1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164 
A Lightweight Turntable Fire Ladder
Page 97
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE need for a lightweight turntable fire ladder for use in residential and other districts where a maximum height of 70 ft. is sufficient has now been met by a new machine built by Merryweather and Sons, Ltd., Greenwich Road, London, S.E.10, for the Wimbledon Fire Brigade.
A Merryweather-Albion chassis serves as the basis of the machine and the four-cylindered petrol engine develops a maximum of 82 b.h.p. Four-wheel brakes are provided and the gearbox gives four forward speeds and a reverse.
• The ladder.. is, Made entirely of steel and is in three sections. No rivets Or bolts are employed, each section being of welded construction. The fraimework supporting the ladders is of ample strength and. the turntable;_is arranged to rotatethe ladders around a complete circle.
The whole of the movements of the ladder—elevation, _extension and rotation—are carried out from a power takeoff on the main gearbox, and a separate accelerator pedal , is mounted on the turntable platform to govern the speed of all the ladder movements.
The gears for these movements are controlled by three hand levers, and elevation, extension and rotation may, if necessary, be carried out simultaneously. A patent auto matic safety control governs the extension and lowering of the ladders, and gives ,a safety margin, and automatic stops are provided so that the ladders cannot be overextended vertically.
An automatic indicator shows the operator the amount of extension of the ladders, aud a graduated quadrant indicates the angle of _elevation. The safe extension at any given angle is shown by the quadrant. In addition,
an automatic light indicator points out when the rungs are in position for using or lowering -the ladders. , A hinged platform is provided at the top of the ladder for firemen to operate the water tower, which consists of a .donble swivelling !monitor nozzle fitted at the head of the top ladder. A telephone apparatus, comprising two transmitters and receivers is provided at the ton and on the turntable platform • At a demonstration held at the makers' works, last week, it was shown that the machine is simple to control and ample safeguards are provided against careleSs working. The machine weighs 61 tons, and we understand that orders for similar outfits are in hand for several other boroughs.