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A New British Turntable Fire-escape

5th May 1933, Page 120
5th May 1933
Page 120
Page 120, 5th May 1933 — A New British Turntable Fire-escape
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"first British all-steel fire-escape ladder,capable of being extended to an altitude of 100 ft.. has jnat been tylinplotNI by Merry-weather and Sons, Ltd., Greenwich, Load,* S.E.10, in -execn-. tion of an &der -for. Hong Kong Fire Brigatle.' Itia mounted onn.rev-olving turntable on a Merryweather chassis, equipped with a Dorman 170 b.h.p. petrol engine.

A noteworthy feature of the outfit is that the engine, which has a capacity of 121-litres, the bore and stroke dimensions of the six-cylinders being 125 mm. by 185 mm., is believed to be the largest that has ever been installed on any road vehicle employed for combating conflagrations. The reason for the use of so large a power unit is that the vehicle will be employed in mountainous districts where high speeds up steel? in

clines are essential. We understand that the main street of Hong Kong itself has a gradient of 1 in IA-.

The ladder constitutes a remarkable achievement in welded-steel construction, and weighing no more than a wooden ladder of similar dimensions, is stated to be at least 50 per cent. stronger; it has been built entirely in the Merryweather works.

As can be seen from an accompanying illustration, it is of extremely rigid construction. Tubular trussing, extending for its full length, gives it the power to withstand the recoil created by the dis. charge of water from the jet carried at the top.

Lnlike the conventional fire engine, the machine is finished in white, the ladder being 'painted aluminium colour, and the turntable and gear green; a striking contrast is. afforded by the bonnet, which is of planished steel, whilstiall. fittings are of polished brass.

In our presence, a jet of water was discharged from the top of the ladder at the rate of 300 gallons per minute, and no appreciable deflection was indicated by the plumb gauge or spirit level at the foot of the ladder, nor could any swaying be detected by the eye. It is stated that the ladder can be elevated and fully extended in 25 seconds.

The equipment includes an 11-in. electric searchlight for use on the vehicle or from any adjacent point of vantage', and a loud-speaker telephone by means of which communication can be esteib

lisbed between the fireman at the top of the ladder and men on the ground.

We understand that an order -for a machine similarly equipped in respect of the steel-constructed ladder may, in the near future, be placed with this concern by the Ilford Fire Brigade.

This appliance constitutes a definite advance in British fire-fighting appliances, and retrieves from Germany the credit of being able to manufacture steel ladders of this type.

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Organisations: Ilford Fire Brigade

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