MOTOR COACH HOODS
Page 38
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A ReAnne of Recently Published Patents.
Designers of touring ears were quite a long time in evolving what is called the " one-rnan " hood, and there are still many indignant users who will tell you that such a thing has never yet been designed or made. The prohlem is naturally considerably intensified when the hood is expected to cover a char-abanes and 30 passengers, instead of the usual car with its five, and many and various are the devices which have been, and still are being, tried in order to render. the coach hood, if not a. "oneman " affair, at least .a fitting which can be erected or stowed away with a minimum of trouble, and, as, for example, when sudden heavy showers come On, in the minimum of time. We have from time to time made reference to such designs on this page, and it is fitting that in the present numberr which is particularly devoted to the interests of motor coach owners and users, the principal topic for "discussion should be the motor coach hood.
The particular object of II. II. Hap. good, who is responsible for the invention of a motor hood which is described in patent specification No. 158692, has been, besides that of diminishing the necessary .expenditure of trouble and time involved in the manipulation of the hood, to eliminate the need for a number of vertical hood sticks descending from the hood to the sides of the vehicle, these acting as obstructions both to the view and general convenience of the passengers. The characteristic feature of this invention is, therefore, tile means of supporting the hood throughout its length. In all but the longest of vehicles this inventor claims that the hood, as made according to his specifitation, needs no side supports between the front and rear, and even in the longest, but one pair of central pillars are required. He actually carries the weight of the hood upon wires secured at their front ends to specially strengthened windscreen supports, and at their rear. to winches mounted upon the rear support for the hood.
B34 In describing the principle of this invention we have almost completed a description conveying all the essential features of the invention. A reference to the accompanying drawing will practically complete its elucidation so far as the reader is concerned. It may, however, be worth while to point out that the two wires pass round pulleys on the windscreen supports and are hooked or otherwise attached together at their extremities over the centre of the wind screen. The winches to which their other ends are attached are mounted one each on a vertical pillarnear the hack seat of the coach. Each winch is fitted with ,a ratchet and a handle for its operation. The hood itself is made in the usual manner, and is stiffened by a num.bar ofehood sticks disposed at about the usual distance apart, but not projecting beyond the edge of the hood itself, The eticks each carry a pair of eyelets, and these are supported upon the Wire.
The following is the method of operation : If it is desired to raise the hood, the wires are brought forward round the pulleys on the windscreen and attached together. They are then tightened by means of the winches, after which the hood can, be slid along them to its extended position, the front end being secured in the usual. manner by long -straps, each attached to a bracket fixed to the front end of the frame or in some other convenient. position. In the case of a 30 seater char-a-bancs it is also necessary to erect a central pair of hood sticks. To collapse the hoed these hood sticks are released, as well as the straps at the front. The hood is then. slid back along the taut wires, the wires themselves uncoupled and wound on to the barrels of the winches. The rear portion of the'hood, with sticks, with winches and wire, can then be folded beat into the customary position at the back of the coach.
Alternative arrangements of details of this hood have reference in the specification, and the inventor draws 'attention to the need for stiffening or specially supporting the pillars for the windscreen in order that they may withstand the strain of the tight wire.
Other Patents of Interest.
G. Evans and 3.. and E. Hall, Ltd., describe in No. 158791 a novel method of mounting, springs on the axle. To be precise, they .mount the spring inside the axle, a slot of the necessary dimensions :being qut in the body of the axle itself. The hole is naturally larger than the spring, which is fitted_ with a sleeve, which, an its underside, is double lipped to fit corresponding recesses in the axle. On its upper surface it tapers fore and aft, being thicker at the centre than at the ends. The spring is secured in position in the axle by means of a. pair of Wedges drawn together by bolts and bearing on the clue side against the hole in the axle and at die other against the tapered portion of the sleeve which carries the spring.
No. 158712-, by E. R. Belling, is a detail improvement or the well-known Timesaver one-Way motor plough. The invoution is in collection with the method by Which the plough L9 Slung from the frame of the tractor, and the principal objects are : to reduce the amount of relative motion between the tractor and plough when reversing, to prevent the idle gang of ploughsheres from acting-as a counterbalance to the one which is at work, and to give the driver of the tractor better control of the implement, thus dispensing with the need for a second man.
A method of mounting brake liners on loose segments, which are clipped into place on the brake band is described in No. 158698 by R. B. Hartman. The con. struction allows of the reneiVal of the lining of worn segments, and eliminates the need for fitting complete linings when only a comparatively small portion is worn.
No. 158668, by H. T. Rendell, describes improvements in apparatus for loading and unloading vehicles. The patentee refers to the type of removable body or flat, and he indicates means whereby the rails on the main and subsidiary vehicles on which the movable bodies are slid, may automatically be brought into line when transhipment is to be effected.
L. W. Woodhead in No, 158660 describes a tractor wheel which is built up of a couple of discs, into which are fitted, just below the rims, a number of radially disposed crossbars. He claims that the discs offer sufficient .surface to allow of the tractor travelling conveniently on a hard road, while the crossbars serve as strakes for propulsion in the field. In the lubrioating apparatus described in No. 158648, by A. H. R. Fedden, the delivery pipe from the pump projects vertically into the engine crankcase, and revolves so long as the engine is working.
The keynote of No. 158611, by L. L. Scott, is automatism. The invention relates how fuel, oil, and air are delivered to the burners of a boiler for a motorcar, and how the amount of fuel, the pressure of the same, the delivery of water, etc., may be automatically controlled according to engine requirements and other phenomena.