US2293367A - Bus - Google Patents

Description

A 18, 1942- s. J. STANTON 2,293,367 BUS Filed Feb. 21, 1 941 6 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 1 1942.

5. J. 5mm 2,293,367 BUS Filed Feb. 21, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 18, 1942.

s. J. STANTON BUS Filed Feb. 21 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 18,1942.

s. J. STANTON 2,293,367

BUS

Filed Feb. 21, 1941. e Shets-Sheet 5 Aug. 18, 19421 S. J. STANTON BUS Filed Feb 21. 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 f f i i Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUS Samuel'John Stanton, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 21, 1941, Serial No. 379,981

20 Claims.

The specification of my present invention discloses a bus embodying several novelties-novelties which are suitable for other passenger carriers as well.

One of these novelties is the incorporation of a plurality of chairs or seats in two or more tiers all of which can be reached by passengers directly from an aisle extending from bus floor to bus ceiling, straight through the two or more tiers of chairs or seats.

Another is the contrivance, comprising a series of U-shaped humps and U-shaped dips, or seat arrangements, which make possible the. superposition of the chairs or seats in closely spaced tiers.

Another of these novelties are sliding ladders,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section takenon line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on line. 6-4 of Fig. 3. I V I Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section taken. out of the longitudinal view shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of portion ofv a floor showing unique elements.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-section of a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 discloses in a longitudinal section, a modified form of the bus suggested in Fig. l.

Fig.10 is a cross-section takenv on line l0-Hl of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section taken on line I'l-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a modified form of the floor elements shown in Fig. 'l.

In the. drawings describedin detail:

The bus generally is constructed in the usual form, under the usual structural principles and in the usual available materials.

Numeral Ill points to a longitudinal section of a bus interior. Numeral ll indicates the floor wall, [2 the. ceiling wall, l3 and [4 the rear' and 5 front walls respectively, and 21 the lateral, Walls of the bus herein disclosed. Numeral l5 indicates a bus floor below the interior floor, whilei numeral. l6 indicates-an aisle floor.

The floor H is usually incorporated at a level. over the bus wheels. This affords two advantages: First, it provides a. level interior floor for thefirst tier chairs orseats- Second, it affords an arrangement for abag-gfage compartment [8; between floors- 1 land I5. l I

The present invention shows. the only coinbie nation which makes it possible to have a'sutstam tially straight. or level floor ll without, excessively raising the height of theb'us to accommodate therein two tiers. of chairs or seats-ex cessively as compared with the present known buses in which a straight or level floor internally is used to support the chairs of the upper tier.

Numeral Zllpoints to stanchions or posts built in usually in a vertical position between the coiling wall I! and the floor wall H, along the aisle especially, but also along the outside lateral walls 2|. They are spaced from each othersufficiently to contact the seats 22 incorporated between them, or to serve as supports for said seats 22". It is quite obvious that stanchions are required only in some of the formsbut not in all;

Fig. 1 shows a preferred form withoutan'. intermediary floor for the upper tier chairs or seats; The chairs or seats 22--L in the lower tierare built in on the main floor I l asiin any other bus, while the chairs or seats 2'2-U in the upper tier are attached to the posts or stanchions 20. g

A platform I! is built in between the s'tanchions 20 and in front of each chair or seat. 22-41,, at a level Sllfi'lCiEl'ltlY below said chairsor seats 22+U on which the passengersoccupying said chairs or seats 22-U may step or rest-their feet.

Chairs or seats 22--U are spaced from chairs or seats 22L- sufficiently to afford comfortable head room for the passengers in the lower tier as well as for the passengersin the upper' tier.

The foot platforms I l between-contiguous or adjacent seats or chairs are continuous. This is best shown in Fig. 2. A secondary form of the present bus incorporates an interior intermediary floor comprising a series of humps '23 and. dips 25 (Fig. 7). A modification of the structure shown in Fig. 7 isv disclosed in Fig. 12'.

Here the seats rest on the humps 23" and the passengers step or keep their feet on the; bot.- toms 25 of the dips, which correspond to. platforms I1, and the chairs or seats are constructed, of course, under the acceptable principle, for's'uch. accommodations for bus passenger's.

It should be noted (Fig. 2) that in both forms the aisle space 26 in the bus extends from the bus floor I i to the bus ceiling 12, or from the bus floor II to the ceiling l2 (Fig. 9).

