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Specializing in Vehicle Salvaging

14th July 1944, Page 28
14th July 1944
Page 28
Page 29
Page 28, 14th July 1944 — Specializing in Vehicle Salvaging
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/N an article in `.. The Commercial Motor." dated June 9, dealing with the activities of Guest Transport, Ltd., of Liverpool, I referred to the engineering knowledge and abilities of the company's managing director, Mr. T, Nelson. He has turned that particular capahilitly to good purpose in designing and equipping what Must represent one of the best salvage and breakdown vehicles in this country.

The machine, which is owned and operated by a separate company— Transport Repairers (Liverpool), Ltd., 28, Queen Street, Liverpool, 3, is shown in accompanying illustrations. The chassis is a petrol-engined Scammen formerly owned by the Petroleum Board, suitably modified and equipped for this new service.

In the first place, the wheelbase was considerably shortened, the rear axle and springs brought forward, and the propeller shaft cut accordingly. In shortening the chassis 'frame members a sufficient length of each side member was left, so that, when turned inwardly, a substantial cross-member resulted. At the point where the two ends met. the joint was made secure by welding. This is backed up on the inside by a full-length flitch plate, with another, not quite full length, outside. The aute,r flitch plate is bolted through and carries the rear towing bracket.

On the top of the base thus formed is mounted a substantial sub-Cradle built up of constructional steel. This is welded to the main chassis frame and is, in effect, a girder-like structure to provide support and security for the crane. The latter is bolted right through the full depth of this upper frame, as well as through two of the substantial body bolsters.

The crane proper is a Harvey-Frost product and is pivotally mounted to swing, so that it can pick up a load from each side of the vehicle as well as from the rear. It takes less than a minute to secure the crane in any position in which it may be set. On the rear of the crane are two adjustable legs, normally hooked up behind the jib, but capable of being lowered to bear upon the ground so as to afford extra support if the load seems likely to overbalance the vehicle. As a matter of fact, the need for the use of this precautionary measure rarely arises. The crane is so well disposed in relation to the wheelbase of the vehicle that there is little risk of even the heaviest load tending to overturn it. In any case, the further precaution has been taken of putting two tons of ballast well forward, just behind the driver's cab.

Particular interest attaches to the equipment of this vehicle, for it is of a most comprehensive nature. Most of it is carried in two long lockers, located one on each side of the chassis.

Besides snatch-blocks, axes, long pinch-bars, cross-cut saws, a sledge hammer, an American felling axe which is used for cutting out the sides of vans when that may be necessary, and other tools too numerous to mention, there is a considerable number of steel cable slings, each of which• has been Be,'!. tested and is stamped to take a safe load of 10 tons.

These slings are of various lengths, and, coupled together by means of shackles and bolts, they affoid a total length of 40 ft. In addition, a set of three-fall blocks is carried, affording another 40 ft. of tow, so that it is possible to link the breakdown vehicle with a disabled machine which may be 80 ft. away and off the road.

A stock of chain slings is also carried fbr lifting purposes. Mr. Nelson will not allow a cable sling to be used for that, because of the risk of chafing, which, if it resulted in the breakage of a single wire, would involve destruction of the sling.

Immediately behind the driver's ,ab is a roofed apartment, in which is a work-bench with a substantial vice and, in a capacious drawer, a considerable assortment of essential small tools, including a complete range of spanners up to 1-in, bolt size and several large Stilson wrenches.

Two 10-ton screw jacks are carried, also two. 10-ton, two 5-ton, and two 3-ton hydraulic jacks, the last-named being of low build, for use when the vehicle to he tackled is a low-loader or a motor coach.

Amongst the chain slings are two of such length that they can go right around , a van body,. and thus secure it to its frame, This would be necessary in the event of the body having, become dislodged in the accident.

Saws an axes are kept aboard, as they have been found useful for cutting away trees, hedges, and other obstructions impeding the moving of a vehicle. An adjustable, rigid tow-bar is, in Mr. Nelson's 'opinion, much more suitable than`chains or cables. A set of clamps is available to enable this rigid, towbar to be used with any size or type of axle.

Two Pyrene fire-extinguishers are kept inside the driver's cab and two of the foam type in the workshop behind the cab.

