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Curtains vogue

26

1otor Panels (Coventry) Ltd, albrook Lane, Coventry HE LATEST development from lotor Panels is aimed at the 7 to 6-ton-gvw sector of the truck iarket, but although employing 0 per cent of the basic panels sed on its standard cab is 00mrn (7.9in) narrower.

Designed with export in mind le main sub-assemblies can be hipped in knocked down or art assembled form ready for nal assembly by unskilled labor without the need for cornlex or costly jigs.

Other examples of the cornany's products are exhibited in he form of the Foden Fleetlaster cab and the range of abs covering the 200, 300 and .00-Series Seddon Atkinson ange.

t32

fork Truck Equipment Ltd, fafforth Road, Northallerton, ilorth Yorks ;HOWN for the first time is the 'ork Metrovan grp van body, a lew wipe-clean truck van body rom York Truck Equipment.

Said to be strong yet light the 'ange of bodies extends from 1-.2m to 7.3m (14ft to 24ft), )eing suitable for most makes of ;hassis. Grp panels 15mm ;0.59in) thick are bonded to the 311-welded unitised base frame Nith aluminium extrusions.

A standard one-piece transucent roof is located on top-hat Tiof bows at 0 6m (2ft) centres 3nd all the roof rivets are outside the cargo area to aid protection against leaks.

To protect against knocks and scrapes, aluminium extrusions are fitted both inside and outside the front corners. At the rear are full-height doors with four hinges per door and container style door gear. Standard features of the Metrovan include half-lapped 9.5mm (0.37in) hardwood flooring on 0.6m (24in) centre cross-members. York says that popular sizes are held in stock at 12 York Truck branches.

Another new product making its debut is the Dockspotter 20/20 hydraulic lifting fifth wheel, designed for easy yard shunting of trailers. The Dockspotter has a capacity of 20.32 tonnes (20 tons) and lifts to a height of 50.8cm (20in).

Double acting rams power the Dockspotter and it is fitted with the York big "0" coupling which can be coupled and uncoupled from within the cab. A second Dockspotter, the 12/ 12 has a capacity of 12.2 tonnes (12 tons) and lifts to a height of 30.5cm (12in). In addition to these exhibits, York truck is showing a range of spares and facilities for tipper operation.

346

Rootes Maidstone Ltd, Mill Street, Maidstone, Kent THE WELFARE Ambulance displayed by Roots is based on a Dodge forward-control passenger shell.

The standard pressed steel roof has been removed and replaced with a grp moulding to provide an interior height of 1.68m (5,5ft). The rear entrance height is also increased to 1.2m (5ft) and fitted with a pair of steel doors.

All the grp panels have a fire ' retardent additive.

Three window units are fitted each side and the centre units have full-depth sliding glasses. Two fixed high-level windows are included in each side of the roof panel.

The side entry has been extended to provide entrance height of approximately 1.52m (5 It).

Roots Tipper body is based on a Dodge 2,500-Series chassis cab. The body under frame is constructed of aluminium alloy sections while the body floor is of aluminium extruded plank. The head-board dropsides and top/bottom hung tail-board are also aluminium panels.

A screw-type hand-operated tipping gear is standard, but electro hydraulic tipping gear can be supplied as an optional extra.

352

Coachwork Conversions Ltd, Norfolk Street, Colne, Lancs FORMING the centrepiece of this stand is a new side-loading body.

Once the Clearlandera's twosection side doors have been opened, pallets can be on or off loaded from any part of the 5.6m (18ft 5in) body length without hindrance from intermediate sideports.

Interlocking aluminium extrusions are used to make up the side doors which offer the same degree of security as a sliding door. Each door is only 36mm (1.4in) thick which allows clear internal width of 2.43m (Bit), enough for two metric pallets to be placed across the width.

Each of the side doors is divided horizontally, opening into upper and lower sections with the top door retracting into the body and the lower part hinged on the rave rail pivoting down through 180 degrees. Both top and bottom door sections are inter-connected so that the two parts counter-balance each other. When the lower section is opened the top section is simultaneously raised.

A body especially developed for the British Gas Corporation is typical of the standard of this company's product. Based on a Ford Transit 190 chassis-cab, the body is divided into a workshop with a roller shutter door and a mess room with access provided by a folding step and hinged door.

Large radius front corner pillars offer an aerodynamic advantage for the Armaclad grp plywood Freightbox van mounted on a non-hgv 7.5tonne Magirus Deutz chassis.

