Plastics Containers for B.R.S.
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HAVING supplied British Railways with six plastics containers for experimental purposes (The Commercial Motor,
are being the others The containers are made in a mould rotated. Between the inner and outer skins of glass-fibre-reinforced resin is a layer of expanded polyurethane, a mode of construction which combines strength with lightness and a low factor of thermal conductivity.
This last-mentioned quality is of particular importance in respect of the meat containers, and it is claimed that the insulation efficiency of the 4-in.-thick walls could be matched in a conventionally made container only by a layer of insulant, such as expanded polystyrene, half as thick again.
Moreover, say the makers, the integral construction eliminates the possibility of "heat leaks," which must be carefully avoided in the fabrication of a metal container.
Floors arc of molochite, and the rear c28 doors are rebated to abut against a rubber seal around the aperture. The doors are one-piece mouldings 2 in. thick and open through 270 degrees. There is no side aperture, as with the B.R. containers, and no false roof is provided.
The containers weigh 1 ton 15 cwt. 2 qr. and offer a nominal capacity of 458 Cu.
ft., or 5 tons. Exterior appearance is enhanced by the counter-sinking of door ironwork into the plastics. As well as provision for crane handling, there are recesses underneath for the entry of the forks of a lifting appliance. The containers may be stacked on top of each other.