US1850747A - Compartment vehicle - Google Patents

Description

\3 sheets-Sh 1 LAG March 22, 1932.

COMPARTMENT- VEHICLE Filed July 25, 1930 a NVENT l i'iiggff BY ATTORNEY WITNESSES 224 9 March 22, 1932. E.'FLAGG COMPARTMENT VEHICLE Filed July 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR i'rnesfj' /a WITNESSES ATTORNEY March 22, 1932. 7E. FLAGG 1,350,747

COMPARTMENT VEHICLE Filed July 25, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WITNESSES Z 17 .95%] 74 at. 1 I w I BY W a,

, I", ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 22,1932) ERNESTFLAGG;OF NEW YORK, N. Y.-

COMPARTMENT VEHICLE Application filed July 25,

This invention relates generally to the construction of icompartment vehicles and 7 while not necessarily limited-thereto, refers more particularly to animproved construction of a railway sleepingcar; 1 The discomforts and disadvantages of the ordinary twelve section type of-sleeping car having upper and lower berths withfone stateroom are common knowledge and, While.

the recently developed compartment 'carhaving individual rooms will eliminate the discomforts of the above mentioned type, the number of persons accommodated by the latter has been materially'reduced. In the latter'type the rooms'ar'e of such unnecessary hei' 'ht that' approximately one-thirdof the cubic contentiof the car 7 is; wasted, which might be utilized to good advantage.

It is, therefore, the'outstanding-object'of the I present; invention" to"provide an improved sleeping carport vehicle construction by virtueof which a maximumnumber of separate rooms or compartments; are provided in the allotte'dspaca which rooms or" compartments are of a size which afi'ord greater comfort and; freedom to the OCCIl-z pant, such as providing: standingJspace alongside the berth with sufficient head-room for a personof not unusualheightg Itis a further aim of'the resent-inventionto provide ina railway sleepingcar permanent berths whichmay be made up before the car'is occupied. or-started and in which the compartments are-of asufficlent sizeto "accommodate, in addition toea'ch berth, a

chair, which may be shifted abo'ut'to suit theoccupant, as well as being provided with individual wash-basins and toilet hoppers.

a railway compartment car, an arrangement of upper and lower compartments to which accessinay be as readily gained torthe upper" as to the lower compartments whereby the adversity to and consequent loss of fares from failure" to occupy the upper berths, is eliminated." a

Otherobjects of the inventionresid'e in the comparative simplicity of construction of the carzor vehicle, the economy with'which the V The invention furthermore coinprehends in 1930. Serial No. 470,749.

same may be built and operated, and the genv eral efliciency derived therefrom.

:lVith the above recited and other objects in View,'reference is had to the following specification and {accompanying drawings in .65 which there is exhibited one example or embodiment of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a fragmentary "sectional plan view takenfapproximately on the line indicatedat 1, 1 of Figure 3. r i FigureQ is a similar viewtaken approxie mately on the line indicated at '22 ofFigure.3. 1 Figure '3 is an enlarged transverse 'sectional view taken approximately on; the line indicated at 3+3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is asimilarcview taken approXimately on theline indicated at 44: of Fig-' To ure'l.

Figure 5 is afragmentary longitudinal sectional' view taken approximately on the a line indicated at 55 of Figure 1. c

V 'R ferring to theidrawings,bycharacters 0f175 reference, the car'body-includes side walls 10 and 11 which are of slightly lesser heightthan that of an ordinary car, while the sidewalls 12 and 13 of the clear, story roof portion are of "slightly greater height than ordinarily while' the combined overall height of the'car, remains standard; 7 i i A longitudinalpartition 14 corresponding approximately to theheight of the s de walls 10 and '11 and adjacentone side wall 11 de-- finestogether therewith a corridor C which extends throughout the length of the car. Vertical longitudinally spaced partitions 15 extend in the lower'part of the car from the longitudinal partition 14; to the oppositeside wall 10 while the upper portions of said partitions 15 extend completely between the side walls 12 and-13 of the-clear'story-roof structure. Each of the subdivisions defined by'the partitions 15 is aga n vertically subdivided by fore and aft stepped partitions 16 including anupper stepped port on 17 a lower stepped I portion 18'and a riser. portion19; In pracei V tice the upper steppedportion 17 will be U spaced from thefloor 20 of the car approxi- 1 1 mately seven feet while the lower stepped portion 18 will be spaced from the ceiling 21 approximately the same distance to afford between said portions the proper head room for an average person to stand erect with suflicientclearance.

