Three-tonner Loaded with Snow in 5 Minutes
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Halifax Profits by Experience Gained During Winter
A YORKSHIRE experiment in ri mechanical loading of snow-shifting lorries, carried out at Halifax last winter with results described as "most promising," was referred to at the annual meeting of the North-Eastern Centre of the Institute of Cleansing.
Endless Conveyer
Describing the machine employed, Mr. G. A. Bownes, of Halifax Cleansing Department, said that a box-shaped steel frame was attached to the front of a powerful vehicle. Running around the inside of the box was an endless conveyer driven by an 8 h.p. motor and consisting of a number of steel slats, each 20 ins, long by 4 ins, wide and spaced 18 ins. apart.
The conveyer passed along the bottom of the box, which, as the loader was pushed into the snow ridge at the roadside. became filled with snow. This was carried up between the slats and discharged via a plate chute into a waiting vehicle. The average time required for loading a 3-tonner by this method was five minutes. Speaking of the mechanical shovel as a means for loading snow-shifting vehicles, Mr. Bownes said that in certain cases it was a decided improvement over hand labour. One of its greatest disadvantages, however, was its unwieldiness in the busier streets.
Last winter Halifax also used the angledozer for clearing deep snow. Because the blade could be raised and lowered at will, the angledozer had an immeasurable advantage over the rigid snow plough, said Mr. Bownes. The strength and weight of the blade, coupled with the tremendous power behind it and the action of its steel tracks, enabled the machine to be used on ice ridges upon which an ordinary plough would make no impression.
As to transport for snow removal, Mr. Bownes said that experience during last winter made it obvious that to deal quickly with a similar situation in the future required more and heavier vehicles. When the snow was falling heavily it was not enough to plough one main traffic route once and then leave it for hours while the plough was used on other roads.
General-purpose Tractors
Halifax was hoping to solve that problem by the purchase of a number of heavy-duty industrial tractors with a_maximum of 38.5 b.h.p. When not in use with snow ploughs, these tractors could be employed as motive units for refuse-collection trailers, gully emptiers and any other unit. If necessary, they could be loaned to other municipal departments during the cleansing department's lighter periods of work in the summer.
In referring to use of hired transport for snow removal, Mr. Bownes remarked that after the snow had been dealt with, there were generally arrears to refuse collection to claim attention. Hired vehicles suitable for this work should be retained for a few weeks after the actual period of snow removal.