Improvements in or relating to tractor-trailer vehicles or like mobile carriers

摘要

512,251. Tipping vehicles; trailers. STRAIN, W. B., and LAURIE, P. March 4, 1938, No. 6797. [Class 108 (i)] A semi-trailer vehicle comprises a non-tippable front container C having one or more doors 8 spring-controlled roller shutters &c. for admitting bulky articles, e.g., mattresses, and a rear container D adapted to tip rearwardly, the bottom of container C being at a higher level than that of the container D to allow the introduction of that portion of the tractor unit B which upholds the semi-trailer. The frame of the semi-trailer shown consists of two channel-section longitudinals 1 braced at the rear by underslung transverse members 2 and cranked upwardly at the forward ends 3 to provide a forward extension 4 adapted to be superimposed on and articulated to the tractor B, e.g., by a ball-coupling 5. The rear part of the frame is supported on wheels 6 by leaf-springs 7. Supported on the extension 4 is a container C having a transversely-curved front wall to enable the tractor to turn through a considerable angle. The rear container D is constructed by bolting the side walls and flooring to an external metal framework comprising two longitudinals 9 and transverse members 14a shaped as shown in Fig. 2, so that the sidewalls 14 extending above the wheel are substantially flush with the outer face of the wheel. Each longitudinal 9 is adapted to be rocked about a pivot 10 arranged at the rear end of the adjacent longitudinal 1 by a manually or power-operated jack 11 of the screw type arranged between the containers C, D. A hinged double-door 15 closes the rear end of the container D which is also provided with arched laterally-slidable steel doors 17 accommodated by an arched roof framework 16 formed externally with a rack 18 for carrying relatively light bulky articles, e.g., mattresses. A retractable undercarriage or bogey 19 may be provided beneath the extension 4 to support the trailer when uncoupled from the tractor.