In the upper compartments U the berths B will be supported directly upon the upper surface of the upper stepped portion of the partition 16, while in the lower compartments L, the berths B will be arranged to underlie the lower stepped portion of the horizontal portions. An inclined wall or partition 22 extends upwardly from the foot or inner end of the berths of the lower compartments L' and steps 23 project outwardly therefrom by virtue of which access may be gained to the upper compartments U. Doorways D in the longitudinal partition 14 lead from the corridor C to the lower compartments L, while doorways E are provided in the longitudinal partition sections F at the head of the stairway formed by the steps 23 to gain access to the upper compartments U. Between the free sideof the berths of both the upper and lower compartments and the transverse partitions 15 space is afiorded for a chair 24 which may be freely moved about tosuit the convenience of the occupant of the compartment. In the lower compartments L, the toilet hoppers 25 swivelly move from a normally I out-of-the-way position under the berths to an exposed useable position as clearly illustrated in dotted and'full lines in Figuse 1 of the drawings. In the lower compartments L, the wash-basins 26 may be mounted to swing from a normally vertical inactive position to a horiontal useable position. ,7

In the upper compartments U, thetoilet hoppers 27 and wash-basins 28 are swiveled for movement from a normally inactive outof-the-way position underlying the lower portion of the clear story roof structure to an exposed active position as clearly illus trated in dotted and full lines in the drawings. 1 Between the endwalls 29 of the car and the endmost partitions 15, a vestibule V is provided which may be subdivided by a partition 30 to afi'ord a porters closet W for the storage of towels andbed clothing and other accessomes.

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that within the space of a standard sleeping car, a suflicient number of compartments have been afforded for the accommodation of approximately as many persons as can be accommodatedv by the present type of twelve section sleeping car in which each compartment provides for both the privacy and com fort of theoccupant. It will also be apparent that ermanent berths permit of the making up 0 the beds prior to the start of the car or its occupancy. Due to the staggered arrangement of the berths of each pair of upper and lower compartments provision is made in each compartment for standing space alongside the berth having sufiicient head-room to allow the occupant to stand erect while dressing and undressing, washing, or for other purposes. In order to avoid increasing the standard height of the car, it will be obscrved that the floor of the standing space of each upper compartment is at a lower plane or level than theceiling of the standing space of the lower compartment and that said floor overlies and serves as a ceiling for the berth of the lower compartment. Conversely, the standing space alongside the berth of the lower compartment directly underlies the berth of each upper compartment. I

While there has been illustrated certain details of construction, it is to be clearly understood that no limitation is necessarily intended thereto and that variations and modifications which properly fall within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to when desired. 1 I claim:

1. In a sleeping car or the like, a longitudinal corridor at one side thereof, a row of pairs of superposed transversely arranged compartments respectively communicating with the corridor, said compartments each having a berth and standing space alongside the berth, the berth of the upper compartment of each pair being arranged over the ceiling of the standing space of the lower compartment and the floor of the standing space of each upper compartment being arranged over the berth of the lower compartment and disposed below the plane of the ceiling of the standing space of the lower compartment, said upper and lower oompartments each having a doorway establishing communication between the corridor and the standing space of the compartments and a stairway leading from the corridor to the doorway of each upper compartment, said stairway consisting of an inclined inner end wall at the berth portion of each lower compartmentand outwardly projecting steps from said inclined wall.

2. A compartment vehicle includin 1 lower side walls and upper side walls 0 set inwardly with respect to the lower side walls, transverse partitions longitudinally subdividing the vehicle and fore and aft stepped horizontal partitions in each of said subdivisions defining together therewith a row of lower and upper compartments, and a longitudinal corridor adjacent one of the lower side walls having communication respectively with the upper; and lower compartments.

3. A compartment vehicle including lower side walls and upper side walls offset inwardly with respect to the lower side walls, transverse partitions longitudinally subdividing the vehicle and fore and aft stepped horizontal partitions in each; of said subdivisions defining together therewith a row of: lower and upper compartments, a berth in each compartment extending transversely of,

a the vehicle and having a standing space alongside thereof, the upper surface of the zontal partitions providing floors' for the; standing space of the upper compartments lower stepped'portion' of each of the hori-;

and the lower surface of the upper stepped portion thereof providing ceilings for the standing space of the lower compartments.

4. A compartment vehicle havingrelativelynarrow and wide upper and lower portions a longitudinal partition adjacent one subdivisions defining together therewith a row of pairs of upper and lower compartments.

