Electric Trucks Work 24 Hours a Day B ECAUSE the vehicles
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operate 24 hours a day, the batteries of the electric industrial trucks used at main-line railway stations cannot be recharged in position. To meet this situation, the Scott electric vehicles now being employed by the railways have the batteries specially mounted on rollers, so that they can quickly be changed at 8-hour intervals.
The range of Scott electric vehicles includes heavy and light tractors for drawing payloads of 3 tons and 30 cwt. respectively, and 12-cwt. and 20-cwt. platform trucks with fixed or elevating platforms. All these vehicles are threewheelers, and are steered and driven from the front wheel. The driving motor is secured to a frame carrying the front wheel, and operates through chain and reduction gears to the wheel.
The power unit and wheel are fully floating in the frame, being mounted on four coil springs which permit a limited movement. When the vehicle takes a corner at speed, the power unit heels over in its frame to relieve the chassis of all stresses. The wheel may be turned through 180 degrees, so that the turning circle is within the length of the chassis.
The motor is arranged with compound and series windings. When operating as a compound-wound unit, it is geared to give a fixed speed of 3-31 mph. for work in confined areas. Where higher speed is possible, the series windings can be brought into
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action by opsrating a switch on the dash panel, and the speed increased up to 10 m.p.h. These higher speeds are governed by a three-step controller,
All models of the range are equipped with Exide Ironclad 92 amp.-hr. batteries. The motor is basically the same for the whole range. Either solid or pneumatic tyres can be fitted to the tractor or fixed-platform truck, all wheels being interchangeable.
Because of the platform height on the elevating truck (131 ins. when
lowered), the chassis is equipped with solid tyres. It is designed for standard stilIages, 5 ft. 6 ins, long and 4 ft. wide. The fixed-platform truck has a body• 5 ft. long and 3 ft. 4 ins, wide.
Scott vehicles are made by the Cradley Heath Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Cradley Heath, Staffordshire.