New Powder Container Increases Payload
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ASELF-SUPPORTING container for bulk powdered materials, now being manufactured by Interconsult (London), Ltd., 21 Mackenzie Street, Slough, Bucks, eliminates the customary heavy rolled-steel-channel tipping underframe. The saving in weight is matched by an appreciably increased payload:
A.E.C. Mercury Mark II chassis of 14 tons gross capacity, operated by the Tunnel Portland Cement Co, Ltd., are regularly carrying approximately 9 tons.
Of Swedish design, and built in this country under licence, the self-supporting container is carried at its rear end by a special hinge-bar assembly. This incorporates a heavy-duty rubber bush which absorbs shocks and eliminates stresses on the container itself. At the front, the light-alloy structure is supported by a cradle: at the point of attachment, the container is reinforced by a welded, lightalloy plate.
Further reinforcements are made to the rear hinge-bar assembly mounting and the lifting-gear brackets. The blowing equipment is driven by a power take-off from the gearbox through a universally jointed shaft carried in two bearing housings. Two grooved pulleys with V-belts drive Wellworthy compressor as well as the oil pump of the Edbro tipping gear.
The tipping gear itself is controlled by a lever placed outside and behind the cab, adjacent to an engine throttle lever giving fine adjustment of speed. The cementliquefying aeration pad and the discharge valve are constructed integrally and can be removed without difficulty for maintenance.
Maximum working pressure of the
equipment is 14 p.s.i., at which it is possible to discharge cement to a height of approximately 100 ft. vertically at a rate of 18 tons per hour. Two 12-ft. lengths of 4-in, delivery hose are carried on the vehicle.
Tunnel Cement have also found that the vehicle blowing equipment can he used to unload bulk-cement railway wagons. This is done by disconnecting • the air pipe from the compressor to the aeration pad and connecting it, by a quick-release coupling, to the inlet pipe of the wagon. • The discharge pipes of vehicle and wagon are then conneCted and the-vehicle compressor blows the cement from the wagon through the vehicle container dis-charge pipe into the container itself. The' characteristic cement dust is controlled by a valve and filter bag on the top of the container. '
Interconsult are also marketing a small portable pressurized container, primarily for the haulier who is unable to make continuous use of a bulk container. The containers can be mounted on a platform truck or semi-trailer, or transferred to a railway wagon without difficulty.
Manufactured in steel or light alloy of spherical form, they can be arranged to provide discharge from a number of positions and are available with an airslide or tipping gear. The compressor can be mounted on the vehicle or site.
The self-supporting principle is developed in the twin-container semi-, trailer offered by the company. The two steel containers, in this case, are welded together integrally and there is no semitrailer frame. The tear-end support mounting is located on a tandem bogie and the front can be accepted by any fifth-wheel ‘coupling. Coupling and bogies can be supplied to customers' requirements.
The tractor-mounted compressor is driven from the power take-off on the gearbox and the air delivery pipe is connected to aeration pads on both containers. Quick-release couplings arc provided. The design permits the overall weight of the semi-trailer to be kept to a minimum, giving a payload, in many cases with this type of about tons.