Extending Boom in Meat Van
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A N unusual roof track and extending boom have been built into the design of a meat carrier built for Messrs. James Hunter of Kilmarnock, by John Stewart and Co. (Wishaw), Ltd. The body, which is in light alloy, measures 14 ft. 3 in. long by 7 ft. 2 in. wide; internal height is 6 ft. It is mounted on a Bedford standard 4-ton tong-wheelbase chassis.
The operator specified a central rear boom to allow carcass meat to be extended beyond the vehicle, and this has been provided The roof-track layout is interesting; instead of the continuous track normally used on meat carriers, three separate lines of concealed roof tracks running parallel from front to rear are used. The centre track carries the extending boom, which draws out for a distance of 1 ft. 6 in. beyond the rear of the body.
Twelve cadmium-steel, ball-bearing trolley eyes are mounted on each track. every third eye being provided with a lock so that the carcasses can be prevented from swinging. All the trolley eyes can run down the full length of their tracks, and transferred to a rear track which runs at right angles to the main carrying tracks. Provision is also made for the eyes to be run off for cleaning.
The layout thus evolved is very flexible. The number of carrying eyes can be arranged to suit the type of carcasses involved. The normal process is that the body will be loaded with carcass meat on a rotational basis, first deliveries being loaded last. To unload, a carcass is brought on the trolley eye to the rear of the body, transferred to the right-angle track, and then switched from the trolley eye to the stainlesssteel handle of the boom. The carcass is then drawn completely clear of the body, unhooked and shouldered by the porter.