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A CATTLE TRUCK APPROACHING THE IDEAL.

24th July 1928, Page 50
24th July 1928
Page 50
Page 51
Page 50, 24th July 1928 — A CATTLE TRUCK APPROACHING THE IDEAL.
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Keywords : Stock Car, Cattle, Frame, Buses

A Special Dennis Product Built to Meet an Agriculturist's Specific Requirements.

those THE season of agricultural shows is one in which all in,

terested in farming and other phases of rural life have their attention drawn to the efforts made by most of the important motor manufacturers to meet the 'varied needs of their calling in the matter of transport. The recent Royal Show served to stress this point, but the scenes enacted at Nottingham are not unusual, for they have their counterpart at many of the big agricultural events held about this time of the year.

A tendency reflected at all these exhibitions is the development and extended use of specific types of body to meet a definite set of conditions. No longer, for example, has the farmer to rely upon an unhygienic type of body for the conveyance of livestock, for well-built, properly ventilated bodies now provide an opportunity for cattle to be transported by road-motor to market, to fresh pastures, or to agricultural shows under the best possible conditions. In this way, not only is it possible for a direct journey to be undertaken, but transport by road has

been proved to have a much less fatiguing effect upon the animals than when they are conveyed in railway trucks.

It is for these reasons that we feel that many of our readers will be particularly interested in -the type of vehicle which has been recently completed in the works of Dennis Bros.. Ltd., of Guildford. As the accompanying illustrations clearly show, it is, in

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many ways, representative of a class of vehicle that is now being used quite extensively by the farmer who has to deal with the transport of large numbers of cattle.

The basis of the machine is the Dennis 2f-ton chassis, which has a wheelbase of 15 ft. and permits a body of about the same length to be carried.

The body has been specially designed and built by the chassis maker to meet the requirements of its purchaser, Mr. J. Austin, of Brenchley, Kent, who expressed a desire that it should be possible to use the machine either as a single-decker for the transport of bullocks, or as a double-decker to enable sheep and pigs to be conveyed. His needs also called for a type of body which would permit different breeds of animals to be separately accommodated.

The fact that these requirements have been met will serve to indicate that there is quite a number of interesting features in the body design. In the first place, a low load-line has been secured by the use of small wheels and by mounting the body direct on to

the chassis frame. By this means it has been possible to keep the floor level down So 3 ft. from the ground, thus ensuring that the long tailboard, ithich serves to enclose the rear, forms, when lowered, a ramp having a fairly easy incline. i.e.' 1 in 2f. The gates at the rear, which are about half the height of the body, form, in conjunction with detachable guards (normally carried at the rear) side wings for the ramp. The

use of barricades at the sides is very necessary, because it has been found from experience that when off-loading cattle—bullocks in particular—that they seldom negotiate the complete length of the ramp but jump off at the sides. To take the additional load imposed when the animals leap, strengthening baulks, which can be placed under the tailboard when re quired, are carried in brackets on the body sides.

At a height of 3 ft. 4 ins, from the main floor provision is made for fixing a second floor, this being built in four sections. When not required, these sections can be housed immediately behind the front bulkhead. Access to the upper floor is obtained by means of a special folding ramp, which consists of a battened floor and two fairly high sides which are held rigid by the use of detachable metal hoops connecting them. This ramp has a gradient which is slightly steeper than that leading to the main loading space (it is actually 1 in 2), but this is of small moment, as the upper floor is only used for carrying sheep or pigs, which are surer-footed than bullocks and cows.

The gateway at the rear of the top floor, is closed by a detachable barrier, which is used when this tier is loaded and while animals are still entering the lower compartment. The upper floor is built in three sections, one of which is considerably larger than the other two. The two smallest sections are in the forward part of the body, from which they extend rearwards to a point just above the wheel arches. The largesection of the floor can be up-ended at

this point so that it forms a complete division between the fore and aft parts, the latter, of course, being available for accommodating cattle.

If the weather be inclement, a sheet can be drawn across the top of the vehicle, for which purpose a series of hoop sticks is provided. Ample ventilation is provided for both tiers by virtue of the slatted construction of the sides and ends.

It should be mentioned that the tyre equipment of the vehicle is somewhat unusual, for pneumatics of 34 ins. by 7 ins, are used on the front wheels, whilst twin solids, 720 mm. by 130 mm., form the equipment which is employed on the rear wheels of the vehicle.

This particular machine was supplied to the order of the Lamberhurst Metor Co., of Lamberburst, Kent.

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Locations: Nottingham

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