REVIEW. SLIDING ROOFS
Page 94
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
IN FROM ABOVE
After a long history in the glass business sliding roofs are now becoming popular with steel hauliers.
• Steel, traditionally loaded from above, is now beginning to be carried in enclosed vehicles. So operators wishing to remain in steel haulage have to purchase vehicles with removable covers. Hence the growth of sliding/folding hood type covers for coil well carriers.
Other operators, perhaps with more occasional steel carrying requirements, or the need to carry palletised return loads, have demanded the greater operational flexibility provided by sliding roof curtain-sided bodywork. This type of body allows them to accommodate a variety of loads although it gives the bodybuilder the headache of providing sufficient rigidity in the superstructure to allow all the opening components to work properly.
One of the more widely used sliding roof systems in the UK is the Davis Severn International design. This is manufactured and supplied to the bodybuilding industry by Nortech, and others.
New to the market is Coprisystems of Winchester. Its systems are suitable for both new bodies or for retro-conversion of existing bodywork, and are designed for single-man, ground level operation.
They are custom built to suit individual applications and are supplied preassembled to build into the body.
Coprisystems supply full tilt models, one for tipper bodywork and a sliding roof system for curtain-siders. The latter model can be optionally supplied with removable cant rail sections, to allow unhindered access to the load deck over the majority of the body length.
One of the many bodybuilders now in production with a sliding roof body is York which is aiming its new York Sliding Roof (YSR) trailer at operators which only need occasional roof access.
Other major names in the body and trailer business, such as Crane Fruehauf and Boalloy are also either in production. or at an advanced stage of development. with this type of body.
A new company, specialising in this field is Skyloader LPH Products. Its patented, four-way access Skyloader system is designed to fit on to a suitable rigid or trailer deck. The system consists of load-bearing side curtains and a concertina sliding roof assembly.
The roof can be opened from either end and is operated, by one man, from within the body.
RADICAL REDESIGN
Recent developments at Al International include a radical redesign of the sliding roof system to reduce its depth and a choice of power or manual opening and closing. A further Al detail is the availability of a swing-out rear door frame header assembly to allow unobstructed access in this area. Al also offers Edscha sliding roof frame systems.
A removable rear door header is also part of the standard specification of Lawrence David's new sliding roof curtain-sider. The roof is opened by a winding mechanism, at ground level.
Montracon Trailers is another manufacturer that has introduced a convertible, curtain-sider to meet the demands of steel hauliers. The first of its new covered coil well carriers have been supplied to Sheddick Transport. Low unladen weight is a feature of the design, which is said to weigh, in air suspended tri-axle form, only 5,700kgs.
Miles Nunn builds fully enclosed fork lift truck carriers. These bodies are fitted with sliding roof sections to allow overhead cranage in and out of the body. This type of roof differs from most other sliding roofs in that rigid sliding panels are used rather than fabric.