New Hydraulic Tail Ramp
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(-NNE-MAN loading of farm tractors %-./ and other vehicles from ground level is provided by the built-in loading ramp produced by Crawford, Prince and Johnson, Ltd., Syston, Leics. It may also be employed for loading from decks of varying heights or for transferring vehicles to the platform of a second lorry.
The ramp is carried on an extension of the main frame and is operated hydraulically by two Newton jacks out. rigged from the side members. The jacks are supplied with fluid by a hand pump conveniently placed on the near side below the extension.
The first ramp to be produced was built for T. Shipside, Ltd., MorrisCommercial distributors, Parliament Street, Nottingham, and has been successfully employed for some months on a petrol-engined Morris-Commercial drop-sided 5-tonner equipped with a Bak° extension.
This increases the wheelbase by 3 ft. 8 in., and the overall body length of 21 ft. 6 in. enables two tractors to be carried in place of a single vehicle. The driver can safely unload the tractors at any site without assistance. A hand-operated winch under the floor behind the cab is used for loading and unloading equipment and machines such as heavy spares. Tractors may be loaded by this winch, or driven up under their own power.
The hydraulic jacks are mounted on a dropped frame extension of 4-in. by 2-in, channel section, which is given additional strength by robust side plates attached to the main chassis merdbers. The ramp is pivoted on five hinges at the forward end, and after raising to the vertical position for travelling its weight at the rear is tiken by two screwtype hand jacks and a hinged gate, which is lowered from the body on to the extension frame members. An essential feature of the equipment is the combined tailboard and ramp extension, which is of lightweight construction, based on a steel frame and light-alloy panelling, the inner covering being corrugated aluminium section. The tailboard is hinge-mounted on the end of he dropped frame and is divided longitudinally on its centre line, and transversely, with a second set of hinges, at vehicle-floor level.
Thus, the driver can lower the two parts separately with the minimum of physical effort. The design also provides a shortened ramp extension for deck loading or transferring to another vehicle.