A NEW DENNIS LOW-LOADER.
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Details of an Interesting Type of Vehicle which Permits the Easy Handling of Goods and is Taxed at £25 per Annum.
TN producing the new Dennis low....loading model, the maker has had in view the requirements of retail provision merchants, dairies and all traders who have to cover specified rounds involving a large number of calls, necessitating stops at frequent intervals. To such users, the question of low-loading hejght is one of extreme importance, enablin as it does, the handling of goods with a minimum of effort, whilst even the comparatively slight saving to the driver or roundsman each time he dismounts from his seat and remounts, although negligible in ordinary work, amounts to a considerable difference in deliveries such as that referred to above.
There is one sphere of transport, howo%„ where the great importance of the low-loading line has been recognized —we refer to the collection of refuse. The old, high, horsed wagon, approached by a ladder from the top of which men emptied dustbins partly into and partly ant of the vehicle, is an anachronism, and, fortunately, is gradually becoming rare, special motor vehicles being employed in lieu. These operate so unobtrusively and efficiently that they are hardly noticeable, and even with regard to these vehicles .there is an unceasing call for a still lower type of body.
That famous maker, Dennis Bras., Ltd., of Guildford, has, given this matter full consideration and is in a position to offer a model which should meet the requirements both of retailers and cleansing authorities in particular, whilst many other transport users will probably find that it is suitable far their work. It is known as the Dennis LL30 and incorporates a modified form of the company's well-known 30-awt. chassis, which has been tested over many millions of miles by private and municipal owners during the past few years.
So far as tte main specification is concerned, the principal points are a four-eylindered monobloc engine with detachable head, capable of delivering up to 36 b.h.p., and thus affording a valuable reserve of power for hilly districts. The exterior of the engine is of clean design and the readily adjustable tappets are enclosed by an aluminium cover, these tappets and the valve stems. operating in an oil mist. Circulation of the lubricating oil is effected by a pump situated in the sump, where it is constantly submerged. As in the case of the oil filter, this pump can be easily detached for cleaning or adjustment.
The fuel supply is effetted by gravity from a Of-gallon tank fitted to the dash, the filling orifice projecting through this to a point just below the near-side half of the windscreen.
Engine and gearbox are formed as a unit, the gearbox providing four forward speeds and a reverse. The shafts run on ball and roller bearings and the pinions are, of such width and pitch as to ensure quiet running and a long life. A universal joint is provided at the forward end of the propeller shaft, this joint being housed in the spherical thrust and torque head.
Overhead worm drive is employed for the rear sxle.
All four wheels are 22 ins. -in diameter and' shod with single tyres on the front and twin on the rear ; the hubs
run on adjustable taper roller bearings and each wheel can easily be detached for attention to the tyres by removing eight nuts. The wings of the front wheels are valanced, this assisting in maintaining the cleanliness of the vehicle. Our illustrations show one of the first of these chassis, which in this instance is equipped with a special allmetal body designed for the collection of refuse, and it will be seen that it presents many points of special interest.
No .fewer than seven cubic yards can be carried, and the whole of the roar of the vehicle farms the emptying door, which miens in halves, leaving, a chute which is completely unobstructed. Unloading is also facilitated by making the body 6 ins, wider at the rear end. Canvas covers in six sections are provided as standard equipment, but steel covers can be utilized if thought advisable. These covers permit a small section of the body to be uncovered at a time and so prevent the load from being partly blown away when there is a high wind.
The loading height from the top of the sides to the ground is only 4 ft. 4 ins.; and where the vehicle is operating close to a pavement this is reduced.
For discharging the load the body is tipped to the rear, and for this purpose a hydraulic gear is emplayed. This is of the triple-extension pattern and has two cylinders fed with oil from a pump driven from the gearbox. An automatic device is provided to prevent the body overbalancing, and a high angle of tip is available, this tieing secured whilst retaining adequate ground clearance.
An interesting feature is the way in which accommodation for the driver has been arranged, also the best possible equalization of the loading on front and
rear axles to redUce the overhang at the rear. To enable this to be done, the space for the seat is formed by a recess in the forward end of the body, and the -extension of the loading space to each side and underneath: the cushion actually provides II cubic yard of the total loading capacity.
Overhead is a wooden canopy rigidly attached to the body and overhanging
the windscreen, of which one section is made to open..
A good point in the design is that the range of the driver's vision is uninterrupted in practically every direction.
Entrance is effected fi;om either side and, if required, an additional tip-up seat can be provided for the accommodation of a second. man.
Despite the sturdy construction of the chassis and the extra large capacity of the body, the weight of the standard machine complete is under 2 tons, so that the annual tax is only £25. The chassis alone " is priced at I:29S, at which figure it is certainly excellent value in every respect.