Alexis De Sakhnoffsky Trucks
Background Count Alexis De Sakhnoffsky (1901 - 1964) was one of the prominent industrial designers and illustrators of the so-called "Streamline" period. His association with White Motor Company led to creation of numerous truck designs. Some of them were implemented in real life while other remained as drawings. The most well-known streamlined trucks designs by de Sakhnoffsky were manufactured for Canadian Labatt's brewery on the basis of White trucks. Comprehensive information on designs by De Sakhnoffsky could be found in Anticlopedia Alexis De Sakhnoffky Streamline Design World. This webpage contains some images of the trucks. The aim of this project is to recreate the streamlined truck designs using 3D-modeling and rendering techniques. Streamlined Tractor Truck 1938 The model is based on patent D108,827 filed in July 1937, accepted in March 1938. Some parts of the model are omitted in favor of the closeness to the patent drawings. I have no information on whether this particular truck has ever been manufactured. However, the truck bears some resemblance to Labatt's streamliner built in 1937; I would hopefully model it one day. I have assumed that like Labatt's streamliners this tractor truck was manufactured on the basis a contemporary White coe truck (also shown in the first figure). |
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Images (Click on a thumbnail below to view a full-size image)
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The side windows of the truck are made flat, while they could possibly be curved according to the patent: I am not sure about this matter.
However, Diamond T "doodlebug", a contemporary streamlined tanker, had curved windows; thus the technology was available in the 1930s.
The images below are mere speculations on how the truck might have looked. The reference drawings for the trailer were not available. For this reason I have designed it myself using some drawings by De Sakhnoffsky as well as images of other streamlined trucks of the 1930s and 1940s. |
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Cab-over-engine Fuel Tank Truck 1937
The model is done according to the drawings in patent D105,899 (filed Jan. 21. 1937; accepted Aug. 31. 1937). I have no information on whether these trucks were ever built. Original sketch of the truck is displayed in Anticlopedia Alexis De Sakhnoffky Streamline Design World (at the bottom of the page). My model is based on a standard White coe truck, modified to accomodate the streamlined tank. However, it possible that more radical modifications to the standard truck could have been done in real life. Also, figures in patent D105,899 are somewhat in disagreement. Fig.1. (top) suggests a relatively long wheelbase (probably 157' in terms of standard coe wheelbases) while Fig.3. (bottom left) implies a shorter wheelbase (probably 121'). When modelling both wheelbases were considered: 121' seems far too short, whereas 157' results in a excessively long tanker body. Thus both possibilities were rejected and the model was constructed using 139' wheelbase as a compromise. Interestingly, a similar design for semitrailer tank body was patented (D107,149; filed April 22, 1937; accepted Nov.23, 1937) at around the same time by Edward Gill, assignor to Andrew A. Kramer. A coincidence? |
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Images (Click on a thumbnail below to view a full-size image)
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| The complete high resolution versions of all patents are available on the website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. |
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Last update: 04.12.2008 |