Car Transporter with Hydraulic Lift for B.T.C. Company
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NEW semi-trailer:, to, carry four c.ompletcd cars, and '..,having a • hydraulically ,operated -upper deck . which is lowered to chassis level for loading, ,was .demonstrated last week. .•.The cars are driven into position under • , their own -pOwer by: the.., use of short rarnpsi ands.a.fter: the upper 'Platform has i been raised.. the lower deck IS loaded in
a similar Way. . •
, _ e 7 ' • ' ' , The.. serai-trailer-. Was designed and . constructed hy.Carrimore-Sik Wheelers, Ltd.,, North Finchley, London; _N.12; • artcl supplied. lay,•HartWell,"i .(Oxford), Ltd., to Scott's Road Service (B:r.c.). Ltd., for the Midland Division of the Road Haulage Executive. The transporter. unit is on hire to Islufflelcl Exports. Ltd., and will be used mainly for taking cars from the factory to the ports. The .fifst load of four Morris Minors left Cowley for the Albert Dock the day followmg the. demonstration, although the demonstration itself was the first loading test.
The freedom which the . vehicle gives for loading and unloading in a confined space will prove of great value . even where good port facilities exist. Speed
. of handling is combined with safety, one 'relevant factor beingthe ease with which drivers can enter or leave the cars have been loaded.
• The pressed-steel runways of the upper and lower decks are mounted on frames. each of. which comprises a 5-in.
by channel centre member and outer members of 9-in, by section. after they Upper Deck Pivots
• Housings at the four corners of the lower deck support the link members which ai-e the pivot mountings of the upper deck. As the links approach the upper limit of their travel they come into contact with spring-loaded -buffers and are finally locked in the vertical position by drop-end pins. A wheeloperated hand screw is provided on
: one of the front housings to initiate movement when lowering. The two • side-located hydraulic rams are powered by a pump driven from the power takeoff of the tractor chassis.
The tractor is a Morris-Commercial oil-engined unit and close-coupling to the trailer is made possible by the use of a Carrimore retractable turntable. The rear axle is of high-tensile steel and the steel hubs are fitted with Timken taper-roller bearings. Girling twoleading-shoe brakes operate in 16-in. by 3-in. drums and are controlled by the tractor foot brake through a vacuumservo cylinder.
The overall length of the complete vehicle is 33 ft. and the 'overall width is 7 ft. 6 ins.
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• Four small winches are provided for anchoring each car: but at the demonstration it was shown thai this arrangement did not allow •sufliCientlatitildelor two of th t models in the Nuffield iange. The addition of four more winches and slight dimensional: alterations to the side members of the' frames :were the only modifications Which *ere foundto be necessary.