An S.D. Freighter for 10-ton Loads.
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'STANDARD TANDARD types of motor vehicle )0 meet most normal requirements in the road transport industry, but in some trades there are occasions when special loads have to be dealt with, whilst in others the usual tasks which have to be undertaken are such that orthodox models have to he modified or adapted to enable the work to be performed efficiently and economically.
In many instances this only involves detail alterations to the bodywork, but in others it sometimes necessitates chassis modifications, slight though they mostly are, to fit the vehicle for a specific form of service. The latter is the case with ths 'vehicle shown in an accompanying illustration, which represents the latest development of. the S.D. Freighter as manufactured by Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd., of Letchworth,
This machine incorporates most of the components used in the makers' standard 2-ton Freighter—the engine, gearbox, front axle and steering mechanism ase the same—but, as it was built to deal with loads up to 10 tons, certain chassis details were modified and strengthened, The frame, for example, is of different construction from the standard product and, moreover, is of more robust proportions.
Although the back axle has as its basis the design of the component employed in the, ordinary model it incorporates a fufther reduction gear, thus making the top speed of the vehicle
3 m.p.h. The back axle is unsprung _ The back wheels are of solid steel, whilst those at the front consist of wooden rings mounted upon the ordinary wheel centres with the steel tyres shrunk on.
B46 It will be noticed that, in the case of this special S.D. Freighter, a front shield is not provided, for at the slow speeds at which the vehicle is built to travel protection of this kind is not deemed necessary. Moreover the driver's platform has been cut away and rounded at the corners to give the greatest degree of clearance when turning in restricted areas. As a matter of fact, this 10-tonner turns in a circle witiva radius of 11 ft ; the wheelbase of the vehicle is 6 ft. 6 ins.
This particular vehicle is in the service of Messrs. W. H. Allen, Sons and Co., the well-known engineers of Bed ford, and in the picture which we publish it is to be seen carrying a condenser casting weighing about 8 tons. Such a load is well within its capacity, for we are -informed that even when carrying a load beyond its rated limit the Freighter can-in bottom gear negotiate a gradient of 1 in 12, whilst in top gear it will climb a gradient of 1 in 50 with the same load aboard.
The purchasers of this special type of S.D. Freighter have been running a standard 2-tonner of the same make for a considerable period, and they speak in high terms of its capabilities and the service which it has given.