5; A compartment vehicle having relatively narrow and wide upper and lower portions a longitudinal partition adjacent one side wall of the lower portion thereof defining together with said side wall, a corridor ex tending throughout the length of the vehi ole, longitudinally spaced transverse partitions extending from the longitudinal partition to theopposite side wall of theflower f portion and extending from the floor to the ceiling of the vehicle and completely across the upper narrow portion and subdividing said vehicle longitudinally and fore and aft stepped horizontal partitions in each of said subdivisions defining together therewith a,

row of pairs of upper and lower compartments, "a berthin each of said compartments having standing space alongside thereof, the upper. surface of the lower stepped portion of each of the horizontal partitions providing floors for the upper compartments and thelower surface of the upper stepped portion thereof providingceilings for the standing space of the lower com: partments. v

6. A 'compartment'vehicle having relatively narrow and wide'upper and lower portions a longitudinal partition adjacent one side wall of the lower portion thereof defining together with saidside wall a corridor extending throughout the length of theyehicle, longitudinally spaced transverse partitions extending from thelongitudinal partition to v the opposite side wall of the lower portion and extending from the floor to the ceiling of the vehicle and completely across the upper narrow portion andsubdividing said vehicle longitudinally and fore and aftstepped 'h0I'l1 z'ontalpartitionsin each of said subdivisions definingtogether therewith a row of pairs of upper and lower compartments, aberth in each of said compartments having standing space alongside thereof,'the upper surface of the lower stepped portionof each of the horizontalpartitions providing floors for the up per'compartments and the lower surfaceof the upper stepped portionzthereofproviding ceili'n'gsfor the standing space of the lower compartments, the berths of each of the'lower compartments underlyingthe lower stepped portions of the horizontal partitions, and ex tending through the longitudinal partition to the opposite side wall of thelower portion.

7. Acompartment vehiclehaving relatively narrow and'wideup'per and lower portions, a longitudinal partition adjacent oneside wall of the lower portion thereof define ing together with said side wall, a corridor extending throughout the length of the vehicle, longitudinally spaced transverse partitions extending fromthe longitudinal partition to the opposite side wall of the lower por-,- tion and extending from the'floor to the ceil r ingof thevehicle and completely across the upper narrow portion and subdividing said vehicle longitudinally and fore and aft stepped horizontal partitions in each of said i subdivisions (defining together therewitli a row of pairs ofupper and lower compartments a berth in each. of said compartments having: standing space alongside thereof; the

upper surface of the lower steppedportionof;

each of the horizontal partitions providing'l ifioors for the upper compartments and the I lowerssurface of the upper stepped portionthereof providing; ceilings for thestanding space of the lower compartments, the berths of each ofthe, lowercompartments underlying the lower stepped portions of the horizontal partitions and the berths of the up per compartments directly overlying the upper stepped portions thereof, and extending completely across the width of the upper narrow portion of the vehicle.

8. A compartment vehicle having relatively narrow and wide upper and lower portions, a longitudinal partitionadjacent one side wall of the lower portion thereof defining together with said side wall a corridor extending throughout the length of the vehie ole, longitudinally spaced transverse p'arti tions extendingvfromthe longitudinal partition to the opposite side wall of thelower portion and extending from the floor to the ceiling of the vehicle and completely across. the upper narrow portion and subdividing said vehicle longitudinally and fore and aft stepped horizontal partitions in each of said subdivisions defining together therewith a row of, pairs of upper and lower compartments, a berth in each of saidcompartments having standing space alongside thereof, the upper surface of the lower stepped portion of each of the horizontal partitions providing floors for the upper compartments and the lower surface of the upper stepped portion thereof providing ceilings for the standing space of the lower compartments, the berths of each of the lower compartments underlying the lowerstepped portions of the horizontal partitions andthe berths of the upper compartments directly overlying the upper stepped portions thereof and extending completely across the width of the u per narrow portion of the vehicle and partia ly overlying the longitudinal corridor.

9. A railway car of standard length, height and width including an upper portion of a reduced width, a corridor extending throughout the length of the car at one side of the lower portion thereof, transverse partitions subdividing the remainder of the car space longitudinally, stepped horizontal partitions in each of saidsub-divisions defining upper and lower compartments, a berth in each compartment having a standing space alongside thereof, the upper surface of the lower stepped portion of each horizontal partition providing a floor for the standing space of the upper compartment, and the lowersurface of the upper stepped portion thereof pro- I viding a ceiling for the standing space of the lower compartment, stairways leading later-- ally upwardly from the corridor to the floors of the upper compartment, and extending partially over the berth space of the corre sponding lower compartment. I

Signed at New York, N. Y., in the county of New York and State of New York, this 22nd day of July, A. D. 1930. 7

- ERNEST FLAGG.

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