Triple Functions of a IN
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IT is perhaps incumbent upon leading companies in the motor industry to be model ancillary operators, and in the case of F. Perkins, Ltd., Peterborough, whose products have played a great part in improving the economy of road transport, the standard expected is appreciated and realized.
The fleet serves three purposes. It carries away 50,000 engines a year—approXimately 85 per cent. of the total output (the remainder mainly being transported by British Road Services)—brings in 90 per cent. of the factory's materials and is a convenient means for testing engines in experimental form.
No disruption of transport operation is occasioned by special .trials, although it has been found impracticable to adhere to any systematic method of costing and maintenance procedure, based solely on mileage or time intervals, because of the irregular frequency of specification ;changes demanded by design technicians.
Engines Placed on Trestles
The 50 vehicles in the Perkins goods-carrying fleet arc of a variety of makes, but all the power units are suitably standardized. There are Austin, Vulcan and Dodge 5-tonners, Bedford 10-tonners and 7-tonners, Seddon 6-tonners and Commer l0-tonners, also some Jensen and Proctor models. They are drop-siders, the bodies of which are made larger than manufacturers' normal designs. Engines are placed on trestles and loaded in rows on the platforms, and a few more inches permit extra rows lengthwise and transversely.
The body of a 6-tonner, for example, is 16 ft. long, instead of 15 IL, and 7 ft. wide inside, instead of 6 ft. 8in. This allows 15 P6 engines, 24 P3 units or 10 R6 models to be accommodated with no waste of platform space.
Bodies are of composite construction with standard under-framing and double floors. Fog lamps, twin rearview mirrors and long-range fuel tanks are fitted to most vehicles. The trestles are made of 4-in. by 4-in. timber and facilitate loading by fork-lift truck.
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