Figure 1-4. Ladder Slide

MM2600, Lesson 1

Figure 1-4. Ladder Slide.

The ladder slide is easy to build from 2 x 4 or 4 x 4 dunnage, small tree trunks, or other available

material. It may be used to unload boxes from truck to stack, from railroad car to truck, or from railroad

car to ground. The most practical length for a ladder slide is 10 feet, and it should be narrow enough to

accommodate the boxes being handled. The slide should be well supported by horses or sand-filled

boxes, with grease or wax applied to its surface. The slide makes a good improvised conveyor.

Powered Materials Handling Equipment

Powered by gasoline, diesel fuel, or electricity, this equipment commonly includes cranes and forklifts.

Cranes. Some of the cranes now being used in ammunition units include the wrecker crane, M543: the

5-ton crane; and the 20-ton crane.

The wrecker crane (figure 1-5) was designed primarily as a recovery vehicle, but it has proved very

useful in ammunition units for handling palletized separate-loading projectiles and large, bulky guided

missile and nuclear special weapons containers. It is mounted on a vehicle chassis, is engine

powered, is hydraulically operated, and has a telescoping extendable boom 10 to 18 feet long. The

crane can rotate 360 degrees with the boom elevated 45 degrees. The chassis has four outriggers that

can be lowered to support the weight of heavy loads. Using the outriggers takes all the weight off the

wheels and the suspension system. With the outriggers in place and minimum boom extension (10

feet), the maximum lift capacity is 10,000 pounds.

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