VARIETIES of
Page 16
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
SINGLE-DECK BUS BODY.
Some Details of Four Popular Types, Showing how the Seats may be Arranged with due Regard to Economy of Space and the Comfort of Passengers.
MITE rate of taxation which is 1 imposed upon hackney carriages has an effect on their design in the same way that the horse-power tax is a controlling factor in the design of the private-car chassis. Di the former instance, the tax being assessed according to seating capacity, it is to be expected that the-chassis made will have certain more or less welldefined lengths of body space, so that bodies having the seating capacities specified may be mounted on them.
The taxation schedule, so far as it relates to the singledecker, is based -upon a passenger accommodation of 14, 20, 26, 32 and 40 seats. Although buses are built having any number of seats from 14 to 40, the first four sizes (14, 20, 26 and 32) mentioned may be regarded as typical of those which are to be found in the majority of present-day bus fleets.
There are many buses on the road having more than 32 seats, but there is no outstanding . representative pattern. The 40-seater does • not predominate and the single-decker of the largest size may have any number of seats from 32 to 40, with a front or rear entrance, or both, but the majority are alike in the one respect —they are mounted on the forward-control type of chassis.
The-economy of space effected by this form of conatruction is emphasized when it is stated that a 36-seater with rear entrance may be built within a length of 26 f t. overall, the same as for many 26seaters having the .nstual. driving position.
The .14-seater body differs from the larger sizes in that it usually has a few inches I ess .headroom and overall width. These dimensions a r e reduced in order to decrease the hulk of the body a little, which is
e30
apt to appear excessive when compared with longer buses. The overall width is 6 ft. 9 ins. or 6 ft. 10 ins. instead of from 7 ft. to 7 ft. 4 ins., and the headroom from the floor to under the Crown of the lioopsticks 5 ft. 6 ins. to 5 ft. 8 ins, instead of a minimum of 6 ft.
As the 14-seater has drop windows, this reduction of overall width affects the convenience affordedin the normal central gangway, because the length of the crosswise seats cannot be altered, so that the gangway at the seat level is often no more than 10 ins.
This comparatively Small gangway is tot of great importance, as the most convenient way of arranging 14 seats in a vehicle with a high wheel-arch is to have two rows of transverse seats accommodating eight passengers in front of the wheel-arch, and then two longitudinal seats each seating three persons for the rear part of the body. The narrow gangway is then only for the length occupied by two rows of crosswise seats, whilst at the rear it is at least 3 ft. wide. Here, passengers having luggage can sit and rest their packages on the floor without much ineonvenience to the other travellers in a country bus. . Regarding the general features of the 14-seater, it wilf have a sloping screen mounted between fixed triangular end windows, a flush-sided scuttle dash, a folding door reaching to the step, the usual emergency exit and three large windows on each side. The overall length of the vehicle is about 17 ft„ of which. some 13 ft. 2 ins. iS occupied by the body. This length may be divided as follows: Driving compart m e Ut,
thickness of bulkhead and back framework, 4 ft.; first row of seats, 2 ft. 8 ins.; second row of seats, 2 ft. 3 ins.; lengthwise seats, 4 ft. 2 ins.
The 20-seater is a full-size bus as regards width and height, and the wheel-arch will be far enough back to allow three rows of crosswise seats to be -mounted in front of it. Immediately behind these seats is a pair of longitudinally arranged seats, each accommodating two passengers over the wheel-arches. As the space in the gangway at this point is ample these seats may be mounted clear of the sides of the body, so that flexible backs may be provided, giving the same degree of .comfort as for the seats facing forwards.
-A total seating capacity oC 20 iscompleted by a pair of crosswise seats on each side of the emergency door. These are placed at a distance of abotit 1. ft. from the ends of the long seats in order to provide sufficient leg-room in front of them.
• The 20-seater will have the same general features as-the 14-seater, except that there will be one or two more windows each side. The vehicle will be about 21 ft. 6 ins, overall and the body 16 ft. 6 ins. long.
The 26-seater represents the largest type of bus which is now mounted on the chassis having the conventional form of steering control. The seating plan is similar to that of the 20-seater, the differences being in the provision of four instead of three rows of seats facing forwards in front of, the wheel-arch and long seats for three passengers each instead of for two. The arrangebleat of the back row of seats is the same as for the 20-seater. The 26-seater is usually of the one-man-operated type, and, as already mentioned, has an overall length of about 26 ft. The length of the body will be about 20 ft. 3 ins., allowing 4 ft. 2 ins, for the long seats, as is the case with the 14-seater.
The ideal type of 32-seater is one which can accommodate 32 passengers in comfort and have a doorway at each end, because with a large seating capacity it is convenient to use one Of these doorways as an exit, so that time is saved when taking up or setting down passengers. The 32 seats, two doorways and the driver's cabin have-to be accommodated in a length of 26 ft. If 5 ft. he allowed for the bonnet, including any projection of the front-spring hangers, then 21 ft. remains for the body.
It is comparatively easy to arrange 32 seats in this length if there be only one entrance, but with the double entrance there are two rows of crosswise seats which have to be interrupted opposlie each doorway. The best plan, perhaps, is to reverse the first row of 'seats so that it faces to the rear.
The 21-ft. body can be divided as follows :—First two rows of cross-seats facing one another, 5 ft.; third,, fourth and fifth rows, 6 ft. 7i ins.; longitudinal seats, 4 ft. 13,-'ins.; sixth row, opposite rear entrance, 2 ft. 8 ins.; hack row, 2 ft. 3 ins. and 2 ins. each for the thickness of the front and rear framework.