Outside Seats and Aprons for Omnibuses.
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One of the few exhibits at the recent Municipal Exhibition, which possessed any considerable interest to the user or manufacturer of commercial motor vehicles, was that staged by Messrs. Brawn and Company, of r, Prested Road, Clapham Junction, S.W., and 204, Queen's Road, Battersea, S.W. This firm has, for some years now, specialised in the
production of patented dry seats for use on the tops of omnibuses and on similar public-service vehicles. Its latest effort in this direction takes the form ofa slatted seat, in which the strips of wood, set on edge, are of such a form that it is practically imposssible for any moisture to remain lodged on the upper surface for any time. The slats are held together by a small strip of pressed-sheet, channel-section nictal,. which runs transversely across them. It is probable that this method of construction cannot be improved upon for this particular purpose, and for cheapness of production it leaves little to be desired. The photograph which we reproduce on this page shows a method that Messrs. Brawn and Company have adopted for the mounting of the ordinary wooden seats on springs. The larger omnibus companies manufacture their own seats throughout. but, undoubtedly, smaller builders of public-service vehicle bodies will be glad to be able to obtain such fittings as these from the makers.
The managers of char4i-hancs services in the country and at the seaside, would add to the comfort of their passengers by adoptin,g a spring seat.
Iii conjunction with this special form of dry seat, Messrs. Brawn and Company have, on several earlier occasions, shown their patented method of carrying waterproof aprons on outside tram and bus seats. In motor omnibus work, it has always been noticeable that the driver or fitter has a rooted dislike to employing anything else than a passenger's
apron for keeping his knees out of the grease or dirt when he is underneath the machine effecting a repair, with the result that the apron becomes covered with grease and other dirt, which is not always removed before the apron is replaced on the top of the bus : no amount of surveillance will ensure that the aprons are not put to some illicit use at one time or another. Messrs. Brawn provide a light iron frame, attached. to the back of each seat, and this frame, which carries the apron, can be brought forward for use by the passenger behind the seat to which it is. attached. The London: Road Car Company has employed these fittings on its horse omnibuses for many years. It is, of course, a considerable advantage to be able to ensure that the apron is not removed from the place • assigned to it, but we fhink the makers would do well to arrange that it is kept welt out of the way when the weather does not require its immediate use.
For motor omnibuses, there is a great deal to recommend. the employment of these useful appliances. The cost of their installation is very low, and the actual claims made by the makers are categoricallyset forth in their pamphfet-as follows : (i) passengers are better protected from the cold and wet ; (2) the aprons--are kept clean and always ready for use ; (3) they cannot be thrown about and trodden under foot ; (4) being secured to the frames, the aprons cannot get lost or stolen ; (5) the seats are more securely covered .and kept dry ;
(6) an equal share of the apron is secured to each person ; (7) 5o per cent, is saved in the wear of the aprons: