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Designing Chassis for Passenger Comfort

8th February 1935
Page 79
Page 80
Page 79, 8th February 1935 — Designing Chassis for Passenger Comfort
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

HE bodies and internal equipment of modern 1 coaches and buses have been brought to a high standard of excellence. Has the chassis maker kept apace with this progress? His is the harder task, arid undoubtedly he: has responded splendidly to requirements. However, the avenus along which future efforts to enhance the comfort of passengers might advantageously be directed should repay exploration. • Road shocks, vibration and forward, rearward and lateral impulses comprise the causes of discomfort. The obvious 'method of reducing them isto attempt to improve suspension systems, weight proportioning, axle arrangements, power units, transmissions and brakes.

Elsewhere in this issue we point to the future possibility of considerably higher velocities. If these materialize, the matter gains importance.

To design a good suspension system for a coach should not be difficult, because the percentage difference between laden and unladen weight is not great. The attractions of the short wheelbase should be carefully weighed against its inferior riding qualities. Replacing two wheels by a fourwheeled bogie is a means for halving road shocks. Rigid control of axle movements in fore and aft and transverse. directions should be studied. Ajz springs, recoil dampers and so forth, although they have sometimes been deprecatingly described ks after-thoughts, added to save inferior springing, are valuable items of suspension equipment, whilst the high efficiency of rubber suspension has already been proved in the goods-carrying field, and torsional springs merit -further experiment.

Few engines, particularly of the compressionignition type, have no period of vibration throughout their range of revolutions, and the best sprung seat does not wholly insulate the passenger from this form of disturbance. He is not pleased when he finds difficulty in reading his paper on this account. Rubber mountings, light reciprocating parts, balanced crankshafts, heavy engine-bodies and flywheels, and, of course, multiplicity of cylinders, contribute to its elimination. Transmissions also are sometimes offenders in this respect Sudden acceleration and retardation cannot always be avoided, but unnecessary jerks of this sort are more easily created if clutches and brakes be fierce in operation and gears be hard to change. That there is little wrong with the fitness of ortho dox components is evidenced by their general survival, but hydraulic couplings, torque .converters, easy-changing gearboxes and so forth are formidable competitors.

Excessive Appeal Costs

AFTER four years of operation of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, it is time that the cost of appeals be reduced. Transcripts of proceedings before the Traffic Commissioners are essential if a case is 'adequately to be presented on appeal, but, for a small operator whose application, by reason of the zeal of objectors, occupies two or more days, the fee of 6d. per folio of 72 words a, heavy burden. At that rate, a transcript of two days' proceedings would probably cost E20 or more, a fee which is, in our opinion, at least 50 per cent. too high. It would be less costly to have a record taken privately.

In addition, excessive costs are, in our view, being imposed upon some appellants who fail in their cases, presumably with the object of discouraging appeals. Such action is strongly to be deprecated, for the public-service-vehicle owner is more than entitled to the apology for a square• deal which he receives under the existing appeal procedure. The restrictions surrounding him are, in themselves, an unreasonable burden, which must seriously affect receipts.

Hauliers are also finding that an appeal is an expensive undertaking, and our remarks concerning the cost of transcripts apply with equal force on this side of the industry. It is obvious that an operator would not lodge an appeal unless the decision under dispute had a far-reaching effect upon his business, and he cannot usually afford to face further heavy expenditure.

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