TRANSDEK
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Tt-ansDek, formerly European Trailers. spent most of last year developing sysems of multi-decking for semi-trailers with up to seven floors plus the base floor. One version is designed for half-tonne packages: another can handle 2.5-tonne loads.
Both are aimed at making full use of available load space and they help make load handling quicker and easier too. This must be good news in light of the latest Health and Safety rulings on lifting at work Christie Tyler is currently evaluating a prototype, along with one from York, before ordering more.
A spin-off from this project comes in the form of a moving and elevating platform.
The basic system, weighing 200kg which can be used in trailers, pantechnicons or box vans, comprises a 1.0m-wide platform spanning the trailer floor, moving vertically between twin uprights and running any distance along the body.
We examined a 13.6m step-neck trailer with TEC/Gigant air-suspended running gear which has been set up to demonstrate three types of moving-floor loader platforms.
At the rear of the body is a single 1.22mdeep, one-tonne platform, but any size can be produced. In the centre of the trailer are a pair of full-width elevating lifts, also one tonne rated but up to 2.44m deep.
The theory is that starting with both at ground level, the top one is loaded then lifted towards the roof. More parcels are then loaded on to the second lift which is raised to the first. the space beneath is then filled up.
With the decks stowed in the roofspace the trailer can be used to carry general cargo. TransDek also has a seperate deck capable of carrying 4.0 tonnes over the neck section.
Each deck has a 24V motor, powered by under-floor batteries via looped cables that follow the lift along the body and with wanderlead controls Two I2V batteries are trickle charged from the tractive unit.
A gearbox in the load platform transmits the drive via cross-shafts to sprockets in the uprights. Drive cogs at each side climb verti
cal chain sets simultaneousely, controlling the movement.
The platform with its adjustable is moved by releasing locking pu along the running rail at each side a pushing it into the required positior TransDek's moving-floor syste: retrofitted into existing trailers on turnround.