Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Passenger bus body
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-03
2001-07-10
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Passenger bus body
C296S191000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257652
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally for many years buses are fabricated from a steel welded frame which is clad externally by sheets of aluminum or similar non-elastic cladding material bolted or riveted side by side over the steel frame. The interior surface is similarly clad by sheets of suitable material again attached to the steel frame. Insulation material is added as pieces inserted simply between the components of the frame and the interior and exterior cladding.
While a vehicle of this structure is relatively strong and resistant to impact damage, should a significant impact occur, there is a danger of penetration from the exterior through the interior cladding leaving a hole which can expose the passengers to danger. Any such perforated structure, even though it can in many cases still be driven cannot legally carry passengers and therefore must immediately be taken out of service.
In addition the repairs to the structure cannot be effected in the field and are relatively expensive since the individual panels must be replaced in a relatively time consuming operation at a service facility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved public transit vehicle having improved impact and cladding arrangements.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having:
a roof,
two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion,
a vehicle floor connected to the side walls and spanning therebetween;
two rows of seats for seated passengers each along a respective one of the side walls at the windows and defining a central aisle therebetween for standing and moving passengers;
and a vehicle frame for supporting the vehicle body, the frame comprising:
a bottom frame portion having a plurality of longitudinal bottom rails underlying and supporting the floor including two bottom side rails each along a respective side of the floor at the respective side wall;
and two side frame portions;
each side frame portion having a plurality of side wall posts connected to a respective one of the bottom side rails and upstanding therefrom;
and each side frame portion including a shear plate member welded along its bottom edge to the bottom side rail and to the side wall posts so as to extend continuously therebetween and extending continuously upwardly from the bottom edge to a top edge spaced downwardly from a bottom edge of the window, the shear plate member being formed with a plurality of horizontal stiffening elements therein so as to be resistant to impact thereon in a collision;
each side wall including an exterior cladding structure including a resilient covering panel member covering at least a part of an outer surface of the shear plate member.
Preferably the stiffening elements in the shear plate member are defined by horizontally extending vertically spaced bends in the plate member.
Preferably the shear plate member between each pair of posts comprises a single plate welded at its bottom edge to the bottom side rail and standing generally upwardly therefrom to form a generally vertical plate surface, at least one recessed band in the plate surface defined by four parallel horizontal bends and a top recessed channel portion defined by four parallel horizontal bends.
Preferably said at least one band is shallower in horizontal depth than the channel.
Preferably the exterior cladding structure includes a plurality of resilient covering panel members arranged side by side along the length of the side wall.
Preferably each of the resilient covering panel members is mounted at its upper edge by a hinge coupling defined by a part cylindrical insert received within a part cylindrical recess allowing the resilient covering panel member to be pivoted from a vertical covering position to a raised removal position at which it can be removed from the cladding structure and wherein the part cylindrical insert of each of the resilient covering panel members overlaps with that of the next and is reduced in thickness at the overlap.
Preferably the resilient covering panel members each include along each side edge thereof an edge sealing member for engaging and effecting sealing engagement with an underlying sealing strip, the side edge of each panel member being adjacent to and spaced from that of the next panel to allow removal of each panel member without affecting the next panel members.
Preferably the edge sealing member of each resilient covering panel members comprises a rearwardly turned flange having a rearmost edge surface for engaging the sealing strip and a resilient sealing bead on a rear surface of the panel member adjacent the flange.
Preferably the exterior cladding structure includes a cladding panel above the top edge of the resilient covering panel and below the bottom edge of the windows.
Preferably the cladding panel is substantially continuous along the vehicle.
Preferably the resilient covering panel member is mounted at its upper edge by a hinge coupling defined by a part cylindrical insert received within a part cylindrical recess allowing the resilient covering panel member to be pivoted from a vertical covering position to a raised removal position at which it can be removed from the cladding structure.
Preferably the part cylindrical recess is provided on the cladding panel.
Preferably the part cylindrical recess is tapered toward a bottom end to compress the part cylindrical insert in the vertical covering position.
Preferably the part cylindrical recess is defined on its concave side by a generally cylindrical bead member.
Preferably the part cylindrical recess and the part cylindrical inset are arranged such that rotation to the raised removal position tends to cause the insert to be levered out of the recess.
Preferably there is provided a layer of foam insulation carried between the shear plate and the resilient covering panel member.
Preferably the resilient covering panel member is connected by a plurality of spaced fasteners to the bottom side rail.
Preferably the bottom side rail includes a recessed surface below the bottom of the shear plate member and wherein the resilient covering panel member includes an in-turned bottom portion for fastening to the recessed surface.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having:
a roof,
two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion,
a vehicle floor connected to the side walls and spanning therebetween;
two rows of seats for seated passengers each along a respective one of the side walls at the windows and defining a central aisle therebetween for standing and moving passengers;
each side wall including an exterior cladding structure including a resilient covering panel member covering at least a part of an outer surface of the side wall;
wherein the resilient covering panel member is mounted at its upper edge by a hinge coupling defined by a part cylindrical insert received within a part cylindrical recess allowing the resilient covering panel member to be pivoted from a vertical covering position to a raised removal position at which it can be removed from the cladding structure.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a public transit vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having:
a roof,
two side walls each extending longitudinally of the vehicle including an upper side wall portion connecting to the roof and a row of windows underneath the upper portion,
a vehicle floor connected to the side walls and spanning therebetween;
two rows of seats for seated passengers each along a respective one of the side walls at the windows and defining a central aisle therebetween for standing and moving passengers;
each side wall including an exterior cladding structure includ
Battison Adrian D.
Coletta Lori L.
New Flyer Industries Limited
Pedder Dennis H.
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