History of : Ambulance | Truck | Bus | Jeep | Tractor

Bus History
Any of a class of large, self-propelled, wheeled vehicles designed to carry passengers, generally on a fixed route can be termed a bus. Developed at the beginning of the 20th century, to provide greater route flexibility, it was the natural outgrowth of the horse-driven coach. In the present moment, buses are defined as vehicles that accommodate more than 10 passengers.

Development
In 1830, Sir Goldworthy Gurney of Great Britain designed a large stagecoach driven by a steam engine that may have been the first motor-driven bus. It was Germany's turn next to design an eight-passenger omnibus, driven by a four-horsepower single-cylinder engine in 1895. Sight seeing companies were the firs to introduce buses in the United States. One type of these open vehicles built by Mack Trucks, Inc., in 1904 had a nominal seating capacity of 15 with a four-cylinder gasoline engine developing 36 horsepower at street speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 kilometres per hour).

Technically, the early bus resembled the motor truck. Until the 1920s the bus consisted of a bus body mounted on a truck chassis. 1921 saw the development of a chassis specifically meant for a bus. This was manufactured in the United States and was made by the Fageol Safety Coach Company of Oakland, Calif. This new frame was one foot lower than a truck frame. In 1926 Fageol developed the first integral-frame bus, with twin engines mounted amidships under the floor. The integral frame utilized the roof, floor, and sides of the bus as structural members.

Mack and Yellow Truck & Coach of the United States were among the other early bus manufacturers in the United States, both of which built gasoline-electric models. In these buses a gasoline engine drove a direct-current generator, and the output of the generator provided electrical power for the driving motors on the rear wheels. This electrical system performed the functions of a transmission by multiplying driving torque and providing a means of connecting and disconnecting the engine from the drive wheels.

Transcontinental bus service was introduced in the United States in 1928. The first rear engine in an integral-frame bus was introduced in 1931. Two-stroke-cycle diesel engines were first used in buses in 1938 and were found in most city and intercity models for the next 40 years.

Introduced in 1953, air suspensions continue to be employed on integral-frame bus models. They consist of multiple heavy rubber bellows, air springs, mounted at each axle. The air springs are supplied with air from a reservoir in which pressure at about 100 pounds per square inch (690 kilopascals) is maintained. An advantage gained from this type of suspension is that as the load increases or decreases, the level and height of the vehicle remain constant.

History of Jeep
The history of the jeep begins with the Bantam car company which built a couple of thousand light four wheel drives for the US army in 1940. Its name came from its military designation: vehicle, G.P. (general purpose) that soon became jeep. One of the rarer and more unusual 4x4 variants was the amphibious Jeep - a miniature DUKW, a Jeep with a hull built around it.

The jeep was one of the most outstanding light vehicles of World War II. Developed by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, it was an important item in lend-lease shipments to the Soviet Union and other allies.

It weighed 1 1/4 tons, was powered by a four-cylinder engine, and was classed as a quarter-ton truck in carrying capacity. Built originally for military purposes, it was capable of operating on rough terrain thanks to its high clearance and four-wheel drive, climbing 60 percent grades and fording shallow streams.

Its best speed on the road was 65 miles (105 kilometres) per hour. It could be used for varied purposes in the military such as a command car; reconnaissance car; light weapons, ammunition, and personnel carrier; and others.

The jeep was sometimes armoured for combat missions (weasel) and was produced with a waterproof hull and propeller, giving it amphibious capabilities. After World War II the jeep has found wide applications in civilian life.

History of Tractors
The invention of tractors drastically transformed the agricultural industry. They altered the way farming had been done for countless years, during which only minor improvements had been made. The new machinery enabled the production of vast amounts of food that leading to great technical progress of the twentieth century.

The first engine powered farm tractors used steam engine and were introduced in 1868. Built as small road locomotives, these engines were operated by one man, provided the engine was less than 5 tons in weight. They were used for general road haulage and in particular by the timber trade. The most popular steam tractor was the Garrett 4CD.

In 1907, the first experimental gas powered tractor produced by Henry Ford under the direction of chief engineer Joseph Galamb. However, this machine was referred to as an "automobile plow" and not a 'tractor'. Gas powered tractors began to be used extensively in farming since 1910.