New Shock-proof Couplings Being Developed
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-1-1 A TRAILER coupling, with shockabsorbing characteristics and a fifthwheel mounting incorporating an air cushion to relieve excessive shock on the king-pin duringemergency stops with an air-braked tractor, is being developed by R ippon Bros., Speke, Liverpool. The firm came into existence some five years ago as design consultants specializing in trailers and semi-trailers. Their purpose is to help particularly the smaller concerns, whose design staffs are limited, to deal with special orders. They work in close co-operation with Fox Trailers, Ltd., and other manufacturers at home and abroad, and have produced a number of designs both for special trailers and semi-trailers and for quantity-produced models.
' Detail work has included the development of a rapid fifth-wheel conversion for tractor units having automatic couplings and an electrical device to minimize delay in the vacuum-servo braking system of a semi-trailer. .
An interesting project was the design of a semi-trailer to carry farm balers. By carefully calculating chassis stresses, weight was reduced by 14 cwt. as compared with the standard semi-trailer previously operated.
Another scheme was the design of a complete oil-storage installation for use with maximum capacity articulated tankers. A model was first produced to enable a close working study to be made. The installation has now worked satisfactorily for two years.