• A MOBILE HOME FOR A PUBLISHER'S AGENT.
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Details of an Interesting Tractor-trailer Vehicle, Comprising an F.W.D. and Carrimore Attachment, which is Equipped with Living, Sleeping and Bathrooms and Other Conveniences, and Carries a Range of Sample Books for Between 30 and 40 Publishers.
AN UNUSUAL type of tractor-trailer vehicle has just been completed by the Four-Wheel Drive Lorry Co., Ltd., at their works at Slough, Bucks. This vehicle was designed for Ancona, Ltd.,
and forms not only a means for conveying a large number of sample books for between 30 and 40 different publishers, but also constitutes a well-equipped home for the travelling representative. The method of employing this vehicle is to run it to different towns, where halls are hired for two or three days at a time and book exhibitions given, the local booksellers affording whatever help they can at these exhibitions, and taking the orders for the books, the volumes carried in the vehicle being only samples and not for actual sale.
The eases in which the books are carried are 3 ft. square and 6 ins, deep, and when in the vehicle the books are placed on shelves in the ordinary manner, these shelves being placed two deep down each side of the body, and held in position by suitable removable uprights.
There is a three-ply back to each book shelf, and this can be removed and dropped down the centre of the shelves when exhibiting, thus giving a doublesided shelf 3 ins, deep at ean
instead of a single-sided shelf 6 ins. deep. The books are then carried at both sides, leaning up against the centre partition with their front covers exposed.
Special folding stands are provided, and when the exhibition takes place in
a hall the book shelves are lifted out bodily with the books, carried into the hall, and arranged in rows on the stands. These folding racks and other easels for exhibiting the samples are carried in two boxes underneath the body. The shelves in the body are also arranged for catalogues, etc.
The body is of unusually large dimensions; as a matter of fact, the whole
vehicle comes just within the limit of size for a tractor-lorry, and the tail lamp has actually to be carried inside the body, this being arranged with a metal reflector which throws the light through the rear window, on which the number is painted.
Three main compartments are provided. that at the front being used as the kitchen and bathroom, and a small sand closet forms a sub-division. The central portion is equipped as a sleeping apartment for the publisher's representative, whilst the rear portion forms the living room.
The book shelves are carried round the sides of the bedroom and living room, and oak-finished doors are provided between the various sections.
The driver can, when necessary, sleep in the cab of the tractor portion ; to permit this the back of the seat is arranged to drop down, the squab and cushion thus forming a mattress.
The hoop sticks of the body are made of angle iron, as the sides must be strong enough to take the weight of the shelves when they tend to sway through the vehicle rounding corners, etc.
To provide an ample supply of water for the sink, and particularly for the bath, a 90-gallon tank is accommodated at the front end of the body, between the body and the tractor, whilst inside the body is a small semi-rotary pump, the suction pipe of which is connected to a three-way cock leading either to the tank or to a hose connection.
The delivery from the pump goes to a pipe having taps for the bath and for the sink, and there is another connection provided with a stop-cock, leading to the bottom of the tank. For fillinothe tank, the last-named cock is opened', the two taps referred to are closed, and by turning the three-way coek to its correct position the water may be pumped through the hose pipe into the tank.
If town pressure be available, then the three-way cock may be turned so that the hose will deliver direct to the tank. If the tank has been filled, the cock inside the body is left open. and the water will then run to the two taps by gravity until the tank is about half empty, after which the pump can again be brought into use.
The height of the body is considerably above that of the cab, and to enable the driver to ascertain if bridges can be cleared, two feeler arms, consisting of sockets carrying sticks, are provided immediately above the front of the cab ; if these feelers -clear the bridge the driver knows that the other part of the vehicle will also pass.
It has been necessary to limit the clearance between the cab and the body, and to avoid any danger of damage occurring to either of them, electric contacts are provided on the turntable, and these give warning to the driver a few degrees before the maximum angle between tractor and trailer has been reached.
The use of what may be termed mobile showrooms of this description is, of course, not an entirely new idea ; in fact,
it has already been employed with success in certain other businesses, but that use can be made of such a huge vehicle as the F.W.D.-Carrimore will come as a surprise to many of our readers.
The idea of providing a mobile home for the traveller is excellent, and might well be followed by other users who require vehicles for similar work.