A Multi-deck Body for Carrying Livestock
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A T the Royal Show, held at Man
chester, this summer, there was displayed on the Eagle stand a trailer chassis equipped with a special threedeck livestock-carrying body, invented and patented by Mr. Alastair C. Stewart, a sheep farmer of the Western Highlands, who has a scientific bent and whose address is Inverchaggernie, CrianIarich, Perthshire. The Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd., Eagle Works, Warwick, has acquired the rights of manufacture in Great Britain and Ireland.
The body has been fitted to platform lorries of Albion, Thornycroft, Karrier, Vulcan, Morris-Commercial, Chevrolet, Dodge Brothers, Ford, Fiat and other makes, and has been used by the leading railway companies. The details of production having now been settled and standardized, the time is ripe to give our many agricultural readers an explanation of the construction and use.
It should first be explained that the Stewart body is a unit in itself and the owner of any lorry or trailer can use this body upon it without making extensive alterations to the existing
vehicle. Its self-contained winch enables one man to fit or remove it in a few minutes.
The framework of the livestockcarrier is of light angle iron, the vertical members acting as guides for raising the platforms. The number of platforms may be settled according to requirements, and the winch will operate several platforms as easily as one. To the lower of the rising floors, if there be two, are fixed the ends of the lifting ropes, on at each corner, these ropes passing through holes in the upper floor, over pulleys at the top of the framework and down to the two drums of the winch, which is mounted under the end of the Stewart body, the latter overhanging the floor of the carrying vehicle by about a foot.
With both platforms resting on the floor, the sheep or livestock are loaded on to the uppermost deck and, by handturning of the winch, which has suitable reduction gearing, the two movable decks, the upper one carrying its living load, are raised to the desired height. Catches on the body frame are released to hold the loaded deck in position, and the lower platform, to which the cables are attached, is then lowered to the floor level, loaded and similarly raised to an intermediate position. The floor of the Stewart body is left free to take a third
lot of cattle or sheep. The catches which hold the decks are fitted at Intervals to give a selection of heights.
A detachable gate of tubular metal construction, light yet rigid, is fitted into slots at the end of each deck before it is raised, thus affording temporary protection to the animals.
The ramp is hinged to the body floor and is in two sections. It has, of course, cross-battens to prevent the animals' feet from slipping, and canvas side screens which hinge outward and lie against the back of the ramp when Out of use ; these, being hinged several inches in from the sides of the ramp, do not allow any risk of broken legs. In the case of some large Albion five-tonners belonging to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., the ramp, being large, is raised by a special winch.
An important feature is the drainage system provided for each deck. This consists of two vertical pipes mounted on the near side of the body and having pivoted branch pipes which can be turned in so as to register with properly devised drainage holes in the decks, thus the branch pipes are turned in beneath only those decks which are in use.
The body is held to the floor of the vehicle by accessible bolts and is removed by fitting four rings that are spliced into the -cables, to hooks hanging from the roof of the barn or garage. A few turns of the winch gear raises the body sufficiently for the vehicle to be driven away. The body is then lowered on to a pair of trestles.
Mr. Stewart, who has great hopes of success in the Dominions and elsewhere, tells us that 'he is anxious to get in touch with concerns which will manufacture and market the livestock-carrier overseas.