LIGHTNEHICLE BODIES
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for a VARIETY OF LOADS THERE are many users who find that vehicles of loading capacities ranging from 5 cwt. to 10 cwt. are sufficient for their requirements. A boxvan body mounted on a 7 h.p. chassis measures 3 ft. to 3 ft, 6 ins, behind the driver's seat, and is about 3 ft. 8 ins, wide inside, the headroom being also 3 ft. Sins.
As these light vans are frequently run single-handed, the driver's seat is often confined to the off side. The space on the near side may then be utilized for a few parcels, or a locker of the same height as the cushion may be placed at this point. A large pocket in the off-side door is a convenient receptacle for the order book, trade literature.and other articles which are required frequently during the journey, Seat Considerations.
There is seldom a complete boarded
partition behind the seat. A seat which is mounted N on slides requires no further support. On the other hand, one which is built into the body and rests on a heel-board in front and a rail at the back has a waist-high partition at the back, with the upper part slatted. If there be no near-side seat, there may be a partition door which is hinged to open towards the driver's compartment.
With regard to shelving, a headroom of 3 ft. 6 ins, is sufficient for a couple of shelves. If only one shelf be needed, it may be placed level with the top of the seat and 1334. may help to support it. The floor is usually higher in the loading portion than under the seat in order to allow for the clearance above the differential casing.
A small boxvan has an overhang beyond the rear axle of about 2 ft., but with an open lorry this dimension may be from 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 ins. Assuming that the sides of the lorry are to be hinged and there is to be no wheel-arch projecting through the floor, deep cross-bearers are necessary, although if they be fairly shallow the depth may be made up by liners clipped to the chassis. Special construction of the underframe of the body is required if the tail end of the chassis be not designed to support a body with much overhang.
In order to avoid a somewhat cumbersome underframe, crossbearers of sufficient depth to allow for any rising curve in the profile of the chassis are employed. These cross-bearers support a board placed edgewise, which forms an extension of the hinged side, this being mounted directly on and hinged to it. The board is secured by inside corner plates to the top of the cross-bearers. Its height is determined by the level of hinge line required.
The lorry is wide enough for the fixed hoard of the side to cover the top of the wheel. The wheel-arch is built square on the inside. The top of this rectangular structure is one of the supports of a floor made up as a unit, the boards of which are held together on the underside with battens, or light steel channels.
The floor also has a bearing on side
fillets, the top of which is level with the wheel. enclosure. This detachable floor is placed in position when the lorry is carrying sand or any other loose load which is to be discharged from the side.
If the type of load be such that wheel-arch obstruction may be disregarded, the detachable floor is removed, so that another and lower floor, which rests on the cross-bearers, may be brought into use. The lorry is still available as a side-loader, but it then has deeper sides and a lower loading line, Rear-end Details.
In order that the tailboard shall be suitable for both heights of floor, it is hinged at the lower floor level. The overhang of the body is supported by a pair of cantilever brackets, which are bolted on the back of the rear cross-bearer.
A lightvan may be built with
glazed side cases for display purposes, or designed as a small travelling shop. The sides of the body above the wheel-arches are divided lengthwise. The lower half forms a counter and the upper half a canopy.
Usually the wheel diameter is about 20 ins., so that after allowing
an additional 7 ins, for wing clearance, the counter is 33 ins, above the ground, which is a convenient height for anyone stand,ing at the counter. It is supported underneath by stays whia drop into staples. The top of the counter is then free from obstructing side chains or links.
As the body is not large enough for a side or central gangway, the display bins are the 'full width of the van and designed for serving at orie or both sides.
One style 'of bin assembly is supported on cross-bars at the counter level. The assembly is divided into three upper and three lower compartments on each side of the van. The lower bins extend for the full width of the body and the upper ones half the width.
Space for Storing Stock.
The space under the lower bins is utilized for the storage of extra stock, and it should be accessible from the front, as well as from the rear. Extra loading capacity is afforded by making a small well floor at the rear.
If the van be required to fetch a load from the market, or for generaldelivery work, the bins shoUld be readily detachable. The cross-bars under the bins are removable and the bin assembly is made in separate offside and near-side units, or other conve,nient divisions, so that each part passes easily through the rear doors, or side openings.
When the van is standing in the market place, additional display area is available by opening the near-side door and using this side of the driver's compartment for one or two trays or bins.
If the salesman feels that he cannot attend to customers on each side of the van, the bins may occupy twothirds of the width of the body, the remaining portion on the off side being constructed to be used as a showcase.