Such aisle intersection of the planes under both tiers and such an arrangement of compact tiers within the bus makes it possible readily for passengers to get into any of the chairs or seats in either tier. The chairs or seats 22L in the lower tier are, of course, accessible from the floor H. For access to the chairs or seats 22U in the upper tier, unique ladders 21 are provided, each having rungs 28. As the upper tier of chairs or seats is so low in this unique bus, these ladders are comparatively short, which as a consequence affords an easy access to said upper tier.

The floor with the U-shaped elements may be minus the tops 23 of the humps. In such a construction the seats 22U are inserted in place of the tops 23 of the said U-shaped humps, which results in an economic arrangement disclosed in Fig. 12. One method by which this arrangement is effected is by incorporating a series of channels or troughs parallel to each other. The bottoms of the troughs are set directly above the footfioors in front of the chairs or seats in the lower tier. The chairs or seats for the upper tier are fixed to rest on the edges of two uprightly through walls correspondingly over the seats in the lower tier.

The ladders 27 are contrived to slide up and down between the posts 28, said vertical movement of the said ladders, between the posts,

facilitated by sash cords 30 and weights 3i.

These weights 3| may operate inside the posts 20 which are hollow in structure.

The aisle floor, which in current buses is identical with floor i l in Fig. l, is shown raised to a level 16. This shortens the distance to the upper tier, making access to the upper chairs or seats correspondingly easier.

'A modification of the first form of a bus as shown in Fig.l is shown by the form in Fig. 9. This form incorporates a balcony 32 on a level with the foot floor rests ll for the passengers occupying the chairs or seats 22U. It is sufficiently wide (from posts 20 to railing 33) to permit passage for one passenger at a time, and may be reached from the aisle floor H by steps 3 4-35 at the rear of the bus. Platform 32 may be a continuation of the floor under the seats 22-U as shown in Fig. 10.

Numeral 31 indicates a shelf for baggage. Numeral 36 indicates a longitudinal partition immediately under the ceiling extending from the shelf 31, partition 36 dividing shelf 3! into two compartments. This shelf is entirely out of the way and occupies aisle space which otherwise would have no value as a facility. The platforms 32, extended longitudinally through the bus on each side of the aisle, are a substantial distance apart from each other.

Aisle floor i l remaining identical with the bus floor H and the balconies having an open space between them, gives the passengers suflicient head room, when walking upon aisle floor ll through the bus, the bus ceiling being 12. The aisle floor is raised one step 34 in the rear, to form a step in the stair case 36-35, which leads to the balcony 32 on each side of the aisle Hi. This balcony serves effectively the chairs or seats 22-17 in the upper tier.

The ladders 21, in the models where these are used, are provided with lugs 49 (Fig. 3) which slide in slots 4|. The sash cords 30 attached to these lugs support sash weights 3|, which counterbalance the ladders 21. By making these weights heavier than the ladders, the weights will automatically pull the laddersup to the upper tier when not in use by the passengers for ascent or descent. The slots in the posts are arranged to determine where the ladders should stop in the upper level. The ladders I! are always within the reach of the passengers desiring to use them.

It can be thus seen that the forms disclosed in the present invention constitute a great advance in the art. The inventor hereby builds a bus embodying the greatest number of seats in the least height of bus space for a multi-tier arrangement.

The. middle floor of the double-deckers is dispensed with. The tiers are embodied compactly within a low bus interior.

The unit embodies combinations which makes access to upper tier convenient. There are no tortuous stairways with large number of unsafe steps in the forms disclosed. The accommodations provided instead are a few simple steps or simple ladders which are safe and easy to tread upon.

The compartments on each side of wall 36 (Fig. 10) adds valuable space for baggage so much desired for long distance traveling.

I claim:

1. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for ingress and egress, at least one aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, the chairs or seats in the upper tier built in directly over the chairs or seats in the lower tier, platforms transversely between the chairs or seats serving as foot floors in said spaces for ingress and egress, said foot floors in the upper tiers built in directly over the said foot floors in the lower tiers, all foot floors conveniently lower than the seats they subserve, the chairs in the upper tiers spaced from the seats in the lower tiers and from the bus ceiling sufficiently for passenger headroom, and access means from said aisle floor to foot floors in said upper tier within said bus.

2. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and .one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, at least one aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, the chairs or seats in the upper tier built in directly over the chairs or seats in the lower tier, platforms between the chairs or seats serving as foot floors in the said spaces for ingress and egress, said foot floors in the upper tier built in directly over the said foot floors in the lower tier, upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving within said aisle as access means for the upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security in the upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, all foot floors set in comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, the chairs in the upper tiers spaced from the seats in the lower tiers and from the bus ceiling sufficiently for passenger headroom.

3. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, an aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, the chairs or seats in the upper tier built in directly over the chairs or seats in the lower tier, platforms between the chairs or seats serving as foot floors in said spaces for ingress and egress, foot floors in said upper tiers built in directly over foot floors in said lower tier, upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving within said aisle as access means for the upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security in the upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, counterweights for said sliding ladders facilitating their operations, all foot floors comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, the chairs in the upper tiers spaced from the seats in the lower tiers and from the bus ceiling sufficiently for passenger headroom,

4. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, an aisle space extending from a floor within said bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, chairs or seats in said upper tier built in directly over chairs or seats in said lower tier built in directly over foot floors in said lower tier, platforms between the chairs or seats serving as foot floors in said spaces for ingress and egress, foot floors in said upper tiers, within said aisle upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving as access means for upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security in upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, a longitudinal U-shaped platform erected between the edges of and over a substantial strip of the said bus aisle floor shortening the span between said aisle floor and said foot floors subserved by said sliding ladders, all foot floors arranged to serve in planes comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, the seats in the upper tier spaced from the seats in the lower tier and from the bus ceiling sufficiently for passenger headroom.

5. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room, transversely included, serving as a space for ingress and egress, an aisle space extending from a flcorwithin said bus upwardly towards said bus ceiling, said chairs or seats in the upper tier in position directly over said chairs or seats in the lower tier, platforms between chairs or seats serving as foot floors in said spaces for ingress and egress, said foot floors in said upper tier in position directly over said foot fioors in said lower tier, within said aisle upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving as access means for upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security in upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, a longitudinal U-shaped platform erected between the edges of and over a substantial strip of said bus aisle shortening the span between said aisle floor and said foot floors subserved by the said sliding ladders, in abutment with at least some of the chairs or seats in said lower tier and extending from said U-shaped longitudinal structure a step at each of such abutted chairs or seats, subserving two of said sliding ladders, one at each side of it, all foot floors positioned comfortably lower than seats they subserve, seats in said upper tier spaced from seats in said lower tier and irom the ceiling within said bus sufficiently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

6. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, platforms positioned transversely in said spaces for ingress and egress serving as foot floors, an aisle space within said bus extending from a floor therein upwardly towards the bus ceiling, chairs or seats within said bus disposed mostly in pairs on each side of said aisle, one of each of said pair of chairs or seats edging said aisle, other of said chairs or seats abutting lateral sides of sa d bus, said foot floors transversely subserving each group of said chairs or seats, connected to each other, nearly all of said chairs or seats in the said upper tier located directly over chairs or seats correspondingly in said lower tier, nearly all foot floors in the upper tier located directly over foot floors correspondingly in said lower tier, upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving as access means for said upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security for said upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, all foot floors located conveniently lower than seats they subserve, chairs or seats in said upper tier spaced from the chairs or seats in said lower tier and from ceiling within said bus sufiiciently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

7. A bus having therein at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one up er and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, platforms, positioned transversely in said spaces for ingress and egress, serving as foot floors, an aisle space within said bus extending from a floor therein upwardly towards the bus ceiling, chairs or seats Within said bus disposed mostly in pairs on each side of said aisle, one of each of said. pair of chairs or Seats edging said aisle, the other of each of said pair of chairs or seats abutting walls within said bus, said foot floors transversely subserving each of said chairs or seats, connected to each other, nearly all of said chairs or seats in said upper tier positioned directly over chairs or seats correspondingly in said lower tier, nearly all foot floors in said upper tier, positioned directly over foot floors correspondingly in said lower tier, all foot floors p0- sitioned conveniently lower than the seats they subserve, chairs or seats in said upper tier spaced from chairs or seats in said lower tier a d from the ceiling within said bus sufficiently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers, and means for access from said bus aisle to foot floors in said upper tier.

8. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, platforms in the said spaces for ingress and egress serving as foot floors, an aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, said seats disposed in transverse and longitudinal rows, at least one longitudinal row of chairs or seats in the upper tier edging said aisle, for continuity of ingress and egress means from said aisle, foot floors along said aisle connected to other foot floors adjacently located to said ,foot floors along said aisle, certain of the chairs or seats in the upper tier located directly over corresponding chairs or seats in said lower tier, certain of said foot floors in the upper tier '10-;

cated directly over corresponding foot floors in said lower tier, within said aisle access means from said bus aisle to said upper tier foot floors, all foot floors located conveniently lower than the seats they subserve, the seats in said upper tier spaced from the seats in said lower tier and from the bus Ceiling within said bus sufficiently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

9. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, platforms in said spaces for ingress and egress serving as foot floors therein, an aisle space extending from a floor within said bus upwardly towards the ceiling within said bus, said seats disposed in transverse and longitudinal rows, at least one longitudinal row of chairs or seats in said upper tier edging said aisle, for continuity of ingress and n e ress said foot floors, subserving each transverse row of said chairs or seats, connected to each other, certain of said chairs or seats in said upper tier positioned directly over chairs or seats correspondingly in said lower tier, certain of said foot floors in said upper tier positioned directly over foot floors correspondingly in said lower tier, within said aisle upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving as access means for said upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security for said upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, all foot floors positioned conveniently lower than the seats they subserve, the seats in said upper tier spaced from the seats in said lower tier and from the ceiling within said bus sufiiciently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

10. A bus having the usual floor, ceiling, front, back and lateral walls, provided with at least two tiers of chairs or seats, disposed in transverse and longitudinal rows, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, an aisle space, within said bus, extending from bus floor upwardly towards bus ceiling, an intermediary floor between the bus fioor wall and the bus ceiling wall, comprising a succession of U-sha-ped humps and U- shaped dips, disposed on each side of the said aisle space, the said humps serving as bases for said seats or the seats of the said chairs in said upper tier, the said dips included as foot floors transversely in the spaces for ingress and egress for said chairs or seats in the upper tier, a 1ongitudinal row of said chairs or seats in each tier edging the said aisle on each side thereof, the said foot floors, subserving in the said upper tier each transverse row of said chairs or seats, connected to each other, certain of the chairs or seats in the said upper tier located directly over corresponding chairs or seats in the said lower tier, certain of said foot floors in the upper tier located directly over corresponding foot floors in the lower tier, within said aisle access means for the upper tier aisle foot floors edging said aisle, all foot floors conveniently lower than the seats they subserve, the seats in the upper tiers spaced from the seats in the lower tiers and from the ceiling within said bus sufficiently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

11. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room subserving said chairs or seats as spaces for ingress and egress, an aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, intermediary seat supporting means comprising a series of U-shaped humps and U-shaped dips edged along the said aisle space, the said humps serving as bases for seats in said upper tier, said dips serving as foot floors in the spaces for ingress and egress for seats in said upper tier, chairs or seats in said upper tier located directly over chair or seats in said lower tier, foot floors in said upper tier located directly over foot floors in said lower tier, access means for said upper tier foot floors, all foot floors located transversely in a level comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, the seats in said upper tier spaced from the seats in said lower tier and from the ceiling within said bus sufiiciently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

12. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, an aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, an intermediary floor between the fioor of said aisle and the bus ceiling, comprising a series of U-shaped humps and U- shaped dips, edged along the said aisle space, the said humps serving as bases for seats, the said dips serving as foot floors in the spaces tranversely for ingress and egress for said chairs or seats, chairs or seats in the upper tier located directly over chairs or seats correspondingly in said lower tier, ingress and egress spaces with subservient foot floors in said upper tier located directly over ingress and egress spaces with subservient foot floors, in said lower tier, upwardly and downwardly sliding ladders serving as access means for the said upper tier foot floors as well as gates affording security in said upper tier seats, traction means for said sliding ladders, all foot floors adjusted comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, the seats in said upper tier spaced from the seats in said lower tier and from the ceiling within said bus sufliciently for passenger headroom in each of the said tiers.

13. A bus having the usual walls, at least two tiers of vertically spaced superimposed seats or benches, and at least one aisle space extending ceilingward from a floor within the bus, a series of U-shaped, horizontal channels edging said aisle on each side of it and parallel to each other intermediary between the floor and the ceiling of said bus, the tops of each pair of substantially vertical Walls of said channels connected by benches or seats, the bottom walls of said channels, positioned comfortably lower than seats or benches, subserving as foot floors for ingress and egress in the channel spaces between the said superimposed benches or seats, the seats or benches thus formed over the uprightly channel walls constituting the upper tier of seats or benches, situated directly over seats or benches in the lower tier, knee spaces and foot floors between seats or benches in said upper tier situated directly over knee spaces and foot floors between seats or benches in said lower tier, and access means to said upper tier foot floors extending from the floor subserving the said aisle space.

