Improvements in and connected with Furniture Vans.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
Improvements in and connected with Furniture Vans.
I ERNEST EDWARD MAY of 20 Hampden Road Hornsey in the County of Middlesex
Van Builder.do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to reduce the weight of vans for removing Furniture
and the like which have to be carried by rail and water as well as hauled along
roads thereby reducing freight and haulage expenses.
Now according to my
invention I form the frames of van bodies of wood and steel or aluminium to obtain
the requisite strength and rigidity and I form the panels of aluminium sheets or
plates thereby obtaining the necessary strength and lightness. I prefer to secure
the aluminium to the woodwork by means of brass or copper screws or rivets. The
aluminium sheets or plates may be either plain or corrugated and are preferably
secured to the frame with the bottom edge of each plate outside the top edge of the
next plate above it to prevent rain or other moisture from entering the joints. In
order to further secure the joints I may insert a strip of strong tape soaked in red
lead paint between each plate or sheet before rivetting. The roofs of the vans may
be made of corrugated aluminium sheets or plates and I prefer to form that portion
of the frame which supports the roof of aluminium bars of T or section.
In some cases I may make the scrolls lugs and other portions of the under
carriages of the herein before described vans of aluminium of of any suitable alloy
thereof.
Dated this Eighth dor of October 1896
T. E. HALFORD,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Furniture Vans.
I ERNEST EDWARD MAY of 26 Hampden Road Hornsey in the County of Middlesex
Van Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to reduce the weight of Vans for removing Furniture
and the like which have to be carried by rail and water as well as hauled along
roads thereby reducing freight and haulage expenses. Now according to my
invention I form the frame of van bodies of steel, wood, and steel, or aluminium to
obtain the requisite strength and rigidity and I form the panels of aluminium sheets
or plates thereby obtaining the necessary strength and lightness. I prefer to secure
the aluminium to the frame by means of brass or copper screws or rivets. The
A

page_text: aluminium sheets or plates may be either plain or corrugated and are preferably
secured to the frame with the bottom edge of each plate outside the top edge of the
next plate below it to prevent rain or other moisture from entering the joints. In
order to further secure the joints I may insert a strip of strong tape soaked in red
lead paint between each plate or sheet before rivetting.
The roofs of the vans inay be made of corrogated aluminium sheets or plates and
I prefer to form that portion of the frame which supports the roof of aluminium
bars of T or channel section.
In some cases I may make the scrolls lugs and other portions of the under-
carriages of the herein before described vans of aluminium or of any suitable alloy
thereof.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings in
which :-
Fig. 1 represents the framing of the side of a furniture van as seen from the
inside constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 represents framing of front of same also seen from the inside.
Fig. 3 represents plating of the side of same as seen from the outside.
Fig. 4 represents plating of the front of same as seen from the outside.
Fig. 5 is plan of underframe.
Fig. 6 is elevation of back of van.
Fig. 7 shews an alternative construction of framework.
Fig. 8 is section of frame.
Fig. 9 shews method of joining the various portions of the frames to each other.
Fig. 10 shews another alternative construction of framework.
Fig. 11 is section of same.
Fig. 12 shews portion of a joint in the pannelling.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figs. a is the centre pillar
made of D tubing or of L1 or channel section steel or aluminium b b diagonal ties
also made of steel or aluminium of one or another of the sections mentioned above.
If the members of the frame are composed of D section tube the flat side of the tube
is outwards if of channel or 1 section the longest side of the section is outwards.
The diagonals are secured to the centre pillar if of D tube by means of a casting
stamping or forging which is fitted into the upper ends of the tubes and rivetted
thereto.
If the frame is of L1 or channel section metal the various portions of the frame
are united by means of covering straps rivetted to the pillars and diagonals.
The framing of the front of the van as shewn at Fig. 2 is also constructed of
D tubing or of L1 or channel section steel or aluminium.
c is the camber d d pillars e e cross ties f the top rail g the bottom rail.
The various portions of the front framing are joined as herein before described for
the side frames the flat side of the section being outwards.
The sides of the van are composed of aluminium panels h rivetted to D tubes of
steel or aluminium i having the flat side inwards next to the panels so that the
rounded portion of the tubes form beadings.
The various lengths of tubes may be joined together in any convenient manner
for example the top and bottom tubes may be joined to the vertical tubes by means
of stampings forgings or castings inserted in the ends of the tubes and secured
therein by means of rivets.
Such a method of fastening is shewn at Fig. 9 where a camber is shown joined to
a pillar by means of a casting stamping or forging à inserted in the ends of the
tubes d and secured by rivets ll passing through tube and metal plug k.
The intermediate horizontal beadings may be joined to the vertical tubes by
fitting the ends of the horizontal tubes to the vertical tubes and rivetting the tubes
together.
The aluminium panels are rivetted to the vertical and horizontal D tubes a piece
of waterproof paper canvas or other suitable material being interposed between the

