Low-loaders with built-in gooseneck supports
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• A mechanical screw type of gooseneck support is employed on a low-loader produced by Antos Industries, Littlemoor Crescent, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, to carry a payload of 25/45 tons, while a 50/75-ton model is equipped with hydraulic rams, both the systems being manually operated. The hinged legs of the mechanical system are supported by a channel-section member on the tractive unit when in use and are stowed in a horizontal position when the low-loader has been hitched to the knock-out gooseneck. Both systems prevent sideways swing of the gooseneck when the vehicle has been unhitched and driven forward, which is a possibility if timber supports are employed.
The 25/45-ton low-loader has been designed as a road/site vehicle and to cater for the stresses produced when the outfit is articulated through an angle of 90 deg. A four-spring suspension with compensating linkages (developed by Anton) is employed in place of a two-spring type, while the chassis is of six-beam construction. The gooseneck couplings are such that an additional 4ft of deck can be fitted when loads having a length of more than 22ft are to be carried. Removal of the gooseneck occupies about 4min.
Also designed for on/off road use, the 25/45-ton model has a chassis based on 10in. I-beams and is mounted on four single-wheel oscillating type axles, the length of the well being 22ft. Spring brakes are incorporated in the four-line braking system to eliminate the need for a hand-brake mechanism.