A longer version of the alloy Luton van body to suit the long wheelbase Transit is being displayed for the first time, but on this occasion is mounted on the 3.5m (lift 6in) wheelbase Volkswagen LT 45 chassis cab for operation at 4.6 tonnes gvw giving a load area capacity of 19.5cum (682 cult).

The Trailbox 400, rated at 2 tons gvw, will provide extra capacity of 12.5cum (440cuft) for those who require volume rather than payload capacity.

354

PEM Trailers Ltd, Wallisdown Industrial Estate, Wallisdown Road, Bournemouth, Dorset THE AREA of this company's production is reflected in its exhibit consisting of a range of four Luton, one box and one dropside truck body.

The Lutons and the one-box body are of similar construction, employing swaged 18g alloy panels with alloy tie rails, a onepiece fibre glass roof and resin bonded plywood floor with a roller shutter enclosing the rear, but are built to different sizes to suit the Ford D series, Leyland Sherpa, Bedford CF, MercedesBenz L 307D and the Volkswagen LT 35.

The dropside body is constructed of 1.2mm (0.05in) steel panels with a 22mm (0.87in) tongue and grooved softwood floor mounted on steel cross-bearers over a Ford Transit chassis-cab with a 3m (11 Sin) wheelbase.

357

Ray Smith Demountables, Botolph Bridge, Oundle Road, Peterborough, Lincs TO PREVENT accidental dropping of the body when the driver has forgotten to lower the tractable front legs, Ray Smith Demountables have introduced an automatic overrun stop. It is shown on a Seven-five demountable body destined for National Panasonic, This is the lightweight body for 8 5 to R S-trinnc.-rwvu (R qci to 8.37-ton) vehicles, and in common with other Ray Smith demountables uses the guiderail system.

Also on show at the NEC is an example of the most popular Ray Smith range, the Ten plus. This range is for vehicles of 10.16 tonnes (10 tons) gross weight and above. -Part of an order for 150 Bedford Chassis for Blue Circle Cement — the 5.49m (18ft) platform body and truck are said to have a payload of 10.16 tonnes (10 tons) with a total gvw of 16.26 tonnes (16 tons). To achieve this Ray Smith extends the chassis by 254mm (10in),

359

Welford Truck Bodies, Victoria Road, Fenton, Stokeon-Trent A TRIPLE dropside truck body is fitted to a 5.7m (226in) wheelbased Ford D1614 chassis-cab equipped with one of VVelford's large capacity hydraulic truck loaders which is being demonstrated throughout the period of the show.

The bodywork to Wimpey specification is a composite steel construction offering a payload of ahni it R tnric Also shown is a Welford 1; (40ft) drop-frame trailer of sti monoframe construction fitt with a Hands Neway suspE sion. The body skinned wi aluminium with a plywoi lining on the interior is equipp with detachable bars to suit t rag trade allowing garments be handled on three levels. also has a burglar alarm fitted the roller shutter.

Both the length and height the Welford Radial Delivery v body, manufactured in steel a aluminium, can be tailored suit individual requiremen• Each of the drop-down si boards are inter-connected w upper panels which individua raise up and over the roof wh the lower board is lowered give easy access to any part the load area.

361

Marsden (Coachbuilder Ltd, Longshaw Street, V‘h rington, Cheshire

MARSDEN has chosen the BE ford KG chassis with a 4,2,1 (167in) wheelbase on which mount its two full-fronted PE technican van bodies.

One has a crew cab wi

ccvatinr, fnr R R n.rc.nr-ic

will convert to two large fullwidth sleepIng bunks. Clothes hanging space, wash basin and a cooker with grill are included. The compartment is lined with plywood panelling and the cavity roof is Ilneci with soundabsorbing materials.

Grp panelling covers the mild steel body frame and the floor is of 18mm (0.7in) resin-bonded plywood sheets. A rear dropwell makes the entry low while the rear doors are full height.

On the nearside the body is fitted with apertures to accommodate four palletised storage containers which are closed by four flush-fitting doors. Timber load retaining rails fitted to the door interior enable the vehicle to be operated for conventional removals.

The second vehicle has a day cab with a separate fully fitted crew compartment in the Luton section of the main body which is similar in construction as the previous model but is a little lcnger and without container side doors.

