"itrengthened light veight Merriworths
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Special features of an improved range
all-welded semi-trailers, announced by erriworth (Engineering) Ltd, include ass-member flitch plates of novel shape, a x-section-backed coupling plate and .ectly attached suspension units, which ;rease the strength of the structure and wide a weight saving of about 2cwt. The age covers gcw ratings of 24 tons to 38 as.
As a means of spreading the stresses ross the full depth of the I-beam chassis =hers, the majority of the tubular ass-members are welded to the enlarged ntre sections of profiled I-plates, located tween the flanges, that have been named ii plates after the Greek capital letter Phi. gh-penetration CO, welding is used .oughout.
A modified form of reinforcing plate is ed in the cross-member areas over each ring bracket that comprises a wedge-section tbot. The spring brackets are now directly welded to the bottom flanges of the chassis frame members. On earlier models the suspension was mounted on a sub-frame.
The rubbing plate carrying the coupling kingpin has been reinforced by deep cross-pieces of pressed-steel channel section. Welded to the back of the rubbing plate these channels form a criss-cross of box-section members. Floor-support Isection cross-hearers are attached to these reinforcing members to provide extra strength.
Skeletal semi trailers designed to carry ISO containers are equipped with twistlock bolsters of 1-beam section with thick flanges claimed to have double the bending strength of the square-tube members that were previously employed, and to spread the stresses over a much wider area of the chassis frames.