To Carry Hot Liquids or Packed Solids
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ADUAL-PURPOSE articulated vehicle for carrying either all types of packed solid materials or hot liquids in bulk (the subject of patent application No. 21216/61) has been developed by Joseph Crosfield and Sons, Ltd., Warrington, Lanes, with the help of Sutton and Son (St_ Helens), Ltd., Marston Excelsior, Ltd., Portolite Container Manufacturers, and two firms dealing with plastic polyurethane foam, Platts and J.D. Insulations. The semi-trailer which is based on a Dyson air-sprung, tandemaxle assembly, can be used as a normal platform vehicle but can readily be con
verted into an insulated bulk-liquid container with a capacity of 13 tons.
The special floors and sides are fully insulated and the latter, which have a Duralumin wearing surface, can be folded inwards to form a platform. With the sides raised insulation is completed by a foam blanket. Initially this blanket was covered by a polyether lacquer, but this proved to be lacking in the necessary strength and Vynide will be used.
The empty Portolite tanks are stowed in two of the three boxes located beneath the semi-trailer platform. the third box housing the twin Saunders valves and miscellaneous equipment. Two sizes of Portolite tanks are carried to enable liquids with widely differing specific gravities to be handled, hnd, as each Portolite weighs 350 lb. empty, provision is made for removing the empty tanks from their boxes through the floor by mechanical means. The vehicle sides have been designed to withstand a force of lg, and the insulation effectiveness is indicated by heat losses of only 1° F. per hour over a 300-mile journey.
So far the vehicle has been operated experimentally by Crosfield's, Sutton's and Marston Excelsior.