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Modern Tendencies in

10th February 1931, Page 106
10th February 1931
Page 106
Page 107
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Page 106, 10th February 1931 — Modern Tendencies in
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COACH and Bus

BODYWORK

THE coachbuilder, also the manufacturer who specializes in seats and their equipment, have evolved many different kinds of seat for the passenger vehicle. They vary from the simplest service pattern to the most luxurious type designed for the long-distance coach.

It is considered that the limit of sumptuousness has now been reached and there are indications that more attention is being paid to the question of reducing weight and bulk. The seat designer is also coming to the conclusion that the ideal coach seat is not a close imitation of a club armchair, but one which is made with due regard to the space available and the maintenance of hygienic conditions under the stress of constant use.

The wood-lath seat, such as is to be found on the open upper deck of double-deck buses, may beThard, but it is usually well designed within 1136 the limitations of the material used and it has the merit that it is of minimum weight and is well ventilated.

Although it may not be possible to make an upholstered seat. in the same Way, there is a tendency to provide more depth of cushion and back squab than is justified by modern conditions of travel. It should be remembered that, whilst the comfort offered by the seat has been enhanced, the suspension of the chassis has also been improved.

Seat Resilience and Comfort.

Cushioned seats were used for many years when solid tyres were generally used. Now that largesection pneumatics are' the rule, there does not appears-to' be any urgent need for adding to the resilience of the seat, unless it be to invite custom because of the An interior aspect of a modern coach, showing fittings which can be of untarnishable metal ; these include ashtrays, rug rails, window guards, luggage racks and venti, lating devices.

impressiveness of the armchair of travel.

It is suggested that cushions and squabs should be reduced in thickness and that some means should be adopted for ventilation, such as slotting or dividing the upholstery with corresponding openings in the seat-board, as well as in the back

panelling. • Some attention might also be given to the protection of the passenger, when the upholstery becomes damp owing to contact with wet clothing or through a window being left open. This may be combated by designing the cushion so that it may be reversed. The reversal of the back squab is a more difficult proposition, but it should not be insurmountable.

There are many ways in which luggage may be conveyed. If the luggage-carrying capacity of the vehicle concerned be inadequate, it is usually because the proprietor does not consider it of sufficient importance and not owing to the fact that no practical solution of the problem is forthcoming.

It is of interest to note that the popularity of the sliding roof has not diminished the use of the roof as a means for carrying luggage. The sliding panel is frequently arranged to disappear under the roof locker or rail enclosure.

Interior Luggage Racks.

Moreover, the curved side panel immediately above the tops of the windows form an admirable locaticin for interior luggage racks. There is a .tendency nowadays to make these racks continuous and to enclose them with panels, instead of a network. This partelwork then becomes available for the insertion of lamps, so that the artificial lighting of the coach is not impaired because the roof is not a fixture. The continuous-panelled luggage rack is satisfactory from the standpoint of maintenance, for it may easily be removed for cleaning.

Due regard for the maintenance of a bright and fresh appearance of the interior is now manifested by the use of a leather-cloth finish for the inside of the bus or coach. This material may cover the usual lining boards, or, if a half-dr% window be fitted, the lea ther-cloth may be attachet directly to the inside sur face of the outer panels. II may also be used to covet a fibre-board panel.

In each instance there it$. a small recess under the waist-rail, which may be employed to increase the length of the crosswise seat, thus making the best use of a maximum overall width of body. A fibreboard panel is light in weight, does not drum and is inexpensive.

The passenger vehicle is, as a rule, built for use every day of the year ; consequently, protection must be afforded from the glare of the sun as well as from the cold and rain. Side curtains impart, a cosy appearance, but their adjustment is not always an easy matter. The mounting of the curtain on rods and rings, both top and bottom, has the advantage that the lower edges do not become bedraggled.

The fixed side curtain and pelmet are sometimes used as a window decoration, but ,hese fitments hardly justify their Nxistence in view of the fact that they harbour dust and are diftcult :a clean. The spring-roller blind is an excellent means for covering the window and, when not in use, no item of the equipment is Frore compactly stowed away.

Leather-cloth being available in 1.11 colours and grains provides a method of protection and embellishment without the delay incidental to painting. It is also now utilized as a covering for those parts hitherto finished in bright metal. Whether or not the leather-cloth-covered handrail is to be a permanent feature of passenger body equipment depends chiefly on the difference of first cost and maintenance when compared with those of untarnishable-metal fittings.

It is only a question of time when all fittings which have hitherto had to be cleaned and polished daily will be eliminated from the public-service vehicle. The demand for untarnishable equipment, such as ash-trays, rug rails, window guards, luggage

racks, ventilator and lamp fittings is becoming more widespread, and the coach proprietor expects the bodybuilder to equip the vehicle in a way which will maintain a smart appearance and avoid the need for undue labour.

Improved Ventilation.

If it be impossible to devise a scheme of ventilation which will meet with the approval of every passenger, it may be said that no part of the detail design of the bus or coach has been improved to so great an extent as has that which ensures the maintenance of a supply of fresh air and the removal of the vitiated atmosphere.

With the latest patterns of fitting it is possible to keep the entry of air well under control so as not to create draughts, whilst the removal of the heated air is effected by the employment of efficient and welldesigned extractors.

Permanent ventilation by means of a pierced cant-rail panel is a popular feature of many ventilating systems. Often it is provided in addition to glass louvres over the adjustable windows. It is suggested that it would be an improvement if the closing of the windows did not also stop the ventilating action of these louvres. This could be achieved by arresting the glass run an inch or two from the cant-rail.

Regarding general design, the fully domed roof and rounded back corners still retain their popularity, because of the attractive outline which they give. A flatter roof and a square edge at the cant-rail and back corners would be considered a retrogression, but at the same time more space would be provided inside the body.

The practice of inwardly sloping the sides of the upper saloon of the double-decker is now adopted more frequently for the single-decker. It is not a new feature, but the sloping of the sides is more pronounced. By this means the weight of the roof is reduced and the view upwards is improved.

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