Quick transport for palletized loads
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by Paul Brockington • Mr. D. A. Clarke, a director of Clarkes Boxes Ltd., Mountsorrcl, Loughborough, Leics., designed the bodywork of the latest Palletainer vehicle to be operated by the company. It is based on an AEC Reliance 2U3RA 36ft underfloor-engined p.s.v. chassis.
The bodywork was built by Crawford, Prince and Johnson Ltd. of Syston, Leics., and incorporates recessed channel tracks to accommodate the standard type of Clarkes Boxes Palletainers which comprise fullheight pallets mounted on castered wheels. The Palletainers are raised to floor level by a modified Buttonwood 1-ton tailboard lift. Twelve pallets are carried in the 30ft 6in. by 7ft 10in, loading space, the interior height of the body being 7ft Sin.
Having a beech framework, the body is panelled in Plymax, while the cant rail is an aluminium moulding. The chassis is extended behind the rear wheels, and the floor is of tongued-and-grooved timber. The unladen weight of the vehicle is 6 tons 9cwt. and the laden weight is 10/11 tons.
Special features of the cab fittings include a Chapman fully adjustable seat and internal fluorescent lamps. In addition to a headlamp flick-switch, a similar switch is fitted in the panel that controls the rear lights. This enables a "thank-you" signal to be given without use of the side-light-andtail switch.
The Reliance is powered by an AEC 590 cu.in. engine and power is transmitted through a ZF six-speed synchromesh gearbox to a 4.7-to-1 final drive. A fuel consumption of 14mpg has been returned on runs limited to a maximum speed of 55 mph, the top speed being over 70 mph.
A similar vehicle powered by a 691 dry-linered engine is currently being built.