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Technical News

28th July 1984, Page 18
28th July 1984
Page 18
Page 18, 28th July 1984 — Technical News
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Keywords : Axle, Frame

Quick change body

A RETRACTABLE floor section over the rear axle is one of the key features of a quick change demountable body system on a drop-frame delivery vehicle developed by Ray Smith Demountables of Peterborough for Pheonix Brewery of Alton, Hampshire.

York Truck Equipment of Corby, Northampton, coverted the 16-ton Dodge Commando chassis, while Boalloy of Congleton provided two Localiner curtain-sided bodies built onto special Ray Smith underframes.

An electro-hydraulic power pack mounted at the front of the body operates the system's four support legs which allows its free-standing height to be varied to suit different loading banks — or it can be lowered to ground level. The rear legs fit within the body width while the fronts each pull out prior to dismounting to allow the vehicle's rear wheels to pass between them.

To provide a completely flat floor for rear-end loading, a separate retracting section has been built into the body floor. This is free to move up or down relative to the rest of the body and is held in position by vertical guides at each corner. When the body is free-standing, the movable section lies flush with the rest of the floor.

As the body is lowered on to the chassis, the retracting floor rests on the raised area of the chassis frame over the back axle. It remains at this higher level, sliding within the corner guides as the rest of the body is lowered.

Mounted on the chassis, the body's main deck is 600mm (24in) from ground level with the raised section 400mm (16in) above that. In its demounted position, the body floor is usually 1,200mm (48in) above the ground.

A special automatic locking arrangement secures the body to the chassis. The feet on the rear legs lock under the vehicle chassis when they are raised, while the front supports lock under the chassis when they are retracted for travelling. Spring-loaded catches hold the legs in position.

The 1,320mm (52in) long retracting section has been designed to hold three rows of kegs without their overlapping the edges. In theory, the vehicle can carry 158 kegs weighing up to 8.8 tonnes, but in practice it carries mixed loads of 8 tonnes.

Boalloy has added a boxed-in load compartment on the front bulkhead accessible from inside while at the rear of the body a roller shutter is fitted.

In addition to lowering the vehicle chassis, York has also fitted Norde rubber suspension on the back axle. Its 64mm (2.5in) vertical movement allows the body to be mounted lower than with leaf springs. At the front the gearbox and propshaft have been lowered by 152mm (6in) to allow a completely flat floor.

Other special features of the Dodge include a 70mm (2.7in) shorter than standard rear axle, a Kirkstall front axle to suit lowprofile tyres and a frontmounted exhaust system. The chassis frame has been cut short just behind the rear axle to leave room for a carbon-dioxide rack beneath the body.

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Locations: Corby, York

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