HIGH-S1DED VANS AND Lo IES CAN BE ATTRACTIVE
Page 46
Page 47
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Deep Sides have a Considerable Practical Value, apart from Lending Themselves to Modern Design and Construction
THE sides of the brewer's lorry do not require to be closeboarded and may consist of an open framework of raves and standards. Although the lorry of more modern type often has a deep skirt panel, where writing may be displayed, there is a preference for the announcements to be written on boards of various depths, secured to the side framework, between the floor level and the top of the body, where such wording is in a more prominent position.
In order to give the body a distinctive appearance, this name or facia board usually has a curved outline and is arranged so that the bottom of it is approximately halfway up the body side, whilst the back end is close to the floor. Curved rails, parallel with the outline of the board, are set out in the spaces above and below it.
Merits of Open-work Construction.
This style of open-work construction may be adopted for either a fixed or drop side. As a rule, it is unnecessary for the whole of the side to be hinged and the portion which opens is restricted to the front part of the body. The skirt panel may be left plain, but there will be plenty of room, between the front of the body and the rear wing, for a locker to be concealed behind the skirt board, particularly on that side where there is no fuel tank. The tailboard may be skeleton construction, to match the sides, if it be not used as a loading platform.
Another way of adding to the attractiveness of the lorry is to increase the height of the body sides so that their Lops are about level with the cab roof. In addition, deep sides are of practical value when the load is light and bulky.
In many instances, a slatted construction above the waist is sufficient, but if the sides have a large panel area like a van, then there is the opportunity for a bold display of mouldings and bands of colour which give the lorry a streamlined effect. There is room for a large-scale trade mark, or pictorial display, and lettering is made effective because it is accompanied with plenty of plain background.
The rear wheels can advantageously be paddle-boxed and the waist moulding shaped downwards at the rear, to follow the outline of the paddle-box. A band of colour may run along the top of the body and widen as it descends to the bottom. The lower parts of the body and cab could be painted a dark colour and on each side would form an effective background for a pair of chromiumplated mouldings.
Each of the above-mentioned types of moulding is in two portions. The front moulding is partly on the cab, with the rear portion on the body, whilst the tail end of the other moulding is secured to the paddlebox panel. The top and back lines of the body would be curved slightly, and a similar scheme of decoration could be utilized for the back of the lorry, using a tailboard of normal dimensions.
This kind of deep-sided lorry may be varied by enclosing a portion of the body in front and shaping the top lines of the sides so that they curve downwards from the cab roof level to that of the top of the tailboard. This top line of the body harmonizes well with a streamlined belt panel.
In such a case the front compartment, which is available for any portion of the load requiring special protection, is covered by an extension of the cab roof. It has a roller-shutter on each side and is closeboarded at the back. Any shelving provided should be removable so that this part of the lorry may be used for bulky articles when required. The partition which separates it from the main loading portion may be removable, for a similar reason.
High body sides should be built as lightly as possible, consistent with strength. They are best framed and panelled, like the sides of a van, and covered with aluminium, or a plywood faced with that metal. According to the type of load carried, the inside should be panelled to the waist or to the full height.
High sides have the advantage that the load may easily be protected with a loose sheet. If a sheet be provided, then detachable hoopsticks should be fitted. With a floor close to the chas
sis and body sides as high as the cab, it will not be difficult for the vanman to enter the lorry with the sheet in position. The hoopsticks, particularly the rear one, may be used without the sheet, as a means for increasing the rigidity of the lorry sides.
A less-ambitious scheme for providing accommodation for tools, and any other articles which it is desirable to separate from the remainder of the load, consists of a box or locker built across the front of the body. The box may be a separate unit or its ends may form part of the body sides. If the sides be hinged, they should open behind the box.
The Value of a Front Locker.
A lorry with a front locker is suitable for a builder, a shop-blind maker, a shop fitter or a billposter. A lorry with a front gantry may have this built independently of the locker, or it can be framed into it.
With the type of lorry just described, fixed sides are specified, because end-loading facilities are regarded as sufficient, and it is con,sidered that the absence of side hinge-irons improves the appearance of the vehicle. Moreover, there is a surface, for writing display, which is flush. At the same time, a hingedsided body may have an unobstructed panel surface if the flaps of the hinge irons be let into the framework and covered with a panel.