Fabric Construction
Page 65
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for Van Bodies
MHE use of cloth fabrics for the panelling of motorcars is, nowadays, quite ordinary practice, and it is surprising that mOre use is not made of this method of construction for certain types of goods vehicle and for motor coaches.
The Imperial Tobacco Co., Ltd., has just put into service some MorrisCommercial 25-cwt. vans and, in ordering these, has specially requested the manufacturer to leave unexecuted the panelling of the bodies. -Upon receipt of the vehicles at the denfit in Margaret street, London, W.C.I, the maintenance manager of the company has completed the panelling of these vans with Rexine leather cloth, with the object of saving
weight and of obtaining a vehicle which is smart in appearance and is easily kept clean.
The side panels of each van have been covered with two sheets of leather-cloth, one for the upper half and one for the lower, the joint being concealed by cloth-covered aluminium moulding. To obviate the unsightliness of screw holes the moulding has been drilled and tapped for brass setscrews, and it is held to the waist-rail of the body by brass nuts, these being on the inside. This ensures a clean finish fur the body, the fashioning of which
renders it, in general appearance, not unlike a modern fabric 8aIpoil motorcar. The panelling of the driver's cab is especially smart. The unladen weight of the Prforris-Commercial van so equipped is 31 cwt. 22 lb.
There is much to be said for the practice of employing leather-cloth for the panelling of vans ,which are to be used for the conveyance of light goods, and the Imperial Tobacco Co., Ltd„ has put the system to good service during the past three or four years. This company has, for example, a Dennis 1925 model 3-toriner with a platform body on which is carried a closed fabric-panelled container. In the course of 3i years of service this container has Droved to be eminently satisfactory and, as a result of retaining its pristine finish, has not lost its advertising
value. .
In spite of arduous duty the fabric has never become torn and it remains waterproof ; moreover, it is easily cleaned and is always smart in appearance. The saving in Weight on this particular vehicle is very considerable. The total unladen weight is 3 tons 14 cwt. 2 qrs., so that the tax paid in respect of it is £48 per annum, whereas another chassis of exactly the same type carrying a wooden box-van body weighs 4 tone 2 cwt. 3 qrs., the tax on it
being per annum,