Modular heavy haulage trailer
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• King Truck Equipment Ltd demonstrated on Wednesday of last week the new 150-ton modular heavy haulage trailer ordered by Pickfords Heavy Haulage Ltd.
The trailer is one of a pair which when linked will provide a 300-ton carrying capacity and, by the addition of further modules, can be extended to provide up to 600-ton carrying capacity. Loads can be carried on the trailer deck or the modules can be used as bogies for loads to be carried on bolster.
Construction is based on a central spine with cross-members and side rails. An interconnected suspension system is used, operated by hydraulic displacement with power taken from a Petter twin-cylinder diesel engine. The hydraulic system allows the trailer deck to he raised or lowered through 20 inches.
Steering of each bogie axle is by means of a drawbar and bell-crank system. When the second trailer is connected, the steering of this is hydraulically operated from slave cylinders on the front of the trailer.
Three-line air-pressure brakes operating on all wheels give more than 50 per cent efficiency at 300 tons per load at 5 mph, the ;peed at which the unit is designed to werate. A loaded trailer can be safely parked on a 1 in 44 gradient.
Michelin 750-15, 18-ply tyres are fitted. Wheels are in pairs-48 per unit—on York standard axles.
Payload capacity of the combined unit is 285 tons gross and the unladen weight is in the region of 48 tons. Total ,length of the trailer is 60ft, the width is 9ft 10in, and the normal running height is Mt 2in.
The unit is fitted with Tecalemit fully automatic lubrication to each axle and has about 400 lubrication points.
Any combination of units can be built and used, depending on load requirements; additional units can be fitted end to end or side by side.
The two halves of the unit are to be based at Pickfords' Sheffield and Glasgow depots where they will be used for normal heavy haulage purposes but should the need arise they can be used together as a single unit for carrying loads of up to 300 tons.