362

Edbro Ltd, Lever Street, Bolton, Lancs A NEW 6m (20ft) long aluminium ribless body of monocogue construction offers 11.5cum capacity and combines with a new range of tipping gear to provide a lightweight package of only 1,078kg (2,3761b).

A new range of tipping gear for 2 to 5-ton-gross weight band is also being shown weighing only 16kg (351b), which is half the smallest Edbro gear previously available.

Weight is saved by Inverting the ram so that the longest diameter stage covers and protects the inner extension, dispensing for the need for a separate cover tube Fully extended it has sufficient length to tip a 2.45m (8ft) body to 45 degrees and will lift up to 3 tons. Hydraulic power is normally provided by an electro-hydraulic power pack, but other versions, relying on a pump driven by a pto, are also available.

365

Anthony Carrimore, Yafforth Road, Northallerton, North Yorks ON SHOW for the first time from Anthony Carrimore is a range of electro-hydraulic tail-lifts, suitable for most van and flat-bed bodies.

Cable operated, the tail-lifts are of the electro-hydraulic type. Additionally, Anthony Carrimore is showing two examples of tailboard loaders, the HF20 and HF20 foldaway. These are of the under-floor fitting type and are able to be used on chassis with demountable bodies thus eliminating the need for tailboard loaders on each body where more than one is used for chassis.

A complete range of tipping gears, suitable for applications from 3.05 to 40.6 tonnes (3 to 40 tons) including underfloor, three-way and trailer-type are displayed.

Among these is the latest displacement type with a capacity of 40 tonnes (39.4 tons). The tipping gear has ram tubes which have precision ground surfaces to maintain the life of the seals located round the outside of the tube.

366

CravenTasker (Andover) Ltd, Sun Street, Woodville, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs MAKING its first public appearance on the Tasker stand is a lightweight Tasktip body, built by Craven Tasker (Woodville) on a Leyland Octopus eightwheeler.

Tare weight has been cut by using light alloy extruded sections for the top and bottom rails, while cross-bearers have been redesigned to take account of revised strength-to-weight factors.

The body shown has a capacity of 16cum (22cuyd). Another Tasktip, with a 32.1cum (42cuyd) capacity on a semi-trailer is also shown. This has a special double-hinge arrangement to reduce the likelihood of rear damage during tipping. It is built to an allwelded, aluminium monocoque design to provide maximum strength, yet flexibility.

A rack and pinion grain hatch, to allow variable control

of the rate of discharge, is another of its special features.

368

Neville, George, Truck Equipment Ltd, Lindley's Lane, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts A NEW QUICK sheeting device, the Fliptop, is making its first appearance on the George Neville stand, fitted to a Samsonlite ribless tipper body.

Operation of the Fliptop is simple. Across the body front: behind the head board is the sheet roller and sheet. The free end of the sheet is attached to two outside arms which pivot from beneath the middle of the body floor.

When these arms move rearwards, so the sheet unwinds from the roller to cover the load. The arms are spring-loaded toward the rear to assist sheeting and the sheet is retracted by means of a winding handle, reached by standing. behind the cab.

Samsonlite ribless bodies are made without transverse ribs and internal capping rails to retain the width within 2.5m (8.24t) overall. First seen at the RHA tipper show the SamsonL lite body is shown in production form at Birmingham.

Changes since the tipper show include curved corners at the front end rather than a sharp cornered flat front, and a 254mm (10in) radius on the bottom corner as well as the sides.

The body is said to use less metal than a conventional one of similar dimensions and is thus around 127kg (2.5cwt) lighter.

370

Thompson Tankers NEI Clarke Chapman Engineering Ltd, Great Bridge Road, Bitston, West Midlands ANTICIPATING possible changes in gross vehicle weights, Thompson Tankers (part of the Clarke Chapman group) is exhibiting a 10.9m (36ft) long black oil tanker on tri-axle running gear suitable for operation up to 38.6 tonnes (38 tons) operation. Also on show is a mild steel chemical tank which incorporates a number of new safety features. Alongside the exhibits are display panels illustrating Thompson's history.

371

Collis Cold Containers, Fort Wallington, Fareham, Hants THE three vehicle display on this stand represents both traditional aluminium panel/foam injection production and Collis recently established techniques in grp composite panels.

The vehicles exhibited in Wincanton Transport colours and Trust House Forte livery are built by traditional methods, while the third vehicle demonstrates the Collis fabrication techniques in grp.

