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SALVAGING, TOWING AND JACKING EQUIPMENT.
Page 133
Page 134
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Details Concerning Appliances which Enable the Garage Engineer Easily to Manoeuvre 'Broken-down Vehicles.
ALTHOUGH it is to be hoped that drivers of buses, coaches and trucks will strive to their utmost, by careful driving, to keep the number of accidents down to the very lowest point, it has, unfortunately, to be realized that, owing to the ever-increasing number of motor vehicles on the road, a certain number of accidents is bound to occur. Therefore, the question of salvaging, towing and jacking equipment is one that has to be considered by the owners of large fleets especially, in order that any damaged vehicles may be quickly removed, so that, on the one hand, they shall cause no stoppage in the flow of traffic and, on the other, that the extent of time which they are to be out of commission shall be reduced to a minimum.
There are now several firms in this country in a position to supply salvaging equipment, a prominent place in this category being taken by Harvey, Frost and Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the H.F. crane, adapted to be mounted on the platform of a lorry. Amongst its special features are two independent hand-operated winches, which enable a total load of 5 tons to be lifted on duplicate sets of quadruple chains or cables. It has been found, in conjunction with a tilting beam, to be an advantage to grapple the load at two different points.
Mann, Egerton and Co., Ltd., also makes a useful collapsable breakdown jib, the struts of which can be either permanently hinged to strengthening channels fixed on the breakdown lorry or entirely detached as desired. When the jib is raised it is held in position by stout chains. The outfit is designed for raising weights up to 2 tons, the actual lifting being effected by pulley-block and chain tackle. This concern also makes a portable gantry hoist which forms a useful garage appliance when any work is required to he done on the under parts at the front or rear ends of a chassis. It consists of a steel arch, a ft. high, mounted on four castor wheels, with drop brackets to take up the strain. The hoist is fitted with screw-bollard gear, which has a special safety catch to prevent accidental running down. The capacity is such that with a side lift and double chains a weight of 4,000 lb. can be raised, or 2,800 lb. with a centre lift. The width between the uprights of the arch is 8 ft 4 ins., so that either the front or rear of vehicles can be handled with ease and safety.
A similar type of crane is the Weaver, handled by Brown Bros., Ltd. This concern is also supplying useful workshop cranes mounted on small wheels an that they can be brought into position for the easy removal of engines and other heavy components from chassis in the gar age. Harvey, Frost and Co., Ltd., likewise deals in this last-mentioned form of equipment.
Brown Bros., Ltd., also handles the Weaver salvaging app1ianc6s, among which is one designed for lifting loads up to 3 tons. It is intended for mounting on the rear end of the platform of a lorry. The boom is of the basepivoted type, so that the height from the hot tom of the chain block at the top of the boom to the base of the crane can be varied between 5 ft. 6 ins. and 2 ft. 4 ins. The overhang from the rear of the breakdown truck proportionately increases from 3 ft. 4 ins. to 5 ft. 7 ins. The winch is so arranged that it can be operated either from the platform of the vehicle or from the ground.
Another useful appliance in connection with breakdown work is what is known as a towing ambulance. Formerly, these were only available for use in bringing in broken-down cars, but in view of their increasing number they are being made of sufficient size and strength for buses, coaches and heavy lorries. Thus, in the Weaver range, marketed by Brown Bros., Ltd., is one that can be readily fitted either under a front or rear axle of the heaviest vehicle, the ambulance having a 2.1-in. solid axle and the towing pole being extensible from 7 ft. to 13 ft.
Harvey, Frost and Co., Ltd., supplies a lorry-type H.F. towing ambulance. This is a massively constructed job, especially designed for the purpose. The twin wheels in this case are 16 ins. in diameter and 9 ins. wide.
Among the many jacks marketed by Harvey Frost and Co., Ltd.. particular attention may be drawn to the Weaver, which is built to lift loads up to 41 tons from a minimum height of 6 ins.
up to a maximum of 18 ins. The jack comprises a frame mounted on four small trolley wheels, the jack itself being at one end and the operating handle at the other. Two of the wheels being mounted in castor fashion, the jack can be easily manceuvred into position below the rear axle of the lowest. built vehicle, even withstin unduly long overhang. Another pattern has a lifting capacity of 3i tons, whilst for 2ton vehicles a convenient trolleymounted, hydraulically operated jack is . also made. Brown Bros., Ltd., also markets a full range of the Weaver jacks for use in connection with buses, coaches and commercial vehicles.
.A new hydraulic jack, known as the B.E.N.-jak, has lately been put on the market by B.E.N. Patents, Ltd., 92, Tottenham Court Road, London, W.1. This is mounted on a trolley so that it can easily be run. into position, audit can be used under parts of the chassis as low as 41ins, from the ground, the lift available being 11 ins. The lowering operation can be made gradually or qiiickly as desired.
Picard (Accessories), Ltd., 4, New Burlington Street, London, W.1, specializes in the Magnum 'hydraulic jacks. These are made in various sizes, the largest of which has a lifting power of 5 tons per axle and will operate under points as low as 5 ins, from the ground.
Another useful garage jack for raising one wheel of a coach or lorry up to a total load of 4 tons is the Bradbury, made by .lames Bradbury, of New Street Works, Braintree. The jack is raised or lowered by the up-and-down motion of a long handle, the minimum and maximum heights being 5 ins. and 15 ins. respectively.
Universal Jacks, Ltd., 10, Great Palteney Street, London, W.1, also makes jacks known as the Universal and suittable for use with heavy vehicles. One pattern of these is abIe to lift up to 10 tons from ft minimum of 6 ins, up to 19 ins. Incidentally, the range includes another in which the range of lift is between 7 ins. and 36 ins.
Another old-established firm of jack specialists is Lake and Elliott, Ltd., of Braintree, among this concern's various patterns being that known as the Millenium jack, by means of which the entire back or front of a bus or coach, irrespective of overhang, can be lifted clear of the ground without the operator having to stoop or to exert any great effort. The jack, which has a long operating handle, is of the double-lift type and is capable of raising 5 tons from 94 ins, to a height of 191 ins. This firm also makes a jack capable of lifting up to 10 tons and a trolley garage jack, both the latter being hydraulically operated.