I always wondered about these. Never actually saw one.
Were they phased out in the late 60’s? I cant find any information about them by googling.
They obviously brought the lorry to a halt in the event of a driver emergency (heart attack etc?) But how exactly did they operate? and why no modern equivalent?
BTW (stupid question I know), what would happen if you put the handbrake on at 60mph in a fully freighted artic?
Last DMH i had on a lorry was on the K regd so 72 regd Foden which was my first artic, course that needed a dead man because it had no air parking brake, it had a brake drum on the back of the diff operated by a normal handbrake lever.
Dead man operated tractor unit steering axle and trailer brakes only, in theory if the footbrake caused a drive axle lock up (remember we are before even load sensing valves at this point) and possible jack knife, the switched on driver could release the footbrake and instead stop on the dead man 
, in that Foden the dead man stayed in teh position you applied it to so was the effective parking brake for hill starts etc, but no use as a parking brake as such because no spring brakes then so once air drained out the brakes would release 
.
Not to be confused with the trailer only parking lever as found on Scanias up to 110, can’t remember if 111 and 112 still had the trailer only brake, have feeling they did.
In a way the dead man carried on for many years, as the initial application of the parking brake, eg Clayton Dewandre as found on S80 Fodens, operated as the dead man and parking brake took over after you’d gone past the parking brake locking device, button or gate, and applied parking brake.
I’m not sure now if the standard secondary brake on all lorries still leaves off the tractor drive axle, probably not needed any more like that with anti lock load sensed brakes all round.
My coffee would make a spectacular mess.
The term “Dead man’s handle” is a bit of a misnomer, whereas on a railway locomotive, the driver holds a handle down to hold the brakes off. If the driver becomes “Dead”, his hand leaves the “Dead man’s handle”, and the brakes are applied.
The so called “Dead man’s handle” on a truck only acted on the trailer brakes and could be used sparingly to prevent your trailer pushing you down a gradient, so saving the tractor brakes for any more sharp braking.
I believe this system went out with the advent of the new systems, in the days up till then, there were three brake suzies, and only one electrical suzie.
scanias had em right upto 113 and 143 mid nineties somosiera or old ip5 portugal u could always spot the guys that were bit to keen with it by the billowing smoke 
Tripledaclutch:
what would happen if you put the handbrake on at 60mph in a fully freighted artic?
The last one I had was on a 1983 Road Commander
As well explained earlier the “dead man’s handle” was a misnomer. It was an early type of secondary braking system and was a compulsory requirement after the introduction of the 1965 Construction and Use Regulations. From 1969 It was a legal requirement on pre-1965 goods vehicles that had to have secondary air braked systems fitted to comply with newly introduced braking standards for annual Testing and Plating. With such a system the vehicle could either operate at its original gross vehicle weight, or in some cases it could be up-rated to a higher gross vehicle weight if the vehicle manufacturer had factored in potential weight increases in its original design weight. On rigids so converted the secondary braking system operated on the rear wheels, actuated by either an air-assisted handbrake, or more commonly a hand operated handle. For artics it was a hand operated handle that activated the trailer brakes and the front axle brakes of the tractor unit. I had a 1965 Seddon rigid with a design weight of 16 tons (imperial) that was converted to secondary braking with a “dead man’s handle” and it operated at that weight (then the maximum for a 2-axle rigid). It also had a ratchet pull handbrake that would meet the braking standard as well, but it was not legally acceptable as a secondary system. We also uprated a 1959 Leyland Super Comet from 14 tons gvw to 15 tons gvw by fitting a secondary braking system, again with a “dead man’s handle”.
Very handy for getting rid of them pesky car drivers that loved to either sit right up your arse or worse still those that when overtaking you would get as far as your back axles and stay there, just keep your foot to floor and pull the dead man on, the squeal and smoke that used to come off the tyres soon made them back off,…not that I would do such a thing.
Ossie
We had numerous 4 & 6 wheel Albions in the mid sixties all fitted with the multi ratchet hand brake and the dead man lever fitted on the RHS of the steering column.
They were usually utilised as the “handbrake” during the day and the ratchet only used when the vehicle was parked for the night.
As you can guess someone would park up in the yard using the dead man, forget to apply the ratchet and then go home.
The air pressure could drop over night and if parked on any kind of incline the wagon would readily roll of its own accord.
Cheers Tyneside
This is the last lorry I ever drove fitted with a ‘dead man’, pictured when she was new in 1968 (and supplied by Rastone!)
As stated above, it was simply a handle on the steering column, just below the wheel and very easy to grab with the right hand in an emergency. In the case of this one, it only operated on the trailer brakes.
All other artics I drove after the early/mid 70’s had only two line air braking and had no ‘dead man’, so the system must have been phased out around that time.
Steve
stevejones:
scanias had em right upto 113 and 143 mid nineties somosiera or old ip5 portugal u could always spot the guys that were bit to keen with it by the billowing smoke
correct. 
very handy tool.
On the continent we never had the 3 line suzie with the dead man’s handle, but we had the trailer brake handle into the nineties.
This operate the trailer brake through the service line.
In Volvo and Scania (F10/12, 141,142, 143) the handle would not lock and was one the dashboard.
On the Daf 2000, 2300 the handle was under the steering wheel and would stay in position you put it in.
Was driving ferry trailers that time (tilts and reefers) and was told by the gaffer only to use the trailer brake if possible.
His thoughts where, I pay for my brakes, and the trailer companies pay for theirs, so may as well wear theirs.
With the introduction of ABS they stopped this system as it is not compatible with ABS.
They where very handy for tug test in the trailer after hooking up.
