Bus with Lower Floor
Function
Busses, especially if they are used in public transport, should allow an easy entry especially for disabled people. This lower floor should be provided in spite of possible slope technology in combination with air
suspension. A convenient side effect of the lower floor is the resulting low overall height which lowers the air resistance.
How it works
To prevent misunderstandings, the above shown drive lets the bus go forward right on picture 1 and left on picture 2. Going forward in the power flow, there is the
in-line six-cylinder engine folded to the side followed by the
torque converter and the
automatic transmission. In order to maintain the
abilities of the springs at the driven rigid axle it is necessary to build a short Cardan shaft. A comparatively small crown wheel increases the ground clearance.
external planets enable a strong reduction which is necessary for a city bus.
For the construction of the bus the short wheel base and – as a result – the large overhangs are beneficial namely in front and in the back. Even if the bus is extended, the low floor remains. Thus, even a bus with a shaft has
its drive in the very last part of the bus. How otherwise people are supposed to walk trough the whole bus on a lower floor?
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