Service equipment on show
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BOTH the owner-driver and the fleet operator would be well advised to visit the Earls Court gallery where numerous pieces of useful garage and transport depot equipment will be on display.
Dixon-Bate (stand 134) will be showing half-ton and one-ton capacity Tuckaway floor cranes. The cranes, designed for general garage and workshop use, fold flat for transportation or for storage against a wall or under a workbench. The manually operated hydraulic hoist has an extendible jib and may be erected and operated by one man.
Hydraulic pit jacks, to lift vehicles to a "wheel-free" condition when over servicing pits, will be shown by Tecalemit (stand 154). The jacks, with capacities of 6 tons and 10 tons, have a central support structure which carries the jack mechanism and also houses a pair of extending arms to form an adjustable bridge spanning the pit.
The arms may be obtained with hook or plain ends, both fitted with rollers to run on the angle-iron or recessed pit edge.
The jack is free to move laterally across the pit on the support arm, the two-stage hydraulic action permits rapid initial contact with the vehicle and by a simple changeover the effort ratio is changed to high pressure for raising the load.
Capacities from 1.5 tons to 50 tons are catered for by the range of Armstrong bottle jacks (stand 322). A two-stage bottle jack with a capacity of 2 tons has just been introduced enabling high lifts to be made from low levels.
In the garage equipment field Armstrong is displaying an array of trolley jacks with capacities from 15cwt to 10 tons. Two hydraulic transmission jacks with capacities of 1,764Ib but different saddle arrangements complete the range.
Other exhibits include mobile cranes, and Mobile Power Pack body straightening equipment which uses a hand-operated hydraulic pump, in conjunction with a range of attachments, for body repairs.
Hofmann (stand 391) will be showing various pieces of new equipment. One item, a brake tester suitable for trucks and light vans, incorporates a fully automatic -indicator system providing a visual record of brake efficiency. The large double braking force indicator is mounted at one end of the equipment, enabling the indicators to be seen from the vehicle driving seat. A brake response recorder is also available.
Balancing wheels
The same company is also showing a machine for balancing commercial vehicle wheels in situ. It comprises a pick-up support and one-piece unit with drive motor, strobe lamp, controls and reading instrument, and the vehicle wheel is kept clear of the ground by the support; the machine is brought into contact with the tyre tread. The out-of-balance forces are picked up through the support and transmitted to the machine. Balancing of drive wheels is only possible if the simultaneous rotation of the differential gear can be avoided.
A full range of off-vehicle whee balancing equipment is also displayed. Kentredder (stand 148) will have four exhibits this year; the mark 5 buffing /spreading unit incorporating template control of the buffing operation; a scanning unit permits accurate dimensioning of the buffed tyre and there is a dust extraction unit. The second item, known as the Kentector, scans the inner liners of tubeless tyres of steel construction without damage to the carcase, to detect minute leaks.
A lightweight portable truck tyre inspection spreader for initial and final examinaion of tyre casings is the third exhibit. Finally, there is a new truck tyre re-sidewalling machine which has electrically heated, hydraulically operated sidewall pressure plates. Simultaneous re-sidewalling of both tyre walls is possible and the machine can cope with tyre sizes from 7.50-16 to 14.00-24, and super single tyres.
Pang (stand 140) will be showing an electro-hydraulic jack, twoand four-post lifts and a stroboscopic wheel balancer for static and dynamic balancing of vehicle wheels in situ.
The G61 and G62 automatic tyre changers will be displayed—the G62, a development of the G61 model, is already marketed in the UK. Other exhibits include the Vulcabus PL1200 vulcanizing machine for repairing radial tyres without casing distortion and a press for handling larger truck and earth mover tyres.
Equipment and Engineering (stand 277) have a number of exhibits, including the latest addition to the Februat range of drive-through vehicle washing machines — the hydropneumatic, swing-arm machine which cleans the vehicle front, sides and rear.
The Fleetwasher is to be shown by Wilcomatic (stand 158); this roll-over washing unit can be started by the vehicle driver and travels the entire length of the vehicle. After brush-washing, the vehicle is rinsed with a waterborne wax solution.
High-pressure, hot and cold water /steam cleaners will be shown by Warwick (stand 145). There will be 10 models on display with various outputs between 2gal per min and 3gal per min and 500-2000 psc driven by electric motor or petrol /diesel engines. Also on the stand is a new semi-automatic high-pressure water under-chassis washer and a range of Warwick/Diemo portable space heaters with outputs of 50,000 Btu to 400,000 Btu's.
Churchill (stand 151) have on the stand the Mark Four wheel balancer for balancing wheels in situ. The spinner and electronic equipment form one mobile unit; the separate pick-up can be mounted on this unit for shop movement.
Also on the stand is the Churchill body jig which provides a means of checking vehicle distortion before, during and after body repairs. Hydraulic presses, manually controlled and with press capacities up to 50 tons, will be shown, together with two engine stands capable of handling engines weighing up to 900 lb and 2200 lb. The engines may be rotated through 360 deg.
A hydraulically operated wheel trolley for removal /replacement of heavy tyre and wheel assemblies is complemented by a comprehensive display of special service tools for a multitude of purposes.
Crypton Triangle (stand 150) will be showing a legislative test and inspection system with provision for automatic recording and printout together with memory storing of the inspection routine.
A workshop area will be featured showing workshop tools and the CH 10 test bench for testing generators, starters and regulators. Other items on the stand include a wide selection of portable testers, arc welders, battery chargers and engine test and diagnostic equipment.
A demonstration unit showing the simultaneous control of two lifts for raising unequal loads such as articulated vehicles will be shown by Bradbury (stand 152). Both lifts incorporate a system enabling a vehicle to be in a "wheel free" condition at selected working heights. Also on the stand with varying heights of lift and length of reach will be a range of hydraulic trolley jacks with capacities from 1.5 tons to 10 tons.