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Fork-lift Truck Transporter

18th August 1961, Page 71
18th August 1961
Page 71
Page 71, 18th August 1961 — Fork-lift Truck Transporter
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ANOVEL design of suspension is used on a 10-ton drop-frame semi-trailer built by Charles Pitt (Barton Stacey), Ltd. As with many of the trailers made by the concern. Aeon rubber springs are used in conjunction with trailing arms carrying the wheel assemblies.

The unit has been built for Overland Contracts (Birmingham), Ltd., and has been designed specifically for the transport of fork-lift trucks. Because most of these are unable to cope with anything but a very slight gradient, an extremely long ramp is needed to load them on to vehicles with a normal floor height. In the case of this special semi-trailer the problem is overcome by providing for hydraulic raising and lowering of the semi-trailer floor.

Independent tandem trailing arms are pivoted at the top of wheel boxes on each side. These are fabricated from rolled steel sections and steel plate. The arms lie at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal, and the wheel assemblies are attached at the lower ends. Two double and two single convolution Aeon springs are located on the widest part of each trailing arm between the wheels and the arm pivots. When under load, the springs butt against plates welded at an angle into the top part of the wheel boxes.

Both wheel boxes are pivoted at their front ends to the main chassis frame. In the travelling position, their rear ends are rigidly attached to the rear of the frame with two set bolts at each side. Singleacting hydraulic rams connect the tops of each wheel box with the rear end of the frame. These raise the floor from the lowered to the travelling position through a handoperated hydraulic pump located at the near-side of the trailer. The rams are fitted with a locking device through a shut-off valve and so provide an additional force to keep the floor in the raised 'position. By removing the set bolts and releasing the shut-off valve, the weight of the load lowers the main chassis frame to the ground. The hinged tailboard, which is in the form of a small ramp, is then let down and is sufficient to allow the fork-lift trucks to be loaded on to the unit.

Overall dimensions of the semi-trailer are 26 ft. I in. long and 7 ft. 6 in. wide. Length of the drop section is 18 ft. 4 in., and normal floor heights of the drop section and front portion are 1 ft. 6 in. and 4 ft. 7 in. respectively. Minimum distance between the inner faces of the wheel boxes is 5 ft. 3 in.

A Thompson 2-ton capacity winch for use when loading is mounted on the front raised section, and adjustable support legs are located in the well on each side of the semi-trailer.

Demonstrations of the semi-trailer showed that even in the unladen condition the ride given by the rubber suspension was far better than would be expected with conventional leaf springs, and comparable with that obtainable with air suspension. It was possible to stand on the frame between the wheels without any difficulty, except for having to hold on. during a 7-mile run over various types of roads including some with rough and ridged surfaces. Speeds of up to 40 m.p.h. were attained and even on the roughest sections there was neither jarring nor excessive movement of the semi-trailer.

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