Lightweight 60-ft. Trailer
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ONE of the longest trailers ever built in this country was recently completed by Jensen Motors. Ltd., West Bromwich, to the order of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. Intended for internal transport in the I.C.I. Waunarlwydd factory, the trailer is 60 ft. long, 4 ft. 6 in. wide and has a payload capacity of 5-6 tons.
The general construction closely follows that adopted in the INSN lightweight vehicle, and as the frame structure is built up in Kynal aluminium-alloy extrusions and plate, the unladen weight is only 2 tons. There are 26 transverse bearers and 104 gusset plates in the frame, the bearers being so closely spaced that flooring is unnecessary.
The top faces of all the bearers are provided with 3-in. by On. wearing strips and the aluminium-alloy extrusions and strip which will form the payload are retained in position by stanchions, of which there are seven on each side of the trailer frame.
All the running gear is built up by welding from channel-section steel. Both axles are steerable, the pivotal point of the rear one being about a rotatable shaft which forms an extension of a 50-to-l-ratio irreversibleworm-gear unit.
Transverse shafts coupled to the reduction-gear shaft steer the rear axle. These shafts extend through the web of the main frame and carry l7-in.diameter hand wheels, one on each side.
To impart stability under maximum degrees of turn, four castor wheels are used. These are mounted on adjustable legs at points adjacent to the front and rear. axles. The loading height of the frame is 3 ft. 8 in.
With the exception of the running gear, steel bolts and rivets are used in the assembly, all bolts, nuts and washers being heavily cadmium-plated.