T HE development of the industrial truck is making rapid headway,
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and, to-day, British manufacturers offer a wide range of these vehicles for application to many varied tasks. Such is the extent of the range of types, that classification can best be made by grouping current models of industrial trucks into
three categories:— Tractor s, platform trucks a n d fork-lift trucks.
Potential users would do well to take advantage of the advisory services of the manufacturers in order to make sure of obtaining the most suitable vehicle in any class for their requirements, but this article will serve as a useful guide. .
F. C. Hibberd and Co., Ltd., 56, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1, is the manufacturer of two models of Planet tractor of 10 h.p. and 16 h.p. The smaller model has a length of 6 ft. 2 ins, and a width of 3 ft. 9 ins. Its turning circle is 15 ft. 6 ins, in diameter. A Ford industrial petrol engine developing a maximum of
18 b.h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m. gives a maximum drawbar pull in low gear of 1,050 lb. This model can be supplied with a cab and electric lighting.
The larger Planet tractor has an oil engine and is particularly suitable for working in areas where the risk of fire
is great. It can be supplied with flameproof lighting equipment and exhaust. Both these types can he fitted with either solid or pneumatic tyres.
British European Airways has bought a number of these machines to tow aircraft, as the small size of the Planet makes it possible for it to pass under the wings of low-built aeroplanes.
Another well-known maker of tractors is Lansing BagnalI, Ltd., Worton Road, Isleworth, Middlesex. The power unit of the widely used Model A is a Morris 12 h.p. engine with an output of 20 h.h.p. at 1,600 r.p.m., at which speed the engine is governed on standard models. The length of this machine is 6 ft. 4.; ins, and the width 3 ft. 10 ins. The diameter of the turning circle is 13 ft. 4 ins.
These vehicles can be supplied with detachable steel cabs, shunting attachments and solid-rubber or pneumatic tyres. The Model A has pulled a load of 23 tons, in the course of Government tests, thus demonstrating its excellent reserve of power.
For pulling loads from 5 tons up to 10 tons, Wingrove and Rogers, Ltd., Mill Lane, Old Swan, Liverpool, 13, manufactures a wide range of battery-electric tractors in threeand four-wheeled form. Four-wheeled models are available with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.
The company's B.E.V. type T.417 three-wheeler has a maximum drawbar pull of 1,200 lb. and can carry •a load of 25 cwt. Various makes of battery can be fitted. The three-wheel arrangement, combined with tiller steering, gives the vehicle good manceuvrability and the turning-circle radius is 5 ft. The length is 6 ft. 10 ins. and the width 3 ft. The REV. T.117 is a four-wheeler with a battery of greater capacity, and it has two steering arrangements. For a standing driver there is a tiller, and for a seated operative an offset steering wheel. Maximum drawbar pull is 1,000 lb., and the turning circle is 13 ft. This model, designed to tow loads of up to 5 tons, is 6 ft. 6 ins, long and 3 ft, 2 ins. wide.
The Mercury Truck and Tractor Co., Ltd., 19, London Road, Gloucester, manufactures four models of tractor, two of them designed for railway shunting. The Mercury 10 h.p, tractor can haul loads of 8 tons over hard surfaces and turn in a radius of 6 ft. 6 ins.
There are two variants of a heavier 14 h.p. model a normal type, the 14M with single rear wheels, and the 14AM with twin rear wheels to pro vide better grip on poor surfaces. Loads of 12 tons can be towed by these trucks, and 20-ton loads on railway wagons can be handled when the tractor is fitted with a buffer plate. For handling loads of over 60 tons on the railway, the Mercury 25.AM and 25AMS are suitable; the former can also draw loads of 20 tons on trailers.
A three-wheeled battery-electric tractor for 5-ton loads, which can itself carry 10 cwt., is made by Cleco Electric Industries, Ltd., Foundry Square, Leicester. It has tiller steering and solid-rubber tyres.
The tractors produced by Reliance Trucks, Ltd., Vale Works, lIeckmondwike, Yorks, are strongly built and manceuvrable. The H2 heavy-type Bulldog is a three-wheeler able to turn in a circle of 6 ft. g ins. diameter. Its overall length is 7 ft. 6 ins, and it is 3 ft. 31ins. wide. Like the Bulldog, the company's HT2/3 four-wheeler has a 12 h.p. petrol engine and a three-speed gearbox, with one reverse ratio. Drawbar pull is 690. lb. in bottom gear.
A useful battery-electric tractor is made by Victor Electrics, Ltd., Burscough Bridge, Ormskirk, Lanes, for load capacities from 2 tons to 8 tons. Solid or pneumatic tyres are fitted and a cab for the driver is optional.
