designed to carry resin, is lagged with glass-fibre and incorporates steam heater coils. Walking beams and rubber-bushed radius rods carry the axles of the tandem bogie, which are sprung by four rubber load cushions.
Two Hands 15-17-ton semi-trailers are to be shown with the Hendrickson bogie. One will carry a 17-cu.-yd. all-steel tipping body, whilst the other, with twoline air and vacuum braking, is to have a 10-ton pressurized tank for the carriage of Calor gas. The Pitt cranked-frame semi-trailer (The Commercial Motor, September 9)
has single wheels carried on 8-in.-deep trailing arms, the rear ends of which enter vertical slots in pillars mounted behind the wheels, Above and below the ends of each arm are Aeon rubber springs. Pitt's other new design for the Show is an in-line-axle bogie fitted to a 12-ton straight-frame semi-trailer, which also has a novel rearwards-retracting landing gear.
Since the 1958 Show, Carrimore have modified their tandem-axle air-suspension bogie by the substitution of eight Dunlop circular bellows for the four rectangular pillows employed previously. This bogie will be displayed on its own, whilst the new in-line-axle air-suspension bogie for frameless tankers will be seen on the Steel Barrel stand.
Viewed with Pride
As one of the first in the field with an in-line-axle bogie, the British Trailer Co., Ltd., must view the suddenly enhanced popularity of this layout with some pride. The three 15-ton semi-trailers shown by this concern will all have Four-in-Line suspension, as will the 12-tonner displayed.
Twin inclined hydraulic rams raise and lower the upper deck of the latest Brockhouse car-transporter semi-trailer. The unit shown, which can carry up to five cars, will have a vacuum-powered braking system. Since the 1958 Show, Brockhouse have added a 12-ton semi-trailer to their range and an example will be displayed. The spring eyes have self-lubricating bushes.
Rollalong will display a complete trailer-mounted mobile dental clinic beside a knocked-down mobile camp trailer for use overseas. Trailers for living and office accommodation will appear on the Sprite stand.
A fully articulated fifth-wheel coupling connects a Land-Rover to the 3S-cwt. cranked-frame semi-trailer for crosscountry operation which will be displayed by Dixon-Bate. This semi-trailer has independent rubber suspension, whilst Cary-Laminaire progressive leaf springs will be fitted to a 30-cwt. two-wheeled trailer.
Cary suspension is employed also for the Fezzan range of two-wheeled trailers manufactured by Scottorn, two examples of which are to be exhibited. One of them is a novel dual-purpose model, which combines a 120-gal. tank with a steel truck body.
It is somewhat similar to the Camel two-wheeled unit to be shown by M. F. Robertshaw, Ltd. In standard form, the body of the Camel consists of a 100-gal. tank, the upper surface of which forms the floor of a steel body.