A Medium-capacity CATTLE CARRIER
Page 68
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Details of a New and Particularly Interesting Cattlecarrying Body Mounted Upon a Dodge Brothers 2-ton Chassis.
A VEHICLE which will make a 11 special appeal to the farmer and others interested in the transport of cattle has recently been marketed hr Dodge Brothers (Britain), Ltd.,
of Park Royal Road, London, N.W.10, and it was exhibited by the Westgate Motor House (Gloucester), Ltd., at the Three Counties' Show, held at
Gloucester on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week. The basis of the vehicle, is the Dodge Brothers 2-ton chassis, upon which is mounted a Stewart patent double-deck body built by Black and Malloch, Ltd., of Rutherglen, Scotland, with accommodation for 40 sheep or pigs, 20 being carried on the upper deck and a similar ?number on the lower floor.
The animals are loaded at the rear by means of a double-folding ramp which forms the tailboard of the, body when not in use. Two struts are carried between the chassis members, and when these are withdrawn and attached to the rear of the body with the other end of each resting upon the ground, the ramp may be lowered on to them ; this makes it perfectly stable. Two blinds are hinged to the sides of the ramp, and these may be brought to the vertical position when loading or unloading is in progress so as to prevent the animals from jumping to the ground and sustaining injury.
The platform for the upper section is suspended by a series of wire hawsers which run upon pulleys fixed on the outside of the body. The floor may be lowered, to facilitate loading and unloading, by operating a handle at the rear of the chassis. The wires have adjustable nuts which allow the upper deck to be levelled should one of the suspending hawsers become strained.
Au interesting feature is the provision of two pipes situated on the near side of the body, these being intended for the purpose of draining the upper deck. These turn in sockets and have springs which keep the mouths of the pipes in close contact with the draining orifices in the floor. When the deck has to be raised or lowered the pipes may be turned outwards in order to clear the floor.
The body has a detachable canvas
top, whilst wire netting is provided at the sides of the lower deck, because when the floor is being raised the animals often paw the air wildly ; if the sides were not wired over, the beasts might thrust their legs between the slats at the 8ide of the body and thus run the risk of a broken limb. Rails are situated at the rear of the upper deck to prevent the animals from leaping out when the ramp has been lowered but when the floor is not at its lowest level.
The chassis is mounted upon pneumatic tyres; singles are employed at the front, whilst twin tyres are used on the rear wheels. A comfortable, enclosed cab is provided for the driver, and it has a two-piece windscreen and a screenwiper, whilst there is a drop window to each of the two doors.
The vehicle, which, when the upper deck is lowered, may be employed as a general-utility lorry, is priced at £688 and weighs 2 tons 16 cwt.