New Multi-purpose Farm Vehicle
Page 38
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Light Alloy and Ingenuity have been Combined in an Albion 6-ton Vehicle Hauling Farm Produce
TO the order of Smith's Potato Estates, Ltd., Nocton, Lincs, the North London Engineering Co., Ltd., 99, Cobbold Road. London, N.W.10, has completed an all-purpose vehicle which can be used as a platform lorry, a tipper or as a stake-sided vehicle for sugar-beet haulage. Light alloy is used almost entirely in the body construction, and the vehicle, based on an Albion Clydesdale oil-engined chassis, weighs 4 tons 1 cwt. complete.
The interior of the body, which is 13 ft. long, 6 ft. 11 ins, wide and has an overall height, including the removable stakes, of 3 ft. 2 ins., is designed for rapid hosing. The drop sides, tailboard and headboard are lined with 10-gauge aluminium sheet and there are no interior crevices which would harbour dirt.
u4 The nnderframe is built of channelsection longitudinals and transverse members. Smaller channel sections are used for the framing of the drop sides, which are braced by vertical top-hatsection members filled with hardwood. The tailboard is similarly constructed. The headboard, however, incorporates angle-section framing.
The single centre pillar on each side is a steel channel which drops easily into steel pillar supports riveted lo the body side members. A deep steel gusset provides additional strength at this point. The corner pillars are formed of two heavy alloy angle sections riveted side to side. At the top, a patent tailboard locating socket and lock is fitted.
All four pillars can be rapidly removed, and although one of the three
hinge-pins on each drop side has to be unbolted to enable the sides to be detached, the vehicle can be converted into a platform lorry in the matter of plinUteS. Sides, tailboard and pillars can easily be handled by one man.
Locating slots fitted at each end of the body sides accept the flanged, removable stakes, which run the full length of the body and are 1 ft. 6 ins. high. Formed of 1-in. 14-gauge square-section aluminium tubing, they are particularly valuable when beet is being handled. One man can remove or replace the stake side, provided it is held so that it does not jam.
Chobert and steel break-stern rivets are used in the body, the outer panelling of which is in 18-gauge aluminium. The cab is of composite construction.
An Edbro twin-ram hydraulic hoist is fitted beneath the body and gives a 60degree lift. All controls are in the cab between the two seats. The tailboard is hinged at the top and is controlled by a locking lever underneath the near side of the body.
The activities of the Smith's companies were described in "The Commercial Motor" dated August 3, 195L