WHY BACK 'DOORS?
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A Case Where Broadside Loading and Unloading of Motorvans is an Advantage.
oLD IDEAS very often die hard, and so deeply do they sometimes become ingrained that it requires something more than a mere modification in 3esign to displace them. For example, it has always been considered the right and proper thing to have doors, at the back of a van body to give access to the interior (although a sliding door or an opening from the driver's cab is-provided on many vehicles), and probably nany tradesmen consider that this type door best suits their particular reluirements.
There must be many tradesmen, howmer, bakers,: caterers, and tea merbants and others handling small-packet pods, to whom the type of body with ide sliding doors, which we illustrate ierewith, must recommend itself.
This body, which was built on a twoon Lancia chassis by Mr. W. Greenrood, of Dove Lane, Darwen, to the rder of Messrs. fodder Bros., bakers, /arwen, is provided with three sliding oors on each side, two of the doors aving two panels and the other one anel. These doors actually divide the body into three compartments, two of which are used for bread, the other being intended for confectionery. The doors slide on an overhead roller track, and can, therefore, easily be moved; moreover, this construction eliminates any chance of rattle which is usually present when a side or back of a body is built in two or more sections. '•• The bread is placed on trays, which slide along angle iron pieces attached to the interior framework. As doors are provided on each side, these trays can he withdrawn from the off-side or the near-side, so that time is thus saved in reaching the contents of the body. The body is 10 ft. long and the cab 4 ft., so that the overall length from the dashboard to the rear is 14 ft. The van presents a very pleasing appearance, credit for which very largely belongs to the bodymakers, and as it is shod with pneumatic tyres, it forms a very speedy transport unit.
So satisfied are the users with this unique van body, and the expedition it affords in dealing with bread and confectionery deliveries, that. they have three additional bodies of similar build now in course of construction. A great point in favour of a body of this type is that it enables almost any part of the load to be reached easily without the need for disturbing the remainder. It is interesting to note that the van body can be readily removed in about five minutes, leaving a flat platform, which may be used for a number of other purposes.