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Special Body Layouts for Churns and Crates

24th July 1936, Page 50
24th July 1936
Page 50
Page 51
Page 50, 24th July 1936 — Special Body Layouts for Churns and Crates
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Lorry and Van Body Designs for the Milk and Other Trades, Ensuring Safe and Speedy Loading and Unloading IN the wholesale trade, milk is carried in 17-gallon and 12-gallon churns. When filled, the larger one weighs about 2 cwt. and the smaller one, 1i cwt.

, The lorry for carrying churns may have a plain platform, or have an upper deck extending for a distance varying from one-third to the full length of the body. To facilitate the lifting of the churns when no loading bay is available, the lorry has built-up wheel-arches, in order that the floor may be close to the chassis. In other instances a large folding or removable rear step is provided.

A similar way of making loading easier is to build the lorry with a full width step inside the body. This step or well may be introduced with the main portion of the floor unobstructed, or in conjunction with wheel-arches. It is an advantage if this well can accommodate a row of churns, in which case it must not be less than 21 ins. from front to back for the 17-gallon conical pattern, or 15 ins, for the cylindrical type.

Ensuring Full Headroom.

When the lorry having a step well is designed as a double-decker, the normal length of the upper deck should, not extend beyond the front of the well of the lower deck, so that full headroom is available. If a fulllength upper deck is required, such as when carrying a load of empties, an extension is made of removable boards.

Although it may be possible to load the lower deck from each side, it is a great advantage if it can be fully loaded from the rear, which will be impracticable with the usual amount of headroom allowed between the decks. The upper deck, • s34:1 therefore, may be designed to fold in sections, or is removable.

The boarding of the upper deck may be laid crosswise, with the ends of the boards supported by angleiron runners, which, when bolted to the side framework, add considerably to its rigidity. With a wide body, these boards should be stiffened by means of an edge plate, or held together by battens underneath.

Another method of ensuring strength in the upper floor is to lay the boards lengthwise. In this instance, the boards are supported by flitch-plated cross-bars. The cross-bars have pegs at the ends, which drop into holes in the side angle plates, similar to those mentioned for the floor which is laid crosswise. The boards are kept in position at the rear by a cross-bar, which is flitch-plated.

When there is a mixed load of churns and crates of bottles, or milk and other dairy products, a portion of the body is enclosed. This section may be at the front or rear, or, as the wheel-arch position is the least useful front the churn-carrying point of view, the enclosure may be confined to that past of the body above the rear wheels.

Large loads of crates are carried on platform and drop-sided lorries, whilst, in other instances; the boxvan is favoured. Usually, the box-, van is designed for both end and side loading, with roller shutters at all openings, or at the side a sliding door is fitted, which, when open, is concealed in an inside casing.

The floor and underframe of all milk vehicles should be of oak, so as

to resist, so far as possible, the effects of the inevitable spillage. Drainage may be provided by spaces at intervals between the boards, or at the bottom-side, whilst the life of the floor is prolonged by fitting halfround mild-steel wearing plates.

A van or lorry which is frequently being backed against a loading bay should have a pair of rubber buffers attached to the back bar. These buffers will be the rearmost part of the body when there is a roller shutter at the back. If there be a tailboard, this must be raised and supported on the loading bay, otherwise

the buffers are attached to the inside of the tailboard. For house-tohouse milk delivery, the light van is suitable for carrying the wire or box crates if it has an upper shelf the full width of the body and extending for the full length behind the driver's seat. Easy access to the front of the body is afforded by removing the near side

door, an operation which is easily effected by driving out the hinge pins. The door is then quickly replaced if the van be required for longer journeys to market, and so on.

It is considered, however, that, in the near future, many light delivery vans will have sliding doors, They have the advantage that they may be kept open without danger and occupy a minimum of space when pushed back, either inside or outside.

The lighf delivery van often has a single seat in front, without a partition behind it. There is a roller shutter at the back, which, during

the greater part of the round, may be wholly or partly raised to provide quick access at the rear.

A shelf may be provided, made of spaced hardwood slats supported on side runners of angle iron. If this shelf consists of two or more sections, it is easily removed and stowed away when not required.

The roof of the van is railed or boarded for a load of empties. This method provides an opportunity of speeding up delivery as the round progresses, and allows for the fact that more empties may be collected than full bottles delivered.

For House Deliveries.

When the house-to-house delivery van is specially designed for the retail milk trade, it is usually adapted for side, as well as end, loading. The interior has an assembly of stanchions and angle-iron runners to take the standard-size crates.

The side and rear openings are protected by roller shutters, or those which swing at the top and slide in horizontally under the roof of the van. Either type of shutter is preferred to the hinged door, because the shutter may be left open.

Sliding doors are also fitted. When there is access at the rear, an amount varying from a third to half of the side of the body may be fixed. Advantage is taken of this fixed portion to conceal a sliding door.

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