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Emphasis on Small

6th May 1955, Page 80
6th May 1955
Page 80
Page 81
Page 80, 6th May 1955 — Emphasis on Small
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Machines at B.I.F.

Latest Mechanical-handling Equipment a Valuable Adjunct to Fleet Operation :New Trailers for Varied Loads

THE comprehensive display of factory equipment and supplies in the hardware section of the British Industries Fair, Castle Bromwich, attracts a large number of production engineers, and the emphasis on mechanical handling trucks of the smaller industrial type, apparent at this year's Fair (which opened last Monday and closes on May 13), may be regarded as a logical trend.

Most of the contractors' mobile equipment on the outdoor stands is also of the lighter type, but this does not detract from its interest to haulage operators who plan to ,extend their activities in the civil-engineering sphere. Many of the fork-lift trucks are of the type which could be a valuable auxiliary to fleet operation.

Descriptions of two entirely different machines on view may serve to indicate the scope of the Fair's exhibits. These comprise a specialized stillage truck for factory work, and a universal cranedigger which can operate either as a tracked or wheeled vehicle. '

New Electric Truck

The former is a new battery-electric truck, the PS230, displayed by Lansing Bagnall, Ltd.; it is of the pedestriancontrolled type with a capacity of 3,000 lb. and has regenerative and rheostatic braking to limit its speed on descents and to return current to the battery. A universal 1-ton craneexcavator is shown by Y. W. and T. H. Carter, Ltd., as a tracked machine, but can be converted in an hour to run on pneumatic-tyred wheels.

The lattice jib is extendible and can be adapted to the use of a grab or drag-line scoop. A boom and bucket are also supplied, which enable the machine to be converted to a forward shovel, a backward shovel or a skimmer. It is powered by an Armstrong Siddeley oil engine developing 20 b.h.p.

Known as the stand-on reach fork truck, the Lansing Bagnall SFR225 is another battery-electric model of particular interest in a wide range. of mechanical-handling equipment. The truck has a capacity of 2,500 lb.; an important feature is a retractable mast by which the load is moved back over the base frame of the machine for travelling. This stabilizes the load and reduces the space needed for manceuvring.

The well-type elevating truck displayed by R. A. Lister and Co., Ltd„ is part of a range of mechanicalhandling equipment which is even more comprehensive than that exhibited by the concern last year. Of 2-ton capacity a it enables drums, wire coils and so on to be loaded at floor level and raised to any level up to lorry height. Traction is provided by the concern's standard Auto-Truck.

The largest industrial fork-lift truck at the Fair is the SD Freightlifter model 72 with solid tyres, which is shown alongside the well-known Freightlifter 8-ton truck, by Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd. With a capacity of 1,200 lb. at a centre distance of 24 in. and fitted with hydraulically assisted steering, the vehicle combines heavy-duty characteristics with excellent manceuvrability. Equipped with a crane jib (the conversion occupies a few minutes) it can handle toads of up to 41 tons. The power unit is a Perkins P6 oil engine.

Other outdoor displays which further illustrate the variety of interest at the

Fair include lofty-mounted hydraulically actuated lift platforms, shown by Simon Hydraulic Machinery, a heavyduty transporter trailer for carrying crawler tractors, exhibited by Whitlock Bros., Ltd., and the Hydrocon Mk. IV 3-ton mobile crane, which is demonstrated by the Lambert Engineerini Co, (Glasgow), Ltd. All the machines are recent developments.

The Simon hydraulic platform is described on page 437 -and is particularly versatile.

Loading boards and ramps may be dispensed with when crawler tractors or other heavy equipment is loaded on the Whitlock transporter.– The trailer has

a payload capacity of 8 tons. Its tilting platform measures 16 ft. by 7 ft. 6 in., and is fitted with hydraulic dampers. A self-propelled machine is driven up the tilted platform and when it has passed over the pivot centre the platform automatically and gradually returns to the normal position, the rate of movement being controlled by the dampers.

Hydraulic Clikwe

The Hydrocon Mk. IV crane is operated and controlled hydraulically and is fully slewing, in that it can operate through 360*. A stability factor of nearly 100 per cent, without the use of outriggers is claimed. All controls' are located in the driver's cabin, which is fitted with full-vision windows.

