Image courtesy of Stocks Sweepers Ltd |
JPM Contractors Ltd was invited along to meet with Jeff Stock of Stocks Sweepers Ltd to view the latest addition to the Stocks Sweepers Ltd armoury. The newly manufactured truck mounted sweeper.
Before we go on, here is a little bit about Stocks Sweepers Ltd taken from their website.
This was not your usual type of business meeting, no five star hotels, continental breakfasts or lunch in a fancy restaurant. This was far more down to earth. A lay-by in a truck stop just of the M25 with tea & coffee in polystyrene cups, real men!!!!
As we pulled into service area the Stocks Sweepers Ltd sweeper was clearly visible from a couple of hundred yards away among the masses of heavy vehicles parked up enjoying their elicit break time. Painted in a very lively Green colour with the regulatory, so called, “Chapter 8” paint on the rear door made sure that this machine stood out from the crowd.
The paint is not the only thing making this innovative vehicle stand out from the crowd, Jeff Stock and his team of engineers have applied the knowledge gained from the time they have spent supplying replacement road sweeper parts worldwide and coupled this with hard work to employ some exciting new creations to ensure that this new vehicle is not just a replica of the old guard. Stocks Sweepers Ltd experience of supplying replacement parts has allowed an in depth view on the areas of a road sweeper that come under considerable stress and need replacing all too frequently, which in turn has led them to make some simple but effective changes to the sub frame and main sweeper carriage. While these changes will never be able to completely remove the need for replacement at some point, they will definitely improve the working life of the sweeper as a whole and reduce the amount of down time for repair.
About The Chassis
Jeff had this kit mounted on a brand new, sparkling Iveco chassis (not a choice that we at JPM Contractors Ltd would have made, always preferring DAF). The choice of chassis is a very personal impulse, as with all makes and models there are as many detractors as there are fans. This blog takes no opinion on the different manufacturers of chassis available in today’s market place.
About the improvements
The first of the improvements comes in the form of increased volume to the main chamber, by extending the width of the body two inches on either side, Stocks Sweepers Ltd have increased the payload of the vehicle, giving extra sweeping time on site. This has been coupled with an increase in the amount of water the vehicle can take on, 1400ltrs, again extending the sweeping time on site when using the high pressure water. One of the more practical improvements has seen shaker cables added to the internal filter grills, giving the operator the opportunity to shake off any debris that will have no doubt collected on the filters during operation which means that the need for jet washing the grills has also been reduced. Some very intelligently placed grease nipples have been added to the vehicle to allow easy access to regular maintenance points. A locker has been added beneath the donkey engine to allow for the carrying of essential tools for roadside repairs. This chamber also houses the extension tubes for the gulley sucker (great idea). The addition of a plenum chamber has decreased the noise generated by the vacuum, while giving a slight increase in the suction available. Other improvements include bearings on the channel brushes to reduce ware, an improved inspection chamber on the roof and in-cab tipping.
The overall impression of JPM Contractors Ltd was one of admiration. In terms of building truck mounted sweepers, Stocks Sweepers Ltd are a relative new comer, however, this company is destined for big things, watch this space.