A Driver's Cab Hinged for maximum accessibility
Page 25
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A Bold Departure From Conventional Practice Applicable to Vehicles of the Full Forward-control Type.
ANEW type of cab which, we feel, opens up an entirely new held of development, has been introduced by G E. Neville and Son, Ltd., Talbot Street Works, Mansfield. It is a fairly well-established fact that the forwardcontrol type of vehicle does not Shine in 'the matter of engine accessibility, and the main object behind this new design.
• Of cal) is not only to improve this feature on forward-control machines, hat to make the engine on such types
oven more readily get-at-able than in the case of normal-control vehicles, _ „This is achieved by building the cab in two parts, the lower portion of. which comprises the -sub-frame-, floor„ engine cover and wings, and the upper section the -top, front, rear and sides of the cab proper. Whilst the lower portion . .remains iii position; the upper part is so' designed as. to be 'Capable of 'being ' swung fcirward -about a hinged point somewhere near the -bottom of the radiator. This operation, we understand, can be carried out by two men in ,a matter Of 3 mins., the engine and its accessories being left completely
• exposed: .
The claim is made that;: with one of these cabs fitted, an engine unit can be changed in a matter of 2 hrs. on a vehicle such as a Bedford 3or 5-tonner.
• There is no • interference with the , wiring, and . the engine can be lifted directly upwards by suitable. .lifting tackle without disturbing the radiator. The 'advantages of such a -form of construction are so obvious as not to need any elaboration by us, and that
• this idea will revolutionize engine maintenance, work on full forward-control types of vehicle we can quite well believe.
The cab is shown in the accoin panying illustrations fitted to a Bedford 3-tonner, the forward-control conversion of which was carried out by the company .prior to the war.
Such a cab looks quite orthodox, as will be appreciated from the -accompanying illustration of the complete vehicle. The fact of the upper . portion being so readily removable has no material effect upon the stability of the structure as a whole, and thus there is no question of weak points developing. There are only six nuts requiring removal in order to free the cab for hinging over We understand that it is to be made and marketed under the trade slogan of " engineering coachcraft."