New Ideas Bodywork
Page 42
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
for the bake
tnd confectioner THE manager of a thriving coachbuilding business, Mr. John 0a.kenhurst, had almost completed the examination of his morning's mail when the telephone bell rang. He picked up the receiver.
"This is Mr. Edwards, Dane Street. Can I speak to Mr. Oakenburst? "
". Speaking. Good morning, Mr. Edwards."
"Good morning, Mr. Oakenhurst. I am wanting a couple of new van bodies and should like to talk 'the matter over to-morrow about 10.30 a.m. I shall be at the North Road depot and not at Charles Street. Can you manage it?" "Yes, I will be there."
' Mr. Oakenhurst duly arrived at the 'North Road depot next morning.' It appears that Mr. Edwards, who is a baker, confectioner and caterer in a large way of business, wants two boxvans incorporating some new ideas in quick loading, whilst, at the same time, he requires artype of body which will carry the load on trays or shelves. These must'be easily removable, so that a load of' bulky items, such as large cases or sacks, may be piled on the floor of the van.
How Loading is Effected.
Messrs. Edwards and Oakenhurst were chatting by a confectioner's end-loading van, which .had the usual equipment of fixed runners for sliding trays.
" You've seen these vans loaded," said Mr. Edwards. "You know I have a truck which carries a tier of seven trays. The truck is brought to the van and the trays are then slipped in.
" I was wondering whether it would be possible to alter the design of the truck, so that the body of it, without its wheels, could be pushed into the van and thus save the time needed to transfer each tray. There would also be the advantage of having no tray-runner assemblies in the van when it was empty and ready B36 for any other kind of load. Moreover, the inside of the van would be easier to clean."
"Well," replied the coachbuilder, " with a few alterations, you could run the existing type of truck into the van, if you had a loading bay. The van could be made sufficiently wide and long to take, say, four trucks."
" The loading bay would have to be made with a ramp or lift, owing to t h e existing • fldor level," pointed out the caterer.
"Then," observed Mr. Oak enhurst, "you will want a platform truck the same height as the van floor to carry the usual superstructure which holds the trays." " The floor must be above the wheel-arches, I suppose," said Mr. Edwards, "but it seems a pity to keep it level throughout because there is as much length of loading space in front of the wheel-arch as behind this point. Extra headroom is always useful. Of course, this would mean the use of side doors or shutters."
" If you have two floor levels," said Mr. Oakenhurst, "it will mean two heights of platform truck, unless the platform is adjustable for height."
"Probably I should have two kinds of loading truck and would use the front of the van for a simple double-shelf arrangement for bread. There is one point, however, which must not be lost sight of. How can you ensure the easy sliding of the tray or shelf assembly into the van?
"The floor of the depot here is fairly level, but what about the height of the van floor, which may vary when the vehicle is partly loaded, or owing to the varying behaviour of the springs? There is also the question
of the quick registration of the end of the loading assembly with the opening in, the van," observed Mr. Edwards.
The coachbuilder thought for a moment and then replied : " I would suggest a dwarf tailboard, with a roller shutter above it. The loading assembly, or container, should have a pair of runners which work on, or between, slides on the platform truck. The loaded truck is run up to the van, which has the tailboard in the horizontal position, the top being about 4 in. above the van floor.
'If the runners of the loading assembly be above the tailboard, this is dropped to the vertical position. Otherwise, should the floor be relatively high, the tailboard, having first been dropped, is raised and fastened under the end of the loading assembly, which has been pushed forward and is projecting over the front of the truck. The tailboard then forms a ramp.
"I would suggest fitting the floor with angle-iron guides. To ensure that the numers of the assembly are quickly located between the guides, I would fit a pair of converging angles on the tailboard, so that if the truck be mounted on castors which allow of easy side movement, then the angles on the tailboard should swing the truck into its proper position.
" If the upright portions of the floor angles be towards the lengthwise centre of the van, the tailboard angles converge towards. the rear. If the upright parts of these floor angles be nearest the side of the van, the tailboard angles converge towards the front. When the trays are in the
van, suitable locking arrangements will have to be arranged.
"By the way, Mr. Edwards, do you propose to load one tier of trays at a time,
or do you wish to fill the haelc of the van at one operation.? I am wondering whether. :the floor is to have one or, two pairs cif runners. If you have a truck and loading assembly large enough, two tiers of trays may be placed in the van simultaneously.
" The wheel-arches could be built up square and extended to the back of the body. These enclosures will probably be about 10 ins. wide and should be large enough to form. a. foundation for the support of the twotier assembly, if it has a strong underframe. With this arrangement you could have the use of a low floor between the wheel-arches."
Some Valuable Ideas.
" Well, Mr. Oakenhurst, you have certainly given me some ideas. You have the print of the chassis. Send your draughtsman along to take dimensions and let me have a drawing early next week embodying your suggestions.
" Oh ! and while you are here," continued the caterer, "you see this van which you built three years ago, with the fixed runners and .central stanchions. Would it be possible to make these central stanchions removable, so that I could use the van for fetching general stores with only the runners at the sides in position? "
"Yes. The ends of the central stanchions, with their attached runners, would have roof guides and a floor slide."