E. Boydell and Co., Ltd., Elsinore Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, 16, manufactures a particularly robust and
interesting tractor for railway shunting work. The engine, by virtue of its low compression ratio, can function well on low-octane fuels, and it develops its maximum torque at 900 r.p.m. 1"he R.A.C. rating is 27 h.p. With 181 cwt. of ballast, the Muir-Hill tractor exerts a pull Of 4,200 lb. Other features include a transmission
brake and a rainproof cab for the driver, and the vehicle has a turning circle of 13 ft. radius.
A heavy tractor with many applications is made by David Brown Tractors, Ltd., Meltharn, Huddersfield. The engine is a four-cylindered unit developing 33 b.h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m. In bottom gear the maximum drawbar pull is 5,400 lb. For shunting work a bar is mounted at the front, and certain types for towing aircraft have the 13rockhouse Turbo-Transmitter for smooth pick-up.
The range of Platform trucks available is extremely comprehensive, and specialized machines can usually be produced to meet buyers' requirements.
The Lister Auto-truck is a well-known type of industrial vehicle, and is notable for having its propulsion unit on a steering turntable at the front. Two forward gears and reverse are provided, the ratios being according to customers' needs. Two types of engine are fitted, the J.A.P. 600 c.c. or the J.A.P. 750 c.c. Both are air cooled twin-cylindered units. On the standard C.N.
fixed-platform model the platform measures 4 ft. 9 ins. by 3 ft. 9 ins.
The Lister can carry a load of 1 ton and trailers can be towed with a total cargo of 5 tons. A special tractor version is made, together with other models made to carry up to 5 tons, with a variety of bodies. The maker is R. A. Lister and Co., Ltd., Dursley, Gloucestershire.
Three platform trucks come from Lansing Bagnall, Ltd., one of which. the Model 0 battery-electric, is for 2-3-ton loads. The turning radius is 9 ft. 6 ins.; length and width are 9 ft. 10 ins. and 3 ft. 9 ins. For loads of 10-12 cwt., the petrol-engined Model D or the Model DE battery-electric can be used. The driver sits at the rear on these types. Both models can tow 3-ton loads on trailers. The platform of each vehicle measures 5 ft. by 3 ft., and later models will have elevating platforms.
The well-known Brush Pony, made by the Brush Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd., Loughborough, is available in industrial truck form to carry 2-ton loads. Fixedplatform and elevating versions are made. The Pony has three wheels, of which the front is driven by a 2.3 h.p. motor with current supplied by an Oldham 15-cell battery. The standard length of platform is 5 ft. 6 ins., and four widths are provided, ranging from 2 ft. 2 ins. to 4 ft. 3 ins. The turning radius is 6 ft. 3i ins.
Cleco Electric Industries, Ltd., has to offer six vehicles of four-wheeled and three-wheeled layout, with capacities up to 2 tons. The company's F3 six-wheeler for 2-ton loads has a If h.p. motor and an Exide battery with 24 cells. The range on a single charge is stated to be 10-15 miles.
In addition to the fixed-platform version, the Douglas industrial truck is now on the market with a platform which can be elevated up to 4 ft. 8 ins. Fixed types can carry 30 cwt., whilst 25 cwt. can be hauled by the elevating vehicles. The Douglas 600 c.c. flat-twin engine provides the power, and the single front driving wheel has a 360-degree lock. Douglas (Kingswood), Ltd., Bristol, is the maker.
Fixed-platform and elevating battery-electric trucks are made by Wingrove and Rogers, Ltd. Five models for 10-cwt. to 3-ton loads are produced with fixed platforms, and all except the 10-cwt. type, a three-wheeler, have four wheels. Four elevating trucks are made with I-ton to 5-ton capacities. In addition, there are some crane types and a heavy-duty dock truck. The latter has a capacity of 2 tons and its loading platform measures 7 ft. 9 ins. by 3 ft. 9 ins.
Petrol-engined trucks by the Mercury Truck and Tractor Co., Ltd., are offered in a I-ton model, a 25-cwt. truck, and two 2-tonners. The 2-tonner with sided body is equipped with a driver's cab, and bodies up to 8 ft. by 5 ft. can be fitted. The concern's 1-ton platform truck has a width of 3 ft. 9 ins. The wheelbase is only 3 ft.
6 ins., permitting a turning radius of 6 ft. 6 ins.
Crompton Parkinson, Ltd., is a company which has battery-electric fixed and elevating-platform trucks in its range. The Electricar heavy-duty 2-ton fixed-platform Model TU 40BA has an overall length of 9 ft. 7 ins., and
its width is 3 ft. 9 ins. A Young 16-cell battery is fitted to supply current to a motor that is stated to be catiable of withstanding high overloads. This machine can turn within a circle of 12-ft. 6-in. radius.