' Manufacturers showing small dumpers include George Fowell, Ltd., and C. H. Johnson (Machinery), Ltd., the former exhibiting 10-cwt. and 15-cwt. machines and the latter oil-engined vehicles of 1-cu.-yd. and li-cu.-yd. capacity, equipped with three speed gearboxes and double-reduction driving axles. The Thwaites Agricul tural Engineering Co., Ltd., exhibil an oil-engined and a petrol-engined dumper of 30-cwt. and 15-cwt. capacity respectively. Both have a top speed of 12 m.p.h.

Another recent addition to the Whitlock range is a trailer-mounted 4i Cu. yd. hydraulically operated dumper of all-steelconstruction designed for the heavy impact of loads discharged from overload shovels and so on. A range of end-tipping and side-tipping trailer dumpers of the gravity-tip type is shown by Bates Brothers (Sheet Metal Workers) Ltd.

The increasing use of trailer-mounted tippers for both agricultural and industrial use is reflected in the display by Markham Traction, Ltd., of 2-ton and 3-ton hydraulically actuated vehicles suitable for both farm and factory use. A 3-ton farm tipping trailer with hydraulic lifting gear and industrial trailer chassis up to 2-ton capacity are shown by Isaiah Oldbury, Ltd.; the tipping trailer has drop sides.

Reverting to fork-truck developments, a new battery-electric model with solid tyres is being shown by Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, Ltd., and on a nearby stand Coventry Climax Engines, Ltd., provide one of the most impressive displays at the Fair with a demonstration of a stock-manipulator attachment. The Ransomes FL2000 truck has a capacity of 2,000 lb. at a 24-in, load centre; an important feature of it is a tilting mast. The stock . manipulator is fitted to a Coventry Climax F.T.X. model and is shown carrying a large steel billet ready for forging. It is hydraulically operated and is claimed to perform the duties of a gang of three or four men. The gripping tongs will handle billets of 4 in, up to 14 in. with a maximum weight of 1,500 lb.

Squeeze Clamp

Additional to the range of batteryelectric fork-truck attachments displayed by the Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co., is a squeeze clamp, which is seen fitted to a Worksavet model. Three clamps are available, the largest of which has a range of 32 in. to 66 in. Ancillary equipment includes spiked bars for handling wooden cases or crates in conjunction with the standard flat arms, and special rubberbonded bars for gripping metal eases or drums. A comprehensive range of fork-truck attachments is again a feature on the stand of R. H. Corbett and Co., Ltd., where lorry loaders, stackers and so on are also shown.

The E2-20 2,000-lb. battery-electric fork-lift truck is notable among the exhibits displayed by Conveyancer Fork Trucks, Ltd., outstanding characteristics of the machine being dynamic braking and inching control. Forklift trucks, pallet trucks and stackers are included in the mechanical-handling equipment shown by Gough and Co. (Hanley), Ltd., in addition to a tower wagon.

The Pyramid power head exhibited by Excelsior Motor Co., Ltd., is demonstrated as the traction unit of various types of trailer.

A specialized form of concrete-block carrier is included in equipment for mass-producing building blocks shown by Messrs. Alan R. Davies. Operating on the fork-lift principle, it has three tines which engage steel-carrier sleeves, each capable of carrying a row of blocks. The carrier is fitted with a Pyramid power head.

Exhibited for the first time at arty show, an industrial loading shovel, demonstrated by J. C. Bamford, is fitted to a Ferguson oil-engined tractor. A newly developed forward shovel is attached to a J.C.B. hydraulic excavator which has a reach of 16 ft. 6 in., can excavate to a depth of 11 ft. and will load to a height of 12 ft. It also is shown mounted on a Fordson oilengined tractor. A range of front-end and overload shovels is exhibited by F. E. Weatherill, Ltd.

Cantilevered Bus Shelter

A product that is not generally seen at the Fair is a bus shelter of cantilevered construction, shownby Henry Hope and Sons, Ltd. The shelter has sunken feet, a half-glazed galvanized-steel structure and an aluminium roof.

Other unusual exhibits include a magnetic road sweeper by Electromagnets, Ltd., for use on aircraft runways, and a top-deck passenger indicator with an electronic invisible-beam counter, demonstrated by Hadley Telephone and Sound Systems, „Ltd., on a double-deck bus.

The new brake-efficiency meter shown by Messrs. George Price and Sons will be marketed at a highly competitive price and should he an important aid to raising brake performance generally.

Below is a list of the exhibitors of excavators, fork-lift trucks and other mechanical-handling equipment on show at Castle Bromwich.

Tags

Organisations: Yale
People: Alan R. Davies
Locations: Glasgow

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