1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152 
Ambulance Progress
Page 98
Page 99
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Demands New Designs
Forward Control, V-type Eight-cylindered Engine, Frontwheel Drive, Independent Wheel Suspension — These are Features that May be Found in the Design of the Future
L‘ LTHOUGH, in recent years, considerable progress has been made in the design of ambulances, the ieal vehicle has yet to be produced. everal difficulties bar the way to per!ction, but with a more enlightened utlook on the part of municipalities, iese could easily be overcome.
The ambulance is, perhaps, the most )ecialized of specialized vehicles, callig for an exceptional quality of design. mong the fundamental requirements a reasonably short wheelbase, confined with the maximum of loading 3ace forward of the rear axle. These ansiderations imply the location of the agine as far forward as possible in the lassis.
Then, the susension system must he soft," but without sufficient resiliicy to cause rolling. Minimum floor eight is necessary in the interests of mvenience. in loading and unloading, ad of a low centre of gravity.
Big Engine Desirable.
Another desirable feature is a large iulti-cylindered engine that will afford. Lipid acceleration, coupled with silence nd smoothness of operation. Contrary a widespread belief, high maximum 3eed is, as a rule, unnecessary; because n. the most part ambulances operate congested areas, where brisk accelertion and powerful, but progressive, raking are of paramount importance rapid travel. Silence in transmission, c well as in engine performance, is so necessary.
A high-quality standard chassis may a all that can be desired in mechanical ccellence, but it is not ideal so far as ,yout and dimensions are concerned. t present, the ambulance builder has make the best of a chassis intended 3r less exacting conditions, because rice considerations will not permit of le production of specialized types. tringent economy on the part of munipalities removes the incentive to cperiment and to produce new designs tore suited to their specific purpose. If municipalities would combine to aarantee a sum to cover the cost of c48
the research and experimental work necessary for the production of new types, it is likely that radical changes in ambulance design would take place. At present, the market is too limited and the tender system of purchasing too restrictive to justify much expenditure by individual manufacturers on the., evolution a models which, although superior to existing patterns, might not find a ready sale, on account of their high cost.
It is interesting to conjecture as to the lines which development might take if makers were encouraged to depart from the orthodox.
If normal control be retained, there is much to be said for the V-type eightcylindered engine, which, in addition to possessing the quality of smooth running, is of moderate length and thus affords greater loading space in front of the rear axle than would be possible with a " straight-eight " unit. The engine would be mounted fairly well forward and would transmit power through an hydraulic system.
Why Not Front-wheel Drive?
In this way, the maximum of smooth running would he attained, so far as the engine was concerned, but why not go a step farther and take the drive to the front wheels? If stability when braking on corners be assured, this system should be ideal for the ambulance.
In addition to reducing appreciably the loading height and lowering the centre of gravity, without impairing headroom, it would remove from the patient's compartment the noise of the
transmission line. This type of drive also lends itself to independent wheel suspension, which is another feature that one might well find in a progressive ambulance design.
If it were decided that rear-wheel drive was preferable, the transmission line would undoubtedly be offset, the engine being mounted either at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the chassis, or on the near side, with the driver beside it. Worm gearing for The rear axle would probably he favoured on the score of quietness of operation.
" Benefits of Forward Control.
Forward control opens up new possibilities in ambulance design. With a forward-mounted engine it would afford, perhaps, the ideal layout for passenger accommodation, the patient being located centrally between the axles. In this case, a " straight" . engine might be required, in order to reduce width, a large six-cylindered unit of moderate length being suitable for the purpose.
Other strong arguments in favour of forward control for ambulances are to be found in increased manceuvrability in the congested areas in which such vehicles frequently work, and improved vision for the driver in fog.
So far as bodywork is concerned, the treatment of the panels with a nondrumming material is a desirable feature. Moreover, at present, only one door is usually fitted to an ambulance, with the result that, if the lock jammed, a possibly serious delay might occur before the patient could be removed from the vehicle. In the circumstances, the provision of an emergency door might well be considered.
An interesting possibility is the trailer ambulance. This type (A vehicle could he produced at low cost and would overcome any objection by municipalities to sinking large capital sums in highly specialized machines which might, in an emergency, be commandeered by the Government. The trailer is eminently suited to the mounting of low-loading bodywork, and possesses the added advantage of complete silence in operation.
A well-known ambulance authority recently suggested to a representative of The Commercial Motor that machines. of this type might be provided at intervals on the great arterial roads and be stationed at big garages and other
points in towns and cities. The trailer ambulance could be towed by any passing vehicle, provided that the latter was equipped with some kind of hook, and valuable time might be saved in conveying a patient rapidly to hospital, instead of waiting for an ambulance to be brought from, possibly, a distant station. A national scheme of this nature might be considered.