M!NRY HNISTMAS

Best wishes from Lew Godard and Al Bell (alias"Mr. Hobbs & Mr.Wall") and alt the folks at . ..

HOBBS TUAll 1UMBER CO.

MATERIATS HANDTING EASED WITH NEW IECO-DESIGNED PORTABTE TOADING RAMP

Lumber dealers struggling to unload dimension stock, sheatl-ring and other lumber and building materials from railroad cars will find the new "typical" design for a portable loading ramp prepared by Timber Engineering Company, Washington, D.C., an.efficient and long-range economy tool for handling materials.

The portable ramp design developed by the engineering affiliate of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association lvas prepared from recommendations made by the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association's committee for materials handling.

Lumber dealers' yarcls accessible to railroad sidings have found the portable ramp substantially reduces the time recluired to unload lumber stocks from inside freight cars.

Designed primarily to make use of mechanical loaders, the ramp is scaled to provide maximum maneuverability for forklift equipment. Either three or four-wheel loaders can be used. When the ramp is completely assembled, it has an overall length of. 35' 9', a standard height of four feet, and is designed to witl-rstand a maximum total load of 15,000 pounds.

A ramp built recently by the Wister-Herberton Lumber Conrpany, Philadelphia, Pa., was revised slightly from the TECO design to allow for 20,000-pound load capacity. Since the ramp has been in use, Wister-Herberton reports that rail cars containing studs, plywood and sheathing have been unloaded in as little as 75 minutes. They expect to recoup their construction costs through more efficient l-randling in five months' use of the ramp.

Another ramp built by the W. F. Rosser Lumber Company, Arcanum, Ohio, was constructed in three days with their own forces. The cost of materials for the construction of tl-re ranlp ran in the neighborhood of $180, exclusive of labor.

Lumber and building supply dealers desiring of the TECO portable loading ramp can obtain qf the typical design, without charge, from Engineering Company, 1319 l8th Street, N.W., ington 6, D.C.

a copy Timber Wash-