Improvements in Omnibuses and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Omnibuses and similar Vehicles.
I, JOHAN PETER FREDERIK WILHELM BERG, of Glenedin, Churchill Road,
Surbiton, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
For the purpose of increasing the comfort of the passengers carried in omnibuses
and similar vehicles and for facilitating the work of the conductor when collecting
the fares I construct the seats in the interior of the omnibus partly or wholly
crosswise somewhat like the now general arrangement of the seats on the top.
In one form I provide a seat in each corner the occupants of same thus facing
the centre of the vehicle in a diagonal manner and I provide two seats on each
side each seat for taking two passengers and so that a central free passage or
corridor is left. The seats may be arranged all facing the front of the vehicle
or back to back. In another form I provide two seats on each side near the
door each seat for taking two passengers and either all facing the front or arranged
back to back and in the front part of the vehicle I provide usual side seats for
two passengers on each side.
In another form I arrange. all the seats crosswise and either all facing the
driver or back to back and with a corridor in the middle.
In some cases the front wheels may have to be reduced in diameter in order to
allow space for turning.
Dated this Eighth dor of Sucnct 1200
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.
Paper Coses and similar venicies.
I, JOHAN PETER FREDERIK WILHELM BERG, of Glenedin, Churchill Road,
Surbiton, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The objects of my improvements in omnibuses and similar vehicles are to
increase the comfort of the passengers carried in omnibuses and similar vehicles
propelled by horses or motor power and to facilitate the work of the conductor
when collecting the fares. For this purpose I construct the vehicles with the
seats in the interior of the vehicle crosswise and so that a free passage or corridor
is left between the cross seats all as hereinafter described.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a transverse
[Price 1

page_text: cross section and Fig. 3 a sectional plan view of a suitable arrangement applied
to an omnibus. A cross seat A for four passengers is provided against the front
end of the vehicle; three cross seats B B and C, each for two passengers are pro-
vided on the right hand or off side and three cross seats D D and E each for one
passenger are provided on the left hand or near side. A longitudinal corridor or
free passage is thus left between the cross seats, while the doorway F is a little
to the left of the centre line in consequence of the single cross seats D D and E
being on the near side.
The rocker or lower part. G of the body of the vehicle is made considerably wider
than usual for the purpose of affording convenient space for the legs of the
passengers. By this increase in width of the rocker the wheel plate may be made
considerably larger in diameter which is an advantage. By this arrangement I
gain the important advantage of a wide longitudinal passage and obtain an
additional seat; it also gives additional space on the platform H under the stair-
case for the reception of bulky passages. The conductor when collecting fares
and passengers when entering and leaving will not interfere with the comfort of
the other passengers; in wet weather particularly passengers are not exposed to
inconvenience and damage to clothing by incoming passengers rubbing against
their knees; another advantage is that the conductor has a fuller view of the
passengers and can collect the fares with less inconvenience to the passengers and
to himself the passengers have also a clear and uninterrupted view of both sides
of the road and can without discomfort watch for the spot where they desire to
be set down; moreover, the seats being much subdivided, each passenger will
secure the proper appropriation of space.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of
modified arrangement where the side seats B
and I are arranged to face the front. Or these seats may be arranged to face the
back.
A collateral advantage resulting from the aforesaid arrangement of the seats
BB C, D D E is that the steadiness or stability of the vehicle is increased
because the weight of the passengers on the left or near side is less than that
on the right and this makes itself felt on the camber of the roadway when the
vehicle is near the kerb and most liable to turn over. This advantage is
further increased by the fact that owing to the shifting of the doorway the stair-
case is moved slightly to the left whereby room is afforded on the roof of the
vehicle for an additional cross seat for two passengers on the off or right hand
side.
If the cross seats on each side are of the same width and the longitudinal passage
between them is in the middle of the vehicle. these seats must (unless the vehicle
is unduly increased in width) be single, and in that case the number of inside
passengers seats is lessened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Constructing omnibuses and similar vehicles with inside cross seats as set
forth.
2. Constructing omnibuses and similar vehicles with inside cross seats as
described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agents.