page_text: panels and beadings to prevent rattling. When the sides have been put together
they are laid up against the frames, shewn at Fig. 1. and screwed thereto and to the
pillars of the back and front frames by bolts or rivets.
It will be understoood that the frame of the back of the van is constructed
similarly to the front frame with the cross ties omitted.
The front of the van is constructed of aluminium panels h¹ attached to D tubes i.
similarly to the sides see Fig. 4 and when the tubes and beadings are put together
the front is laid up against the front frame and rivetted or bolted thereto.
The back of the van cousists of aluminium side panels 88 top panel t and doors y y¹
zz are D tube beadings..
The underframe is also constructed of aluminium or steel as shewn at Figs. 5 in
which m m are the outside summers nn are the inside summers and o the middle
summer all the summers are of I section with the web vertical p is the steel sweep
plate which may be secured to the summers in the usual way or to cross ties as
shewn in dotted lines Fig. 5. and pl the perch bolt also of steel q is the opening for
the well at the back of the van.
The pillars are secured to the underframe in any convenient manner preferably
by rivetting, suitable metal plugs being secured in the bottom ends of the D tubes
for this purpose.
The roof is constructed in the same manner as the sides the cambers being made
of D tube attached to the outside of the sheets forming the roof which sheets aro
attached to an L piece secured to the top edge of the sides or the edges of the roof
sheets may be flanged downwards and the said edges inserted between the top panel
and the upper bending and tho whole rivetted up.
In the construction shewn by Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the usual pillars and cambers are
used instead of the trussed frame shewn by Fig. 1.
As shown by Fig. 7 the pillars and cambers are made of D tubing having the
flat side outwards the pillars being joined to the cambers by means of metal pluga k
secured to the pillars by rivets ll.
The panels are rivetted to the pillars and wood or metal beading may be used to
cover the joints of the panels.
In the construction shewn by Figs. 9 & 10 channel section pillars and cambers
are used each pillar and camber being made from one pieco of metal by bending as
shewn.
The panels are rivetted to the pillars as herein before specified.
The roof as well as the panels is made of sheet aluminium secured to the frame
or.cambers as herein before specified by which means the usual roof-cloth is dispensed
with and the necessity for gluing the said cloth to the roof is obviated.
The door at the back of the van is formed of steel or aluminium frames with
aluminium panels.
The herein before described method of constructing van bodies is applicable to
vans other than furniture vans.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Furniture vans having the bodies thereof formed of steel or aluminium
framing covered with sheet aluminium forming the roof panels and doors as herein-
before specified and for the purpose stated.
2. In a van the combination of a tubular trussed frame with aluminium panels
roof and doors and tubular beadings substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
3. In a van the combination of a metal underframe with trussed side and end
frames aluminium panels roof and doors and tubular beadings substantially as
hereinbefore specified.
4. In a van the combination with a metal underframe of tubular D section pillars

page_text: and cambers and aluminium panels roof and doors substantially as hereinbefore
specified with reference to Figs. 7. and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In furniture and other vans the combination with a metal underframe of
channel section pillars and cambers substantially as hereinbefore specified with
reference to Figs. 11 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
6. Furniture and other vans constructed as hereinbefore described and shewn by
the accompanying drawings.
T. E. HALFORD,
Agent for Applicant.