391

Boalloy Ltd, Radnor Park Estate, Congleton, Cheshire A LIGHTWEIGHT version of the Linkliner sliding side van body, in Robertsons jam livery, is one of the exhibits on the Boalloy stand.

Suitable for payloads up to 5.08 tonnes (5 tons), it is especially appropriate, says the maker, for 7.5 tonne (7.38 ton) gvw, non-hgv vehicles. Compared to the normal Linkliner there is a weight saving of 254kg (5cwt). In fact the body weighs 1.02 tonnes (lton).

The Show exhibit is the first to use a new lightweight aluminium plank rear shutter which was developed by Whiting in the USA. Transverse cargo-control nets inside are anchored between floor and roof.

The latest design of the two sliding side Linkliners was announced in April having the Boalloy streamlining bow front, overlapping corner joint for the perimeter frame and a reinforced rear floor section.

A TIP-liveried Tautliner, one of 100 on CF and Tasker chassis for this company, is displayed. Built to a specification especially suitable for rental companies, the Tautliner curtain-sided 12m (40ft) semi-trailer has additional angled tracks inside the main curtain tracks to carry loadsecuring nets. Another feature of the TIP Tautliner is the ability to move the roof supporting posts outward from the trailer centre line. Final exhibit from Boalloy is a Tautliner for urban deliveries. This is on a two-axled 14.7 tonne (14.5 ton) gvw Dodge Commando which has lowprofile tyres, giving a laden height of 1.09m (43in).

The principle of load-bearing curtains has been extended to the rear and the vehicle, destined for Whitbread, the brewers, has racks behind portholes to accommodate Co, cylinders.

398

Southfields Coachworks, Bakewell, Loughborough, Leics THREE VEHICLES' bodies make up the display from this Loughborough-based bodybuilder.

Two of them are completely new on the UK market. Shown on a Scammell 12m (40ft) TFP 38 ton chassis is the Roll Porter, a TIR tilt body which is a design advancement of the Southfield Spidertilt body. Unlike conventional TIR tilt bodies which have to have the side ports removed for side loading, sliding side posts of the Roll-Poster allow the load retention polyester webbing and side posts to be drawn along the vehicle side.

Second of the new bodies, on a Fiat NC17 rigid chassis cab, is a curtain-sider for multi-drop operations on rigid or drawbar vehicles. There is no roof structure, only a cant rail for the curtains to retract on. The curtains are drawn up into the cant rail by a mechanism at the rear of the vehicle. Not having a roof section, say Southfields, increases payload, and loading and unloading are speeded up.

Finally an AHP 12m (40ft) semi-trailer is exhibited with a Floloda curtain sider. This is fitted with a front anti-air drag module.

395

Vanplan Ltd, Chesford Grange Estate, Warrington STAR EXHIBIT of the Vanplan stand is a new cab, the GL on a vehicle built for Gauntlett International. The cab is offered as a more sophisticated version of the company's standard cab. A single-piece windscreen of low profile is one of the most noticeable features.

Mounted on a Bedford KM chassis it is a fully equipped van designed for drawbar work. The top-hat framed and grp clad body can hold up to five household storage containers and is also fitted with a carpet box. A two-man sleeper compartment is built into the Luton head, which is reached by a staircase inside the cab. A canopy and walk-in tailboard enclose the rear end.

Three vans on this stand, a 45cum (1,600cuft) capacity pantechnicon is based on a Bedford KG chassis fitted with the 500 diesel engine. A cargo one built in top-hat framing covered in grp panelling gives an interior length of 6.7m (22ft) enclosed by two hinged doors above a walk-in tailboard.

A Leyland Boxer with a tophat framed grp panelled body gives a capacity of 53cum (1,900cuft) and incorporates a dropwell. The two-man sleeper cab is fitted out with a wardrobe and has washing and cooking facilities.

397

Massey International Coachbuilders Ltd, High Street, Market Weighton, Yorks A 12m (40ft) OVERLANDER twin-axle semi-trailer with a fully refrigerated low temperature body made by Massey International from grp sandwich panel construction is shown with a Petter mechanical refrigeration unit.

Also on display in Eden Vale livery is a Ford D 1210 rigid chassis with a Massey International medium temperature refrigerated body made from grp sandwiched panel construction. Fitted with a Fridgidaire refrigeration unit, the body incorporates rear-loading double doors for wheel pallet operations and has a double drop-step for driver delivery operations.

The company has also on show a cutaway section of grp sandwich panel showing its construction and various forms of insulation.