I have noticed that some new Volvo’s have a button to put trailer brakes on.
caledoniandream:
On the continent we never had the 3 line suzie with the dead man’s handle, but we had the trailer brake handle into the nineties.
This operate the trailer brake through the service line.
In Volvo and Scania (F10/12, 141,142, 143) the handle would not lock and was one the dashboard.
On the Daf 2000, 2300 the handle was under the steering wheel and would stay in position you put it in.Was driving ferry trailers that time (tilts and reefers) and was told by the gaffer only to use the trailer brake if possible.
His thoughts where, I pay for my brakes, and the trailer companies pay for theirs, so may as well wear theirs.
.
My memory is telling me that the Volvo F10/12’s trailer brake handle was on the left hand side of the steering column 
I think, and that for sure, the early models such as an F1017 that I drove had the splitter switch on the dash board instead of the gear stick, and yes I thought I was dead cool
The Berliet/R series Renaults had the option for a trailer brake behind the parking brake which was behind the gearstick. The parking brake was applied by being drawn from a forward position backwards still it locked, and the trailer brake was applied from a position away from you and being drawn towards you(left to right) but was lightly sprung to return to off on release 
And yours wasn’t the only guvnor whom wanted to wear out the ferry trailer brakes first, mine did too
As far as I remember, the Fodens were on the left of the column and the 12 speed range on the right. Am I right ?
Ste46:
All other artics I drove after the early/mid 70’s had only two line air braking and had no ‘dead man’, so the system must have been phased out around that time.
As Gingerfold said it was the early type method used to operate the secondary system.
That was later transferred to being integral with the foot brake valve operation but still with the three line system at that point.IE there was no connection between the move from three line to two line v hand operated secondary v foot brake.
peterm:
As far as I remember, the Fodens were on the left of the column and the 12 speed range on the right. Am I right ?
Yep, S39 was like that, S40 and S80 the range change was on the gearstick.
S80 didn’t have a dead man as such, the parking brake was to the right of the driver’s seat, bloody good positive in use Clayton Dewandre unit, pull it straight back for secondary brake (presumably still steering axle and trailer only) or push it forward then to the right and then lock it back for parking brake, gave an almighty whistle from the valve when you either applied or released the parking brake, which i liked cos you knew for sure it was on.
I can’t remember what S40 had cos i only had one for a few months while before getting an S80 , me first artic with power steering, yay 
Juddian:
peterm:
As far as I remember, the Fodens were on the left of the column and the 12 speed range on the right. Am I right ?Yep, S39 was like that, S40 and S80 the range change was on the gearstick.
S80 didn’t have a dead man as such, the parking brake was to the right of the driver’s seat, bloody good positive in use Clayton Dewandre unit, pull it straight back for secondary brake (presumably still steering axle and trailer only) or push it forward then to the right and then lock it back for parking brake, gave an almighty whistle from the valve when you either applied or released the parking brake, which i liked cos you knew for sure it was on.
I can’t remember what S40 had cos i only had one for a few months while before getting an S80
[/quote]Those valves must have been just fitted to the artics as our S80 eight leggers only had a normal single action handbrake valve for the spring brakes located between the drivers seat and bonnet? Our S40’s still had the transmission handbrake and triple diapraghm front axle chambers and the range change on the right, but they were recabbed from K reg S50 halfcabs so retained the original brake system of course. Don’t we sound bloody old!!
Pete.
windrush:
Juddian:
peterm:
As far as I remember, the Fodens were on the left of the column and the 12 speed range on the right. Am I right ?Yep, S39 was like that, S40 and S80 the range change was on the gearstick.
S80 didn’t have a dead man as such, the parking brake was to the right of the driver’s seat, bloody good positive in use Clayton Dewandre unit, pull it straight back for secondary brake (presumably still steering axle and trailer only) or push it forward then to the right and then lock it back for parking brake, gave an almighty whistle from the valve when you either applied or released the parking brake, which i liked cos you knew for sure it was on.
I can’t remember what S40 had cos i only had one for a few months while before getting an S80
[/quote]Those valves must have been just fitted to the artics as our S80 eight leggers only had a normal single action handbrake valve for the spring brakes located between the drivers seat and bonnet? Our S40’s still had the transmission handbrake and triple diapraghm front axle chambers and the range change on the right, but they were recabbed from K reg S50 halfcabs so retained the original brake system of course. Don’t we sound bloody old!!
Pete.
Hey Pete, you’ve got me thinking now, my memory (which is buggered) is telling me the S80 brake was to the right of the drivers seat, but bloody nora this is around 1979 and i can’t remember what i did 10 minutes ago these days
, so best say i ‘think’ the brake was on the offside.
I suppose the secondary brake valving would have been different with a tractor unit, hopefully some bugger else who drove S80 artics can confirm one way or t’other.edit, rethinking it, you pulled the handle back for secondary, but the gate was in a small letter h pattern, so straight back for secondary, or half way back then round the corner for locking the parking brake on instead (that sound like yours), so in practice you’d pull the secondary fully on, then push it slightly forward then round the corner to lock it on park.
Jees its like puling teeth trying to recall these things.I’d like to say our Motor Panels cabbed S40’s had a proper air parking brake, but i still can’t remember, i know it still had a bloody 180 Gardner so plodding was the order of the day, but by heck it was bloody site more roomy and comfy than an S39.
No Juddian, our S80 valves were just straightforward on/off but you had to lift the knob before moving it otherwise the locking plunger wore away and the brake jumped off! One of our lads was sheeting up when a S80 on the weighbridge ‘ran away’, he had just moved from the rear to the side as the runaway smashed into the back of his truck, a lucky escape for him! The valves were modified after that.
Pete.
