Clever cover-upil 'MD is laid bare
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Bill Brock takes a look at Collen operation in Kent and discovers a tilt in the right direction
-1N TRANSPORT, the best deas are often the simplest'', Laurie Cohen told me when I visited him at his bodybuilding factory at Gillingham in Kent.
Laurie has spent a lifetime in the trailer business, initially with Bowden and with Crane Fruehauf after the takeover.
Later he joined his brother at Merryworth (Engineering) Ltd. Pefore setting up on his own about six years ago to build tilt oodies. Production is now running at about 140 units a year.
First-hand knowledge of the Crane Fruehauf product has obviously influenced Laurie's choice of platform trailer, to which the tilt superstructure is added, although he will build onto other makes of trailer to satisfy customer preference.
The tilt is basically a light irop-sided frame covered by a tailored tarpaulin which gives more security and weather protection than can be attained by conventional roping and sheeting, but retains the overall aase of access.
To meet the latter criteria the iesign invariably involves a -nultiplicity of sections, light enough to be dismantled by one man, but which also need to be tensioned to gain any semblance of rigidity.
Cohen (Transport Designs) Ltd was the frist to introduce the principle of a header rail into tilt Jesign and still holds the patent. This simply ties front bulkhead nd rear posts together allowing -emoval of one or any number of side posts without collapse of
the overall structure while removing any need for tensioning between components.
A hollow sliding spigot locates the bottom of the post, but problems of rust and eventual seizure have been avoided by supplying an oil hole just above the top limit of travel. A plastic insert, blanking the top of the slide, ensures that oil is distributed to the areas that need lubrication.
On the Continent there has been a move towards a four-post system to save weight but this makes the larger intermediate components unwieldy and difficult for one man to handle, so, for the time being at least, Laurie intends to stay with six.
Each dropside is a riveted aluminium construction. A special box section extrusion is used to manufacture the frame, infilled with a ribbed aluminium section reinforced by the top hat uprights. . .
Having dispensed with the need to tension individual sections, overcentre catches have been replaced by simple latch catches. Above, wooden sideboards rest in deep sockets and are rounded along top and bottom edges to make handling easier and splinters less of a hazard.
Keerem tilt covers are made from a strong closely woven 520 fabric impregnated with pvc to give a smooth and easy to clean surface. Inside, leather reinforcing panels give extra strength and resistance to highwear areas.
Straps inside the tilt cover prevent the wind blowing it off the frame while the vehicle is being unloaded, and vents in the front panel prevents the cargo from sweating in transit.
Removal of the cover makes it necessary for the driver to climb on top of the body at some time. Where roof boards are used they inevitably get mixed with sideboards which are more prone to damage.
A danger is the driver putting his full weight on a split or cracked board — the result can, be fatal. An alternative is to usl roof grids which give the addei advantage of clamping the twi top side rails together, thus stil fening the complete assembly.
Collen (Transport Designs Ltd sells the tilt trailer as a corn pleted unit, not as a trailer of ■ particular make with the body& a separate item.
Trailers are delivered to thi factory as plain flat platform, without headboards. Everythini above platform height is prefa bricated and assembled on site but the low-bake painting pro cess is contracted out to lo01 firm.
Dropside hinge blocks anc post sockets are welded to thi trailer side rail, and eight out o ten customers specify a 12mn (0.5in) plywood floor overlay internal lashing rings on thi deck, and a full height head board.
Assembly takes less than lvvc and a half hours for a two-mar team, and the cost is @boo £2100 in addition to the basic price paid for the trailer.
Laurie's latest idea is for! movable groupage bulkhead which could. solve a problen that has been with TIR operator for many years. Where a load if made up of several consign ments, each delivery coal( mean that the remaining cargt has to be re-stacked to preven collapse and possible damage,.
Using a lightweight but rigi( frame, fitted with inverted U brackets which sit on the sicIE timber lathes, individual cop signments can be kept separate and contained.
Each of the brackets is fittec with a pointed screw clami which bites into the wood making the location of the bulk head infinite within the length the trailer.
Built with a steel angled oute, frame with riveted aluminiunr cross-struts, the standard uniweighs less-than 30Ib. It can be made to any size, and when noi in use for its original purpose can be used to stabilise the superstructure against racking.