New Duple All-metal
Page 41
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Double-deck Body
I " N .a new all-metal double-deck bus
body being .built by Duple Motor
.Bodies, Ltd., Edgware OW, The Hyde, London, N.W.9, not only is the design such as to simplify conStruction, hut the all-important matter of 'subsequent Maintenance has received a full nieasure of attention.
In construction, .extensive • use has been made of special extrusions in light alloy. For instance, the extruded waist rails, whilst providing a light but extremely .rigid top beam, have the inside waist moulding extruded -into the section, which means that a large number of unsightly screwheads has been eliminated on the interior .finishers.
The lower-saloon ‘ over-light rail, which is of the same section, but used in an inverted position, also provides for a clean screwless finish of the ends of the ceiling Panels.
Simplifying Maintenance •
A main feature in the design is that the lower saloon and upper deck are built as units. being joined through the medium of strong intermediate brackets, rigidly fixing the top of the lowersaloon pillars and the bottom of the upper-saloon pillars to their individual brackets.
The gap formed by the top of the lower saloon and the bottom of the upper deck is covered by wide decorative moulding, the removal of Which give§ access to all the location bolts, an important maintenance feature.
The inside side truss panels. from waist, rail to seat rail, are overlapped at each pillar, being riveted to the St.tbstautial pillar flanges by •it-in. steel ponch-eountersunk. rivets. The extruded T-seetion seat rail forms a rigid
unbroken beam from the front bulkhead to the rear wheel-arch framing, a method of construction which imparts great strength to the bottom of the side truss plates.
At the top of this truss the sheets are riveted to a special light-alloy extruded section forming the waist rail. The side truss plates, in conjunction with the upper-saloon side trusses, help to provide a rigid bridge girder between the bulkheads. .
The top cant-rail is a full-length member which tends to increase the rigidity of the connection betweenthe side and upper roof through the medium of a roof corner-gusset, which is riVeted to the inside flange of the cant section as well as to the outer flange of the underside corner gusset.
The pressed inside window 'finishers, in conjunction with the flush glazing, provide a modern clean interior with radiused comers at the top and bottom of each window. The latter, of the slid ing type, can neither jam nor change position through vibration.
Above the near-side seats in the lower saloon is a substantial parcels. rack, and in both saloons there is a Clayton canopy-type heater. Dimlopillo cushions arc used and, in the case of the lower saloon, are trimmed with patterned moquette, and in the upper saloon with leather.
The body, of low-bridge type, has seats for 53 passengers, 26 in.the lower saloon and 27 on the upper deck. At the front and rear bulkheads the body is rigidly fixed to the chassis, but • between these points it is suspended on conical Metalastik mountings.
An important feature from file maintenance angle is that all the wiring is accessible without the need for removing any body panels. The body being jig built, spare parts can be introduced without difficulty.
Whilst light-alloy sections have been used extensively, steel is employed where the members are heavily stressed. It is not intended that the body should be regarded as of lightalloy construction, as steel of lighter section may he used for certain mem-. hers in similar bodies now going through the works.
The first body on the foregoing principle, and based on a Guy chassis with Gardner 6LW engine, was delivered this week to Red and White Services, Ltd.