Popular Science Monthly 



295 



A Tractor Trailer Made from an 

 Old Automobile 



AN old automobile having good mechan- 

 ical parts, but too out of date in 

 appearance to be used as a pleasure car, 

 may be utilized as a truck by attaching a 

 trailer. The illustrations and description 

 are for changing over and attaching a 

 trailer to a 35 hp. automobile having a 

 4-cylinder engine with a three-speed for- 



through both for a king pin. This is 

 clearly shown in the detail drawing. 



An entire rear axle for an automobile 

 with springs and tires was procured. All 

 brake connections were removed and the 

 number of spring leaves increased. These 

 were refastened to the axle in their original 

 position with longer spring clips. Four 

 pieces each were made of A, B and C, 

 of the dimensions given, from %-in. steel. 

 These pieces made the spring suspension 



5ide- sectional elevation 



%'plate riveted to . ,.,. 



chassis iz" wide 



front 



Moo- floor pine 



Grease 



Longitudinal section of frame h & 



Details of the fifth wheel to attach to the rear part of a pleasure car frame, after the body has 

 been removed, to make a trailer truck. Details are also given for its frame and body construction 



ward and a reverse. The wheel base of the 

 one used was about 128 in. The original 

 body on the automobile was of the touring 

 type. To make use of as much of the 

 body as possible it was cut in two just 

 back of the front seat and the rear part 

 removed to make free use of the frame 

 for the fifth wheel of the trailer. 



Two pieces of channel iron were then 

 cut and riveted in the frame directly over 

 the rear axle. These pieces support a 

 plate on which the bottom part of the 

 fifth wheel rests, a hole being drilled 



bracket A, the rear suspension brackets B 

 and the spring shackles C. These pieces 

 were cut from scrap at a structural shop 

 and %-in. holes were punched for rivets 

 and ^-in. holes drilled for the spring pins 

 D. In fastening the pieces A and B to the 

 frame it is much better to make a card- 

 board or paper pattern and carefully center- 

 punch and drill the holes. Securely bolt 

 the pieces, using a cast iron filler as shown 

 in the detail. The filler may be of any 

 suitable piece of scrap iron that will fit 

 into the channel. The projecting ends of 



