Chick transporters for Rumania
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• Day-old chicks-32,000 of them—are to be the payload of each of three special controlled-temperature vans which have just been shipped to Rumania by the British Leyland Motor Corporation. The vans will be the first of this type to be operated in that country.
A closely controlled heating and ventilating system has been developed by KL Automotive Products Ltd., Homerton, London, and it incorporates numerous KL products in the form of heat exchangers, intake and extraction fans, and associated equipment, A full load of day-old chicks can always be carried, irrespective of weather conditions.
The bodies for the Rumanian contract were built by J. H. Sparshatt and Sons Ltd., Copnor, Portsmouth, on Leyland Super Comet chassis of 15ft wheelbase. The front bulkhead of each body carries two water/air heat exchangers, or radiators, which are piped into the engine's cooling system. Ambient air enters through two apertures in the front of the body and passes through these two radiators into a space behind, shut off by a bulkhead (with access hatch) carrying eight radial intake fans. The fans then force the warmed air through a third bulkhead, made of a fine-gauge wire mesh. This diffuses the air streams from the eight fans so that air entering the payload space is approximately of the same temperature and pressure at any point in the body cross-section. Finally, eight high-performance radial extractor fans, built into the rear doors of the body, exhaust the air to atmosphere after it has warmed and ventilated the interior.
An optimum body temperature of 70 deg F can be maintained by regulating heat flow to the heat exchangers and air flow through the van. Body temperature at three points— front, centre and rear—is sensed by three probes at ceiling level and indicated to the driver by three thermometer dials mounted on the body front wall, behind the cab. The driver can see these through the rear window.
Each body extends forwards over the roof of the cab. The lower front lip of this is hinged so that the cab can be tilted forwards for engine maintenance. The body is constructed in 1 in.-square steel tube framing, clad inside and out with aluminium-alloy panels enclosing a 2in.-thick layer of foamed polyurethane blocks, for thermal insulation. Excluding the Luton head extension, the body is 22ft long and 8ft 2-fin. wide overall, while its roof level is approximately 11ft 5in. above ground. It is supported by C-section cross-bearers of folded steel sheet, 5in. deep and 2in. wide, which are secured to the chassis side-members by pedestals and fitted bolts.
Being above the wheel arches, the body floor is flat throughout. It incorporates four tracks to accommodate the castor wheels of the eight-tier trolleys on which the boxes of live chicks are stowed. A full load constitutes eight trolleys, ranged four abreast. Each trolley will be loaded with five boxes of chicks on each tier.
To cater for the electrical load of the 16 KL fans (about 960 watts), the four 6-volt vehicle batteries are of heavy-duty type and an extra alternator has been installed, driven by V-belts and a shaft from the gearbox power take-off. In addition, the vehicle is also provided with a built-in battery charger in the cab, receiving energy during standover periods through an external plug socket on the left-hand side of the front grille. Energy for the immersion heater in the cooling water is also taken from the same source. Shouldthe van break down on the road, its batteries will have enough spare capacity to keep the body at the optimum temperature level for a period of two hours.