An unusual piece of equipment is a 'ground anchor." The design of this is indicated in one of the accompanying sketches. It is of steel, and comprises

heavy, flat base, about '2 ft. long by I ft. wide arid 1+ ins. thick. On this is ,velded a vertical lug of comparable' strength. There are six 1-4-in, holes in the base and one near the tip of the lug. The purpose of this anchor is to serve as a means for attaching ,the free end of a three-fall block—when such is required—in the absence of a suitable tree Or other convenient point . natural anchorage. this ground anchor is "nailed " into the earth by four or six stOut "bars, each about 4ft. long, and; when so held, Can be relied upon to sustain any pull that is likely to -be imposed upon it.

The lighting. equipment is another .iutstanding feature of this vehicle. There are; Of course, the usual head, side, and tail lamps, the ,last-named acing.in duplicate. There are two floodlights which project rearwards, being mounted high up at the rear of the compartment which serves as a workshop,. and there is a flondlight inside the workshop to illuminate the work-bench.

Yet another floodlight, a portable one, with ample length of flex., is carried, And there is a portable tail light provided with a long length of flex, so that it can be hung at the rear of a wrecked vehicle on tow. This rear light is arranged to be plugged into one of the twin rear-light sockets of the breakdown vehicle.

Hurricane-type oil lamps are carried in a box beneath the driver's seat, and, in another 'compartment beneath it is

a spare battery of ample capacity. It is this battery which is used to supply the current for the extra -lighting equipment.

Railway gleepers-t-24 of them—are kept in stock and these can be picked up at a few minutes' notice should the vehicle to be rescued be bogged or otherwise situated where they will be of use. Oxy-acetylene cutting equipment is also available, and can be put on the vehicle at short notice; if it seems likely thatit Will be of use at the scene 'if the accident,' A particular pint to note. is that all this equipment,rwith the exception of the sleepers and cutting plant, is -kept on the vehicle._ When a call, comes, it is not, therefore, necessary, as so often is the case, for half the 'garage -staff to be set Twining around throwing this and that On to the vehicle before it can set Ont. Except for cases involving the need for the railway sleepers and welding equipment,'the vehicle• can be on the road within five Minutes of the receipt

of an 'urgent . . •, Nor are the comfort and convenience of the men who operate the ,machine overlooked, Complete sets of leather gloves are provided for the driver and assistants, so that their hands may be protected should they have So deal with barbed wire, thorn hedges, glass, and other agents liable to scratei, or rut the hands.

By a coincidence,' a call came for this vehicle within a quarter of an hour of my arrival on the premises, and it was out and on its way within five minutes.

News came throngh of an accident t<1 • a machine weighing, with load, 22 tons. It had come into head-on collision, when travelling around a bend in the road, with the overhanging part of a 9-ton case of " packed aircraft "carried by another vehicle coming in the opposite direction. The huge packing case had been knocked off and was lying ou the ground, and the Machine which hit it was•badly damaged at the front.

The salvage vehicle set off at 4.45 p.m. and had 30 miles to run to the scene of the accident. It had to pick ttp the forward end of the damaged lorry, complete with its 15-ton load, and take it a distance of 20 miles to the works of the manufacturer of the machine. Owing to the fact that the packing case wag blocking the main road, a detour had to be made, involving the negotiation of narrow country lanes and steep and sloping canal bridges. Nevertheless, the disabled vehicle was delivered at the works and

the salvaged lorry was back in Liverpool by two o'clock the next morning. Mr. Nelson told me of the first job he undertook with this machine. A firm of motor-vehicle repairers had, for two-arid-a-half days, been trying to lift an unloaded lorry, weighing 5-4 tons, from where it had fallen over a 30-ft. embankment.

In the -course of that two-and-a-half

days the crew had, nearly

succeeded in lifting the lorry to the top of the embankment, -when some of the cables broke and the vehicle rolled down again. Mr. Nelson, however, with. his vehicle, succeeded •in getting 'the broken-down machine on to the road again in halfan hour,

One of the ilhistrations which accompany this article shows the aftermath of an accident which occurred near

Preston. Information was handed into Transport Repairers (Liverpool), Ltd., at 8 p.m. on a Sunday, and the bre.altdown vehicle arrived on the scene of the accident at 10.30 p.m, • The vehicle was fully loaded, having 1.3 tons ot white-lead aboard. It was, nevertheless, cleared, and by 6.30 a.m. the next

day was in Liverpool. S.T.R.

Tags

Organisations: Petroleum Board
People: Nelson
Locations: Liverpool, Preston

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