1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172 
Stabilizers Give Pi pe-carrying Artics Better Handling S EMI TRAILERS were originally
Page 55
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
introduced into the C-licensed fleet of The Stanton Ironworks Co., Ltd., near Nottingham, to cater for loads of concrete lamp standards, the weightcarrying capacity and length of articulated outfits being particularly suited to the type of load compared with a rigid six-wheeler or eight-wheeler. The use of semi-trailers was viewed with some misgivings by the transport department because of the possibility of jackknifing, and soon after the purchase of thz first outfit, 10 years ago, it was decided to equip all the vehicles with Adrolic stabilizers. The fleet of nine semi-trailers has now covered 1,695,298 miles, and although it cannot be proved that complete freedom from jack-knifing over the years is attributable to the stabilizers, the transport manager is satisfied that they offer the benefits claimed by the makers. Cornmer petrol-engined tractive units are employed in conjunction with Hands semi-trailers having a platform length of •24 ft. The normal load is 10-12 tons.
The vehicles are also used for the transport of spun concrete pipes and spun iron pipes, the former being manually loaded transversely (up to a limiting diameter) in two or three tiers, whilst the latter are stacked in a pyramid. Concrete pipes have a length of 8 ft. and tier loading tends to cause sway on the road, but this tendency is reduced by the stabilizer. Whilst pyramid loading of the 1S-ft. iron pipes improves stability by virtue of the better weight distribution,
the stabilizer affords improved vehicle handling in this case also.
Tractive units are uncoupled from the semi-trailers at week-ends for maintenance, and uncoupling occupies about 10 mm. Although it can be performed by one man, two men are normally employed for the sake of convenience. Of the 11 trailers, 9 are of the platform type, one is a tanker and one is a lowloader, the tanker and low-loader having a weight-carrying capacity of 10 tons and 11/12 tons respectively. Three of the tractive units are licensed to haul the heavier trailers.
The semi-trailer outfits are part of a C-licensed fleet of 72 road transport vehicles (including service types, the fleet comprises over 100 vehicles), and a number of drivers handle both rigid and articulated vehicles. It is noteworthy, therefore, that some drivers prefer the artics, which are used in all weathers for routine deliveries over any type of route.
Consideration has been given to the use of separate cab control of the vacuum-operated servo brakes, but its adoption was vetoed on the grounds that the conventional type of system gives better overall braking efficiency and does not inipose a responsibility on the driver to regulate trailer braking in accordance with road conditions. The freedom from jack-knifing, credited to the stabilizers, was an all-important factor in the decision not to employ separate control.
Makers of the stabilizer are the Adrolic Engineering Co., Ltd., Clover Rd.,
Milngavie, Glasgow. P.A.C.B.