Welford's aluminium trailer
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A PRE-PRODUCTION maximum trailer from Welford Truck Bodies Ltd of Stoke on Trent which is entering service with Allied Breweries differs considerably from other prototypes in use for the past year.
Considerable interest was shown in it last week by operators who were invited to the official launch.
The Allied Breweries trailer features a curtain-sided body which, together with the aluminium floor, plays a considerable part in the rigidity of the unit.
The main frame is made up from a specially extruded T-section 686mm (27in) deep which, when butted together forms an I-beam. Box section cross-members in line with outriggers and deep boxmembers over the fifth-wheel rubbing plate give the whole frame considerable stiffness. Box section outriggers braced to the full depth of the frame support the side rave and extruded aluminium floor planks. The planks are welded to the main frame and to the side rave.
The fifth-wheel rubbing plate of steel is bolted to the frame with a standard 2in kingpin bolted through. A gasket between the rubbing plate and frame prevents any electrolytic action between the rubbing plate and frame.
The roof cant rails are of the same section as the side rave with the curtain track recessed inside the body.
The complete trailer as it stands has an unladen weight of 4.06 tonnes which, Welford claims, gives about 1.5 tonnes additional payload compared to a similar trailer made in steel. Welford feels that because of the trailer's high cost (about E5,500 for the Allied trailer) the design will appeal to operators who can guarantee maximum weight loads for the majority of the trailer's running time.
On the Allied trailer standard Rubery Owen running gear and suspension is used, I John Green, Welford's tech cal development manq makes no secret of the fact t he would prefer air suspens (as fitted to the compan smaller Urb-a-tic range of tr ers). Air suspension in pa cular lends itself to a very li unladen trailer since this t: of suspension is always sympathy with the weight the vehicle.
The only modification to suspension is the replacem of the spring hangers with ; minium hangers welded to frame and incorporating si rubbing inserts for the spr leaves.
The floor will not stand weight of a forklift truck problem for Allied since pa loading from the sides is us' This, however, can easily rectified by having a differ extrusion for the floor pan At the moment the extrusio an existing ribbed de: already in consiant use in bodybuilding industry and haps not the best design ft trailer floor.