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SEATING COMFORT IN BUSES AND COACHES.

7th February 1928, Page 147
7th February 1928
Page 147
Page 148
Page 147, 7th February 1928 — SEATING COMFORT IN BUSES AND COACHES.
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How the Ease of the Passenger is Studied by the Designers of Modern Service-vehicle Bodies.

APROMINENT feature of present-day bus and coach design is the amount of attention which is paid to ensuring the comfort of the passenger. As the number of seats available is of first importance, this increase of comfort might have entailed a reduction in carrying capacity, but it has been made possible because the body space of the chassis has been lengthened, either by fitting the chassis with forward control, by mounting it as a sixwheeler or, if no extra room be provided, then the designer has exercised greater ingenuity in the detail design of the seats.

• As a rule the public-service-vehicle proprietor wants four ,seats in a row with a central gangway, a requirement which does not allow more than an inch or so of divergence from the legal minimum of 1 ft, 4 ins, of seat length per person, even when the body may be built up to the 7-ft. 6-in, limit of width.

Back and Arm Rests.

As it is impossible under these conditions to increase the length of the seat to any appreciable extent, the best use is made of it by adding to the depth of the back rest, by fitting a full squab down to the cushion level, by padding it with the best materials, which give ease and resilience, or by shaping the back so that it is hollowed slightly for each passenger. Instead of relying entirely on padding or the shape of the beck of the seat this part is mounted on supports of flat steel, so that it has a range of flexibility of. 3 ins. or 4 ins.

This idea may also be developed to the extent of mounting each seat back separately, so that one passenger can exert pressure on the back of the seat without interfering with his fellow-traveller, who may prefer to sit more upright. Any of these features are quite suitable for in chiding in the specification of a service bus, but if a 'greater degree of luxuriousness be required, arm rests are provided at either end of the double seat. There will not be room for an arm rest on either side of each passenger unless the gangway be restricted and fixed, or unless sliding windows are used instead of those of the drop pattern. This object can also be attained if the seating capacity per row be reduced to three by placing a double seat on one side and a single seat on the other.

two rows of seats as closely coupled as 1 ft.10 ins, from seat back to seat back, whilst none would be more than 2 ft. 2 ins. apart. Nowadays 2 ft. 3 ins, is a common dimension in service buses, and, although the extra inch or so may seem trifling, it is sufficient to make all the difference between ease and discomfort. The roof seats of double-deckers are often wider apart than this, in spite of the fact that more seats are provided there than on the lower deck. This is because the number of extra seats required to maintain an acceptable ratio of the loads on either deck makes but a moderate demand on a floor area which may be extended by utilizing a reasonable portion of the front and rear roof canopies.

Seat Structures.

The typical bus seat is often made chiefly of wood, a material which facilitates the making up of any specially shaped framework for the seat backs. Wood is also indispens able for the foundation of the cushion, but weight is saved if the board so used actually forms the base of the cushion, and the seatboard is dispensed with by inserting the cushion so mounted in a hollow frame of angle steel.

• Wooden seat legs and their struts can be cut out of comparatively small pieces of timber which might otherwise be wasted, but they present many ledges for the collection of dirt. 'A better seat support is of hollow Metal, which is elliptical in section and with a smooth ex • terior.

For the long-distance vehicle wicker chairs are sometimes employed. The novel and inviting appearance of this style of separate seat makes a strong appeal to the traveller, and it is likely that its use will be extended, especially if it be found that the durability of the wickerwork compares favourably with that of the more conventional materials. The passenger seat of the near future will probably be -made principally of metal stampings.

American coaches are already being fitted with chairs having seat backs no less than 25 ins., in height above the cushion level and with an individual adjustment to each seat back, which is under the control of the passenger. The necessary mechanism is concealed and does not curtail the footroom under the seat.

Improving the Uncushioned Seat. With the increasing popularity of the covered-top double-decker, the uncushioned wooden-lath seat will soon be regarded as a relic of the past. But every double-decker cannot at once be provided with a top saloon, so that it is possible that attempts will be made to design an improved waterproof seat. The wooden slats could be mounted on neat coil or plate springs with flexible backs and made much in the same way as the seats for the lower decks, whilst the principle of individual seating could also be applied, especially as there is more space available on the upper deck.

When the seat has cushions there is no doubt that a separate squab for each passenger gives more comfort than one long cushion.

Coiled springs, with or without an overlay of spring mesh, give plenty of resilience, but an excellent foundation may also be formed with a series of spring laths or with a steel mesh alone, both of which are strong and highly compact and, therefore, most suitable for bodywork where space is severely limited. These foundations require little or no padding beyond a suitable lining or reinforcement for the outer covering, so that the upholstery as a whole is hygienic, because such material as horsehair and less-refined stuffing materials can be dispensed with.

As the length of the cushion must be kept within well-defined limits, its comfort, so far as its dimensions are concerned, must therefore rely on its width from front to back. An inch or two may be added if the back of the seat in front is of 'hell 042 low formation, but any increase in cushion width naturally reduces the space which would otherwise be allotted to the transverse gangways. This is not of much importance, since the passenger is usually able to support himself by means of a commode handle near at hand, or by some part of the seat structure itself.

The Importance of the Seat Back.

It will be seen, therefore, that the seat back plays an important part in the general scheme of comfort. It should be shaped in front so that each passenger is properly registered in position. If it be high, the shoulders and spine are well supported, whilst any adjustment provided relieves the tedium of a long journey. The junction of the back with the cushion base should never present a sharp edge, but should be well rounded, or, if space be restricted, be hollowed or bevelled, so that it falls in line more or less with the natural inclination of the legs of the passenger. In most cases, however, enough room is allowed to enable the passenger to keep his legs clear of this point.

Variety of Finish.

Much greater variety is now evident in the colours, patterns and textures adopted for the covering of the seat. Apart from the antique and other grains of leather and leather cloth and the wide range of colourings available in moquette and other textiles suitable for this work, it is noted that leather may be used for such hardworn parts as the elbows, the tops of the seat backs and cushion fronts, the rest of the seat being covered in moquette or another cloth.

Movable and Reversible Seats.

For the observation coach the fixed type of seat will seldom be exclusively required. If the back of the body has windows all round, the seats should be movable either as separate chairs with some kind of suction-cup base or with plenty of floor-bearing surface, so that they do not tend to creep with the movement of the vehicle or with any marked difference in its speed.

A separate chair lends itself to an almost limitless range of patterns, since it can be designed as a real chair without its having to be modified, because it has to be attached to the main structure of the body. A set of separate chairs should be valuable as a means for giving individuality and character to a high-class coach.

As a compromise between the fixed and movable type, the reversible seat is useful in a long-distance bus or coach. This type of seat is now available with a mechanism which tilts the seat automatically when the hinged back is reversed, so that the passenger has the same rake of cushion for both inclinations of the seat. Although the reversible seat is made comfortable by means of a high back and broad cushiOn, it is not of a pattern which can be • made easily with a hollow

• shaped back or arm rests.

The Driver's Seat.

As a finishing touch to a set of handsome and well-designed passenger seats, the bus or coach should have a driver's seat in keeping. with the rest of the equipment. Vehicles used in the provinces leave little to be desired regarding weather protection for the drivers, but often the cushion and backrest could be improved. The driver does not want a deeply-sprung and flexible backrest, because it does not help him with his pedal work, but, at the same time, this part of the seat might be twice as thick as it often is and much deeper. Incidentally, the average driver's cushion is only stuffed and then not always with the best materials.

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