An interesting vehicle based 'on the Eleetricar longwheelbase 2-tortchassis ‘is the Mynne 10-cwt. electric runabout crane. This machine is built by C. H. Johnson (Machinery), Ltd., Adswood Road, Stockport. A load of 10 cwt may be lifted at a radius of 9 ft.
A tiller-steered battery-electric is made by Victor Electrics, Ltd. This can carry loads of 2 tons and is available with a flat platform or with sides.
A chassis for heavy work that can be fitted with any suitable body is manufactured by Reliance Trucks, Ltd. There are two variants, a three-wheeler and a fourwheeler. The carrying capacity is n tons, and the engine is one of 12 h.p. The length of the vehicle is 14 ft. 6 ins, and the width 4 ft. 6i ins. The low-loading elevating-platform model is fitted with a 10 h.p. twincylindered air-cooled engine and has a capacity of 2-3 tons.
Fork Trucks for Many Duties In surveying the range of fork-lift trucks it should be noted that forks form only one of the implements which can, be attached to the elevating gear. The Stacatruc, for instance„ marketed by I.T.D., Ltd., 29, Palace Gate, London, WA and built by Clifford Aero and Auto, Ltd, Meir Airport, Langton, Staffs, is offered with 2-ft. and 3-ft. forks, a front-tilting scoop, a jib, boom and a rotary titter. The titter is an attachment which makes it possible for forks to be turned to left or right through a full circle.
The Stacatruc, which costs £1,080, can be delivered within six months of ordering. It has a Meadows 22.4 h.p. engine which develops 46 b.h.p. The machine is designed to carry 2-ton loads, and the elevating gear, which, on normal types, can raise the forks 9 ft. from the ground, was developed in co-operation with Automotive Products, Ltd. The vertical arms tilt 10 degrees backward and 3 degrees forward, and the machine's turning radius is.7 ft.
An interesting battery-electric fork-lift truck is made by Wingrove and Rogers, Ltd. Designed to tackle loads of up to about 2 tons, the B.E.V. has a 24-cell battery of 240 amp.-hr. capacity. The forks elevate 9 ft. and there is a separate motor for the lifting gear and the wheel drive. The vehicle can turn in a 6-ft. 8-in. circle.
" Two other fork-lift trucks are made by this company for 1-ton and 2-ton loads. Both of these types have four-wheel steering and the driver stands at the rear and steers by means of a tiller. The 2-tonner has a 5-ft lift and the 1-tonner's forks elevate 6 ft.
Electro-Hydraulics, Ltd., Liverpool Road, Warrington, offers three fork-lift trucks for loads of 1 ton, 30 cwt. and 2 tons, and later models will be capable of handling loads up to 10 tons. Electric transmission is the outstanding feature of this company's Conveyancer
vehicles. The engine is a 14 h.p. unit. The Conveyancer Mark 3 2-tonner has a length of 7 ft. 7 ins, and is 4 ft. wide. The turning radius is 9 ft. 81 ins. As with all other Conveyancers, each wheel is independently sprung.
Although not mechanically propelled, a stacking machine, built by J. Collis and Sons, Ltd., Regent Square, Gray's Inn Road, London, W.C.1, would fit the requirements of many industries. These stackers, which have hydraulic rams either manually or electrically operated, are made in various models for loads of 24 cwt. to 1 ton.
Pneumatic Tyres in Pairs Five models of fork-lift truck are made by Coventry Climax Erigines, Ltd., Widdrington Road, Coventry. The smallest is for loads of 1,500 lb., the largest for loads of 6,000 lb. This vehicle is noteworthy for its pneumatic tyres fitted in pairs. There are two pairs in the front and one at the rear, and this arrangement permits of a turning radius of 5 ft. 2 ins, for the small types. The width of the smallest example is 2 ft. 10 ins., and the length, less forks, is 5 ft. & ins. Petrol or oil engines can be supplied.
American Clark fork-lift trucks are now marketed by Messrs. Millburn Garage, Walmer Bridge, Longton, Preston, and are suitable for loads in the 3,000-8,000 lb. range. Smaller models have four-cylindered engines, whilst six-cylindered units are fitted to the bigger types. Lifting heights are 9 ft. to 12 ft., and the gear is hydraulically operated.
This survey of current products illustrates how great is the variety of industrial trucks, Their employment in industry to-day is urgent, not only on account of labour shortage, but also because of the part they can play in increasing output per man-hour. A.S