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Hands Trailer Developments

14th September 1962
Page 117
Page 118
Page 117, 14th September 1962 — Hands Trailer Developments
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SEMI-TRAILERS to be exhibited by Hands (Letchworth), Ltd:, at the Commercial Motor Show will include two 12-ton straight-frame single-axle units, me with fifth-wheel and the other with automatic coupling, i 25-ton drop-frame machinery carrier with knock-out twin txles, a 16-18-ton tandem-axle extendible unit and a andem-axle semi-trailer tanker. Also featured will be a lemonstration model of the Hands automatic coupling gear

vhich has recently been modified. .

The most interesting exhibits will be the tandem-axle anker and the extendible .semi-trailer. The tanker is ;enerally similar to anurnber already built for Vehicle Hire aid Supply, Ltd., for use on the distribution of Calor

Butane liquid gas. Overall dimensions of the semi-trailer are 26 ft. 10 in. long by 8 ft. wide.

Although similar to units previously built—one was shown at the 1960 Commercial Motor Show—a number of change's have been made to the design, the most important being in the suspension. The American Neway system is employed. The model to be shown is one of the first on which Hands have fitted this, the parts being imported from the U.S.

Two short, 11-leaf springs are mounted on the forward F29 axle of the bogie. The front ends of the springs are slippermounted in brackets welded under the frame side members, the rear ends being located in the same way in the forward end of robust rocking beams. These are pivoted about two thirds along their length in trunnion brackets on the frame side-members, the rearmost axle being carried at their ends.

Fore-and-aft location of the bogie is provided by adjustable tie rods between the spring front brackets and the spring mounting brackets on the forward axle. Rubber pads are located between the springs and their brackets, and rubber is also interposed between the rearmost axle cross tube and the rocking beam and clamp. The tie rod pivots are also rubber bushed so that the bogie suspension needs no lubrication.

Girling hydraulic two-leading-shoe brake units are fitted at all wheels, vacuum or air-pressure assistance being provided by a dual system. The twin vacuum cylinders and the air diaphragm of the separate systems operate on a common lever which is linked to the hydraulic master cylinder. All these components are mounted close together under the frame on the right-hand side. The brakes are 15.5-in, diameter by 6-in. wide. Single wheels are fitted, the tyres being Michelin 9.20 Metallic.

The main frame, which is of all-welded construction, is made from 6-in. by 3-in, rolled-steel channel-section sidemembers with four main cross-members of the same section. There is a slight drop in the frame level from behind the landing legs position to the front bogie spring bracket. The Side-members plates above the Ian and the trunnion brackets. are located at the front of the and above the spring and trunnion Two-speed landing gear to a new des ds fitted. The fifth wheel coupling is also of desigi This differs from standard SAEJSMMT units and employed to obtain interchangeability with other units i the operator's fleet. The tractive unit plate is fixed and incoz porates a retractable pin operated through a lever. The sem: trailer plate is pivoted 'laterally and longitudinally to.cate for relative movement between the trailer and tractive uni and the connection for the vacuum braking system i mounted in the hole into which the pin on the tractive un: half of the coupling locates.

The suspension of the extendible model to be shown wi be identical to that on the tanker semi-trailer. Hands wer probably the first trailer makers to produce an extendibl unit—they introduced their first one in 1936.

' The model to be shown can be extended by up to 12 f —from 27 ft. closed to 39 ft. fully open—and apart fror the use of the Neway stispension, has a two-line air-pressure hydraulic system in place of the air-mechanical layot previously employed.

Standard SAEJSMMT fifth-wheel coupling is used. Thi will be to Hands latest design on which the turatabl diameter has been increased from 33 in. to 36 in. Th brake units are 15.5 in. by 6 in. and twin Michelin 9.00 x 2 " X " tyres are fitted.

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