Year: 1886

page_text: I JOSEPH OFFORD of 6 Boundary Road, St John's Wood Park, and 92 Gloucester
Road both in the County of Middlesex, Carriage Builder, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the affording more comfortable accomodation
to the passengers in public or private omnibuses both as regards the seating of the
same and the facility for entrance and exit, whilst at the same time reducing the
cost and weight of the vehicles heretofore proposed with the above objects.
In lieu of extending the central passage sunk below the side portions of the
floor, from the door to the front axle as heretofore proposed whereby a bent rear
axle is rendered necessary in order to pass underneath the said sunk part I extend
the said sunk passage according to my present invention up to but not beyond the
rear axle thus enabling both axles to be straight as usual whilst at the same time
retaining all the advantages of the sunk passage so far as regards facility of
ingress and egress without the disadvantages of the increased cost and weight
resulting from the extending of such passage up to the front axle or front end of
the vehicle.
The floor of the vehicle beyond the inner end of the short sunk passage or say
from about three or four feet only from the door will constitute a level platform
or floor which is continued back on each side of the short sunk passage to the door
of the vehicle.
The seats on the roof consist of a combination of one or more transverse seats
disposed at the front end of the roof with the usual raised longitudinal central
seat in the rear thereof so that accomodation is afforded for passengers who prefer
riding with their faces to the horses as well as for those who may prefer what is
commonly known as "the knife board" seat their being ample space left between
the side rails and the central seat as well as between the said rails and the ends
of the front cross seat to facilitate access thereto. I provide these front cross seats

page_text: "
Π Garden seats
which I prefer should be of the character of what are known as
with hinged backs by preference padded which when turned down protect the
seats from rain and when turned up present a dry seat and back-In combination
with the longitudinal central seats I employ one or more adjustable waterproof
aprons supported on the middle rail at each side in such a manner as to admit
of the said aprons being drawn up over the knees of the rider or allowed to run
back therefrom over the supporting rail when not required for use in which latter
condition a portion of the apron will hang down outside the rail of the vehicle and
the other portion inside the same leaving the passage along the roof on either side
unobstructed.
Access is afforded to the roof by the usual stairs and steps and I introduce
beneath the hind stairs a convenient seat for the Conductor out of the way of
the passengers beneath which I arrange a receptacle for bags and parcels.

page_text: Improvements in or Appertaining to Omnibuses and similar
Vehicles.
I JOSEPH OFFORD of 6 Boundary Road, St John's Wood Park, and 92 Gloucester
Road both in the County of Middlesex Carriage Builder do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object the affording more comfortable accomodation to
the passengers in public or private omnibuses both as regards the seating of the
riders and facilitating their entrance and exit, at the same time reducing the cost
and weight of the improved vehicle as compared with omnibuses heretofore proposed
with the above objects.
It has heretofore been proposed to form in the floor of an omnibus a central
sunk passage extending from the door in the rear as far as the front axle with
a view to facilitate ingress and egress of the passengers but I have found this
construction to be objectionable not only by reason of the unnecessary extra
weight imparted to the body of the vehicle but also by reason of the necessity of
employing a bent rear axle in order to allow it to pass underneath the bottom of
the said sunk passage.
To obviate these objections I propose according to one part of my invention to
form the floor of the vehicle with a sunk passage which extends from the entrance
or doorway inwards as far as, but not beyond, the rear axle thus permitting of the
use of straight axles both in front and rear. I thus retain all the advantages of a
sunk passage in the floor so far as regards 'facility of ingress and egress without
the attendant disadvantages above referred to. The main floor of my improved
vehicle extends back from the front end of the vehicle to the inner end of the said
sunk passage and is continued back on each side thereof to the rear end of the body
of the vehicle.
According to another part of my invention which relates to a peculiar com-
bination or arrangement of the roof seats I combine with the usual raised
longitudinally disposed central seat or "knife-board " one or more transversely
disposed seats situate upon and at the front part of the roof in addition to the
usual seats on each side of the driver so that accomodation is afforded for passengers
who prefer riding on the roof with their faces to the horses as well as for those
who may prefer what is commonly known as the "knife-board" seat sufficient.
space being left between the side rails and the longitudinal central seat as well as
between the said rails and the ends of the front cross seat or seats to facilitate
access thereto from the roof. I provide the front cross seats which I prefer should
be of the character of what are known as "garden seats" with hinged backs by
preference padded which when turned down protect the seats from rain and when
turned up present a dry seat and back for the passenger. Moreover by making
the backs of the cross seats to fold down greater facility is afforded for the passage
of the vehicle under a low arch or gateway. In combination with the roof seats
of an omnibus or like vehicle I employ a series of adjustable waterproof aprons
:

