Dustmens' toil made simpler
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• A novel refuse collection and transfer system has been developed by Edelhoff of West Germany using speciallydesigned low-cab chassis.
The Edelhoff MSTS (Mii11 Sanunel & Transport System) incorporates a front-mounted pick-up device controlled by the driver from inside the cab. Bins lined up at the kerb are automatically attached to the pick-up arm which lifts them across the front of the cab for overhead discharge into the compactor unit.
This transfers the refuse into the bulk container body which, when full, is demounted to stand "on end" for further handling by large trunk vehicles or railway wagons.
The collector chassis de
veloped by NAW of Switzerland is a short (3,710mm) wheelbase unit with an overall length of only 6.7m. Dimensional constraints — the cab is mounted on cranked chassis projections directly ahead of the steering axle — mean that the vertical OM 366 LA engine, developing 139kW, is located within the wheelbase.
A Daimler-Benz W4B fourspeed automatic transmission with integrated three-stage hydraulic retarder is fitted in the driveline to the DB planetary-type rear axle. The radiator is located between cab and engine. The new underfloor chassis with a frame height of 1,060mm is designed for a GVW of 18.8 tonnes on 15 R 22.5 tyres at the front and twinned 11 R 22.5 on the drive axle. Alcoa aluminium wheels are standard.
The Edelhoff system has already created considerable interest in Germany and overseas, with a major US contractor currently carrying out an evaluation study.