Edbro's safety first
Page 17
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• Edbro is to unveil a safety system for tipping semitrailers at TipCon in Harrogate next week. The show system is fitted to a tri-axle tipping tanker.
Its main components are a rigid transverse beam fitted below the tipping hinge points, hydraulic stabiliser jacks at each end of the beam and a system of interlocks connected to the jacks, the fifth wheel coupling and the tipping ram.
Pneumatic sensors on the fifth wheel prevent the tipping gear from being operated until the articulated combination is in a stable condition with the tractive unit and semi-trailer within 10° of the horizontal plane, and the stabiliser/leveller legs in position at the rear.
The transverse beam has a built-in spirit level which the driver uses to level the rear of the trailer. If the stabiliser legs are not down, or the rear of the trailer is inclined to one side, an interlock prevents the ram hydraulics being actuated.
When the body is being lowered, the ram has to be fully retracted before the stabiliser hydraulics can raise the rear legs.
Edbro is also considering the use of a ram-limiting device which would prevent a fully-loaded tanker from being tipped beyond half way. The idea is to ensure that the ram can only be partially extended until some of the load is discharged.