page_text: supported on the middle rail or bar at each side of the roof when used in connection
with the central longitudinal seat or "knife-board," in such a manner as to admit
of any one or more of the said aprons being drawn up over the knees of the rider
when required, or allowed to run back therefrom over the supporting bar when not
in use in which latter condition one half or portion of the apron will bring down
outside the supporting bar whilst the other portion will hang inside the same
leaving the passage along the roof on either side unobstructed when none of the
aprons are in use. When using the before mentioned adjustable aprons in con-
nection with seats disposed one behind another transversely to the roof they would
be supported by a rail or bar fixed to the back of each seat so as to be in front of
the seat next in rear, over which bar the aprons are free to be drawn up over the
knees of the passengers or allowed to run back as herein before described when not
required for use, in which latter condition the aprons would hang from their
respective supporting bars and be completely out of the way of the passengers.
Access is afforded to the roof by the usual winding stair or ordinary steps and
I provide on the outer platform beneath the stair and between it and the rear end
of the vehicle so as to be out of the way of the passengers entering or leaving the
same a seat for the conductor which may also constitute a receptacle for bags and
small parcels.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a transverse vertical section of the
body of my improved omnibus (the wheels and springs being omitted) shewing
the short sunk passage in the floor, the peculiar combination or arrangement of
the roof seats and the adjustable aprons in connection with the central longitudinally
disposed seat.
Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the same partly in section the
wheels and springs being omitted.
Figure 3 is a plan of the roof showing the combination or arrangement of the
Beats thereon.
•
Figure 4 shows the application of the adjustable aprons to a series of seats
disposed transversely to the roof.
The rest of the figures are details of the adjustable aprons and mode of mounting
the same.
a is the main floor of the vehicle, b the short central sunk passage therein which
as it does not extend beyond the rear axle c admits of that axle being straight like
the front one d. ⚫e are the inside seats. f the usual longitudinally disposed
central roof seat or "knife-board." g the transversely disposed seat here shown as
constructed after the pattern of what are known as "garden seats" said seat being
situate at the front end of and across the central seat. It is provided with a
hinged back h made by preference in two or more sections each section folding
down on to the seat g in order to keep it dry in wet weather the backs being
supported when elevated by the side straps i which connect the upper part of each
back to the front portion of the corresponding seat. This folding down of the
back also facilitates the passage of the vehicle under a low arch or gateway in
those cases where the back when elevated would project above the tops of the side
rails. kk are the guard or side rails the middle bar 7 of which serves to carry the
adjustable aprons m for the use of the passengers occupying the seats f. The
aprons m are free to be drawn inwards or run outwards over the said bar
according as they are required for use or otherwise. For this purpose and to
connect the aprons with their supporting bar buttons or studs, provided each with
a swivelling head n, project from the outerside of the bar over which the aprons
are hung (as shown in the enlarged detail cross section and side elevation of a
portion of the middle bar as figures 5 and 6). These buttons enter slits o made
near each edge of the apron in the lining p thereof (see figure 8) in which the
buttons are retained by the swivelling heads n. The slits o are of sufficient length
to allow of the apron being drawn inwards to cover the knees of the passenger (in
which position it is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1) or allowed to run out to the
required distance when not in use as shown in full lines in the same figure, in

page_text: which latter position a portion of the apron will hang down from each side of
the middle bar as shown more clearly in the detail figure 5. If found requisite
the outer end of the apron may be weighted to facilitate the running out of
the same.
I prefer that the apron be made in two or more separate parts or sections
overlapping each other slightly at the edges as shown on a smaller scale in
plan and elevation at figures 7 and 8. In figure 8 a portion of the outside of the
apron is represented as torn away to show one of the slits o in the inner lining
more clearly.
In adapting these adjustable aprons to a series of transversely disposed seats
their supporting bars will be situate at the back of each seat and carried in
brackets secured to the legs or other convenient part of the seat as shown in
figure 4. The aprons for the passengers occupying the front seat of the series may
be hung from or supported by a bar or rail 7 extending across the front end of the
vehicle behind the driver.
q (figure 2) is a seat for the conductor forming also a receptacle for small parcels
and situate between the steps or stairs to the roof and the rear end of the vehicle
on one side of the door way, so as to be out of the way of the passengers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In omnibuses and like vehicles provided with straight front and rear axles
a sunk passage way in the floor extending from the door in the rear as far as but
not beyond the rear axle as specified.
2. In omnibuses and like vehicles the use in combination of longitudinally and
transversely disposed roof seats as specified.
3. In omnibuses and like vehicles the application and use of transversely
disposed roof seats having hinged backs capable of folding down onto the seat
itself in combination or not with the usual central longitudinally disposed seat or
"knife-board" as specified.
4. In omnibuses and like vehicles the use in combination with the roof seats
whether disposed longitudinally or transversely to the roof of adjustable aprons
capable of being drawn inwards or run outwards over supporting bars in front
of the sitters in conjunction or not with studs or buttons in the said bars engaging
with slits in the inner linings of the aprons as and for the purpose specified.
5. In omnibuses and like vehicles a seat for the conductor situate between the
steps or stairs to the roof and the back of the vehicle said seat constituting also
where desired a receptacle or locker for small parcels as specified.
Dadth: 1011
1000