UNDERS LUNG MOUNTING
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In a New Coach Body
Novel Features in a New Design, These Including a Low Floor Level, Oblique Window Pillars, Electric All-weather Head and Self-adjusting Seats COACHBUILDERS, aiming at the production of a bus body that has a low floor level, begrudge the additional height which results from the thickness of the cross-bearers below the floorboards. A method of construction has just been brought to our notice which dispenses altogether with the use of floor cross-members, so that
• the floorboards are separated from the chassisi frame-members by -only a thickness of felt. in the case of a small
coach body built on a Chevrolet chassis the saving in height is nearly 41 ins.
We have watched the construction of such a coach at the works of Messrs. London Motor Bodies, at 283, Mayall Road, S.E.24, the partners in this concern being Mr. R. W. Bird, who has had 12 years' eoachbuilding experience, and Mr. J'. W. Reeves, who has been
engaged in bodybuilding in the south of Loudon, for several years.
To obtain two frame outriggers on each side of the chassis at a lower height than the top of the frame, two' chamiel-steel cross-members are hung by U-bolts 'from the frame-members, one amidships and the other behind the rear wheels. In the case of a larger vehicle more than two ontrigger members would be employed. So as to clear the propeller shaft the forward cross-member is bowed downward— incidentally, it would prevent the propt-her shaft from falling to the ground should that component, for any reason, come adrift.
Longitudinal ash bearers for the body, 9 ins, wide and lA in. deep, rest upon these outriggers, being suitably strengthened around the wheel-arches with edge plates of I-in. by 1i-in. halfround steel bar, bent to shape. The longitudinal bearers are level with the frame-top, the floorboards being bolted and screwed diFect to them and separated from the chassis frameby" felt. The frame overhung is extended by lengths of 21-in. angle-iron, the overall length of the body from the dashboard being 12 ft. 6 ins.—sufficient to provide ample room for 14 seats of the long-distance-coach type.
So much for the underslung mounting. The side pillars of this body are bowed outward to give a pleasing side panel contour and are sloped backward in a manner that is quite new to motor-coach practice. To avoid obstructing flitch plates within the body interior, the side pillars are stoutly flitched by wide i-in. steel plates located between the floor bearers and the valance. There is further flitehing at the cant-rail joints. The body framework is of English ash, the flooring being of tongued and grooved deal boards.
A special kind of sliding roof is fitted to this coach. Ash bearers fore and aft dr.termine the width of the opening which, in this case, is 4 ft. 6 ins., the
length being 8 ft. 6 ins. The roof operates on the lazy-tongs principle, the mechanism being propelled by an electric motor through the medium of a steel worm engaging with a phosphorbronze wormwheei keyed on a transverse 'shaft that is left-hand and righthand threaded, the motor being housed in the rear dome. It is arranged to be reversible in action.
There; are four mortised running hoop-sticks, the ends of which slide by a clever ball-bearing arrangement upon angle-iron rails. Two spring rollers are 'located in the rear dome, upon which the waterproof covering and ceiling lining (if any) are wound when the roof is open.
L. clever device is employed for weatherproofing the edges. An eccentrically mounted 1-in, tube is carried
outside the roof along each edge of the sliding central section. A forked boss on each end of the front hoop-stick engages with a lever on this tubular cam, actuating it positively,' so that, just as the head closes, the tube is pulled down tightly on the fabric end, with the opening of the head, the pressure is released.
The vehicle has been designed especially for long-distance travel and, with this 'in, view, the patent Resteze seat, -which, incidentally, is fully described elsewhere in this issue, has been employed. The seat back and cushion are free to move in conformity with every slight adjustment of the passengers' position.
The fall-in sides and back of this ingeniously arranged body eliminate the ton-heavy appearance which is difficult to avoid with 14-seaters built upon small chassis, and the oblique window pillars aid in the completion of a specially smart turnout.
The action of the drop windows is such that Hobson's quadrant regulator is found to be a particularly suitable form of winder. The vehicle has three doors, one on each side at the front end, the third being on the near side at
the rear. The wheel-arch does not snake serious difficulties in the arrange.. ment of the seats, because there is an unusually large floor space.
The weight of the body is approximately equal to that of the normal 14seater, and we are told that the price is £225, including fitting to the chassis and finishing in cellulose, moquette of a pleasing shade being utilized for the upholstery.