14. A bus having the usual walls, at least two tiers of vertically spaced superimposed seats or benches, and at least one aisle space extending ceilingward from a floor within the bus, provided transversely with a series of U-shaped, horizontal channels edging said aisle and parallel to each other intermediary between floor and ceiling of said bus, the tops of each pair of the substantially vertical walls of said channels supporting benches or seats, the bottom Walls of said channels, positioned comfortably lower than said seats or benches, subserving said seats or benches as foot floors for ingress and egress in the channel spaces between the said superimposed benches or seats, the seats or benches thus formed over the channel walls constituting the upper tier of seats or benches, seats or benches in said upper tier situated directly over seats or benches correspondingly in said lower tier, knee spaces and foot floors between seats or benches in said upper tier situated directly over knee spaces and foot floors correspondingly between seats or benches in said lower tier, access means to said upper tier foot floor extending from the floor subserving said aisle space.

15. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room and ingress and egress, at least one aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, at least one balcony built longitudinally along the aisle between the ceiling within said bus and the floor of said aisle, a railing along the longitudinal edge of said balcony, the floor of said balcony connected to the foot floors subserving chairs or seats in said upper tier, a stair at the end of said aislespace extending from the floor of said aisle towards the floor of said balcony, chairs or seats in said upper tier located directly over chairs or seats correspondingly in said lower tier, foot floors in said upper tier located directly over foot floors correspondingly in said lower tier, all foo-t floors located comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, chairs or seats in said upper tier spaced from chairs or seats in said lower tier and from the ceiling within said bus sufiiciently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

16. A bus'having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, at least one medial aisle space extending from a floor within said bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, one balcony extending longitudinally along each side of said aisle space between the said aisle floor and the bus ceiling, a railing over the longitudinal edge of each of said balconies, the floors of said balconies connected with foot floors subserving chairs or seats in said upper tier, a stair extending from the floor of said aisle medially towards the floors of said balconies, chairs or seats in said upper tier positioned directly over chairs or seats located correspondingly in said lower tier, foot floors in said upper tier positioned directly over foot floors located correspondingly in said lower tier, all foot floors contrived comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, chairs or seats in said upper tier spaced from chairs or seats in said lower tier and from the ceiling within said bus sufliciently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers.

17. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room serving as a space for ingress and egress, at least one medial aisle space extending from a floor within said bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, a balcony extending longitudinally on each side of said aisle space between the said aisle fioor and the bus ceiling, a railing over the longitudinal edges of said balconies, the floors of said balconies connected to foot floors, on each side of said aisle space, subserving chairs or seats in the said upper tier, a stair between said balconies extending from the floor of said aisle towards the floors of said balconies, chairs or seats in said upper tier positioned correspondingly over chairs or seats in said lower tier, platforms between the chairs or seats serving as foot floors in said spaces for ingress and egress, foot floors in said upper tier positioned correspondingly over foot floors in said lower tiers, all foot floors included comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, chairs or seats in said upper tier spaced from chairs or seats in said lower tier and from the ceiling within said bus suificiently for passenger headroom in each of said tiers, a floor connecting said balcony railings superimposed longitudinally by a vertical wall, extending from the bus ceiling, affording racks, one on each side of said longitudinally vertical wall, for passenger luggage.

18. A bus having a plurality of seats arranged in line, disposed in at least two tiers and spaced from each other for knee room, said knee room subserved by foot floors, both tiers of seats edging a common aisle space, the seats in'the upper tier in vertically spaced superimposed relationship to the seats in the lower tier, the foot floors in both tiers comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, and within said aisle space means for access to said tiers of seats within said bus.

19. A bus having at least two tiers of chairs or seats, one upper and one lower tier, said chairs or seats facing forward and spaced from each other for knee room and ingress and egress, at least one aisle space extending from a floor within the bus upwardly towards the bus ceiling, at least one'balcony abutting said chairs or seats, the floor of said balcony lying in the same plane as the foot floors subserving said abutting chairs or seats, at least one stair in said aisle space as access means from the floor of said aisle towards the floor of said balcony, chairs or seats in said upper tier located directly over chairs or seats correspondingly in said lower tier, foot floors in said upper tier located directly over foot floors correspondingly in said lower tier, all foot floors located comfortably lower than the seats they subserve, chairs or seats in said upper tier incorporated on floors with regard to chairs or seats in said lower tier and with regard to the ceiling within said bus sufilciently for passenger needs in each of said tiers.

20. A vehicle having seats or chairs arranged in vertical relation to each other disposed in tiers, at least one aisle space and means embodied within said aisle space for access to said seats or chairs within said vehicle.

SAMUEL JOHN STANTON.

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